Being Cyrus - Movie Review

Bollywood is maturing. Gone are those days when Bollywood movies showcased nothing more than family values or slapstick comedies. Directors are ready to take on topics which were considered taboo until a few years ago; they are ready to break the stereotyped “hero-heroine-running-around-the-tree” storyline. Being Cyrus is definitely in the class of movies like Black and Iqbal; movies which we can showcase to the world.

A low budget movie, which boasts of the best talents in Indian cinema, this movie would definitely make an impact with the audience.

Directed by Homi Adajania, who is making his debut as a director, the story revolves around the lives of the Sehtna family and a guest who comes to live them. The Sethna family consists of the patriarch Fardounjee Sethna (Honey Chhaya), his two sons Dinshaw (Naseeruddin Shah) and Farokh (Boman Irani). Katy (Dimple Kapadia) is Dinshaw’s wife, while Tina (Simone Singh) is Farokh’s wife. Cyrus Mistry (Saif Ali Khan) is the guest who come to stay with Dinshaw and Katy.

The brothers are at constant loggerheads with each other. They split after their father decided to share his wealth with them. Dinshaw kept the bunglow at Panchgani, while Farokh kept an apartment in Mumbai. Fardounjee stays with his younger son.

Dinshaw is a dope-smoking sculptor, who gave up his artistry to live a quiet, secluded life at Panchgani. Katy wife is fed up of their life at Panchgani, and is constantly pestering Dinshaw to move to a more happening place like Mumbai. Farokh works in some financial company, and is an extremely short tempered person. He treats his father and wife shabbily – treating them to a constant shower of insults and abuses. Tina is the petite housewife, much younger than Farokh, who silently suffers her husband’s taunts. Fardounjee also leads a quiet life, unable to raise a voice against his son; he is confined to one of the rooms in their apartment.

Cyrus comes into the lives of Dinshaw and Katy to stay along with them and learn Sculpting. He helps them in household activities as soon becomes a part of the Dinshaw family. As the movie goes by Cyrus learns about many dark secrets of the Sethna family – stained relationships, extramarital affairs and hatred amongst relatives.

Cyrus goes on to change the fate of the Sethna family. He has a past, which unknown to the Sethna family is the reason why he has come over to stay with them and to build a bond with them.

‘Being Cyrus’ is Saif’s first English movie, and he has played a role which is very different from the ones he has played till date. Naseeruddin Shah’s portrayal of Dinshaw as the recluse sculptor, who is lost in his own world of art and dope is perfect. Dimple Kapadia plays the role of a desperate housewife to perfection. The other notable role is the one played by Boman Irani, who moulds well into the demands of the character. Boman is as comfortable in these roles as he is in comic roles, which shows the real caliber of the actor.

The storyline and excellent performances by the cast is something which I loved in the movie. The way the director strings the subplots to bring about the climax is commendable. I also loved the way the director has used Gujrati obscenities; I have never heard so many obscenities being mouthed in a single movie.

This movie is not a mainstream Bollywood movie, so the chances of the movie succeeding in places other than the metros and other major cities is doubtful, but I hope it gets it dues from the critics department of various awards given to movies in our country.

The official website of this movie is worth a visit. The details of the movie are conveyed to the viewer in the form of a newspaper along with articles which are in-sync with the storyline.