You keep hearing of path-breaking cinema but only when you see a film like Love Sex Aur Dhokha, do you know what that term really means.
Love Sex aur Dhokha
A; Drama
Dir: Dibakar Banerjee
Cast: Anshuman Jha, Shruti, Raj Kumar Yadav, Neha Chauhan, Amit Sial, Arya Devdutta, Herry Tangri
****1/2
WHAT's IT ABOUT: You keep hearing of path-breaking cinema but only when you see a film like Love Sex Aur Dhokha, do you know what that term really means.
Prepare for a cinematic event you haven't experienced before because Ekta Kapoor and Dibakar Banerjee's new offering breaks all norms of film-making. LSD could well be India's big ticket to world cinema with all the entertainment intact.
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The film is an amalgamation of three separate stories each told from a different format of camera.
The first one derives its inspiration in spirit and soul from Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge Rahul (Jha) is a student in a film institute working on his diploma film.
He meets Shruti (her real name is Shruti as well) who's come for an audition and they fall in love during the film's making. Even caste and class differences don't come in the way of this love story.
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But when her rich father selects an arranged match for her, they elope and get married. Rahul, a devotee of Aditya Chopra, believes things will fall in place for them, just like it happens in all Yash Raj films.
The second story is based in a superstore Adarsh (Yadav) is in serious debt when a friend advises him a way out romance a female colleague, have sex with her, record it on the security cameras and sell the footage.
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Rashmi (Chauhan) isn't the kind of girl Adarsh would fall for but he begins the game with her. But when they really become close, Adarsh is left to choose between love and betrayal.
The third and final story is about Naina (Devdutta) who wants to be an item girl but pop singer Loki Local (Tangri) is ready to give a break only if she is willing to 'compromise'.
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Hurt and dejected, Naina decides to expose Loki with a sting operation with the help of a journalist Prabhat (Sial).
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WHAT'S HOT: Kudos to producer Ekta Kapoor for backing and believing in a project like this one u2014 LSD needed a massive push to reach out to people.
The film has several aces to its credit, starting with the format itself. Dibakar uses an imaginative way of narration the camera is the story-teller.
The first few minutes may seem jarring but once you get used to the style, it's a smooth flow from there on.
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The director engages you so beautifully with his stories that the format becomes secondary. Each story is hard-hitting to the point of being brutal that's the film's biggest strength.
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There are no unfinished cuts here and no sugar-coated moments. We've heard of umpteen such incidents happening in real life so there's an instant connection.
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If people call this film experimental, it's only in terms of technique. If LSD were to be made in the usual style, it would still have the same impact the essence of the film is so severe.
On a creative level, this is Dibakar's boldest attempt so far. It's also his most difficult narrative the way he weaves the three stories at a point is the mark of a genius.
No melodrama, no superficial moments and no justifications Dibakar proves that images from real life are the most effective form of entertainment.
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The screenplay is the cleverest in recent years where the film ends, it could well begin again. The film has tremendous shock value; it has its moments of laughter and it has the capacity to make you think about it much after it's over.
More importantly, when you walk out of the theatre, despite all the stark moments in the film, you walk out with a smile, with the super-sizzling title track ringing in your ears. And Dibakar has managed all of this with an all-new cast the best ensemble cast of the year.
Even minor characters like the bigmouth salesgirl and the opportunist editor are perfect in their roles that's Dibakar's detailing.u00a0u00a0u00a0
WHAT'S NOT: The jerky camera movements are intentional and that's well established in the first story itself. Dibakar could've done away with some of those bumps and bounces in the third story even though it's only for a few seconds, it is distracting.
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WHAT TO DO: LSD has all the makings of a contemporary cult classic this season's best film. It's a must-watch.
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