The wait has ended finally! After listening endlessly about Anurag Kashyap's Bombay Velvet, we finally got to see the trailer of the film. Are we impressed? Well, the trailer is good but not as good as I had expected it to be. May be my expectations were high but why not? It is not everyday that a director like Anurag Kashyap, known for his offbeat films, joins hands with a mainstream actor like Ranbir Kapoor to make his most 'masala' and big budget film ever. And if that's not all he casts a filmmaker, who is known for his candy-floss films and has only a cameo to boast about in his acting CV, as a villain. Yes, Karan Johar.
The film is based on historian Gyan Prakash's book Mumbai Fables and is set in 1960s, the old 'Bombay' days. It is the story of an ordinary man Johnny Balraj (played by Ranbir Kapoor) who goes against all odds and forges his destiny to become a 'Big Shot'. Anushka Sharma is playing Rosie Noronha a jazz singer and Karan Johar is the main antagonist Kaizad Khambatta. The film releases on May 15th.
No we are not judging the film but based on the trailer entirely, here are things that we liked and things that we didn't like in the trailer of Bombay Velvet. Let's start with all that we liked in the trailer.
Ranbir Kapoor as Johnny Balraj
As you watch the first scene of the trailer, it is clear that Ranbir Kapoor is here to give performance of the year in this film. The actor is the best thing of the trailer and of whatever little we have seen we are sure he is this good in the whole film also. Talking about his curly hair, well we loved it, gives him an old world charm like his grandfather Raj Kapoor.
Nice retro looks of the characters specially Anushka
This department is bang on! Everyone has got that perfect retro look be it Ranbir or Karan Johar but Anushka Sharma's look as a jazz singer takes the cake. She looks pitch perfect especially in the scenes where she has dressed up all glamorously. Her bouffant, fringes, hair-bands and dresses are totally retro and suiting her. We still can't figure out though why that infamous lip job was required for the film.
Ranbir and Anushka's chemistry
Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma have come together for the first time and boy what chemistry! The on-screen romance and chemistry between the two is worth watching and can be one of the factors to make me go to the theatre to watch the film. We definitely want more of it.
Production design
The film was shot in Sri Lanka to get 1960s look of Mumbai (then Bombay) and it has worked. From ambassadors to car number plates to old BEST bus, production design is detailed, sets are good and has succeeded in recreating Bombay of 1960s.
Things that we didn't like much
Karan Johar
After whatever Anurag Kashyap had said about Karan Johar's acting in the film and after watching his poster, our expectation bar was a bit high in terms of his acting and the character. He is not bad though with that smirky look on his face but his dialogue delivery is not upto the mark. But again we hope he will surprise us in the film as Anurag had said.
Trailer is long and fails to generate interest
The trailer should be intriguing enough to make you wait for the movie and compel you to buy first day show of the film but Bombay Velvet's trailer fails in it. I am not a morning person but I made sure to watch the trailer as soon as it was released early in the morning because of the hype the film has created till now. Exactly 2 minutes and 40 second later, I was left confused, uninterested and well not satisfied.
Ranbir Kapoor and his tommy guns
Ranbir Kapoor firing with both hands from his tommy guns - this scene is so Hollywood and if I may say done to death. It gives a feeling of dejavu that we clearly don't expect from Anurag Kashyap out of all.
Background score
Is it just me or the background score of Bombay Velvet's trailer reminds you of Once Upon A Time In Mumbai. Don't you think the background score is too cliche and ummm average?
May be Anurag Kashyap did it deliberately so that we are pleasantly surprised by the film. Well, we haven't lost hope, this was just the trailer and I hope the film surpasses our expectations, as great King Khan once said, "picture abhi baaki hai mere dost."