Shabri Review

Shabri had been in the cans for quite a long time. This film comes straight from Ram Gopal Varma' s production house. His previous film is doing well, so maybe, he gathered the courage to release Shabri. This film is directed by debutant director Lalit Marathe. Gangster films have been Varma' s forte. Hence, the question is whether his protégé can live up to his name or no. There were also talks of this film being Isha Koppikar' s best performance, which saying a lot as she is not known to give great performances. Therefore, let' s check out whether this film lives up to its hype.

Shabri (Isha Koppikar) is as poor girl living in the slums of Mumbai and struggling hard to make a living. Her brother is arrested by a cop and dies at his hand when he subjects him to third degree. This incident becomes the spark that ignites Shabri' s rage. She avenges her brother' s death by killing the cop, but she does not stop there. Now Shabri becomes a full-blown gangster and thus begins the carnage.

This film sounds like every gangster film that has been made till date. The same old story of a good person forced to take up crime due to circumstances. However, what is different is the treatment of the film. The lead protagonist is female and one can really connect with her. Her struggle feels real and you also feel as if you personally know Shabri. This is the plus point which goes in the favor of the film.

The story, though not unique, is still good even though one gets the feeling of having heard it before. The screenplay is well written and has a good flow to it. The parts where the characters contemplate their actions also are good. The dialogues keep the film real, and do feel like the usual superficial Hindi film lines. However, there are parts where the film gets boring and affects the pace of the film. Better drafting was required here.

The direction is good. It could have been so easy for Marathe to ape Ram Gopal Varma' s style and make a film just like him, but he narrates the story in his own way and that makes the film different. Marathe also handles all his actors really well. The film is quite decent for a debut effort, but it is not possible to make a flawless film in the first go. He has messed up in the technical department. The film has quite a few flaws where the frames aren' t great or the lighting is inferior. There are problems in the sound design as well. Hence, these flaws though seem small, but they really affect the overall impact of the film.

Everyone' s acting is good , and yes this film is Isha Koppikar' s best performance. She acts with control angst and uses her eyes well in acting. Her body language is also great. The character being female is always in danger of being portrayed in a sexy manner. She too is known for playing seductive roles. However, Isha has become Shabri in such a way that the viewer does not see her as a woman or a man, but as a person. The supporting cast has also done a good job. No actor in the film has performed below par.

The cinematography is good and each frame makes sense. The cinematographer, Amit Roy, has planned the film really well with the director and it shows in all the shots. However, there were problem with some frames which is his and the director' s fault. The editing is also good and editor' s effort can be seen incorrections made to poor shots, but he couldn' t do anything more.

Production value of the film is decent. The sets are all reminiscent of the Ram Gopal Varma School of filmmaking. The moment you see the background and the sets, there is no need to inform that this is a RGV film. Criticism is due for the release of the film. It has that slightly dated look, but luckily for Ram Gopal Varma, the relevance of the story is still there and the audience may like it. However, this film was released all of a sudden and there was no promotion, this may affect the revenue it makes in the opening week.

The film is good attempt at narrating a story that has been heard before. The handling of the story is what makes the film different. However, if the technical flaws had been taken care of, the film would have been extremely good. Such laws are unacceptable in this day and age of technical brilliance.

Other two releases this week are not all good and hence, Shabri will have a good run at the box-office. Also, the movie has been made on a small budget so that improves its profitability prospects.

Rating: **1/2

Verdict: Watch Shabri for the honesty with which it has been made and also for Isha Koppikar' s best work.

Reviewed by: Harshal Anand

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