Praveen Lulekar
The first chunk of Yellow is a
fine example of what technology can do to story-telling. Craftily edited
flashbacks tell you the story of tension mounted in a husband-wife after they
discover that their daughter, their only child, is suffering with Down
syndrome. Close camera movements, echoing sync-sound and intense portrayal by
the actors (Mrunal Kulkarni – Manoj Joshi) make sure that you are interested in
the proceedings in the first fifteen minutes. In what follows for the next two
hours, Yellow becomes an inspiring tale of Gauri, the special child, and
all its characters.
Directed by ace cinematographer Mahesh
Limaye, Yellow is a fine example of films that gel technology
beautifully with the technique of storytelling.
Yes, it comes out in chunks – the aforementioned context setting, the
separation of the couple, the insecurities of the mother and the fight of Gauri
to become a national swimming champion. But what works is that they come in a
natural flow – thanks to the quirky dialogues, the refreshing taking of scenes
and the actors executing it with solid conviction. Like the screenplay, even
the characters tend to have monotony - Kulkarni as the vulnerable mother, Joshi
as the anguished father, Hrishikesh Joshi as the funny, god-fearing mama
(maternal uncle) and Upendra Limaye as the stern swimming coach. But
monotony is not always a taboo, especially if you have such skilled actors.
They maturely do the job of extracting nuances out of the moulds they are
given.
The most touching part is however Gauri
Gadgil and Sanjana Rai as the grown-up and the younger Gauri respectively.
Rai’s innocence and Gadgil’s perseverance, that are real (the story is inspired
from Gadgil’s actual story), stand out making them really special. The writers
- Ambar Hadap and Ganesh Pandit, do not want us to sympathise with the
character. So they tweak Gauri to make her a brat who, along with her mama, becomes
a nuisance for the neighbourhood and in-turn makes us love her for her
character. The script also ensures that Yellow does not remain only
Gauri’s story. It is as much about her mother, about the coach and also about
her father. Limaye makes most of the portions where he is required to break his
inhibitions to train a special child.
Yellow is
also a sports film. The director ensures that the cinematographer in him plays
an important role here. The swimming sequences are exquisitely shot with close
shots keeping you hooked with each detail. You will also learn about the Butterfly
Stroke and Hypoxia, swimming techniques that are woven intrinsically
in the storyline. The commentaries get a tad loud, but they explain the game to
an audience quite possibly ignorant of the sport.
Looked from a classic critic’s
viewpoint, Yellow might seem like a commercial film that gives you a ‘happy
ending’ feeling, which is often elusive in real life. While you get inspired
and cheer for Gauri in the end, do not forget the open ends of the story. A
special child in Gauri’s school loses his grandmother, his only relative;
Gauri’s repenting father never dares to return to his family. We often invoke
our so-called social sensitivity by watching a rare Taare Zameen Par.
These open ends in Yellow remind us that there are still a lot of open
wounds.
m4m says: A Must Watch
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