User Reviews

I'll be honest, half of the movie just flowed past me in a hurry. Watching this was like sitting on a beach and watching the waves. A movie that presents you with a whirlpool of ideas and a storm of striking images, this one is a true cult item that goes beyond experimentation. In the 100 minutes, this movie packs an enormous amount of satire and possibly the highest number of genres in a single wrapper. Taking a shot at everything from surrealism to extreme realism, Kamal Swaroop presents a truly exhaustive picture of the Indian middle class in a country full of diversity, but with a style that you will not fully grasp because it is just not possible. Certain things will stand out and haunt you forever but certain others, though maybe more important, will not sink in. It is, though, once in a life viewing experience

One hell of a trip!

Watched it at a decent multiplex over last weekend, and though the first 10/15 minutes of the movie passed by uneventfully, clues for what was to come after lay in the lyrics of the songs playing by then, with not much in terms of meaning tying words together.

Sprinkled liberally with some choice phrases that are memorable, not just for being random, but for the fact that they're so well-written, in spite of being the connectors that do not connect. The movie's limited budget doesn't detract from its enjoyment, or its entertainment value. I wasn't drunk when I watched this and wish I was; perhaps that's the best way to savor this one - teetotalers unfortunately won't 'get' it.

Audacious film-making: one wonders why Kuku/Kamal Swaroop didn't make more. One also wonders how they got this made in the first place. Would have been a tough sell for anyone, no matter if the people they sold this to knew the meaning of 'post- modernist' or other adjectives used to describe the genre this movie supposedly dabbles in.

'Babloo from Babylon' indeed. Not for everyone though, and I will Not be a pretentious ass and say I 'got' it. However, I did have a great time at the movies with this one, and I don't think everyone will be able to replicate that experience.

The movie takes you on a prolific and entertaining journey which will not make sense to in it's entire length. Only a true masterpiece of cinematic excellence can bind you throughout its totality, without making any apparent or hidden sense. Watch it and enjoy it, its probably the most "Indian" movie you will ever watch. Surreal experience of the highest quality put together and woven into what can be called a simple narrative of common people of a town. It offers everyone their share of takings whatever they can take, sarcastic will find their dark sarcasm, surrealists will discover unreal happenings, critics will find their charm and common people will find their head spun, the move has everything to offer, yet it claims of nothing. A must watch movie which clearly symbolizes the shear art of cinema making. 10/10 without a shade of doubt.

This postmodernist delight of Kamal Swaroop lingers with the subconscious when seen through the lens of imagination and not just the images.It is a rich 'INDIAN'movie. It mixes mythology,surrealism,realism,Philo sophy,fantasy,humour and science into one bracket. It is a subtle satire on society,norms,ideas and sexuality and of course filmmaking. I rate it above the lynchian masterpieces because it has more depth and layers and it is indeed a carefully crafted nonsense.

"Om Bar-D-Bar" is a free-wheeling piece of what might best be described as 'experimental' cinema. It has a narrative but that narrative, along with the film's 'style', is all over the place. In America, of course, such films are fairly common in avant-garde cinema but this one hails from India and came out at a time when Indian feature films were meant to be nothing more exciting than the usual Bollywood production. This one may have Bollywood elements but, like everything else in the picture, they are subverted.

It was directed by Kamal Swaroop and it was clearly not aimed at a mass audience. if technically it's on the ropey side, (some of the nighttime shooting is poor), it does show imagination and is often shot like a documentary. Of course, the big question is, is it any good or just self-indulgent? Swaroop clearly has skill, (though this is the only one of his films I've seen), but despite the skill and the imagination I found it very hard-going.

Om dar ba dar is a movie well ahead of its time and I guess that's why it was not well received then. Watching this movie is like going through somebody's mind. We follow Om from being a young boy to a teenager with the backdrop of Ajmer.

At first the movie is story oriented but later becomes chaotic which according to me could be representing the protagonists' mind. It almost feels like being in a dream when you watch the random images and the story that follows. The director has also portrayed the advent of new times from the old generation with the discussion of world affairs at a party and as the story progress the change of behavior by the characters.

The characters played by Lalit Tiwari and Gopi Desai represent their changing relationship with changing times and of course Om played by Aditya Lakhia plays the confused, uncertain teenager which makes us drawn to his fears and discoveries.

The director beautifully captures Ajmer and life in a small town. This movie has so much in it that every time you watch it you discover something new. A truly great cinematic experience. It's one of its kind.

I would recommend this movie to all cinema lovers and I am sure they will not be disappointed.

A pretentious and plot-less movie, that is guised as a deep and philosophical absurdist satire. This is not satire. Calling something satire does not automatically make the movie "cool". Where was the satire, you absolute baboon? It was a stupid movie, for stupid people who have a lot of time to waste, and no brain to think and form opinions on their own.

An intelligent movie is capable of making connections, having some semblance of a story, have characters that make some sense at least. This was just plain horrible film-making. If you want a good watch for your lil acid trips, I could list a number of B-grade Hindi movies for that. This was just NOT it.

Try to watch it as individual scenes because each scene is a short film itself, Sir Kamal Swaroop has surly delivered a unique piece of art , he is the one who introduced the absurd cinema to india, a film like this has made in 1988 what a great boldness. Anurag kashyap sir had motioned that he is influenced by Kamal sir's film OM DAR-B-DAR for instance a scene in Gangs of Vasseypur.

Hands down the best movie I've ever watched or to day the best experience I've ever felt through a screen! It feels beyond dimensions. How is it even possible to think about making such a piece lf art? I mean what goes behind it? Idk. But this literally a trip if you watch it correctly else it'll make no sense, just a watse of time. Do it when you're stoned. You'll definitely experience a psychedelic realm. I don't know how it works but it's actually the trippiest thing I've ever watched!!! It'll make you feel so nostalgic and dreamy you won't be able to accept the fact that you're actually tripping, your mind will tell "now you're tripping" the moment you thought you're in control, the next scene will hit you with such nostalgia that you'll forget everything and accept the fact that yes you're tripping on it. It's a proper replica of what an acid trip feels like.

This is not a movie. Its a dream of a person that remembers it properly.

The movie is like shiny beads which are not in one thread. Hence it dose not look good. The story goes very fast in several direction instead of one. It is like beads going to different direction and loosing its value.Though the movie is new in its kind yet Beads that are not in one thread

I don't think there is any "getting it" to this film. I tried watching it more carefully on my second watch, with subtitles, rewinding and pausing it to ponder but I came out the other side with only a slight more understanding of what this film is portraying. There is no rating to this. It's a piece of art. Surrealist, absurdist art. Though "Oh my Freud, Oh my fraud" would disagree with the calling it "art".

I did enjoy it more on my rewatch. The film has stellar moments of dry humor that easily escapes the viewer, who is trying to still maintain sanity till runtime of the film.

I am glad I found this piece of absurdism from Bollywood. It really does go so far against the grain that it even challenges other, more popular, postmodernist works. This becomes even more appreciable seeing it was released in 1988, where the rom-com fever was high in Bollywood. Even on an extremely tight budget, Kamal Swaroop managed to make a highly invigorating and extrapolating flick that manage to influence likes of Anurag Kashyap and Imtiaz Ali to make some of the best films of modern Bollywood.

I hope this manages to capture a more and more viewers so that Bollywood once again dares to take leaps into more experimental formats.