User Reviews

Sulemani Keeda is one of those rare films that needed to be created. A niche that needed to be filled. A comedy that makes you laugh, cry, wince, smile without having to resort to slapstick. A movie much needed amongst the onslaught of mindless 100-crore grossing "comedies" with item songs.

The characters are real. These struggling writers could be any of the thousands of people who come to Bombay to make a living in this highly commercialized city's cinema industry. The producer's son who wants to make a movie about a story without a story but is 35 and waiting to be launched. The cute gen-next girl who quits law to do a career in photography. The censor board chief who lectures the writers to make "decent" films while staying at the farmhouse of the producer whose films he's supposed to review. The film is full of such characters you probably know in real life, and subtle yet illuminating moments that it's easy to miss them.

The dialogues are sharp and witty, packing a punch at the right spots, making you laugh and ponder but never gets too serious. The soundtrack and background score are both breezy, soothing and very "indie", managing to create an atmosphere but does not overwhelm.

The city is very much there in every frame yet stays in the background. Filmi-wallahs and Mumbai lovers especially will notice the city's famous hangouts and spots from Salman Khan's house to the Sewri mudflats visited for its famous flamingoes. An evocative scene is that of the lead character listening to his fortune being read from a multi-colored machine on Juhu beach offering empty neon- filled dreams much like the city it is set in.

If you are used to a fast-paced, big-budget Bollywood masala movie with action, drama, item songs, big sets, stars and the usual, Sulemani Keeda is none of those things. At the end of it, it's a film--just like its fictional namesake referred to in the movie-- about a story with no story! Where the guy does not get the girl. There are no villains but real people, warts and all. There is an ending, but not necessarily happy or sad. The characters move on. Just like in life....

Finally, an Indian indie that skirts the line between broad comedy and subtle ones, and is perhaps one of the best written works to come out of the industry by far.

Save the final moments when it threatens to go all filmy on us, and almost does, this one's just a little short of perfect, even in terms of pacing and boasts some fine technical aspects for a low budget work.

The acting as well, never comes across as amateurish in any way, an aspect that plagues most Indie productions, including those initial forays made by Kukunoor or movies like 'The great Indian butterfly' . This is a work made by film-makers who're sure about their craft, and are most definitely here to stay.

Even the choice of shooting styles, camera angles, foreground scores and background scores are polished, with not a step faltering or out-of-place.

The performances are right up there, and the characterization is comprehensive, with the viewers getting just enough information that is within the context of all the events unfolding in the protagonists' lives.

The beginning few scenes though, I was not too sure, since it did take the flick a few spluttering starts to really get going (I think it really did after the poetry-reading sequence).

Not too dark to put people off, but dark enough to laugh at all its gallows humor guiltily around your other half, this one's a good watch also for groups of close friends who wax nostalgic about using the 'S...keeda' term fondly, and with intent, to describe in real- earthy terms, various 'interesting' things going on with their lives.

I do hope it lives a long life at the multiplexes. I might actually catch it once again next weekend. And, just in case you were wondering, yep, its that good.

There are lot of Indian movies that make large money, and offer no content , famously called as Masala movies in India, 'Sulemani Keeda' is totally an opposite of that, Its filled with high quality content that is so true to its nature, that it holds your attention from beginning till the end. Its an Amazing cocktail of Comedy, philosophy , life. The cinematography,acting by the upcoming stars are truly bliss .The original satirical yet philosophical dialogues binds and engage the viewers. It simply narrates the biopic struggle of two 'bromatic' writers which is itself a refreshing experience, a mesmerizing one. Shouldn't be missed by anyone who enjoys true cinema.Every Character is so well placed . A lot set of hidden talents are show caused in this movie .

Some satirical yet philosophical dialogues:

" We have only one life why do u need to fear". "I fear because its only one life"

"we need some out of the box idea. A film without story yet it has story" " i want to say you something.i think its too late but its time you start to grow up"

Indeed bollywood is growing

Indie films are a rarity in India. Rarer still are good ones. Sulemani Keeda is a little film that satires life in the periphery of the film industry. It's a bittersweet tale of how struggling writers' lives unfold in the glitzy by lanes of Mumbai. Some of it is truly hilarious, some profound and a little bit just doesn't make sense. Like any piece of art, it has its imperfect strokes. The story for example, is a tad too simple. Yet, the movie reflects upon certain insider truths of the industry that make for an invigorating experience.

This is the story of two writers waiting for their big break. They're dug into the dream of making a film called Sulemani Keeda. But neither has any serious professional guile other than their honest aspiration. They also come with a set of prejudices and stereotypes. Mainak (Mayank Tiwari) for one is the trash talking guy who thinks he's better than the world. Dulal (Naveen Kasturia) on the other hand is a classic case of hesitation getting the upper hand on talent. The two make an unlikely writing pair and you're introduced to their lives as they beg for a chance to the likes of Mahesh Bhatt, Anil Sharma and Amrita Rao. Let's just say their career prospects are borderline pathetic and it doesn't help that the two know nothing about scoring with chicks. But when Dulal meets Ruma (Aditi Vasudev) things seem to change for the better. But they also run in with trouble when Mainak and Dulal decide to write a film for Gonzo Kapoor (Karan Mirchandani). The only big conflict in the film is predictable and yes you could argue that's how the cookie crumbles in real life. But then again, good writing can make fact stranger than fiction. That's what worked for films like Jaane Bhi Do Yaro and Chashme Buddoor. With Sulemani Keeda, it's the dialogues that steal the show. They're funny, quirky and then on moments they're a revelation. The 'perhaps it's time to grow up' line hits you like a rock. Masurkar does a fantastic job with the lines, not so much with the script though.

Then to say that visuals could've been better is really nitpicking. End of the day, this is an indie film. It doesn't even have the budget of a commercial b-grade movie. Even so, one has to contend with unimaginative camera work. This point only becomes a subject of criticism because we're talking mainstream exhibition. If Sulemani Keeda had been a niche product one could've overlooked the lack of quality in its imagery. Especially because certain parts show you the team was capable of shooting good frames. But the inconsistency robs the movie of its punch. It's not a major deterrent. But it is enough to put off the average movie viewer.

The great thing about the movie though is its cast. Naveen, Mayank, Aditi and Karan are the four pillars on which Masurkar builds his story. Naveen's performance with the subliminal nervous energy and the totally gullible personality is good. Better still is Mayank's performance which shows a character with brazen disregard for the system. He swears everywhere and he's just spearheading into everything he jokes about. These are real characters and the actors do a more than good job. Aditi and Karan are in shorter roles but their performances are superb. Karan especially looks creepily awesome in his Tarkovski inspired role.

A special mention to the CGI scene where Karan's character snorts cocaine. This particular scene belongs in such memorable movies like Pineapple Express and This Is The End. This is beyond hilarious. It will give you a stomach ache. A thousand likes to Masurkar for deviating from the norm and having the audacity to try something different. But, a story is the heart and soul of a film. And Sulemani Keeda falls short on that aspect by some margin. Clever writing and word play do save the scene. But then it could've been better.

Suleimani Keeda was a film which was recommended to me by someone who loved TVF Pitchers, I was told that Naveen Kasturia is a good actor and since I am also a writer, i will be able to relate to the bros in suleimani keeda. Suleimani keeda looks promising from the outside with a feel of Mumbai, relationships and a look at the life of two struggling writers. Well, looking into the detail, Naveen's character looked promising at first, when you look at him, he is the one who reads books, recites poetry and looks like someone who loves poetry. Now the flaw. If Naveen is in love with poetry, you expect him to recite it in a clearer tone, he recites the poetry in a very immature manner. His love for writing is not at all visible in the film. Why would a struggling writer who is getting an opportunity of a lifetime is not interested in writing, instead of doing his work, he is more inclined to meet the girl. The friend( i am sorry, i forgot his name) is not a writer. He has no perspective and he looks more like a TV writer rather than a film writer. Watching tarkovsky or trauffat will not make you a writer. Now the delhi connection- They don't look like delhiites, they don't talk like delhiites and none of them had the attitude of a delhiite (I know this, because I am from Delhi). We hardly see the change over of naveen's character, He wanted to see the world and become the writer he wanted to be, but the trigger point was too weak. The fight between the two was contrived. It was useless, the writer only wanted them to part ways so that Naveen can become a novel writer and the friend is still a screen writer. The direction was much better than the story at hand, Chemistry between the Bros was missing. Over all it was a good effort, but not a movie. I am surprised to see so many good comments, maybe TVF is at it, but the movie is a fail.