ABSTRACT

Here is my understanding of
3 films (Pink, Piku, Gulabo
Sitabo) by Shoojit Sircar i.e.,
his film making style, the
aesthetics, elements,
character etc.

SMERA SHETTY, MB217237

2nd year BBA Analytics

Shoojit sircar Film Appreciation (Open Elec

OE Assignment
Shoojit Sircar is a filmmaker, director and producer born in Bengal. A few of
his movies include Pink, Piku, Gulabo sitabo, Madras Café, Vickey donor etc. I
felt a sense of realism in the characters and the way the movie is structured
and so I have chosen Pink piku, and gulabo sitabo as my movies that I would be
talking about. His movie inculcate very raw elements of India and he maintains
the characters by adding small elements throughout the movie.
PIKU
Piku was released in 2015 but had an imprint on me ever since, it is a comic
drama and revolves around an old dad who has constipation and then moves
around the idea of their ancestral house being sold. The movie has light and
witty humour throughout. The main cast includes Deepika Padukone, Amitabh
Bachan and Irfan khan.
CHARACTERS
The characters are very real and can be related to. Shoojit Sircar has brought in
the essence of Kolkata and mostly when a character is angry is when there
have been dialogues (sentences) in Bengali. The quarrels shown in the movie,
be it between Piku and her father or father and the car rental owner are very
realistic and something you’d see in your daily life. Deepika Padukone had a
bindi and kajal at almost most parts of the movie again maintaining the
essence of Bengal.
HOW IT IS SHOT & MUSIC
The movie starts with a montage shot where in the car is shown once perfectly
without any damage and then when the number plate is broken, I found the
lighting similar that of ‘Stories by Rabindranath’. The lighting a little dark but
well-lit at the same time, it showcases the Indian essence in a very raw and
natural way. The camera throughout the movie is on the person talking and is
usually on the face level, there are very few shots of all the actors in the movie.
I like the places where the music has been placed, it doesn’t seem too much
and is just right.
GULABO SITABO
Out of the 3 movies I didn’t enjoy gulabo sitabo as much, although I did like
how the characters were structured. Gulabo Sitabo is about how an old man
want to shoo away his tenants after he takes over the property (Fatima Mahal)
which is only possible after his wife dies.

CHARACTERS
The movie throughout had focus on the character talking and blur on most
thing around. The walking style and repetition, blabbering of words make the
character believable. It maintains the Pakistani aesthetic, with the characters,
haveli. The movie does have an element of humour in almost every scene.

HOW IT WAS SHOT & MUSIC

There is very little music throughout the movie. I found some of the things
over exaggerated like taking the old man and shifting him to the chawl at one
point and how he steals the light bulb although they do add to the humour
element of the film. The colours are very dull and the frames too maintain the
rawness have showcases broken walls, half painted doors etc.
PINK
Pink was released in 2016, the movie has a very strong social message of
sexual harassment and also gender discrimination. The movie is about 3
women who were sexually abused and 3 men who were in power and how
they win the case when in the court.

CHARACTERS
Amitabh bachan plays a lawyer and has some kind of illness. Shots of him
zooning out on random objects throughout the movie just help the characters
illness be more believable. The camera angle has few wide-angle shots and are
on the eye level of the person speaking. The instances of realism can be seen
when Amitabh Bachan’s wife gives the 3 women (victims of sexual harassment)
biscuit, when a girl runs down the shower in an attempt to feel clean.

HOW IT IS SHOT
It again has used lots of elements of montage and realism. The edit style is like
a cut and transitioning to the next scene. The aesthetic of the movie is dark
and again has elements of India. The second half of the film is in a court room
due to which the lighting again is very raw and in the indoors. The music in the
film in sort of depressing and tries to bind the movie together. I feel the last
shot that had a sort of blurred slow-motion effect could be done much better
as it looked a bit overdone
SUMMARY
Summarising the same, all the movies have a few elements that are similar,
like Amitabh bachan and how India has been shown in its raw essence and are
very culturally rich. Almost all the movies had a Bengali element to them. Piku
and Gulabo Sitabo had ancestral property as the centre of the film. In both
Piku and Pink Amitabh Bachan played a Bengali old man, and in all three
movies he had some or the other kind of illness. Therefore, all the 3 movies
had some or the other element that were interconnected, perhaps they have
an impact of Shoojit Sircars upbringing and roots. All three had beautiful
cinematography, and the cameras were usually on eye level.