I was very impressed by Parvati Balagopalan's 'Straight'. Set mostly in London, the story centres around a British Indian but this is nothing like the usual saccharine NRI love story that Yashraj production has churned out every year by contributing to the pollution of Hindi cinema. Given the main theme revolving around a man who is confused about his sexuality, who experiences a clash between Indian tradition and a rather open English culture, the story had to be set outside of India. Sexuality is an important theme but unlike many Hindi films, 'Straight' does not mock homosexuality. The movie is given a refreshing treatment. The film has heart and it is told beautifully and with sincerity. The execution is first rate. The editing, lighting, cinematography and art direction are brilliant. Sagar Desai's music flows beautifully with the story. Balagopalan proves to be a promising director and I would be looking forward to her forthcoming projects. In my books, Vinay Pathak can do no wrong and once again, he carried an entire film. This man's incredible talent never fails to amaze me. Gul Panag is excellent. I was in love with her character Renu and I loved that she did the movie and how she played the part. This actress deserves more recognition. Anuj Choudhry is likable and Sid Makkar adds some comic relief. Ketki Dave is hilarious as always. 'Straight' is both thought-provoking and immensely entertaining. In my humble opinion, it is the best Hindi film of 2009 so far.
