Yeh Saali Zindagi

Since '1:40 Ki Last Local' (the last black comedy from Hindi cinema that made me laugh out loud numerous times), I haven't seen anything as funny, creative, clever and wicked of the same genre in Hindi films until 'Yeh Saali Zindagi' came along. The title itself is hilarious and so is the movie. It's a fresh and a very much needed change from the silly better-forgotten so-called comedies that Bollywood has overloaded the audience with.

'Yeh Saali Zindagi' is a thrill to watch. It works very well on multiple levels, mainly as a modern film noire with a doze of dark humour. I found the style of narration mixed with the slick editing to be quite innovative. The use of voiceovers, flashbacks and fantasy sequences is cleverly done. The writing is terrific and it produces some memorably hilarious dialogues.

Sudhir Mishra grabs the viewer's attention from the very beginning with an opening sequence where we see a bleeding and disoriented and delirious Irfan Khan being comforted by the ravishingly hot Chitrangda Singh.

The execution is first rate. It's very well-paced. The songs and background score contribute well to the mood and atmosphere and adds to the flow. The cinematography and light effects are super.

Irfan Khan delivers one of his funniest performances. It's great to see him back in a clever comedy after a long time and he does it very naturally. Superhot Chitrangda Singh is equally outstanding as the sexy, slightly naive, independent singer who always falls for the wrong guy. Arunoday Singh, Sushant Singh, Yashpal Sharma, Aditi Rao Hydari, Saurabh Shukla and especially Prashant Narayanan provide excellent support.

The only little flaw are the kiss/love scenes of Kuldeep and Shanti. They do look more passionate than the usual love scenes in Bollywood films but they lacked spontaneity and felt choreographed.

Ticklish and wickedly energetic, 'Yeh Saali Zindagi' is refreshing entertainment. I wish more directors will make such films. Hats off to Mishra, his cast and crew for two hours of non-stop fun.