This
hard hitting Bollywood movie depicts life on the streets of Mumbai passing through
a traffic signal. This
is the place where all kinds of people live and survive. In
any one day, hundreds of people go past many traffic signals scattered all over
the city. These include people sitting in vehicles impatiently waiting to get
going. The wait may be just a few minutes but it always feels like a lifetime.
| Kunal
Khemu |
Unknown
to the drivers, there is a thriving industry that derives its livelihood whilst
they wait at these traffic signals. The
work force around these signals is no less than an average sized multinational
company. It
comprises of people thrown in together by fate or hunger. They include eunuchs,
handicapped and impaired beggars, lepers, street kids, drug addicts, prostitutes,
vendors selling flowers and fruits. Yet it doesn't end there. There
is an intriguing world lurking behind all the poverty seen at these traffic signals.
Each signal is said to have a manager collecting a certain percentage of the day's
revenue from those working at the signal. The
pecking order broadens further and each manager is supposed to hand over his weekly
collection to the person who is in charge of the region, covering dozens of signals.
The
ladder is raised in its hierarchy and the collector of each region deposits the
money with the local Mafioso, (a local gangster) who then ensures that it reaches
offshore to his master. Traffic
Signal is a story of one such signal representing all other signals around
the city. | Konkona
Sen Sharma |
Silsila
(Kunal Khemu) a young orphan, born and bred at the signal is now its manager.
For
him the traffic signal is his workplace and a home where he lives. He's
a sensitive soul with a heart of gold treating people like his family but always
a shrewd businessman. Silsila's
mentor is Jaffar, who happens to be the collector of his region. Both of them
work for the local Mafioso, Haji. Due
to some unforeseen circumstances, Silsila is drawn into a bigger game and finds
himself responsible for destroying his own world - something to which he's dedicated
his life. What
would Silsila do in such a situation? Silsila knows that he can never take on
Haji who is too powerful. Every
Bollywood film needs to be filled with romance. So this comes in the form of Rani
(Neeti Chandra) coming to the city of dreams to make money. Her sister, Chutki,
accompanies her by helpinghe Rani in selling traditional garments. Unknown
to the ways of city life, her first meeting with Silsila ends in a fight but things
become amicable with time. Eventually they fall in love. It
is with Rani's strength and support that Silsila stands up against all odds to
challenge the system making up the climax of this film. This
thriller is being released by Tip Top Entertainment, the distributor, in the UK
cinemas very soon. Previewed
by Manish Gajjar, 麻豆官网首页入口 Bollywood Correspondent
|