CLUB 60 - Even if you are not 60, still the number will be there one day, so do not miss this must watch film having many enlightening lessons about life and its final years. (Review By Bobby Sing)
10 Dec, 2013 |
Movies To See Before You Die / Drama / Movie Reviews / 2013 Releases
To begin with, certain films are not meant to be reviewed with the usual set pattern since they have not been made with that routine mindset and have something precious to share in their thoughtful narrative about we the people, our relationships and the life lived in our final years (of old age) under some tough conditions. Now though, such a project might be lacking that gloss or finesse of a big budget film supported by any current heartthrob. Still a reviewer has a moral responsibility to praise this valuable effort deservingly and then help it reach the starving viewers who are eagerly waiting to watch such hidden meaningful experiments, silently being made in our Hindi Cinema with an admirable vision. Hence where you might find many reputed reviewers giving it a very average star ratings, I would strongly like to differ and rate CLUB 60 as a must watch since it does have a lot to teach about life, its profound contradictions and has a positive attitude which needs to be followed in our last phase of life i.e. old age.
CLUB 60 also remains a not to be missed film, as we haven’t seen many Hindi movies made on this particular subject of old age in our long history. Yes, one can easily recall a handful projects depicting the loneliness, hardships and ignorance suffered by the old caused by their own close relatives. And there are also a few ventures talking about a group of old friends going onto a naughty trip or expedition to fulfill their hidden desires. However, very rarely we have seen a completely different and positive presentation of old age in a Hindi film, wherein the characters are not dragging their sad or lonely lives in wait of that final moment to come any minute, but living it to the maximum without any grudge, complaint or regret as a ‘Celebration of Life’. And that is exactly the reason why CLUB 60 becomes an important film for me because it projects old age in a highly constructive manner, which is in fact the very truth of a life cycle, if understood with the right vision (discussed in more details later in the review after the film’s description).
Opening with a soulful narration by Farooque Sheikh about his own tragedy of life faced along with wife Sarika, the film clearly indicates that there is surely something extremely thoughtful and out of the routine coming in its next reels supported by a talented cast. Admittedly it does take a little time to sink in and even the introduction of Raghuvir Yadav at first feels like a bit over the top and loud. But once it all settles down after the initial introductions and a highly emotional scene comes in led by an amazing portrayal by Sarika, CLUB 60 starts influencing the viewer strongly and then seldom gives you a dull moment right till its well-conceived realistic climax following an impressive progression. Further the film has many insightful, well written sequences to be cherished with tears and smiles together, wherein many renowned veterans make a very impactful comeback after a long hiatus.
For instance, post a decent performance in “Listen…Amaya” (2013), CLUB 60 gives you back the Farooque Sheikh of the 80s (as in “Katha”, “Chashme Buddoor” & more) effortlessly playing the skillful surgeon who has given up the spirit of living life after the death of his young son. It makes you meet the good old Raghuvir Yadav transporting you back in the times of his great TV serials like “Mungeri Lal Ke Haseen Sapney”. The film pleasantly discovers a very fine actress in Sarika, who was more known for her bold choices of roles only back in the 80s. And the lady truly scores the maximum, playing the strong, caring and suffering characters of a mother and wife together in a splendid way. Along with these key names, CLUB 60 has Satish Shah, Tinnu Anand, Sharat Saxena & Vineet Kumar lovingly playing the group of old friends, plus Zareena Wahab, Suhasini Mulay, Himani Shivpuri, Harsh Chhaya and Viju Khote quietly leaving an impression in their short roles.
Directed by the debutant Sanjay Tripathy, the film grows on you as it progresses and delivers some extremely thoughtful ‘Precious Gems like dialogues’, forcing you to think over them with empathy. Yes it could have easily been more impactful with a shorter length and less songs, but actually one doesn’t notices these drawbacks after getting engrossed in the lives of its various characters and enjoys the songs too especially the well written ghazal “Rooh Mein Faasle Nahin Hotey”, “Pal Pal Khelti Hai Zindagi” and “Kho Kar Maine Aaj Tumhe Paaya Hai” sung soulfully. Moreover with a fairly enjoyable script giving a highly refreshing, rare and meaningful message to the audience, CLUB 60 certainly rises much above these minor hiccups and deserves to be seen even by the youngsters who are eventually going to reach that age too in the coming decades. The film made me smile, laugh & cry in its various sequences depicting the last phase of our life differently and then forced me think about the same from a new perspective, as shared below in some straight words.
Despite its visible shortcomings, as I see it, CLUB 60 can easily be called a revolutionary kind of project, since it simply breaks all those rotten patterns of showing ‘the old age’ in a depressing mode in our films since decades. In fact it brings forward an extremely important message to be passed on to every old and middle aged person around, that LIFE doesn’t end when you retire after the age of 60, but it actually begins with more spirit, freedom & fun if re-considered from a new cheerful angle full of positivity.
In other words, as widely seen, taught and accepted by majority of people (especially in our part of the world), Old Age is certainly not the most miserable phase of one’s life, to be lived in deep grief or plain sadness. On the contrary, it should be the most cherished, loved and carefree time of life, lived to the maximum because its end is soon going to be there any moment without any prior intimation or warning. It needs to be the most enjoyable phase of our living years, where one has got all the time to fulfill his numerous unexpressed desires related to music, poetry, reading, travelling, learning and lot more, which he or she might have missed while working all those years, making a living. And one should ideally prepare to live these final days of life in such a way that it simply doesn’t become a long sad wait for The Death to come, but instead becomes a celebrative time ready to embrace ‘The End’ any time, any moment with all bags packed.
To add further, CLUB 60 gave me the opportunity to look upon this important conclusive part of our life with a completely novel and fresh approach, bringing in many enlightening insights mentioned below and as I feel they should be inviting enough to force you to watch this under-rated gem at the earliest.
“The film made me realize that how rare it is to meet a smiling, joyful old man full of bubbling energy in our daily life, walking around whistling, singing or swinging his friendly stick as a carefree man…….! And visualizing the thought, I really struggled hard to remember any such man seen in the recent times in my locality honestly.”
“It interestingly raised a lovable question in my mind that as seen in the younger ones, Why the old age people do not or cannot have a 3 am friend too just a phone call away?”
“The film forced me to think that though we all (equally) get a beautifully wrapped gift from the Almighty called LIFE. Yet in most of the cases the gift remains unopened right till the end, resulting in a sad climax which can easily be converted into a joyful one by opening the gift wisely in time before the curtains are off.”
And then CLUB 60 made me remember one of the early discourses of mystic master OSHO, in which he interestingly mentioned a very common thought that,
“Why everyone always recalls the childhood or the school days, as their best time of life so fondly (instead of the old age)?
Now if truth be told, then this perception clearly reveals a bitter reality that if one so lovingly remembers his PAST to be much better & enjoyable than his PRESENT, then the person certainly has been walking on a wrongly chosen path in all the gone years……., and the progress has not been made forward but backward towards misery.”
So probably a depressing end largely means a life not lived well………because if one has really lived his different phases of growth in a given lifetime then its last phase i.e. old age should ideally be the most beautiful, pleasant and satisfying phase of life…..logically. And in case this is not happening then the things have certainly gone wrong somewhere in those middle years of life unarguably.
On a lighter note, this also gave me a thought that the time of Old Age can even be compared to a One Day Cricket match innings very easily………, since there too your chances of winning or scoring big, entirely depend upon how you have performed in the first 15-20 and then the middle overs (read years) of your innings losing the minimum wickets. In other words, whether your final 10 overs are spent full of tension, fear of losing or quite easily walking towards the winning end, it all completely depends upon how you have built-up the innings right from the beginning laying a solid base.
Hence with a hope that this message reaches all adults passing through any phase of their lives be it youth, middle age or old, I strongly recommend CLUB 60 to all like-minded friends here boldly, since we don’t get to see such honest and sincere attempts made in our Hindi Cinema often. Yes, the film is not perfect but still is a far better product and much above than even a hundred visionless big budget films supported by all the renowned stars. Hence do give it a chance at the earliest and then spend some time thinking upon its positive message too, in order to experience an encouraging, joyful and winning end of a journey well lived.
Rating : 4 / 5
(Included in the “Movies To See Before You Die” list at BTC because of its rare narrative and unique positive message about the old age.)
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