Why Madras Cafe won’t make Rs 100 cr

John Abraham’s latest movie is a taut and stylish thriller. It effortlessly merges facts and fiction and re-creates the assassination of ex-PM Rajiv Gandhi beautifully. One of the most intelligent movies to come out this year, Madras Cafe is a must watch. Yet, the Hollywood-esque flick will not make Rs 100 cr, unlike a certain other ‘Madrasi’ movie that’s minting money by the second. Yes, this is how pathetic the audience is today.

A no-frills movie like Madras Cafe doesn’t run to packed houses, while a silly take on Tamilians like Chennai Express does roaring business. Why, amma? The thing that sets Shoojit Sircar’s thriller apart is the fact that the movie starts off without any preambles. It hits the nail on the head, unlike typical Bollywood fares.

No forced songs, unnecessary dancing-around-the-trees or slaptstick comedy. The movie takes up a sensitive topic and expertly delivers what it’s set to offer. When a Shah Rukh Khan failed to act well in Chennai Express, we had lost all hope about the future of the industry. But then we have John Abraham, in of his most layered performances, ably supported by debutant Siddharth Basu. Even Nargis Fakhri, as the Brit-born journalist, is quite good.

Shoojit Sircar’s Vicky Donor was a brilliant movie that stunningly combined the bylanes of Delhi with a sensitive topic like sperm donation. And with his second outing, Sircar proves to you why he is one of the talents to look forward to. His detailing of the era, use of year-specific props and a very docu-drama feel to the movie is commendable. Despite knowing the bleak climax, you’re hooked onto each and every frame.

The movie that hardly saw any promotions and marketing will be able to recover its costs only by word-of-mouth publicity. Because there’s no way a ‘Lungi Dance’-loving public will come to watch this hard-hitting drama out of curiosity.