Rating: * * * *

There is one genius behind the facade of the slightly eccentric and slightly stubborn Sudhir Mishra. He makes fewer films but when he makes one, he captures the mood of his film and its character with such perfection that we are completely transported and absorbed into the world he creates for us. And then he plays us like his puppets, laughing, crying and cringing at his directions.

Yeh Saali Zindagi, if you take offense to the title because of the Saali, wait till you watch the film. You will not only want to use the same hindi gaalis as the characters do, but also come out of the hall saying, Yeh Saali Kya film hai. Mishra has used the alphabet C to his best advantage sometimes alone and at others with prefixes such as B and M. But all said and done, the dialogues of Yeh Saali Zindagi are its forte. They appear remarkably real and absolutely close to the colloquial Hindi spoken in India.

The movie revolves around two twisted tales of love and a kidnapping plot gone kaput. But we love the confusion, the madness, the mayhem and obsession. Yeh Saali Zindagi doesn’t let you rest for a bit. This is a movie that is dancing as fast as it can to entertain us. From the opening scene when we meet Saurabh Shukla and his goons to Kuldeep and his gang to Bade and Chhote Bhaiya to Arun and ofcourse Priti, each and every character in Yeh Saali Zindagi ushers in a brand new flavour that is uniquely different and uniquely endearing. And even though, the film has its share of happy endings, not once do we feel that the end justified the means in it. The music intermeshes with the large character of the film so seamlessly that we enjoy every bit of it and want to just go home and listen to the whole album. Nishat Khan has done complete justice to Yeh saali Zindagi and a large part of the credit for what the film has actually turned out to be goes to him and his music.

Now for the performances. Irrfan Khan, the man who does it all with a straight face. How does he manage it? I have no clue, but what do I know is that he is superlative in the film and that is nothing new about him. Arunoday Singh, little had I imagined that this foreign returned, grandson of Indian politician Arjun Singh was such a powerhouse of talent. He seemed confident but I frankly didn’t think too much about him after Aisha, a film I personally quite liked. But welcome this new superstar on the block who is brilliant as Kuldeep. Though no interaction with him would give this side of him away but Arunoday Singh is as good as the seasoned actors in the film. Chitrangada is good too but was better in Hazaron Khwaishein Aisi. Sushant Singh is great as the mercenary but not heartless cop. Now Saurabh Shukla, the man has two releases this week and what can I say about this guy who can shoulder movies all by himself. He played Mehta with such elan and effortlessness that he is flawless.

I enjoyed this Mishra flick from its first scene to its last and recommend you to book your tickets before it starts running to houseful shows.