City of Gold (2010)
Today, there is hardly anyone who hasn't visited the swanky shopping malls, nightclubs, lounge bars, clubs and other such lifestyle destinations that sprung up across the centre of Mumbai. However, very few know that buried deep below these glittering edifices to consumerism lies the dark, dirty and painful reality of many thousands of mill workers who once worked the cotton mills in this very same area. Rising and toiling to the wail of the mill sirens each and every day, seven days a week, these workers embodied the true unbridled zeal and unflagging spirit of the city and played a pivotal role in the evolution of Mumbai as the modern day business capital of India. And then it suddenly was as if they never existed. Following the mill workers strike in the mid-80s, these mills began closing down rapidly and the mill-workers mysteriously disappeared...
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Reviews
Good start, but then it gets ruined
best movie i've ever seen.
Admirable film.
It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.
A lesser known movie by Mahesh Manjrekar. It's based on the several events in the life of mill workers after their capitalist young owner moves to put an end to their professions and more in 80s. What was derived from the impressive poster, the same lost its consistency during the course. You wait for the pace to pick up, you get disappointed. The narrator of the story is voice dubbed by Manjrekar himself. Everything can go wrong with poor people. While the story was leaving cold trails, the acting performances by the whole cast is awe inspiring. Seema Biswas as the role of the mother has struck gold. If only the story stayed in a constant path, it would have fetched larger audiences. Add the illogical dialogs at places, you get a two hours of disappointment. This movie has to be watched only for the outstanding performance by most of the cast and nothing else. Otherwise we can easily skip this one for another recent raunchy release.
I don't know how to start my review.. Seriously, I thought of starting like "Damn good work, man!!", but I don't know what to write.. Mahesh Manjarekar is one with enormous talents, really!! What a movie, man!! Each character has got depth, brilliant performances, apt lighting, and a tight screenplay. The only drawback to say is that, the movie seems a little bit dramatic at places. Otherwise, the movie deserves 10/10.Set in the Mumbai of the 1980s, the movie deals with the mill workers' life , who made the city into what it is now. The movie is executed brilliantly, damn good!! Mr Manjarekar should direct more movies, we miss your talent, sir!! The casting is perfect, the performances are very good, Many people are newcomers, I guess from the theatre background. The guys performed well, Siddharth Jadhav was awesome as Speedbreaker. The girl who played Manju was awesome. Seema Biswas is just a WoWWW!!! Excellent performance. Sachin Khedekar was good. Satish Kaushik's role was very good. Kashmira Shah has got a meatier role to perform this time, and she proves that she can do well in terms of acting also. The rest of the cast was good, the ad-wala guy who played Jignesh was good.No scope for the music, except for a semi-item song in Marathi, during the credits. On the whole, Mahesh Manjarekar is a talented director, and he proves it once again in this movie. Very well made movie, watch it!!!
Speaking from the heart, It was the first movie after Ram Gopal Verma's , "Satya", that brought tears to my eyes. I literally wept, although I consider myself to be "Macho" like every other Indian guy!Hats off to "Mahesh Manjrekar".The only thing I really didn't like seeing in the movie was the actress "Anousha Dandekar", I know it was probably to show that the "Writer Brother" did well in his life, but still, im sorry to say she looks like "na ghar ka na ghat ka" maybe that was what the director wanted.But every time I see her on-screen, or tele(MTV), I remember her remark about Mahatma Gandhi, on a show she hosted so long ago, and well it hurts.Overall, the movie was eye watering, and very close to heart. Thank you to everyone who made this happen. I will go buy the DVD, although I can easily download it over the net, I won't, this DVD will be a part of my very small collection of favorite movies.Thats how much I liked it ;D
I saw the movie after i read the review on IMDb. and moreover i was waiting to watch this movie... so finally i saw this movie and i kind of disagree with the above review.. i agree that it was about only a family.. but it was a family of mill workers.. i think this movie revolves around the mill workers and a story told well about the past.. Now everyone cannot be James Cameron.. to make AVATAr after TITANIC and beat his own record.. Life in MUMBAI remains the same for all stories.. that city is out of this world... even if 'Johnny Depp' had to make 'shantaram'. i am sure it would have had most of the same thing... now one cant predict anything different from a story about MUMBAI... The characters played fairly a decent role to bring about the feelings and behaviors of the then mill workers'. It is simply a story of how the poor mill workers where cheated to bring about the consumerism to make money.. at the end those people suffered and most of the people from MUMBAI, enjoy it today...whatever... IT IS A STORY WELL TOLD..