Shabri Hindi Movie
It's not an unknown thing that actress Eesha Koppikar's claim to fame has been her first item number Khallas. Ever since, the actress tries her hands in many films did other item numbers too but none could get her the same traction which Khallas did. But the now married Eesha has one film that she can rave about and you should know that it wouldn't be wrong on her to do so. The film in question is Shabri. Having been stuck in the pipeline for nearly half a decade the film finally sees the light of the day. Now it only remains to be seen whether it was worth the wait or not.
Shabri is the story of how one ordinary slum woman rises to threaten the most dreaded gangsters of Mumbai city. Working in a flour mill to support her family, Shabri (Esha Koppikar) struggles hard to make an honest living in hope of a good future for her loving younger brother Bandya. Her uneventful life takes a sharp turn when Police Inspector Khare who is known for his brutal ways rounds up Shabri's brother by mistake and tortures him resulting in his death. An uncontrollable rage seizes Shabri that sees her kill Khare, triggering off mayhem of violence which in course of time leads to Shabri becoming a force to be feared, revered and to be reckoned with for both the underworld and the Police.
Eesha Koppikar has all the rights to be gung-ho about this film for she deserves to be lauded for her stupendous performance as the rugged, cuss hurling, hard-hitting, gun-totting slum woman. The way she shows transition in her character from being a simple poor woman to a vendetta machine killing anyone who comes in the way of her final target Rajdhar bhau is praiseworthy.
But all this couldn't have been possible without the debutant filmmaker Lalit Marathe who weaves an intense revenge saga beautifully. A true protégé that he is, Lalit shows glimpses of his mentor Ram Gopal Varma of the Satya and Company times. Right from the hazy film tone to the camera work, Lalit brilliantly brings to life the story of Shabri. Character actors like Raj Arjun who plays Murad and Pradeep Rawat who plays Rajdhar Bhau are near perfect. Background score of the film is just perfect.
What doesn't work in the film's favour is its pace. The entire movie passes in slow motion making the film tiring. A lot of scenes could be easily editing without affecting the storyline and it's the existence of the same that makes the viewer impatient. Moreover, Shabri comes at the time when film buffs have already seen many gangster based films and hence the hype of it fizzles out in the very first thought itself. It's just the delay of its release in the case of Shabri that can be a truant in its success.
Over all, Shabri is worth a watch mainly for its brilliant performances and intense plot.
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