Madras Cafe (2013) User Reviews

As good as blood diamond and green zone...

[ckaran80 · 9/10 · 23 August 2013]

Madras Cafe is a political thriller which although claimed fictional, is inspired by real events. Its tells the conspiracy behind the assassination of ex-prime minister of India and the War situation in Baffna region of Sri Lanka...The movie is fast paced and is so intriguing and well-crafted that it can be easily this years best...

With zero publicity stunts, Madras Cafe director Shoojit Sircar tries to go out of conventions and comes up with this masterpiece...Political thrillers are ones which people in bollywood rarely attempt, and Shoojit does it bravely...Right from the start, the plot involves you in such a way that it is hard to come out of it.The pace of the movie, entangled characters,series of events, unveiling of conspiracies and then finally the climax- all are up to mark and hence make this movie a spectacle to watch...

The Screenplay is fabulous- it divides the movie in two parts efficiently. First, the war conditions in Baffna and then the assassination plot.In between shocking plots are revealed and it covers a vast script in its runtime.The reason why i compare this with Hollywood masterpieces like blood diamond and green zone is not because of the similarity, but due to the fact that Madras Cafe maintains the originality of facts while imbibing the fast paced and thrilling plot.

John Abraham plays the lead role and this could be his best performance after dhoom, and does total justice to his role.Nargis Fakhri is the surprise package and shows that she can be versatile...The supporting cast is totally naive but they give their very best...

The only drawback or error you can say is relatively average editing.Its cliché and too short for many scenes...

But as a whole, Madras Cafe is a sinister, evil political thriller which is supported by intense acting and direction and the plot is simply ravishing.Its a sign that bollywood has started making sensible movies on a large scale.

Madras Cafe is not for crowd who like Chennai Express,Rowdy Rathore or Dabang, but it for those who acknowledge movies like A Wednesday, Shanghai and Rang De Basanti. This one wouldn't be watched on a large scale, won't gross in hundreds of crores,will not receive flurry of awards...but for me its simply one the best that bollywood has ever produced...

Probably the best movie of it's genre from the Indian sub continent

[rajanahuja4 · 9/10 · 2 September 2013]

Probably the best movie of it's genre(spy/espionage/war/politics) from the Indian sub continent ever. Well researched, scripted and dramatized with a gripping pace and thrilling twists. Indian commercial movies normally have very faint reflection of reality or they go overboard in their desire to please all with more than a pinch of spice, item songs, super hero justifications and other indispensable Indian commercial considerations. But this one beats it all and yet retains the charm of a commercial flick. A perfect balance and a fine confluence of commerce and art,rarely seen in Indian cinema. A very strong script with probably the first ever peep into the working of Indian Intelligence Agencies and a panoramic capture of serious geopolitical subject with utmost honesty. A movie which remains true to the core yet maintains a edge of the seat drama through out. Not to be missed for the lovers of good Indian cinema, meaningful & superbly entertaining.

Worth a Watch!!

[nevilpachani · 9/10 · 23 August 2013]

Madras Cafe is a wonderful representation of Sri Lankan civil war from the viewpoint of India. Critics state that it fails to capture the emotional aspect of the war but it was never meant to be viewed from the Lankan point of view.

It is a non Bollywoodish movie where we find no songs, dancing etc. There is no stupid romantic crap in the movie which other Indian political movies show. Relationship of John and Nargis is strictly professional(the way it should be).

One of the best Indian movies of the year after probably D Day and Ranjhaana. WATCH IT PEOPLE!!!

Wow!!!... Intellectual, Gallant and a Brave Factual work of Cinema... Caution: Miss This At Your Own Risk.!!!

[shubh_328-471-817687 · 10/10 · 8 September 2013]

It took 3 films and 7 years for Shoorjit Sircar (director) to deliver us with undoubtedly the best political thriller we can savor ourselves over a long time. 'Madras Cafe' is unarguably a gem of a movie that belongs to a rare genre of Bollywood cinema and deserves much more attention and applause than what it's being receiving.

The film is based on the backdrop of the Sri Lankan civil war in the late 1980's and early 1990's. It crosses its path with the plotting and execution of the then, Indian Prime Minster, whom we understandably can make out as Late Mr. Rajiv Gandhi. This film is so well crafted; it was not possible to find out a loophole in the entire plot.

John Abraham (Producer), who plays as a RAW Officer has done a 100% justice to his character Vikram Singh. There are noticeable fluent and honest performances from Siddharth Basu and Nargis Fakhri (Rockstar) on the other hand as well. If you want to know more about what's inside, you have to go and watch it yourself. Although just do a bit of homework on the Lankan civil war events that occurred in the late 80's. You would not regret it.

There was one drawback of the movie though. The movie had an end. But as they say 'All good things comes to an end'. So, I guess it to be that way.

Madras Café is a slap on the faces of all the directors and also on the ignorant and bogged down movie goers who are ardent worshipers of senseless commercial cinema that has plagued Hindi movie industry over the last year and half. John Abraham here has to be appreciated immensely for the effort he has put in out of the movie, since; there was no one who was ready to produce this movie earlier until he accepted this project to invest in.

Thank you John Abraham and Shoorjit Sircar.

Without any second thoughts, being thankful and much obliged with this Intelligent and brave cinema,.. I'm going with an esteem ★★★★★★★★★✩ (9.1/10) for Shoorjit Sircar's Madras Café. This one is a Must Watch.

Watch and BE ENLIGHTENED..

Cheers

One of the best Political Conspiracy Thrillers... AWESOME !!!

[RebelRavindra · 10/10 · 23 August 2013]

Madras Cafe is super awesome, totally moved by this conspiracy thriller. The movie had no regular commercial elements, no songs, no romance, no sh*t. It was bang on target since the first frame of the movie. The whole content of the movie is totally legitimate. Director Shoojit Sircar should be appreciated for a brave attempt on showcasing the political conspiracy involved in the assassination. The direction was great, specially the scene involving the assassination. That was the best scene of the movie.

Screenplay of the movie is very tight, It was fast paced, though there are no entertainment elements, The movie will not bore you. My a** got glued to the seat and eyes on the screen. John Abraham did a great job by selecting such kind of a movie. He did extremely well.

Will definitely have a re re re re watch for this movie... LOVED IT !!!

John and Shoojit team is much better than Ajay and Rohit Shetty.No fake actions no stupid jokes

[iruled16 · 10/10 · 24 August 2013]

Madras Cafe is not only one of the best releases but the only best release in this recent time. John is no more expression less actor.HE worked extremely hard in his recent projects and proved him.And he is at his best in Madras Cafe. Talking about Nargis her accent is good but should have done hard work on her acting skills. Thank God no Lungi dance at the end but a beautiful song called Maula sun mere. And then the Assassination. As we all know the end but it keeps us on the edge of our seat till the last scene Credits to Shoojit Sircar. Very realistic,great performances by everyone and great direction. They killed him .We lost him for no mistake.He was so young. This touches everyone Hearts......

Kudos to Indian Cinema

[cyberundertakor · 10/10 · 25 August 2013]

Rather than writing a long review explaining the Pros and Cons this is Indian Cinema which now is evolved.

Rather than pleasing the masses they have now gone ahead and showed the truth.

The beauty is that even when the audience knows that what has to happen in the end The director still holds us to the movie.

It can be said now that filmmakers in India can boldly make real-life stories without fear of controversy or censorship, this may be the best way to approach important stories that must be told.

A Must Watch film and good job by Shoojit Sircar.

Well Done Team of Madras Cafe.

Choose Madras over Chennai. It is Crisp, Clean and Clear.

[lediscipledessocrates · 7/10 · 23 August 2013]

There is absolutely no reason why you should not watch this movie. It is by all means a pretty decent thriller. Utterly devoid of the superfluities and terse to the point of being of labelled as "un-bollywoodish" the movie represents all that is desirable in an entertainer.

My brother quite ably put it into words when he declared that the charm of the movie lay in it's abstinence from over indulgence.

John Abraham does a commendable job (except for , may be a few scenes, where it is his bad make up and hair do which need to be blamed more than him) .

He is supported by an able cast of actors who deliver credible performances.

The script isn't circumlocutory and the Director isn't shy of laying down facts and opinions in an unequivocal and objective manner.

The absence of songs , does wonders for the health of the audience and the movie too. Needless to say there is no parallel romantic plot disturbing the flow of the narrative.

In fact the movie checks itself every time there a temptation beckoning it over do things.

The Director is honest and doesn't mince his words when describing the situation as as he sees it.

If you have stepped out for a movie and are thinking about catching the last express to chennai , believe me , you ought to change your itinerary and catch a cup of coffee in the café.

MY REVIEW: What a Cafe to be in!!

[saytosandeep · 8/10 · 24 August 2013]

Madras Cafe is a kind of political and espionage thriller that Bollywood never tried before. First half requires your patience. It is a mix of striking visuals, haunting sound design, introduction of key characters, their motives and the felling that something is not right. Second half is a piece of cinematic perfection where characters gets meaty dialogs, feel of danger keeps growing and finally in the climax you feel helpless like our hero. Based on actual events mixed with fictitious characters, Madras Cafe becomes a very important movie that should be watched by every Indian. Acting is top-notch. You won't be able to forget the imagery of first half and tension of second half long after the end credit starts. Director Shoojit Sarkar provides the ample conviction and uniqueness to whole idea and surprises you with his versatility (he directed Vicky Donor before). The movie has little flaws like packing too much information in first half and few key details not described clearly. But I can say with full comfort that it would be a mistake if you give this movie a miss.

Reality Cinema about an important history of Indian politics with no commercial adulteration

[SivakumarBalachandran · 6/10 · 22 August 2013]

Now a day's one inevitable news is a movie release ban in India for the reason it might create political issues (Vishwaroopam, Thalaivaa and now Madras cafe). I watched this movie in theatre (Abu Dhabi) one day before its release in India. I was so eager after the controversy it has created and doubling my eagerness was the plot which was about Sri Lankan Tamil problem.

This movie is a kind of political drama thriller though it has not got its commercial base in the entire film. The movie starts with an as usual note that all characters are in the movie are not referring to any one in personal. But which automatically assures you it's closely based on persons in real life. Basically as we get from the trailers and the news it is about the Sri Lankan Tamil Eelam, LTT, civil wars based on ethnic crisis and assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. The plot is too sensitive so the essence of cinematic elements where very less in the movie and it was more of a documentary type. The story happens in 80's and 90's.

In one line it's about a Research and Analysis Wing agent (RAW) grieving for his failed mission and his wife's death. The director's perspective was too raw to be taken by a common man. The movie talks about intercepts, de-coding, code red, intelligence, Power, RAW agents, source, Foreign journalists etc., which is too much off information to be understood by common audience.

Sure we have to applaud and appreciate for such a bolder attempt. Definitely casting was good.But I felt John Abraham could have given a better performance in his role. The Lead lady Nargis Fakhri fits picture perfect to her role as a journalist from London, which closely resembles to many BBC war correspondents.

Verdict: Overall it is a slow reality cinema and an informative documentary.

Bottom line: Not recommended for those who want to watch a cinematic glitzy action thriller like Ektha Tiger. Take it from me this will make you uneasy and test your patience.

-Reviewed by Sivakumar Balachandran ([e-mail])

Best movie of the year: Well almost

[vikramsamal · 9/10 · 24 August 2013]

Madras Cafe: A realistic take on the life of spies and RAW agents. Its not really as stylish and bed of roses as depicted by Bond et al. And they don't always win. And it must be scary to know that one wrong movie on your part, the country's defense can be compromised. Madras Cafe is a tale of the Tamil surge in SriLanka, rise of LTTE and the subsequent side effects ending in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. Its a docudrama, showing most true incidents that happened behind one of India's most tragic events. A taut script, fantastic BG score and wonderful direction makes Madras Cafe nearly the best movie of the year. And after somewhile I really enjoyed a John Abraham performance. More than anything, hats off to John for producing this movie. All Kashyaps, Motwanes watch out, cause Shoojit Sircar really knows how to make serious topics in mainstream. And his Journo background must have held him in good stead while making this.

My entry into the Oscars this year.

9/10

Wrong cast and bad script

[rightwingisevil · 20 November 2013]

i don't know how most of the viewers would have give this film a higher rating, because i, for one, didn't see it eye to eye. the screenplay is poorly drafted, making a the main character become the narrator of the whole incident. then signed up john abraham to play the main role is also a very bad casting decision. why? i didn't see he has any special ability to show that he is the top pick to do this job. what he showed us here is a thoroughly depressed person without any spirit, always showed us a spiritless and energy-less guy, like a guy suffered insomnia for couple of years, like a walking dead or zombie. what he showed me in this film is quite different from what i've seen from his other films, a high spirit, energetic, very capable person, yet in this film, he seems to become a totally different actor, like a guy with a broken heart from family tragedy or like a divorcée suffered badly from endless sleepless nights. the Indian double-faced spy ring leader is another lousy creation in this film, like abraham, also a very poor cast to play this role. there are too many unnecessary scenes of the wife of abraham, although claimed herself an army wife but got involved almost in every move of her husband. then, we got a pretty field journalist, in order to prove she's in the field dealing combatants all the time, she got to chain-smoking to prove her toughness. the battle scenes and the field scenes are nicely arranged, but the whole movie was a complete failure simply ruined by the poor script and the spiritless, depressed and lame performance of john abraham. this is a film that could be good even great, but failed by poor development and arrangement. if this film is so good, why i felt impatient to sit through all the time? are we seeing the same movie?

Well directed, well shot, but not well acted.

[suvopyne49 · 7/10 · 26 August 2013]

Often come films that are terrible yet has its cast performing extra- ordinarily. The rare ones are where the film is superbly directed with a fine story, but let down by the cast. Madras Café is an example of the latter ones.

This espionage thriller is set in Sri Lanka during the 80s and 90s, while the country was torn in Civil War. The ethnic clash claimed number of innocent lives. The-Assassination-of-Rajiv-Gandhi-inspired incident served as the central point, around which the story is spun. When the conflict reached its zenith though rebel group of Tamil ethnicity, LTF (based on LTTE), India decided to intervene and send a peace force. This is where, our protagonist, Vikram Singh was sent to the war zone to ensure the operation of Peace Force does not fall through.

Based on this promising premise, the story moves in considerably apt pace, weaving more threads, that culminated the cloth of the grand conspiracy. The screenplay deviated from the traditional three-act structure of storytelling; and it suited the narrative. The credit goes to director Shoojit Sircar for his relentless grasp on the film. There was barely a moment when the intensity of the film falters or the tone gets shifted. The documentary-style depiction of war casualties helped the cause of the film.

The two lieutenants for 'captain' Sircar would be Kamaljeet Negi and Shantanu Moitra. Negi's cinematography is remarkable, making some of the frames look like work of art. Moitra's background score set up the tone of the proceedings that were happening on the screen. For a Bollywood film, there is a scarcity of songs (read unnecessary songs), but when there is a song, it just drives home the point of the film.

On the negative side, as mentioned earlier, the cast was a letdown. That is why, it seemed, director had to compromise with the character development. Granted, an espionage political thriller does not require much of a character study. But, when your protagonist undergoes plenty of different scenarios, it should yield at least one or two not-so- similar emotions. Perhaps, John Abraham's acting prowess forced Sircar to make his lead character a one-dimensional one. Also, the out-of-sync conversations between Nargis Fakhri (a British Journalist) and Abraham often were cringe-worthy. Having Fakhri delivering all lines in English hardly improved what she could have delivered in Hindi. The support cast, barring a decent Siddharth Basu, did not support either.

It is a well-directed, well-shot film with a very good story. Just the same cannot be said about the acting of the cast. Notwithstanding that, this is an indication that Bollywood is slowly moving towards maturity and quality after a long time. Good political thrillers are hard to come by in our industry, and this one definitely worth a watch.

Trying hard, but ...

[claus-50 · 4/10 · 26 November 2013]

I'm a stranger to Indian cinema, other than being familiar with the usual clichés of Bollywood-style song, dance and drama.

I read some reviews here, recommending this movie, and calling it a genuine political thriller. Well, it is. Sort of.

It's hard to describe what I feel is wrong with the movie. The plot is believable, and you want to see more. Not being intimately familiar with the horrible history of the Tamils, and having read only scattered articles here and there, I did not have any way to determine whether the movie was true to facts or not, and for this I apologize.

So, what's wrong? Well, it feels like there is an entire plot here. There is. But it feels like someone sat down, wrote a list of "what makes western political thrillers good", came up with 10-12 key scenes, and made those. Without really bothering too much with tying them together. It feels not so much rushed as uncohesive. And that's a shame, because ..

The visuals are nothing short of stunning. Excellent camera-work, glorious colors, scenery, and almost worth watching for this alone.

But ultimately, for me, the story is where the substance is. And in this one - perhaps this is due to me being unfamiliar with Indian cinema - it just feels cut to pieces and abrupt. Key events just "happen" from one scene to the next, and if you want to keep up with who's who, and who's pulling what strings, don't blink for a second.

Given that I don't know the material intimately, like I would with say a WWII movie, or a typical cold-war spy movie, and the actors were all unfamiliar to me, this movie was hard to follow. Perhaps for a more local audience, it would be infinitely more enjoyable. I do hope so, because it is a gorgeous movie, and I desperately wanted to like it.

Objective portrayal of LTTE struggle

[grande_illusion · 8/10 · 26 August 2013]

The political opponents of this film have been proved wrong. Politicians and their sidekicks should first watch the movie before they start screaming "ban, ban"! The film manages to take a cleverly done objective stance of the LTTE fight for Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka and the circumstances that led to the killing of former India PM Rajiv Gandhi. The film could have a better impact if it used names of the real people they trying to portray instead of resorting to semantics to camouflage their identities, while at the same time making it so obvious as to who the characters represent. However, overall it is a thriller which works well unlike Kamaal Haasan's "Vishwaroopam" released few months ago, with a similar theme.

Perfectly blended Coffee .... Well served Madras Cafe !!

[rickbarni-233-509919 · 8/10 · 23 August 2013]

Madras Cafe serves you the best Political thriller of Bollywood so far. It gives an inside, one man perspective view of the crisis that India faced over late eighties and early nineties. A National crisis to which the Nation was ignorant (other than South elm) until their Prince was assassinated.

Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord in late eighties turned into our own Vietnam (mentioned in the movie too !!) when the Peace keepers suffered the brutal violence. Inexperienced in Jungle Guerilla warfare , low on intel, Indian Regular Army took way more heat than the pre-estimate.

This movie takes you right there, when strategies were been compromised, missions failed and search for mole began. And continuing on a thriller ride, it throws you to the conspiring plot of Rajiv Gandhi assassination.

Pros: Authentic, very much detailing in the story line. Fast paced thriller.

RAW never looked so smart, their equipments never looked so real and so do their men. John Abraham didn't become John Rambo neither James Bond.

Lead actress (portraying an NRI journalist) didn't utter a Hindi word in a commercial Bollywood movie. Big Kudos to the Director !!

Combat scenes were gore, short & realistic and not exaggerated. Bullet effects,gun recoil, soldier's positions these usually overlooked areas were been paid full attention.

Good budget brings helicopter long shot, brilliant location and areal photography.

Cons: Only major flaw I felt - Too much shaky camera movement. Dolly tracks are hardly been used. I actually got a headache after leaving the theater.

"Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high" ... Soojit Sircar fearlessly just not presented one of the worst Indian political blunder but also held his head high above the commercial, controversial pressure. He has shown the guts to stay away from masala pricks (not even a single back ground song comes to hinder the pace till very last, no parallel love story building up within the lead pair)

Indo-Pak war / tension even RAW covert missions have been featured in Bollywood for many and in recent times. Its a safe segment to have your audience with a patriotic breeze. But Soojit did not hesitate to read out those chapters which are not very much welcomed in Indian History. This movie may not do good in the box office which is ruled by all the Circus stuffs. But it has set another benchmark in Bollywood, and that will be real hard to reach.

best movie of 2013 so far !

[amit_jha11 · 9/10 · 23 August 2013]

madras café : 4 stars

MadrasCafe best movie of 2013 so far ... Enjoy and promote good cinemas

Thank God!!! After such a long time some good work will be at the box office's. Bollywood should at least learn something from people like Sircar. It's not about songs , dance & b-grade comedy " Don't underestimate the power of a common man". However not only the makers are to be blamed here for poor films for the whole year, it's the viewers who make a garbage throwaway.When masala trash of greedy producers holds back the Indian cinema from making a decent piece of work, movies like Madras Cafe catapults it in to the 21st century cinema. Great work. riously, it's time now to get off the "Chennai Express" and get into "Madras Cafe" for a cup of the compelling,well scripted film.and overcoming the so called 100 core tamasha. Really got bored of daily listening to the account balance sheet of Chennai express

*dont compare movie beauty with price

Plot is gripping

[kulkarni-ajay-a · 9/10 · 23 August 2013]

Its a political/war movie and the story line is very strong.The first half feels a bit disconnected with short scenes. The movie is very fast and sometimes you lose the plot. Feels like they had a lot of content and wanted to fit everything in a two hour movie which was actually a good Idea. Length of the movie was just perfect.

The second half is extremely gripping and connects all lose ends. In the end everything connects very well and everything makes sense.

Acting wise John was OK. Nothing exceptional about him. None of the characters actually standout. There are some emotional scenes but none of them actually make you cry. Its hard to imagine John Abraham make you emotional purely on the basis of this acting.

To me the true winner over here was the story line which is extremely gripping and makes up for everything. In the end its a good watch and leaves you wondering about a lot of things. Personally I loved it.

Note: does not contain any Bollywood masala.

Could have been much better

[vishal_khanna · 6/10 · 26 August 2013]

Madras Cafe's only winning point is its excellent screenplay. Though the film is based on Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, but if the writers did not have access to too much intelligence information, then they have done an outstanding job conjuring up the script.

What fails for the film, primarily, are Shoojit Sircar's direction and Kamaljeet Negi's cinematography. Sircar's direction is at best - average. He is incapable of extracting good performances from his actors. His storytelling and treatment lack lucidity. The cinematography in the first half of the film is very jerky and 'random'; with excessive use of track trolley in scenes shot inside the bureau.

The film's pace has been kept so fast that it's hard to keep up with the overflow of information. The on screen subtitles and supers seem to be put in as a mere formality. The film also has several anachronisms - most of them being John Abraham's costumes; others in sets and props.

Although the film is a surrogate retelling of Rajiv Gandhi's assassination plot, not once does it mention his name. In fact, that particular character doesn't even have a name in the film. This is a major let down.

Thankfully, the second half has been shot much better and the film ends very organically - again a victory only for the writers. This film is definitely a one-time watch, although for me, it is definitely not a landmark film in Indian cinema.

A Tale Well Told: superb movie by Shoojit Sircar.

[sushilrattan · 10/10 · 25 August 2013]

Shoojit Sircar's MADRAS CAFE is perhaps the first movie to come out of Indian film industry that has has no actors, just characters, including the well known star John Abraham. Their roles were so ingrained in the tale that every face in every frame was there, to move forward the story. Vikram, Jaya, Bala, RD, Sree were the names one remembers, not who played them. Therefore, the viewer does not get a chance to judge/comment whether a particular actor did a good job or not ! This speaks volumes of the director's capability to tell the tale without making any person more important than the story !

Throughout the 2 hours and 10 minutes of the film, one does not feel comfortable..although everyone knows the end. Shoojit was helped in his endeavor by excellent script, dialogues, cinematography, editing and music, all of superb quality. Persons responsible deserve all the kudos, but the biggest compliment goes the person at the helm. Shoojit Sircar has made a superbly crafted movie; and has jumped miles ahead of his contemporaries to become the best director of this generation.

For the audience who want quality cinema, here it is...go out in hordes and watch it, for "Madras.." deserves it much more than the poor cousin, "Chennai...", to show everyone you care for quality and not only for Express enjoyment that does not last.

Tight and Gripping Account on the Sri Lankan Civil War and Rajiv Gandhi Assassination.

[akash_sebastian · 6/10 · 27 August 2013]

Shoojit Sircar's 'Madras Cafe' is a tight and gripping account on the Sri Lankan Civil war and Rajiv Gandhi assassination. I'm amazed it took over 20 years for someone to approach such an important part of the subcontinent's post-independence history. But I can understand the reluctance due to the highly-sensitive nature of the different groups in our country, and Sircar's blend of fiction & non-fiction may have been the right way to tackle it.

It's different from the typical run-of-the-mill Bollywood action movies; it has an intelligent story, backed up by facts and actual incidents, with no romance, songs or melodrama. The characters are real and intriguing, each unique in its own way. The acting is commendable.

People looking for a simple bombastic action thriller won't enjoy this. Only people aware of the subcontinent's political history and turmoil can thoroughly enjoy this movie, and what a treat it is, right up to inevitable but well-shot climatic assassination scene which leaves you paralyzed.

After their thought-provoking and entertaining comedy 'Vicky Donor', with this movie it seems like Sircar and John (who produced Donor too) are here to change the ways stories are told in Bollywood - it's quite a welcome change!

The movie that reveals the the truth of Ex PM's assassination

[koustavavc · 9/10 · 11 September 2013]

The assassination of Rajiv Gandhi is known to every one. Very few people know about how the plan is executed. There is no book, no encyclopedia, no experts who can answer this question but the answer is available in MADRAS CAFE. The research work by Shoojit Sircar to reveal the truth through fictional way is must appreciable. The movie contain all the positive and negative aspects that occurred during Rajiv Gandhi's period. The most important part that is to watch out is Tamil issues in Srilanka during that period. The killings of Tamil people through LTTE soldiers will just make you stunned. There is no negative part in the film. Crystal clear work. The first half which is full of suspense will make you not to leave the seat. The answers are all revealed in the second half. After a long time Shantunu Moitra presented his master piece music. The lines from geetanjali at the end makes the film a fulfilled master piece.

John's acting is must appreciable. His acting skills had developed a lot and Shoojit Sircar made the full utilization of it.

One word to describe..... Masterpiece Watch it for you worth it.

Riveting, Exciting, Watchable!

[DjMokksha · 7/10 · 25 August 2013]

How was Madras Cafe? Well it was riveting, fast paced, exciting, turbulent, keeps the viewer at the edge of his seat till the very end. The final moments of the assassination are well executed too. Excellent Cinematography lend an air of thrill and uniqueness to the film. The characters are very convincing. The movie paces well and ensures there is never a boring moment. Great to see a movie with no silly item songs or cheap Ranbir Kapoor nakedness on screen. Just the raw power of John Abraham at the helm of it all.

My realization in the last 5 minutes: The film is undoubtedly excellent and well executed. A first of it's type for Indian cinema. But the final 5 minutes clearly indicate that this film is very possibly part of Congress (read as "UPA") propaganda keeping in mind the upcoming elections. The aim is very clearly to push public sentiments towards the fact that Rajiv Gandhi loved the people of India and gave his life for the country and it's only the Congress in power that can take the country in the right direction, foreseen by Rajiv Gandhi during his life time. It's not loud, the message is given very subtly towards the end, through the scenes and dialogues. Very cleverly done as the elections are coming soon .. a tactic similar to what the Obama regimen did by getting something like "Zero Dark Thirty" subtly released to garner support before the elections. Definitely a political agenda behind the movie, nevertheless excellently done if you look at it from the artistic angle (and steer clear of its historical accuracy)!

UKAsian Review: Madras Cafe. A Complex Conflict reduced to a Cops 'N Robbers Shoot 'Em Up!

[joshipoonam · 5/10 · 10 September 2013]

The events leading up to the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, India's ex-PM whilst he was campaigning for re-election in Sriperumbudur District, near Chennai in south India on 21 May 1991 by 'Dhanu', a female suicide 'Tamil Tiger', is the subject of this latest attempt at gritty political Bollywood cinema.

Told largely in flashback, we follow Indian army officer Major Vikram Singh (John Abraham) who is appointed by the Research and Analysis Wing ('RAW'), the Indian equivalent of the CIA, to conduct covert operations in the then on-going civil war in Sri Lanka in the late 1980s.

Patriotic Vikram ('My country's security is my responsibility!') leaves his teary but dutiful 'army' wife Ruby (Rashi Khanna, in her debut) and travels by boat from south India to the war-torn 'island of jewels'.

En-route, he encounters a no-nonsense (she smokes!) British journalist, Jaya (Nargis Fakhri, last seen in 'Rockstar'), who speaks with an inexplicable American twang.

Both are on the search for Anna (Ajay Bhaskaran) the leader of LFT which is clearly modelled on the real Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ('Tamil Tigers') who are fighting for a separate Tamil 'Eelam' ('homeland') for the Tamil minority away from the rest of the largely Sinhalese majority.

Vikram wants to eliminate Anna; Jaya simply wants a scoop! A plot to assassinate the ex-Indian PM is discovered ('decoded') but will Vikram be able to save the day and more importantly, did 'RAW' and the then Indian government do enough to prevent their ex-PM being blown to bits? With the exception of some pre-credit titles explaining about the then on-going civil war in Sri Lanka, the film is not interested in any meaningful attempt at a socio-historical-political explanation of the bloody civil war which had been brewing since the 1950s and, up to the cease fire in the early 2000s, claimed hundreds of thousands of innocent lives.

Instead director Shoojit 'Vicky Donor' Sircar is intent on making an unapologetic, almost propaganda piece with the clear intent of absolving the Indian authorities of any mismanagement in the build up to and the prevention of the assassination. This has been a contentious issue in India: a 1992 Commission Report concluded that security arrangements for Rajiv were adequate but blamed local Congress leaders for disrupting and breaching these arrangements.

No subsequent action was taken of the Report's recommendations but it looks like Sircar and his lead man (the film is co-produced by Abraham and there is an unconfirmed rumour it is funded by Sonia Gandhi!) have taken it upon themselves to dispute this finding. This cinematic liberty could be forgiven if the film itself was not so shallow with the complex conflict reduced to a straight 'cops n robbers shoot-em-up'. Sircar is clearly influenced by 'Apocalypse Now' with its iconic helicopters against the sun shot reproduced at one point.

Characterisation is also dosa-thin with Abraham's damaged victim persona conveyed via a bearded unshaven look. With the exception of the aforementioned 'Dhanu' (who did a lot!), the women have little to do. Sircar incorporates an unnecessary and clumsy 'kiss n sex' scene.

Some dialogue ('this is going to be a long war!, 'the first causalities are always innocent civilians', 'this conversation never happened!', 'You cannot give up on the system!', and my favourite: 'He got honey trapped!"), often repeated, is cringe worthy.

The film ends with Abraham reciting a famous Rabindranath Tagore poem ('When the mind knows no fear') but by this time you probably will not care.

If you are looking for Indian films which address, inter alia, events leading up to this sad event, it's probably worth seeking out Santosh Sivan's sensitive Tamil film 'The Terrorist' (1998), Mani Ratnam's moving Tamil hit 'Kannathil Mutthamittal' (2002) and even the Malayalam Mammooty potboiler 'Mission 90 Days' (2007).

It's welcome that Bollywood is experimenting with new bold controversial subjects like this.

It's a pity then that it gets it so wrong again.

Even so, its fundamental flaws can even be forgiven (especially as there are no songs or 'item' numbers!). So, if you are interested in this aspect of history retold Bollywood simplistic-style, it may just be worth popping into this Madras Café.

Madras Cafe the reality of another War

[cybershotbook · 9/10 · 19 September 2013]

Someone who wanted to get good idea about regional terror activities and banality of them should watch Madras Café, It is really good to keep balanced judgment and image about what was happened in past with dark clouds of terrorism in Sri Lanka, and Acting of John is really brilliant,without any doubt Madras café is one of the greatest war film that there has ever been,and as a director Shoojit Sircar has done his best to this movie,

So it is very pleasure to watch this movie from start to end. Specially he talks about feelings of relatives whose are on field soldiers and their life risks & difficulties.

I recommend to all who want to get some idea about past civil war in Sri Lanka and commonly to get real conditions of all wars without bounds to watch this fantastic movie.