Table No. 21 (2013)

Far from Perfect, Far from Terrible

Better Late Then Never

Admirable film.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

THIS MOVIE IS NOT JUST A THRILLER;IT IS A WONDERFUL APPROACH AT ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF RAGGING.PARESH RAWAL IS JUST SUPERB AS MR.KHAN,A FATHER WHO SEEKS REVENGE FROM THE TORMENTORS OF HIS SON AKRAM.AT FIRST IT SEEMS TO BE A THRILLER WHEN A COUPLE IS ASKED TO PLAY A GAME CALLED TABLE NO 21 SIMILAR TO TRUTH OR DARE.SOON THE QUESTIONS ASKED IN THE GAME AND TASKS ASSOCIATED WITH THEM BECOME EXTREME.THE VIEWER MAY FIND IT DISTURBING.HOWEVER,WHEN THE REALITY IS SHOWN AT THE END,ALL FEELINGS WILL CHANGE TOWARDS THE CHARACTERS.THE WAY MR KHAN TAKES REVENGE FROM THE COUPLE FOR RAGGING HIS SON IS PERFECT.EVERY SINNER WHO DOESN'T FEEL SORRY NEEDS TO BE PUNISHED SEVERELY.THIS IS THE MAIN THEME OF THE MOVIE,WHICH IS INDEED A GREAT AND UNIQUE THOUGHT.IT MUST BE MADE CLEAR TO SUCH MONSTERS THAT THEIR BEHAVIOUR IS INHUMAN AND THAT NO ONE WOULD TOLERATE THEM.A MUST WATCH FILM.

There is old saying "expect the unexpected". Oh yes I haven't expect the "Ragging" message from the movie. The writer Aditya Datt is surely very talented to wrap the message of Table no. 21 until the climax of movie. When the reason for torturing Vivaan and Siya came out my thinking about them is suddenly changed. I start feeling warm heart for the so called villain before the climax. The movie is unique in all way, no one ever made this kind of movie ever in the history of films. Actors are also quite talented and Paresh Rawal is his at best. If you are a thriller lover then treat this movie as your delicious dessert. Every frame is worth watching, Fuji too is very beautiful. The facts in the end is really shocking and more shocking part is that Indian gov. isn't taking any serious action regarding "961" pending ragging cases in 2012. Hope this movie will touch the souls of persons who took ragging and the Gov. too. Go for the movie you will sure love it. and yeah my presently favorite song is Mann Mera and Siya Agasthi is too hot.

Aditya Datt's mysterious thriller opens with the explanation of its title on the screen which refers to the Article No. 21of the Indian Constitution talking about the "Right To Live and Personal Liberty". But since the film deals with a secret to be revealed in the end, therefore I would not like to talk about its story details here which may ruin your experience of watching this above average thriller, with thankfully something different to offer.TABLE No.21 begins with some picturesque romantic moments lived in Fiji by the lead couple who are there on a trip won in some undisclosed contest. Once these initial routine 15 minutes are over, the film actually begins as soon as Paresh Rawal enters the scene with his exciting game of few questions (with a board reminding me of JUMANJI) and a prize money of 21 crores. Finding it interesting enough the couple readily agrees to the deal and start answering the questions truthfully to win the big prize. Performing new challenging tasks associated with every question asked, they start facing some unusual & surprising situations which in turn make the film quite engrossing and entertaining.But post intermission, as the narration begins to go into the repetitive zone and the actual secret behind the game is exposed, it somehow reduces the overall impact of the build-up made by its first half. The social angle prominently there in its final moments doesn't turn out to be that explosive as one expects it to be. Therefore the moment you know it all, the game doesn't seem to be convincing enough and the whole set- up looks like quite weird and over the top. However the plus point of TABLE NO. 21 remains that, it at least tries to give you something fresh and unique moving ahead than the usual Bollywood stuff and its fixed formulas.Having said that, this is not the first time such concept of a game has been used for an intense suspense thriller in Bollywood. In 2011, there was a small budget and not so well publicized film called CHITKABREY, which also had exactly the same plot with the socially relevant angle revealed in the end. Now the only difference here is that where CHITKABREY featured a game similar to the famous BIG BOSS format, the present TABLE No. 21 revolves around a game reminding you of the controversial SACH KA SAAMNA program. Probably Rajeev Khandelwal also got this film due to the reason that he was only the anchor of SACH KA SAAMNA show in reality too.So in one way, it can also be called an unofficial remake of that unknown film of 2011 which was comparatively a pretty weak project with an amateurish cast. Honestly, its quite possible that the similarity being discussed here is purely unintentional or coincidental. And in case it really is then surely the culprit here is the trend wherein film-makers normally don't watch the new films released in the Hindi Film Industry itself due to their own distinctive reasons.Progressing on an engaging track before its final 30 minutes, TABLE No. 21 tries to win over the audience through its well written narrative and surprises thrown in every 10-15 minutes of the film which only work in its first half. Musically you don't mind watching the few forgettable songs while enjoying the scenic beauty of Fiji captured well but Background Score could have been better as per the requirement of its theme. In other words, I strongly feel that if you are ready to gamble with a new subject then why not try giving it another edge with an innovative background music too. The film completely relies on its 3 key characters, who perfectly suit their respective roles like 'T'. But I really didn't find anything new in the character portrayal by Paresh Rawal. He is good no doubt but there is nothing novel in his act which went against my own expectations from the veteran having a wide range. Rajeev Khandelwal on the other hand plays it well and one must praise the kind of projects he is choosing since his AAMIR. He has got the star-presence and looks quite natural playing the game with Paresh across the table. May be because he has already been through many similar sequences in his own TV show mentioned above. Tena Desae, as his wife, gives a fine performance and the girl does have some talent waiting to be exploited. Though she doesn't look stunning in all her outfits, but with some careful choices made she certainly can prove both her talent and confidence for sure.Overall, TABLE NO. 21 makes a good impact till its intermission, drops towards the mid and then turns out to be less explosive than expected with a preachy kind of climax. It may disappoint you in the end too as one doesn't like to suddenly go into a 'Social mode' while watching an exciting mystery thriller. Moreover once you know the real truth, all that website business and cameras seem to be added deliberately into its narrative without any reason. Hence it can be seen once if you wish to try something fresh attempted in Hindi Films. But to say the truth, it's nothing more than a better version of CHITKABREY (released in 2011) with a finer vision, superior production values and a talented cast.

People commit not mistakes but blunders, not errors but sins, behave in not insensitive but sadistic ways. But ! How many of them ever realize their errors ? Very few. Very very few indeed. I have seen it and felt it as well in my own life through my own suffering in the hands of several people who might not have realized their misdoings till the moment of writing of this review. Then who deserves forgiveness whose glory is eternal and sung every now and then (for the victim only and not for the offender)?Table No. 21 deals with this issue but this fact is known only in the climax when the truth behind all the happenings during the movie is revealed. Frankly speaking, I feel that more or less the same idea worked behind movies like Zinda (2006) and Kidnap (2008). However, Table No. 21 is different from them whose script has been woven through a game-show which is telecast live on internet. The way in Agatha Christie's masterpiece novel - And Then There Were None and in the Hindi movie -Gumnaam (1965) which was its celluloid adaptation, the would-be victims are allured by the would-be murderer through a free-holiday abroad so that they reach the place which is going to be the death-hole for them, the same way the lead pair of Table No. 21 (Rajeev Khandelwaal and Teena Desaai) are trapped by the mastermind (Paresh Rawal) who calls them to Fiji by keeping them under an impression that they have won the trip. Considering themselves as lucky to enjoy the things they could only dream of prior to that, they land where the mastermind wanted them to land. And then they are further allured to play a game show titled as 'Table No. 21' through its whooping prize money of around 21 crores of rupees. The catch in the show is that they cannot leave the game in between and the tagline of the show is - 'If you lie, you die'. And then going through the rounds, one after another, the husband-wife duo suffer a lot out of their original greed. When the truth comes out in the end, they are taken aback and then realize what a shameful sin they had committed in their past.Table No. 21 is a spellbinding thriller. It's a bit slow in the first half but that's required for the build-up of the second breathtaking half. Flashbacks have been used to link the present happenings to the past of the main characters which I found as somewhat boring, still very useful for the understanding of the narrative. With a high production value (beauty of Fiji scattered like anything in different frames), the total presentation of the movie is simply superb. The movie appears to be treading the path of Slumdog Millionaire (2008) and the TV show - Sach Ka Saamna (hosted by none other than the hero of this movie) but once this small movie (105 minutes only) is over, you can contrast this with them and conclude that it's different.Technically the movie is up to the mark. The actions and thrills have been executed nicely though this movie is not action-oriented. The undercurrent of thrill, sensation, fear and above all sentiments makes it special. The ending scene containing repentance of the participants of the so-called game and expression of grief and anguish of their host moves the spectator deep within and makes him / her leave the theatre with a heavy heart. Whether the hero is actually the hero, whether the heroine is actually the heroine and whether the villain is actually the villain; will be known to you only when everything is over (for you and not for the characters of the story).Performances are good. Paresh Rawal takes the cake and the young actors shown in the flashback when the movie is undergoing its finale have also done superbly. Teena Desaai is a skilled actress (I simply loved her performance in Yeh Faasley which was released two years back) and she has done well here also. Rajeev Khandelwaal is also a good actor and barring some odd scenes, he has also done justice to his role. The bearded sidekick of Paresh Rawal who keeps on moving alongside the actions of his master throughout the movie, keeping a stony face and without uttering a single word from his mouth, has also impressed me very much.This thriller of a different genre is not everybody's cup of tea. If you are fond of taut thrillers sans comedy, romance etc., then only you will like it. The movie has touched the issue of ragging which is now a crime punishable by imprisonment in India but till a few years back, this vice was rampant in schools and colleges, swallowing several innocent young lives. And the filmmaker has made the audience realize the macabre after-effects of ragging very effectively.Before signing off, I come back to the original issue once again. Who deserves forgiveness ? So many posts, blogs, PP presentations, tales, articles and even books have been written singing the glory of forgiveness. It's a great virtue, no doubt. But it is good for the forgiving person who has been the sufferer in the first place. If the offender does not realize his / her error of hurting / harming the victim, what's the use of forgiveness ? I firmly believe, forgiveness is deserved by those only who realize their error / sin and repent for that, going for penitence. If one does not realize his / her error / sin and does not repent, then the victim may opt for forgiveness, the Lord should not. Poetic justice should prevail and punishment should be meted out to such insensitive sinners.