Mumbai Xpress Explained

Mumbai Xpress
Director:Singeetam Srinivasa Rao
Producer:Kamal Haasan
Chandrahasan
Starring:
Cinematography:Siddharth Ramaswamy
Editing:Ashmith Kunder
Music:Ilaiyaraaja
Studio:Raaj Kamal Films International
Runtime:152 minutes
146 minutes
Country:India
Language:Tamil
Hindi
Budget:4.50 crore[1]
Gross:5.17 crore

Mumbai Xpress is a 2005 Indian black comedy film directed by Singeetam Srinivasa Rao and produced by Kamal Haasan. It stars Kamal Haasan himself in the lead role alongside Manisha Koirala. The music was composed by Ilaiyaraaja, while Siddharth Ramaswamy and Ashmith Kunder handled the cinematography and editing. The film was simultaneously shot in Tamil and Hindi. This was the first Indian censored movie to be filmed in digital format.

The lead pair, as well as Sharat Saxena, Ramesh Aravind, Hardik Thakar, and Dheena, were retained for the Hindi version of the film; also, Vijay Raaz, Dinesh Lamba, Om Puri, Saurabh Shukla and Pratima Kazmi reprised the roles played by Pasupathy, Vaiyapuri, Nassar, Santhana Bharathi and Kovai Sarala in the Tamil version, respectively.

Plot

Three amateur thieves plot to kidnap the young son of wealthy Chettiar (Tamil) / Kishore Mehta (Hindi) from school. They do a trial run. However, on the eve of the kidnapping, Raju, whose job it is to operate a crane in this plan, is hospitalized. The services of Avinasi (Tamil) / Avinash (Hindi), a.k.a. Mumbai Xpress, a deaf but docile stuntman who performs daredevil bike acts, is hired. Twists and turns take place where the other two gang members are hurt, and invariably, the Mumbai Xpress is left to perform the task all by himself. He kidnaps the wrong boy, Daddu, the illegitimate son of Ahalya and police officer Rao, but manages to get a huge ransom from Chettiar / Mehta by default. A brawl takes place between the original kidnap planners – Chidambaram (Tamil) / Digambar (Hindi), Johnson, and Avinasi / Avinash – in handling Ahalya's child, but Avinasi / Avinash delivers the child unhurt to his mother. He eavesdrops into her tele-con with Rao, where Rao wants to settle both the ransom and sever his ties with her. Ahalya pleads and coaxes him to help her get the ransom, which Rao is willing to pay. The child takes a fancy to Avinasi / Avinash and wants him to be the man in their life, and gets him to agree (or else he would throw himself from a multi-story building). Ahalya wants either Rao's or Chettiar / Mehta's money, which Avinasi / Avinash is holding, whereas Avinasi / Avinash is in love and wants to be that protective person. Rao appoints Chettiar / Mehta to handle the ransom, and what follows is a series of humorous mix-ups. In the end, all settle their differences and become the board of directors of Avinasi / Avinash's Mumbai Express, a mega-bar owned by Avinasi / Avinash and Ahalya, now married, to a happy ending.

Cast

!Cast (Tamil)!Cast (Hindi)!Role (Tamil)!Role (Hindi)
Kamal HaasanAvinasi (Mumbai Xpress / "C")Avinash (Mumbai Xpress / "C")
Manisha KoiralaAhalya
NassarOm PuriACP Sri Puniapragya Rao
Santhana BharathiSaurabh ShuklaChettiarKishore Mehta
Ramesh AravindThambhu, insurance agent
PasupathyVijay RaazChidambaram "A"Digambar "A"
Sharat SaxenaInspector Saxena
Kovai SaralaPratima KazmiDurga, Avinasi's / Avinash's sister
VaiyapuriDinesh LambaJohnson "B"
Hardik ThakarHardhik Rao (Daddu)
DheenaRaju
Raza MuradRao's relative

Production

In May 2004, Kamal Haasan and Singeetam Srinivasa Rao were keen to make a Hindi-Tamil bilingual film tentatively titled Kumar Sambhavam with Madhuri Dixit as the lead actress. Haasan stated he needed a "woman of substance who would look convincing as a wife and mother" and stated there was "no second choice" for the role. Bharat Shah was set to finance the project and negotiated terms with Dixit to work on the project, having earlier worked with her during the making of Devdas (2002).[2] [3] The film was dropped after Dixit quoted a salary, which was more than the whole cost of the film itself.[4] Haasan later expressed his disappointment at the film not materialising as a result of Dixit's refusal.[5] He later agreed to work with Rao on another proposed film titled KG alongside Ramesh Aravind, but it also was dropped.[6] [7]

Haasan then decided to fund the film and Crazy Mohan was approached to write the dialogues, though the writer later pulled out of the venture as he went for a tour to United States.[8] In October 2004, it was reported that Haasan had agreed to act in Rao's next film, which was retitled Mumbai Xpress. The film was officially announced on 8 November 2004, where Haasan revealed that the film would be made in Tamil and Hindi, with the former version also featuring Nassar, Pasupathy and Vaiyapuri while the latter would include Mahesh Manjrekar, Om Puri and Saurabh Shukla in its cast.[9] Vijay Raaz eventually replaced Manjrekar, while a ten-year-old boy, Hardhik Thakar, was added to the cast.

The team faced problems casting the lead actress, with Bipasha Basu, Sridevi, Tabu and then Kajol also turning down the opportunity to star in the bilingual.[10] [11] Basu later stated she was unsure if audiences would accept her in the role of a mother of a 10-year-old boy, citing this as the reason she refused the film.[12] Finally in mid November 2004, the team agreed terms with Manisha Koirala and the actress flew to Chennai to take part in a photoshoot.[13] During production the film faced criticism for having an English title, though Haasan remained unperturbed by the controversy.[14] During the filming of a stunt sequence, Haasan suffered a minor injury which resulted in severe bruising, while his co-passenger on the motorbike in the stunt escaped injury.[15]

Soundtrack

Mumbai Xpress
Type:Soundtrack
Artist:Ilaiyaraaja
Released:2005
Genre:Feature film soundtrack
Language:Tamil
Hindi
Length:37:19

The soundtrack was composed by Ilaiyaraaja, the Tamil lyrics were written by Vaali, and the Hindi lyrics were written by Dev Kohli. Kamal Haasan launched an audio company called Rajkamal Audios, just to release the film's music and held a special opening event at Prasad Labs.[16]

Release

The Tamil version of Mumbai Xpress was released on 14 April 2005, clashing with Chandramukhi and Sachein.[17] The Hindi version released the day after.

Reception

Critical response

Reviewing the Hindi version, Baradwaj Rangan praised the film calling it "one of Kamal Haasan's most tight-knit, most convoluted screenplays, where every pratfall, every pun, every preposterous moment seems to have been spat on, polished, and precisely positioned into an overall jigsaw pattern". He added that "Mumbai Xpress isn't exactly an all-out comedy. Like Pushpak, it's the blues with belly laughs, a stack of serious issues coated with smiles."[18] Malathi Rangarajan of The Hindu wrote, "Rajkamal Films International's Mumbai Xpress is a clean, comic package for the entire family, which showcases Kamal's versatility in story and dialogue writing too".[19] Nikhat Kazmi of The Times of India gave the film 2.5 stars out of 5, writing "Other than that occasional laugh, there isn't much to lift your spirits or tickle your ribs."[20] Pankaj Shukla of SmasHits wrote, "Technically, 'Mumbai Xpress' is a brilliant film except for its music. [Ilaiyaraaja] is yet to know what the entertainer from Bollywood requires".[21]

Sneha May Francis of Rediff.com reviewing the Hindi version gave a mixed review, writing "To sum it up, Mumbai Xpress is a poor man's superhero movie and an out-and-out children's flick. If you are the kind looking for intelligent humour, this one is not for you. After taking you through such a long ride, the movie ends abruptly, leaving you thinking that the joke was on you for watching the film!"[22] while Siddhu Warrier reviewing the Tamil version gave a positive review, writing "The dialogues are the highlight of the movie -- almost every line elicits a guffaw. The jokes, bucking today's trend, are not ribald and risqué, but of the kind that would get even the average 10 year old kicking the back of the seat in front of him in joy (of course, much to my dismay)."[23] Visual Dasan of Kalki reviewing the Tamil version called it a modern comedy express to celebrate summer with family.[24]

Box office

Box Office India certified the film as a "flop" as it netted only from the North Indian region. According to Srivatsan of The Hindu, the film may have failed because the cinematography had been done experimentally with a digital camera and mainly due to the digital film implementation resulting in a slight dark output which left the viewer uneasy.[25]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Mumbai Xpress . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220623002621/https://boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=1723 . 23 June 2022 . 23 June 2022 . Box Office India.
  2. Web site: Jha . Subhash K . Subhash K. Jha . 9 May 2004 . Madhuri in Kamal Haasan's bilingual? . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20040509172601/http://www.musicindiaonline.com/n/m/hindi/177/ . 9 May 2004 . 19 April 2023 . Music India Online.
  3. Web site: Jha . Subhash K . Subhash K. Jha . 27 April 2004 . Munnabhai in Tamil . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20050228123806/http://web.mid-day.com/entertainment/movies/2004/april/82036.htm . 28 February 2005 . 12 January 2022 . Mid-Day.
  4. Web site: 27 July 2004 . Kamalhassan- Madhuri Dixit film dropped . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211204163651/https://www.indiaglitz.com/kamalhassan-madhuri-dixit-film-dropped-tamil-news-10002 . 4 December 2021 . 19 May 2020 . IndiaGlitz.
  5. Web site: Jha . Subhash K. . Subhash K. Jha . 31 December 2004 . Mughal-e-Azam took me by surprise . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211203223808/https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/mughal-e-azam-took-me-by-surprise/cid/967508 . 3 December 2021 . 19 May 2020 . The Telegraph.
  6. Web site: 11 October 2004 . Kamal wants to ride Mumbai Xpress . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20041024015851/http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/10879.html . 24 October 2004 . 19 June 2012 . IndiaGlitz.
  7. Web site: 5 October 2004 . Kamal's 'Kumarasambhavam' . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20050207184559/http://www.cinesouth.com/masala/hotnews/new/05102004-4.shtml . 7 February 2005 . 12 January 2022 . Cinesouth.
  8. 20 February 2005 . நான் ஓஸி மோகன்! . 19 May 2023 . . 56–59 . Ta . Internet Archive.
  9. Web site: 8 November 2004 . Kamal new film announced! . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140414182540/http://www.sify.com/movies/kamals-new-film-announced-news-tamil-kkfvEFdbadb.html . 14 April 2014 . 19 June 2012 . Sify.
  10. Web site: 20 November 2004 . Kamals problems with heroines continue . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20171227121947/https://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/hindi/article/11504.html . 27 December 2017 . 19 June 2012 . IndiaGlitz.
  11. Web site: 26 October 2004 . Has Tabu rebuffed Kamal? . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20171227121811/https://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/hindi/article/11103.html . 27 December 2017 . 19 June 2012 . IndiaGlitz.
  12. Web site: Pillai . Sreedhar . 26 March 2005 . The Bangla Bombshell . dead . https://archive.today/20170425121000/http://www.thehindu.com/mp/2005/03/26/stories/2005032601840100.htm . 25 April 2017 . 25 April 2017 . The Hindu.
  13. Web site: 25 November 2004 . Kamal and Manisha team up for Mumbai Express! . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160412055741/http://www.sify.com/movies/kamal-and-manisha-team-up-for-mumbai-express-news-bollywood-kkfvDOifega.html . 12 April 2016 . 19 June 2012 . Sify.
  14. Web site: 20 March 2005 . Kamal lashes out at detractors! . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160412054230/http://www.sify.com/movies/kamal-lashes-out-at-detractors-news-tamil-kkfv7dfdfhh.html . 12 April 2016 . 19 June 2012 . Sify.
  15. Web site: 29 January 2005 . Kamal Haasan has accident while performing stunt . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20050210134037/http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/12960.html . 10 February 2005 . 19 June 2012 . IndiaGlitz.
  16. Web site: 28 March 2005 . Kamal launches audio company! . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20151118195239/http://www.sify.com/movies/kamal-launches-audio-company-news-tamil-kkfv6Jaeabc.html . 18 November 2015 . 19 June 2012 . Sify.
  17. News: 16 March 2005 . Mumbai Express on schedule! . . dead . 19 June 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151119020942/http://www.sify.com/movies/mumbai-express-on-schedule-news-tamil-kkfv7eiegdh.html . 19 November 2015.
  18. Web site: Rangan . Baradwaj . 21 April 2005 . Review: Mumbai XPress / Chandramukhi . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080322052637/http://www.desipundit.com/baradwajrangan/2005/04/21/review-mumbai-xpress-chandramukhi/ . 22 March 2008 . 9 January 2008 . desipundit.com.
  19. Web site: Rangarajan . Malathi . 15 April 2005 . Xpress bang on target . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060912181416/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2005/04/15/stories/2005041503180200.htm . 12 September 2006 . 10 October 2011 . The Hindu.
  20. Web site: Kazmi . Nikhat . 19 April 2005 . Mumbai Express . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221110023335/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/bollywood/mumbai-express/articleshow/1081775.cms . 10 November 2022 . 10 November 2022 . The Times of India.
  21. Web site: Shukla . Pankaj . Welcome on Mumbai Xpress for a fun ride . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120401140848/http://www.smashits.com/welcome-on-mumbai-xpress-for-a-fun-ride/movie-review-4421.html . 1 April 2012 . 10 October 2011 . SmasHits.
  22. Web site: Francis . Sneha May . 15 April 2005 . Kamal fails to deliver in Mumbai Xpress . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221110023129/https://www.rediff.com/movies/2005/apr/15mumbaixp.htm . 10 November 2022 . 10 November 2022 . Rediff.com.
  23. Web site: Warrier . Siddhu . 15 April 2005 . Mumbai Xpress in Tamil rocks! . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221110023250/https://www.rediff.com/movies/2005/apr/15xpress.htm . 10 November 2022 . 10 November 2022 . Rediff.com.
  24. தாசன் . விஷுவல் . 1 May 2005 . மும்பை Xபிரஸ் . live . https://archive.today/20230419074146/https://archive.org/details/kalki2005-05-01/page/21/mode/2up . 19 April 2023 . 25 January 2023 . . 21 . Ta . Internet Archive.
  25. News: S . Srivatsan . 14 April 2020 . Why Kamal Haasan's 'Mumbai Xpress' failed to make the cut . . live . 24 December 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211224092307/https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/a-look-back-at-mumbai-xpress/article31338310.ece . 24 December 2021.