silvan-desouza Some films are really different, offbeat and less commercial yet awesome Salaam Bombay is one such film The film is based on life of people in Mumbai The problems shown are believable. There are several great instances like Nana belting Raghuvir, Raghuvir's chelum addiction.etcDirection is simply fabNana Patekar before hit stardom is superb in a negative role, Shafiq Syed is superb, Raghuvir Yadav is fab as always, Irrfan Khan makes one scene appearance as a writer rest are good The director cast actual people in the role of slum dwellers which looks apt.

morrison-dylan-fan Whilst recently reading a discussion about Bollywood films that take a serious look at drug abuse,I was excited to find details about a film which seemed to tear all of the Bolltwood glitz & glamour apart,so that it could put a mirror up to the harsh reality behind the shining lights.As I began to read more details about what co-story writer,producer and director Mira Nair had created,I started to hope that I was about to watch something truly special,the I would not forget for a very long time.. The plot:After having a huge falling out with his mother and brother,an 11 year old boy called Krishna is taken to a travailing circus where he is told that until he raises enough money to sort out all the damage that he has done,he must stay away from home and become a worker at a travailing circus.Hoping to raise the cash as fast as possible, Krishna becomes a part of the circus,until one day,after having done an errand, Krishna discovers that the circus has moved on and left him behind.Being left stranded and desperate to raise the cash that he so desperately needs, Krishna uses every penny he's got to get a train ticket to Bombay,in the hope of finding a job that will give him a good wage.Shortly after getting off the train, Krishna runs into a group of street thieves and drug dealers who live near by the cities red light area.Desperate not to be on his own in the extremely intimidating city, Krishna attempts to befriend a gang of kids who are partly being used to sell drugs on the streets for a notorious drug lord/ pimp called Baba Golub.Despite the gang members originally having some doubts over how much they can trust him, Krishna is soon welcomed into the group,thanks to being given a new nickname (Chaipau) and also due to having developed a close bond with an "elder" of the gang called Chillum,who along with being a dealer for Golub,is also a drug abuser himself.Wanting to help his new friend to achieve his goal,Chillum helps Krishna to get a job as a low paid-ed tea deliver.Feeling that his luck is finally changing,Krishana sets his eyes on the most beautiful girl that he has ever seen.who he nicknames as "Sweet Sixteen".Unknown to Krishna,"Sweet Sixteen" is actually a girl who has suffered the horror of being trafficked to Bombay,due to Baba Golub and a madam of his suspecting that someone will pay a high price to take the innocent's of the girl away forever.View on the film: Having a quick listen to the DVD commentary for this movie,I was surprised to hear Mira Nair say that she wanted a sense of hope to be always in the background of this tremendous film,so that the movie would not become completely depressing and bleak.Whilst the sparingly used,melodic score by L.Subramiam does allow a sliver of light to occasionally appear,I have to admit that I found the rest of this unforgettable movie to be one of the most depressing films that I have seen in years!.Using her documentary past as a major influence on this particular work,Nair directs the film with an astonishing attention to detail,as she allows the camera to clearly focus on all of the real chaos taking place in the various drug dens and red light areas used as locations in the movie,whilst always making sure that the events that the films characters battle with are always in the centre of the movie.Despite the film having to attempt in drawing the viewer into a new "world" and its cast of outcasts in less than 2 hours,the elegant screenplay by Sooni Taraporevala does a fantastic balancing act of moving at a surprising pace whilst also making sure to pause and make each character a distinct individual who's despair and flaws can be seen engulfing their entire lives.Checking for any trivia about the movie on IMDb,I was shocked to discover,that although the film features "professional" actors in the lead adult roles, (such as a terrificly menacing performance from Nana Patekar, as the ruthless and cunning Baba Golub)the entire,wonderful child cast of the film was played by street children who Nair had worked with in a number of "acting workshops".For the girl who gets Krishna's heart Chanda Sharma gives a mesmerising performance as "Sweet Sixteen",who despite having hardly any dialogue is able to show how fragile the girl is,as her innocents gets closer to being shattered into a thousand pieces.Being featured in almost every scene of the film,lead actor Shafiq Syed, (who on the DVD interview,seems to have at last found some happiness in his life,after having sadly attempted suicide a number of times in the past) gives a performance that most "adult" actors could only dream of.In the scenes that Syed shares with Krishna's only friend in Bombay,Chillum (played by an amazing Raghuvir Yadav.)Syed displays the perfect mix of being desperate to save his friend from his addictions,whilst also trying his best to not fall into the same nightmare that Chillum has.Nearing the conclusion to this film,Nair brilliantly uses the final moments to solely focus on Syed,With the last shot being completely still,Syed gives the film its devastating knock out blow,as Krishna begins to think about everything that he has lost. Final view on the film:One of the most depressing and most unforgettable films that I have ever seen.

Jigeeshu Joshi I belong to India and born in the city of Bombay(Mumbai) itself. This is for me by far the best Bollywood (Hindi) movie i have watched. I do not agree that Bombay is all about what is depicted in this movie. There is also brighter and prosperous side but, what is shown, is also not false.It is a movie about a small village boy(Krishna) who ends up in Bombay after being left behind by his circus troupe at his village. In Bombay, he ends up in company of people who is feared by all parents. He stays in slum near a local railway station. His best friend(Chillum) is a drug addict, who ultimately dies leaving behind nothing but sorrow and despair. Krishna's love is a prostitute who is hoaxed and sold to a rich man. Krishna makes every effort to support his friend and love and earn himself some money to return home but in vain. For him, life is a serious of disappointments only broken by short spells of joy.The movie honestly reveals that sadly sometimes in life, especially for the poor, happy ending never comes.

Chrysanthepop Mira Nair's darkly whimsical 'Salaam Bombay' gives us a glimpse of life in the streets of Bombay. The story focuses on an urchin nicknamed Chaipau and the people he encounters. Through vivacious cinematography and eloquent writing, Nair shows us the rawness of the streets and street life. Pretty much each and every one of the colourful characters seem to be doomed to street-life. There are those who take advantage of the vulnerability of others and there are their victims that are forced to live in hardship.Most of the scenes don't even look like they were shot for a movie but rather appear as live footage. The score has a very 80s feel to it but it terrifically adds to the atmosphere. The steady pace does not allow the viewer to think of anything other than following the movie. The performances are first rate. Child actors Shafiq Syed and Hansa Vithal are spellbinding. Raghuvir Yadav, Nana Patekar, Anita Kanwar and Chanda Sharma provide excellent support.'Salaam Bombay' is Mira Nair's rawest film. While it tells a dark story there's a very lyrical quality to it. This easily ranks as one of Nair's finest works and definitely proves her potential as she has done terrific work since (e.g. 'The Namesake', 'Monsoon Wedding') amidst some mediocre films.