Director: Bijoy Nambiar
Cast: Neil Nitin Mukesh, Vikram, Tabu, Vinay virmani
3 lives. 3 names. 3 same names. 3 different, yet intermingling to give out a message that they try to convey by not being either black or white, but by just showing shades of grey.
The opening scene, or to say the scenes of the three lives, deals with the ultimate decision in changing certain things that the Davids need to make. And then the story begins.
The fight scene involving a drunken Vikram with the backdrop of a song, only makes it less violent and intresting. Although, with the kind of role that vikram plays, would make you feel as if the whole of Goa only does one thing, Drinks, drinks and drinks. The scenes involving him and his dead father (played by Saurabh shukla) are funny and sweet at the same time, where his father comes in various point of time to “advice” him as to not interfere in his friend’s marriage plans with Ishaa sherwani, while Tabu advices him otherwise.
Our second David, Vinay virmani, is from Mumbai, who aspires to be in the music industry and struggles out by even doing odd guitar lessons, performances in restaurants, etc while his father is a priest trying to help the poor in the city. Life, even with little difficulties was going good. Until, a Hindutva-fudamentalist organization’s leader accuses his father of forceful conversions to Christianity and life takes a sorry turn.
The other David, played by Neil nitin Mukesh, essays a complex story of an orphaned kid being adopted by a Don in 75’ London and his past life. David is one of the most important of the lot, that the Don Ghani has fires bullets with ease of a no-nonsense Don and the attitude of one too. The love of his life, Noor, played by Monica Dogra and their love story suffers as she gets forcefully married to Don Ghani’s womanizing-and-drunk son as a face saver and at the same time Neil discovers some old history about his mother .
David is about the lives of three different people who face a situation where their one decision can completely change things but in making that change they need to do something wrong. Their journey towards this decision-making process is what you are going to see. Bijay does a commendable job in bringing out all three stories as almost one and continues his Shaitan-like show of making it realistic and not completely good or bad. There are things that could have been better, like a little more depth in Vikram’s character and story. Tabu was underutilized to some extent too.
But, even with its little shortcomings, David fares well, with good music to support its cause of giving out a good story. The movie also raises issues of religious fundamentalism and Rohini hathangadi plays the role of one such politician with quite an ease. Neil nitin plays the role with elan and stands out from the rest of the cast.
The film is almost like a book, which you remember before watching it the second time.
A 3/5 from me for this titular, David.
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