Review of Zubeidaa

Introduction

This small independent film has gained quite a following on the home video circuit based on the fact that top bollywood actor Karishma Kapoor has dramatised an entirely different role she is normally accustomed to. The film flopped on the big screen and being a Shyam Bengal film, not a name followed by mainstream Indian audiences, that is expected. However audiences who view niche movies have critically acclaimed the film. But now on DVD & Video, thanks largely to distributors Yash Raj Films, the film is slowly gaining the wide recognition it deserves.

The film is told in the narrative of a flashback through the present eyes of Riyaz and the past eyes of Zubeidaa. The handing here is done with grace and that’s largely due to the excellent work of the screenplay and story by both Khalid Mohammed. Credit must also go to Shyam Bengal who has directed the film which such craft and intellect that makes this film seem more so then what it actually is.

The art direction and costume designs for both the decades set in early 1950’s and 1980’s are presented here so detailed that you’d think they shot the film in that period. The hard work in research and construction clearly shows and not even a satellite dish, long t.v arial, advertising board, or cable wires was seen which is rare as India is now full of them!

The music score is also wonderfully written & composed by melody maestro A.R Rahman who understands what each character is feeling and gives them emotions we can hear and further see. The songs also play a pivotal role in the film while a couple is used in the conventions of Hindi cinema of the hero and heroine dancing and singing. But at least here it’s more meaningful and moves away from the ‘musical’ notion audiences are use to seeing.

Karishma Kapoor, in her best cinematic role ever, truly shines as Zubeidaa. She knows Zubeidaa, and is Zubeidaa. Her facial expression, dialogue delivery, and her appearance convinced me as the character. Many have knock her down as a ‘serious’ actress (what ever that means) after appearing in poor films like Chal Mere Bhai (2000), Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge (2000) & even Raja Hindustani (1994). Yet many seems to forget her wonderful performances in Anari (1994), Dil To Pagal Hai (1998) and even her latest film Fiza (2000).

Rekha, an another excellent actor, shows her capability and her detailed talent to grasp what her character is and feels. Finally Manoj Bajpai is as ever captivating on screen as the maharaja is within the screenplay. His body language, posture and eye contact says all. Other supporting cast members like Amrish Puri, Rajit Kapur, and even a brief appearance by Shakti Kappor, are impressive.

If there is one film you want to see that will offer plot substance, wonderful performances, and directional brilliance then it’s a film called Zubeidaa.

Video

The DVD is presented in its original widescreen aspect ratio 2.40:1, which has been anamorphically transferred. As with most Yash Raj DVD title’s, the ratio here preserves the original intentions of the director and cinematographer that was seen on the big screen. What makes this DVD extra special is that it is the first anamorphic DVD done by Yash Raj Home Entertainment, a trial before their massive DVD title ‘Mohaabatien’ releases in a few months time.

The 35mm print used appears to be in excellent condition, with only small black dots appearing randomly in a small fraction during the course of the film, and are hardly noticeable. The film has a very clean and fresh look that is nicely captured onto this DVD.

However the telecinst who did the transfer has a lot to answer for as the film has been incorrectly colour coded. The film has a strong abundance of yellow and brown hues overfilling the whole frame. The film never appeared like so on the big screen, when I saw the film, yet here the hues are felt. Although it doesn’t entirely ruin the film (and most audiences might fail to notice it) it does seem rather ludicrous for the telecinst to do that, clearly he/she is not doing their job properly and shouldn’t even be in the profession.

So while the telecinst as failed, the DVD encoders and authors have succeeded. Not one instance of compression artefacts or of any edge enhancement is seen retaining the picture information as best they could. When viewed in letterbox mode the film can be a tad soft at times although not totally blurred to impair vision or picture information. When viewed in anamorphic mode the picture sharpness increases slightly and certainly enhances picture detail. But when compared to other anamorphic DVDs it stills remains a little soft.

Some gentle moments of shimmering and moiré effects are seen, but they don’t distract. Dark details are an improvement on the pervious Yash Raj DVD titles, but some more work is needs as some tones of black remain quite monotonous in a couple of sequences. Contrast details was high quality.

Audio

The Dolby Digital 5.1 Hindi soundtrack is quite spectacular on this DVD. Since the top audio professionals of Indian cinema recorded it you can expect a great soundfield on this disc like it was heard the big screen. This is another Hindi film hat has been record with live sound, so some hissing and noises are heard as Indian cinema has yet to perfect the use of live sound, despite it being so dynamic. It is quite apparent on this disc too, but don’t let that think that this is a case of bad encoding. On the contrary the DVD captures the sound exactly heard and can do no more. Dialogues are clear, and sound effects pounds from all speakers. There is a lack of the LFE channel since the film uses subtle sounds to tell its story.

Features

The menus are plain yet thematic in design, and box design is very professional looking. The extras consist of only a theatrical trailer, which is also presented like the main feature in its original aspect ratio and in anamorphic. There are also a couple of t.v spots for the soundtrack available on Sony Music. The finally extra is the inclusion of English subtitles, which covers all aspect of the film. However during the start of the film the subtitles didn’t appear for about 2 min while dialogues were taking place.

Conclusion

If the telecine work was perfected, as it should have been, then this DVD could have been Yash Raj knight in shining armour. Still its worth the purchase for the film.