Paanch

Paanch disappoints. Too long. Even gimmicky towards the end. Also, it doesn't seem to have it's heart in the right place. After two and a half hours, I didn't quite get the point of the film. Was it about why normal kids take to drugs, rock-n-roll and violence? Was it about trust and faith and how money trumps both. Was it another suspense thriller?
Clearly inspired by the Jakkal-Sutar-Jagtap-Shah trial, the movie could have been a lot more. Or a lot less, if it wasn't for a stellar performance by the cast. Seems to be the start of a pattern I see in all of Kashyap's films. IMHO, brilliant scenes are a necessary condition for a good film, but are insufficient by themselves.

Druth Gath

There's something about certain Tarantino movie scenes that reminds me of Hindustani music set-pieces. There's the languid beginning with painstaking attention to the smallest detail (bordering on boring at times but giving no indication of what is in store). Then there's the subsequent fascinating conversation between musical instruments and vocals on one hand and movie characters on the other, both brilliantly paced. The steady build-up is capped by an explosive ending that leaves you breathless. And needless to say, asking for more.

Flower in the crannied wall