The Changing Theater Experience

Of late, movie theatres have stopped making sense in our lives. Call it post-2020 lifestyle changes or lack of watchable Bolly flicks - each of us have our reasons. And these days, new movies pop up in your OTT watchlist within weeks of release. 

A Standout in the Crowd

However, Metro In Dino stands out - keeping aside the loaded star cast or that it's directed by Anurag Basu - one of the country's finest. This movie talks to you like a real person. 

It is just not another run-off-the-mill love story about 4 couples, in fact some of the pairings do not make the cut as a conventional 'couple' the way Indian society defines it. 

Themes That Resonate

The plot builds steadily on companionship as the characters battle quarterlife crisis, infidelity and geriatric loneliness. Although the movie ambles on for close to 3 hrs (~162 mins) - Anurag Basu manages to capture a wide array of poignant motifs that would resonate with a lot of us. 

Juggling parental and conjugal expectations with personal aspirations, commitment phobia, sexual harassment at workplace, crossing lines out of a mundane wedlock to find that lost spark, teenage sexuality, the dilemma to abort an unborn child, feeling trapped in a household after years of putting family before self - the storyline touches it all in a simple and uncomplicated manner that makes it easy to engage and relate to. 

Imperfections and Scope

Mind you, the plot is not entirely free of abruptness - you see protagonists abruptly quitting their careers or suddenly opting to 'settle down' with a marriage. 

The story covers the length and breadth of India and captures few elements of city life in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata. There is chaos, confusion and calamity - but there also appears to be a method to the madness that you see being brought out on the screen. 

Depending on who reads this review and the phase they are in their lives, some of the stories might even be yours in essence, or they may be far from it - nevertheless they do not appear as make-believe nonsense that's hard and absurd to process. 

Music as a Narrative Thread

Lastly, Metro in Dino uses music as a novelty rather sumptuously to navigate between parallel storylines - tell you what this would not tire your eyes or brain out as a viewer even if you don't like Hindi songs. 

Some of the numbers feature lyrics from legendary Urdu poets Momin Khan and Qaisar Ul Jafri - I won't go too far but this movie album would be one of the best that will likely come out this year. 

Signing off with a few lovely lines from Qaisar Ul Jafri... 

तुम्हारे शहर का मौसम बड़ा सुहाना लगे 

मैं एक शाम चुरा लून अगर बुरा ना लगे