Hindi Cinema comes of age. Review on Ab Tak Chappan

Ab Tak Chappan rolls off the Ram Gopal Varma factory being, by far, the best movie of the year. It might have been named better, but thats the only constructive criticism I can think of.

Yes, the final twist murder was shown without its further consequences, but by then, the film had won me over. Besides, better a quick wind up, rather than further explanations and dragging on the film.

Based on the life of a police office, the film does away with cliches and concentrates on the subject on hand - encounters and the nature of ''underworld links'' that top officers are frequently accused of having. It shows the difference between being corrupt, and having informants. A very focussed and intense film.

Nana Patekar is brilliant, but so is everone else. The casting is picture perfect, so to speak. The end kind of sneaks up on you, you don't really realise that the movie is about to end. There is no gradual dawn of a conclusion, there is a sudden realisation, that everything that had to be said on the subject matter, has been said. And the movie ends!

People had told me that this movie is gruesome, but I did'nt find it as gory or violent as some of the other films on the same subjects. Or perhaps the gore is forgotten or subconsciously ignored, as you kind of lose the ''its a movie'' feeling very quick into the film. Very quick.

A must watch for all people who hate the song and dance routine the hindi film industry had made a compulsion to sit through.