Mumbai Saga
2021 · Directed by Sanjay Gupta
Original language: Hindi
- action
- drama
- crime
The story
The film, set in the 1980s and 90s, chronicles the transformation of Bombay to Mumbai. The story is a cat and mouse game between a deadly don, Amartya Rao, who doesn’t think twice before killing, and there’s nobody who could stop him and a cop, who is dogging his every step.
What it’s like
Saturated, grimy Bombay nights: sodium-orange streetlamps bleeding into wet asphalt, smoky tungsten interiors, and a palette of dusty ochres and deep teal that turns sharply cool in the city's newer glass-and-neon districts. The camera moves with kinetic energy, with fast push-ins, sweeping crane shots over crowded lanes, and tight handheld chases through tenements and warehouses, while the score pulses with brassy percussion and synth stabs that swell under gunfire. The vibe is hard-edged and swaggering, a stylised noir-tinged crime epic with a restless, feverish drive. Violence is frequent and stylised: shootouts with spraying gunfire, stabbings and brutal beatings, with some bloodshed shown on screen. Themes of ambition, betrayal and corruption run through it, and the mood is tense and dark throughout. It suits a late-night watch for viewers who want a loud, muscular gangster film with a sense of place and a cat-and-mouse pursuit between a ruthless don and the policeman tracking him.
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