The usual Nagesh Kukunoor films are small budget films, with new stars and having a backdrop of secluded locations, thus they are low cost films, but the films stories linger in your memory. Mod begins well, but as it proceeds, it runs out of breath.
Mod is an official remake of a Taiwanese film ‘Chen Shui de Qing Chun’ which means Keeping watch. Mod is a heartfelt, emotional love story between two completely mismatched people.
Aranya, a “full-of-life” 25 yr old, lives in the sleepy and idyllic hill station, Ganga. The little town is the home of many colourful characters – Ashok Mahadeo , Aranya’s whacky father who is the head of the local fan club of Kishore Kumar, the fiery Gayatri Garg, “GG”, her aunt, friend, and confidant, who runs …a restaurant and is a mother figure to Aranya, chubby Gangaram, the local shopkeeper who harbours feelings for Aranya and Ashok’s music band, the ever present Kishore Bhakts.
Aranya’s mother left to pursue bigger dreams in the city when Aranya was a little girl and both father and daughter hope that one day she will return. They wait dutifully everyday to see if the lone train that passes by their house will bring her back. Aranya runs a watch repair store, a legacy handed down by her mother to support her father and herself.
One day a total stranger, Andy, lands up at her doorstep to have his watch fixed. He is painfully shy, but keeps returning day after day to have his water logged watch repaired. As payment he leaves a 100 rupee note in the form of an origami swan. Aranya slowly warms up to this quirky stranger and through a series of meetings and against all odds they fall in love.
Sometime later, Andy claims to be her school classmate in the tenth standard. The story takes a dramatic turn when Aranya discovers the truth about Andy, and where he is from and about his past.
As Aranya discovers the truth about Andy, the film heads to an exciting and emotional climax in the strongest tradition of great love stories.
When love happens, life takes a turn…
Chirantas Das the Cinematographer has done a brilliant job with the outdoors where the locations are mesmeric.
Ayesha Takia Azmi comes up with a truly wonderful performance. Rannvijay enacts his character as a sweet, sensitive and a geeky guy very well. Raghubir Yadav, Tanvi Azmi and Anant Mahadevan are first-rate.
MOD is an interesting idea in its story and which is complemented by Kukunoor’s mature handling of the subject. Towards the final moments, the matters are unnecessarily stretched and this tests the viewer’s patience.
Cast of Mod:
Ayesha Takia Azmi – Aranya Mahadeo
Rannvijay Singh Singha – Andy
Raghuvir Yadav – Ashok Mahadeo
Tanve Azmi – Gayatri Garg
Rushad Rana
Nikhil Ratnaparkhi
Prateeksha Lonkar
Credits & Crew of Mod:
Production Company: Kukunoor Movies Production
Producers: Sujit Kumar Singh, Elahe Hiptoola, Nagesh Kukunoor
Studio: Shreya Entertainment
Directed By Nagesh Kukunoor
Written By Nagesh Kukunoor
Produced By Sujit Kumar Singh & Elahe Hiptoola
Music: Tapas Relia
Lyrics: Mir Ali Hasan
Mod – movie review
