Movie Review by Prashant Shukla
Plot:
Spread across cities like Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Kolkata, and Bangalore, Metro In Dino follows the bittersweet stories of four couples. There’s an old school reunion party grappling with the idea of space in a marriage; a relationship where the question “Is he the one?” looms large; a marriage dealing with infidelity and the loss of spark; and another marriage exploring the struggle of holding onto each other and giving the relationship a chance. All of this is wrapped in plenty of laugh music and tears!
The Performances:
There’s an old saying in cinema that an actor’s performance is only as good as the writing of the film-both go hand in hand. Metro In Dino is an apt example of that phrase. Anurag Basu’s writing- especially the way he maps and fleshes out the characters-is so meticulous that the room for the ensemble to mess-up is almost negligible. This makes an anthology/musical like ‘Metro In Dino’ so engaging and entertaining. But if I still had to pinpoint moments, it would be a musical sequence featuring Anupam Kher narrating his story and Ali Fazal during a song in the climax. It will melt you soul like a candle during a choir.
The Musicals:
There’s no point in discussing the quality of the songs-Pritam has absolutely cooked! But it’s the musical approach to the storytelling that deserves a closer look. Basu seems determined to perfect and, in some ways, finally nail what he was trying to achieve in Jagga Jasoos. Unlike Life In A… Metro, where the songs reflected the characters’ emotional states, in Metro In Dino, the characters break the fourth wall and directly narrate their stories and situations. This could have gone wrong in so many ways, but no-it genuinely feels engaging and is a clear sign of a director whose filmmaking skills are evolving.
The Nostalgia and Evolution:
Metro In Dino is a film that upholds the value of its nostalgic element while telling a story that mirrors the world we live in today. There are several callbacks to the first part-not just through dialogues but also in the way many characters are written (I’m not going to spoil anything by specifying). At the same time, there are plenty of plot points that reflect the struggles and confusion people experience nowadays. Existential crises, inclusivity, societal pressures- all of it makes Metro In Dino feel like a deeply personal experience.
What Could’ve Been Better:
To start with, I never thought I’d say this about an Anurag Basu film, but the cinematography here doesn’t have a soul when compared to Life In A… Metro. Back then, the way he used taxis, buses, local trains, the rain, and even traffic signals- with their contrast-heavy frames-made Mumbai feel like a key character. But here…the film often looks like an advertisement. There isn’t any distinguishing visual identity for any of the cities. Secondly, there are certain moments in the second half where Anurag seems so invested and absorbed in connecting these stories that he momentarily loses a strong grip on the pacing.
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Final Verdict:
In conclusion, Metro In Dino is call-back to the bollywood-buffs on the big screen that feels like a warm cup of chai on a rainy evening!
