Best Ensemble
Sholay is one of the most iconic films of all time, because of its action, its dialogues but also because it has a collected cast of some of the finest actors and the biggest stars in the history of Hindi Cinema. Count them;
Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjeev Kumar, Hema Malini, Jaya Bachchan and Amjad Khan.
That's just the main cast, we're not even counting; AK Hangal, Sachin, Jagdeep, Leela Mishra, Asrani, Viju Khote and Mac Mohan.
No wonder the poster reads 'The Greatest Star Cast Assembled Ever!'
This year's Academy Award winning Best Picture might not be everyone's cup of tea, but nobody would bat an eyelid if the Academy was to award it a win for Best Ensemble Cast. After all each stalwart actor is better then the next.
Whether one likes it or not; stars make a film in some sense but so do real actors and when you have a collective of them to shoulder a narrative, then the film just skyrockets into the stratosphere. Some of the most iconic films of all times have had the most iconic casts.
These five films are no different, so here are the HIndie Award for Best Ensemble, nominees...
Dil Dhadakne Do
Casting Director: Nandini Shrikent
Cast: Anil Kapoor as Kamal Mehra, Shefali Shah as Neelam Mehra, Priyanka Chopra as Ayesha Sangha nee Mehra, Ranveer Singh as Kabir Mehra, Anushka Sharma as Farah Ali, Rahul Bose as Manav Sangha, Zarina Wahab as Smita Sangha, Vikrant Massey as Rana Khanna, Ridhima Sud as Noorie Sood, Pawan Chopra as Prem Mehra, Ayesha Mishra as Indu Mehra, Parmeet Sethi as Lalit Sood, Dolly Mattdo as Naina Sood, Manoj Pahwa as Vinod Khanna, Preeti Mamgain as Vandana Khanna, Shireesh Sharma as Jamal Hashmi, Divya Seth Shah as Saira Hashmi, Ikhlaque Khan as Amrish Gill with Farhan Akhtar as Sunny Gill and Aamir Khan as Pluto Mehra
Foregoing the fact that Aamir Khan's performance as the doggy Pluto, nearly sinks the ship of this film [though that's a writing and directorial fault as much as it is his voices fault]. Much of the cast in small doses are a riot to see, despite never being characteristically well defined.
It helps that a lot of the plot revolves around the four pillars of the film. Anushka and Farhan occasionally pop up with roles they could act in their sleep and they perfect them here. Particular stand outs of the supporting cast are;
Ridhima Sud and Vikrant Massey who make their romantic entanglement breezy, with some fresh chemistry and examples that the young duo could do with their own romantic film. It's a thought film makers.
Rahul Bose as the annoying loud mouth husband and mommy's boy with a complex is efficient while his snobbish mother Zarina Wahab is a delight in her role and her delivery sharp.
I'll speak of the trio of individual nominated performances later. Onto Ranveer Singh. He outdoes himself by a margin in Bajirao Mastani but the mad cap Ranveer Singh seen in the paparazzi glare is very much evident here. However he also manages to reel in that persona and channel it into a fun performance that also hits some great emotional beats.
Singh is just as good as the other three Mehra's who keep this ship steady through some heavy waters.
In tune with her director's sensibility, Nandini Shrikent collectively brings together one hell of a good looking star cast just what this Dil demands.
Masaan
Casting Director: Mukesh Chhabra
Cast: Richa Chadda as Devi Pathak, Vicky Kaushal as Deepak, Shweta Tripathi as Shaalu Gupta, Bhupesh Singh as Sikander with Pankaj Tripathi as Sadhya Ji and Sanjay Mishra as Vidyadhar Pathak
A relatively small cast [though not everyone is listed, here] but still an effective ensemble.
First a big shout out to Bhupesh Singh, who has been a fascinating nameless character actor to watch for years. Here as the elder brother to Kaushal's Deepak, the lazy Sikander is an interesting side character made infinitely worth watching thanks to Singh. He adds a weariness and a hint of jelousy [due to the opportunities affored to his brother, to escape the hell of the Dom castes cremation work]. It adds another layer to the films ideologies and themes and Singh is front and center of it. Plus he and Kaushal do look like brothers, so top notch casting as well.
I'll talk of the two leads later. On the other front, both Chadda and Kaushal have other great supports to their narratives.
Shweta Tripathi is genuinely sweet and touching as the naive but also head strong and smart Shalu, she might live in her own bubble but she has control of it as well. Having seen her give another astounding performance at the Mumbai Film Festival [in Haraamkhor], it's easy to say; here is an actor with variation to her performances and hence this sort of role isn't her forte or who she is, making her efforts that much more sweeter.
On Richa's end is Sanjay Mishra, going from strength to strength; the actor excels in another fatherly role with much more subdued dramatic meat that actually doesn't rely on his penchant for humor or his histrionics.
But the supporting stand out is the late entry of Pankaj Tripathi. An oft overlooked dynamite and simply sublime as nefarious characters, here as the sweet and simple Sadhya Ji he takes a complete 360 degree turn. He is in form with his soft delivery and innocent body language that for a moment you step away from the narrative to just follow him.
Mukesh Chhabra is a veteran of the business and his cast exemplify their characters to a tee, he even knows the best sides that makes a complete whole of a cast.
Bajirao Mastani
Casting Director: Shruti Mahajan and Parag Mehta
Cast: Ranveer Singh as Peshwa Bajirao Ballal, Deepika Padukone as Mastani, Priyanka Chopra as Kashibai, Tanvi Azmi as Radhabai, Mahesh Manjrekar as Chattrapati Shahu Maharaj, Aditya Pancholi as Panth Prathinidi, Milind Soman as Ambaji Panth, Ayush Tandon as Nana Saheb, Vaibbhav Tatawadi as Chimaji Appa, Yatin Karyekar as Krishna Ji Bhatt with Raza Murad as the Nizam of Deccan and Irrfan Khan as Narrator
It's said that if you're part of a Bhansali film, you better be on your toes. Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone are the first repeated couple in Bhansali's films [which all are in essence romantic] and rightly so. He's a task master and the duo are able to match his level of intensity through and through.
Singh we will discuss later, like his fellow nominees Azmi and Chopra.
Deepika Padukone like her real life beau barely, just barely loses out on an individual nomination because she was just better in Piku. Even then, Padukone is an illuminated frenzy in Bhansali's magnum opus. She is blisteringly brilliant as the warrior princess, evoking a great strength and power as well as a grace and elegance unlike ever seen.
She might not be Madhubala in her heyday, but she convincingly wields a sword to battle as well as smolders in her lovers arms or dances in his devotion.
Rounding out the cast are some miniscule roles played by some real heavyweights. Pancholi brings great menace though it never amounts to anything. Soman is restrained as the friend. Tatawadi shines as the brother frustrated with Bajirao's actions. Karyekar is thrillingly theatrical as need be. While Ayush Tandon leaves a mark as the villain towards the climax.
Mahajan and Mehta bring together a cast at the top of their games and raring to prove with no doubt why they make this film such a strong contender this year.
Titli
Casting Director: Atul Mongia
Cast: Shashank Arora as Titli, Shivani Raghuvanshi as Neelu, Ranvir Shorey as Vikram, Amit Sial as Pradeep with Prashant Singh as Prince and Lalit Behl as the Father
This one's for Arora and Raghuvanshi who might not make the breakthrough awards but are really good that they deserve the recognition. Both young actors are on point, taking control of much of the film and pulling through. The disturbing sequence of Titli hammering Neelu's hand to protect her and her money is effective because the actors gain a grasp of reality of the situation.
Shorey and Sial are however the standouts and rightfully individually nominated. Towering over them is Lalit Behl, his presence is silent but evokes a menace and iron grip or fear at one point in the brother's lives, that is masked by a meek facade. Director Kanu Behl said this film hits close to heart and relies on his own harsh experiences of his childhood with his father.
Out of spite or guilt, his father Lalit Behl evokes this with a specter like form.
The cast is then littered with some great small actors who make small impacts when needed.
An underrated aspect of casting in Hindi film is having a family actually look alike [see the difference between the Mehra] and my god does Atul Mongia nail it on the head.
Talvar
Casting Director: Honey Trehan
Cast: Irrfan Khan as Ashwin Kumar, Konkona Sen Sharma as Nutan Tandon, Neeraj Kabi as Ramesh Tandon, Sohum Shah as Vedant Mishra, Atul Kumar as Paul, Gajaraj Rao as Inspector Dhaniram, Shishir Sharma JK Dixit, Sumit Gulhati as Kanhaiya with Prakash Belawadi as Ramashankar Pillai and Tabu as Reema Kumar
Talvar relies on the prowess of its eyes, Irrfan Khan as Ashwini Kumar. Beyond that it lets Sharma and Kabi play with one scene in different ways to highlight why they are top class actors. Tabu is in a cameo that relies on her and Khan's brilliant chemistry.
Onto the men that make the film around Khan. Gajaraj Rao is such a delight to watch in those smarmy roles of a man punching above his weight. Atul Kumar as Paul plays a great contrast to Irrfan in every which way, carrying himself with the opposite brilliance that Khan reflects. Shishir Sharma, a damn fine veteran, stands staunch in his role. Sohum Shah is a masterclass actor who is yet to get his due and once again shadows Irrfan in a nice twisted turn.
Finally Prakash Belawadi is just going from strength to strength, he has some sharp comic timing but is also able to deliver great dramatic punches, holding the words in his tongue with weight.
Honey Trehan brings together one of the finest cast of thespians assembled to prove the changing view of cinema in India.
And the Winner is...
Nandini Shrikent and Co. for Dil Dhadakne Do!
Here's a win for Dil Dhadakne Do, it was a tough choice and maybe it might not seem the right one. But somewhere quantity and genuine quality wins out.
Up Next: She slams it across the park with more than five fascinating performances...The HIndie Award for Best Breakthrough Actor [Female]
'Nuff Said
Aneesh
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