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Better Late Then Never

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

A typical Madhur Bhandarkar flick with the lives of a small sect of professionals as the subject. The traffic signal includes a microcosm of people who derive their daily livelihoods from it. There are beggars, prostitutes, tricksters, eunuchs and others who sell clothes, flowers and trinkets who owe hafta to the Signal Manager, Silsila. Kunal Khemu, Ranveer Shourie and Konkana Sen perform as expected. Life goes on through ups and downs but the movie ends on a sad note, as expected from Bhandarkar. But the movie entertains you throughout, especially with the Bambaiyya lingo, at the same time makes you think about people you normally never do.

Traffic Signal (2007) is the best movie I have seen in a very long time. Directed by Madhur Bhandarkar, who has taken a social stance on his movies, it is better than any Bollywood of Hollywood effort in the past year.Centred on those on the fringe and making money by begging at a certain traffic stop in Mumbai, it takes viewers on a journey in to what life is really like outside of the sugar coated, glossy depiction in other Bollywood movies. It strays from Bollywood convention but pays subtle homage to the song and dance routines that has made Bollywood a major economic force.The traffic stop is managed by Silsila, who feels at home among the poor on that street. Even bragging that he began working there at just 10 days old. He feels a moral responsibility for those there, seeing that despite being beggars, they are also human beings and have embraced this way of life. Protection is payed by all those working the traffic signal and the money is used to bribe government officials and then rest is given to a local mafioso, Bhaijaan. It also shows viewers how traffic signals are a major underground economy. Where traffic is forced in order to allow for begging from stopped cars.This movie is heartbreaking and enduring in many ways. Firstly, all of the actors are relative unknowns or from the indie circuit in the industry who prove that they have acting chops to outdo any seasoned actor. Secondly, the realistic approach gets through to viewers through clean and subtle directing and cinematography. Thirdly, the characters themselves are simple and in contrast with the rich that they beg from, shows that the human spirit is more alive in the ordinary. This movie takes you in to the lives of beggars, disabled, poor, prostitutes, drug addicts, newbies to the fringe, social workers and shop girls and even children as they try to make their living at the traffic signal. It also shows us the consequences of our actions and how one small action can affect many.This movie doesn't try to make you feel guilty. It doesn't try to preach nor does it try to educate. It is simply a movie about characters on the fringe. That is what makes this movie so striking. It just is. It is just a realistic portrayal that is so incredibly pure because the director doesn't try to make it be about enlightening on purpose. It's a natural and unforced portrayal.Madhur Bhandarkar has done many movies which take on a realistic approach, such as Corporate and Page 3. Perhaps that is why he has won so many awards for his work. What I do know is that Madhur Bhandarkar takes everything that should be different and interesting about Bollywood and actually makes it good.This movie should be India's entry to next year's Oscars, but sadly that probably won't happen as India has a history of choosing their regular fluffy Bollywood films as their official entries. Either way, I urge you to all see this.

After the hard hitting movies like Chandni Bar, Page 3, Corporate, now comes another realistic movie from the house of Madhur Bhandarkar. If Chandni Bar was about Bar Girls, Page 3 was about high society parties, Corporate was about Corporate Lives then Traffic Signal is about the peoples living around traffic signals.Traffic Signal is about the dark hidden truth behind the irony of peoples making their breads around traffic signals and the politics beind it. This movie shows the relation between these peoples with politicans and underworld. This shows the sufferring of these peoples in the hands of politicians for their own interests.Kunal Khemu as Silsila whose name has been derived from Silsila the movie as his father liked that movie very much. He has done justice to his role. Neetu Chandra is also impressive. Konkana has played the role of Prostitute. She needs a special mention for her passion to the role played. Their are peoples as eunuchs, prostitutes, physically handicapped, fruit vendors, newspapers & magazines etc. The relation between these peoples have been showed nicely. It is also said that most of the peoples are actually from Traffic Signals.

Watched it last weekend. I don't remember the last time I had such a headache after watching a movie. On a Saturday night for the second show the hall had like 25 people and 7 walked out after interval. I thought Madhur's AAN - Men At Work was far more entertaining than this debacle! he he Madhur certainly didn't have to end a terrific trilogy with this lame movie. Technically the movie is brilliant and everyone's acted well. But Kunal Khemu certainly falls miles short in emotional scenes. Ranbir Shorey is a treat to watch and did I fall in love with 'Sunami'! That boy was brilliant. I am a great admirer of Sudhir Mishra's 'Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin' and his brilliant 'Hazaron Khwahishen Aisi' which probably is Indian cinema's first political epic saga is one of my all time favourite Hindi movies. But with all the dreamy eyes in the world he cant even if it bludgened him on his face! While trying to establish shades of diaspora of characters in-depth Madhur I guess somewhere forgot an anchoring spinal story. On the whole I don't have to spend my weekend with my girlfriend cribbing in a multiplex paying through my nose to suffer a hyped docudrama. I've seen many documentaries which are better paced and interesting than Traffic Signal.