The Hungry

The Hungry

The Hungry is well paced revenge drama that is based on a tragic play by Shakespeare. I hadn't heard or read about that play before watching this movie but the screenplay and characterization certainly was influenced by the fact that it was adapted from a play. It is a dark movie that brings out the selfish side of all the characters and the meaner a person, the longer it stays alive to witness the horrors unfold. The story is well set in two business families of Delhi and Naseeruddin Shah plays the role of Tathagath, the patriarch who wants to own up the whole business, by marrying off the daughter of his deceased business partner, Tulsi, to his son, Sunny. The alliance seems misplaced as Tulsi is a widow who is way older and smarter than the dimwitted Sunny. But the lady has a mission of her own, to avenge the bloody game that Tathagath has played to her dismay. Tisca in the role of Tulsi, really stands out in the movie. Naseeruddin Shah as Tathagath does justice to the role for which he wasn't particularly fit. The support characters play out their roles well in this well edited script. Certainly worth a watch!

The direction is flawless I can watch this on repeat. The class of actors chosen for this movie is outstanding. Each character portrayed by either veterans or newcomers stands out. My only disappointment is the name of the movie. Why "The Hungry"? An adaption set amidst Indian context, the name "The Hungry" does not strike any chord. The name is a big damper. Wish they had been more creative and honest to the 'Indianness' of this adaptation by choosing a more relevant and striking name, rather than being unimaginative.

Spectacular performances and scenes.this is realy a masterpiece , after so long time to have pleasure watching this kind of cinema. Witty and dark ,Thriller and suspense with horror all are in one frame .

Recently watched this, and I like Tisca and Naseer but this was way to boring and looked more like a theatre play on screen. Kept dragging till the very end, even the thriller scenes were easy to predict especially the climax absolutely bores you to your own hunger. Tisca does an ok job , the main actor is Naseer ,the rest have some bits to do but their characters are way to boring to care about Avoid ,is my verdict.. Tries to be too over smart ,turns out garbage.

Pls dnt watch if u dnt like unrealistic dramas. If u love acting, cast and the murder dramas , u are going to be amaged , jawdropping scenes, creative casting , director has done some amazing work , applaus and kudos for the entire team . Love u nassir sir and tissca mam that u guys are choosing some very extraordinary scripts.

Titus Andronicus, William Shakespeare's first tragedy, gets a modern-day reworking as The Hungry, Bornila Chatterjee's second feature. Dark and shockingly violent, Chatterjee lets the overwhelming horror of the story more than make up for the slightly incoherent story line. Nick Cooke's lush cinematography and low-lit scenes go with the mood of the disconcerting plot. This was never one of Shakespeare's more revered plays but definitely an indication of the darkness to come in his later works. A New Year's party at the start of the movie goes horribly wrong when the young and good-looking scion of the Joshi family is found in the bathtub, his wrists cut, and suicide implied. This is on the eve of his marriage to the daughter of Tathigat Ahuja played by Naseeerudin Shah, who seems to the relish the relatively rare opportunity to play a villain, giving the movie its homicidal edge. Tulsi Joshi, the single mother of the man in the bathtub, is played by Tisca Chopra, who delivers a smoking hot performance. She is a woman with her back to the wall but bent on revenge for her son's murder, for she suspects foul play from the word go. Conspiring with Tathagat's right hand man (Neeraj Kabi), who she has managed to wrap around her little finger, she plots and schemes as Tathagat is released from jail on an unrelated offence two years after the sequence that begins the movie. All this is set in the backdrop of Tulsi's marriage to the much younger son of Tathagat - the bumbling, dimwitted Sunny (Arjun Gupta) at the sprawling Ahuja estate. The plot grows markedly murkier as the sexy daughter of Tathagat, Loveleen (Sayani Gupta), who is his favourite, decides to go on a drinking spree with Tulsi's other son, Chirag (Antonio Aakeel). Intoxicated and with a burning desire to extract revenge, Chirag bashes up Loveleen, smashing her face in beyond recognition. Watching Loveleen escape provides some of the movie's most harrowing and indelible scenes. Tulsi's desire for revenge is portrayed by Chatterjee with a generous dose of sympathy and her cause is shown as being relatively right compared to Tathagat's ruthless hunger for power and money. Chopra's performance matches the Bollywood veteran Shah's delectable turn step for step, with both actors enjoying their roles even as their on-screen versions set in motion a chain of events that can only end in murder and mayhem. It is clear from the start that she is quietly desperate in sharp contrast to Tathagat's cool, methodical ways. The film may work well as a dark tragedy, but Shakespeare's larger point of the emptiness and sometimes self-destructiveness of the soul and human psyche is a bit lost. The opening sequence is returned to multiple times, as Chatterjee reveals the machinations behind the murder in slow, excruciating detail. This may have been done for the chills but it is clear who is behind the opening murder and so the point of the flashbacks was lost on this reviewer. Some scenes are unevenly directed and the scene is which Tathagat is shaven by his barber is a downright cliché. But then the scene that follows is a redemption of proceedings, as Shah screams at a few workers for not buying enough marigolds for the wedding with malevolent evil, even as crucial corporate documents bringing about the merger of the two empires - the Ahujas and Joshis - are being signed . There is a certain deliberateness to the way Chatterjee directs that makes us forget the movie's minor flaws; not a movie to fall in love with, but perhaps held and admired from a distance.

There's a scene in The Hungry where a herd of black goats devour a feast decorated on a lavish table meant for the dignitaries of an event that is going to bind two families into one and which would mean the binding of their joint businesses into a single entity. That's the crux of the film but we are not interested in that. We are interested in the power dynamics and the greed for power and money. Hence, The Hungry. It's so profound, and along with the sudden jarring scenes throughout the film since its 30th minute, I was gobsmacked. Since it's based on a Shakespeare play you get the idea how the characters are going to be connected and it's haunting to say the least. Every single event in the film is worth your complete attention and if you serve it with that you will be rewarded, again thanks to the arresting, hum-based music that rips your ears as the invisible weapons rips through flesh of some of these characters that have been written with so much relevance I don't think I have seen a dark film as The Hungry that is set in modern day Delhi in a long time, especially with Hindi cinema. It reminds me of Vishal Bhardwaj's films and his adaptations of the Bard. Neeraj Kabi and Tisca Chopra pit against each other to grab the best actor award but it's difficult to judge because all the remaining actors including Naseeruddin Shah and Sayani Gupta also join the competition. The conclusion, therefore, is not about who wins but is in the form of a question: how many times are you going to let your jaw drop? TN.

Totally enjoyable, if you like tragic stories. Great cinematography, great mood film. Abrupt at times. Anglicised characters (sons) first seem not to fit in the film but slowly it makes sense. Overall, a one time watch for those who like shock in films presented peacefully.

There are numerous buyers/ audiences for Shakespeare's well- known tragic plays such as "King Lear," "Othello," "Macbeth," "Hamlet," and "Julius Caesar" and there is "Titus Andronicus" which is dubbed as the least impressive. Hell, not for me, it is quite absurd with glory gory dark revenge drama. I appreciate Bornila Chatterjee for choosing Shakespeare's least known tragedy in "The Hungry" and handling the complex subject with gore and care. It is an insane film, like a big weird mess but it's fascinating, the flow narrative is quite dark supported by the spectacle of the strong visuals and amazing cinematography. This is a rewarding piece of art, which will not satisfy the gorehounds but the arthouse fans. I have given this movie a 7 on 10, which it easily deserves. As for the acting, all the characters are tremendous, especially Tathagat (Naseeruddin Shah) and Tulsi (Tisca Chopra). Regardless, this is a required viewing to appreciate Borniala Chattejee for retelling an imperfect story with arresting emotional and aesthetic experience.