STORY: The story revolves around a young Hindu woman Kamala (voiceover by Cyli Khare) who falls in love with a Muslim, Kashmiri refugee Salim (voiceover by Amit Deondi).
REVIEW: Set in Bombay, the film revolves around Kamala who has escaped an arranged marriage but now must pull double duty as a flower seller and a nightclub dancer in order to feed her little sister Tara (voiceover by Gargi Shitole) and grandfather (voiceover by Virendra Saxena). Just across the street, Salim hustles in and out of traffic, selling flower bouquets to motorists and pedestrians. Kamala’s beauty attracts Salim but due to religious differences, their romance mostly exists in their imagination. Though they exchange glances on a regular basis and their friendship rapidly blossoms into something more. However, Mike (voiceover by Makrand Deshpande) isn’t going to let one of her good dancers fall in love with another person as he is keen on making good money by selling her off to Dubai. What happens next forms the crux of the story.
Writer-Director Gitanjali Rao’s debut feature ‘Bombay Rose’ is a true Bollywood-style romantic tale that is made with love. Frame by frame this 2D gem is meticulously hand-painted that makes this film visually dazzling. Blending different time periods, the day-to-day lives of all the characters weaved together through different art styles is amazing. And the transition between the modern art style and the Mughal era one is mesmerising. However, a little more thought into the story would have done wonders and Rao’s narrative lacks the depth it needed.
The Writer-Director has perfectly shown the inner ongoing turmoil of the characters as their desires tussle with imagination and reality. For instance, Salim pictures himself as a Bollywood hero rescuing his love from the trafficker (Mike) who wants to sell Kamala. Kamala imagines them living together in India’s royal past. And an older film actress, Ms D’Souza (voiceover by Amardeep Jha) continues to reminisce her past by dwelling in old songs. Overall, the characters are well-written keeping in mind every little detail that is embraced with the traditional animation that gives visual language to the film.
Music is an incredible part of the story and adds value to the narrative. The ‘Rewa’ song will stay with you for quite a long time. All said, ‘Bombay Rose’ is a cinematic delight that will definitely make you fall in love with art cinema. It deserves a watch for its animation alone.