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Fashion

'Look, he is Madhur Bhandarkar’, says a model backstage to another. ‘He is making a realistic film on Fashion, must be doing his research.’, pips her colleague. Clearly, the director, is trying to prove in more than one way that he knows the strike a balance between being realistic and outright commercial. He does it, and how!

So while fashion has all the glitz and glamour that one associates with the industry in context, he goes way deeper and exposes the dirty realities of the same. Drugs, abuses, wardrobe malfunctions, rivalries, live in relationships, gays - he has it all! And to his credit, the ensemble comes to life on the screen in a well told story.

Fashion is about the small town girl Meghna (Priyanka) and her dream to make it big in the Fashion world. She leaves Chandigarh against her parents wish and comes to Mumbai. Fashion explores her journey from a struggler, to an eye-candy, to a model to a supermodel and a victim of her own success. Too much success too early becomes difficult for Meghna to handle who crosses the thin line between attitude and arrogance. And when on a roll, she forgets the few good people that she encountered in this big bad world.

In this journey she also encounters Shonali (Kangana) - the supermodel on her downslide. Resorting to drugs and abuse, she even warns Meghana once that she better watch out before it is too late. Meghana, in her prime, does the obvious by snapping back at her. Little does she realize that she is indeed following Shonalis fate.

But will Meghna become another Shonali? Or will she fight back for her image and her identity? This is what Fashion unravels. But Sadly, it takes too long to do so. The film looks easily a good 20- 30 minutes longer than it should have been. Or perhaps it is the last few reels of the movie are trying to ‘make a point’ on a philosophical note and hence a look tad too ‘gyaan-ish’.
That doesn’t take away from the fact that this is a great film and up there on the same level as Chandni Bar and Page 3 and certainly way ahead of Traffic Signal and Corporate.

The performance, like in most bhandarkar films, are outstanding. Strong characterization lets Priyanka deliver the role of her lifetime (Awards calling?). She bring Meghna alive and her emotions are well portrayed. Then there is Kangana, who must strictly stop doing roles of a drug addict (although she does them well). Kangana lives the role of a supermodel and can give even the best of models a run for their money when she walks the ramp. Her catwalk as a ‘Showstopper’ in two shows and her emotional break down after a wardrobe malfunction are the highlights of the films. These alone win her extra brownies over Priyanka (if you HAD to compare!!)..

All other departments of the film fall in place to make it a complete product. The fashion shows are well choreographed will good music too.

Overall, it is a good watch, save the last 20 minutes. Kudos!

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