Good idea lost in the noise

It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

Katha is one of the underrated films made, It stars Farooque Sheikh and Naseeruddin Shah both known for ART Films, while in 1983 when films like Coolie were being made, such films were mostly unnoticed but yet it's a great film. The film is very simple and realistic, based on the folklore of the race between Hare and Tortoise, but here they have twisted it, showing it in modern times(circa 1983) but yet it holds true even today. The characters are well etched,Naseeruddin Shah plays a simple man who doesn't have guts to profess his love to his neighbour Deepti Naval. While his friend Farooque Sheikh is a swindler who tells people his fake stories and dupes them. The film is well handled, it has it's moments of fun, emotions and it's all well handled.Direction is good Music is okayFarooque Sheikh is simply outstanding, normally known for his romantic and simple roles here he plays a cunning guy to perfection Naseeruddin Shah is equally convincing as the simple guy Rajaram Deepti Naval is good too Leela Mishra is superb, others are all good too

Few Indian movies have achieved such a true sense of their environment and characters as Sai Paranjape's Katha has.The film perfects recreates the allegory of the hare and the tortoise in a Tenement Building in Urban Bombay.The film plays out in the old folktale tradition as a world-weary old woman narrates the story to her grandson.The tortoise is the kind-hearted but incredibly naïve Rajaram Purushotam Joshi – a clerk at a reputed shoe company and the epitome of the middle-class.His polar opposite, the suave con artist Basu is the hare, who enters Rajaram's life and completely dishevels it. Paranjape's use of the children's movie format (the folktale, the animated title sequence) to deconstruct her protagonist Rajaram is inspired - he is for all practical purposes a child himself – honest, obedient and loyal – the archetypal Boy Scout.He owns several sets of the exact same clothes, which he wears to work - like a school uniform.He keeps to himself at the office and is petrified of his female colleagues and their advances. They seem to enjoy teasing and tempting him. A rather obvious example of this plays out via the apple - a colleague offers one to him after taking a bite out of it. He refuses vehemently and pulls a face like a child who's just been scolded.The apple motif recurs in a dream sequence in the film where several female co-workers band together and molest Rajaram. The office has now been replaced by the Garden of Eden – but this version of paradise is a highly artificial set with cheap theatrical props, not unlike those of a School Play.His nightmare ends with the young neighbor girl, dressed in traditional garb and armed with broom jumping to the rescue.Her resemblance to Rajaram's mother is more than just mere coincidence. It is quite clear that he is only comfortable with women in a nurturing maternal role. Any kind of sexual assertiveness on their part is highly unacceptable to him.It is interesting to note that Paranjpae inverts the ending of the folktale – making it an ambiguous victory rather a happily-ever-after-winner-takes-all triumph.It's especially interesting as Rajaram's middle-class is now a dying breed – a group that is being quickly replaced by aggressive, self-driven individuals like Basu.Similarly, the target audience for movies with such characters is in rapid decline as well.Most films revolve around the trials and tribulations of the super-rich or at best(or is it worst?), yuppies with large disposable incomes.Product placement, sequels, line extensions, endorsements have taken precedence over storytelling.The recent passing of the great director Hrishikesh Mukherjee, who was for over four decades the voice of the middle-class, is one more nail in the coffin.To paraphrase the wise old woman's words to her grandson, the tortoise may have won the battle, but he's losing the war.

Perfect casting, excellent performances, superb coverage of Mumbai's chawl life. Nasir, Farokh and Dipti, trio delivers the best performance that will be cherished by me forever.! The songs are subtle and gel well with the overall theme.Attention to detail and mature handling of chawl life could be matched to another work on the subject by yet another able personality Pu La Desphande. I have watched this movie umpteen times, and encourage all of my friends to not miss it.

One of the best, but not very well known satires to come out in the 80s. The comedy is very subtle, repeated viewings sometimes brought out some hidden gems. Naseeruddin Shah as Rajaram is amazing, but it is Farooq Shaikh who steals the show as a twisted charmer. Usually he excels in films as a helpless onlooker type of character, but here he tries out a completely different type of role. Set in a chawl in Mumbai, the atmosphere is brought out perfectly, notice the constant background "chawl noise" throughout the film. Watch it !!