Sunny Deol famously romanced Urvashi Rautela, a woman one third his age in Singh Saab the Great (he was 56 and she was 19). Such breathtaking male-female age disparities are common in Bollywood. The leading men simply refuse to grow old. Here is some perspective: Mr. Sanskari Alok Nath and Sunny Deol were both born in 1956, but the former, by virtue of being a character actor has acted his age or older whereas the latter has rarely done so. So when I see Saif Ali Khan looking as though he may actually be acting his age in the Baazaar trailer, I’m interested.
Starring Saif Ali Khan, Radhika Apte, Chitrangada Singh and newcomer Rohan Mehra, this seems to be one about the world of business; particularly about making it big via the stock market.
With a non-formulaic film like Kalaakandi earlier this year and the hugely successful Netflix drama series Sacred Games, Khan seems to have reinvented himself this year. As character Shakun Kothari, the ruthless businessman, he looks dapper with the silver streak and the natty suits.
Obviously a lot of people have a problem with being asked to suspend disbelief and to let it slide when aging heroes refuse to act their age. Saif Ali Khan’s character in the film was widely appreciated for this reason among others.
Many comments on twitter expressed the view that Saif doesn’t get enough credit for the movies he does (lemons like Humshakals notwithstanding). Audiences no longer want to see someone like SRK trying to be all sexy and lover-boyish with women half his age.
This is clearly a ruthless and driven character played by Khan. Shakun Kothari is someone who wants to join the name of his own family to the list of a handful of families that run business in India.
Chitrangada Singh who has been out of the limelight for a while plays Mandira Kothari, a powerful character “silent and simmering” according to the films’ producer and writer Nikkhil Advani.
Radhika Apte plays Priya Malhotra, a driven, ambitious young woman who clearly thinks that the end justifies any means.
Debutant Rohan Mehra plays the talented Rizwan Ahmed with dreams in his eyes. He wants to make it big, not struggle.
In a uniquely clever but appropriate marketing gambit, the Baazaar trailer was unveiled at the stock exchange in Mumbai. If the film’s actors rang the bell for a change, it is only fitting. The movie is all about giving viewer a “glimpse of blood bath on Dalal Street” after all.
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