Big cities still hold a unique attraction for people living in rural areas. These people get blinded by the glitter of the cities and believe that it can provide them all – food, shelter, a prosperous life and a safe future. But they are unaware of the lies, betrayal and opportunism, that are masked behind this glitter and shine.

If you have seen Shahid (2013), then you would not expect anything average from director, Hansal Mehta and actor Rajkumar Rao.

CityLights is a remake of 2013 released British-Filipino film of director/writer Sean Ellis, Metro Manila. To remake an internationally acclaimed foreign film as per your local social background is not an easy task. Though Mehta has taken the central idea from Metro Manila, his film caters to the Indian society so well that it doesn’t seem like a remake. And that precisely, is an edge for CityLights.

CityLights is a story about a family from Rajasthan that migrates to the city of Mumbai in search of a better future. They fail to find security and end up getting their lives in danger. After losing all their savings at the hands of a fraudster, they end up on the footpath where hunger and helplessness forces them into doing humiliating deeds.

Meanwhile, the head of the family, Deepak Singh (Rajkumar Rao), manages to get a job in a security agency where he is assigned to transport expensive ‘items’ and amounts from one place to another. Singh accepts this task for fifteen thousand a month salary. His partner in this job is a senior worker, Vishno (Manav Kaul), who is too gracious to him and we find out the reason behind his kindness later in the film.

CityLights starts with a drama, which gradually turns into a crime thriller. The director has tried to bring forward the ugliness that is behind the beauty of big cities. It tells you how people are fooled by the glitter and start believing it to be their saviour, without knowing that this is just a web of deceit, hypocrisy and exploitation, which is almost impossible to get out of.

Singh’s dialogue – “Mumbai aisa sheher hai, jis men koi bhooka nahi reh sakta” (Mumbai is a city where no one remains hungry) – clearly reflects their expectations.

Besides being a dramatic, crime thriller, CityLights is also an excellent story of human emotions, deceit and opportunism.

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The positive side

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The characters have been given enough camera time and the story doesn’t revolve around a single character. Being her first film, Patralekha (who plays Singh’s wife) performs well and proves to be an ideal catalyst for Singh’s character.

Makeup, costumes and lighting fit well with the requirements of the movie. Contrary to the usual masala movies, the couple play their role well, portraying the feeling of hunger and poverty.

From the deserts of Rajasthan to the life in Mumbai city, Mehta has not compromised on any element during the filming. Dialogues are apt, and the sudden comedy in between serious dialogues leaves you smiling and keeps you engrossed.

As per some critics, songs are unnecessary in the movie. However, I believe that on two occasions songs do play an important part. First, when Singh’s family is travelling from Rajasthan to Mumbai; and second when they are returning home. In both the sequences, emotions are expressed quite strongly through the songs.

The film could have been edited better. However, its story of emotions, love and sacrifice in a world of deceit and fraud still manages to leave you with a heavy heart.

Read this review in Urdu here.

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CityLights released on May 30, 2014 and is a presentation of Fox Star Studios and Vashish Films.

Directed by Hansal Mehta; Screenlay by Ritesh Shah; Produced by Mukesh Bhatt; Cinematography by Dev Agarwal.

Starring: Rajkumar Rao, Patralekha and Manav Kaul.

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Translated by Shoaib Bin Jamil