A debt ridden farmer and ex-serviceman, who wants to earn just enough to make a living makes a sudden decision to shift base to Mumbai from his village, while his wife has her own apprehensions. Being a naïve villager from Rajasthan, will the rigors of a city like Mumbai allow the protagonist’s audacious move stick, or will he stare at defeat and disappointment? – the answer is what the movie is all about.
Language:
Hindi
Running Time:
126 min
Rating:
U/A
Release date:
30 May 2014
Directed by:
Hansal Mehta
Produced by:
Mukesh Bhatt
Written by:
Ritesh Shah
Based on:
Metro Manila by
Sean Ellis
Starring:
Rajkummar Rao
Patraleka
Manav Kaul
Khushboo Upadhyay
Music by:
Jeet Ganguly
Raju Singh
Shot by:
Dev Agarwal
Editing by:
Apurva Asrani
Distributed by:
Vishesh Films
Fox Star Studios

What’s Hot

  • For having religiously stuck to the ground realities of a person who shifts base from village to city, the story deserves a noteworthy mention. Even when there is a small ray of hope which can only promise a day of happiness for the protagonist, the story blames it on fate to turn it around and make it somber!!
  • The script presents character heavy roles to the star cast, and they have grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Rajkummar Rao lives the role of a desolate protagonist while debutant Patralekha too strikes the right chords with well enacted emotions.
  • The music and background score of the film, handled by Jeet Ganguly and Raju Singh respectively are treated very well. The lyricist has taken care to ensure that the lyrics of the songs reflect the mood of the movie at every instance.
  • Look out for a unique way of presenting the opening credits at the start of the movie that is bound to take one and all by surprise to set a positive jibe for the remainder of the movie.

What’s Not

  • Even though this movie has a very promising premise with a well crafted story, the screenplay becomes a tad repetitive during some scenes that induces an impression that the film drags to undesired lengthy run time.

Badges

Verdict

Verdict Stamp

CityLights delves on the darker side that portrays apathy, complacency and a life in the midst of hucksters. Based on a good story and backed by strong performances by the lead cast, the movie kicks up intrigue and unpredictability which overshadows the lengthy run time.