Kanu Behl’s directorial debut Titli is a fiendishly delicious noir-drama that takes a close look at the dog-eat-dog world of a criminal family struggling to survive in the forgotten claustrophobic ghettos of Delhi. Although gritty and inherently violent, Behl teases out an underlying thread of poetry in the film -- poetry that sings of big dreams and the lives that get mangled in the pursuit of these dreams.
The titular character Titli (played by debutante Shashank Arora), is the youngest of three brothers who live together, along with their curiously quiet father (Lalit Behl, the director’s father as well). Vikram (Ranvir Shorey) is the oldest, and is prone to fits of violence and abuse, leading his wife to file for divorce, taking his only daughter away from him. The middle brother is Bawla, the apparently mild one who is forever trying to keep peace (Amit Sial), but instead ends up enabling Vikram’s ruthless attacks.
Titli, desperate to get away from the vicious cycle of crime and violence, yearns to run away from his family, but when an early ploy to flee is foiled by an unforeseen visit to the police station, the older brothers predictably decide to get him married. Here we’re introduced to the other new face in the film, Shivani Raghuvanshi. She plays Neelu, the pretty, lower-class Delhi girl, who clearly has a rebellious streak -- in their wedding night scene, when Titli attempts to clumsily consummate the marriage, she fights him off with an intensity and revulsion that’s almost uncomfortable to watch. The two share many such intense moments, and it’s a credit to the director and the newcomers on being able to pull off such a seamless portrayal.
Like Titli, Neelu is restless to move on with her life, hoping to re-unite with her hulky married building contractor, Prince (Prashant Singh). The two strike an unlikely devil’s deal, promising to help each other escape their handed fates in a manner that can only be described as twisted. While the story is not new and filled with loopholes, the true enigma of the film is the characters. Multi-dimensional and true to life, the film-makers don’t have to delve into too much back-story to reveal their motives. Sinking deep into the psyche of a family rooted in violence and crime, Behl in turn manages to put on display of the helplessness of people driven by poverty and patriarchal forces.
Ranvir Shorey puts up one of his best performances to date. The cinematography by Siddharth Diwan is spot-on, juxtaposing the gleaming high-rises of the metropolis against the squalid constraints of the slums. The editing by Namrata Rao gives the film its brisk rhythm, there’s not a single wasted moment.
Titli, a study in the “greyness” of everyday life in India, and Behl by refusing to indulge in binaries, has created something precious. If you’re watching one film this weekend, let it be this.