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Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Absolutely the worst movie.

A Masterpiece!

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Talented lady director, Sai Paranjpye had carved a niche for herself through her maiden venture itself which was Sparsh, a highly sensitive movie which can justifiably be considered a landmark of Hindi cinema. Thereafter she directed a hilarious comedy, Chashm-e-Baddoor starring Farrooq Sheikh and Deepti Naval. In 1983 she came up with Katha which is not a pure comedy like Chashm-e-Baddoor and in fact, a satirical comment upon today's work culture, social system and values (especially in India).We, as children, had been told (or made to read) the classic story of a race between the hare and the tortoise which was won by the tortoise because he was slow but steady and went ahead, marching non-stop towards his destination whereas the hare lost because of his overconfidence and complacence prompting him to take a nap in between the race. Katha is a modern take on this ancient story underscoring the reality of the world which belongs to the smart and flashy hare and not the slow and steady, sincere, simple, honest tortoise.The hare of the story is Basudev Bhattacharya played by Farooq Sheikh (for some reasons not known to me, Sai used the name of the famous Hindi movie director Basu Bhattacharya for this villaineous character of her satirical movie) and the tortoise is Rajaram played by Nasiruddin Shah. The backdrop of the story is a chawl of Mumbai in which Farooq arrives to live with his old mate Nasiruddin who loves his Padosan, Deepti but always hesitant to speak out his feelings. Since the very outset of their togetherness, Farooq, the hare starts getting the better of the tortoise, Nasiruddin everywhere - in the office and the job, in the bid of getting the love of Deepti and where not. The smart talker Farooq who is, in fact, a bluffmaster, is always able to get the best of everything by his sheer smart talk and showing off. He is exposed in the end and Nasiruddin is able to win the love of Deepti but Sai has very skillfully demonstrated the fact that virgin Deepti is no longer virgin because of her intimate relationship with Farooq, through the ending scene in which the tortoise gets the bouquet after winning the race but that bouquet contains withered flowers. Anyway the perseverance and sincerity of the tortoise pays in the end whereas the hare flees away to befool somebody else now.Katha manages to make the viewers laugh every now and then throughout the movie but remember, it is not a comedy but a satire. Hence alongwith the laughters, it conveys the serious message in a subtle manner. It is very difficult to find flaws in the movie or the narrative. Several scenes showing the race between the hare (Farooq) and the tortoise (Nasiruddin) with the win of the hare are highly impressive, underscoring the fact that in today's world smart talk is given more weightage than genuine performance or virtues. You show off in an impressive manner, boast your false achievements and talk in a sugar-coated, subtly flattering way and you will get what you want whether or not you deserve it. A low profile, straightforward, good-hearted performer has to end up as a loser howsoever deserving he might be. The reason is simple. Sales talk matters more than the real stuff.Katha was in many ways, ahead of its time because the marketing era started in India since the late eighties when fancy, colourful packaging started getting more weightage than the quality of the product. The same thing is applicable to human beings also in the work culture of today's India. Smartness counts (in appearance and talking) more than the ability and the performance. I can vouch for it after spending more than two decades in the working life, having served in both the private sector as well as the public sector. Good things do come to the patient and perseverant deserving ones but only when the better ones have already been grabbed by the smart and hollow talkers. It happens to Nasiruddin in the movie, our tortoise. Farooq has no regrets even in the end as he has grabbed enough and also availed the intimacy of Deepti without marriage. There is no dearth of supporters or opportunities for such people in the world. He will find newer ones ready to buy his smart talks and oblige him with favours.The performances are great. The movie is a male-oriented one and this is the only movie of Farooq and Deepti in which Deepti gets another hero in the end. Farooq Sheikh, in the only role of his life having grey shades, has delivered a towering performance and Nasiruddin Shah in the role of the low profile tortoise is not far behind in the race of acting. The supporting cast alongwith Deepti Naval has lent an excellent support to the our hare and tortoise duo. Even the smallest character of the movie is able to make an impact and that's the identification of a good movie in the first place.The music is according to the mood of the movie. The cameraman and the art director have been able to present a true glimpse of the chawl life of Mumbai (Bombay) three decades back. In fact, this is an outstanding movie where everything has been put in its right perspective and the mood of the movie has nowhere been disturbed throughout.Katha is a treat to watch for all - the entertainment seekers as well as the message seekers. It is a glaring example of the excellence in Indian cinema. I always surprise why such purely Indian movies with original concept and superfine execution are not sent as Indian entry for the Oscars. Katha is a timeless classic, for sure.

The title Katha means story in Hindi. The movie is about two friends Rajaram (played by Naseeruddin Shah) and Basu (Farooq Shiekh)living in a Mumbai chawl. Rajaram is the tortoise, helpful and kind but "the silent type". Basu on the other hand is what we call as a "gas bag" who brags a lot but does nothing concrete. You need to see the film to find out who wins the race The film is a light hearted comedy. Most American/European readers may not be aware of what a chawl is. A chawl is a three to four storied building where each family has a single room to itself. Chawls in Mumbai and other Indian cities has their own culture and lifestyle. This movie captures the lifestyle in the chawl authentically without making it a documentary. The directors skill lies in creating humor out of everyday situations in a chawl.Naseeruddin Shah is excellent (as always). Farooq Shaikh does the role of a "gas bag" beautifully. Sai Paranjpee's direction makes this movie a worthwhile watch

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.

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 !!