Movie Review: Kaminey (कमीने "The Scoundrels")

Movie Poster

I freely admit I've gotten behind on posting the last few days, due entirely to being wrapped up in preparing for and dancing in the SF Carnaval Parade in the Mission yesterday (more on that tomorrow).  But, in preparation for the Bollywood routine we were dancing to in the parade, I watched Kaminey (suggested by Judy) to get into the Bollywood gangster mood.  If you know anything about me you would laugh at the mere suggestion of "me" and "Bollywood gangster" in the same sentence.  The things we do for our art!  But I thought it was worth one movie viewing to inspire myself to take some of our dance moves seriously.
  
I was initially worried that Kaminey would glorify the depraved and gritty underworld of violence in Mumbai.  But as the movie followed the tragic paths of two identical twins, one working for an NGO and one seduced by the lure of easy money,  it quickly became clear the film wouldn't shy away from making bold statements about ugly underbelly of the city.  Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra turn in some solid performances in this film, Kapoor doing double duty as a double character.  But it was really Chopra who stole the show in her role as Sweety, the daughter of a mob boss.  By the end of the film she proved to have all the chops of a major mob leader.  If I had to bet on anyone coming out on top, it would certainly be her.  If you're a fan of an impossible plot to predict and more twists and turns and double crosses than you thought possible in a single Bollywood movie, this is the film for you.