Movie review: Anubhav,An Actor’s Tale

How does a self-respecting actor,struggling to make it big in the movies,end up becoming a paid-for toy boy? A few years ago,a film called ‘Oops’ made a stab at the still-uncomfortable,still-taboo topic of male sexual exploitation,but it didn’t push too many boundaries : the hunky lads stripped and danced,and lusty ladies showered notes on them.

‘Abubhav,An Actor’s Tale’,takes the argument further. Theatre actor Anubahv (Sanjay) rebuffs the advances of a lonely co-star (delightfully termed as a ‘refusal to compromise’ in Bollywoodspeak),and gets stuck on the sidelines of showbiz. A fatally-ill baby,and a delusional wife (Gul) pushes him straight into the arms of a cheery pimp (Raj),and a series of beds,making needy,rich women happy in return for ready cash.

Good idea,sleazy execution. That a gigolo also has his ‘majboori’ is a valid point,and Sanjay’s act has pathos,but the plot is improbable: in his situation in the film,he had other ways to go. The director falls into the trap of showing and telling: unattractive flesh is flashed,unsavoury lines are spoken,and it all turns crass. Pity,because this subject could have done with nuanced,sensitive handling.