Film Sahib Biwi Aur Gangster Review

Film: 'Sahib Biwi Aur Gangster'; Cast: Mahie Gill, Randeep Hooda, Jimmy Sheirgill; Director; Tigmashu Dhulia;

Unlimited power corrupts totally. And the power to create cinema that takes the prevalent language of narration into the domain of the dark and impulsive is an opportunity belonging to some filmmakers. Sudhir Mishra is the no. 1. Tigmanshu Dhulia follows the footprints of these types of filmmakers.

'Sahib Biwi Aur Gangster' is an audacious tongue-in-cheek homage to Guru Dutt's timeless classic 'Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam'. Don't believe the director's protestations to the contrary. Dhulia's movie even opens with an unabashed tribute to Guru Dutt's film.

Tigmanshu Dhulia's Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster is violently erotic take on the classic built around a brilliant script and performances to match, in a film that keeps you entangled till the very last twist in the story is discovered.

Tigmanshu's newest is a thrilling drama of crime and romance set in an erstwhile princely household, led by the titular Saheb of the manor. He is a raja without rupee who has to beg his despised step-mother, the queen, for dime, even as he bloodies his hands to land lucrative government contracts in his kingdom of Deogarh. Though his money may have abandoned him, the royal mannerisms haven't, and even in his depressed state, he manages to keep a concubine, Mahua, on the side, driving his Biwi, the Choti Rani of the house, to drink. This Biwi has airs of her own, constantly challenging the writ of the Saheb, in an effort to gain his attention and her rightful place in the household, an effort that has driven her to the edge of insanity, seemingly. In the midst of this power struggle, enters the 'Gangster', a small-time crook who's been sent to Deogarh by the Saheb's industrial rivals, to pretend to be a driver and bump off the big fish. This 'Gangster', however, has plans of his own, to seize the spoils of the land for himself, as he finds himself falling in love, or lust, with the mysterious Biwi of the house. Between the three, the 'Saheb', 'Biwi' and 'Gangster', finds themselves being drawn into a game of romance and deceit, culminating in a tragic, twisted climax of Shakespearean proportions.


Tigmanshu's characterisations are as captivating as his settings, every player in this pastiche etched to perfection. Tigmanshu truly dazzles with his ink here, penning characters and dialogues worth remembering and repeating.

Dhulia's detailed vision is only complemented by his casting choices, each one of which can only be described as pitch-perfect. Jimmy Shergill is brilliant as the threatening, menacing Saheb of the house, who, though not above common violence, thinks everyone else in the picture to be beneath him. Shergill is a genuinely talented actor, and that is what he puts on display here. And if Shergill's Saheb is menacing, then Mahie Gill's Biwi borders on the psychotic. The talented actress finds an opportunity to show her skill as the drunk and dangerous Rani of this film.

Randeep Hooda is great; who’s 'Gangster' exudes an appealing loutishness in the early parts of the movie, but quickly takes on darker overtones as the movie proceeds. Apart from the three main leads, Tigmanshu also populates his movie with a host of peripheral characters, all of them played by actors seemingly made for their roles. Vipin Sharma as Gainda Singh and Deepraj Rana as Kanhaiyya, as the Saheb's criminal rival and bodyguard respectively, are superb in their roles. Deepal Shaw is a revelation in her short role as the spunky Bijli, and amuses with her enunciated 'Babaloo'. Shreya Narayan doesn't need to emote much, but is quite scintillating in her role as the Saheb's moll, Mahua.

The film's brilliant visuals find a counterpart in its soundtrack, in tracks like the sweet but erotic raat mujhe or the pumping saheb bada hatila, the theme of the movie. The interesting thing about the film's score is how Tigmanshu has picked out anachronistic melodies as well, to perfectly complement the out of place, out of time settings of his subject.

All in all, Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster is a clear masterstroke from a gifted film-maker. As for Tigmanshu Dhulia, the film is also a triumph for its three lead stars, Jimmy Shergill, Mahie Gill and Randeep Hooda, all three of whom find a perfect platform to exhibit their substantial, though underappreciated skills.

Overall, Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster is a must-watch!

My kiss with Randeep is not pornography: Mahie Gill

Actors Mahie Gill and Randeep Hooda, who gave some up, close and personal shots including a kiss for 'Sahib Biwi Aur Gangster', feel there's no big deal about intimate scenes.

'People were talking about it (the kiss) earlier. But after watching the film, nobody talked about it, which is a good thing. My family saw the film but they didn't even mention it or ask me about it,' Mahie said here.

Randeep, who earlier shot steamy scenes for his long-delayed film 'Rang Rasiya', too justified the scenes.

'It is a part of the film... It is not pornographic. It is actually a very emotional scene in which two lovers indulge in physical intimacy which is very natural. So when you see the film, you won't find it sleazy, you will feel the emotions,' he said.

The movie, which released Sep 30, is directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia and features Jimmy Shergill. It talks about betrayal, and is said to have been inspired by the principal characters of Guru Dutt's 1962 classic 'Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam'.

There's no man without grey shades: actor Jimmy Shergill

Actor Jimmy Shergill, who was respected as an anti-hero in 'Tanu Weds Manu', will play another such role in 'Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster' and says that for characters to be real they need to have shades of grey.

'Get me a man in real life who doesn't have shades of grey. It is how things are in life. If you want a mind-blowing character, it is important to have a little bit of grey area in that character. They are real that way,' Jimmy said to a close source.

The actor, who has predominantly portrayed positive characters on the silver screen, specially in 'Mohabbatein', 'Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai', 'Munna Bhai MBBS', 'Yahaan' and 'A Wednesday', has now become mindful and choosy about the roles that he takes up.

'You have to be choosy at some point to grow. My growth has been slow and steady and I don't regret a bit. I feel my time is only starting now; so I am enjoying every bit of it and taking up roles that I like,' told the 40-year-old.

Throwing some light on his character in 'Saheb Biwi...', which has been helmed by Tigmanshu Dhulia and was shot in just 25 days, Jimmy told, 'I play Saheb whose royalty has somewhere faded away but at the same time the attitude hasn't changed. He still wants to live that glory and doesn't want to give up.'

'This was the most difficult role for me. But Tigmanshu made it easy because he is not only a fantastic director but a great actor too,' he told.

'I go to his sets completely blank because I have worked with him in two other films and somewhere I have that confidence that he is going to show me what I need to do, what space I need to be in, in that particular scene. I just follow that,' the actor told.

The movie, which also stars Randeep Hooda and Mahie Gill, is slated for release Sep 30.

Jimmy also disclosed that he has plans of donning the director's hat soon, but nothing is confirmed yet.

'I have plans of turning director in the future, but nothing at the moment. Let's see how things shape up,' told the actor who debuted in Bollywood with Gulzar's film 'Maachis' in 1996.

Mahie Gill looses her senses after gulping a few pegs of vodka!

Mahie Gill

Mahie Gill, Randeep Hooda

Mahie Gill, Randeep Hooda

Mahie Gill

Mahie Gill, Randeep Hooda

Mahie Gill, Randeep Hooda, Jimmy Shergill in Film Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster

Actress Mahie Gill, who plays an alcoholic in 'Sahib Biwi Aur Gangster', gulped a few pegs of vodka to get into her character, but she got so high she couldn't get down to shoot.

'One day Mahie came on the set and told, 'I am going to do scenes very nicely.' We had to shoot a song where there was a dance sequence along with a lot of drama,' director Tigmanshu Dhulia told.

'She asked whether she can have the vodka and I said have it. By the time lights were set, she drank one. But the camera setting was taking time, so she drank more,' told the director, adding that after a few drinks 'she couldn't even perform simple steps and somehow I wrapped up the shooting'.

'Later, she came to know that I am angry with her. She felt so bad that she went back from Gujarat, where we were shooting, to Mumbai. She had to be convinced into believing that everything is fine,' told Dhulia. He was here at PVR BluO in Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj, along with the cast to promote the movie.

Releasing Sep 30, the movie is set in a small town and the story is packed with intrigue, betrayal and ambition between a beautiful begum, her nawab husband and an ambitious gangster.

Apart from Mahie, the movie has Jimmy Shergill and Randeep Hooda in important roles.

Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster (2011) Posters