Being Cyrus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Being Cyrus | |
|---|---|
 A promotional film poster for Being Cyrus. |
|
| Directed by | Homi Adajania |
| Produced by | Ambika Hinduja Dinesh Vijan Raman Macker Munnish Puri |
| Written by | Homi Adajania (screenplay) Kersi Khambatta (story) |
| Starring | Saif Ali Khan Naseeruddin Shah Dimple Kapadia Boman Irani Simone Singh |
| Music by | Salim-Suleman |
| Distributed by | Times Infotainment Media Limited |
| Release date(s) | 2006 (India) |
| Running time | 82 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | ? |
| IMDb profile | |
Being Cyrus is an Indian English language film released in 2006. It is a psychological drama revolving around a dysfunctional Parsi (Indian Zoroastrian) family. The film was originally titled Akoori, a reference to a traditional Parsi scrambled-eggs-like side dish.
The film is the directorial debut of Homi Adajania and Saif Ali Khan's first film in English. As of December 2006, the film had become the highest grossing Indian movie in English.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
The Sethna family of Panchgani consists of a retired sculptor Dinshaw (Naseeruddin Shah) and his wife Katy (Dimple Kapadia). Dinshaw's brother Farrokh (Boman Irani), their father Fardoonjee (Honey Chhaya), and Farrokh's wife Tina (Simone Singh) reside in Bombay.
It is at this time that Cyrus Mistry (Saif Ali Khan), the narrator of the story, shows up at the Sethnas' doorstep in Panchgani one morning, a seeming wanderer who professes his admiration for Dinshaw's work and asks if he can be his apprentice. Dinshaw and Katy agree, and soon the young man becomes a part of their life. Katy makes advances towards Cyrus, which he tolerates while cryptically telling the audience that he is "playing Katy". As time passes Cyrus gets to know the oddball couple better - Dinshaw is a perpetually zoned-out eccentric, though a rather affable one, while the rather promiscuous Katy, tired of slow-moving Panchgani life and her moth-eaten marriage, has embarked on an affair with her brother-in-law Farrokh in Bombay. Katy makes Cyrus her pawn, sending him to Bombay to visit her father-in-law Fardoonjee, who lives in an extension of Farrokh's flat, with orders to get a stash of money Fardoonjee supposedly has. On meeting Fardoonjee, Cyrus realizes that he is ill-treated by Farrokh. Farrokh's timid young wife, Tina, is unable to be herself except during the few hours Farrokh is at work. The plot soon turns into a murder mystery. Who is fooling whom in this battle of wits? Who is Cyrus? What does Katy really want? All these questions are answered in the shockingly brilliant climax, which has been compared to Alfred Hitchcock's sting-in-the-tail storytelling style.
[edit] Trivia
The movie's poster bears an uncanny resemblance to that of Richard Lowenstein's He Died With A Felafel In His Hand. The title also takes after Spike Jonze's Being John Malkovich
[edit] Cast
- Saif Ali Khan: Cyrus Mistry
- Naseeruddin Shah: Dinshaw Sethna
- Dimple Kapadia: Katy Sethna
- Boman Irani: Farokh Sethna
- Simone Singh: Tina Sethna
- Honey Chhaya: Fardounjee Sethna
- Manoj Pahwa: Inspector Lovely
