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		Home > Bollywood Movie Reviews > Traffic Signal Neither Red Nor Green, It's Orange APK | February 02, 2007 Rating: *** (***** Very Good, **** Good, *** Fair, ** Average, * Bad) Cast: Neetu Chandra, Kunal Khemu, Konkona Sen Sharma, Ranvir Shorey, Sudhir Mishra, Upyendra Limaye, D. Santosh, Sameer Khan, Sandeep Kulkarni, Manoj Joshi, Nassar Abdulla, Madhu Sharma and Others. Cinematography: Mahesh Limaye. Lyrics Sameer. Music: Shamir Tandon. Story & Screenplay: Madhur Bhandarkar & Sachin Yardi. Director: Madhur Bhandarkar. Executive Producer: MB Motion Pictures. Producer: Percept Picture Company. Release Date: 2nd February, 2007. Traffic Signal-the theme is definitely worth investigating. And Madhur Bhandarkar did just that, following his third in the trilogy after Page 3 and Corporate. Actually his Chandni Bar and Satta were also movies worth a watch, but did not fare too well commercially. Traffic Signal is, in a way, predictable. The things that you see on the signal, including the beggars, the road-side vendors and others who constitute a world in itself are all covered in the movie. It follows the entire system, which obviously leads to the underworld. Plot The plot follows the lives of many that depend on the traffic signal, and run their tiny businesses and begging while the signal turns red. We meet many characters, right from Silsila (Kunal Khemu) the manager, his love-interest Rani (Neetu Chandra), who sells ethnic wear by the road, to Bhaijaan (Sudhir Mishra), the head of all the signal businesses. The profit apparently runs into crores, and the underworld is involved. A hitch about a flyover and a builder's estates running into losses ends up in some dirty deeds, and all these people are affected. Story, Screenplay and Direction The script definitely is based on Bhandarkar's usual 'research'. The groundwork he did on the story and the characters is evident. The characters that we come across are interesting, but not unusual. From little children who beg and sell wares at the signal to sex-workers at the bus-stop, all the regulars are covered. The narrative ranges from looking like a documentary to touching the audience, but for most part, the story moves fast and the second half becomes predictable. The movie does not touch the interest levels reached by his earlier Chandni Bar, which covered the lives of bar girls or Page 3, an entire movie made on the so-called Page 3 people, hitherto unexplored in Bollywood. It neither has the singularly realistic and moving narrative of Chandni Bar, nor does it have the satire of Page 3. The performances, along with the make-up and mannerisms of each character are what work for the movie. The part where a dark kid, 'Dambur' uses a fairness cream to become fair, the beggar meeting his regular alms-giver at a multiplex and other small and unconnected incidents are good as sub-tracks. Performances Kunal Khemu is really good, and gives a realistic and controlled performance. Neetu Chandra has a de-glamorized and believable performance. Sudhir Mishra fits the role of a Don perfectly well, and has made a commendable debut. Ranvir Shorey has given his best to date, and his character is really well written. Konkona, as usual, is a pro. The best thing about the performances is that even the characters you see in one or two scenes, who take up not more than 5 minutes of screen time are very impressive. The kids in the movie did a great job. Music 'Yehi Zindagi Hai To Kya Zindagi Hai' the best song in the movie, and the picturization elevates the song's potential. Last Word Bhandarkar gave us good and average movies before, but one cannot deny he tries to present something new each time. His choice of subject could have explored various things, but restricts itself a little. The movie as a whole is not a dark display of life at the signal, but goes into the more real, and the grey side of that life. The movie also, has its good and bad points, and on the whole, the effort is good.