Hansal Mehta and Rajkummar Rao revealed how City lights brings out few undisclosed, tough parts of living. Pallavi Gupta reports
The National Award winning director-actor duo, Hansal Mehta and Rajkummar Rao are back with another hard-hitting film, City lights, a movie on the aam janta of India, “the story of you.” After Shahid, Hansal and Rajkummar have raised bars for their work, and by the looks of it City lights does not seem to disappoint. The movie is the joint venture of Fox Star Studios and Vishesh Films. It is a joy to see such an intense movie from the Bhatt’s camp, as they seem to return to Saaransh and Zakhm mode. Along with Rajkummar, the movie features debutant Patralekha.
The movie’s plot is based on a typical poor-happy family. The story revolves around the character of Rajkummar, Deepak, who lives in a village, runs a small business, loves his family and aspires for a better living. Struck by misfortune and having lost everything, the man of the house decides to move to Mumbai, the city of dreams, to earn better in order to serve his wife and daughter.
“This story of survival of Deepak is the story of our city’s faceless population; it is about those millions who work to make ends meet. The film portrays the challenges faced, the hope one clings to, the unwilling decisions one makes and how one lives to protect his family,” shared director Hansal Mehta while he was here to promote the film. The simplicity and the originality of the scenes will jolt you. No glamour, no expensive sets, no foreign locations but an emotional story and credible acting. “City lights features an ordinary love story of a couple clenched by the hardships of survival. It is a social drama that becomes a thriller, breathless and unstoppable,” said Hansal.
The movie will release on May 30. The film is an official remake of British film Metro Manila.