Being Cyrus

Plot synopsis:
The Sethna family of Panchgani consists of 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 Mumbai.
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 hailing from Jamshedpur 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 Mumbai. Katy makes Cyrus her pawn, sending him to Mumbai 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. She enjoys smoking, loud music and goes to hair appointments when Farrokh is gone.
One day Katy convinces Cyrus to go and murder her father in law and Tina so that she can be with Farrokh. Unknown to Cyrus, Farrokh plans to kill him after the deed to close the loose end. Cyrus arrives at a time when Tina is coincidentally out for a waxing appointment. He feeds Fardoonjee his favorite dish and kills him immediately afterwards. This is positioned to the audience as a mercy killing to release Fardoonjee from his wretched existence. Farrokh sneaks into the house but Cyrus kills him instead. When Katy calls to check on Farrokh, Cyrus picks up the phone and tells her that her plan is in tatters. And then Cyrus vanishes.
The Inspector calls Katy and Dinshaw for interrogation. She constantly blames Cyrus for the murder. When the Inspector investigates, he finds no evidence of any person named Cyrus even in the market in Panchgani. So Katy and Dinshaw are arrested for the murders while poor Tina is sent home with both her and the Inspector agreeing that she was lucky to be away at that time.
A few months later, Tina is in her bedroom when the door is opened surreptitiously by Cyrus. It looks like he has come to finish the last murder. Shockingly, Tina and Cyrus embrace each other. They are siblings. This whole murder is shown to be an elaborate plot by Tina to inherit the whole property. With Fardoonjee and Farrokh dead, and Katy and Dinshaw in Jail, her plot has been successful. Tina is shown as a cold-blooded schemer who identifies such families, gets married into the family and has Cyrus murder the members. Cyrus is shown to have a conscience. While Tina is showering, he sees a newspaper where Tina has marked another family for this scheme. Unwilling to participate in this any further, he runs away with the money they took before Tina comes out of the shower.

Tags: comedy, neo noir

Review:
The dark comedy Being Cyrus centers around the lives of a Parsi family, the Sethnas.
The story brings out the dark sides of some seemingly ordinary characters, who eventually go to unbelievable lengths to achieve their goals.Cyrus (Saif) shows up at the Sethna's at their Panchgani bungalow, and offers to be an assistant to pot maker Dinshaw (Naseeruddin Shah).
Boman Irani, originally Parsi, is at home with the characters and dialog delivery in this film.
The use of English, not all actors' first language, causes some parts to come across as unnatural.For a directorial debut, Homi Adajania's work is commendable and one wonders how he managed to clinch such a stellar cast on his initiation.
As you saunter into the movie hall and look on as the lights go off and the show begins, you begin to wonder if "Being Cyrus" is like those numerous clichéd bollywood style Hindi-English films a la Bollywood Hollywood, Bollywood Calling etc.
and how did he manage to pull off an ensemble cast with the likes of Naseeruddin Shah and Boman Irani not to mention the uber cool Saif Ali Khan for his debut film.
The answer is all for us to see--"Being Cyrus" is a smashingly well crafted original film (So rare in India these days) that it leaves you wondering if Homi Adjania is really a first time director?
The story moves back and forth between Panchgani and Mumbai essentially revolving around the lives and times of the not so normal, upper middle class Sethna Family and what happens when Cyrus Mistry (Saif Ali Khan) comes into it.
Cyrus joins as an apprentice to Dinshaw and becomes embroiled in a maze of complex relationships that involve Dineshaw's father Fardonjee Sethna(Honey Chayya), brother Farokh(Boman Irani) and sister in law Tina(Simone Singh).Right from the first frame, this dark thriller engrosses the viewer in its many complex layers which are difficult to fathom at times.
Boman Irani's white on white dress, his impeccably maintained vintage car, the wedding shot lend a feel of authenticity to the Parsi setup.Manoj Pahwa brings the house down with his high on testosterone, high on fat brash Inspector Maninder Lovely.Naseeruddin Shah is apt for the role of the grass smoking lost in life artist.
What would you expect out of a movie which is called Being Cyrus and has actors like Saif Ali Khan, Boman Irani and Naseeruddin Shah?
Being Cyrus turned out to be a dark, psychological drama concerning the lives of an individual named Cyrus Mistry(that's Saif) and a not-so-common Parsi family.The acting by all the characters was, for most of the movie, quite superb.
Dimple Kapadia is perhaps the only disappointment, overacting severely in many of her sequences.The direction by debutant Homi Adajania is very fresh and promising and he couldn't have made a better start to his career.
Yes, the movie doesn't have any songs to offer but music and sound play a somewhat major role all throughout the film, adding to its suspense and drama.
Saif Ali Khan, in his first English film, has shown that he is capable of a lot more than playing the 'chocolate-boy' that he has traditionally done.
He was perhaps not the obvious choice for the role of a distressed, orphaned individual but all would agree that he did ample justice to the task assigned.All in all, Being Cyrus is a very entertaining first-time watch, if only for the difference it has to present.
It is a dark, comic, urbane and very interesting film about a young man who shows up on the doorstep of a dysfunctional Sethna family, led by a carefree sculptor named Dinshaw, who Cyrus claims to be a fan of.
Thrown between these two families, Cyrus has to materialise a plan, which seems to be quite evident throughout the movie but is revealed only towards the end.
I viewed the movie just recently in the theaters and i should say that it is a simple sweet satisfying thriller that fills your appetite for the evening course.The Story is very simple, that Saif Ali Khan or Cyrus is a drifter who looks for work anywhere.
He does a terrific job on being the character of a Cyrus, a dark and mysterious man who lurks in the crowds of mumbai.
The movie actually does have a very complex plot both Physiologically and sociologically but Homi's Direction make the movie simple to understand and a pleasure to watch!I say complex Physiologically because it is, It takes you just enough into the depths of the minds of these two characters, namely Cyrus and Tina to make you understand that something is not right and the thrilling end explains it all.
Sociologically because we see and hear about such things that happen to old people like Fardoonji on a daily basis in all communities and races in India and abroad (namely Mistreatment of older folks and sometimes even murder.) The Movie spends just enough time on all the aspects and issues which make it so interesting to watch.
All characters where apt in their roles, but i still think the director ran out of wine when feeding Saif and Shah.If not the best movie i ever saw, its a brilliant and a honest movie from AN India for which i can be proud of.
Nobody could have fitted the role like "hand-in-glove" as Saif did.¤ Dimple Kapadia: The "come-hither-passes" are neatly done, not a hint of slightest crass in it.¤ Boman Irani: If you loved him in "Munnabhai MBBS", you will hate him in this one.
Simply put  he gets into the skin of the character.¤ Simone Singh: "Miss-Goody-Two-Shoes" act done perfectly.¤ Honey Chayya: Man, even his performance is so very genuine that you feel pity for "Fardounjee".
Pay attention to the subtle nuances.¤ Manoj Pahwa:: Luckily doesn't go OTT but still slightly loud.A lot of effort has been put in pre-production which is visible in the witty script, tight screenplay, camera handling, dark toned look of the movie and the way the story unfolds/ narrated.And yes, the last 20-minutes sweeps your feet away.Where are you hiding Homi Adajania, roll on!.
And yet, it will probably always be remembered as one of his memorable roles because of the dark shades to his character.The movie boasts of an incredible line of greats from Indian cinema, and a pretty good storyline.
In all it must take a lot of guts for the first time director to execute such a different idea and that too while working with such a great performers - undoubtedly, some of the best in the Indian cinema.The plot has been very good and very well executed, with suspense hanging in there right till the end..
totally unpredictable movie.Dubutante director has given a stellar performance, he himself must had had a hell of time dealing with expectations of such great actors.
This director just displayed that a good direction with a sublime story line is all it takes to manufacture brilliance.Being Cyrus is a very dark movie concentrating primarily on the human psyche and absurd responses that humans resort to under different situations.
Without talking more about the movie, I can only say that 'Being Cyrus' is a serious display of 'real' cinema.A must watch..
Its a debut film for Homi Adajania, but the work that he has done is commendable.This film will definitely bring honor to India, not because it has been appreciated in film festivals abroad, but this is a real interesting film.Saif, Naseer, Dimple, Boman and the rest of the cast are just mind blowing.
its a must watch for the lovers of unusual films.It can not be classified in to the regular genres like crossover, offbeat, different...its so much on the lines of a commercial song less thriller with comedy...but at the same time it has an international styling, great art direction and real good cinematography, not to mention the great performances.Its releasing in India on 24th March, 2006...its a must watch..
First things first...This film is directed by a débutante director: Homi Adajania who also doubles up as a screenplay writer (his 1st attempt at that).
Every single member of a stellar cast pitches in with a great performance...Be it Naseeruddin Shah as the eldest son of a dysfunctional Parsi family, Dimple Kapadia, his glamor hungry wife, Boman Irani, the younger son living in Mumbai with his much younger wife - Simone Singh, or Saif Ali Khan as Cyrus, the teller of a tale that is most likely to send a shiver down your spine, every actor is in character and have put in brilliant performances.
Several threads in the story are interconnected at various points of unraveling and the denouement is sure to take you by surprise.'Being Cyrus' hardly looks like a debut attempt at direction.
Added to that, the movie deftly balances its grave and pessimistic shades with quaint humour, courtesy Boman Irani and Manoj Pahwa.Irani needs a special mention for his performance in the film.
Pahwa chips in some good comic moments in this otherwise serious fare.Saif Ali Khan fits extremely well into his complex character of Cyrus Mistry.
Dimple Kapadia is adequate, but there are certain scenes in which hamming is quite apparent.'Being Cyrus' is certainly a piece of good quality cinema.
yeah,taste is something different from regular meal.At first it was looking dull but after 10 minutes it was attracting me towards it slowly.Actually main reason is its plot line was enough good but direction was very different which force you to think about every scene.and off course actors did their job perfectly.if you can watch the movie then don't miss it.It's a bold blend of genres and calling it a black comedy would be the closest to describe it, yet not totally justified.
It would be fair to say that Being Cyrus is truly an alternate film, but it certainly refreshes our take on Indian Cinema and i hope more films like this are weaved out to surprise and entertain us.
It would be fair to say that Being Cyrus is truly an alternate film, but it certainly refreshes our take on Indian Cinema and i hope more films like this are weaved out to surprise and entertain us.
.. A riveting thriller with some great moments strewn across set in a Parsi backdrop makes this film a must watch.
One of the pleasures of watching films is seeing new things on the screen and in this respect, Being Cyrus won't disappoint.
The thrills in this film come from watching people outsmart each other.After having worked with director Homi Adajania, I can say he has tremendous acumen, vision, imagination, and insight.
We had a great ensemble cast including Naseeruddin Shah, Dimple Kapadia, Saif Ali Khan, Boman Irani, Simone Singh, Manoj Pahwa and Honey Chhaya.
There were times during the shoot when, watching him, I would contemplate how phenomenal an actor he is, and how people will be pleased to see him capture the complexities of Cyrus, in his first English film.
You expect a good show from Naseeruddin Shah, Boman Irani, Dimple Kapadia and good thing is they don't disappoint.
Parsi family, Saif Ali Khan- The reborn-National award winning (Phew!), Naseeruddin shah, Boman Irani, The sexy old hag- Dimple kapadia, all these were enough reasons to spend a 100 or more bucks to watch "Being Cyrus".
Being Cyrus is a film that one would never expect to come out of Bollywood.
A dark film indeed, Being Cyrus takes an extremely different approach to storytelling and formatting the movie.
Although it boasts of a good cast and a fairly interesting premise, Being Cyrus is a major letdown.Instead of relying solely on plot machinations, if the writer/director had paid more attention to character, this film could've been saved.
Saif Ali Khan delivers a solid performance in the title role and there are a couple of funny moments courtesy Naseerudin Shah who plays a man with a penchant for pot(s).It's too bad really because these characters deserve a better film..
I wouldn't go on and compare this film with any Bollywood film or anything.This film is of international comparison.Finally,Bollywood changes.This is an interesting piece of work.Though,it never achieves perfection and nor is it great.It is at least a good attempt at something really out of the obvious,coming from Bollywood,you've gotta give credit to the writers.This is a bold,ambitious,smart piece of film making.Something like this coming from Bollywood,really caught me with huge surprise.This qualifies as a close comparison to other thrillers from Hollywood.This Black Comedy begins with Cyrus Mistry narrating,lying down on some sort of hill,with a bag full of something.As we listen to his narration,we consider this man as an innocent,friendly person just looking for a job and a place to stay.So,we as an audience quickly befriend with Cyrus.He arrives at the doorsteps of Sethna Family.A retired Sculptor Dinshaw accepts him and takes Cyrus under his apprenticeship.But as the drama unfolds ,it becomes clear that Cyrus has plans of his own,and he changes their lives disastrously.This mysterious Drama,that unfolds into a Psychological thriller, has a gripping atmosphere.It is a really ambitious move made by this young film maker and his vision is clear in the film.And it's only less than 90 minutes and has no songs.And I won't consider this a Bollywood film in any fashion,other than its Bollywood actors.It's smart,offbeat, with noirish touches.Nevertheless,the film is flawed.Its characters are not fully realized ,other than the title character.And sometimes, some scenes were weakly conceived and seems forced.In particular,is the dream sequence which I don't understand what its intention was.Other problem is the Sethna family characters.Dinshaw's character seems to be as pointless as Dinshaw himself.And Katy's or Tina's character aren't properly developed.And so goes for the Farokh character.And the ending should have left an impact,whereas it was shocking and doesn't leave much impression, with ambiguous results.The film also feels incomplete.But having said that,I would regard this as first real attempt to improve the qualities of Bollywood movies, which are dreadful in every respect.And only a few survive.Some of them are the ones I liked; Lagaan, Dil Se,Dil Chahta Hai,Asoka,Rang De Basanti and now this.But this film stands out of that category.This should be analyzed separately as it is a unique feature in its own way.It's a intrepid move to change the Bollywood system.Even you may find it dark and depressing or incomplete at times,you'll definitely be hooked into the film's pacing.Khan suits perfectly and perhaps the only actor who's character is so well written and more focused.Khan really pulls if off.His performance was comfortable and natural, and his moody narration really kept me entertained.He is the key character-actor of this film.One of the strong points of the film.He's got the flamboyant looks and he uses them to deceive the audience until he reveals the true agenda of his character.While Kapadia was convincing as an annoying and irritating wife,she over acts in many scenes,and really becomes hard to bear.Whether it was intentional or not,I don't know.But I hated her when she was on screen.She looks old and really ugly.Whereas, Shah, who has pretty much nothing to do like his character,seems dull.He's a clueless actor here.And I really thought his character should've given more depth than just smoking pot.I wouldn't really say Irani is the best actor in the film,he is actually close to what I said about Kapadia.But he does manage to be among the better actors of the whole bunch.He is funny,if you understand his Hindi.The guy who played the cop was okay,but also amusing when he shifts to Hindi.Simone Singh was okay.And the actor who plays Farokh's brother leaves a good impression.The problem with the actors is,their accents.I sometimes couldn't understand what they were saying when they yell or shout or whatever they were saying at times.I've always considered Indian English as Lazy English.Where their accent is very lazy,they speak in a loose ,lazy ,sleepy way.And that's the problem with the actors.They are not convincing when they speak English, apart from Khan,who also has some problems.And the plot,which drags and nothing much happens until the end.The entire credit should go to the Director.Had he hired Hollywood actors, the film would've been perfect.Since,a film like this require more talented and convincing actors.Especially the ones who could handle their accents well.The directors screenplay is well written, while not perfect, has its share of success.It feels like a screenplay written by a Hollywood writer.It's really a good concept.But the execution just can transcend from good to great.It's good but the film is flawed.I wouldn't regard this film his debut since he has such a distinctive control of the picture.His vision is easily presented on the screen,even it's ambiguous.A well done work and hope to see him do better movies in the future.This is,by the way, a great start.And hope he doesn't make the moves Farhan Akhtar made after his debut.The film's biggest highlight was its score.It really moves swiftly and clears the flaws of the film.It's the true saving grace.Even if the score wasn't appropriately used in some scenes,it really heightens the intensity and mood of the film.It's the strongest point of the film.
The breaking line, before the intermission, as to how the police inspector was going to change the lives of the sethnas, is a little unclear.The positives of the movie, are its novel plot, good cinematography, and actors like Naseruddin Shah and Dimple playing their roles well.
what obsession do filmmakers have with being different.The other thing going for this movie is the very short length at little less than 90 minutes you can even ignore the not so good acting.
Another addition to the several, recent well-done movies by a new and adventurous breed of Indian film-makers, Being Cyrus must be watched once, and must be watched closely.
One fine day, Cyrus (Saif Ali Khan), after a disastrous childhood, comes as a drifter and settles upon residence with the Sethnas'.
But it turned out to be completely different, it's no family movie, but a dark thriller.