Experimenting with genres like dark comedy and neo-noir has always been a double-edged sword in Indian cinema. If the story is tight then it becomes a cult classic like ‘Daily Belly’, and if the balance is off it becomes a tiring experience for the audience. Akhil Kapoor directed ‘Candy and the Pizza Girl’ unfortunately seems to be in the second category.
With the quirky title of the film and the way it was presented to the audience, we had a lot of expectations from it. What was promoted as a great cinematic experience quickly turns into an exhausting viewing experience. Unlike films like Delhi Belly, where the chaos was supported by a taut screenplay, here all that remains is chaos.
Story and screenplay: a bunch of coincidences
The story of the film is about one night in Mumbai, where the lives of many characters collide with each other. The arrival of “Pizza Girl” is portrayed as a big mystery, but the writers fail to hook the audience here.
Weak Writing: The twists and turns in the film seem to be based on coincidence rather than logic.
Non-linear Structure: Attempts have been made to show the film at different times (non-linear), but this has remained a means of covering up the film’s shortcomings.
Emotional Depth: There is no deep connection between the characters in the film, which makes the audience drift away from the film.
The biggest problem lies in its writing. Most of the conflicts and twists seem to be based on mere coincidence rather than believable storytelling. Dark comedy succeeds when its absurdities feel right for the world of the movies. But, in this case, things rest on very delicate ground, and the use of non-linear methods seems to be just an attempt to hide the shortcomings. There’s little emotional depth, and dialogue that tries to be philosophical often comes off as forced and boring.
Candy and Pizza Girl: Direction and Vision
Director Akhil Kapoor seems keen to make the film an international indie project. He focuses on showing the dark side of urban life, but fails to strike the right balance between style and content. The direction is weak, as the film itself cannot decide whether it wants to be a thriller or a comedy.
The problem with the pacing of the film is quite serious. Although the story is only about one night, the film moves at such a slow pace that the audience loses interest. Neon lights and narrow streets may look cool, but without any emotional tension or a strong sense of story, these technical details seem meaningless. What is presented as surrealism appears less artistic and more chaotic.
Candy and Pizza Girl: Acting
Despite the capable cast, the weak writing of the characters limits the scope of the actors. Ninad Kamat has given a powerful performance in the role of Bobby. His gestures and speaking style reflect the madness that the director wanted to show. Still, his acting is so over the top that the character sometimes becomes annoying rather than believable. Shivani Singh plays Kandi beautifully, providing some relief amidst all the noise. Sadly, his character lacks depth.
Priya Banerjee, who plays the role of the pizza girl, seems more of a symbol than a fully developed human being. Instead of seeming enigmatic, his acting often seems ambiguous. Supporting actors Dara Sandhu and Nimish Shitole try their best, but the weak construction makes it difficult for anyone to make their mark.
Candy and Pizza Girl: Technical Aspects
Technically the film is mediocre. Its cinematography tries to showcase Mumbai’s nightlife. An attempt has been made to create a ‘trippy’ atmosphere through the heavy use of neon colors and Dutch angles. It seems refreshing at first, but when repeated throughout the film, it starts to feel like one long music video.
Its music and sound design try to enhance the film’s crazy atmosphere, but at times the background score overshadows the dialogue. Editing is also another weak aspect of ‘Candy and Pizza Girl’. Many scenes are longer than necessary, while sudden changes break the flow of the story. If the editing was a little tighter, this movie would have been great to watch.
Candy and Pizza Girl: The Verdict
‘Candy and the Pizza Girl’ is a film that tries to be many things, but fails to deliver on any of them convincingly. It deserves praise for trying to do something different, but lacks the insight and discipline to make it a success. Even those who like ‘black humor’ may not find this film funny.
If you love new experiments in cinema and have enough patience, you can give it a try. But to most viewers, the film may seem directionless and overly complicated. Rather than being ‘something off’, it often seems ‘out of control’.
So ‘Candy and Pizza Girl’ deserves 2 out of 5 stars.