Katiyabaaz
Movie Info
Synopsis
Katiyabaaz ('Powerless') is a documentary film about the electrical supply shortage in an industrial suburb of Kanpur, India. In Kanpur, India, Loha Singh is the local robin-hood, stealing electricity so that homes and businesses could function normally in the face of day-long power-cuts. Meanwhile the first female chief of the electricity supply company has vowed to rid the town of illegal connections and increase supply. In a summer of crisis, sparks will fly...
Starring Cast
Katiyabaaz Reviews
8
Riveting as it is, there is a tinge of sadness attached to the film. You don't want to miss it; it's a slice of life that will resonate with you.
6
Overall the film, overlaid by a peppy Indian Ocean number that lays out the connection between the `aadhe bujhe chiraag’ that power `poora Kanpoora’, does what it sets out to do : present us with a vivid portrait of a once vibrant city in the throes of decay and darkness.
8
Katiyabaaz is a funny, moving and very well-researched documentary that’s definitely worth watch. It’s also deeply reassuring. As the wires of bureaucracy cross with political live-wires, a bulb goes off — Ritu Maheshwari. But that we have such officers gives us some hope.
8
Katiyabaaz is as riveting and gritty as it is wildly funny at times; a must watch. I strongly recommend Katiyabaaz.
7
Katiyabaaz is both entertaining and unflinching in its depiction of an India that lags light years behind the rest of the civilised world but isn’t willing to give up without a fight.This powerful little film is a must watch.
7
Sensitively directed, realistically shot,* Katiyabaaz* will make you value the most basic thing your city provides you with, that you often take for granted - *bijli.*
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“Katiyabaaz” takes an objective look at an enormous problem, and transforms the mundane, all-too-familiar reality of India’s power crisis into a gripping tale of Indian ingenuity and battle for survival. Watch it if stark reality on celluloid does not leave you feeling bored, short-changed or overwhelmed.
8
Hitting the sweet spot with documentaries: 'Katiyabaaz' has some truly incredible footage and moments...
7
A bold and honest attempt to expose the dire state of the people of Kanpur, Katiyabaaz will make you count your blessings for having access to the luxuries of having something as basic as electricity.
7
The film is exceedingly well shot, kept tight and flows lucidly. Even if the problems playing might seem alien to you, the film draws your attention and engages you with its intelligent workings. Given that Deepti and Fahad have spent a good deal of time working on the film, the scale on which they were able to mount the film was spectacular. The violent shots of angry mobs were all possible because of the same.
8
KATIYABAAZ is not for those who like their item songs and 'ceeti-eliciting' dialogues. It is for those who love their cinema shaken and stirred!
8
Extremely well-researched, Katiyabaaz is all that a good documentary should be. The camera follows Loha Singh relentlessly even as he goes about his duties and soon Maheshwari is getting increasingly despondent with the situation. Ironically, in a situation which seems hopeless, you find hope and the story of survival. Please go and watch this one, as doing so would encourage many such documentaries to see the light of the day.
-
Katiyabaaz is a beautifully-shot documentary that tells Kanpur's story with great sensitivity and wit. The years spent on the project have allowed the directors to film some fantastic sequences, like the violence that erupts on the streets one night when a large part of the city loses electricity. Small-town India at its electric, despairing best...
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Shot like a feature by filmmakers Fahad Mustafa and Deepti Kakkar, Katiyabaaz is a fine documentary. However, there are moments in which the film’s cinematic quality works against it.
8
This picture is unique not so much for its subject as for the manner and choice of the story being told. The film effectively employs techniques of narrative fiction to spin a hugely engaging, entertaining drama. The chief protaganist is an appealing anti-hero (Loha Singh).
6
It is a honest capture of a world that we might not know about. An honest point of view. In the end, we are left wondering how in the world are we still going through this. That is the beauty of the film, you will be left wondering some very pointed questions. Such documentaries must be appreciated and encouraged. An en-’light’ening film about the literal quest for power.
Audience Reviews for Katiyabaaz
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It must watchable movie and all should know how to live people in Kanpur.
0August 23, 14
