WHERE THERE IS traffic, we need a signal. Yes, the director shows that everyone has to stop at a signal.

About 20 to 25 people start businesses. But they cause a snarl-up, in one way or the other. They want to come out of the mess, fooling the traffic. That is the central Traffic Signal’s theme.

 

The underlying message that comes out is the layered, happening, crime-tinged life in the country’s financial capital. It shows that like the government, the underworld, too, collects its “tax”. It also has a hierarchy. And, believes in “live and let live”. The young characters speak volumes despite their silent looks.

 

The film gathers its pace with incidents in the first half, which lead to their consequences in the second half. The movie falls gets clubbed into the category of Bhandarkar triology of Chandini Bar, Page 3 and Corporate. The film explores the cause-and-effect phenomenon of corruption, which isn’t ironically devoid of honesty. It goes into prostitution, homosexuality and policy-making. It also delves into the swindling of tsunami rehabilitation fund, advertisement and branding and the infidelity factor in extra-marital affairs, leading to re-divorces.

 

It is a silent love story, which reveals the criminal underbelly through characters of Konkana Sen Sharma and Arjun (Ranvir Shorey). Arjun is a fake software engineer, who speaks English and gets noticed by Konkana. Silisila (Kunal Khemu) and Rani (Neetu Chandra) are a part of the love story. The Jiya dhadak dhadak guy, with his new rugged look, has reached a new threshold in his career with this movie. Neetu Chandra, the newcomer, has done her bit with ease and talkative eyes. The film has done equal justice almost all characters — even the tsunami victim boy, who still has hopes for his parents who are actually dead.

 

Incidentally, this film, without a title track and a romantic number, has an item number. The background song by Hariharan is quite apt, whose lyrics are in tune with the lives portrayed.

 

The climactic point is the destruction of the traffic signal as the film starts with a red signal and ends in a fused signal. It is not a semi- biographical movie; rather it’s me, you and the man next to you at the traffic signal.

 

Go and savour the different movie taste!