Beyond the Clouds: Majid Majidi's film remains trapped in woolly-headedness

Majidi falls into the trap of overplaying the cliches, which is perhaps most evident in his portrayal of Mumbai's prostitution business and the treacherous bosses who helm it

In the run-up to the release of Beyond the Clouds, director Majid Majidi (Children of Heaven, Baran and The Willow Tree), when quizzed about his film’s similarities with Slumdog Millionaire, confessed that he had found the Danny Boyle venture “too touristy”. Yet, he himself takes off on a similar note. You are introduced to all the major landmarks of Mumbai — Marine Drive, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the Gateway of India — within a few minutes of taking your seat in the theatre. The motifs remain unaltered, too: poverty and slum life, and the despair and helplessness that inevitably accompany them.