Month: January 2011

Arun says at his art exhibition – My paintings are about  Mumbai – My muse, my whore, my beloved.

And his description of my favourite city in the world lay stuck in my head long after the movie was over. I saw the movie 2 days back and that line just keeps coming back. Kiran Rao plays with her muse – her Mumbai.

The rich Parsi house by the sea, the 100 square feet shack by the railway tracks, the Eid festivities in the by-lanes of Mohamed Ali Road, the rat-infested gutters, the non-moving traffic, the age old yellow-black fiat taxis and the four wheel Audi zooming at speed of 10Km/hr on the roads, the gang-war in the slums, the rich doing drugs, the city that lights up when it rains, the jar that holds the water through a leaking roof, the sea that comes alive as the sun sets in and the Queen’s necklace shines.

And while she gives us a taste of the ethereal Mumbai, Kiran Rao also introduces us to the “real” people of this city. The New York returned investment banker who is attracted to a reclusive painter and her smart-looking laundry guy at the same time, the painter who runs away from relationships and gets emotionally entangled in a tape of a young Muslim bride’s video letters, the laundry guy who juggles between his night duty as the rat-killer and his dreams of being a Bollywood actor.

Of the 4 protagonists – Monica Dogra as Shai had the meatiest role and Aamir the star value. Both disappointed. For the first time since his debut in 1988 – I did not notice Aamir’s existence in the film so awed was I by Prateik Babbar’s innocence. Kriti Malhotra did a good job of a new bride in awe of Mumbai and her people – she introduces us to our Mumbai. But Dhobi Ghat is and will be Prateik Babbar’s film. Clearly we know whose genes have dominated when you see the boy act – when he is falling for the gal from the high-society, is building his muscles so that one day he can be like his hero Salman Khan, is snubbing the girl when he realizes she is attracted to another guy, is restraining himself from kissing the woman he is in love with, is narrating that hunger is what made him leave his hometown in Bihar and fetch a job in Mumbai, and is finally saying goodbye. In his every emotion, his every dialogue, his every mannerism, Prateik’s Munna charms his way into our hearts.

Dhobi Ghat is not a movie for the average movie goer. It left me confused. I had my hopes way too high as it was an Aamir Khan film and hence was disappointed even more. The story moves at a slow pace, and you keep waiting for the climax but there isn’t any and it strikes you that movie is over without any fanfare. The starters were well served and the meal seemed good too until you tasted it. I do not have the artistic sense in me to appreciate this movie and which is probably why I came out feeling a bit confused and lost.

I would still recommend though that you all go to see it once – for Prateik and for Kiran’s portrayal of my Mumbai. The Mumbai I hate, she irks me, she is going from bad to worse, she is chaotic, lacks discipline and is noisy, she differentiates between classes, she is the ground for religious hatred, she turns a blind eye to the crimes, she has become immune to injustice and she makes me cry; but when I see her, I can never forget that it was she who taught me to love, made me laugh, gave me moments I’ll treasure a lifetime, made me believe in miracles, taught me to be fair & treat everyone equally, taught me the dignity of labour, taught me pride, made me practical, and taught me to fight. She is the essence of my existence, and even though I live far away from her – she lives in me day in and out.

Mumbai is every Mumbaite’s muse, whore and beloved, she was, is and will always be – Kiran Rao you did great justice to that line and made that beloved looked divine.

Dilli – the capital of India. The power centre. Home to the wealthiest socialites. Home to greedy and hungry politicians. Home to  the spoilt brats of the powerful people – politicians, businessmen, lawyers, dons, elite socialites alike. As Meera puts it in her introductory narration – “Delhi is about power, the power rests with the powerful and the common man only has the strength to bear it”

In this capital, takes place a cold-blooded murder in front of 300 witnesses and yet, the verdict delivered after 7 years of legal battle is that – No One Killed Jessica.

At this point the media steps in, takes the lead in the fight for Justice for Jessica – people sms, mail, call and hold candle light vigils in their protest against injustice, against the so-called powerful people of Dilli. They pledge their support to the brave Sabrina – Jessica’s sister. She finally wins her battle and the Supreme court reverses the verdict. Justice is done and the common man realises the power within.

Raj Kumar Gupta’s “No One Killed Jessica” binds together the Jessica Lal Murder Case Timeline in front of the audience. There is no melodrama, there is no over-acting, there is no sloppy editing, there is no slack in the pace of the film – it is to the point, crisp and brilliantly portrays the case that shook the faith of the nation.

This is a director’s film and it shows in every frame enacted and every dialogue delivered. The casting is almost perfect – the tough cop who will fight for justice but does not hesitate to take a bribe to not beat up the accused, the power hungry politician, the vulnerable witnesses who retract their statements, the actor and friend who refuses to identify the main accused despite being beside Jessica when she was shot, the primary accused, the helpless parents, the common man who includes the scared father, the youth of today, the young girls – all who join in to protest.

I cannot imagine anyone else playing Sabrina and Meera. Vidya and Rani steal the show – it is their movie. Vidya is the star of the movie – her subdued, restrained, brave, strong-willed, defeated Sabrina touches your heart. You feel her helplessness, her anguish, her disbelief, her belief, her fight for justice. She scores yet again. Apart from Kismat Konnection & Hey Baby I cannot recollect a single Vidya Balan movie where she has not done justice to her role and character portrayed. She is one of my favourites post Kajol, and if she continues to keep building her portfolio with roles like these – she will soon find her name among all-time greats.

It was good to see the good old Rani back but she fell short of my expectations in her portrayal of Meera. It felt that she was trying too hard and Meera’s character does not stay with you as long as Sabrina’s would once you walk out of the movie hall. The abuses used by her were a bit overdone and looked forced sometimes. Though I loved the scene where she is directing her deputy in a sting operation against the prime witness and the airplane scene where she shocks the man with her immense vocabulary.

A special mention to Myra – the young lady who plays Jessica. Her lively portrayal of fiery young Delhi girl, confident and brave –  chasing her dreams is perfect. In her limited scenes the girl exudes charm on the screen. Also the young girl who plays Meera’s maid – she has two words to speak in the entire movie in a scene that lasts less than 30 seconds and she impresses too. Pretty much supporting my view that this is a director’s film where he has not missed out on getting the smallest of the characters perfect.

The music by Amit Trivedi is the biggest plus of this movie. I’d be damned if Dilli and Aali Re do not become a rage and the new anthem of the youth. Pal and Dua are soft delights while Aitbaar is another hard hitting number. The music CD deserves a place in your music collection. After Iktara, Ek Lau and Shaam – Amit Trived comes up with a winner again. 

Go watch – No One Killed Jessica and you will realise how this Dilli can rip your heart apart into pieces in a moment but is the only one who can put those pieces back together. Her power hungry people can ruin your life but her common man will give you the courage to face it and fight.

Kaat kaleja dilli, kaat kaleja dilli
Lai gayi kaat kaleja dilli, mui dilli le gayi
Jaan bhi le ja dilli, jaan bhi le ja dilli
Dilli, kaat kaleja dilli, mui dilli le gayi

(Images courtsey: www.thecnnnews.com)