Movie Review - Delhi 6

Powered by: Chakpak.com	Delhi 6

This is where the young Turks take it away from the pretenders. Bole to.. Subash Ghai, Yash Chopra and the likes of them. Let the young ones soar now. And, Ladies & Gentlemen, I am so glad to report that my fantasies are finally coming true. The new order IS taking over. Original ideas are being shaped with skill and imagination. After more than half a lifetime of being fed escapist rubbish by the so called dream merchants and showmen I am finally enjoying good cinema unleashed by a string of young movie makers. Delhi 6 is a worthy successor to Rang De Basanti and Rakeysh Om Parkash Mehra emphatically proves that he is not a one trick pony.
Abhishek Bachchan is the American born desi who volunteers to accompany his grandmother, Waheeda Rehman (I love her so) back to her roots all the way from New York to the by lanes of Chandni Chowk which is Delhi 6 for the uninformed and those lost in the cyber world who have forgotten the postal addresses used in the romantic days of letter writing. This in itself was enough to make me go all nostalgic about the days when I would wait and wait for my Chammak Challo’s letters. On his first trip to India the grandson discovers the world of myriad hues that constitutes the Indian society. There are so many characters in the movie and each one of them so distinctive. Yet the amalgamation of their role in the story is so effortless which is a tribute not only to their acting skills but also to the screenplay and of course the directorial genius. Abhishek’s intended journey as a chaperone quickly changes into a discovery of that mystic fabric which binds people of different religions and social standards, a realization of the weaknesses and prejudices which breaks the façade of harmony only to rewind into normalcy again. It’s this mad medley of love, hate, rigidity and tolerance which makes Indians what they are and Mehra has eminently succeeded in condensing that macro picture into one neighborhood of Chandni Chowk. There are way too many good characterizations to find individual appreciation here but I have to single out Deepak Dobriyal for his brilliant portrayal of the Muslim Jalebiwallah who becomes the target of the ire of religious bigots and of course Vijay Raaz as the classical Delhi cop. His Haryanvi accented dialogue delivery is a delight to watch. Cyrus Sahukar as the photographer who is cuckolding Prem Chopra, the rich money lender, plays a charming cameo. Abhishek, as the bewildered westerner, has suitably underplayed his character. Sonam Kapoor is naturally vivacious and can only get better. Rishi Kapoor is looking more and more like his great father. Atul Kulkarni has put on some weight but still comes good as the slow witted butt of all jokes.
There are numerous scenes which have been beautifully composed but the surprising one was the Ram Leela. It took me back forty years when as a young lad I had seen the old Delhi Ram Leela for the first and only time. The images are still fresh in my mind and lo behold I was reliving the experience all over again. Raghbir Yadav has lent his voice to the musical rendition of the timeless epic. All the classical touches of theatre artistry are there to see especially the scene of the flying Vanars and of Ravan encountering the Lakshman Rekha. Mehra also cocks a snook at self serving politicians with their mandir-masjid politics and the plethora of news channels which find merit in repeating ad nauseam the most ridiculous of news. The photography reveals the love for the old city. Panoramic shots of the Jama Masjid, Red Fort and the skyline of old Delhi is simply breathtaking.
A R Rehman’s compositions are great. The beautifully sung “Masakali” by Mohit Chauhan brings alive the spontaneity of Sonam’s character. Kailash Kher & Javed Ali have put their heart into the soul stirring “Arzian”. A spiritual song is in every movie is almost becoming a norm with Rehman which is not a bad thing at all. But my favourite is the title song by Blaaze,Benny Dayal,Vivinenne, Tanvi & Claire. After all “Yeh Dilli hai mere yaar”. Go, watch & feel alive.

Movie Review - Dev D

Powered by: Chakpak.com	Dev D

Everything about this movie whether its the conceptualization by Abhay Deol, the music by Amit Trivedi and the loving strokes of superb direction by Anurag Kashyap is off beat. After a no go “No Smoking” he has struck back and how. Man, its mind blowing. Sarat Chandra’s classic has been given a contemporary look and interpretation which I thought was pretty near to my idea of the kind of guy Dev Das was namely a weak, self centered, addictive loser. And Abhay Deol has done enormous justice to the lead role. While the principal characters of the original classic remain the same, their backgrounds and events affecting their lives have been cleverly changed. The Bengali feudal has been replaced by a Punjabi industrialist. The rural backdrop remains the same. Paro assumes the avatar of the classic Punjabi belle freely mouthing abuses and completely obsessed with her childhood sweetheart. For a first timer Mahie Gill, a Chandigarh lass, has done a classy portrayal of Paro. Her total submission to her lover receives a rude jolt when the object of her affection spurns her on suspicions of promiscuous conduct. Of course it’s another matter that he has no problems sowing his wild oats at the first available opportunity. She tries to prevent the shattering of a lifelong dream but consents to marry a widower following the obdurate attitude of Dev. He on the other hand becomes a prisoner of his suspicions and his desire for Paro whose marriage triggers his descent into the abyss of alcoholic stupor and drug induced hallucinations.
Anurag Kashyap then uses the DPS MMS episode to introduce the character of Leni who is disgraced by public opprobrium, abandoned by her family and finally becomes a high priced escort Chanda, played by Kalki Koechlin who is really the surprise package of the movie. A beautiful girl of French stock with a pronounced pout a la Brigitte Bardot she took my heart away, crooked teeth and all. A drunken Dev who after abandoning the mustard fields of Punjab is exploring the depths of despair in the dark underbelly of Delhi literally falls into her arms. Initially Dev’s single minded indulgence in drinking marathons in between fantasizing of a reunion with Paro comes in his way of crystallizing any kind of relationship with Chanda. But after Paro tells him off he comes to realize that there is more to Chanda than just fancy costumes designed to titillate her customers. But then he mows down seven people under his car driving under the influence of Vodka and his demons. It also jolts him back to reality.
While the performances of all the actors are amazing a special mention needs to be made of the music. This is Amit Trivedi’s second film after Aamir but this new kid on the block has composed some exemplary music and has a great deal of promise. Each song has a different kind of sound. It’s a delightful pot pourri of Sufi music, Punjabi folk and western drum rolls. While the soulful rendition of “Pardesi” by Toshi takes your breath away the retro classic dance by the trio of Sinbad Phgura, Ammo 'Too Sweet' and Jimi 'The Quiff’ could be one’s sole reason to watch the movie again. “Emosanal Atyachaar” with the music by Chandigarh’s very own Harish Band is another riot. It’s the watered down censored version which has been used in the movie. The original which is available on the Net is guaranteed to make your ears go red and I must warn that only those who can stomach the classic Hindi profanities may venture forth in listening to it.
The movie is a modern interpretation of a timeless classic story and it has been crafted with good performances, slick editing and set to great music. The language may not appeal to everyone’s sensibilities but apart from that it’s nearly flawless. It’s outstanding stuff and eminently watchable but of course without your kids or parents along. The ‘A’ rating is more than justified.