Saturday, February 21, 2009

Delhi -6 ... Hmmm


Well I am not from Delhi 6. I am from Delhi 1. New Delhi. But I love all of Delhi just as much. So as we returned from the movie and as the guys in the front of the car were discussing if a certain character should have been brought back from the dead or not, my thoughts were on something else. This film is not the Ode to Delhi I was expecting it would be. Its not about the magic of Delhi, that city of seven cities. Its about people. How superstitious and narrow minded people can become. Dilli dilwalon ki? I don't see that here. Its also not about Rakesh Om Prakash's early years as the early rumors going around had you believe. Its about the Monkey Man. Its about people and how they react when prodded with external stimuli, in this case the homo nigerous or as they call it "Kala Bandar". I had an idea for a movie in which the residents of an apartment go crazy with suspicion and doubt and turn on each,when they chance upon a mysterious writing(in blood) on a wall. That is the second half , almost.It could have been set anywhere. Its a character study. I guess I was put off by a lot of these elements. Still, its a good movie.But people going in expecting to be bowled over RDB style, beware. Rakesh just pulled a Jackie Brown.
I loved the songs, and the picturisation of Dil gira Dafatan is amaaazing. Its a dream sequence of Delhi taking over Times Square and its just shot so well. It looks so real with CNG autos and cycle rickshas plying through 42nd street.Except for one song, none are lip synced and I don't know if it was just my theater, not all songs from the soundtrack were even in the movie.Rishi Kapoor was wonderful in Luck by Chance and here too he is lovely.Loved the Ram Lila sequence. Meanwhile,like Kushwant Singh's fantastic novel -"Delhi- a Novel",I am still waiting for that definitive movie about Delhi.All of it, not zip code prejudiced.

Ahl-e-jauhar ko watan mein rahne deta gar falak,
Laal kyon is rung se aataa Badakhshaan chhor kar,
In dinon garche Dakan mein hai bari qadar-e-sakhun,
Kaun jaane Zauq par Dilli ki galiyan chhor kar

2 comments:

SEV said...

I get the feeling I missed a bunch of dialogue and background score in the version I watched - I get the feeling the movie is a lot better than its getting credit for.

Rajlakshmi said...

good review... haven't seen...I have heard its not that good :)