Then there were those ...

I have been asked about some Oscar buzz movies, which have not featured in my blog – plain & simple truth is that despite all the hype & critical acclaim that some of ‘em got, they left me uninspired:

Changeling – made a changeling outta me. Went armed with handkerchiefs for a sob festival, hoping for a Clint Eastwood-Angelina Jolie double whammy tear-jerker.

Came out dry-eyed & unimpressed, thanx to Clint Eastwood’s direction (mistake mat karo – am a big fan – remember ‘bridges of Madison County’ & ‘Letters to Ivo Jima’?) which is suffering - a case of biting more than he can chew, in terms of quantity over quality.

But according to me, the weak link was Angelina Jolie – I mean her character in the movie should have made the hardest of hearts melt – her son goes missing, she is forced to accept an impostor as her own, deal with a ruthless police force, is incarcerated …

... but surprisingly this mother of so many was not able to emote like one – she came across as cold & if you were looking for heart & soul behind those magnificent pouting lips, ‘dhoondtey reh jaaogey!

Then there was Mr. Jolie, Brad Pitt, in ‘the curious case of Benjamin Button’ – once you got over the novelty factor about the reverse cycle of life, it just became the life and times of an ordinary guy who is every woman’s nightmare – her worst fears come true – a man who gets younger everyday, while she ages!

Milk: What an odd name for a movie! Yeah, it is the name of a person on whom the movie is based, but why would anyone be christened “Milk”???

Of course, that’s my personal issue, which has nothing to do with the movie. It must be such a responsibility to play a character that actually existed.

Sean Penn is flawless, no doubt & I appreciate the story of this extraordinary man’s fight for gay rights.

Just that I found the movie slightly tedious & documentary like!

I felt the Oscar fever in girl power movies like the magnificent Kate Winglet in “The Reader” & the simply awesome Merlyn Strep in “Doubt”! These gals rocked!

Delhi Six is ur Delhi fix!

Delhi Six is ur Delhi fix!

Delhi 6 is a celluloid love story - of the director's with the city!

The first half is a series of snapshots -
" Of a quaint old city where the milk of human kindness flows through everyone's veins
" The typical Chandni Chowk like gallis, narrow & winding, dotted with jalebi-waalas, who accost you with their garam garam offerings
" Where cycle rickshaws rule as the only mode of transport
" That happy 'mohulla' where Hindus & Muslims co-exist & peacefully watch the Ramleela unfold!
" Abhishek is that amiable American dude who thankfully has no accent or attitude - he serenely adapts : to power cuts, water-shortage, raps & jogs around the place, hangs around watching his grand mom & her coterie of sahelis making aachaar on the 'chhatth' …
" Coming to think of it, the movie at times does feel like you are watching a home video of the return of the prodigal NRI son!
" Some affectionate potshots: how while there is no 'paani' in the taps, there is no shortage of it in the tear ducts of Indians!
" When the Saadhvi minister interrupts the Ramleela, the hero points out the irony of how only in India, even the Gods dance to Minister's tunes!
" There is also a very cute scene where the daadi, Waheeda Rehman is enthusiastically buying 'saamaan' for her own funeral!
" The hero of course has a Muslim mom, Hindu dad & loves all - his grand mom, his new Indian community, and the chatpatti girl next door, Billoo, who dreams of becoming the next Indian Idol!
" Delhi 6 is also an AR Rehman festival - the director simply allows the awesome music to rule and weaves his movie around the magical songs - pleasant videos with Delhi in the background, looking inviting - simply flow from gaanaa to gaanaa.
" Shades of Swades, but more upbeat!

Don't get me wrong. I was a willing participant while the love story unfolds - what's there not to like? Lilting music, Delhi never so lovingly represented, the ravishing Sonam Kapur, Abhishek who always surprises me with his understated acting, those character sketches which yes, are a tad too typical, but still, you would like to believe that folks like these exist - the jolly, suave, paan serving uncle (Rishi Kapoor), Waheeda as a dadi all of us would love to have, the loving clucking neighborhood women …..

Post interval, the director finally realizes he needs a story line too. So we get the human kaala Bandar, the beginning of communal violence, how a small incident can spark of animosity & divide …. Suddenly all those shimmering white souls turn to violent shades of grey!

So does the grey darken & become totally black, or … yeh Delhi (6) hai mere yaar … dekho aur jaano.

While it may not be Rakesh Mehra's best effort & not a patch on RDB, Delhi 6 gives you a Delhi fix!

chance pe dance maar ley!

Chance pe dance maar ley! My heart did a ‘lil jig of delight, when we luckily chanced upon the new arrival from the house of Akhtar!

Hmmmm … is there anything that this family can’t do?? Better still, they seem to score bull’s-eye most of the time!

Zoya emerges from the shadow of being Javed’s daughter & Farhan’s baby sis & assumes her well deserved chaarpaai in the hall of new talented directors.

To steal a line from the BJP, ‘India shines’, where film making talent goes …. mera dil garden garden ho gaya, at the thought of so many refreshing, sensible, most important, watchable movies budding & blooming …. “A Wednesday”, “Dill kabbadi”, “Rock On” …. & now, “Luck By Chance”.

For me, Zoya’s success as a director is reflected in her characters, whether major, or minor. They are well-etched, clearly defined & people you can empathize with –

Rishi “Rolly”, the larger than life director who is disillusioned with the selfishness & ingratitude of the new generation;
Juhi, who brilliantly plays his understanding, superstitious wife;
magnificent Dimple, as the hard-as-nails, ambitious star mom;
Isha is nauseatingly perfect as the nubile debutant starlet;
Hrithik, who with such cool ease & a lot of comic absurdity, brings to life the ruthless new gen superstar;
the coterie of friends who roller-coast with their attitudes, as the fortunes of the hero change ….
& of course, the dil & jaan of the film, Farhan, the opportunistic, wannabe actor, with brilliant shades of grey & his journey to stardom;
my all time favorite, Konkona Sen Sharma, who admittedly is getting typecast as the sensible, no-nonsense, real girl next door, but still rocks. The fact that she has become thicker, flabby & broader, does hurt the eye a little, but u forgive such minor details, for such a competent performance.

Arvind Adiga’s brand of self deprecatory humor is woven cleverly through the movie, which is why you can’t bring yourself to dislike anyone in the film – the darkness in every character is redeemed by that ability to laugh at oneself. My mantra for life – anything, however unpalatable, can be stomached, if it’s seasoned with humor!

Don’t take a chance on this one, mere dost … make it happen & watch “Luck by Chance”!