Delly Belly

Came into my radar after I had read about a song from the movie - on a chap called D K Bose. From the production room of Aamir Khan, Delhi Belly is yet another stylish Bollywood movie thats being churned out on a regular basis - capturing the escapdes of 3 urban young nothings. Not one of the pretentious self-discovery shit that films like these often are: like Rock On was or the new Abhay Deol/Hrithik Roshan movie. Lots of swearing, farting, shitting, passion, bullets flying around and comedy sequences that were, well, quite funny.

Rating: * * +

Dhobi Ghat

The film opens with a handy cam's jerky motions welcoming the viewer and Yasmin, a newlywed lass to the world of Mumbai. In retrospect it seems like an apt intro to the lives of four disparate individuals intertwined in the bustling city. There is Arun, a lonely painter who seeks more introspectiveness and shies from contact. Except that Shai the annoying ABCD investment banker on a sabbatical in India to "discover" herself, follows him around. Munna the dhobi and wannabe actor flits between them both.

You would think this is just another multiple plot line converging type films that have become uber popular in the past decade. For one there is a unique depth and stillness to it with a storyline that has no clear beginning end or middle. Just a chunk of time from a few people's life. Kiran Rao seems more like a conjurer than a director, smoothly transitioning the characters between ebb and flow of scenes that pull in the viewer in to the movie like a whirlpool. There are moments where you hope and pray that she does not allow her actors to tread the beaten path and she always brings them tantalizing close only to pull them away at the last instance. 

The acting is steady all around with not a hint of overacting which is the norm in many Hindi films. Aamir Khan is an almost silent brooding presence through the film but his mark is felt everywhere especially on the budding Prateik. Monica Dogra was about to be abused in this review but then again that is the kind of reaction her character was meant to evoke. Kirti Malhotra is some ways has the toughest role as she only interacts with the viewer and boy does she hold your attention. 

To sum it up, this is the answer to abomination that was Slumdog Millionaire!

Rating: * * * *

3 Idiots

Finally a realistic portrayal of engineering college life has been splashed on the screen by Rajkumar Hirani based on a book by Chetan Bhagat. There is a bit of everything in the movie... ragging, comedic teachers, pranks, love and some melodrama. Well make that a whole lot of melodrama with so much ghee and sugar that some of the desi sweets would be put to shame. A film that shaped to be the second coming of Dil Chahta Hai but over the course of its viewing, morphed in to a middling Hindi comedy.

Rating: * *

Ghajini

This one is a Hindi remake of a Tamil movie which in turn was inspired by Memento. Don't know at which point did someone fuck up, but this film was extremely painful to get through - some three hours of Aamir Khan acting like Rowan Atkinson on steroids. The Polaroid camera + the tattoos on the body were the only resemblance to the original inspiration. There was some decent action in the movie - predictably in the usual "punching bag" style - keeps going on and on.

Rating: * +

Earth : 1947

More than 8 years after seeing the movie the first time around, watched it again and would still consider it as the best Indian movie that has gone to the Oscars in recent years. Far superior than Lagaan - a bit ironical, that the latter was an Aamir Khan produced movie - while Earth sees Aamir Khan in one of the most powerful roles he has put out.

Its set at the time of the 1947 Partition that ripped apart India in more ways than one. Aamir Khan plays a muslim ice candy man who is interested in a pretty hindu girl (Nandita Das), a maid at a Parsee household in Lahore. But he has to fight many other potential suitors and is single-minded in his approach. As the social fabric around him deteriorates and with his love interest seemingly destined to fail, the integrity of the ice candy man is tested.

The film captures very well how things can change so quickly in times of such social unrest - and in a way explains how violence is an integral part of society. To think otherwise, is foolish.

I would rate the closing scene as one of the better crafted scenes in recent Indian cinema - credit to Deepa Mehta. The soundtrack to this movie created by A R Rehman is also top notch.

Rating : * * * +