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DELHI 6 - MOVIE REVIEW

DELHI 6 ( Hindi , 2009)

Director : Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra

Cast : Abhishek Bachchan , Sonam Kapoor , Waheeda Rahman , Rishi Kapoor

Delhi 6 is one of the early biggies to hit the screen this year . Directed by the man who gave us "Rang De Basanti " , Delhi 6 is a passionate tribute to the old world charm of Delhi's Chandni Chowk.

Roshan (Abhishek Bachchan) lives in New York , and comes to Delhi , to drop his ailing Grandmother (Waheeda Rahman) , who wishes to spend her last few days in Delhi. Roshan initially wants to just spend a few days and leave , but gradually finds himself falling in love with the warmth and vibrancy of Delhi .

There is no story as such , and the film is all about varying emotions. There is a small , beautiful love story with Bittu ( Sonam Kapoor ), a bubbly , energetic lass who aspires to be an Indian Idol. The Monkey-man who terrorized Delhi a few years ago has been used to take the movie forward.

What the Director wants to portray is never really explained , till the Intermission stage. The movie comes across a comic portrayal of the eccentricities of Delhi's Chandni Chowk. Humour is inherent all through the movie , ranging from innocent family camaraderie , to some wildly suggestive humor in that scene in which Cyrus Sahukar hots up things with an already married woman.

Every aspect of Chandni Chowk has been captured in great detail by the Director. Be it the local sweet shop , or the Ram Leela festivities , an enormous amount of work has gone into creating the rustic charm of the locality.

Characterization is the strong point of the movie . Roshan is an initially sceptic person , who finds it tough to understand why a cow giving birth in the middle of the road is such a big event in the locality . But later on , he falls in love with the varying aspects of old-world Delhi. Bittu , is from an orthodox family , which tries its best to stop her from pursuing her dreams of making it big on Indian Idol , and in the process , tries to make alliances with some stone faced men.

The movie is definitely flawed . Now , making the audience guess what's in store for them is one thing.. But convincing the audience that there will be SOMETHING in store is a completely different game altogether, and this is where I felt the movie faltered. What are the actual intentions behind the movie , never really translates on screen during the first half. It is only later on during post-interval stage that the audience realizes what the Director was trying to say all this while.

Screenplay is not exactly jet speed material , but it is definitely tolerable , especially in the absence of a concrete storyline backing the movie. But cinematography in this one , is a visual treat in every sense of the word. Some truly awesome shots, like that of the Namaz at Jama Masjid , the Ram Leela Festivities , keep you spellbound.

Music is by Oscar Nominee A.R.Rahman ( nominee as on February 20th 2009 @ 11:42 PM , hoping he wins it for "Slumdog Millionaire" in a few days time from now ) . Some truly amazing songs keep up the vibrant mood of the movie. The best one has to be the "Masakali" number , which has been making waves.

Acting by Bachchan Junior is an effort to be appreciated . The character is one sans dramatics , and he has underplayed his role , and easily fits into an NRI character , albeit with a dodgy accent. Sonam Kapoor is alluring beyond limits . The bubbly character of Bittu fits her to a T . Though the role offers not much scope for acting potential , she has done a neat job. The "Masakali" number picturized on this lovely lady , almost made me fall in love with her .

However the strongest pillars of this movie have to be the supporting cast members . Waheeda Rahman as the ailing Granny is a delight to watch , as she fills the screen with her lovely grace . Rishi Kapoor as the advice rendering neighbor is brilliant. Vijay Raaz as the corrupt , ruthless cop is as reliable as ever. Atul Kulkarni is the best among the support cast . Om Puri ,I felt , was wasted , but still his role was strong enough to keep audiences happy. There are a host of other small characters who you adore as the movie progresses , like the gossiping housewives , the local sweet shop wallah , and the garbage cleaner .

The Director vents his heart against some menaces still plaguing the society , like untouchability , communalism etc in the most delicate manner possible . I felt the sequence where Waheeda Rahman is mad at AB Junior , for touching the garbage girl , was one of the finest moments of the movie. It is moments like these , which appear all through the movie , which make this movie watchable , as it lacks a convincing plot.

The climax was a bit of a let down , with an unwarranted sequence in Heaven , with the Big B thrown in for good measure. However , the climax does not disappoint , as there are many scenes which are not even half as good as the so-so climax. I hate to say this , but this is a consolation of sorts.

Delhi 6 is definitely not a great movie . But it deserves to be watched for the subtle treatment meted out to Delhi's old word charm.

I will go with 3 out of 5 for "Delhi 6" , which could have been much better and also much worse at the same time. You will understand why when you get to watch it.

VERDICT : 3 / 5 ( Definitely worth a watch )

NAAN KADAVUL – MOVIE REVIEW

NAAN KADAVUL (Tamil,2009)

Director : Bala

Cast : Arya , Pooja

This movie had been delayed for a long time , and increased curiosity levels to an all time high. It has finally hit the screens thankfully , and the best part is , it has justified all the hype and massive expectations surrounding it.

Bala , who gave us gems like Sethu, Pithamagan, Nandha has yet again proved why he is still considered a force to reckon with , in spite of the long time delays associated with his projects.

“Naan Kadavul” starts off with some beautifully filmed sequences in the Holy Town of Kasi. A father , heeds the words of astrologer , who tells him that his son will be a bane to the family , as his stars are not proper. Unable to live with such a burden , the father takes his son to Kasi , and abandons him there . 15 years later , the father returns to Kasi , hoping to locate his son , and persuade him to return to his native town MalaiKovil in Tamil Nadu.

His son , has now turned out to be an Aghori Sadhu. These people are extremely unique , and their ideals are beyond the comprehension of normal people like us . Rudra (Arya) agrees to return home , on the orders of his Spiritual Guru. What happens when Rudra returns to his roots , forms the rest of the story.

Contrary to all expectations , “Naan Kadavul” is not all about Rudra alone. We then realize that the temple town of Malai Kovil , is home to a huge and disgusting beggary racket. In fact this forms the major part of the story . These beggars are controlled by the ruthless Muthalali , the crooked villain , who manipulates the lives of these beggars , and makes a tidy fortune everyday , from their earnings.

The movie focuses largely on the helpless lives of these poor beggars. Later on in the movie , Hamsavalli (Pooja) a blind beggar , is forced to join this racket. There is no story as such , to be frank. If you are expecting a straight tale to unfold on screen , you are in for a shock. Somewhere down the line the characters of Rudra , Hamsavalli and the beggary racketeer all collide , culminating in a stunning climax.

The movie has been painstakingly filmed. The effort which has gone into making the movie is obvious right from frame 1 . The lives of the Mystical Aghori Cult of Kasi has obviously been subject to some intense research . I myself had extensively browsed the Internet to read about the cult , a few weeks before the movie came out. The ideals of these people are portrayed in an excellent manner , albeit only for a brief period , as only the first few sequences are set in Kasi .

Venturing out to make a movie on such a distinct concept is a huge achievement in itself , and Bala's touch is evident all through the movie . He belongs to the rare breed of Directors who believe in making serious , realistic movies.



What I really liked about the movie was the secondary significance of the actual story . The beggars pathetic lives is given priority , and the story in itself , takes a backseat. The magic of the movie lies in the fact that despite the absence of a functional plot , the movie keeps growing on the viewer. The emotional turmoil of these poor souls , makes for some very disturbing viewing.

Technically , every aspect of “Naan Kadavul” is top notch . Each frame , be it the opening frames of the Holy Town of Kasi , or the town of Malai Kovil is so rich in every detail. The close up sequences of the Bhaang smoking Rudra , muttering Sacred Chants or the portrayal of some seriously disabled beggars are all filmed brilliantly.

Music by Maestro Illaiyaraja is another highlight . Be it the vintage style of “Pichaipathiram” or the high energy “Om Shiva Om” , every song is classic Raja Sir . His songs blend so well with the storyline, and as with all of Bala's movies , there are no unwanted songs thrown at you.

Screenplay is as fast as lightning. Even with the lack of a concrete storyline , the movie grips you , thanks to Bala's magic.

However , the best thing about “Naan Kadavul” has to be the acting. Pooja is brilliant as the blind beggar , with a divine voice. She is easily one of Kollywood's most beautiful heroines , and even sans make up , there is something special about her . She shines in a completely de-glamorized role. The climax scene in which she bares her heart , in completely tattered clothes is easily one of the best scenes of the movie.

Arya as the Aghori Sadhu Rudra is superb . This is easily the role of a lifetime , and Arya has proved his worth . He smokes Bhaang at will , shouts at his father , pushes his mother in anger when she tries to touch him. Easily one of the most unique characters to grace the silver screen , the sheer energy which he brings into his role deserves accolades. The role fits him to a T . The long beard , the flowing mane and those piercing eyes will make everyone sit and take notice of this young actor , who deserves to be lauded for accepting such a different and complex role.


But , the real stars of the movies are the beggars . Some of them are completely deformed and will definitely strike a chord with the viewers. In fact there is a small,deformed beggar kid , whose cheekiness made the entire theater burst out laughing . Bala simply does not stop at showing how physically appalling these beggars are , but also goes one step ahead in bringing out their humane emotions .

These beggars too are humans like us . If you are expecting a documentary like portrayal of these poor souls , you are going to be surprised . The movie does not have a separate comedy track like all of Bala's films. There are some truly hilarious moments , in which the beggars poke fun at themselves . They are resigned to their fate no doubt , but the subtlety of their characters , is so beautifully brought out. Yes, the scenes involving the beggars makes the movie very disturbing overall. But they also provide some comic relief from the dark mood . Watch out for the scene in which Tamil Actors , especially MGR are spoofed in the Police Station... Rib-tickling !!!

Overall the movie leaves the viewer completely disturbed after watching it . This is not an entertainer , mind it. Bala's movies always ensure that you are made to feel bad about something in the movie. This one is no exception . The plight of the poor beggars is very disturbing . And add to it some serious violence , portrayed by Arya , especially towards the latter stages of the movie , it is not a movie for the weak hearted.

This is easily one of the best Tamil movies to hit the screen , for a long time . And coming from Bala , I expected nothing less .

However , am sure that the movie will not go down well with a sizable portion of the movie-going audience. Those who want to go to a movie just to be entertained , will be disappointed. Those ignorant to the problems faced by the lower strata of society , will hate it even more.

This is for a very mature audience , and strictly not for die hard fans of so called “actors” , who are given some mindless sobriquets , whose movies they make these days, can hardly be termed “watchable”. Thanks to Directors like Bala , Tamil Cinema still holds its head high.

A very disturbing film , this will easily go down as one of the classics of Tamil Cinema . Watch it to appreciate some truly brilliant performances from every single cast member , be it the Mystic Arya , the ruthless villain , or the cheeky little beggar . But more than anything else , watch it for Bala's magic. He is evidently the man with the Midas touch .

I will go with 4.5 out of 5 for Bala's “Naan Kadavul” , a movie to be seen and truly appreciated. A must – watch . Congrats Bala Sir , you have done it again !!!!

VERDICT : Uber ( 4.5 / 5 )