I am from Delhi however, I have been staying in Bangalore for quite some time now. My reason for watching this movie was that I missed home, just felt that I will be a part of this whole thing, feel like a delhite.
I somehow got tickets of PVR for yesterday (friday) and was excited to watch the movie, especially for song "ye dilli hai mere yaar"
Cast:
Abhishek Bachan: An American visiting India to bring back his dadi to her soil. Plays role of guy named Roshan, does an ok job you can make out his mask of acting, but at some places he seems natural.
Sonam Kapoor as Bittu: She has improved a lot from Saawariya, but I just do not find her good for a Delhi Girls role, she is not very good looking but she has very sharp features, she misses hugely on dialogue delivery too.
Waheeda Rahman as Dadi: She has been my favorite all the time from rang de basant to Delhi - 6 and from old times till date, she does a tremedous job.
Rishi Kapoor as Ali: I am becoming a fan of this guy from LBC to Delhi - 6 he transitioned amazingly, you will feel so connected with his lovestory.
Divya Dutta as Jalebi: Playing a role of a lower caste, she impresses, she is natural
Atul Kularni as Gobar: This guy is awesome, I have so many movies of his Page 3, RDB and now delhi 6, he is versatile and in Delhi 6 he has an important place again.
Deepak Dobriyal as Mammdu: Plays a role of sweet shop owner, and a vulnerable muslim, great actor holds lot of potential.
OmPuri as Madan Gopal: He is a great actor but his role is very small, mostly goes un noticed
Pavan Malhotra as JaiGopal: he makes a brilliant comeback.
Cyrus Sahukar: I wonder why was he even chosen for such a movie, he is a pathetic anchor ( I remember xbox 360 party lol) and even a worse actor.
Prem Chopra: Same old prem chopra not much screen space to write about
Vijay Raaz as Inspector: done a good role, but cannot meet real police deal as you seen in OLLO thats the real delhi police.
Aditi Rao as Rama Bua: a simple but beautiful face which you will not even forget after the movie (you will forget sonam’s)
Amitabh Bachan as Dadaji: A special appearance
Plot:
Well plot is more of a backdrop or what you call narrated. Depends on its music and location, and ramlila to move forward (music part = DevD). Rakesh omprakash mehra has tried to do another RDB by making ramlila as a backdrop of feeling in our hands.
Well the plot is simply about a guy coming from US to india to delhi - 6 as her grandma is going to die and she wants to die in her own soil and all. The movie moves on to Dream, Family tensions, Love, Hate, and all those.
Tries to show dark side of Delhi - 6, the hindu muslim stereotypes and Kala Bandar acts reference to all of them. The movie has a boring start I do understand its a serious cinema and all and a drama movie and all.
You know the person landing in delhi and all, the start scene when abhishek lands let me make it very clear its not old delhi, its some other place. I will hint you the places in review which are shot in old delhi.
The house of waheeda rehman that place is old delhi, the ramlila is old delhi, Abhishek and Rishi kapoor travelling in car the background is old delh The guy has landed from america to hear at india, is fascinated by the cultural verstality, and falls in love with the heroine.
The songs in the movie are good but does not fit at right places in the movie, besides Masakkali was kind of overshot. The sight seeing of delhi is not covered properly, and they going to taj was just an added drawback movie or less goes with the pace of "the namesake".
The movie tries to reconnect with evil and story of ramlila which was the only attraction as per me as I miss lalquila ramlila for over arnd 5-6 yrs now that was also spoilt twice buy kala bandar crap.
If I put some light on reality kala bandar was a media created hype and did not last for more than 2 weeks. In this movie kala bandar is used to display communal differences and how politician use it for there benefit and even self acclaimed gurus do, movie also displays negatives of society like untouchability.
The movie would have been a hit if it was released in 90’s, you would have seen those family ties getting broken but meeting in end, girls with big dreams, and communal riots and all, and communalism of even kala bandar.
The climax was good, showing how a kala bandar can make us forget what we are. And the fear can keep us together, I felt that amitabh bachan part etc were uselessly added to show his confession.
I still think abhishek bachan could have pulled of climax by standing in between the communal riot and telling his mom and dad were muslim and hindu respectively, now which side he belongs too!
The movie nicely covers communal politics and plays joke on media (somewhat RDB). However there is no oomph factor, the way RDB went was a story of young people, and songs etc were nicely shot. At a stage you also think this plump abhi can do acrobats like the way it was shown in the movie.
In the end abhishek was dying and I was like RDB again, but he changed I and made him live. The best scene of the movie is about looking into mirror and knowing what you are. The movie had a great concept but lack of pace and intresting moments did not click.
Also I feel movies starting could have had delhi - title track and displayed all the places of Delhi, the movie only shows the dark side. Also as I told earlier the whole movie is not old Delhi very few instances, and I recently read some place sambhar was used for the rest of the shooting.
One more thing about old delhi, that most ways are inside houses, so I think omprakash mehra should have shown that too. Many will say movie is intellectual and all, even RDB was, even Tiranga was, even krantiveer, many were.
But they had some style statement or aggression behind them. As per cinematography movie was beautiful, I liked the last scene where that tree is burning in background that effect is exactly like stage plays.
Audience reactions:
I watched this movie in gold class not much public is there as seats are limited, I would say many scenes were actually funny people were laughing out lound. People sat till end as the ending was amazing everybody in mirror. Some stood up and went mostly people with kids and family.
Conclusion:
You want a moral lesson on castism, religion, superstition and communal harmony, go watch Delhi -6, if you are looking for entertainment stay back. The movie does not connect to you even if you are from old Delhi. Why do directors have to put a love story in between social movies? well forget it.
Also movie leaves some questions, abhishek goes back to home but what happens about sonam....etc etc. Its like too many thoughts poured onto one canvas like a modern art, would appeal to some and not to others. If you miss indian culture and miss india also watch it, but there is no much of cultural things in it.