Chalo Dilli is a feel good film wrapped in the fragrance of Desh-Ki-Mitti. The road journey from Mumbai to Delhi reminds you of Jab We Met in a way especially because of the emphasis on capturing the finer quirkiness of small town India. Decently written and sincerely executed, this Shashant Shah film has several merits to deserve your time and money at the movie hall.
Vinay Pathak’s larger-than-life persona and a natural flair for comedy keeps you engaged for most parts. The Manu Gupta in him is a quintessential common man that is both likable and detestable at the same time. Lara Dutta’s Meika Banerji is the high bro Corporate type who carries her mineral water and is obviously perturbed by Manu’s burps-n-farts-n-spitting habits. They are an unlikely behenji-bhai sahab combo who take you through their intriguingly entertaining potholed journey.
The basic premise why Lara misses her Delhi flight and ends up hiring a seedy taxi from Jaipur Airport (I am sure the Airport gives you a better option than a rickety ambassador car) is not convincing. The climax is too stretched and the attempt to answer questions that you don’t even want to ask is a needless attempt at over simplification of unearthing the plot. In fact the film could have been chopped off by at least 20 minutes. Music is strictly average. Except for the notable title track and the raunchy remix of Laila O Laila (will keep the ’Item’ flag flying high), the songs tend to drag the story. Also, how on earth does Lara’s make up remain prim-n-propah through the mud-n-grime of the heartland?
As a viewer, does the film keep you interested from start to finish? Yes, for most parts. And that is definitely an achievement in today’s times when most of the over hyped movies fail to hold your attention. The uncouth Bablu driver, the forest Dhabha owner who unknowingly scares Lara with his tales of snakes and ’bhedias’, local mafia with their gun-loaded Desi similis and metaphors, rishwatkhor train ticket collector and ’alluring’ art work at the Red Tomato Hotel provide you lasting moments that you carry back home from the movie hall.
Vinay Pathak’s character has been expertly written by Arshad Syed. He is a 50-50 character. If you like his simplicity, way-with-words in the trickiest of situations and sense of humour, then he will give you enough reasons to cringe at the natural tendency to invite trouble, despicable sense of hygiene-n-manners and an absolute disregard for any urgency even in the most harrowing conditions. Syed’s dialogues are amusing and carry an authentic flavour of the soil.
Vinay Pathak has played his part very well and truly justified the director’s faith in him. Yes, you don’t have to be a six-pack-moron to get eyeballs. You can be pot bellied with bloated cheeks and yet earn the respect-n-recognition of a wide audience. Pathak knows his strengths and effortlessly plays to the gallery. Lara Dutta, despite the make-up blooper remains within her character. And to her credit, she doesn’t try and do anything unconventionally ’real’ to prove-a-point as a serious actress. She is a good foil to Pathak’s cute antics and this unlikely pair weaves up a good chemistry. Most of the supporting actors add value to taking the narrative forward. Production Designer Teddy Maurya also plays a delightful cameo as a local don. Interestingly Maurya also played the unforgettable owner of ’Decent Hotel’ in Jab We Met.
Nikos Andritsakis’ camerawork is realistic and captures the hues-n-shades of rural India very well. As I mentioned earlier the editing is sloppy and the film’s editor Aseem Sinha should have been ruthless in cutting off the loose ends. Director Shashant Shah has made a decent film that is watchable for sure. He is honest in his portrayal of the charm of Indian heartland. Yes, he does goof up in some areas but maybe there could have been other forces that ’influenced’ his vision to allocate prominence to the people who ’matter’. My grievance is that such a film as this should not have been released at a busy junction of a filmi weekend clamouring with three other films for attention.
Chalo Dilli: Why Not!