this is EXTREMELY sad. i have no word. i had HUGE expectations from this film! once again ARR's brilliant work wasted.
--- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, "rivjot" <riv...@...> wrote: > > http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/review/12980/index.html > > Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra thinks out of the box and it's more than > evident now. First AKS, then RANG DE BASANTI, now DELHI 6. A two- liner > of the story may give you an impression that it's similar to UTV's > earlier outing SWADES, directed by Ashutosh Gowariker: An American of > Indian origin returns to his roots and decides to stay back in India. > But DELHI 6 bites more than it can chew. > > Set in old Delhi, the screenplay [Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Prasoon > Joshi, Kamlesh Pandey] takes its own sweet time to come to the point. > In fact, the entire first half is dedicated to the sundry characters > in the bylanes of old Delhi, where several stories run parallel with > the main plot... The two warring brothers [Om Puri, Pawan Malhotra] > and the wall that divides the two; the daughter of the house [Sonam > Kapoor] aspires to be an 'Indian Idol' contestant; a moneylender's > [Prem Chopra] wife has an illicit relationship with one of his > lecherous debtors [Cyrus Sahukar]; an 'untouchable' [Divya Dutta] > makes more sense than the so-called thekedaars of samaj; a friend of > the family [Rishi Kapoor] has still not forgotten his first love > [Tanvi Azmi]. Oh yes, there's also a 'Kaala Bandar' who spreads havoc > in the locality. Really, Rakeysh tries to pack in multiple stories in > those 2.18 hours. > > But, alas, the problem is that barring a few individualistic > sequences, you don't carry the film home. The film is engaging in bits > and spurts. Worse, it tends to get monotonous, preachy and boring and > the end is so bizarre, you actually want to ask the writers, 'Hey > guys, you okay?' > > Let's cut a long story short: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra misses the bus > this time. > > DELHI 6 tells the story of a young American boy Roshan [Abhishek > Bachchan] of Indian origin, who comes to India for the first time, to > drop his ailing grandmother [Waheeda Rehman]. She wants to retire and > spend the last leg of her life back home; dissolving into the soil she > was born in. > > In America, having led a very western lifestyle, Roshan is not > familiar with the sites and smells, the food and culture, the religion > and beliefs, this huge melting pot that India is. He believes that > Dadi had left her family and loved ones back in America, only to > realize that how wrong he was. > > The warmth and affection of the neighbourhood embraces him with open > arms. Amidst all this he meets the beautiful Bittu [Sonam Kapoor], who > wants to break free from the typical Indian social structure, to whom > Roshan is destined to lose his heart. > > That Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra is an accomplished storyteller is evident > in several individualistic scenes. Note the scene when Vijay Raaz > slaps Abhishek and Abhishek slaps him back. Also, portions in the > second hour, when a Baba [Akhilendra Mishra] triggers off the > Mandir-Masjid talk and divides the two communities, is very well > structured. The sequences are disturbing and the writers and director > succeed in exposing the fickle-minded people residing in the locality. > > But the screenplay isn't foolproof. The romantic track is the weakest > link in the enterprise. The love story falls flat. Also, the ending is > so abstract that an average moviegoer would find it difficult to > comprehend what the actual culmination is. The sequence in the end, > when Amitabh and Abhishek have a conversation, looks weird. In fact, > ridiculous. What was the need to have this sequence? It makes no > sense. Even the Ram Leela sequences, interspersed at regular > intervals, are forced in the screenplay. > > Rakeysh's handling of the subject is exemplary at places. But the > writing [faulty at times] as also the execution of the material isn't > the type that would appeal to all sections of moviegoers. A.R. > Rahman's music is outstanding; it's easily amongst his finest works. > 'Masakali', 'Ye Dilli Hai Mere Yaar', 'Rehna Tu', 'Maula' and 'Genda > Phool' are amazing tracks. Ditto for Prasoon Joshi's lyrics; they're > gems. Binod Pradhan's cinematography is brilliant. Watch the Jama > Masjid sequence [breath-taking] or the camera movements in the bylanes > of old Delhi. Just one word to describe the output: Incredible! > > Abhishek doesn't work. Also, his American accent looks fake. Sonam is > likable. Waheeda Rahman enacts her part well. Rishi Kapoor is wasted. > He deserved a better role. Amongst supporting actors, Om Puri > [powerful], Pawan Malhotra [flawless], Vijay Raaz [tremendous], Deepak > Dobriyal [genuine], Divya Dutta [admirable] and Cyrus Sahukar > [likable] leave a mark. > > Prem Chopra is alright. Atul Kulkarni looks like a buffoon. And what > is Raghvir Yadav doing in this film? Supriya Pathak, Tanvi Azmi, K.K. > Raina, Akhilendra Mishra and Dayashanker Pandey are passable. Amitabh > Bachchan's presence in the penultimate minutes fails to evoke any > reaction. > > On the whole, DELHI 6 has a terribly boring beginning [first hour], an > absorbing middle [second half] and a weak end [climax]. At the > box-office, the business is bound to be divided. The film may record > bountiful collections at multiplexes in its opening weekend. The > popular music as also the fact that there's no major opposition will > benefit the film in the initial days. But the business at single > screens as also the mass belt will be a shocking contrast. However, > the cracks will start appearing sooner than expected, even at plexes. > Thumbs down! > > Rating - 1.5/5 >
