Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Delhi 6<http://www.insidedesi.com/lifestyle/591/delhi-6/>
Still reeling from the musical and cinematic success of Danny Boyle's *Slumdog Millionaire*, the sensational *A R Rahman* is said to have outdone himself with the music of the today released *Delhi-6*. Directed by hugely-talented *Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra* (recognised primarily for his cult film *Rang De Basanti*), the film is easily one of the most anticipated of 2009. Whilst *Abhishek Bachchan <http://www.insidedesi.com/tag/abhishek-bachchan/>* and *Sonam Kapoor* play the first leads in the film, the movie also boasts a diverse line-up of actors ranging from *Om Puri* to *Divya Dutta*. The setting of the film is the ancient walled city of Delhi, with the plot centred on the childhood memories of the director. The story follows the journey of an American-born Indian, Roshan (played by Abhishek), who goes to India with his poorly grandmother (*Waheeda Rehman*) who wishes to live the remainder of her life in her homeland. Unfamiliar to the Eastern lifestyle and culture, for Roshan the voyage transforms into a journey within where his destiny also presents him with the carefree and gorgeous Bittu (played by Sonam). After the failure of her mega hyped debut in *Sanjay Leela Bhansali's* * Saawariya*, the audiences are taking to *Sonam Kapoor* in her new avatar in Delhi 6. The trailers of the film suggest her character is of a traditional village girl who wants to break away from her roots. Her dancing sequence in the song "Masakalli" has got the audiences raving and the title has become Sonam's new nickname, much to her displeasure. Papa *Anil Kapoor* is celebrating his acclaimed performance in Slumdog Millionaire, whilst his daughter is eagerly awaiting the audience's reaction to Delhi 6. It would be right to assume both movies show a somewhat opposing portrayal of modern India. *Amitabh Bachchan* described* *Slumdog Millionaire as underpinning the "dirty underbelly" of Mumbai. In stark contrast, Abhishek (in a recent television interview) illustrated the backdrop and storyline of *Delhi** 6* as being "an ode to Delhi, and an ode to India". So what does Delhi 6 offer which hasn't been seen before in films like * Swades* and *Hyderabad Blues*? Well, as Abhishek quite rightly explained in the interview, "Bollywood is the only film industry where a film is compared with the director's previous films or with films of a similar genre. A film should be seen as a stand-alone product which has to make its own identity". This safely indicates that those going into the cinema halls expecting a replica of any other film should get ready for disappointment. It can't be ignored that A R Rahman has given music to just two of Abhishek's films beforehand, *Yuva* and *Guru*, and both proved to be turning points in Abhishek's career. A R Rahman's music promises a soft, soulful and fresh soundtrack and this, coupled with the scenery, is sure to captivate audiences worldwide. And if Mehra's previous films are anything to go by, Delhi 6 guarantees to be a robustly opinionated flick, with a wide array of talented actors. Lets hope Roshan's "journey within" also carves a journey into the audience's hearts. http://www.insidedesi.com/lifestyle/591/delhi-6/ -- regards, Vithur
