Feb 19, 2009 10:47 PM
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(Updated Feb 19, 2009 10:55 PM)
How many times we look at the mirror a day? What we see on our face depends what we look at. If we are combing the hair we will look at the hair and one lady who put a thilak will look at the forehead. Ok. Do we manage to look the soul of the reflection we see in the mirror? Do we see the 'God' who lives in us or 'a Black Monkey' or both or none?
We call India as our motherland and our roots are deep enough to bring home the memories from all across the world. Let it be America, Middle East or Africa an Indian will always long to return and live a happy life. If one took a stand against the existing system, the hands which clapped together to receive you – will it be there to give a helping hand to push the ambulance which carry your half dead body to reach hospital on time?
The story of Delhi 6 is told through the words of Roshan (AbhishekhBachchan) who escort his grandmother (Waheeda Rehman) to India from America, where she want to have a peaceful death in the soil where belongs to. For Roshan the streets of Delhi give a lot of new experience. He finds the rituals ridiculous and the system so corrupt and unjust. He meets the freedom loving Bittu (Sonam Kapoor) whose wish is to become an Indian Idol. However Bittu is afraid to express her wish and have to do all the preparations secretly, skipping the 'strict' family rules. The city is under siege by the fear of a black monkey and from here the story takes a twist. The focus is changed and the situations are replanted. Everybody is in search of the black monkey and the invisible enemy already planted enmity among religions and among individuals. Roshan is all ready to correct the system – but will he able to do that or will he be the victim of it? Watch Delhi 6 if you wish to know.
The first half of the movie is more like a satire which I enjoyed thoroughly. Each character is penned to represent a quality and each incident symbolic. Through the streets of Delhi,the director (Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra) gives the overall view of India and the problems facing it in individual level and socio-political scenario. (Freedom struggle, cast system, Babri Masjid issue, identity crisis of modern youth, Misguided children who fall prey to many evils and much more) Till the interval, the movie worked as a video camera which turned to the Indian society which can shoot the situations with added fun.
One who preaches that there is god in us stares into the mirror and mocks the image. Others ridiculed the suggestion even. Truth lost its force to correct the society and now faced directly to us – to see the god or the black monkey in us. Do we manage to look at the mirror and see the god or devil in us?? The concept was good and the director succeeded half way. However, from the point he tried to convince that there is no outside disturbance the story took a heavy beating in its own hand (where the brilliant sequences in the first half worked against it.) The writer didn't permit the love story to grow to justify the adventures in the climax which felt rushed. When the director chooses to repeat the moral of the story it only shown that the director was skeptical about the audience understanding, if not his ability to convey the message through the medium.
Abhishek Bachchan did a good job in the lead role if we compare his previous performances. However the role had more scope to perform in the hands of a talented actor. Sonam Kapoor impress with her screen presence in all scenes where she is happy. However, she is yet to grow up as an actress to give expression to emotions. Almost all of the supporting caste did an impressive job. I will say the director is not fully successful to get the best out of his lead actors but very good job, when it comes to supporting cast.
The first thing I liked in the movie is its Cinematographyby Binod Pradhan. The initial shots, the prayer at the mosque scenes, the monkey jumping shots… there are many good shots which enhance the visual effect of scenes.
Music by AR Rahman mesmerizes the audience(listeners) with its intriguing intensity and meditative simplicity. The music had the ability to sooth the soul of listeners and is the life blood of the film. (I wonder how a person knows music will compare this film's music to the one by slumdog millionaire. For me, this film's music deserves an Oscar not SM). Superb!!
Roshan's characterization was done brilliantly till the climax though it slipped from the hands of the director who was focused on fixing the twisted story. Bittu's character was a bit confused and lack focus from the beginning till the end. May be that is the way director wanted it. I am yet to digest the turnarounds during the climax by this character. Many of the sub characters in the film and situations will haunt you even after watching the film and I will say the director is successful in creating good sub characters and plots all around.
The plot had the potential but the director played safe in short of hitting the real 'black monkey' which enter our country and target its economic centers, disturbing the socio religious peace and individual and cultural thoughts. The accumulated wisdom from the first half was all undone by the twist in the tale in the second half. The climax came as a shock but fail to create the effect where some watering was done by the director to appease the box office sentiments.
Overall, Delhi 6 falls short of the mark of a perfect art house movie, nor it reach to the level of a commercial movie which can rock the box office for weeks. The movie is highly recommended for the serious film lovers. The film is getting a thunderous opening and the makers will smile all the way to the bank in its first week, but the fate of subsequent weeks may be uncertain.
Finally, a question to the writer/director. Even if we manage to kill a black monkey in us, what we do with the black monkey in those who refuse to look or kill it? What about the black monkey organizations and countries who promote its export???
My rating: 3.5 stars
