Delhi 6 : contemporary socio-political scenario of India
Jatatavigalajjalpravahpavitsthale,
galevalambya lambitan bhujangtung malikam
damaddamaddamanninaadvaddmarvayam
chakaar chandtandavamtanuto nah shivah shivam
Natraj is dancing while Shiv tandav strot created by Shiva devotee King Ravana is played in the background.
Actor playing Lord Shiva, dances before a petty local politician who has usurped the place at the stage.
A voice tells us that here even lord knows the importance of the chair.
Does this scene and dialogue bother and create a disturbance inside?
If yes, then film can work for one and if not then film may not work for him as he may not be in the sync of the background on which film is based or he may feel it too distracting in present life to pay attention to these things which film is trying to touch as film touches controversial socio-political aspects prevailing in the country atleast for more than 2 decades.
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Kala Bandar syndrome:
It’s a fear syndrome prevailing everywhere in the world. Hitler exploited the fear of Germans against Jews. BPO sector in India sends fear to some developed nations.
Different states of India suffer from this syndrome. Different communities of India suffer from this syndrome and rift has been increasing among people.
Fear inside people encourages politicians to exploit them and their fearful emotions. Mr Jinnah exploited the fear of muslims and paved the way for Pakistan on the basis of this false fear that Muslims would have to live like slaves to the hindus in independent India while muslims deserved to get the freedom to rule the nation because muslims were the ruling class before British regime. History of last 61 years has proved that how wrong he was in this approach of his.
But fear existing in Hindu and muslim communities has not been eradicated. So many muslims always think that they belong to minority class and hindu majority exploits and suppresses them. Many hindus think that muslims are given extra attention and advantages and they have been the source of majority of problems India has been facing.
Because of this fear, nation has to become victim of political, social and religious manoeuvrings done by cunning people exploiting this fear.
This politics to polarise either hindus or muslims is dangerous for the nation. If that happens for long then this nation may witness the loss of soul. Taliban, now trying to taking control over Pakistan, is an international issue but under this excuse or say fear one can not target Rashids, Iqbals, Salmans, Salims, Azhars, Shabanas, Naseems, Sairas etc etc living as ordinary citizens of India in this country.
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Through brothers [Madan (Om Puri) and Jai Gopal (Pavan Malhotra)] film shows that even if there was no existence of muslims in this country or in that area these brothers would have lived their life with differences with each other. They have established a wall which has divided their ancestral house. They are confined to their chosen confined portion of the house. Fact remains that they might have enjoyed living in a big and unified house when their parents were living in the same house.
They unite again in the end forgetting all the past years of living with differences with each other.
On surface they have been living life as persons living on opposite sides but they have always been interested to know what has been happening with other’s life. They may somewhere represent any two communities of India. They may unite again anytime if think rationally and wisely.
If we don’t live a conscious social and political life and we suffer from Kala Bandar syndrome then we rightly deserve sick minded politician shown in the film in the form of Sadhvi Maitrayee, who tries to create her political career by exploiting fear and paranoia of people living in her area.
Kou nrip hoye hamein ka haani, can not work anymore in democracy. We have to pick and choose the politicians responsible for running the nation.
They are our Representative. They are not our Kings, certainly not. They are there to serve the people but we have made them different than us, bigger than us, powerful than us and important than us.
Need of the time is to bring them to their right sizes. They are no more statesmen. One among thousand politicians may have potential to earn such status but he also has to earn this status by his honesty and continuous hard work.
Pt Nehru had posed few questions in one of his books.
What is India?
Is it the name of the land having particular mountains and rivers etc?
What is India without Indians?
And who are the Indians?
Lala ji (Prem Chopra) also says to Annpoorna (Waheeda Rehman), with respect to her ancestral house.
Are khandan ka koi rahe wahan tab na, khali int pattharon se to road bane hai.
Through Dilli 6 or Delhi 6 Rakesh Mehra shows a socio-political commentary on India. Its deeply rooted in India. Delhi 6 is a non-communal film about Indian history with enough doses of mythology. It has doses of ancient India, medieval India and contemporary India. It covers past, present and tries to caution us about the future. If we like we can make future good else bad is such thing that happens on its own at every opportunity. Bad does not need any great effort to exist. Deterioration happens on its own. One does not need to do efforts to grow old. Things decompose on their own. To make things good a vast amount of energy is required while bad can be produced out of nothing.
Delhi 6 is what was famously represented as Ganga Jamuna tehjib or culture till some years ago. That culture has been lost or rather it has been killed by vested interests.
Ye kankar patthar ki dunia, Zajbaat ki keemat kya jaane
Dil mandir bhee hai masjid bhee, ye baat siyasat kya jane”. ( Singer: Late Rafi, Music : Late RDB, Lyrics: Nida Fazli)
Late 80s established politics riding over the chariots of cast and religion. Not only mind but heart also can be swayed away by wrong emotions and emotional people often does heinous crimes under the fit of those emotionally charged moments but heart and not mind is the gateway to peep inside to search the soul.
Voices of mind and heart may dupe one but voice of soul speaks truth only which always falls in synchronization with the nature guiding life on earth.
If soul searching or introspection is lost from one’s life then its 100% sure that majority of the works done by him will bring destruction or atleast bad results and then life has to become an arena for conflicts only. These internal conflicts have to affect the life in his surrounding also.
A mirror is there in Delhi 6 to emphasise this thing.
A mirror can reflect back the image but interpretation of that refection is dependent on the watcher. If he is open only then his image can bring him true message else he can apply any kind of makeup on that image.
Crowd ridicules Roshan (Abhishek Bachchan) when he tries to bring sense to their thinking.
Some centuries ago Kabir was also fighting with the blind people belonging to hindu and muslim communities.
Arey in doun raah na payee
Hindu apnee kare badai, gagar chuan na dei
Veshya ke payan tar sauve, yeh dekho hinduayee
Musalman ke peer auliya, murgee murga khayee
khala keri beti byahen, gharhee mein kare sagai
Jalebi (Divya Dutta), a woman, representing untouchable community, is there in the film. For having sex with her in the night, she is irresistible for the males living in that mohalla but they can not touch her in day light.
Kabir rebuked both the communities of India.
na jane tera sahib kaisa?
Masjid bheetar mulla pukare, kya sahab tera behra hai?
Cheenti ke pag nebar baaje, so bhee sahab sunta hai,
saanch kaho to maran dhave, jhoothe jag patiyana,
atam maari pashaanahi puje, usmei kachu na gyana
bahutei dekhi peer auliya, padhe kitaab kurana
kah hindu mohi raam pyara, turak kahein rehmana
Atleast till mid 80s it was a common scene to see muslims participating in the functioning of Ram leela oraganised in small mohallas.
People did not know or atleast they had forgot who were BCs or OBCs in the society but Mandal weapon changed the socio-political atmosphere of India forever and people became divided among several castes by that single political step. Even children became aware of the castes of their classmates.
Separate religious Hindu- muslim identities were always there but they were not spread among masses as the very strong thing and life in India was functioning inspite of many weaknesses and riots that used to happen occasionally at some places. Hindu muslim distinction was not a question of personal enmity for everyone.
Bhagwan har jagah hain
Isliye jab bhe jee chahata hai
Mein unhe mutthi mein band kar leta hun
Tum bhee kar sakte ho
Hamare tumhare bhagan mein
Kaun mahan hai
Nirbhar karta hai
Kiski mutthi balwan hai“ ( Former PM , late VP Singh, sometime in late 80s)
Religion had not become a political tool in India post 1947 but late 80s saw this happening also and vested interests easily shifted the focus from development and growth of the nation based politics to slogan based politics which was very cleverly intermingled with emotional rhetoric.
Ek Dhakka aur do ………………………
Surely disputed structure was demolished but simultaneously peace and harmony was also destroyed and it was going to affect the country atleast for coming many decades.
Lamhon ne khata ki hai, sadiyon ne saja payee hai.
India is suffering from such silly mistakes or political manoeuvrings of some clever and cunning minds.
Raam banwas se jab laut ke ghar aye
Yaad jangal bahut aaya jo nagar mein aye
Rakse deewangi angan mein jo dekha hoga
6 december ko Shri Raam ne socha hoga
Itane deewane kahan se mere ghar mein aye
Jagmagate the jahan ram ke kadmon ke nishan
Pyar ki kahkashan letee the angrayee jahan
Mod nafrat ke usee rahgujar mein aaye
Dharm kya unka, kya jaat hai, yeh janta kaun?
Ghar na jalta to unhe rat mein pehchanta kaun?
Jalatee mashaal liye jo log nazar aye
Shakahari hai mere dost tumhara khanjar
Tumne baabar ki aur phenke the saare patthar
Hai mere sar ki khata jo sar mein aye
Paanv sarju mein abhe raam ne dhoye bhee na the
Ki nazar aye vahan khoon ke gahare dhabbe
Paanv dhoye bina sarju ke kinare se uthe
Raam ye kehte huye apne duyare se uthe
Rajdhani ki fijaa aayee nahin raas mujhe
6 december ko mila dusra banwas mujhe ( Late Kaifi Azmi)
Raam leela is played every year and people rejoice it again and again. But no Gita, Ramayan or Kuran or Bible or Granth sahib etc is ever helpful if its not read or seen with right context of doing introspection on individual level. They are not for masses. One can make an association with them while sitting in a crowd but real connection has to be very personal to bring a change in the self.
Crowd catches the young man embracing his young lover inside the dark ruined structure as he is in the disguised form of Kala Bandar. Kala Bandar has made its existence in the lives of people because they are living with fears inside them. They are afraid of people belonging to other community, they have fear from the people of their own families, they get fear from anything and everything. Fear is inside them and cunning politicians can exploit it and they have exploited it.
People need excuse to do sin or wrong. Fear of Kala Bandar is just an excuse.
Father of a girl is interested in beating the young man, because he thinks young man is the cause behind the rebel of his daughter against him and his wish and he does not mind attacking the religious identity of the young man who is son of a hindu father and muslim mother.
Younger brother of this old man, addresses the young man as “fifty fifty“.
An old money lender is interested in beating the young man because he thinks young man has illegal affair with his young wife.
Hindus and musalmans both kind of people have found a common enemy to beat and they think this Kala Bandar has been the cause of rift between them.
But real kala Bandar is the unknown fear residing inside them and this fear is exploited by politicians.
Kala Bandar’s false existence is exploited by many in their interests.
If nation has to develop further and has to become a nation where all the citizens live happily and healthily then unknown fear has to be eradicated.
Its in our hands to make or destroy the chances of our dear nation.
We get what we deserve. If we are healthy, we wont get sick minded politicians as we can not bear them even for 2 minutes. If we are healthy minded people, we will not fall for slavery to the sick minded weak politicians.
If we are healthy and aware then no cheap politician will ever dare to reach at the stage where Ram leela is undergoing. That stage is not to do politics.
If politician has guts then he will create his political career on the basis of his talent only and he does not need to take resort of his false devotion to false images of Ram, Allah, Guru Nanak or Christ.
Delhi 6 produces moments to experience. One could be quite young when few events happened in the past 2 decades. But through literature, films and other art forms one can experience the impact of those events.
A police inspector slaps the young protagonist of the film because young man reminds him that he is a public servant.
Police inspector rules the local area. Its often said that in India one may speak and write against Prime minister of India but he can not speak or write against the doings of local inspector.
This has to be changed. But if we can not change it then it will not be changed.
We the people of India are responsible for every good and bad things happening in the country. We have lost the mirror and we have become stooges of political parties.
In reality we are not bound to follow foolish politicians and we are free to choose intelligent and sensible and sensitive politicians.
First Welcome to Sajjanpur had showed everything in a humorous manner and now Delhi 6 also tries to awaken the people.
Delhi 6 consists of the images and moments taken from the bygone era but they still happen at some parts of the country if not in delhi anymore.
Delhi 6 is scattered as a whole mohalla and many characters are covered. There have been films where filmmakers have tried to give message through the focussed story. They have place in cinema and Delhi 6 will also find its place.
It may appeal to some instantly and some may take time to find and accept its treatment.
As girl in the film says to the young man, “tum thode slow ho na”.
Slow is not mentally retarded here. He is not exposed to this kind of things and she ignores this fact while commenting.
Film’s structure is scattered and film jumps from this territory to that territory without any notice. Amidst socio-political activities, all of a sudden, film centralizes on the personal emotions of the central character of Roshan.
He has fallen in love with Bittu (Sonam Kapur).
Just other day he was saying to friend of his parents, Jaidi Saab,” But I am an american. My life is in America”.
He has started liking India and Indian things but he has not taken birth here and he was not brought up here.
One find day he gets up and his world becomes fusion of India and America. His existence has become a mixed one.
He has accepted both India and America. He has found his roots in India also and its very well represented by the song “Daffatan” where he flies also in the Rakesh Om Prakash Mehra Production Delhi 6 (ROPMD6), airlines.
But this acceptance is still theoretical and romantic in nature and it has more to do with mind and heart only. His soul has not approved this fusion yet. This fusion has not entered deeply inside his existence and people protest his entry into the temple and insult him and his grandmother and he declares to his grandmother that he would go back to America and she would also accompany him.
This conflicting stage changes him and makes stronger and he decides to stay inspite of all the disturbances and troubles prevailing in the area and in his own life.
People have to change the nation themselves. Massihas can not be available all the time.
And when it has been decided that its for the people and by the people then they have to understand and opt the responsibility. How long they may escape from this responsibility.
Context of the film is good and far more mature than Rang De Basanti, previous film of Rakesh Mehra.
Canvas is much bigger here.
Philosophically its mature than RDB.
Film has got interesting characters, scenes and dialogues and its success of the film that actors become the characters and they don’t outshine the characters.
Prem Chopra’s Honda act establishes his cunning money lender existence in no time. Its nice to see Om Puri playing a worthy character in so effective manner. Waheeda Rehman, Pavan Malhotra, Deepak Doriyal, Vijay Raaj, Atul Kulkarni, Divya Dutta and KK Raina bring high quality to the film through their strongly suitable performances.
Rishi Kapoor has finally got the rhythm in this phase of his career. Wonderful actor he always was and now he has entered into the territory of character artists in a royal manner. First Luck by chance and now Delhi 6 approves that this actor beloging to shining Kapoor clan, is going to rock the hindi cinema in coming years.
Abhishek Bachchan utilized the opportunity and peformed well. But surprisingly he is far better in sensitive scenes than in light scenes.
Sonam Kapur appeared superficial. Perhaps she was surrounded by experienced actors performing in a natural manner. Whatever is the cse Its too early to assess her on the basis of two films only. Whole horizon is there to improve.
It was pleasant to go through the singing performance of Raghveer Yadav.
In a character driven film camera work remained focused on fulfilling the purpose. Sets looked authentic.
Film has got many merits.
No director likes to be compared with others but as a positive note Rakesh Mehra seems like modern incarnation of Manoj Kumar of Upkar and Purab aur paschim days. He is trying to make meaningful cinema which is rooted in the lives of the people living in the country.
No film is essential but few films are interesting and important and Delhi 6 is one such film.
Continuity:- Film has got it and threads are connected. For example, Om Puri ridicules the Pavan Malhotra’s theory to tackle the Kala Bandar but in the pre-climax scene he shouts that throw the water at Kala Bandar, a device told by Pavan Malhotra.
Things look scattered and it looks just neighbour’s exhibition of extra dose of emotions when in the beginning Rishi Kapor hugs the Abhishek Bachchan and looks at him with moist eyes, filled with emotions but later he reveals to same Abhishek that he was also in love with his mother and if he had guts to say at right time then hopefully he would have also been father of a young man like Roshan.
Delhi 6 is more towards hindusim but its not a communal film. Roshan, when he is nearly died, sees his grandfather. Its often said that a noble person in the family becomes the Devata, deity, after the death and scene with Amitabh Bachchan falls in that category. After death, he is away from religious differences and regrets that he could not accept his daughter in law who belonged to different religion.
Waheeda Rehman talks about the faith and Abhishek is brought back to the life through this collective faith of so many people.
Roshan represents hope or a hopeful India at that time and Hope can not die hence he survives as nation has been surviving inspite of many difficulties and attacks from all sides.
Poet had written
Kuch to bat hai ki mitati nahin hasti hamaree
Sadiyon raha hai dushman daure jahan hamara
Pt Nehru had concluded his famous speech, delivered during mid night hours of August 14th 1947, as follows
We have hard work ahead. There is no resting for any one of us till we redeem our pledge in full, till we make all the people of India what destiny intended them to be. We are citizens of a great country on the verge of bold advance, and we have to live up to that high standard. All of us, to whatever religion we may belong, are equally the children of India with equal rights, privileges and obligations. We cannot encourage communalism or narrow-mindedness, for no nation can be great whose people are narrow in thought or in action.
To the nations and peoples of the world we send greetings and pledge ourselves to cooperate with them in furthering peace, freedom and democracy. And to India, our much-loved motherland, the ancient, the eternal and the ever-new, we pay our reverent homage and we bind ourselves afresh to her service. Jai Hind.
India and we Indians have been successful in living that vision?
Film’s undertone is able to create a thought process inside the audience and that is the success of the film and hopefully that is the motive also of the film.
Tags: A.R. Rehman, Abhishek Bachchan, Amitabh Bachchan, India, Kabir, KK Raina, Om Puri, Pavan Malhotra, Prem Chopra, Pt Nehru, Raghuver Yadav, Rakesh Mehra, Rang De Basanti, Rishi Kapoor, Sonam Kapur, waheeda rehman
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
Cinema is supposed to be entertainment, I and alot of Pt. Nehrus Indians make a tough living and we dont want our hard earned money robbed off us is exchange of a Bhaashan. Thanks but no thanks.
@cliff(1),
Delhi 6 provides enough entertainment. As Shani Baba says souls of monkeys are wandering in the universe and an antena is needed to catch their communications.
Its very fine not to like a film by an individual.
Art is subjective in that way that it heavily depends on the mood of the watcher/reader. same person may find one thing entertaining at a given time(1) and may not be receptive to the same degre of entertainment at a given time (2). It depends on what is his mentallity and situations at that time. So many times, all time favourite things also dont cheer up a person.
ARR has composed many songs for Delhi 6 and different listeners will accept and like different songs. A chaotic mind may decide in favour of a particular song as the best in the film because it matches with the noise inside his mind. A calm mind will go with another song which matches with his serenity.
@Rk
Times change and views change ,there was a time when freedom was precious and something to be preserved ,tab log shayad ye sab sun bhi lete ,today freedom is about enjoyment ,going to multiplexes ,boozing and having fun.
I am not judging anything ,times change and so does culture and it’s a natural process ,par aajkal ki generation ye sab nahi sunegi.
@Vineet(2),
Surely times change and so change the tastes and degree of understanding. Somethings can apeal during their times of releasing only because they are made considering sensitivity and sensibility of those times and some transcend this limitation of time and pull the attention of audience.
Cant generalize that whole of Aaj ki generation will be treating same film in a same manner but surely many of present era, using heavily google, wikipedia etc to sound knowledgeable in the time of a blick may find so many things preachy.
Teachers are outdated for them till they themselves dont go to ask something.
@Vineet: “par aajkal ki generation ye sab nahi sunegi” … tats exactly the point why we should make movies like this, to remind them. ppl who have taken freedom for granted have to be reminded the value of it. a simple example is the recession. 10 months back the IT employees were splurging money, but with the slowdown and job losses they have realised the value of money. so, there has to be a catalyst for the realisation.
@Cliff:”Cinema is supposed to be entertainment” … while i understand ur sentiments, ROM seems to be a film-maker who wishes to bring abt a social awakening. next time, just skip his movie
@Rk: nice write-up, bahut dino baad dikhe
@Crazyrals (3,4),
Thanks for comments. Der aaye par durust aaye:)
RK saab, wah! What a detailed write-up! I’m sure you felt very strongly about many moments in the film the way I did.
“Does this scene and dialogue bother and create a disturbance inside?
If yes, then film can work for one and if not then film may not work for him as he may not be in the sync of the background on which film is based”
You are so very right in this observation! So right!
I would say you’re giving away too many details of the film, though for someone who’s seen it already, it’s a great analysis. Especially of the Kala Bandar syndrome.
@Cliff
Bhai aap yahan bhi aa gaye Delhi 6 ko phaadne? Why’re you taking the film so personally? My experience says that I tend to hate things in which I see a reflection of myself that I don’t like or am ashamed of, so has Delhi 6 shown you a mirror to some side of yourself that you would rather keep under the carpet? Why else would you make such an effort to go to all blogs praising Delhi 6 and trash it?
@Kenny(5),
and even if one is reading the script, before watching the film, he my find viewing experience different as visual thing is always different than reading. 
Thanks for the comment. Yes many things are amazing in the film and film needs more detailing after sometime. As for no I have tried to mention only those things which are taken from real life people’s naturs and social behaviours so I dont know if it may affect viewing of first time watcher, if they are crazy about spoilers in a social drama also. Moreover film’s canvas is so vast, how it can be revealed in 2000 words. Even final drfat of the film wil be having atleast 200 pages.
wonderful RK. I am sure that was “the motive” of ROM. I am sure that people of India, who have watched this movie, understand that how the system itself is killing the image of India. A country which has the capacity to rule everybody. We all need to awaken and understand that this helplessness of a NRI, is genuine. He wants to do something and so shall we.
Three cheers to ROM
@kcp(6),
Thanks for your comment. RI or NRI, concerns in the film are good. Its always very difficult to create fiction around such things and that too in a visual manner is quite difficult. as many things fall in the area which should be covered in or through a documentary. That is the strength of film that it does not fall in to that category.
i think ropm will be proud of u after reading this
write up deserve 5 stars
what a understandig of movie U R AWESOME
@harsh sood(7),
Thanks for your kind comment
@Kenny
I haven’t seen the movie ,so I won’t comment on whether it’s good or bad but Cliff has the right to criticize Delhi-6 as much as you have the right to defend it.
unless there is malintent I don’t think telling people not to comment on something is right….
kyun Cliff bhai….ROMP se chidte ho kya??
Nida Fazli–Late????
Are you sure? Please confirm.
@Satya (9),
Sorry. That was a typing error. As it was a song , sung by Late Rafi, composed by Late RDB and penned by Nida Fazli Saab and some how first two names were deleted and First word Late got an association with third name. Have corrected it.
Apologies again.
Just saw the film and came back to read this. Its so much better than RDB. So much.
Rk you’ve said it rightly. Its all in those subtle banalities depicted…
Yes, the fifty – fifty dialogue, the small time politic on stage, the kb, the dialogues its all there…
Very thoughtful a write up this is…
@Arthi V (10),
Thanks. Film has many many subtle moments and layered things and its best effort from Rakesh Mehra till now. It has increased expectations from his future efforts.
Just saw the movie. ROPM may have good intentions, but as they say ‘raita phaila diya’. He’s tried to cook an overstuffed kulcha and lost agood enough plot somewhere on the way!! Sad…
@aditi (blind idiot) [11],
Surely raita is faila hua, but think for a moment if it was focused on a single character then on surface it might look a film with solid plot but then its concerns would also have been small.
Nida Fazli–Late???? Are you sure? Please confirm.
@Vineet
I agree with you; everyone has a right to criticize, but malicious intent is very much what I suspect when people go to every blog about the movie and tear it down in the comments.
@Vineet
Nahin yaar ROMP se koi personal shikayat nahin hain. Movie bhakwaas thi. simple hain. same movie kisine bhi banai ho…to bhakwaas hi hoti, in the end its a product, in the final scheme of things the makers record shouldn’t matter.
Kennyji ko logo ko gumraah karne ke liye frame kiya ja sakta hain, jst as he accuses me of malicious intent.
@Satya & RK : Nida Fazli is alive, he’s 71 and still going
RK – welcome back! i was kind of expecting to see this post (dilli 6) from you.
@wb (16), Thanks. Just coincidence, could see the film on first day, got opportunity to write. Somehow things happend at right time.
The film is subtle, very subtle. There’s so much going on in the background (both directly on the screen like the RamLeela or in the story like the 50-50 dialogue). The efforts gone into the story/script/screenplay/dialogues are obvious when you reach the climax. Everything makes sense suddenly, things that I’d forgotten while watching like AB’s religious identity and so on.
And the metaphors throughout the movie, I’m going to watch the movie again just for them. The characters are sketched really well, each one of them, especially praise-worthy considering there were so many of them. Also, the best part about it all that I liked was that none of the characters was deliberately made positive or negative. They all came out as genuine people making choices that anyone normally would. Like the two brothers, like the character of Deepak Dobriyal, even Prem Chopra. They all come out as real rather than villainous which was refreshing.
I quite liked the movie and hats off to this article. Really well-written and well-thought of like the movie. Great work, appreciate all the background efforts you made in writing this one.
ps. Did anyone else get reminded of Harry Potter during the climax?
@Pratap (17),
Thanks. True about subtle elements present in the film. Certainly there are weak elements also in the film and they could have been improved. But we may discuss those things later.
@Crazyrals
Thanks for info…Fazli is one of my fav shaayars…I am not reading news these days so this came as a shocker. thanks..am relieved now.
@Vineet
“Nahin yaar ROMP se koi personal dosti nahin hain. Movie badhiya lagi. simple hai. same movie kisine bhi banai ho…to badhiya hi hoti, in the end its a product, in the final scheme of things the makers record shouldn’t matter.
Cliff ji ko logo ko gumraah karne ke liye frame kiya ja sakta hain…”
Kenny are you capable of respecting someone elses point of view? Or do we all have to agree with you, have you considered that maybe your taste is cinema is different from others..and dat is fine. Just stop ridiculing everyone will ya?
Do we need to wait for the times when people are ready to understand such undertones? Just like an honest Swades after a huge canvas of Lagaan, this is responsible Delhi 6 after cult RDB. Pity if our hard-earned money are to be spent only for so-called fun! Then hmm, define fun!!!!
@ UJ (21, 22),
Thanks. People have options almost in every field these days. So some people will like and some will dislike as things may not match with their nature of thinking.
Now no follower of politics based on fanaticism can like the film as it strikes on the very basic roots of such politics. Effort of ROPM is good. final product could have been more better but shortcomings can not nullify the many meritorious things of the film. A peron getting 85% marks hs to be recognised and praised and he can not be criticised for the remaing 15% which he could not score.
and yeah, good job done Rk
Bravo, RK,
am completely agreeing with you..
this one of the finest post i have come across in pfc’…
keep rocking.. godbless
@ranjit (23),
Thanks for kind comment
@Cliff
Just imagine, bro, for a minute, that you put in 5 years of your life and made a film. Suppose I don’t like it. Now which would you rather I do?
(a) If a friend asks me, I say, “I didn’t like it”, and I give him my reasons (I never say “Don’t watch it.”)
(b) I go to every blog in town and say “Cliff’s movie is total bakwaas. Big bore! Don’t watch it! Don’t watch it!”
I’ve got a chance to see the movie, bcoz it didn’t get a release in my small shehar in amrika. But I’ve had a great time reading the articles by Rk,Kenny and Medha. Different viewpoints and well justified. Rk, I must say ..a very detailed article bringing out lot of points of reference from different sources.
As an aside, Kenny and Cliff seem to got into one those never ending fights. Fun for the rest of us [:)]
@vindows (25),
Hope by now Delhi 6 has been released in your small city of Americ also and you have already enjoyed the journey.
Thanks for the comment.
@Vindows
You’re welcome
too long an article, keep it short and crisp, i tried reading it and left it mid way.
@saurabh (27),
Unfortunately I am not owner of a garment manufacturing factory preparing clothes only for the kids. Body of the client decides the size of the dress.
Neither I am owner of a bakery preparing crispy cookies.
Sorry to disappoint you :(
Chhota kar ke dekhiye jeevan ka vistaar
aankhon bhar akaash hai
May be next time.
Some on who watched this movie without looking too much into metaphors like mirror or Kaala Bandar,it was a disappointing film.As such I knew that it was the story of coming back to roots NRI stuff and expected the usual cliches and I was right,the usual no water in tap,warring relatives,middle class girl who do not want to get married and want to do something in life stuff,Hndu-Musilm brotherhood stuff,inspite of all this oft repeated things I still expected to see something new about Delhi but it was not to be.My main complaint about this movie is that it speaks of a subject which has been handled many times before,but then even if the subject is old wine in new bottle,at least u expect some good writing,something original that was not to be.But some scenes from this film impressed me like those Religious dramas,the way media was going mad about Kaala Bandhar and people’s exaggerated version of their encounter with Bandhar
@sharath(28),
Not a trial to challenge you, but please try to write something on contemprary things which my look interesting and appealing also, for example a short story, which can be passed by an editor of a magazine, and then try to concieve also the visual manners suitable for catching that story and moments in a motion picture mode.
Since the begining of cinema, directors have been making films on almost similar subjects, be it ove story or a suspense thriller or a social drama, though heir take on the similar subjects may be different.
Does it bother in other ilms, why subject of Delhi 6 should bother, if similar topic has ben handled by few/ many films in the past? ROPM has given his own take to the subject. This is his prerogative or for that matter, a right of any director, to select any subject.
What should be great to discuss: things which people think were great in the film and if people find shortcomings in he scenes then to discuss those scenes and how to improve those scenes. Many aspiring candidates can enjoy this facility at PFC. Its an open class room to discuss.
On retrospecion do you find your objections objective? There are lochas in the film, but not these ones.
Congrats RK for such a detailed work.
Whenever I watch such a wonderfull movie I become very emotional and worried if the movie is going to do well or not(commercially). RDB was one such movie and thank god it did well. But ROPM has given me another such worry with Delhi6. This time I am much more skeptical of movie doing well because it is a far superior a movie than RDB.May God make this a big hit so that ROPM can give us another great movie.
@Atul (29),
Thanks. Hopefully film performs better at BO. Even if it does not at present, its not going to follow oblivion. Its stength will keep it alive and for many people it may follow the trend of slow impact. Its not going to be forgotten so easily. DVD will provide many people to se what they have missed during their watching in theatres.
mayb im late in realising, but did the name “roshan” have to do anything with the ‘light of realisation of truth’ that his character brings to his mohalle-wale?
@Satyendra Jha (30),
Roshan – name can have several meanings depending on its use. In film it can be just a name for the character of Abhishek Bachchan. Character is son of Hindu father and muslim mother and Roshan seems a good name which can work with both the persons.
Its philosophical meaning may be envisaged by director and his team of writers in the very begining also or it may be just a coincidence. Because other names are just ordinary. Hardly any girl can have name Bittu outside the premises of her house. Roshan is not masiha, just another ordinary person who is transformed due to circumstances. His very basic foundation can not push him one sidedly towards hindus or muslims and this givs him edge also. This is the question of survival of his and people like him, who want to live with peace and harmony while crowd is ready to kill each other on the name of religion as they think they belong to exclusive class.
Delhi 6 was a pure waste of time and money. The biggest bloody Kala Bhandar was you. You use the hindu-muslim riots to evoke feelings of pseduo-patriotism amongst the audience for their money. You are no different from that Hindutva politician in that movie.
@sk (31),
rich dad poor dad’s core philosophy can work.
Dont spend but invest.
But you are rich in terms of control over your mind, you did not fall for pseudo patriotism though Rakesh Mehra tried a lot.
Sad for him :(
Think everyone is making the film sound so complicated when it isn’t. But, I can understand. it is the sheer excitement… Nothing complex about the film. I was surprised you didn’t quote this doha of Kabir.. (the film is based on this thought. no?!)
Bura Jo Dekhan Main Chala, Bura Naa Milya Koye
Jo Munn Khoja Apnaa, To Mujhse Bura Naa Koye
ps i do like the film :-D
@HG(51),
Kabir’s doha is suitable for every person. its more towards spiritual individual journey. It has come across people so often that people dont pay any attention to such commonly seen things. One in million may be interested in trying to go deep in the meaning of the doha, else eerybody has notion that he already knows its meaning. whats new? It does not shake people. Those people who are standing on a fertile land can be benfited with such simple yet deep saying.
Delhi 6 is simple and yet there are elements which are handled in a very layered manner. If they are not paid any attention of, film may look just another entertainer. Film’s structure is complex. I guess to make it for Bahujan, things have been simplified or simple things have ben included additionally.
DVD will surely reveal jalebi like layers.