Delhi 6 Review – I Loved It; And Review of the “Story nahi thi” Concept
Okay, first off, I find this whole business of checking out reviews and critics’ star ratings in order to decide whether to watch a movie or not really, extremely, highly silly. My taste may differ vastly from a critic’s, so why on earth should I bother? I may like one particular film the same as a critic and then may disagree thoroughly about another film. Even among my movie buddies, KK and I are devotees of Christopher Nolan, but he hates Slumdog Millionaire whereas I loved it. So if even friends with similar tastes can differ wildly on occasion, where’s the question of taking a critic’s opinion, who most likely has seen thousands of films and has a different yardstick altogether? If all the critics give a movie 5 stars or if all of them give it 0 stars, then one can say, okay, they can’t all be wrong at the same time. But what d’you do about Dev D, which has got 1 star from one critic and 5 stars from another critic and everything in between?
(My object is not to deride critics; most of them are very knowledgeable. What I’m against is taking one’s decision based on what others think, be they critics or aam janata.)
So, I’ll give you the bottomline of my review first – If you like movies with an ensemble cast, terrific acting, great characters and underplayed moments, you’re likely to love Delhi 6. All I can say is I loved these movies (for eg. Oye Lucky Lucky Oye, Mumbai Meri Jaan, Mithya, Hulla, Aamir, A Wednesday, Luck By Chance) so if you and I have similar tastes, then you might like Delhi 6 too.
Divya Dutta, Deepak Dobriyal, Atul Kulkarni, Om Puri, Vijay Raaz, Rishi Kapoor, Akhilendra Mishra – they were all fabulous! It’s insane fun having so many great actors in one film! I personally think Abhishek Bachchan is a good actor and he’s done very well in Delhi 6. Aditi Rao, who plays the unmarried buwa, caught my eye in every scene (looks like I’m not the only one, though). She was a complete natural. I, for one, would like to see more of her.
When all the little elements of the film came together at the climax, I could see why Rakeysh Mehra had said at the screenwriters’ conference that no one should be allowed to make a film unless they’ve sat on the script for 5 years. It was scriptwriting euphoria.
I have just two minor quibbles about Delhi 6. The first half needed something more solid to hold it together, I felt, and the climax could have been a little less surreal.
That said, I’ll now contradict my opening lines, give Delhi 6 an 8/10 rating, and urge you to watch it. Read the rest of this blog only AFTER you’ve seen the movie.
The Kala Bandar
If you’re still reading this part without watching the movie, then I request you once again to watch the movie first 
I loved the kala bandar device. Abhishek Bachchan’s narration at the end says the kala bandar is an inner demon, but up until that point, I had a different interpretation of it. To me, the kala bandar signified two things: one, a common enemy, or two, the trivialness of the things we fight over.
Here’s a little bit of philosophy I’ve deduced over the years: People need a common enemy to be friends. Everyone in India comes together united when it’s time for a cricket match against Pakistan, the common enemy. In other countries like the US or UK, Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis become buddies, a kind of unity against the ‘goras’. And if aliens attack, the whole world comes together, like in Independence Day. In Delhi 6’s climax, when both sides are about to fight and then suddenly see the ‘kala bandar’, they see a common enemy and go after it.
My other interpretation until that point was that it was a symbol of the highly trivial issues that politicians etc use to take advantage of us and keep suckering us again and again.
“Film achchhi thi, par story nahi thi”
“Story” is a highly misused concept when it comes to movies. You can make crappy movies out of great stories and great movies out of nonexistent stories.
The “story nahi thi” complaint was something I heard from a friend about Oye Lucky. I wondered, entertaining film thi, comedy thi, romance tha, bore nahi huwa, so what else does he want? What a weird comment. Dibakar Bannerjee’s already elaborated on this in his wonderful audio interview on PFC, but since that issue has surfaced again with regard to Delhi 6, I just thought I’d add my two bits.
My opinion is, when one says “Story nahi thi”, this isn’t a reaction to the story itself. This, I feel, is a reaction to the way in which the story was told.
Let’s take OLLO as a case study. If we look at it on the surface, it just appears to be the story of how a guy became the most famous thief of Delhi.
If I were to go by conventional storytelling/screenwriting standards, my major plot point 1 would be the BIG moment when there’s a close up of Lucky as a young man, some inciting incident’s just happened, there’s loud suggestive background music, and he says in slow motion “Main kasam khata hoon ki main sabse bada chor ban ke dikhaunga!” Background music jumps in! Cymbals! Camera zoom! Swoosh swoosh!
But do we see this? No we don’t. But do we need to? No we don’t. It’s obvious as soon as we see the photo of the car with the missing tyres.
Another moment when it would have been possible to introduce more “story” into OLLO would have been Lucky’s capture. It could have been a 5-10 minute action packed sequence and given a lot of importance. But does OLLO do it that way? No. It’s treated very casually, as a natural outcome of events. Did the movie need it? The box office returns and the critics’ stars don’t seem to suggest so.
I think this ‘story nahi thi’ reaction also comes because we’ve all been brought up on films which tell their stories with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Big moments! Big close-ups! Big background music! Big slow motion! So when a film like OLLO or Luck By Chance or Delhi 6 (minus the climax) comes along minus these usual trappings, we become slightly confused because we’re not used to this treatment.
Another thing we’re not used to is sensing back story. There’s a wall dividing Pavan Malhotra’s and Om Puri’s parts of the house. A more conventional approach would have a flashback showing the climax of the conflict when one of the brothers would have yelled, “Aaj ke baad is deewar ke paar mat aana!” But Rakeysh Mehra doesn’t show it. He doesn’t need to.
Let’s just take a look at a couple of other hits which nobody seems to complain ‘story nahi thi’ about – Hum Tum, Salaam Namaste (these two I really liked) and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (which I liked for the first 40 minutes or so – and I’m being professionally diplomatic here). A lot of people enjoyed Hum Tum and Salaam Namaste, me included, but what stories did they have in the conventional sense? Did anything major happen? How would one describe the story of Hum Tum or When Harry Met Sally? A boy and a girl keep on meeting each other over several years and get married at the end. That’s it, isn’t it? Where’s the so-called “story”? What about Salaam Namaste? A boy and girl decide to live with each other and the girl gets pregnant. Again, where’s the “story”? But that didn’t stop these two films from being very entertaining, did it? They accomplished very well what they set out to do.
As a counter example, we have Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. I don’t think anyone’s complained “story nahi thi” about it, or at least, most people haven’t, going by the box-office figures. RNBDJ seems to have a story because it’s dwelt on the big dramatic moments that we’re accustomed to accepting as “story”.
Back to Delhi 6: it has many, many moments which could have been given that big treatment, apart from the climax. One of my favourite scenes is when Om Puri and Prem Chopra go to the Lala to negotiate dowry. We could have had a lingering emotional, background-alaap-strings-choir close-up of Mr Puri there, but Rakeysh Mehra has decided to show the moment without grabbing us by our collar and shoving it in our face. Whether one likes this treatment or not will depend on what kind of films one is used to seeing. It goes without saying that saas-bahu fans might not like most of the film. Then again, there’s so much family stuff (the good, genuine kind) that they actually might.
The bottomline for me is, a movie works if it keeps me interested throughout its two or three hours. I found Delhi 6 a little meandering around the one hour mark, but apart from that, I highly recommend it. It’s preachy in the climax, yes, and politically very very even handedly correct, but in a crowded country like ours, you sometimes need to raise your voice to make your point.
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
havent yet watched it, my show starts in 45 mins from now, but still read the whole article. not becoz i wanted to know the spoiler, but becoz i was hooked onto the article..! take a bow kenny-san..
the best article on delhi 6 on PFC till now. and im not guaranteeing i will like the movie…! but i recommend this article to all PFCians.
Lovely views Kenny. However our film choices match only with 3 : MMJ, LBC & D6. Rest of the movies which you liked, I never enjoyed them full-heartedly.
“RNBDJ seems to have a story because it’s dwelt on the big dramatic moments that we’re accustomed to accepting as “story”.”
Couldn’t agree more, I find it irritating when people complain about no story in OLLO, Delhi-6 and even LBC.
Btw Great review of an excellent movie. The movie had its flaws but its so very complex that you have to ignore a couple of flaws. And I am no fan of RDB, I found it was overhyped because of theme of college, revolution by youth and Aamir Khan. Delhi 6 is a much more honest film.
Now I will keep an eye for Mr Mehra’s next, it takes a very brave filmamker to attempt such a difficult film.
Every picture has a story; but if people don’t understand a meaning of word ‘picture’ then they will never get the story. It is all about movi(ng)e and film(sy).
@ S Jha
“im not guaranteeing i will like the movie”
That’s the spirit. Don’t go by what I or anyone else says. Watch and decide for yourself.
@Aseem
I like RDB too, but Delhi 6 is a better film overall. And forward my post to those who complain about “no story”
Kenny: The Kala Bandar interpretation is brilliant. You ought to have been in the script writing team!
And IMO, the scene where Lala and Madan negotiates the dowry belongs to the character Lala, more than Madan. He is not just a moneylender, he takes part in his clients’ family affairs. It was one more scene which showed that Lala was not purely evil. The other scene was where you get to know that Suresh has taken money from him and Lala just lets him be.
Kenny, your observations regarding “story” is fascinating!
Rest I shall comment after I have seen the movie.
great submission. i have seen the movie and i think that it is a genuinely terrific movie. i agree with all your points, even the slight slagging at the end of the first hour part.
at this point i am actually a bit disappointed by the masses. i am learning film making at NYU and eventually want to make my way back to Bombay, but how much does one have to dumb themselves down in order to make money there? i mean, yes delhi six is a bit ahead of the usual ‘blockbusters’ like “partner” and god knows what other crap, but it is not something out of this world, style/treatment/story wise (although i do believe it is impact wise), plus it is throughly entertaining, probably the most engrossing and entertaining film i have seen in a while, and yet it is being rejected by an large section of the indian
population and critics? i am extremely disheartened by this. can someone please explain this to me.
i would like to add that this article makes a very good point. that , do not reject any film because of another persons opinion. go watch it for yourself if the promos excited you or made you curious. i think this is a big mistake that many in our audience make.
@Anand
“You ought to have been in the script writing team!”
Ha ha. Hope Rakeysh Mehra thinks so someday.
@Indraneel
Yes dada, do watch it.
Absolutely brilliant review Kenny for absolutely brilliant movie!!
Guys…don’t go by any review…JUST GO AND WATCH THE MOVIE. PERIOD. Up till now I was groping in dark but now everything is clear…I know where I belong…I hope the Chopra and Johars of the industry watch this movie…
I loved it too.. Brilliant film
Ayush, I’ve come to realise the dumbing down phenomenon isn’t restricted to India alone. If you look at the US, the box office figures for star-studded summer blockbusters are always higher than other non-commercial stuff. The same thing applies here too. An SRK or Aamir starrer will always pull in the crowds more than a Rajeev Khandelwal. That said, I’ve been optimistic since last year because of the success of films like Aamir, A Wednesday, OLLO and Dev D. The biggies like Anurag Kashyap also believe now that things are changing:
http://passionforcinema.com/is-this-going-to-be-the-golden-year-for-hindi-cinema/
I wouldn’t say Delhi 6 is being rejected thoroughly. I think it’s only a vocal minority that dislikes it. Where I watched it, people clapped at the end.
(BTW, I had a good time watching Partner too. ;) )
Satya, I’m glad you liked the movie. I hope more people come out in support of it
yes, i see that. but the fact is, a well made movie, finds its patronage here no matter what. it may not make the large cash that the summer blockbusters do, but they make a hefty profit and are well appreciated. that fails to happen so often in India. yes dev d was a success, and thank god for that! but it was still heavily criticized by a section of the public and media.
another point is, that these movies we are talking about, dev d , OLLO, delhi six etc etc, are by global (and watch i use global, NOT international) standards nothing experimental. they are just very well done and slightly avant garde. but, in the country, that boasts of having the best minds in the world, why should we settle for mediocrity in our film? especially when bollywood is so essential to India. our country pretty much runs on it.
i have nothing against movies such as Partner or Welcome, they have their place, but the sad fact is, that that stuff affects the overall conscious of our population by and large in the long run. yes, films like delhi six too are made for a certain audience, but today it seems even that audience is not accepting of anything that is not sub standard.
and yes, i watched it in a packed theater and everyone seemed to love it too, but the fact is, the minority who dont like it happen to be the vocal ones, as is same with everything else in our country. isnt that a point the film itself tries to make?
i for one, am terribly disappointed with the Indian conscious, and that includes me.
another thing. as far as the phenomenon not being restricted to here is concerned. that is true, but it is to a much worse degree here. its not about the stars anymore is it?
sure TZP made hefty cash, but anything near a purely commercial Ghajni? No. same with SRK’s Chak De and OSO. and i LOVED all four of these movies. its matter of the audience being able to comprehend and accept something, and the current state of that diaspora in India is terrible disappointing.
i believe that Aamir and SRK are both absolutely brilliant actors, stars and entertainers in their own rights, but even they are afraid to step too far out of their comfort zone as actors for alck of commercial viability’s. and lets not forget delhi 6 was no non starrer. AB is a huge star with a large fan following. hes not SRK, Aamir, Akshay etc, but hes there. also, the music was already topping the charts, so what else could be reason behind the criticism besides lack of (and i hate to use this word here) intelligence?
and i really am asking a question there as i dont know, and i would like to know.
and one more very important question.
does anyone here know of any website like imdbs for american and european scripts, that i can find the scripts for indian movies just to read them. i have searched all over but cannot find any. please let me know if you know anything.
@Ayush
“they make a hefty profit and are well appreciated. that fails to happen so often in India”
Well, I’d say it’s starting to happen now. UTV must be very happy with their performance over the past year. I completely forgot to include Welcome to Sajjanpur in my list.
Dev D is being criticized by people who like to stick their heads in the sand and revel in their own illusions of morality. (”Young men take take drugs? Oh my god!” “Women also have sexual desires?!? Oh my god! Ghor kalyug!”)
As for using global standards to judge OLLO, Dev D, etc, that’s an area I’d really not tread into. Any film true to its roots will be appreciated by outsiders too. I’m a big lover of Korean romantic comedies, for example. You and I may not see anything in Delhi 6 that we don’t already know, but to a non-Indian it could be very enlightening and fascinating (politics aside). It’s a looonnnngggg discussion anyway.
“everyone seemed to love it too, but the fact is, the minority who dont like it happen to be the vocal ones”
So let’s make some noise and be more vocal than the ones who don’t like it ;)
Performances alone cannot make a movie likable.
kenny…spot on! the problem is bachpan se bus yehi sunte hain na ek tha raja aur ek thi rani…duno mil gaye khatam kahani!! the kahani should end there only…ek tha raja, ek thi rani…now sab sochoon kaisa tha raja, kaisi thi rani. also i c it as more daring attempt by both dibakar n ROMP after the sucess of KKG n RDB! not many would do it…not even Hirani, who is still doing his msg wrapped in a choc wrapper film third time cz he would like to have the same taste of sucess again.
Remember the scene of Atul Kulkarni with Pavan Malhotra when every time he is shown 2 One Rs. coins and 1 Ten Rs. Note. He picks up the coins and says that the day he picks up the ten rupee note, he would stop getting the coins !!!…This applies to all the so called cynics and critics (mainly applies to the great “Taran Adarsh” and to the people who is trashing Delhi 6 with a preconceived notion that it will be another RDB)…They have just one job and that is to criticize the films.
The days they start praising films then who will read their reviews????
Im gonna keep this short n precise. Story doesn’t matter, the execution was great…the support cast was great, abhishekh hammed, sonam utilised less than the dove. but the let downer was the ending. Cinema like everything else dat provides entertainment has to end…and ROPM just messed it up. The monkey man isn’t symbolic of anything. I think this whole intellectual high ground is total bs…i cud be philosophical about the growth of my pubic hair…dats not entertainment nor storytelling. No amount of excused will make Delhi/Dilli I dnt give a Chilli6 a good movie…its watchable. But so is Khooni Chudail…every movie has an audience Kenny…great cinema is the whole package…not bits n pieces of brilliance!!
CLiff
what part of this made you think he said story does not matter. i believe the point is, not that story does not matter, as there is a great story at the heart of it all, but rather that the audience, which apparently includes you, should not have to be spoon fed the story. just because every major plot point was not announced with super loud and obnoxious music and slow motion, that does not mean there is no story, it just means you have to be “listening” to “know” the story. yeah?
yes, i agree the ending could have/should have been better, especially from the man who gave us RDB, but i still think it wrapped everything up neatly, and it did exactly what any film is supposed to do….think of what the word “climax” means (in a story, not….)
if you really do think the money man is not symbolic of anything then, and i am really sorry to say this as you seem passionate about this stuff, you really are someone who is likely to find philosophy is their own pubic hair rather than anything else. dont you think so?
and entertainment? really? if you did not think this was entertaining, please tell me what is!
WHY DOES ANYTHING MADE IN INDIA THAT IS SLIGHTLY INTELLECTUAL HAVE TO CLASSIFIED AS TOO INTELLECTUAL AND PRETENTIOUS???
sure, delhi six is intellectual, but how in the world does that, by any yardstick of measure, make it not entertaining? please define to me what is entertainment to you, because i would really like to know.
and ofcourse, you give an idea of the kind of place where your views are coming from when you compare delhi six to khooni chudail? seriously? even taran adarsh would not do that!!!
and seriously dude, you still watch khooni chudail??? ever heard of the “inter—web” duh!!!
why can’t an excellent collage of events well interconnected be considered as story…i believe that is what a story is….or does the begining ‘Once upon a time ek raja tha….’ define a story…
great post…take a bow…delhi 6 is brilliant…and has got a lesser dramatic climax than rdb ( well we just don’t refuse to compare films)
I come to this discussion from the perspective that every one has different perspectives about films they like or don’t like – and that’s a good thing. I don’t like taking part in screaming matches where people feel the need to get everyone else to agree with them about how they feel about a film – I think it defeats the purpose of watching/making films or for that matter art in general. So, bear this in mind when you read my comments.
I watched delhi-6 today and came away disappointed. It’s a film whose politics I agree with – and I think films should dare to do more than just entertain and I applaud Rakesh Mehra’s audacity for standing up and making films with heart & conviction in our increasingly de-politicized & inert popular culture. But because I like it’s politics – it’s failure irks me even more.
My problem with the film is that it treats it’s audiences like idiots. Sure, the secondary characters are portrayed with a layered texture that is both real & heart-warming. They are written with feeling – and played amazingly well by most of the excellent supporting cast. But think about the conflicts each of those characters encounter and how they deal with them. To generalize broadly, each of them have an identifiable flaw – communalism, abuse of power, casteism, skewered gender politics etc.. and each of those characters remain in that state with almost no character complexity or character growth – till in the climax their collective societal dysfunction makes them shoot Rohan… at which point his messianic message of peace which he delivered before being shot suddenly hits home. In an acknowledgment of collective guilt they feel bad, try rushing him to a hospital and he is saved.. And the audience is expected to believe that they somehow have discovered their innate humanity and will now live happily ever after for having discovered it.. even the Sadhvi can barely meet her own gaze when she looks into the mirror in the film’s end-credits. I don’t want to sound like a prick – but seriously, dude?!
The thing is I believe in the innate humanity of people and would like to see films that evoke that in us. But in the way this film resorts the moral dilemmas of its characters- by simplifying it absurdly – I know it will only touch people who feel similarly to me anyway. For people who don’t see the world that way, it will be a boring & pointless exercise in self-indulgent message-mongering. I think it worked for you because your politics agrees with that of the film – and you liked to see it re-affirmed. But as far as I am concerned a film with a message like Delhi 6 has the job of converting people who might NOT agree, people who might think otherwise. What I suspect was happening with this film was that Mehra cared less about making a difference and more about re-hashing a formula that had worked in his last film. Thats why this film is not working for the audience – that’s why the ending seems tacked on and unconvincing.
And thats why RDB was brilliant. Consider the plot – a bunch of fun-loving, aplolitical Gen Y kids undergo a transformation when they encounter the history of the country’s freedom struggle. This bunch whose ideas about the world they live in has been thrown into turmoil – suddenly find a grave injustice committed to the memory of one of their dearest, most noble friends. They protest – and realize the system doesn’t care. Because of the transformative process they have undergone – the private becomes political for them. They take decisions that are bigger than them and suddenly realize that they are part of something bigger than themselves.
So, what’s the difference? Mehra took characters who are flawed, real, like the rest of us – showed us how slowly they transform and showed us the fear, pitfalls, insecurities on the way – and then showed us how these characters eventually choose to make decisions which were larger than life. I believed in those transformations – because I saw the problems on the way, felt for the characters in their moments of weakness, cowardice. Believed in their journey and wept for them when they became martyrs. I came out of the hall – convinced that we could all be more than who we are – we are all part of something larger, a responsibility which we cannot escape.
Now tell me Kenny – can you imagine anyone coming out of Delhi 6 felling even an iota of this emotion? And don’t say maybe the film didn’t have the same ambition. Because after cramming the film as full of messages as he did – if Mehra’s attempt was not to transform then I think the film loses any relevance whatsoever. Sure, I saw nicely etched characters – but did any of these characters go through journeys that were believable? Do you really think that this film will make anyone who feels differently from the politics of this film pause and think about what they are doing? I think RDB made a lot of people of our generation pause and think and consider – that’s why it’s a classic, and because Delhi 6 won’t – that’s why it’s a failure.
Sure, I love the Delhi 6 music, the camera work was inspired, I love a lot of the acting and some of it’s treatment is very subtle. But so what? I don’t think subtlety is an end by itself – none of these things are an end by themselves. Jane Bhi Do Yaron is a great film, it’s completely over-the-top. Calling a film good – because it’s subtle is missing the trees for the woods. Harping on about plot point, character transformation, climax you might argue is similarly limiting – and I’d agree. I have seen enough plotless films that are all time greats.
All I would really say is – just ask yourself what you think the film set out to do & what you think it should do? And ask yourself if you think it succeeded in doing that? I think it failed – but if you disagree I’d love to know why.
Thanks – I loved your analysis btw
la dolce vita,
nice points and i totally see what you are saying. and i agree that ROPM was, and failed in having that “transformative” effect on the people and mostly because of the reasons outlined by you. BUT, i would like to add, that i think that Mehra, even though he wanted to a similar effect as RDB, he was NOT going for the SAME effect. i dont think he meant for people to come out and have the feeling that you described so well after people saw RDB. lets not forget RDB was more about the world around us whereas delhi 6 is more about the world within us. it was, admittedly, a way more personal film than RDB. i hope i am making sense.
and another point, i honestly do not think it is ok to call the film a failure. take a look at the films made in India that end up being called “a success”!? its ridiculous! you gotta agree with me on that one, right?
Lovely review!! I totally totally agree with the story nahi thih point. God how many times I get that from my own friends. They watch a Luck by chance and tell me, it was more like documentary of a struggling actor. Gawd!! Just coz it doesn’t have those loud moments.
I have too much believe in Rakesh Mehra’s sensibilities to think he can squander an effort at narration.
So full points to you for egging me to watch this movie with full expectations.
@Afif
It’s a policy I’ve had for a long time now. I don’t watch any trailers or promos, except maybe the first one, and I read a paragraph or two about the premise, but that’s it. Too much of expectation is usually hard to fulfill.
Don’t have any expectations when going to watch a movie
@Vee
You’re perfectly correct
@Cliff
I don’t know if you already have, but since you mentioned Khooni Chudail, I highly recommend you watch Shaitani Dracula. I watched it with a gang of friends (the hosts specialized in such movies) and we had a great time laughing our heads off
I wouldn’t say that the kala bandar wasn’t symbolic of anything because the narrator himself very pointedly tells us it signifies our inner demons. If he hadn’t, then we could have all had our own interpretations of it and yes, we could have also said that it didn’t symbolize anything. And by the way, I’m the last person to go looking for symbols and metaphors in films.
About the mirror, it was obvious the very first time it appeared that it would be used in the climax. But I like the way it played out – the mirror didn’t cause the fighting characters to suddenly see their antaratma and have a sea change of heart.
@cliff
wat u said is perfectly right…..
u loved Salaam Namaste, Hum Tum and Rab Ne?….and then u liked Delhi6….that pretty much proved why I found Delhi6 so pathetic…thank u
@ayush/14 – I don’t think AB (jr) is a big star, not in the league of SRK, HR, AK or AK2 yet. AB hasn’t given a single solo hit besides Guru and maybe BaB. He is a very good actor yes, but I don’t think his movies are assured of a good start.
I haven’t watched Khooni Chudail, I was just tryin to drive a point…but most of you guys took it a face value., even though half of you claim to have a metamorphic view at the subtle messages in films?? But you take literal meanings out of literal messages, just like the audience does. Delhi6 for gods sake didn’t have any subtlety(although I am of the opinion that it really doesn’t matter in the larger scheme of things), but this movie was LOUD, it preached every message out loud…spoonfeeding at times.
What was the purpose of his film? It wasn’t entertaining, “there was no story”…and by this I dont mean some fairytale..a story by its definition is an unfolding of events, what unfolded in this movie? Rehmans songs r brilliant(on its own dat doesn’t make great cinema), the ensemble cast r good (dats doesn’t make great cinema either), great cinema touches you, moves you, or atleast makes you say..now that was something. Delhi6 was just delivering a message, the characters complications were portraid too simplistically. and the actual message did seem a little warped standing on its own….Monkey really?? You guys bought that crap? Funny
@ 23 la_dolce_vita – wow! whoever u are i gotta tell u thats the most amazing analysis of delhi6 so far on pfc or anywhere i’ve read! i wud request u to write a complete review because all the delhi6 reviews on pfc so far aint worth 2 hoots for!….either just stupid fanboy gushing without any reasons, or blind criticism…its brilliant the way u put everything…10 on 10…
Honestly I think ROPM got it wrong because he two things, instead of delivering the message subtly and presenting the story with flair, he did it the other way around.
Its not an intellectual movie at all, if anyone thinks it is…you sure dont set high standards for yourself. I monkey part was hilarious…maybe the producers demanded for a bit of “comedy”, mood thoda light kar yaar rakeysh…audience pak jayegi..so he added another monkey as if AB wasn’t enough. A monkey symbolized mischief, its not demonic! I think SPCA has a case here, symbolic character assasination indeed :P
Take light guys, its a flop…we bought the hype and ate rotten pie..move on..whats next?
@Tarun
What made you think I “liked” it?
Your comment also pretty much explains that you didn’t read my remarks about Rab Ne properly
la_dolce_vita,
I loved the movie but what you are saying is true too:
”it will only touch people who feel similarly to me anyway. For people who don’t see the world that way, it will be a boring & pointless exercise in self-indulgent message-mongering. I think it worked for you because your politics agrees with that of the film – and you liked to see it re-affirmed. But as far as I am concerned a film with a message like Delhi 6 has the job of converting people who might NOT agree, people who might think otherwise.”
Writing a transformative film is the most difficult thing in the world. I don’t think we have writers of that caliber writing in the Hindi film industry. There are a few clever ones, but this kind of an endevour is beyond them, they will end up, as you put it, ‘message-mongering’. What Mehra attempted here was hugely ambitious, and though he may have possibly failed to reach out to people patronising the opposite politics, it is a noble failure.
We need more films like this, even if they don’t get it right the first time round. Maybe someday, somebody will write that definitive transformative film, a film that will touch people across all political barriers. You never know. If Obama can happen, anything can.
@ La Dolce Vita
Very well argued, mate.
“I think it worked for you because your politics agrees with that of the film – and you liked to see it re-affirmed”
You’re absolutely spot on here.
“Do you really think that this film will make anyone who feels differently from the politics of this film pause and think about what they are doing?”
I don’t have an answer. Maybe Delhi 6 might be a case of preaching to the converted , but I can only speak for myself. As a kid, it was the loud preachiness and the even-handed loud national integration of Hindi films like Amar Akbar Anthony that embedded a kind of idealism in my head regarding respect for people of all religions.
Delhi 6 was understated till the climax; even people who’ve like the movie overall feel that it might have been a little too much. You’ve made your views clear in a well balanced way; the folk I disagree with are the ones issuing blanket condemnations.
@Cliff
Look, buddy, this isn’t the first time I’m saying this, but I’m surprised at how some of us go to great pains and take out so much time to run down a well-meaning film. (Happened before with Jaideep Varma’s Hulla). It’s not like Delhi 6 is propaganda for the neo-Nazis. It’s not a GREAT film, but it doesn’t stink as much as it’s being made out to be. Do you lose anything if it works and makes some money at the box-office? I’m not too happy about RNBDJ making 85 crores, but that doesn’t mean I go around running it down on public fora.
If you just want to prove your points, that’s a different matter. We can nitpick the film and we can nitpick each other endlessly.
For eg, you’ve written
“metamorphic view at the subtle messages in films??”
The word you are looking for is metaphorical, not metamorphic. Metamorphic is a kind of rock along with sedimentary rocks and igneous rocks.
“you take literal meanings out of literal messages, just like the audience does”
I’m not even sure what this is supposed to mean. Aren’t we all part of the audience? On one hand you say we see “intellectual” meanings where there aren’t any, and here you complain that we take literal meanings out of literal messages. Isn’t that exactly what we’re meant to do? If someone says, “The loo is over there”, isn’t that a literal message? Am I supposed to bring in metaphorical and allegorical meanings here and conclude that the loo must be in my suppressed subconscious self?
“Its not an intellectual movie at all, if anyone thinks it is…you sure dont set high standards for yourself.”
Well, buddy, I could complain about the standards of your punctuation, spelling, grammar and wrong word usage. You can complain about my standards in supporting a loud, preachy, low-standard “intellectual” movie and it’s never gonna end.
Been fun having this chat, though
@Rabindro
“We need more films like this, even if they don’t get it right the first time round.”
That’s the spirit! Nothing’s perfect.
“Maybe someday, somebody will write that definitive transformative film, a film that will touch people across all political barriers.”
For me, Black Friday
“Writing a transformative film is the most difficult thing in the world. I don’t think we have writers of that caliber writing in the Hindi film industry”
We do have great writers. What’s needed is a collaboration where the director, producer, star and writer all agree on the same vision.
i found one aspect of DELHI 6 very irritating… why does it show all the people there to be so irrational? why is only the american roshan, half hindu, half muslim, the only sensible one…the one whp sees the truth while everyone else is reduced to an angry mob at the first provocation. this view of the public as given to irrational violence seems very patronizing to me. this is a new and disturbing trend in indian cinema — to see certain people as backward and needing to be enlightened by outsiders. if people in this neighborhood are fighting and getting angry –it is not because they are fools but because they are frustrated by the lack of water, sanitation, proper roads, the amenities of civic life. they are sick of the exploitation by lala and the corrupt venal police. so they take out their rage… where is the critique of that in this film? a critique of the state that has failed to deliver basic services? no — it is the responsibility of us to remove the “kala bandar” in us — why is it so individualised when the problem in neighborhoods like delhi-6 seem to be that they have been left behind by so called india shining!!!
@Sangita
Your answer lies within your question itself
“they are sick of the exploitation by lala and the corrupt venal police. so they take out their rage… where is the critique of that in this film?”
Delhi 6 might be saying: “Our roads, water, sanitation etc are all frustrating, but that doesn’t mean we should take it out on our neighbours.”
(My humble interpretation)
no reason to kill your neighbor, agreed, but as long as filmmakers like mehra view such frustrations as irrational, unmotivated — they are a part of the problem. at what point does roshan look at the “big” picture? a failed state? NEVER. he says, very patronizingly, “it works”. it does NOT work!!! that is why Bittu wants to be airlifted out of DELHI-6. Yes, people survive. they are resilient. but to sentimentalize this seems utterly irresponsible to me! in this sense the film is exactly like Slumdog Millionaire. it shows poverty, cruelty but its answer is the “human spirit” overcoming all odds with the help of global TV shows. come on…once upon a time Hindi commercial cinema used to criticize poverty, inequality and try to find collective solutions to it. think raj in shree 420, birju in mother india, or even the SRK character in SWADES. roshan is basically just rahul redux — the dilwale who saves delhi!!
Kenny,
Yes, Black Friday was the film, but there was one thing missing owing to the very nature of the content: sugar.
For a truly transformative film on a mass, public level, the truth has to come coated. Then only will the general populace find it easy to swallow. If there is no coating, no sugar, they will ignore it because they have enough problems of their own to come look into a terrifying mirror.
Maybe if we were an aesthetically advanced people, say of France, then Black Friday was the perfect transformative film. But in the Indian context, it is not. It is too true.
The path taken by Gowariker and Mehra, though not wholly successful till now, works much better because they bring in the sugar too. That’s the only way to get the harried masses to listen to you.
Forget iota….la_dolce_vita
I got lotsa “this emotion” when I came out. In fact I was pissed off with RDB and never agreed with the concept of the youth murdering so as to show a change to the society.
BTW Kenny, one more movie of ours (WTS) matched !!
@Sangita
“as filmmakers like mehra view such frustrations as irrational, unmotivated”
Nowhere do they call the frustrations irrational and unmotivated…what’s irrational and unmotivated is the ACTION one takes if it involves joining a riot mob.
Good thing you mentioned Swades. I absolutely loved it! Mohan Bhargav had real-world practical solutions!
really kliked your expression of opinion on delhi 6 kenny and was really happy to find that we have a common favourite scene. the dowry negotiation sene with lalaji and om puri. i was blown by the simplicity of the scene. mehra could have really made a gut wrenching scene out of a man who in his majboor moment is being made to put his entire life in debt to get his daughter married! its tragic! but he chooses to show slice of life the way it is……..no drama!! i was so moved by that scene. and there are so many other layered scenes like this one in delhi 6! absolutely loved the film. its become my all time favourite!
cheers to mehra and the entire cast and crew of delhi 6!!
I found the movie just about average, and its hilarious that some people are blaming other for deriding an intellectual movie ’cause it doesnt have the BIG LOUD MOMENT. really?
Excuse me, but as far as I see it misses the bus completely in driving the point home (and that too so ridiculously simplified one) and how come these fanboys dont see the loudness (If u have seen his previous films ROM isnt known to make subtle movies either), its somewhat dumbed down too in many prwachy scenes specially, and worse spoon-feeds the audience – the lala angle, or the jalebi angle, even the whole gobar thing (noble ideas) but aint they so loud and remind us of 80’s masala movies? the dialogues, the reactions and even the humour? I didnt see any metaphor in those and they surely werent funny either! And what about the most ridiculous climax of the decade?
Its technically top-notch, some great camerawork, of course awesome support cast and all, some saving grace so we cant call completely trash it, but I FEEL its a huge disappointment coming after a flawed but extremely watchable RDB…
la_dolce_vita…I have to appreciate ur comments…..very valid points…I think ur comment makes much more sense than the article itself!…hats-off to u!!!
i have never seen such a f**king movie ever in my life….
Kenny – Man you can write a thesis now :-D
nice review mate,
I just watched D6 today few hours back, loved everyone’s acting & story was good but somehow felt that the kala bander part could have been done in a better way..
I noticed that movies like Aks, Rang de basanti, Dev D, No Smoking and Now Delhi 6 where in directors are using metaphors its always difficult to ensure that mass appreciates the movie.
E.g. Dev d and RDB became hit because Devdas was already explained & Bhagat singh’s character was already known so aam janta could relate to the whole plot and the metaphoric part of the story..
Take No Smoking or Delhi 6, Kala Bander was somehow more metaphoric and difficult to digest, otherwise whole plot was beautifully shot and directed..
Somehow used right mix of characters, mass too would be able to appreciate the class..
Kunal
Yay i’m so happy i found this..
i’ve just been listening to people go it’s bad it’s bad it’s bad.
and they just can’t explain why it’s bad.
gaaaah.
but thanks, I totally agreee :D
The biggest drawaback of the movie for me is the lack of details and credibility, right from the beginning. Waht does abhishek do? Is he a student? Is he working? What is he going to do in India? Doesn’t that figure in his calculation for staying in India?
If it was film by a lesser mortal like David Dhawan, we would be saying this is what hapens in a Bolywood film. Compare this with the clarity in Swades. Every charcter and its motivation so detailed.
” masterclass’ in writing? Crappy and superficial would be my opinion. Rakesh Mehra and Kamalesh Pande can not write anything much better than this of course. RDB is as good as they could get.Also, just consider Abhi’s statement ‘ But India works. It’s the people who make it work.” Now how did Abhi come to the conclusion? Based on his experience in the film, his conclusion should have been just the opposite. ‘Masterclass’ in script writing? hardly.
This ‘kala bandar’ and the mirror business places Rakesjh Mehra in the same class as Manoj Kumar with his ‘ Jab zero diya mera Bharatne’ tone.
I actually dont care whether a movie has a ’story’ or not. It just has to deliver the theme and do justice to it.
The movie fails, both in terms of messaging and the method used. It’s preachy like Swades.
I also didnt understand how Abhishek all of a sudden admits that he likes India, even after getting beaten. He attributes it to love for Bittu, but I thought there was more….so, Mehra seemed confused at this critical junction of the movie.
Mehra tried to add the entertaining elements, but its nowhere close to Rang de Basanti where he was able to deliver a strong social message in an entertaining way….
@Utkal Mohanty
“Rakesh Mehra and Kamalesh Pande can not write anything much better than this of course. RDB is as good as they could get”
Why such a personal statement? What’s to prevent them from learning more and writing a better film next time.
I agree with everyone that the mirror thing could be seen coming a mile away. But the kala bandar for me is a fantastic device (although my interpretation differs from the writers’)
Opinions are like a$$holes – everyone has one. And especially when it comes to politics and cricket and films. Everyone’s an expert.
)
To all those who think the whole of Delhi 6 was loud and preachy, let me say this: The climax admittedly was loud, but give a genuine thought to the moments before that. Think of the scene where Om Puri and Prem Chopra go with the gold coins to buy a son-in-law. Was that loud? Can you write that scene in a “non-preachy”, more subtle way than it already is in the film? Why don’t you try it?
Then try the scene where Divya Dutta gives Atul Kulkarni a lock of her hair. Does she preach? If you can think of a more subtle way to give closure to their track, please write it out and let’s have it here. It would be an interesting exercise. If your scene is better than Rakeysh Mehra and Kamlesh Pandey’s, I’ll have no problem admitting so.
(By the way, I’ve got better things to do than argue and counter-argue forever online, but I’m just riding the momentum, I guess. I’m not taking anything too seriously, and I hope nobody else does
@ raj
“i have never seen such a f**king movie ever in my life”
Since you seem to like the f-word, how about learning its proper usage as well? When you say “f**king movie”, it means a movie about “f**king”, just as one would say a “travelling movie” or an “eating movie” or a “talking movie” are respectively about travelling, eating and talking.
Using simply “f**king” as an adjective next to the word “movie” doesn’t tell us whether you found the movie good or bad. You need to clarify whether it was a “f**king great movie” or a “f**king $#itty movie”
And don’t take me seriously. I’m just having a little fun at your expense
At the end of 1st half , I texted all my friends to go and watch this great movie this weekend ….
After the end .. i texted them again to ignore the previous message.
ROPM has done an Aks for me again … I was so in awe of the first half (just like Aks) . .and then he literally has killed the moview in the last 45 mins….
as far as I go — I would see this movie again just for the brilliant brilliant — ” dil gira daftakan ” song. I don’t remember such beautiful concept implemented before .. ROPM ..take a bow!
Great ensemble of character actors. But the two main actors are awful and their characters are not well developed. They could have developed a background for why AB so readily jumps on the chance of coming with gradmother when in all of his 30 odd years he had never visited India. His hindi is also too perfect for an American kid who has never visited. Grandma only came to live with them for the last 5 years and not through his growing years.
And with somebody who changed his name to “Rakyesh” for numerological reasons, it is a little too preachy to ring true. Just my humble opinion though!
@ Kenny: bro u know how to have fun!
@ Sevian: And with somebody who changed his name to “Rakyesh” for numerological reasons, it is a little too preachy to ring true. Just my humble opinion though!
Hahaha True true true!!!!!
Lets not even compare this movie to Swades. I would not say I liked it or disliked it. Kenny, I made the same inference with regard to the now infamous ‘kaala bandar’. But I dont know man… somethin just did not click! I came out feeling it could have been so much better. the more I thought of it, the more I disliked the movie.
Thinking back… was Pran jaaye par chawl na jaaye any different? Except star value?
Kenny, I wholeheartedly agree! I really really loved Delhi 6! I am reading some reviews again and trying to understand what was it that some guys could have had a problem with. The only thing I really think could have been done without was the last cameo. It didnt add anything to the movie, for me.. The experience would have been as good for me, or perhaps better, without that BIG cameo..
But nno complaints.. A very small glitch in an amazing piece of cinema..
@Sevian and Azazel, I totally agree with you guys on the numerology thing! When I saw Rakesh Mehra changed his name to Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, I said What the…! My respect for people diminishes a little if they resort to such measures.
Haven’t seen Pran Jaaye Par Chawl Na Jaaye
@Magik
Glad if my circus entertains
Good post Kenny. A ’story nahin thi’ film made with honesty and hardwork deserves its space. i save my anger for ’story’ films made in a rush with zero detailing, flushing down 30 crores in the name of cinema. of course, a ’story’ film that genuinely, honestly tells a story and does it well..i crave for that film any day, till then I am happy with Delhi 6.
Kenny…awesoem piece bro..no question asked.
Have you noticed that most of the movies mentioned are from a single Production house?
Ayush – I think a film is a success or failure depending on what it sets out to do. Most Bollywood films just aim to do very little, but thats a different debate!! I’d argue that a film like Jane Tu Ya Jane Na is a success for what it sets out to do – be a youthful coming-of-age entertainer. My disappointment with Delhi 6 stems from the fact that from Mehra, who made the brave RDB, I have come to expect much more – we all expected much more.
Is the aim of the film different from RDB? Well, yes you are right – RDB is more about the external world – changing the system. And Delhi 6 is structured as the journey of discovery of a the returning son. Is it a personal film? Well, maybe for the director & writer who I believe are both grew up in Delhi 6. They do a fine job of creating the aura of the area with the detailing of the characters, and some of the quirks. But if it’s supposed to be a personal film from the perspective of the characters in it – I would expect the film to take me inside the heads of the characters and tell me how they feel/ function and eventually how they transform/ journey. As I have mentioned in my earlier post – I don’t think it offers any real insight into any of the side characters, besides sonam’s character whose conflict i could still understand. But perhaps all this would have not mattered though if the journey of the central protagonist – Rohan had come across powerfully. Sadly, his is the least convincing journey. I never got a sense of the cultural baggage a character like him – a hip young desi boy – might bring to Delhi 6 (besides the occasional unconvincing accented line!.. does anyone remember how Kal Penn’s character respond to being in India in Namesake?!) and I didn’t see what brought sonam and his character close – and I for sure didn’t understand why he would slip into a kala bandar costume and go jumping around buildings. So, for me Delhi 6 is an even bigger failure from the perspective of trying to be a personal film – I didn’t get Rohan, I didn’t understand his motivations, so the journey didn’t work for me. Once again I’d like to say here that in RDB did a far better job of taking me inside the heads of the characters – I could see all of them wrestling with their inner demons – I felt like I travelled their journey with them.
I think Mehra lacked the conviction to make a truely personal film – thats why the loud message-mongering in the second half is completely at odds with the kind of journey he is attempting in the first half. Let me just clarify here – I don’t expect him to make films about changing the system all the time. But I expect honesty of ambition. If he wanted to make a quiet personal film – he should have gone ahead stuck to his guns and done just that – the simplified preachy climax is insulting to both his abilities and the audience’s intelligence. Delhi 6 is half-journey, half-message and all-garbled mess.
Vipin & Rahul – thanks for the love, appreciate it
!! Vipin I wouldn’t know what else to write in a review – I think I’ve said everything I wanted to say about Delhi 6 now!!
Rabindro – I think RDB and to some extent Munnabhai were both transformative films within the commercial space. Ofcourse, smaller film which deal with something more specific usually have a greater chance of changing attitudes but usually their appeal is limited by their niche. Within the big budget commercial space I think RDB & LRMB are fine examples of what can be done. And sure it’s difficult to write those scripts but why would you expect any less from the team which has managed to achieve so much in the film just before Delhi 6?!! I think it’s the responsibility of artists to engage and seek to transform – you let people get away with taking the easy way out with slap-dash efforts like Delhi 6, then you risk awarding mediocrity. Nobility is over-rated anyway.
As for Obama – he is one of the smartest, best organized politicians in American history. Ofcourse, his message is great – but what sets him apart is his ability to communicate it. Thats what Delhi 6 I think fails to do – communicate it’s message. Btw, if you have been following Obama’s presidency at all over the last month or so you will know that he sees his biggest challenge as reaching out to people who don’t agree with him, not those who do anyway.. again something that I think Delhi 6 doesn’t do.
Kenny – I’d argue that the relationship between a modern audience and films is far different from the naive innocence of Manmohan Desai. We are far more demanding – we need to be convinced intellectually, emotionally, viscerally – naive posturing rings false. Even children these days will take the piss out of something they don’t find convincing
we are living in days of media over-exposure where people are far more suspicious of the media they are consuming than in the good old 80’s. Films that seek social change need to either rise to that challenge or risk becoming irrelevant.
KCP – your comment about RDB is fair. I’d argue that it’s an story-telling device rather than a call to armed insurrection. And I think thats how young people responded to it – by interpreting the message of the film as having the courage to get involved in something larger than themselves. I don’t remember any case of people trying to knock off or even beat up politicians in it’s wake!! Infact, I was taking to a bunch of Class 10 kids about RDB and they told me exactly the same thing – that they could tell that the message of the film wasn’t violence but to get involved. Again, goes to illustrate how smart audiences are now!!
@la_dolce_vita
Fantastic views! Very thought provoking, especially the part about kids and media exposure these days. You were right about Lage Raho. It had the kind of impact that Delhi 6 might not.
On a personal note, of all the people on the other side of the Delhi 6 fence, you’re the only one arguing your POV rationally and without getting personal. That’s a quality so many of us lack in online communication because of the anonymity. Everyone becomes a keyboard warrior. We need to learn to respectfully disagree. I’d rather not say anything online that I’d rather not say face-to-face. People who lose all their manners online irritate me.
I hope all keyboard fighters in general take lessons from you on how to comment and disagree with dignity. What d’you do, by the way? I suspect you are or have been a film school student
kunal: please do not compare Dev D and No Smoking with RDB and Delhi 6. Kashyap is in a different class. Kashyap is an artist and art does not give sermons. Art teaches us to think for ourselves — it does not tell us what to think. Mehra is a preacher. he tells us what to think, how to respond to images etc etc. how can kala bandar be a metaphor when roshan clearly explains to us what kala bandar is?
this film really annoyed me. it was very superficial and yet pretended to be sensitive. i do not care how well it showed delhi 6 but as utpal said it was completely unmotivated. we have no idea why characters are doing what they are doing. if you are going to break with the conventions of bollywood and create psychologically motivated characters — then just do it. otherwise i prefer films like Amar Akbar Anthony which never pretend to be anything else and end up being really powerful.
also, i do not agree that we are necessarily more demanding audiences. 70s had brilliant films — better than most films today. AND everyone watched them. nowadays, filmmakers make movies only for a select few. they can take more risks but the pay off rarely seems worth it.
i can watch deewar and sholay again and again. nobody is going to be watching RDB or Delhi 6 30 years from now.
Non linear, plotless story telling can work in TV serials. Movies are a different ball-game altogether.
Thanks Kenny! Yeah, i know – I hate how people don’t want to discuss and debate rationally but just want to spit opinions in the online space. You are right – the anonymity makes it easy to be irresponsible. That’s primarily why I don’t blog – I’d hate to waste my energy on haters and juveniles.
As far as who I am – let’s just say we’ve met a few times
think of me as a man-of-mystery!
flop…the movie was just a waste of time.. both actors abishek and sonam (especially) were rather over actors..
v boring n too slow…. the director didnt justify the characters well… n things were too mixed up in the movie.
miss indian idol didnt have anything special in the movie as compared to what she has been promoting the movie like.. it looked from her presence in every promotional event of the movie n from interviews that the movie is gonna ba based around her just rubbish acting by her she was way better in sawariya….n that american boy was just hopeless in acting like an american …
@ la_dolce_vita :- Your comments are the most brilliant, comprehensive, cinematically and conceptually accurate take on Delhi-6 I’ve come across. At points your argument is reminiscent of motif Charlie Chaplin discussed about making a ‘message-movie’ in his Autobiography (and that’s quite a compliment!). If you’re an author please share your blog link, And if you’re not please start writing cause going by the response here you already have quite a fan-following…!
la dolce vita
well said friend, you make excellent points. i guess the difference in our views lies in the fact that for me, those points were driven home by Mehra. yes, i agree it was definitely not subtle, but that somehow was not a problem for me. i feel like this film was made to understand why India is the way it is because of us Indians, and i have come to the conclusion that that phenomenon is easier to understand when you look at it from the outside, like i am doing now having lived outside India for some time now.
another thing, i completely agree with your first point about what a film sets out to do, and so on. BUT, should be not applaud a/any film for what is it that it sets out to do? whether or not it accomplishes that is a different story for every individual, is it not? Jaane tu worked better for you, and Delhi six worked better for me, because we are different individuals for who have varying tastes. we can debate for ever about what in those movies worked and what did not. however, we cannot debate forever, on what they set out to do. i personally think, that in itself should be a yardstick when judging films, ESPECIALLY, in India, where the culture and the country itself is so dependent on our films for a direction to head towards. nad i think it would be fair to say, that the thought behind the conception of delhi six was admirable, and definitely interesting, if not genius. what do you think? anyone?
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
Thankyou for ur review Kenny.
I loved D6.
The reason that worked for is for one i went into theater to have the worst time of my life or bad to say the least thanks to all the critics who bashed.
I connected to Roshan immediately as i am an NRI and his experiences are the same as mine.The first thing that u see when u step on the road is people everywhere footpath,road and even on tracks.First u r amused but after a week u will not be able to imagine those roads without them.
And the relations and their warmth they feed you assuming u r shy.
Yes i connected with bittu being a middle class girl myself i can see her dilema.she wants something better but does not hav clarity.She wants to fight but has no guts to fight her father that is sooooo true.It is easy to runaway rather than face her father.
Someone asked y bittu gets attracted to roshan cause he respects her.She is able to open to him than her own father.That is liberty in itself.Thay both r not vocal but still are attracted to one other.That is the most natural way of falling for someone and in a realistic way.
It is a brave attempt by ROM .It is a black comedy and shows out flaws in subtle way not in your face kind of way.
My only advice if u r planning to watch is go with open mind.
Enjoy the jouney of your country in a colourful way.
I’m glad you like my two cents’ worth, Anush. And thanks for explaining the Bittu-Roshan attraction. People don’t see them falling in love, but human nature is like that. You can sometimes meet somebody for just a couple of hours but there’s such great chemistry that you know there’s something special between the two of you
I have watched the movie and i found utterly boring and so as the audinces around me….Not that i do not appreciate ROMs intentions…What i didnt like his execution…Also i found it equally amusing when some psuedo intellectuals are trying to potray as if this is a great movie…
The execution in using the metaphor of Kala bander,the Ram leela sequences all fall flat ..Abhishek never connets to the audince as a NRI..Infact none of the characheters was developed enough to connect to the audience..
Then again whats the use of using such metaphors when it neither engages nor entertains the audince…The movie seems good when we use our vocabulary to write flashy articles…On the ground level its a boring movie which deserved to bomb….
ROM was making a movie for the audince or for some self proclaimed critics???
If its for the audince then they have given their verdict…if it is for the critics then he shouldnt have released in the theatres at the first place..
Now somebody compared D6 with OLLO..Its really a clever attemt to confuse the people over here…OLLO was a nicely executed film…The narration had flow and it was engrossing to watch..D6 is not like this…OLLO was clear about what it indeded tom achieve where as at the otherhand ROM was confused..He messed up thye entire movie by bringing so many metaphors and charachters in to the movie..
well a very “supposedly” young FM radio station in Delhi, Radio one ( BBC owned apparantly) described Luck by chance as “acting utni hi bakwaas thi jitni movie”….holy crap!! and talk abt the multitude of possibilities in reviewers…….. Yr blog has 79 comments before me!! U are a super star!!
Kenny
Surprise surprise!!
The way you looked at the movie & I did are just so same. I did a review of this movie in BBC, and mentioned about ‘rama bua’…
I was discussing the fav scenes with someone & discussed how when Honda & honeymoon at Singapore is discussed, lalaji looks quietly at the poster of WagonR. There are many more touching moments like this. So are some amazing dialogues.
A lot of people are complaining about some stories not developed or left halfway.. What crap..?
That’s usaul, isnt it? Considering DDLJ – not trying to demean this by any way – what happened to the sister? What happened to the character played by Mandira Bedi? What happened to the man, whom Simran eventually didnot marry? Where did they settle? UK or India?
Oh c’mon!!
I have my own set of friends who didnot like this movie. I am okay with that, but dont say these..for heaven’s sake!!! Please find better reason for not liking the movie.
Arunav, who the hell was that RJ? I don’t wanna say anything bad about him, but heh heh heh, I wouldn’t be taking his opinion on anything artistic for sure.
And I’m no superstar….the film’s been sharply divisive. People either love it or hate it. This is the kind of film that draws a lot of reactions.
@ Piyu
Aapnar mookhe mishti shondesh. I heard your interview. 4/10, oh sorry, 8/10. Same rating as mine. Your accent…are you originally from Dwarka or elsewhere?
“some stories not developed or left halfway” I think I’ll deal with this in a post someday.
@Kenny –
How the heel did you hear that?
Accent? Do I have one? didnot realise..OMG!!!
I am from Dwarka since last 10 years, but basically from Assam.
If you are in Facebook I could be found there.. lets connect.
Yeah, probably we belong to kyunki generation we want things to be a soap and not a 2 hour movie…and all stories to end…What an bakwaas idea sirjee!!
its hell, not heel
Delhi 6 was a movie with lots of positives but the last half hr or so of the movie just went off the tracks. They could have easily gotten the message across without the melodrama.. Why and Why on earth does AB senior have to appear.what was the need of that heaven bit..or for that matter of Ab junior surviving the bullets.
The movie promised so much and the end spoilt it. And I am not very thrilled with the casting. Abjunior did not fit the role of an ABCD..the accent was very much missing..and he looked too comfortable in his surroundings to look convincing.
They would have done better with some less known..But then again the movie wouldnt even have gotten as much viewership as it did then!