Dhobi Ghat reviews

Amir Khan delivered it again, but this time in a parallel cinema. Dhobi Ghat is a film movie with diverse views. The scenes keep changing and so do... read more

Amir Khan delivered it again, but this time in a parallel cinema. Dhobi Ghat is a film movie with diverse views. The scenes keep changing and so do the characters Amir Khan plays the role of Arun a painter and his manager played by Kitu Gidwani is a refreshing surprise for viewers. On the night of his exhibition he meets the recently returned Shai played by Monica Dogra, who is a banker from US and as she says it is on her Sabbath. The lady ma be modern and may be even sporty enough to digest one night stand at one gulp for a second but loves photography and doesnt mind capturing the old run down look of Mumbai at its best.

As the movie unfolds, the other characters are introduced in the movie. A married Muslim woman Yasmeen played by Kriti Malhotra in whose home Amir shifts for his new project ideas. She records the daily lives of her surroundings for her brother back home in UP and the tapes have been left behind along with some other belongings while the family may be changing homes. The character of Munna played by Prateik Babbar does a job of a dhobi and soon falls in love with Miss Shai.

Movie then unfolds the tale of the lives of the characters and those whom they are in touch with. From hints of laughter, to the intense character of an artist, to the life of a dhobi, all seem to be intermingled in one another. Not just another life in a metro but rather different in its own way. Not too long and neither too short to leave the mystery unsolved, Dhobi Ghat is still director and writer Kiran Rao's good attempt at first shot.
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Some films resemble human beings. They bore incessantly, talk too much, and are difficult to comprehend. They need time and patience, just like us.... read more

Some films resemble human beings. They bore incessantly, talk too much, and are difficult to comprehend. They need time and patience, just like us... and when you grant them that, you are sure to fall in love.

At the very onset, I vehemently oppose every Aamir Khan fan to go and see it. 8 out of 10 times, it is likely that you are going to be terribly disappointed. After Ghajini and 3 Idiots, this one's completely off the tangent. No entertainment here. On the contrary, it demands effort from the audience. Intense and thought provoking, the Director gives you something as abstract as modern art.

And then the No interval thing. The original idea would have been to maintain continuity. The audience in my theater interpreted it otherwise. A clever ploy to make people watch the entire film without leaving in between. They even clapped when it ended.

The maker has the freedom to take cinematic liberties. The viewer has the freedom to take offense.

From me, the film elicited a mixed response. I was looking at my watch trying to calculate the time elapsed every now and then. But then I was also captivated on other moments. What floored me was the depth of each character. The sheer beauty of the film lied in Yasmin according to me - the profound effect that she had on Arun, even though there were limited means at her disposal. And this is when Munna and Shai are creating tremendous vibes with their fab chemistry on one side (watch out when Shai has her moment watching Munna pose without a shirt), while Arun wards off a smitten Shai and falls in love with Yasmin on the other.

Coming to the role playing, there is simply nothing to complain about. Prateik was amazing as a passionate youngster falling in love, while Monica sizzled as the innocent seductress. Kriti I have already described, while Aamir - he speaks so, so much more with his eyes. Perhaps that's why he's silent for the most part. Even Amma, with her expressive eyes yet blank looks leaves you with a haunting sense of despair. Why, even Kitu Gidwani as the practical Vatsala had something to contribute in the 2 odd scenes she gets.

The dealbreaker was definitely the Hindi dubbing - it totally ruined some crucial scenes which induced laughter instead. Kiran Rao has always maintained that this one was for niche audiences, and there was no need for concessions.

I strictly do not recommend watching this one onscreen. Don't worry about Aamir and Kiran. They spent only 5 crores, and they will anyways recover that amount. Wait for it to come on DVD, ease your mind of all pressures and watch it then with a cup of coffee in your hand. And no intervals. Then, whatever be your taste in cinema, I bet my reputation that you will be affected profoundly. view less

Instant reviews ka ek problem hai. You cant spend time with the film, you cant mull over the characters. You cant gather your thoughts at your own ... read more

Instant reviews ka ek problem hai. You cant spend time with the film, you cant mull over the characters. You cant gather your thoughts at your own pace and then write about it and a film like this makes you want to do that. Surrounded by a bunch of U 25s laughing at all the wrong places I managed to immerse myself into the life of Munna, Shai,Yasmin & Arun.

Dhobi Ghat is a voyeuristic view into the life of 4 characters against the backdrop of the wonderful city of Mumbai. Except Kriti Malhotras character Yasmin all the other three characters are interlinked in this hyperlinked narrative. The way I view Kritis character is like I am prowling on a strangers FB wall or reading someones diaries. Just that this time the diary has been replaced by a video. This track for some can get a little boring but is the most poignant track in the film. Kritis easy going approach in her performance brings in the innocence which is required of the character. Shais (Monica Dogra) track is of a woman trapped in a web created of her own. Monicas performance makes you wanna have a chat with her, just the way so easily she flits between having conversations with an artist and a dhobhi. A very likeable performance by her. Aamir Khan performs decently underplaying his parts but by the end of the film you dont see Arun in his performance. His persona as a star overshadows his character. This was one role which should have been done by a real artist or a rank new comer.

That brings me to the life, soul and magnet of the film. Never ever have I seen a debut actor romance the camera as if he was born to do that? Prateik is one clay the film industry must mould very sensibly and with a lot of sensitivity. For a change the film is just what the trailer promised and Kiran Rao s direction is like meditation. Calm, composed and exploring moments like Arun adding rain water in his whisky or Yasmin writing a name on the sand which the waves keep on erasing all the time. This film is for people who are sensitive at heart and sensible in their mind. Alongwith Kiran Rao clap,clap,clap for Tushar Kanti Ray, Nishant Radhakrishnan, Manisha Khandelwal, Ayush Ahuja and the entire crew of the film and of course Gustavo Santaolalla. Waiting for the soundtrack to be out!!!

Final few words: You walk into an Aamir khan productions film but you walk out with a film by Kiran Rao. Watch it if there is a voyeur in you. It wont work for you if you dont warm up to at least one character in the film. For me it was Munna & Shai. Go find yours

Rating : ***

Ticket Meter : Worth a 150 buck ticket
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I felt like I was wearing a velvet dress when I saw this movie. Each shot of the sea, each song, each strum of the guitar, each tiny look from Munn... read more

I felt like I was wearing a velvet dress when I saw this movie. Each shot of the sea, each song, each strum of the guitar, each tiny look from Munna or Shai left me enveloped in an unbelievable softness. That a director, (and a first time one at that) can be so empathetic to human nature and so sympathetic to her characters made me want to meet this individual and give her a long lingering hug. She must be wearing the same velvet cloth in which she has dressed this movie to evoke the feelings it does.

So delicately nuanced are the emotions it shows and so stark the bleakness of Mumbai that you feel the story of each life more acutely in the contrast. The last scene is one of the best I have seen in a very long time.

The problem with watching a movie much after everyone else has seen it and commented on it is that you go with biases. I had heard from various people that Amir was the odd man out but I like him generally and went prepared to defend his honour. Alas, I cannot. His is the only performance that looks like a performance, a piece of acting. He was doing ok throughout but in the crucial scene towards the end when he discovers how Yasmeens story ends, he became a Bollywood actor and his heroics reminded me of distraught heroines from the silent era, so overly dramatic were his reactions. Maybe he was not comfortable performing in English. I dont know but he disappointed me big time.

Prateik is dazzling as Munna and Monica Dogra just right as the naive NRI who makes friends with her dhobi much to her maidservants astonishment. She is optimistic and vulnerable and smart and very beautiful. Kriti Malhotras is innocence personified and her voice as Yasmeen is again pure velvet. (I am sorry to sound like an obsessed fairy godmother dressing Cinderella for the ball, but this is the only word that comes to mind).

The other characters in the movie also do a great job. Munnas brother with his swagger, the neighbour, the socialite friend are all pitched perfectly. And when the bais daughter recites a poem in English your heart breaks in appreciation and recognition of the lives you see around you everyday.

I will see this movie I think many times over and each time I will discover a new shade, a new nuance; not only in the characters and their lives but also in my beloved battered Mumbai with the lovely sea in a blue I never believed it possessed till I saw it on screen.

Take a bow Kiran Rao and then take another one!
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It is a concept, not many first-time filmmakers would subscribe to. And that because, it clearly disguises itself as a methodology too challenging ... read more

It is a concept, not many first-time filmmakers would subscribe to. And that because, it clearly disguises itself as a methodology too challenging to be effortlessly welcomed by the average-viewer, who after investing in a film-ticket wouldnt bow down further to comprehend in-depth logic. This is debatable, as to how easy or complex you perceive the picture.

Kiran Rao, after directorially assisting in films like Lagaan, Swades, Saathiya and Monsoon Weddings doesnt reflect any similar nuances in her sensibilities but instead cinematizes frames of minds, expressions of originality and nakedness of its people through her unusual portrayal of confused yet determined emotions, represented by four strikingly contrasting individuals, with the city metaphorically demonstrating sentimental deficiency, but not once investigates its functional mannerisms.

Arun is an artist, his marital history tinted with shades of grey, on a lookout for substantiality to fill inner void, which has translated professionally resulting into his lack of inspiration. A nights encounter with an attractive NRI, who instantly gets emotionally engrossed, becomes an act of regret for Arun, who finds negligible solace in the tentative company. The diminutive attentiveness from his part weakens her, whose disappointment converts into momentary annoyance finally settling with an aspirational liaison towards Arun.

She is Shai an investment banker on a supposed sabbatical to stimulate the creative surges, which she gains from her photographic passion. Now, unintentionally her dhobi Munna gets trapped in, acting as a catalyst of soundness for her discontentness. Sheinterests herself by capturing the vivid lives and spontaneous moments the city presents, being considerably remote with the intensity of struggle and exercise of the people behind.

Here, Rao manages to conjure an unusual rapport between a highly unrealistic pair " a Dhobi, who isnt dampened to dream himself as a superstar, but simultaneously is aware about the limitations his life poses to him and an upscale professional willing to push herself to discover hidden meanings of her life.

The inviting approachability that Shai presents, which is just an attempt to fulfil her personal vacuum and attain success while at break, creates a depressingly passionate illusion for Munna - who by now is unaware of Shais fondness for Arun. In the meanwhile, Arun discovers an escape-route in the video files of the previous tenant where he is the current occupant. It features Yasmeen " who, with intentions to acquaint the city to brother Imran, records her variant experiences with a number of random people she comes across. This is an utterly smart tool employed by Rao to convey the disturbing hollowness in Yasmeens life and her unfulfilled desires which are not much " just to fit, at least within the brackets of average wedded life.

Thus, Kiran Raos story majorly centres on the aspirational dreams of her heroes which are not all the time pragmatic. Within this context, the city is shown in a rather depressed state, a fruitless and an unrewarding place. Tusshar Kanti Rays camera grabs the essence of the city impressively corresponding to the films character moods. It mystifyingly traps the irregular expressions of Mumbai, some which we see in our real lives as well as the ones we skip.
Raos protagonists are faulty and there is certain wrongness in all of them, probably because they dont behave the way youd expect them too. You ask them to see it straight, but there is where Dhobi Ghats greatness lies. In the evasion of the most lucid reactions and honest sentiments that might be things, the four arent prepared to accept. This comes out in the uncertainty of Munna towards his heroic ambitions. His improbability fluctuates with the anxiety that is preceded when his companions pass opinions on his portfolio.

Prateik is a terrific Munna " at times sure of his wit, laidback at moments, a streak of optimism but able to acknowledge the despair. In the scenes, where he is showing the city around to Shai " his eyes yell loud, with unerring expressions, the hopefulness of a probable romance yet his body-language strongly affirm his knowingness of actuality.

Aruns inspirational quests are accomplished through an unusual fashion but its the climax of the medium " Yasmins life - chronicled through videotapes, that breaks him terrifically even when though he isnt directly attached to the lady. Something that he doesnt even expect and something he isnt willing to be parallel in terms with.
Aamir Khan as the cloistered painter, trying to battle his inner demons, and voyeuristically sharing with himself, a penetrated insight of someones elses life is a believable Arun, who doesnt let his star-persona become an interference. This is one role, he hasnt portrayed and here when he does, he does it very well.

Shai clings to whatever she can gather and relies on expectations, but even she herself is clandestinely aware of that its only helping in building nothingness whereas in Yasmeens case, her eyes convey her feebleness and dependence on her man, a distressed story.
Monica Dogra who is the US-returned Shai is exceedingly superior with her enactment. Plausibility in her character is so much, she infuses tremendous amount of oxygen in Shai " the curiosity-occupied shutterbug who hides behind the lenses, futilely pretending indifference for Arun yet occasionally showing expectance.

Kriti Malhotra, seen only in the video footages, is effortlessly haunting, and perhaps the only character with who you feel serious empathy for the ugly turn of events in her already shallow, limited and monotonous life, which she tries to break by filling herself with the smallest possible fractions of joy and harmony.

To conclude an unsettled, non-linear and an avant-garde film, Dhobi Ghat politely brings into attention the isolation that creeps in, in a fast-paced, swiftly advancing city, that doesnt give room for anything as illogical as tears and aloneness. It presents itself in a dawdling, sluggish manner, which might annoy members of the audiences. The only emotion the film arouses is bareness. You dont feel anything; you are lost and arrested in the much depressing and helpless state of its many protagonists. The music (Gustavio) just rightly compliments the scenario, although it is understated at many needful instances. Dhobi Ghat is a film, where its people are on a lookout for something, and its unachievable, we know. That puts across a demoralising, gloomy picture and paints aloud a darker side of Mumbai. And this kind of an outlook is required, towards a city, which is forever shown in optimistically life-altering angles.
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If movies were books, this one would sit beautifully on your coffee table, rather than being a treasured possession besides your pillow. If a film ... read more

If movies were books, this one would sit beautifully on your coffee table, rather than being a treasured possession besides your pillow. If a film resembles the mind of a maker, Kiran Rao's must be a half painted canvas, showing the brightest of colors but never giving you the complete picture. It engages, entices and seduces, but like most whirlwind flings, leaves you feeling cheated in the end.

Dhobi Ghat is a story that celebrates the explorer within, led by the NRI investment banker who's sick of being rich and explores photography while on a sabbatical(Shai, played by Monica Dogra), the reclusive artist whose muse is a woman hes never met(Arun, played by Aamir Khan) and the nice, ambitious dhobi who multitasks as a rat killer and probably even as a gigolo(Munna, Prateik Babbar). I say 'probably', because there are a hell lot of conclusions you are required to reach yourself.

In that sense, you complete Kiran Rao.

Fittingly enough, Shai and Arun have a one-night stand on their first meeting, which ends in part-love, part-bitterness. Munna becomes Shai's muse and amusement, accompanying her to Dhobi Ghat and other downmarket areas in Mumbai that fire the creative engines of rich NRIs. There's another parallel story of a former occupant of Arun's house, which he stumbles upon and can't let go of. So there are three stories running together, all about relationships that are intense but not going anywhere. For good or for bad, the same can be said about the movie, which has one of the most open-ended endings ever.

As the Uncleji behind me very articulately said, 'Oye ye movie hai ya Mixed Vegetable?'

If that comment is any indication, Dhobi Ghat doesn't bore you and does make you think. It sits beautifully on the eye, and having a fluid Monica Dogra on screen helps. Prateik Babbar is refreshing, and emotes love, jealousy and the bitterness of having been given a raw deal by life brilliantly. It's amazing how conversation between him and Monica Dogra just flows, which speaks of scenes well-written and performed. The support cast of Kriti Malhotra and Kitu Gidwani ties up other loose ends well. In fact, Aamir Khan ends up looking too stiff in places, and also, I think he's called it quits at the gym after his Ghajini workouts. The strains of classical music and acoustic guitar
complement the cinematography well though.

Definitely not for the pea-brained, it's hardly an entertainer. More people looked disillusioned than delighted at the end of it. Under usual circumstances, subjects like these would take years of persistence to make, and even more to convince studios to produce them and theaters to screen them, who would have a ready reply: 'It doesn't work'. Not for nothing do you hear stories of maverick filmmakers keeping their screenplays stacked for years till they get a producer who backs them up.

But wait, that's only for lesser mortals. It doesn't hold if you are married to Aamir Khan. Look what a masterstroke THAT proved to be!
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With the number of nonsensical comedies coming out recently, its as if Aamir Khan has taken it into his own hands to equalize the scenario. This fi... read more

With the number of nonsensical comedies coming out recently, its as if Aamir Khan has taken it into
his own hands to equalize the scenario. This film is exactly on the opposite end of the spectrum of some recent mindless comedies. The audience has to be highly involved while watching this movie. This one is not for the one who is out to watch a movie as an entertainment form. It is a treat for the film school student as it can be a candidate to prepare his/her paper presentation.

This film is primarily about 4 people and their lives in the city of Mumbai. Arun an artiste, Munna a 'dhobi', Shai an NRI and Yasmin a housewife. Shai is obsessed with Arun after spending a night with
him. Arun on the other hand wants nothing to do with Shai. Shai is wannabe photographer and finds a
much needed friend and guide in Munna who shows her around in Mumbai. Munna is the linchpin between Arun and Shai as he is their common dhobi. The house that Arun lives in previously belonged to Yasmin. Yasmin leaves behind some of her home video tapes through which Arun connects with her on an emotional level.

The movie is strictly made for art lovers. There is absolutely no masala in the movie. Amongst the plusses is the Yasmin - Arun angle. The emotional connect that Arun finds in Yasmin's tapes is shown brilliantly. All the characters have fabulous depth. That being said it was difficult for me to connect with any of the characters. Throughout the movie I felt that in someway the dhobi ghat will connect the four lives but it still remains a mystery to me why that title was chosen.

Acting is perhaps the strongest aspect of this movie. Prateik Babbar is a star in the making. With
average looks, he roars in the acting department. Monica Dogra as Shai was better than most of the
other over rated star kids in the industry. Kriti Malhotra had a small part but did it nicely. Aamir
Khan plays a supporting but very important role and proves once again why he is the best in the
business. He emotes through his eyes brilliantly. Further more he brings the celebrity status to the
table. I doubt how many people would have seen and/or even liked this movie if Aamir Khan was not
been associated with this movie.

Kiran debuts with a bang. The film starts of really slow and then gains momentum. Portraying Yasmin's story on a handicam video was a brilliant stroke of creativity. On the negative side, the two stories were very loosely connected. They might as well have been two separate stories. The connection seemed very forced.

Overall, I as a viewer like to watch movies that make me laugh, cry, move me and most important of
all entertain me. This movie unfortunately was not able to do any of the above things for me. It is a
technically correct film which does not have any entertainment value, very much like watching Dravid
bat instead of Tendulkar.

Reasons to watch:
Love Arty films.
Brilliant Acting.
Aamir Khan Fan club.

Reasons to skip:
No Entertainment.
DVD watch.

Repeat value: None. view less

If only colours on a palette could speak Without light were no portraits lit ... read more

If only colours on a palette could speak
Without light were no portraits lit
If tapes could carry the sounds of cries
Of the lonely voyager wounded by the hit
In a city where everything changes
Even the point where the loved ones meet
Movement is the key, and those who dont
Are lost in the melee of transit

Kiran Rao was hitherto known as Aamir Khan's celeb wife. But with her directorial debut, she proves that she can match the man she shares her bed with. Dhobi Ghaat is perhaps the first slice of life film from mainstream Hindi cinema which does justice to its basic premise -- not to get judgemental but only present a pragmatic view of existences in respective spheres. Earlier attempts like Madhur Bhandarkars Traffic Signal were too opinionated.

Four characters -- Munna, Shai, Arun and Yasmin each survive in their different zones; but destiny brings them closer and collides their paths in a way that each becomes a fulcrum for the other.

Munna (Prateik sans the surname) is a dhobi who had left home with his uncle years back to find a livelihood in Mumbai. He has built up his physique and now wears his dream on his sleeve -- a dream to star on the silver screen, the same space where his favourite hero Salman Khan reigns. You cant miss the posters on Salman in Munnas chawl or the blue bracelet archetypical of the superstar. Munna is innocent, hard working, satiates his rich housewife client, saves drunkards lying by railway tracks and lends money to needy friend. Salim (Danish Hussain) is his best friend and sole confidant till he meets Shai.

Shai (Monica Dogra) is an investment banker settled in US who comes to Mumbai on a sabbatical to pursue her passion in photography. Like many NRIs or foreigners visiting India, her subject lies in the pictures of reality or so to say the images of non-prosperity and the nations core -- dhobi ghaats, fish markets, crowded streets or rat-killers. She befriends Munnai who becomes her guide as well as model for first photo-shoot assignment. But there is someone else who defines her stay in the city -- a man she had met and slept during her early days in the city " a man she is besotted with -- Arun.

Arun (Aamir Khan) is divorced, recluse, whimsical and above all a painter. Away from his wife and son (who are now settled in Australia) Arun lives his unapologetically lonely life through his sketch-board and visions. He listens to Hindustani classical, smokes incessantly, mixes whisky with rain-water and occasionally sleeps with his manager Vatsala (Kitu Gidwani). Shifted to a new flat on Md Ali Road, his focal point in life suddenly shifts when he comes across a few belongings of the previous dwellers in the apartment. He turns on the tape non-chalantly but almost instantly gets hooked to it. He meets his muse whom he is willing to share with none -- Yasmin.

Like others in the game, Yasmin Noor (Kriti Malhotra) is also a loner -- in her case it is out of compulsion and not choice. She comes to Mumbai as chirpy young housewife but the stay in the city gradually changes her life as well as her nature. She survives through her camera, her sole companion amidst an isolated life. Petite to the extent of being fragile, her story is almost like a video diary containing letters said to her brother residing in Malihabad, UP. She captures little details of her life including the visit to Marine drive, the old silent neighbour to even the maid Latabai and her daughter. Her track is the most poignant one in the film and you cant help but get drawn like a voyeur into her life, similarly as Arun does.

Yes, it takes a little while before letting you have a grip over the flow but almost without notice, you are drawn into the lives of the four almost witnessing it happen before your eyes.

The film has plenty of instances which are so real that they seem to have been lifted from your life. To count a few would start with the instance where Shais maid serves tea to her and Munna. Yasmins recording is very natural, especially when she talks to the maid and her daughter. The way the girl proclaims her English medium education, recites Alfred Tennyson's "The Brook" but shies away from dancing is endearing. Aruns involvement with the tapes and his bursting out of the home in the end are brilliant. Watch out for the sequence when Munna rubbishes the idea of a unique portfolio and demands one to be done in a studio, and Shai checking him out when he poses shirtless. The tacit sexual energies between Munna and Shai are beautifully portrayed even to little nuances like when he guards her with an arm while they walk on Md Ali Street. The last scene where Munna runs along the congested street to give Aruns new address to Shai is an icing on the cake.

Yes, the film does have its corners about which you can complain or question. When the director had been so clear right from the beginning that it was an art film and meant for a particular class, then what was the necessity of an altogether Hindi version? The dubbing in certain scenes look extremely out of the place and your attention shifts to the fact that the lips dont sync with dialogues. It is tough to imagine a rookie like Yasmin deftly managing camera in one hand and writing on the sand with another. Or would a person who bathes by the train lines wear a towel while putting on his shorts, that too within in his room, especially when he is already wearing boxers under? But these are little blemishes. Perhaps, I noticed these stuffs because the remaining parts were so real.

Aamir Khan underplays his role brilliantly. He brings out the whims of an artist and obsession with his new muse to amazing impact. Kriti Malhotra lends an amazing simplistic charm to her story. Despite the fact that her track is independent of the rest and primarily based on her monologue, not for one moment could you feel bored. She brought Yasmin out of the tapes and almost to life. Such was the mystique of her character that I could feel myself in Aruns place and equally besotted with the tapes and her entity. Monica Dogra as the confused Shai is first rate. She is fascinated with Aruns persona but there is a part of her which strongly feels for Munna. Her tears in the final scene bring out the dilemma and make you feel for her. In fact, the ease with which she shuttles between the painter and the dhobi amazes you. Last, but not the least, is Prateik as the Bihar expat washerman who has no qualms of not being with his family. He is the soul of the film. Perhaps thats the reason why the makers titled the movie Dhobi Ghaat coz I couldnt find any other reason. As Aamir and Kiran have been rightly claiming, Prateik is a revelation in the film. If you liked him as the crackpot brother in Jaane Tu, you will love him here. Cant point one instance where he excels because he does so throughout. The supporting cast are decent.

A critique to this film wont be complete without mentioning the ones who worked on it and not in it. Tushar Kanti Ray lends an amazing vision through his lenses. Dynamic yet stoic, the camera movements in the film lend a distinct angle to Kiran Raos storytelling. He portrays Mumbai in such a way that the city comes out to become a separate entity here. After Rajkumar Guptas Aamir, this one presents the heart of the metropolis and makes you move along with the characters. Heres a new cinematographer to look out for. The production design and art direction are well done. The setting in Munnas chawl is just wonderful. Gustavo Santaolalla, the two time Academy Award winner for Babel and Brokeback Mountain, lends an amazing edge with his tunes which gel beautifully with the movie. Just wish the bgm had been more generously used.

Kiran Raos directorial debut will surely bring her a lot of critical acclaim but the same cannot be said for sure about the commercial success. The film is intended only towards the urban intelligentsia and below it, the acceptance might be less. It is a slice of life and so those who enter a theatre hoping for hardcore entertaining script will be disappointed. But those who like seamless hyper-linked stories which peep into lives without dwelling in them or being judgemental about those, will surely love it.

The characters and instances will grow with time. Heres raising a glass of Jack to the new maker on the block. Cheers!
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Circa 2008Kiran: Finally, Imran has been launched. What a launch jaanu. Kudos to you for being a responsible uncle and taking care of every small d... read more

Circa 2008

Kiran: Finally, Imran has been launched. What a launch jaanu. Kudos to you for being a responsible uncle and taking care of every small detail for his launch. Am sure he will be a big star just like you.
Aamir: Yes, yes. Thanks darling. But even Mansoor did a good job, leaving Bangalore and coming down to help. Very good. This is .hmm..brilliant. Just wish Luck works now for him too.
Kiran: Jaanu, I have been thinking since some time, now that you have even launched Imran, what about my project? You know the, script which I gave you a year ago?
Aamir: Oh, that. Yes yes, we can..we should, but I feel you need to work a bit more on the script. It is too pat. Everything is too coincidental in it. Plus whom are you planning to cast?
Kiran: well, I have had it enough with you and your need to work on the script a bit more. You know I also have aspirations and it is high time I take the step forward to prove my mettle as a director.
Aamir: yes, but have you found any producers to back you on this?
Kiran: Well I did speak to a few and they seem to share your views only. Lack of creative people around you see. Just cannot understand my vision. They want another Jaane tu from me. They just dont understand what I have to go through. NO ONE DOES! Just wish I had enough clout and resources to produce it on my own, atleast I would not have been at the mercy of everyone around. Sob, sob,sob.
Aamir: Oh oh, dont cry now. Relax baby. Okay, this is what we will do, from what I make of it, the story of four leading characters whose paths cross each other, with the back drop of Mumbai is now done to death. But if this is the best you can do, then we will have to do it my way. I will produce the film, I will play the painter, we will shoot it like that recent film, hmmm, Aamir, was shot, guerilla style, without people realizing that we are shooting. We will promote it in the festival circuits first, then postpone the release, so it adds to the hype of the film and then release it saying, it is not meant for the masses.
Kiran: But it is! How can you say that?
Aamir: you have to understand, you have to play the media. The minute I say this, the media will go to town trying to tear me down, saying I manipulate the media and the audiences etc. Will add to hype. Otherwise no one will come to see the film. also, I suggest I play the painter, Arun, so it will get an initial too.

I guess, this is how this film must have got its go ahead from the ever perfectionist, Aamir Khan. Otherwise, seeing his career graph in the new millennium, his selection process and choice of scripts, he would have never green lighted this project!

2011 - Dhobi Ghat Mumbai Diaries

Editing by Nishat Radhakrishnan is the first killer here. For a much publicized 95 minute film, it is way too long. It takes its own sweet time to start off, so by the time the 4 stories, of which only the stories of the 2 muses have any sort of conclusion, reach their pinnacle, the viewer has lost interest. Too many stock shots of Mumbai and its underbelly, shown through the beautiful lens of Shai, loses the desired impact.

Tushar Kanti Rays filming of Mumbai is brilliant. Thats where the films main focus seems to have been, to get a beautifully shot product. The scene where Munnai is patching his leaking roof in the Mumbai monsoon, with the 2 parallel trains in the background is one such example.

The fatal wound inflicted is by the script writer / director Kiran Rao. The lack of script in the film makes one wonder why did she opt for a subject which must have seemed new when she must have seen Life in a Metro in 2007. A lot is left for the viewer to accept as cinematic liberties. The hint of Munna being a part time gigolo for example. Coupled with the fact that the directors focus seems to have been more on reality (the blemishes on Shais face towards the end, could be assumed to be due to the anxiety that she has gone through the past few days, searching for Arun & Munna.) I just wish, with the amount of effort that they put in the research of the city, could have been put into the scripting also.

The background score by Academy Award Winner, Gustav Santaolalla (Babel, Brokeback Mountain) is sparingly, but well used. Just wish the theme of the film, which is used in the trailers, could have been used more.

Monica Dogra as Shai, the investment banker on a sabbatical, is pleasant. Her initial exasperation at Aruns rebuttal, the helplessness at Munnas disappearance is very realistic. She looks and lives Shai, be it her accent, her attire, her attitude.

Kriti Malhotra as Yasmin, is the only emotional connect in the film. Her transformation from the happy, bubbly new migrant to the sad, waiting, resigned resident is good. But after a point, one can and does predict how her story will end.

Prateik is the star of the film. A solid follow up to the debut in Jaane Tu.. His rendition of Munna, the dhobi, Munna the Bollywood aspirant, Munna the newly infatuated loverboy and eventually the Munna, who has accepted life, Mumbai and reality is first rate. His Darbhanga Bihari accent, his sculpted physique, the fear in his eyes when Shai spots him in his night job, sublime. Truly reminds one of the performer, his mother was.

Aamir Khan, the suave, Gold Flake smoking, JD drinking artist is again at his natural best. Be it his reluctance in socialising in the art gallery, or refusing Vatsalana (Kitu Gidwani)s advances. But the scene stealer is his realization of the eventual fate of his muse and his helplessness at that. Touch of a genius. Also, he does prove another thing with this film, not only is he a good actor, he is also a very loving husband.

Does it have The Y Factor :NO

Rating :4/10
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An NRI with a camera in hand, a street urchin with searing ambition in his heart, a brooding painter whose life lacks colors of the brighter tones,... read more

An NRI with a camera in hand, a street urchin with searing ambition in his heart, a brooding painter whose life lacks colors of the brighter tones, and a yearning woman, trying to escape the realities of her existence. Four lives the maximum city, trying to make sense of whatever the city throws at them. Dhobi Ghat is perhaps the most definitive film on Mumbai, and modern urban Indian life.

The film is clinical and stark. Kiran Raos debut effort draws you into the lives of her four characters with the stealth and expertise of a voyeur, never too far to miss the spicy dirty details, yet not so close as to get noticed and entangled in the ensuing mess.

As the four lives cross paths, the city of Mumbai and its ruthless chaos takes centre stage.

Each story is a metaphor for what the city represents. None is black or white; every character revels in the grey shade they are painted with. Be it Aruns self obsession with his art and sadness, or Munnas urge to make it big on the silver screen, Yasmins silent cries for escape, and the unintended arrogance and selfishness of Shia, all have flaws, yet endear themselves to the audience.

A reflection of our won lives and selves perhaps, watching them negotiate Mumbai and its ways, is at times, so eerily close to home, that one actually feels a chill run down the spine.

Prateik, Monica and Kriti, form the backbone of the film, with their effortless and nuanced performances. Prateik, as Munna, who admires his sculpted physique in the mirror or Shia, who roams the streets with a camera oblivious of the pain and harshness that her lenses capture, are brilliant and offer rare cinematic moments of our times.

Amir Khan reinforces his primacy as the most cerebral actor around, with his understated and strong portrayal. It is to his great credit that never through the film does he overshadow any of the co-actors, the story, or the directors vision, blending effortlessly into the films colors.

Above everything else, Dhobi Ghats real strength is the tone of the film. It is unhurried,confident and very personal, the characters are comfortable with their nature, flawed or otherwise. It doesnt question the city of Mumbai and its methods,instead goes forward with the story in a very casual matter-of-fact manner.

Kiran Raos debut is a commendable effort. The film heralds the arrival of a new voice, a voice that is rough, authoritative and in-your-face, yet never once loud and garish. At a running length of 95 mins, it is also a very crisp voice. A definitive film this one is, miss it at your own risk.
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