My two cents on Dhobi Ghat / Mumbai Diaries!!

Did you see Dhobi Ghat yet?

Nope? Yes?

If yes, did you like it?

If not, please do let me know whether you liked it if you are planning on watching it.

Why I am saying this is because I saw a lot of mixed reviews, comments and opinions about the movie. And some of them plainly just did not make sense. But then, like they say, to each his own!! I watched it last weekend and I loved the movie. For a lot of reasons. And they are all my personal opinions … in fact more than reasons, they are simple nuances that I liked in the movie and to me, these are what made the movie much more enjoyable than anything else.

In case you haven’t watched it yet, fair warning!! There might be spoilers ahead!!

The point that struck me the most about the movie was that there was no definitive beginning or end to any of the 4 stories shown in the movie. It was almost as though the director just decided to show snippets of their lives and picked up their story at some point and dropped it at another point. And so for that matter, you do not know what Shai is going to do with Arun’s address or whether Munna will meet her again or if Arun is ever going to go to Sydney for that exhibition… they are all left for the viewer to guess …

The stories were interconnected in a very graceful way, … It seemed very natural and not clichéd or put there just to make sure that the stories could be made to connect. I have always loved the whole concept of 3-4 stories in a movie and the stories being brought together at some point where the characters’ lives intersect… I thought it was done beautifully in this movie.

I do not like Mumbai as a city. It left a bad taste in my mouth, after I spent 8 weeks there on my summer project. The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of Mumbai is crowds! And so much so that just thinking about it gives me a bit of claustrophobia. But there are people who swear by their love for the city and for the person it lets you be. A lot of my friends are from there or are living there. And until now, at least for me, Mumbai never felt so appealing for me to go back there for a second stint or to know more about it. I felt it was beautifully captured, some in black and white and some in bursts of color.

Prateik Babbar is one guy to watch out for. What a contrast from his character in Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na!! And awesome acting! It’s not hard to see where the acting stems from. Right from the beginning, he owns every scene he is in. His expressions when Shai tells him that he is very handsome are so sweet. Shy and innocent. Brilliant!

I read reviews where people said Aamir Khan was a misfit in the movie. I do not think so. It’s a refreshing change to see him being part of a story instead of being the story himself. As usual, he was very good in the movie and exceptional in some of the scenes. One of them especially is the one where he discovers that Yasmin’s video diaries are about to end … you can see his eagerness / impatience to see if there’s anything more that she might have said…anything else that she might have recorded.. Finally drawing upon the conclusion of what might have happened to her.

The final painting of the lady half shadowed by the hues was breath-taking!! It was done very well. Kudos to the artist!! Overall, it’s the kind of film that makes you think. But in a random way, just like the movie! And it’s a refreshing change from all the masala movies that we have been subjected to over the past few months barring Peepli Live.

Kiran Rao, you have talent lady! And I hope you put it to good use!! :-)