When it comes to movies, I somehow standout from the crowd. Many movies which have been panned critically and/or popularly, somehow have ended up appealing to my senses. Saawariya, and Raavan being the most glaring examples. Another one, which I just saw again today, lazing on the couch in the afternoon on account of Eid holiday, is Delhi 6. I saw this movie when I was in Pondicherry, and the only reason was the name. I used to be so Delhi-sick during those two years that anything even remotely related to Delhi was more than enough to lure me towards it. And needless to say, I fell in love with it. I always held this grudge against Bollywood for never paying a fitting homage to Delhi, while Mumbai has had plenty, especially in the form of this timeless ode from CID. However, Delhi 6 paid enough compliments to the city to fill that void a bit. Now those who like to keep up to date with worthless piece of trivia about movies would instantly point out that huge portions of the movie were shot in Jaipur, and not actual Delhi. But then, some bits were shot in Delhi, and overall, the spirit of the city was represented in all its glory and disgrace.Okay, I won't let this post too turn into an ode to Delhi.
So as I saw Delhi 6, it just struck me as a wonderful exercise in introspection. The movie was so well made, an old story so intelligently told in the mould of contemporary Indian society while simultaneously drawing parallels with the mother of all Indian tales, the evergreen Ramayan. And it definitely has to go down in history as one of the most beautifully shot and conceived movies, even if only for the song Dil gira dafatan.
Just see the video if you haven't and you'll see what I mean (hopefully). The juxtaposition of Delhi and New York to depict the central character's dilemma of dual belonging is masterpiece. The all too familiar green CNG autos and cycle rickshaws running in Times Square, or the Statue of Liberty looking over the Jama Masjid are visuals that will stay with you for long after the movie has ended. Even otherwise, the movie provides a wonderful glimpse of the contrast between the charm of Old Delhi, and the new city which aims to be at par with the best in world, with the pride of Delhi, the metro, being used heavily. It also shows how the middle class is coping with this transition, and trying to hold on to its roots, while embracing the new.
The entire movie relies heavily on symbolism, most of it derived from drawing parallels of the storyline with the epic Ramayan. Though there is nothing new in that, the presentation, and the intelligent use of the comparison is what makes this movie stand out. Another example is using the concept of the infamous black monkey of Delhi to expose the fragility of the human boiling pot that is Delhi, or rather India. It doesn't take much for a house of cards to collapse, just like the superfluous communal harmony of our society. One spark is all it takes, to turn you against the guy you shared bread with till yesterday. The movie deals with too many issues at once, communal tensions, the casteism running in our bloods, the values and traditions of a typical Indian family which the younger generations find tough to relate to and often a roadblock in the pursuit of their dreams, media's role in the society, corruption as a way of life, the old striving to survive in face of the onslaught of the new and a thousand other small things, without ever getting preachy. Aren't our day to day lives exactly similar? All of these things play out as part of regular life everyday. And the movie shows them just as such, without being preachy. It does drag, it gets boring in patches towards the end, which does disappoint by following the regular Bollywood mould. But overall, the movie manages to deliver a powerful message - the need to introspect, look within ourselves, as a nation, as a society, and as individuals - in an entertaining fashion, with loads of symbolism thrown in, sometimes subtle, and sometimes "in your face", like the crazy man with the mirror, urging everyone to look within.
The movie doesn't belong to any particular star, it belongs to the characters, the story, the director and his treatment. Though the entire supporting cast is efficient, Divya Dutta, in her blink and miss appearance, stands out. The music by A.R. Rahman was a major hit, and deservedly labelled as one of his best ever efforts. Anyhow, I fail to understand why this amazing movie failed to capture the imagination of Bollywood aficionados. Anyway, what the hell do I know? I am the guy who liked Raavan!!