Dubai Return

A friend of mine invited us to one of the first screenings of this Bollywood nouveau-gangster comedy at the South Asian Film Festival in the East Village. This movie was surprisingly entertaining, despite blasting you with unfamiliar sights and sounds, and placing you squarely outside of your comfort zone, if you are not from South Asia. If you are not a Hindi-speaker, you probably will not be a big fan of the (oddly-colored) subtitles.

The cast in this movie is either amazing or very well directed: probably a combination of both. A special mention must go out to both Irfan and Razak, who are uncomfortably convincing in their roles, though not understanding their language, I can't be the ideal judge.

Frankly, unless you understand Hindi, this is a difficult movie to fully enjoy at the theater. Rent it out or borrow it from your Indian friends, as it definitely is worth it: a lot of laughs, originally set up and a sweet message.

Irfan Khan (Aftab Angrez) - 9/10 - Hilarious guy.

Vijay Maurya (Nandu/Johny) - 7/10 - Solid supporting guy.

Razak Khan (Khilji Bhai) - 9/10 - Freaky psycho.

Aditya Bhattacharya - 7/10 - Good job.

You have to be a Mumbaiaite to truly enjoy this film. "Curry patta in Mutton curry," "maska pao," "555 cigarette," "the chawl culture," "Sunanda," "Jaane Ja," everything is truly Mumbai. The film is hilarious - very original one-liners, insane, witty, unpredictable sequences, and great great great acting.

Much in the lines of "Jaane Bhi do Yaaro" (which perhaps is a better film) this dark, sarcastic, witty film is a fun trip. I am really waiting for the film's DVD to release so I can watch it again. Afterall, how often do I get to see such a well-made, original, brilliant piece on my very beloved "Amchi Mumbai." The film certainly deserves 8/10.