Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon!

Director Chandan Arora hits gold with his debut film, Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon, an unusual, self-reflexive look at Bollywood's reality versus its public image and the dreams it fosters.

The story concerns an innocent girl named Chukti (Antara Mali), who lives in the farming village hinterlands of India and who loves the work of Bollywood star Madhuri Dixit. Most of the village turns out during their free time to watch the latest films on a makeshift screen in a makeshift theater. Chukti has a talent for mimicking Dixit, a fact she exploits by putting on public performances of her own--dancing on a small stage to Dixit songs playing on a boom-box.

Chukti dreams of moving to Mumbai and becoming a film heroine. Of course her parents are traditional, so they won't hear anything of it. When they realize she's serious enough to consider running away, they plan to marry her off as soon as possible.

Enter Rajeshwar Singh (Rajpal Yadav). He's the only person in the village who sincerely believes in Chukti, and he's also in love with her, although she seems oblivious to it--she only cares about becoming a star. He suggests that if he can talk his father into arranging a marriage between them (which they'll keep secretly platonic), he'll take her to Mumbai as his wife. There, they can pursue Chukti's dream.

The bulk of the film is about Chukti trying to make it in Bollywood. The dramatic hinge is the clash of her dreams with the realities of the film business and big city life.

This is a unique film in that it forgoes many of the staples of the Bollywood genre. Yes, there are songs, there is a romance of sorts, and there is even a kind of love triangle, but these are all very unusually incorporated. The songs are exclusively present for realistic, dramatic purposes. Songs only appear when characters are engaging in stage performances, "celebrations" with music, film performances, and so on. Arora always has the music at a level of remove--we're watching people watching or engaging in performances.

The romance aspect is almost exclusively implicit. There is something of a resolution to it in the end, but the resolution is extremely subtle--it basically amounts to a character putting on a piece of jewelry, and the action easily enables multiple interpretations.

The "love triangle" takes place between the party who "secretly" loves Chutki and a party who is only trying to manipulate her dreams to take advantage of her. It is resolved in an incredibly powerful dramatic moment that in a lesser film would be followed up with a clichéd vengeance subplot. Here, it's not brought up again--this says much more than the stereotype would.

"Incredible dramatic power" is apt for much of the film, even though there are extended comedic segments, as well. Most of Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon is constructed more like a tragedy with brief comic relief. All of the plot developments are very realistic. And as such, the theme of the film is often a "necessary medicine" disillusioning from unrealistic dreams.

Some might think it is a flaw that most characters are slightly caricatured in the film. However, it is not as if there aren't people in the real world like this. There is no shortage of the relatively naïve, coming from the heartland to Los Angeles, New York City, and presumably Mumbai, hoping to make it big in a stroke, yet having very little knowledge of how the arts and entertainment industries work. For another example, it's certainly not the case only in fiction that some parents are bilked out of money via funding requests from their offspring for non-existent projects and studies.

That the film is so unique should be expected once one realizes that it was produced by Ram Gopal Varma. Varma is well known for advocating breaks from various Bollywood traditions that have become clichéd. He's made films completely void of musical numbers. He's made films without romance elements. He's made films with vastly different pacing and plot structures than the typical Bollywood film. There's nothing wrong with the traditional Bollywood formula, except that variety is necessary. Varma is doing much to set the Indian film industry on the right road in that regard.

So it's fitting that Varma is behind this well-acted, well-directed, well-photographed, etc. film that looks at Bollywood with a critical eye. It is just as intriguing for its insights into the real world of film-making as it is for its plot about Chukti and Raja. Varma and Arora show us that often, a director is more someone who merely tries to keep a lid on burgeoning chaos, partially emerging from underlings who'll make stupid decisions in an attempt to please, and partially from "grunts" who don't know what the heck they're doing. They show us the complicated world of agents who mean well, but who have to be shysters a bit because it's in the job description. They show us how catty and competitive other entertainers can be. They show us the realities of working one's way up. They show us the difference between image, such as the idea that Bollywood, or even Hollywood, is some kind of glamorous, unified entity, and the scattered, somewhat grungy reality--Chukti and Raja have to live in a rat-hole, next door to someone who has been involved with over 50 films, and some participants don't even live in the same country. They show us how important it is to learn to take rejection. They show us a transparent look at studio guards and security. They show us that manipulative/exploitative fraud isn't limited to the entertainment industry. And so on.

Whether you just want a unique, humorous, powerful and moving film about charming characters, or an "inside" look at the film industry, or a bit of both, Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon fits the bill.

Terrific movie! And completely unexpected with unforgettable performances from Antara Mali and Rajpal Yadav. People do not give Antara Mali enough credit and type cast her as a wanna be Urmila Matondkar and Toy of Ram Gopal Varma. I've not seen her latest offerings yet (Nach and Gayab) which I understand are the eye of storms, however, she did her homework for this role of an innocent and naive village girl with huge aspirations and pulled it off perfectly.

Not to mention, she does a terrific Madhuri Dixit! I'm sure Mrs. Nene herself would approve

In the meantime, Rajpal Yadav brings a character to life that the audience can not help but identify with and root for. You really wish that his lovable underdog will get the girl! The cutesy chemistry of the two is enough to recommend this movie.

Add to this a refreshingly original storyline and Ram Gopal Varma's slick and tight style of film making, and you have a cute, feel good, and surprisingly fun movie to watch.

Pace of movie is so much fast of the movie. Women with ambitious dreams to become actor is not a easy task there are lots of struggles involved in this process. Where uncertainty waits for you. Its an optimistic movie.

Today, most people suppress their desires and wishes thinking they are ridiculous or unrealistic, but Antra Mali's character pursues her dreams of becoming a popular actress like her idol, Madhuri Dixit. It was nice to see the opposite of the movie star prototype take the male lead in this film. A 4-foot, nonmuscular, humble, and shy man proves himself a worthy actor. However, the amount he supports, encourages, and sacrifices for Antra in the movie I don't think any man can do in the real world, sorry to say.

Chandan Arora and Ram Gopal Verma team up and deliver a funny, endearing, touching, subtle and sincere little gem ironically titled 'Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon!'. The film shows the many shades of the Hindi film industry both through a fantasy-like perspective (the way Chutki sees it) and a realistic perspective (the way Chutki and Raj experience it) but most of it is done in a subtle way and the humour really balances the tension in the film.

The triangle love story between Chutki, Raj and the film industry is also wonderfully downplayed. There is no typical 'I Love You' scene or a scene where Raj acts out his jealousy. Raj clearly loves Chutki and his principle priority is her happiness. Chutki's first love is the movies but she eventually grows to love Raj after realizing the sacrifices he has made to make her dream come true.

Makrand Deshpande deserves credit for coming up with the story idea. The multi-dimensional screenplay is very strong. Director Arora has a strength for telling stories about the common people. He has further demonstrated this in the charming 'Main, Meri Patni Aur Woh'. Very few directors can tell such stories with conviction.

The songs are quite well-presented. They're not used in typical Bollywood fashion. They add to the fantasy element of the film. The cinematography is good too and lighting works brilliantly. The editing crew has done a fine job and the film flows fluidly.

Antara Mali delivers a mind-blowing nuanced performance. She completely owns Chutki and does a fine job of mimicking Madhuri Dixit. The 'Madhuri' sequences are suitably brief and Mali gives Chutki a unique personality. Rajpal Yadav is terrific. He conveys Raj's unconditional love for Chutki with ease and an endearing subtlety. Govind Namdeo shows a flair for comedy as the hilarious agent. The supporting cast is pretty solid.

'Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon!' is another gem produced by the Ram Gopal Verma factory. It has charm. It's got humour. It's fantastical and real and above all, it has heart.