Os Sete Estágios do Amor

A sequel of the 2010 hit Ishqiya, 'Dedh Ishqiya', written & directed by Abhishek Chaubey, is A Brilliant Film! A top-notch screenplay along-with fantastic direction & stellar performances, make this one a massive winner!

'Dedh Ishqiya' Synopsis: Two wanted con-men fall in love, while on the run. Trouble follows...

'Dedh Ishqiya' is gripping & arresting. The characters are well-written, the poems are perfectly pitched in the narrative & the sequences, most of them, are hugely impressive. The romance works, the humor works & the thrills work. In short, Abhishek Chaubey's Screenplay is top-notch. A special mention for the wonderful dialogue written by Vishal Bhardwaj.

Abhishek Chaubey's Direction, on the other-hand, is fantastic. He captures each moment with flourish. Cinematography is royal, just like the film's mood. Editing is pretty sharp. Art & Costume Design, are appropriate. Music by Bhardwaj is melodious.

Performance-Wise: Naseeruddin Shah & Arshad Warsi reprise their roles from the prequel & they are in complete form. Naseer is endearing, while Arshad is simply flawless. Also, The on-screen chemistry between Naseer & Arshad, is magical. Madhuri does a commendable job. She carries off her part with grace & elegance. Huma Qureshi is splendid. Vijay Raaz is outstanding as the menace. His performance stands out. Manoj Pahwa is excellent.

On the whole, 'Dedh Ishqiya' works big time!

Like Khulujaan I am also a patient of love, in love with Good cinema & was thirsting to see a good Hindi cinema for the last four months. Finally my thirst got quenched by Dedh Ishqiya.

What was expected from this sequel (or predecessor as one of my friend rightly pointed) – the likable camaraderie between Khalujan & Babban; impeccable comic timing of Nasseruddin Shah & (under-rated as always) Arshad Warsi; dark quirky humor; shayerana Ada; katilana femme-fa tale; crime amidst rustic old-world romance; manipulative characters... You will get to see all of these, probably dedh goona zyada (1 n ½ times more)...

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This stylishly written twisted comic thriller scores with its absorbing narrative & well edged characters that keep you hooked to the proceedings & there's rich cinematography to compliment it. With the plot revolving around poets wooing the begum you can blindly expect some captivating sher shayaris & the film scores here as well. Luckily for the ignoramus lot (like me) SUBTITLES were thrown in to grasp the "lufth" of the Urdu mehfil.

The dialog by Vishal Bhardwaj are wacky & intelligent as the Characters wittily play with words; nowadays that's something as rare as searching for logic in a 200cr film. Kudos to Bhardwaj & Abhishek Chaubey for the screenplay; & obviously Gulzar Saab for the lyrics.. The background music is one of the most effective ones in any recent Hindi films.. Prasad' editing & Pande's cinematography worked magically just like Khulujan-baaban (or Para-Muniya) combo that uplifted the mood of the film.

And yes this time you have two Begums with the power to bring out a shayer in every Men with no hormonal infirmity... Madhuri Dixit - Nene & Huma Qureshi, ufffffff!!!!!! (And Madhuri mesmerizes in two dance sequences)... Both of them did justice to finely written strong female characters that's also an aberration to usual stuff served to us off-late. The lesbian angle depicted through shadows was a masterstroke... Mr Chaubey, looking forward to see more films from you...

Naseeruddin & Warsi are rock solid as usual. Manoj Pahwa & Salman Shahid gave commendable support in their respective cameos.

And then there's Vijay Raaz , one of the finest & under-utilized actors of Indian cinema who seemingly lighten up in every scene as Wannabe Nawab Jaan Mohd.. If he would have been in the west then Coen brothers would have surely lapped him...& academy would have been waiting for him..

And talking about Coen brothers, the film does seem to be heavily inspired from their films specially the one where Jaan's henchmen & Khalujan-Babban points guns at each other for the whole night in the middle of a road till dawn breaks in. The two parties parted off only when they heard an assembly prayer coming from a primary school near-by. And the brilliant action sequence in the climax, where we get to hear a haunting classical song playing in the background & things happening in a slow motion. The sequence was a tribute to Coens as well as Tarantino at the same time..

To sum it up I would quote a line from one of the leading Indian critic's review - "Like heady wine, it delivers a welcome kick."..

To all those who complains of dearth of Good Hindi films give Dedh Ishqiya a shot, u might not regret it....This is called "Intelligent Entertainment"...

P. S : The 6th stage of Love is Junoon which is similar to "chutiyapa" as it's followed by Maut..well suicide as some wise guy said...

Vishal Bharadwaj's Dedh Ishqiya offers legendary Maduri Dixit the perfect platform for a comeback. Arshad Warsi and Naseeruddin Shah as Babban and Khaalu are entertaining as they were in Ishqiya. Their chemistry is cracking, sizzling, an absolute delight to watch. Madhuri Dixit-Nene is ethereal and absolutely ageless as Begum Para. When you watch her on screen dancing and singing, it's almost like you are savoring a glass of good wine that lingers delightfully on your palate.

Huma Qureshi holds her own amidst a set of great actors. Director, Abhishek Chaubey creates a grander plot this time as the story, plot, look, feel, characters and music are interwoven intricately.

Possibly the best Bollywood sequel ever made.

I was skeptical about this one due to couple of reasons. The first ishqiya had a confusing plot (while interesting) and Vishal Bhardwaj is known for darker movies based on his previous work (kaminey, omkara). But dedh ishqiya is neither dark nor confusing. The plot is a lot more linear keeping the audience interested and gripped. The movie was surprisingly hilarious. I found myself laughing out loud on several occasions.

The chemistry between the actors, Naseerudin Shah and Arshad is fantastic. Not enough could be said about Madhuri who makes a sizzling come-back. Huma is good as well.

All in all, Dedh Ishqiya is a complete film filled with a great script, taunt execution and tantalizing performances. The only drawback is the Urdu dialogues which I found to be acceptable due to the Nawaby setting but may not sit well with some viewers. If you are in the mood for comedy, thriller or even romance, don't miss Dedh Ishqiya!! 9/10

@in2deepjagani

Dedh Ishqiya is cleverly written and brilliantly executed; it is the perfect comeback vehicle and tribute to the only true screen goddess Madhuri Dixit.

Apart from Madhuri's heartfelt performance, Dedh Ishqiya will always be remembered and referenced for its brilliant direction and storytelling. The movie is smarter, funnier, richer, and way more gorgeous than its prequel Ishqiya. The writing is brilliant, screenplay immaculate, and direction flawless. Dialogues were quirky and all the lead as well as the supporting actors performed really well. Kudos to the director.

Now speaking about the main attraction and the lead character of this movie Madhuri Dixit who essays the role of Begum Para, one has to admit that she was, is, and will remain THE BEST actress as long as Indian cinema exists. Her luminous smile enchants, her dance captivates, and her mischievous glance casts spell magic on audience.

They say the soul that sees beauty may sometimes walk alone..I never got it until I watched Madhuri Dixit in Dedh Ishqiya. And it is apt to say "Always pray to have eyes that see the best, a heart that forgives the worst, a mind that forgets the bad, and a soul that never loses faith in God".

Don't miss the rare opportunity to watch this gem of a movie and the timeless Madhuri Dixit.