Dhobi Ghat

First of all this movie will not appeal the regular Hindi movie audiences who would like to see a hero and a heroine and a romanticism growing with elements of beautiful songs and music. Sorry guys, this is not for you. It will appear tremendously boring for those (Most of the reviews will tell the story).

Just change the setting and location, this movie will become a Hollywood movie (Art Type). There is no hero or heroine in the movie. It is a tale of 4 people, their lifestyle, and Mumbai's rapidly disappearing living history. The idea of the movie is little ahead of the regular audiences.

If you are into Art Films, watch this and enjoy every bits and pieces. If you do not understand art, please never try to watch this movie.

"Mumbai Diaries" is a very, very unusual Indian film. For those familiar with Bollywood films, you might expect a lot different movie than you get. There are no song and dance numbers. There are no film clichés or formulas. And, there is no real resolution to the characters and their problems. This is NOT a complaint--I liked the film--but I just want you to understand that "Omkara" is not what you are probably expecting.

The film, not surprisingly, is set in Mumbai (Bombay). The story is about four people who are, in their own way, alienated. One is an artist who is afraid of commitment, another is a slightly out of touch American of Indian descent, another is a very poor man and the final one is a woman on videotapes--and you never actually get to see her live in the film. I could say a lot more about it, but frankly it's best to just watch the film and see it unfold. Because of excellent acting, the vague script manages to satisfy. Well worth seeing.

Let me start by saying that if you were expecting Transformers, this movie is not for you. If instead, you find yourself in a quiet room with the patience to watch something intelligent, then this would be your cup of masala chai :) Anything I say about this movie will not be enough to praise its quality. I have to go back and watch it a couple more times, before I have anything insightful to say. But I must say something, because of the way in which this movie has touched me.

I had grown jaded over the past few years, looking at the quality of movies being released in Bollywood. I would start a movie only to find myself bored by the same age-old clichés. So my expectations weren't very high when I started this one. But by the end of it I was sitting up straight, with my hands in a praying pose, watching with the utmost concentration. I guess I see a little bit of myself in Arun and Shai. I also sometimes think about the people that we the privileged don't see in our daily lives. The builders who build skyscrapers, yet have no place to call home. The dhobis who clean other people's clothes, yet hardly have any themselves. Kiran Rao does an amazing job of taking all these elements and representing them in the form of video, photography, art and music. There are coincidences and small clichés, but they aren't as blatantly idiotic as in other movies.

There is poetry in this movie about the privileged, the loved, the lost and the city that is Mumbai. One of my favorite movies of all time. I'm definitely going to keep an eye out for Kiran Rao and Aamir Khan productions.

What prompted me to write this review is the kind of negativity this movie has received from reviewers on IMDb. I understand that every review written here is an honest opinion, but the number of 1 out of 10 scores I have come across from people who also had time to write a review amazes me. I have taken time to read most of the reviews and I see that they were all disappointed with the movie not featuring Aamir over other actors. I have one thing to say to all of them, THIS MOVIE IS NOT ABOUT AAMIR KHAN!!! There is much more this movie has to offer than Aamir and don't downvote the movie for such a silly reason.

I once watched a movie called "Adrift in Manhattan", was reminded a lot about it while watching Dhobi Ghat. Yes, the concept of Dhobi Ghat isn't fresh if you have seen many American Independent (Indie) flicks, but it was a courageous attempt if we are talking about Indian Cinema where mass masala has become the recipe for success again. The major thing about this style of directing is that you are either a fan of it or you aren't.

This movie does not focus on a burning controversy, nor does it focus on a love couple and certainly does not focus on a one man army daring to bring down the corrupt government. It focuses on 4 common individuals and the common events that happen over a span of few days in their lives. Nothing out of the ordinary happens, just some interesting encounters with people and places which is what the movie is all about. The beauty of the movie lies in how beautifully the writer/director allows the characters to develop based on day to day events. It is so fresh to see this in Indian cinema, I cannot believe such a thing isn't being appreciated.

Another major reason this movie is under-appreciated is the fact that you aren't escaping into alternate reality by watching the characters of this movie. The average movie goers, no matter what the nationality is, wants to imagine himself as a guy making beautiful girls fall for him or acquire power or even be an agent of chaos. Watching movies has been the best tool for such a thing, but in this movie, most of the Indian populace would feel like looking into their own lifestyles. Does not sit well with average movie fans, which is why even in Hollywood, movies such as Taxi Driver and The Machinist are critically acclaimed, but not well reviewed by general audience. Of course, over time once the movies age like fine wine, people will realize the kind of masterpiece of Indian Cinema this movie is, like the world appreciated aforementioned Hollywood flicks.

I don't know why people are disappointed with Aamir Khan. Does his presence mean his character is supposed to do something extraordinary? For the character he was asked to portray, which I admit could have been pulled off with ease by several others, Aamir did perfect justice. What else is left to complain about? Aamir was fresh as ever to me, and the new faces added to my delight. Really talented bunch that pulled an easy job effortlessly. Overall, I would not suggest this movie to the casual audience, by casual I mean the ones mostly into blockbusters. This movie is more for serious movie goers who mainly are accustomed to the independent Hollywood flicks which really introduced to us great actors such as Christian Bale, Edward Norton and Ryan Gosling in recent years.

Lo and behold, there's a new talent on the director's chair. Take a bow, Kiran Rao, this is one of the best directorial debuts ever.

Dhobhi Ghat is a scholar's (Kiran Rao) dedication to its muse (Mumbai). A savoury ode to one's fetishes. A philosopher's view of the contradictions of our civilization. And a guiltless acceptance of one's harmless pursuits. There is no scepticism in Rao's love for the city. It's pure and unconditional. That is why she chose "Dil tadap tadap ke keh raha hai aa bhi ja" as the song to describe her feelings.

He meets her, she meets him and he meets Yasmin. There's no beginning. There's no end. There's a journey that goes, ripping the obstacles around it, while walking, sipping a cuppa tea, smelling the fragrance of flowers and hacking the caustic forces in form of cruel changes before they suck our passion.

The editor's chopping table called for a sacrifice; as a result, the fifth character, that of the labourer, went away. One may call it a mistake, but perhaps it was influenced by the ruthless impatience of today's young breed.

We all know Prateik had talent. We all saw how he turned an unlikeable introvert from Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na into a lovable character. This time he submits himself to his character of Munna, a ghetto boy. Never do you feel that he is the MTV-watching yuppie. The ode to Salman Khan, the Khan of all seasons, is a masterstroke. How could Munna be a fan of anyone else, other than the 'Bhaijaan' of the Hindi film industry? Monica Dogra is impressive. She underplays herself so well. We need to see more of her. Kirti Malhotra (Yasmin) is a talent to watch out for.

Now on to the biggie: Aamir Khan. He is the only mainstream actor, a man of the classes and the masses, who'd have the guts to be a part of a cinema like this where he is basically a supporting character, free from any starry traits. This character is the opposite of what he played in Ghajini. There he played it to the gallery with aplomb. Here he's restrained, virtually immersed in the background. He talks less, thinks more. For those not used to subtle acting, this performance of Aamir warrants a repetitive viewing to get the notes correctly.

Here lies a cathartic passion of finding one's inner-self in Mumbai Diaries. In many ways, it's a kind of a love story where one doesn't realises that one is in love till years go by -- an unchanging soul of one's life. It grows on you like a fine malt.