The Dirty Picture

A fat lady from a humble background struggles and succeeds into making waves for her seductive moves in the silver screen. The above sentence it self creates a lot of hype and curiosity when transformed into silver screen. But not all films are equally great on screen as it is on paper. The Dirty Picture is one such film which could have been far better if the writer chose to be more risky like Silk herself. Silk Smitha is known to almost all Indians of different age groups who have satisfied their inner fantasies through the videos of this dusky seductress of 80s.Its a huge task in bringing out a character as challenging like Silk who death was as mysterious as her life. Coming to the film let's dissect it to figure out both the extremes. What went right :- Milan Luthria and Rajat Arora were totally successful in recreating the mindless era of 80s. The aging heroes used to play college kids, the settings were outlandish, the songs were bizarre with unique blend of eccentricity in the choreography and over all executions used to be loud with capital "L" – that summarizes the 80s films. All these elements were rightly incorporated in the film. The scene were the aging hero plays the role of college student and the way director says "fine shot sir" reflects the scenario of those times. But within such setting audience used to find entertainment,entertainment and entertainment thus a new star got created. With sensuality and boldness Silk rocked the milieu and rose to peak of stardom very early in her career. The growth of Silk has been portrayed with utmost sincerity and kudos to Luhtria for casting Vidya Balan arguable the Best actress of current bollywood. Rajat Aurora should be applauded for the gutsy dialogs which forms the crux of the film and provides ample 'entertainment" to the janata. The shallowness of 80s is rightly depicted in a subtle manner and evergreen hypocrisy of Indian people has been aptly portrayed. So what went wrong? Probably to provide 'entertainment" more emphasis has been given to the dialog baazi rather than a coherent script. The characters behave in a inconsistent manner. The reason for Abraham's hatred towards Silk is not convincing and neither his change of heart. In fact Luthria's dig on art cinema seems contrived. The narrative falls in the second hour following similar cliché loop. The psychological dip of Silk was shown in a hurried manner which doesn't evoke pathos and climax is one of worst scripted in recent times. What could have been a movement transformed into plain mediocrity. Like his other films Luthria's choice of subject is superb but every time he loses the scope of a masterpiece by playing it to the gallery. Coming to the acting department Naseeruddin Shah was average as aging superstar Surya. He started off in a brilliant way but then seem to be sleep walking throughout the film. Tusshar Kapoor is wasted in a insignificant character and he didn't rise above it either. Emraan Hashmi had a half baked character but he did justice to the role of Abraham who hated Silk. In fact the conversation between Abraham and Silk brought spark on screen whenever they crossed their path. Rajesh Sharma as Silva Ganesh was superb. Earlier seen in small yet significant roles in Khosla ka ghosla and No One Killed Jessica Sharma got a meatier role here. And as the successful producer with a unique mannerism he did better than the male star cast. .. Anju Mahendra was adequate in a small role of gossip journalist.And the main hero of film is Vidya Balan. As mentioned earlier one of the fine actress of our times Vidya simply rocked as Silk. Bold, inhabited oozing out ample amount of flesh and cleavage the territory was unknown for Vidya but she did justice to the role. Credit should be given to costume designer Niharika Khan and Moiz Kapadia, Vidya never looked vulgar even though she was playing dirty. Stupendous job by Bobby Singh, whose lens never tend to titillate the audience. Under able hand and being a powerhouse of talent herself Vidya showed the energy she had within. In every screen she was looking like the character and her voice only added to the gravity. Be it in the sequence when Vidya seduces a crowd in front of the journalist's house or giving a speech in the award function she showed confidence in herself as an actress. She is bound to sweep all award for her role in this film and No one killed Jessica. The other hero of the film is "ooh la la". Sung by Bappida himself the song is a time machine ride to the by gone era. And Pony Verma's choreography had the nostalgic feeling to it. Already breaking the music charts 'ooh la la" is a phenomenon. Sadly overall music album by Vishal-Shekhar is disappointing. Ishq Sufiana may be good to the ear but was totally forced in the film. Overall Vidya Balan excels in a weak film which had the potential to be a classic. But one thing which the film did succeed is showing the hypocrisy of Indian janata who openly criticizes sleaze but enjoys being dirty under close doors. Indeed a slap on the "clean" Indian society.

Great first half! So so Second half! Typical Milan Luthria movie, 80s setting, 80s music, people don't speak normally but in couplets. Vidya Balan outstanding, others mediocre. Naseeruddin Shah looks ugly but that's what the movie demands from him. The movie starts well with a young girl who is fascinated by movies and glamor. She runs away from her move a day before she is getting married. Turns up in Madras and tries to get to act in movies. She stands in queue for junior artists outside studios without luck. Then one day she gets a chance to finally do a song which no one else is willing to. And from there her career looks like taking off. But a minor setback almost forces her to go back. But not to be and she becomes 'Silk'. Vidya Balan as silk has done great work and the movie is all about her. 3.5/5

Said to be based on the tragic life of Silk Smitha, The Dirty Picture tells the story of Reshma, an ambitious village belle from the South, who aspires to make it big in the movies. Through this character, we also get to see a rather satirical take on Bollywood's 1980s, which is known to be the most dreadful period for mainstream Hindi films of that time. At first Reshma strives to prove her talent as an actress, but as soon as she learns how showbiz really works, she realises that the only way she can make her dream come true is by using her sexuality and exposing her body, and that's where she turns into Silk. The film industry is portrayed as rather sleazy in the film; casting couch is a standard phenomenon, artistry is a word mostly uncommon to filmmakers and audiences. That said, even though I don't buy it all, it is an amusing watch. The dialogue is witty, the art direction is fantastic, and the film is just too colourful to skip in spite of its faulty script. But then, everything is put aside when it comes to the lead role as played by Vidya Balan, who represents everything that this picture is about and everything that's good about it.

Having seen her spectacular performances in Paa, Ishqiya, and No One Killed Jessica, I'd had huge expectations from Vidya Balan. Little did I know that she would just transcend them all with her dazzling performance in this film in a role which many actresses would either fight for (mostly in retrospect) or shy away from. Forgoing any trace of whatever she was ever known for, Balan just becomes Silk in a fearlessly uninhibited performance that is replete with energy, authenticity, spontaneity, confidence, and a never-seen-before sensuality. She's unabashedly sexy, charmingly vivacious, awfully attractive and just too smashing hot, and the way she delivers those witty, provocative lines is simply awesome. And if that isn't enough, that turns out to be just one side of hers, because Balan brings a great deal of depth and understanding to this complex character. There's a lot of pain, struggle and conflict in her portrayal—something that a lesser actress could have easily missed—and it often ends up being a moving portrait of loneliness. This is a class act which reaffirms Balan's position as one of the finest actresses of our time.

Even though the show belongs to its leading lady, the supporting actors get nice parts to play, and they handle them well enough. Naseeruddin Shah offers a wonderfully spoofy act as a caricature Bollywood hero of the 1980s, that of a middle-aged man that is idolised and loved and still plays parts of much younger heroes on-screen, romancing young girls who could well be his daughters and later playing their sons. Emraan Hashmi is very good in a subdued performance, but Tusshar Kapoor is not as convincing, though good enough. All the rest come and go without leaving much of an impression. I liked the film's music, particularly that "Ooh La La" number, which epitomises the style of the 1980s and which was well presented on-screen. To sum it up, The Dirty Picture is definitely a watchable film, but it's never a particularly convincing one. I somehow wished the story had more depth, and I often found the script too simplistic. But leaving its flaws aside, there's one thing about The Dirty Picture, which is the real thing, and that's, as said, Vidya Balan, whose performance makes every flaw in the film easier to forgive.

Inspired by the life of the late Silk Smitha, an actress noted for her erotic roles, 'The Dirty Picture' is decent biopic on the late sex-symbol. The main reason why this biopic works, is because of the On-Screen Silk, played terrificly by Vidya Balan. She stands out!

'The Dirty Picture' is a tale of pain, desire, ambition, struggle, and darkness. It's about Silk & her entire journey. It's a complete look at the rise & fall on the late south-siren.

Cinematically, 'The Dirty Picture' is a decent effort, that has enough potential to earn itself a viewing. Of course, the Second-Hour could've been better, but otherwise, there is no major flaw in here to point out. Rajat Aroraa's Screenplay is generally good, but it definitely could've been stronger in the Second-Hour. A special mention for the superb dialogues. Milan Luthria's Direction is passable. Cinematography, Editng & Art Design, are mention-worthy. Music by Vishal-Shekhar, is good

Performance-Wise: Vidya stands out from Scene A to Z. She delivers a terrific performance as Silk. This is Her Bravest & Best Performance to date. Emraan Hashmi is first-rate. Naseeruddin Shah is his usual self, while Tusshar Kapoor deserved more footage. Rajesh Sharma & Anju Mahendru are simply fantastic in supporting roles.

On the whole, 'The Dirty Picture' is a decent effort. Watch it for Vidya's Performance!

Some people watch a movie for its elegance, good acting and high production values. Others watch movies for their sleaziness, skin display and controversy. How often do you get both the sides leaving the theater satisfied thinking that they got a great value for money? Milan Luthria presents The Dirty Picture. In the words of Silk Smitha, a film works for three reasons; Entertainment, Entertainment, Entertainment… And The Dirty Picture is entertainment. However, it's a movie for Adult audience who can take the kind of humor and exposure it has to offer.

The Dirty Picture (DP) is story of a South Indian actress Reshma, popularly known as Silk. Rajat Arora's script keeps flirting with glamor of showbiz and the bitter realities faced by a girl running away from her house to become an actress. To the extent where she eats only a spoonful of sugar once a day as her meal. It exposes how despite criticizing the amount of exposing on cinema; the masses actually enjoy the skin show and that sex sells. The story is a rather predictable tale of rise and fall of a female actor and whatever happens in between, however, it's the treatment and performances that make DP a thoroughly enjoyable watch for lovers of almost all genres.

There are two more things that make DP stand ahead of other recent films. First is the outstanding background score. From the evergreen Naka Mukka to the entertaining 'Ooh Lala' use in the background along with the SFX, background music is simply superb. Secondly, the fiery dialogs are probably the best thing in the entire film. One jewel after another. So much so that you cannot even keep count on them.

Bobby Singh's cinematography is first rate. His best work to date even though he was an unexpected choice. When you have to show sleaze and skin, it's a tough job to still stay classy and Bobby Singh does exactly that. Especially the way Vidya's being overweight has been shown is remarkable.

DP is loaded with powerful performances. It's not very easy to find Emran Hashmi in a bearable role. I don't know why a talented actor like his keeps wasting himself in his serial kisser movies. It was once again Milan Luthria after Once Upon A Time in Mumbai (OUATIM) who took out the best in him. Tushaar too is bearable. Can you believe that? Every single supporting character has done a fabulous job. Rajesh Sharma in another major role after No One Killed Jessica (NOKJ). Navin Gothi, the actor playing Vidya's lucky charm and the director who first kick Vidya out of his set are especially very good. Arya Banerjee makes her presence felt as a new-comer Shakila. Vikas Shrivastav as casting director who sends Vidya out with a 5 rupees bill and Sarang Sathaye as choreographer George who gives Vidya her first song are noticeable in their cameos.

And then comes Naseer Uddin Shah. Who else could have done a better job than NS as the aging malicious actor? He gets into the skin of the character of Surya and does a splendid job of it. Despicable and convincing.

And last but not the least is Vidya Balan. What a powerhouse of an actress. She started the year with NOKJ and has ended it with The Dirty Picture. Totally contrasting roles. In one she was a nerdy homegrown nonentity and in the other she is the sex symbol of the industry calling herself Entertainment and boy, how she excels in both the roles. Watch out for her award ceremony speech, her early scenes with Naseer and the climax. Easily the best female lead performance in 2011. Filmfare worthy material.

The real hero of DP is Milan Luthria. How far has he come from Kachhe Dhaage days? If he was very good in OUATIM, he is even better in DP. Complete grip on the screenplay, taking out the best from the actors no matter how small their roles is, creating an 80s atmosphere still looking totally different from Om Shanti Om and Action Replay, this is a director how is in command. This makes the sequel of OUATIM the most anticipated movie of 2012 as far as I am concerned.

The Dirty Picture hardly has a dull moment. It does get a bit slow when it goes to the soft side of Vidya and Emran, however, that too remains an integral part of the storyline. Do keep in mind the 18+ rating of the film before going to the theaters and keep the expectations on those lines. If you do, you are up for a treat.