Tickling delhi's belly..

Three friends surviving in the mean streets of Delhi. One a journalist, another his photographer and the third an artist at an ad agency. Three young men with oodles of charm, wit, sloth, testosterone and foul language. Throw in a mix up and a chain reaction of events leading from it and you have Delhi Belly. It's a laugh riot alright. It's slapstick comedy replete with butt cracks and potty jokes. But what's refreshing is that the jokes are new. Like the photographer not finding water to wash himself after doing business and using cartons of his friend's orange juice and his friend quipping with a straight face: 'you've put me off orange juice forever!'
Delhi belly never slows the pace or slackens the wit. It's all there- the itchy street food hawker, the cameraman with a glad eye and a lens that finds women's bustlines to suggestive sex scenes. The film goes from gag to gag and the language is crude enough to jolt you awake if and when the laughter begins to fade.

For someone whose ears are not used to the Hindi four letter words it's a language lesson. I have added considerably to my roadside vocabulary which i reserve for erring motorists, eve teasers and general people of nuisance value. But i wonder about the thousands of people like me who are in for a shock. The sexual innuendoes and scenes are enough to jolt the average conservative Indian into an uncomfortable space. Our society revels in not talking openly about sex. That's definitely not a healthy thing but will making a caricature of it make people become more open and accept it? Only time will tell.

Delhi Belly is a film not to be watched with your parents or elders in the 'family'. It's a hoot if you go with your friends though. If you accept the crassness you'll appreciate and enjoy the characters and the actors who play them to perfection- well almost. Imran excels in understated elegance but Vir Das is a revelation with his superb comic timing. Vijay Raaz is adorable as the villain and Anoushka (MTV VJ) gives a brilliant cameo as a pompous and vacuous indi-pop singer giving an interview. Everything about the film is refreshing and the music just rocks.
To end with Anoushka's line in the film- Delhi Belly- I hate you like i love you!!