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!!

Kaminon ka kamal

Powerful, rivetting cinema has finally arrived in Bollywood. Vishal Bhardwaj has announced to the world that if guys like Quentin Tarrantino can do it, so can we. Boy, Kaminey is a movie to watch. It's gripping, thought provoking and absolute paisa vasool. The story of a pair of twins who get caught up in the murky underworld of new age kamineys is told with amazing insight and sensitivity. The bad guys are bad but strangely likeable in a dark way. Shahid's grunge look and intense eyes is a killer. He walks away with the audience in his pocket. I cant wait to see it a second time and relish the movie bit by bit! Way to go Vishal!

shortcut to entertainment

Saw the new release Shortcut last night. It's Anil Kapoor's production and features Akshay Khanna (vinod khanna's younger son) with transplanted hair, an overweight Arshad Warsi and a long forgotten Amrita something. On the whole the film wasnt bad. It had some fun elements, a good enough story and some powerful scenes. The climax was quite gripping. Arshad played the negative role of a talentless junior artiste who tries to become rich and famous using shortcuts. He has no scruples and robs, lies and thieves his way through. But at one point i was rather worried about the public sympathy that he was getting. He had some great lines and funny dialogues. Akshay did a good job. He's a fine actor. The film had some good moments. But, some of the dialogues and characterisations left me cringing. At one point Akshay is out of a job and struggling to make ends meet. His wife offers to get back to work to help. He goes ballistic ans says: tum apna kitchen sambhalo. ghar chalana meri zimmedari hai. You can earn but only for your pleasure- not for the family.
What was a guy like Anil Kapoor thinking, passing such a dialogue? IT's so regressive. I never expected a modern film like this one to build such stereotypes.
Some other little things in the movie are worrying too. They may look little but they go a long way in reinforcing conservative blinkered mindsets in our culture.