Statutory Warning:
I do not write film reviews for a living and hence what you read (if you bother to read) will not be an “Adarsh” review but views of a fanatic who has enjoyed big screen from 5 metres many a times.
“Dirty Picture” took me back to my childhood... err college days, I must say when my popular destination with the saved pocket money used to be the little known (rather pretended to be little known since I have seen many known faces make a visit) Chhayas, Khannas, Pradips, Bhawanis, Bidhushrees... in between the D grade Hollywood stuff, there existed a popular clientele for the Silks, Shakeelas... and needless to say, however we may have enjoyed, they were never discussed beyond the closed walls of the theatres.
The Dirty Picture brings everything out of the closet to mainstream and celebrates bosoms, boobs and “C” grade movie making in its full glory. Probably, never before in Indian film history has families celebrated getting dirty together... thanks Milan Luthria.
The Dirty Picture is journey of Reshma or Silk (and all of us), a small town girl who dreams of making it big (we all do)... and she uses, utilises and practices the talent (her physicality and dancing abilities) and reaches the zenith of success in right and not so right ways (so similar to most of us). And then begins the journey downhill (we all do). What follows is the Bindass babe getting heart-broken and broken as Emraan Hashmi (playing Abraham, the ”ART” director turned “Masala” Hero) says “dil toot-te nahin, sab kuchh toot-te hain”. The Dirty Picture strikes the right chord because it’s the story of an underdog... who is rejected, subjected to butt of jokes and yet who makes it on her own terms.
Vidya Balan’s Silk graduates Vidya to a different league after Ishqiya, Paa, NOKJ. We always knew Vidya to be a great performer... but no one ever took physicality in acting to a greater level than Vidya’s Silk. Over the past decade, we have had actors trying to get closer to human milieu by changing their appearances, body-language and mannerisms in Krishh, Black, Ghajini, MNIK... but even in their changed appearances, the actors meant everything that ought to be attached with stardom... they were glamour personified.
The vision of Milan Luthria portrays the Silk in Vidya from a rustic village belle to a glamour girl and subsequently degenerating to a “fat, ugly, fattier” egoist who refuses to let go of her prime even in her sunset and darkest nights in bouts of drinking.
No mainstream actresses have been brave like Vidya on the screen to go the whole hog to get in to the skin of Silk and mercilessly kill the “Vidya Balan”. If it can be compared to anyone it has to be with BIG B in Paa. But where she excels and goes beyond the extraordinary is in her pursuit to attain perfection, she looks pathetic, is repulsive not just to her on-screen paramours but to the common man’s “heroine”... and she is unapologetic about it. Perfection, performance... reaches a new level... and as an audience, I get a new high.
If Vidya Balan is the back-bone of The Dirty Picture, what holds true and ably supports her is her co-stars and brilliant dialogues.
When I saw Jack and Jill last month (courtesy Gomolo.in), it was a certain gentleman by the name of Al Pacino who whacked me with his performance... he mocked Al Pacino (the star), subjected himself to the butt of jokes and ridicule and did everything to dismantle the star that he is... and yet the 5 feet frame stood taller than everyone. Naseeruddin Shah’s Suryakant does that if not more. Playing a Super-egoist, lecherous, Super Star of the 80s, Mr Shah mouthing some of corny dialogues is Super Fun.
Emraan Hashmi is as good as he ever was, as the narrator and director, who hates the kind of “Silky” movies but eventually fall prey to. The Calcutta lad, Rajesh Sharma (as Selva Ganesh, the mentor of Silk and “many others”) is brilliant in his pivotal role. Tusshar (sans Kapoor) is as good or as bad as he ever has been. Good to see Anju Mahendroo back on screen after ages.
Rajat Arora’s writing and dialogues are as wacky as wackiest has ever been.
The music is “ooh la la”.
Milan Luthria should be credited for pulling off one of the brilliant “biopic” and gifting us with a Vidya Balan who pushes the notches higher for the leading actors.
We all have a bit of Silk in our lives... desires, egos, loneliness, fantasies, cravings, haughtiness, guts, depressions, dirty secrets... the Cadbury... cherish it, relish it... let it melt... loving it!!!
PS: Thanks to Amitava Bhattacharya and Pritam Roy... I actually made it.
I do not write film reviews for a living and hence what you read (if you bother to read) will not be an “Adarsh” review but views of a fanatic who has enjoyed big screen from 5 metres many a times.
“Dirty Picture” took me back to my childhood... err college days, I must say when my popular destination with the saved pocket money used to be the little known (rather pretended to be little known since I have seen many known faces make a visit) Chhayas, Khannas, Pradips, Bhawanis, Bidhushrees... in between the D grade Hollywood stuff, there existed a popular clientele for the Silks, Shakeelas... and needless to say, however we may have enjoyed, they were never discussed beyond the closed walls of the theatres.
The Dirty Picture brings everything out of the closet to mainstream and celebrates bosoms, boobs and “C” grade movie making in its full glory. Probably, never before in Indian film history has families celebrated getting dirty together... thanks Milan Luthria.
The Dirty Picture is journey of Reshma or Silk (and all of us), a small town girl who dreams of making it big (we all do)... and she uses, utilises and practices the talent (her physicality and dancing abilities) and reaches the zenith of success in right and not so right ways (so similar to most of us). And then begins the journey downhill (we all do). What follows is the Bindass babe getting heart-broken and broken as Emraan Hashmi (playing Abraham, the ”ART” director turned “Masala” Hero) says “dil toot-te nahin, sab kuchh toot-te hain”. The Dirty Picture strikes the right chord because it’s the story of an underdog... who is rejected, subjected to butt of jokes and yet who makes it on her own terms.
Vidya Balan’s Silk graduates Vidya to a different league after Ishqiya, Paa, NOKJ. We always knew Vidya to be a great performer... but no one ever took physicality in acting to a greater level than Vidya’s Silk. Over the past decade, we have had actors trying to get closer to human milieu by changing their appearances, body-language and mannerisms in Krishh, Black, Ghajini, MNIK... but even in their changed appearances, the actors meant everything that ought to be attached with stardom... they were glamour personified.
The vision of Milan Luthria portrays the Silk in Vidya from a rustic village belle to a glamour girl and subsequently degenerating to a “fat, ugly, fattier” egoist who refuses to let go of her prime even in her sunset and darkest nights in bouts of drinking.
No mainstream actresses have been brave like Vidya on the screen to go the whole hog to get in to the skin of Silk and mercilessly kill the “Vidya Balan”. If it can be compared to anyone it has to be with BIG B in Paa. But where she excels and goes beyond the extraordinary is in her pursuit to attain perfection, she looks pathetic, is repulsive not just to her on-screen paramours but to the common man’s “heroine”... and she is unapologetic about it. Perfection, performance... reaches a new level... and as an audience, I get a new high.
If Vidya Balan is the back-bone of The Dirty Picture, what holds true and ably supports her is her co-stars and brilliant dialogues.
When I saw Jack and Jill last month (courtesy Gomolo.in), it was a certain gentleman by the name of Al Pacino who whacked me with his performance... he mocked Al Pacino (the star), subjected himself to the butt of jokes and ridicule and did everything to dismantle the star that he is... and yet the 5 feet frame stood taller than everyone. Naseeruddin Shah’s Suryakant does that if not more. Playing a Super-egoist, lecherous, Super Star of the 80s, Mr Shah mouthing some of corny dialogues is Super Fun.
Emraan Hashmi is as good as he ever was, as the narrator and director, who hates the kind of “Silky” movies but eventually fall prey to. The Calcutta lad, Rajesh Sharma (as Selva Ganesh, the mentor of Silk and “many others”) is brilliant in his pivotal role. Tusshar (sans Kapoor) is as good or as bad as he ever has been. Good to see Anju Mahendroo back on screen after ages.
Rajat Arora’s writing and dialogues are as wacky as wackiest has ever been.
The music is “ooh la la”.
Milan Luthria should be credited for pulling off one of the brilliant “biopic” and gifting us with a Vidya Balan who pushes the notches higher for the leading actors.
We all have a bit of Silk in our lives... desires, egos, loneliness, fantasies, cravings, haughtiness, guts, depressions, dirty secrets... the Cadbury... cherish it, relish it... let it melt... loving it!!!
PS: Thanks to Amitava Bhattacharya and Pritam Roy... I actually made it.
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