Delhi-6 - Watch it!

I watched Delhi-6 yesterday and liked it very much. It is a nicely made intelligent film with lots of thought provoking content. The movie’s story is set in the Old Delhi area near Chandini Chowk, which carries the pin code 110006 and is hence called Delhi-6. It provides an enticing glimpse into the joys and tensions of living in the Old Delhi neighborhood that is home to middleclass Muslim and Hindu families, who have lived there for generations. The locality is like a microcosm of India, a proud place that chooses to overlook the shortcomings of the present by living in the grandeur of the past. This leaves it with a stagnated moral core that threatens to disintegrate under the slightest hint of strain. The director explores this theme throughout the film without getting preachy.
The movie’s high point is its highly competent ensemble cast lead by veterans like Om Puri, Rishi Kapoor and Waheeda Rahman. The younger lot including Abhishek Bacchan, Sonam Kapoor, Pawan Malhotra and Atul Kulkarni do a very decent job indeed. For me, the biggest draw was the film’s music by Rahman. I went to the theater to specifically see the song “Masakkali” rendered on the big screen. The maestro has belted out yet another outstanding track that elevates the movie to a different level altogether. The best thing about his music is that it has an organic link with the setting of the story. Delhi 6’s sound has an underlying edgy current reflecting the changing aspirations of the people of an old neighborhood. “Genda Phool” is the best example where Rahman conjures an old-world sound reminiscent of the 60’s and then garnishes it with a dose of electronic sound that provides a youthful tempo for young Roshan and his old granny to groove on. Another treat to watch out for is the interesting use of the 'Ram Leela' stage performance to carry the narrative forward. If nothing else, it is a chance to see a damn neat Ram Leela production on the big screen!
Now coming to the specifics of the story, the movie begins with Roshan agreeing to take his grand mom back to India where she yearns to spend her last few living years. When the grandmother and grandson duo land in Delhi, the first scenes that great them are that of news channels flashing the story about a “Monkey-Man” who has terrorized the residents of Old Delhi. Roshan goes through the typical bewilderment that foreigners go through when they are introduced to the sights and sounds of a teeming Indian metropolis. One can’t help smiling when the bemused Roshan stares with disbelief when he’s woken up by the snort of tangawala’s horse as he sits at the window of a swanky car. At first, our protagonist is overwhelmed by the overflowing warmth that the Old Delhi neighborhood doles out to make him feel at home. As the film progresses, he starts spotting the quirks and fissures that the social fabric carries. This is where the filmmaker’s eye for detail is praiseworthy. He spins R K Narayan type character sketches like that of feuding brothers living in the same house with a mud wall partition; the Mohammedan jalebiwala who is an ardent devotee of Hanuman; the mean moneylender Lalaji with the young bride he bought for Rs. 25,000; the slimy local photographer who owes everybody money and finally elopes with the Lala’s wife. These and the many more vignettes that are brought to life during the first half, make for a sumptuous a la carte that keeps you happily engaged till the serious bit unfolds in the second half.
In the second half the politics of communalizations comes takes centerstage when the “Monkey-Man” menace takes a nasty turn and a local god man suggests that the “Monkey-Man” must be a Muslim, since attacks always happen in Hindu areas. The local Hindu party’s politician seizes the opportunity and promises to teach the Muslim community a lesson. All hell breaks loose and the cloak of bonhomie that enveloped the neighbourhood tears apart bringing to the fore the deep-rooted distrust between the Hindu and Muslim communities. Friendly neighbors turn to deadly foes overnight as trishuls and sickles are brandished in the air. How Roshan tries to defuse the situation forms the climax that pans out nicely, tying together all the loose ends.

The lone weak link of the movie is the purported romance between Roshan and Sonam Kapoor’s character, Bittu. Bittu’s characterization as the quintessential middle class girl trying to break free from her preordained future as a subservient wife to a groom chosen by her parents by participating in the “Indian Idol” contest is spot on. But, what fails to fly is the sudden love that Roshan and Bittu feel for each other towards the end of the movie. However, to me, this is a minor flaw that one can live with. Obviously, the director and scriptwriter must’ve been too preoccupied with the larger theme of the story and missed out fleshing this part in greater detail. Given the impact they’ve made with the rest of the film, I'm fine with letting this slip pass. All in all, as one critic said, this movie is a good follow up to Rang De Basanti. Rakesh Omprakash Mehra has made another movie that I wouldn’t mind seeing a couple of times. Cheers.

Subtext: It is quite strange. Two groups of friends that I spoke to after watching Delhi-6, absolutely hated the movie. There seems to be a pattern to this. This group of friends also disliked another favourite of mine, 'Jane Tu Ya Jane Na', but loved 'Ghajini', which I didn't quite like. It appears that there is a section of movie goers that likes linear story telling of the kind that happens in movies like Ghajini where there is a clearly dilineated hero and villian and everyone in between. There are no shades of grey, just pure black and white. You don't have to spend too much time pondering about subtexts, the story is plain and clear, just sit back and enjoy the scenery. The other type of movie goer likes non-linear narratives that meander around collecting small subplots to tie them together in a larger framework that unravels as you sit back and view the movie in its entirety. These are the sort of movies that keep popping insights in your head days, weeks and months after you've watched them. The sort that I like writing about.