Amir Khan Production’s latest offering in its league of “movies with a difference,” Delhi Belly sets its record right.[break]
It’s in the same league as the production house’s other ventures like Lagaan (2001), Taare Zameen Par (2007), Peepli Live (2010) and Dhobi Ghaat (2011) that have created a new branding in Bollywood and set new standards – that the world’s most movie producing industry isn’t only about songs, dances, action and cheesy romance.
Delhi Belly has a mix of all the above components, but director Abhinay Deo’s execution has a fresh and funny take to the events that take place.
To sum the movie, the characters are on a cat-and-mouse game. While Tashi (Imran Khan) and his roommates Nitin (Kunaal Roy Kapur) and Arup (Vir Das) are running from—and after—the villains, the bad guys are running after the trio for some valuable possession.
On the other hand, while Tashi’s landlord is running away from a secret that could destroy his marriage—and his character—Tashi’s pseudo love interest Menaka (Poorna Jagannathan) is running from her former husband. But the entire marathon is well connected to the central theme of the movie: comedy. And it’s not as confusing as it seems.
Khan, along with his roomies, presents a real-life roommate situation.
For a moment—if you’ve ever lived with roommates—you can relate to some of the situations and probably say, “Oh, but I’ve done that” or “Oh, I’ve been through that.”
In the movie, there isn’t one solo hero as in other typical Bollywood flicks; the characters rather complement and compliment each other, making their presence lively on the screen. However, for the MTV VJ-turned-actress Shenaz Treasurywala, there isn’t much to do.
Behind the scenes, for the second-time director Deo, it was a good opportunity to demonstrate his skills, especially after his debut venture Game (2011) became a disaster at the box office. With Delhi Belly, it shows that he has a long way to go.
Musically, the movie has hit the right notes.
As soundtrack is the first trailer-teaser to Bollywood movies, it plays a key role in promoting any movie. With Ram Sampath’s music that sounds like it’s unlikely to be heard in most commercial Hindi movies, and songs like “Bhaag D K Bose,” despite its controversy, has highlighted the movie.
Songs like “Jaa Chudail” and “I Hate You (Like I Love You)” are strategically placed. But as the intro to “Tere Siva” keeps buzzing in amid the romantic encounters between Tashi and Menaka, you’d only want to demand for that entire soundtrack.
But don’t worry: you’re in for a dose of a complete entertainment package. If you liked the latest Hollywood flick Hangover II, I’d say Delhi Belly is in the same line, just that the characters aren’t drunken. But they spill the same amount of fun, or even more.
And after all that confusion about my tickets, the venue—running between QFX Central and Jai Nepal—and the movie time, “Delhi Belly” was in fact a stress buster.
Though the initial shots of the movie was disappointing due to the dubbed print (the movie had two prints, Hinglish and entirely dubbed in Hindi), it got better every minute as every sip of wine.
Delhi Belly is a good comic break and a good movie at that, especially if you’ve had a bad taste with the recent Bollywood releases. It’s worth the ticket price. However, be wary of the explicit language and strong sexual innuendos before making it a family event.
(Upon complaint from Censor Board for not removing five dialogues as suggested, the screening of the movie has been barred.)
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