Dedh Ishqiya

                                                                     

First things first. Why have I not reviewed any movie in such a long time?  Because
I didn't think Bollywood made anything worth reviewing. Even Dhoom 3 was a disappointment. It wasn't good and it wasn’t bad enough—the movie just hung in the middle.
So when I heard Dedh Ishqiya was out, I started watching it halfheartedly, more out of loyalty for Madhuri Dixit than for any other reason.
Sure, I think Ishqiya is a very well made movie and every one in it did a good job. But that’s exactly the problem, you see. I couldn’t think of what a sequel could add to Ishqiya’s explosive Vidya Balan-walking- away-with-two-men ending. And I was in for a surprise.
Dedh Ishqiya takes off from where Ishqiya ends, and does not as well. The Khalujaan (Naseeruddin Shah) and Babban( Arshad Warsi) characters stay, and they are still conmen. Shah is still the more sophisticated character—his love is expressed through shayaris. Warsi is the baser force and his emotions are like him. Madhuri Dixit is understandably paired against Shah. Huma Qureishi is Warsi’s girl. Or he is her boy, whichever makes you happy.
For a movie series that is named after love, one must not wonder what the central theme is. Especially in a sequeul. So Shah and Warsi are still deplorable and sometimes ruthless cheapskates, but for one problem. They turn to mush every time they fall in love. But that's where the part-two ishness of the movie ends. There is no mention of Krishna (Balan) in this movie. Our beloved conmen have a new POA, and it involves new romantic interests, but  in a different setting.
Director Abhishek Chaubey now sets his stage in old world Mahmudabad, where the locals still follow their king and queen and enter shayari contests.  This backdrop provides Chaubey the perfect setting to make use of Dixit’s Kathak dancing skills and Shah’s refined dialogue delivery. So there’s a lot of word play, tehzeeb, romance and to contrast all of that,  some buffoonery and rustics.
And it all goes extremely well, till come the similarities with Ishqiya. If you’ve not watched the first movie, I suspect Dedh Ishqiya would be a better treat. But if you have, somehow, you know what to expect. And in a thriller (ok, semi thriller clad in a lot of romance), that is bad.  There is the mandatory kidnapping, the two lives of the beautiful women, the honour among thieves., the witty repartees.  Still,  the writers, the director and Vishal Bharadwaj, manage to keep the audience focused with some incredibly understated humour.
There is a take on a Mexican standoff in the movie, which ends when school kids start playing “Hum Ko Mann Ki Shakti Dena” in a nearby playground. There is no added laughter, music or any other silliness to draw attention to the funny parts. They are peppered throughout the movie in situations and in dialogues, so you have to pay attention.  Smart director, I say.
Now if you haven’t seen this movie, I won’t give away the “twist” or the more juicy bits in the plot, because it is a movie worth enjoying. But let me warn you, there are some boring parts as well—I suspect those come from the writers trying too hard to be smart all the time.
Then again, Shah and Warsi compensate for whatever drags creep into the plot. Where Dixit  brings in the “nazaqat” to go with the setting of  Mahmudabad, Qureishi is fierce and earthy. And both women have layers in their character, which makes the movie what it is.
One wishes there was more use for Dixit, though. Despite her being the central character, it often feels like she doesn't have much to do on screen. Not even dance as much as she is capable of, except in the added video feat, where you see her in all her splendor (and you are made painfully aware of how much Qureishi lacks dancing skills.) One just feels like Dixit should have been used more.

But the director and/or producer made a good call in adding that extra song to the movie. Like I said, Dedh Ishqiya is a quiet movie. Not as quiet as Lootera, but it has no over the top hullabaloo. So you really have to pay attention, watch and listen. Now if Chaubey just relied on audience who like doing that, he’d not make a lot of money. But I’m guessing he didn't want to spoil the movie either. Plus, Dixit needs to dance! So, in comes a dancing video with rustic  lyrics. And because it is executed fabulously, it works. Just like the movie does.

Go watch.