I watched film DHOBHI GHAAT today.
This is one to watch. I am actually struck by a rather unusual way of story-telling. The protagonist is Mumbai, that’s obvious. The movie has no specific plot and the purpose is to showcase the life of Mumbai as it is with all its different shades and varying moods that at times intersect. All the way through, the movie is dotted with things that characterize Mumbai. Traffic congestion, slums and the elite, middle classes and their flats, people from all over India coming over to Mumbai for livelihood, young married women living lifeless life alone confined to their small homes after being dumped by their husbands, construction work, bollywood and the cinema culture and ofcourse the presence of the SEA and the refuge people seek in it from the hustle and bustle of the city life (Sure we karachiites know this very well).
The method which the writer-director Kiran rao has employed to bring forth all these aspects of the city is both refreshing and intriguing.
Aamir khan is at his usual best and other actors havn’t done badly either. All the characters have their due role to play in the movie and as I said the protagonist is Mumbai and not any one individual character. Special mention for the character Yasmin would be in order. She is profound and her monologues ring deep inside you. Moreover, the yasmin-imran-sis-bro- relationship is poignantly portrayed and all this without even having to introduce the character imran, excellent lesson for the aspirant film-makers.
Overall, an excellent exhibition of the art of film-making.
Usually I don’t weigh movies in numbers, either I like the movie or I don’t like it. But since I am at it, I give this one,, three and a half stars.
This is one to watch. I am actually struck by a rather unusual way of story-telling. The protagonist is Mumbai, that’s obvious. The movie has no specific plot and the purpose is to showcase the life of Mumbai as it is with all its different shades and varying moods that at times intersect. All the way through, the movie is dotted with things that characterize Mumbai. Traffic congestion, slums and the elite, middle classes and their flats, people from all over India coming over to Mumbai for livelihood, young married women living lifeless life alone confined to their small homes after being dumped by their husbands, construction work, bollywood and the cinema culture and ofcourse the presence of the SEA and the refuge people seek in it from the hustle and bustle of the city life (Sure we karachiites know this very well).
The method which the writer-director Kiran rao has employed to bring forth all these aspects of the city is both refreshing and intriguing.
Aamir khan is at his usual best and other actors havn’t done badly either. All the characters have their due role to play in the movie and as I said the protagonist is Mumbai and not any one individual character. Special mention for the character Yasmin would be in order. She is profound and her monologues ring deep inside you. Moreover, the yasmin-imran-sis-bro- relationship is poignantly portrayed and all this without even having to introduce the character imran, excellent lesson for the aspirant film-makers.
Overall, an excellent exhibition of the art of film-making.
Usually I don’t weigh movies in numbers, either I like the movie or I don’t like it. But since I am at it, I give this one,, three and a half stars.
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