Dhobi Ghat-Mumbai Diaries

My blog is essentially about my passion in life,And Bombay as i would like to call it has always been my passion along with movies.After writing the series about the underbelly of Bombay,I would like to take it further and connect it with another passion of my life which is movies.And what better way to start this than to connect it to  the recent movie i saw called as  Dhobhi ghat-Mumbai Diaries a beautiful ode to the Maximum city.

There have been many stories and movies dedicated to city as such.But Dhobhi Ghat is strikingly different from all of them. Dhobi Ghat is the story of 4 characters: Arun, the famous lonely painter (Aamir), Munna, the dhobi who wants to be a star (Prateik), Shai, the banker on a sabbatical in India (Monica) and Yasmin, the recently married Muslim girl who records her life in Mumbai for her brother back home (Kriti).The movie is a piece of their lives, and the narrative juggles a recent past and the present time beautifully.

Mumbai apparently is the fifth character in the movie, and if so, I found it to be a silent character, an immovable witness to the harmony and turmoil in which the characters function simultaneously. Much like the aunty in Arun's neighboring apartment: always there, always seeing everything, but always silent.Almost a representing the city’s nature as such.It starts with the rains a synonym to Bombay,the foggy window panes and the picturesque drive through Marine Drive almost makes you nostalgic of your first drive there,the tits bits of chat with the taxi driver strikes a instant chord with everyone who has come for the first time  to the city.

The story revolves around the daily life of this 4 characters and the love story between this characters flows along beautifully.The movie shows the deep sensibility, that the director has captured exceptionally well in a lot of scenes which i would highlight as they story flows.

For starters the film had little touches that simply evoked wows from me in scenes like:-

A bunch of fake grapes hanging from the rear view mirror in a car during the monsoon, which is the opening shot of the film.

Or the old neighbor sitting in her chair with a vacant look - the most powerful image in the whole movie in my opinion.

 Or the encounter between Shai and Arun and the way the subsequent scene was filmed. Or Munna leaning over Shai when she's asleep. 

Or the market scene and women on the train that Yasmin is filming depicts so many layers that the city has.

Also the shot where Pratiek washes clothes,kills rat. I could go on and on ... every single shot in this movie tells a story, every image counts, and that is no small feat for a first time director.

And now my analysis about  all the characters-

Munna played by PRATEIK (BABBAR). 

That he  stole the show, it's no secret. He had the audience's emotions in the palm of his hand: when he wanted us to laugh at his shyness the scene where he poses for the portfolio,and the awkwardness he depicts when he meets Shai at the theatre, And the way he blushes when Shai says him,” Tum kitne handsome ho..”  we did; when he wanted us to bite our fingers for his next move, we did; when he wanted us to be in love with him, we were; when he wanted us to pine with him, we did. The way Pratiek emotes instantly remind you of his legendary mom in case you are die-hard Smita patil fans like me,Also the way like the scene where he sees Shai at Aruns house and Aamir shuts the door and there we see Pratiek simply standing such a powerful way to emote “Surprise”.Lastly when we talk about Pratiek’s character it’s an outstanding performance  I've ever seen.Between Kiran's deeply intelligent script and Prateik's immensely intuitive acting, there was not much room for it to get better. 

Shai- Played by Monica Dogra

Shai is one character that has taken natural way of acting to new heights.The way she rambles her hindi dialogues and  the overall performance gives a realistic feel to the film.

Yasmin-played by Kriti Malhotra

Yasmin's character is one of the finest character crafted in the  story.Also the way it connected all the threads and characters of the story.Yasmin’s characters is so deep that with each frame that goes you understand a lot about her,the loneliness she goes through almost gives you goosebumps.Such a fine performance by a newbie.The highlight of  the Yasmin angle to the story was the shot at the beach where tries hard to carve a mark almost like finding a place for herself in the city and the sea waves wiping it out.One line that simply touched me was,”The city absorbs it all,yet says silent”.The creeping loneliness in Yasmin’s eyes is also one of the highlight of the movie.

And lastly Arun played by AAMIR KHAN. 

I always had this curiosity of what goes in an artist mind,i mean how do they think,interpret and react to situations. I appreciated the way Aamir played the part in such a subtle way .The Actor was rightfully overshadowed by his costar but still his performance stands out.The scene where he runs out as the tape ends and cries in despair is one of the finest shot of the film.One of my favorite in the film is where Aamir Khan stares at the sea wearing Yasmin’s ring and chain.

The other two things that really stand out in the film are its music,background score and cinematography which add to the beautiful script.The music composed by Gustavo is so haunting that it kind of takes the story forward.Talking about cinematography.It is the second film that i have come across which uses guerilla techniques in shooting.But again it is one of the character of the films.

So to conclude i would say,

"Bombay, is the centre of this film’s attention. It’s probably the only city in the world where so many classes so closely merge into a common river of sorrows, beauty or hope: unaware of how each affects the other every day.So finally a film that represents the city’s true hue’s and tints.So as Aamair says the film is a tribute 

 “To Bombay my muse,my whore,my beloved”.