Dedh Ishqiya (2014)

A Masterpiece!

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

The first thing that stands out in the whole film is its setting. It revives the old world charm like no other. From the costumes and sets to the language, all are true to the setting of the film. Not to mention, how nice to hear Urdu in its originality. Its a suspense thriller, that is smart and entertaining at the same time. I haven't seen a comedy-suspense-thriller combination in a Bollywood movie, which is as good as this one. In the beginning itself, when you hear a dialog with Joker-Batman reference, you know that you are in for some good entertainment in the next two hours. Excellent writing, perfect execution and great performances aided by good music makes this movie a classic. I would recommend a multiple-watch to understand fine details in the story. When you have actors like Madhuri, Naseer, Arshad, Huma, Vijay Raaj, Manoj Phawa etc and a team of Bharadwaj-Chaubey, expectations can only be high and it meets all expectations and beyond.

A correction in the number - everything about Dedh Ishqiya can be measured as twice the amount presented in the earlier installment. With more fun-gun n' run and exquisite beauty its like one of the most memorable welcome note to a new year.How are we not bound to enjoy when a screenplay is full of conversations that are saturated with Gulzaresque quirks, lyrics and humor? We have grown up in awe of Gulzar's peculiar lyrics. He is the one writer who presents us the essence of a language, be it Urdu, Hindi, awadhi or punjabi. Sharing the same passion for language, Vishal Bhardwaj and his own style of humor and ethnic dialogs make this film an essential one in the history of Indian films.There is so much to this film. Its like a full course meal. And Urdu is one of the main dishes served on the platter of Khalu and Babban's new adventure. Along the course we are also served Thumris, Mushayras and a Qawwali all wrapped in a Nawabi cloak. All of it is so overwhelming that a second helping is a must.Thanks to director Abhishek Chaubey for breaking the status quo and bringing an intelligent script to the screens. Brilliantly written characters and plot progressions are engaging. Madhuri Dixit makes a strong comeback. She carries the same charisma as she did years ago that made everyone crazy about her. I loved how there is a sad undertone to her character when she is introduced but manages to smile and look beautiful nevertheless. The way Madhuri has pulled off the the conflict of her character is commendable. Huma Qureshi also pulled off a confident portrayal. Naseeruddin Shah as the romantically diverted Khalu uplifts the effect of the Urdu poems with finesse. Vijay Raaz as the wannabe Nawab Jaan Mohammad adds peculiarity to his character and becomes part of the most memorable scenes from the film. Watch the scene where everyone is at gun point and waiting for the other one to drop the guns but ultimately end up standing the same way till morning (its the most intelligent piece of humor in films in recent years).Now for the scene stealer. Arshad Warsi's portrayal of feisty and lustful Babban binds the Ishqiya franchise into one. His mannerisms and comic timing adds Babban to the list of most memorable characters. Lajawaab is the word for this flick.

A wonderfully shot film. I would say it was a good experience. Though a long 2 hours and 50 minute movie, it didn't feel so; as the story-line and screenplay is quite brilliant. Also the characters have been defined quite well. Usually the reason for making a sequel is banking on the success of the first or earlier release, which turns out to be disappointing and unnecessary, but it wasn't the case here."Dedh Ishqiya", is an extremely pleasant experience, plus the hilarious characterization of "Babban" (played by Arshad Warsi) is just great.Great performances by all actors; Naseeruddin Shah - great as always and Huma and Madhuri's work was equally good. But a special mention to Vijay Raaz. He just takes the cake. "Jaan Mohammad" played by Vijay, is a power hungry politician who after engulfing everything that he could, has a single point agenda, to marry Begum Para (played by Madhuri Dixit), a widow of the previous Nawaab, who wants to fulfill her dying husbands' wish that she should remarry to a poet; And to achieve this she keeps an annual competition. This is where the fun starts as Khalu (played by Naseer) disguised as Nawaab of Chandrapur, who is smitten by Begum Para (Madhuri), enters the competition, only to find a tough challenge against Jaan Mohammad (Vijay).The movie has some very well written dialogs and the overall play-out is just really, really NICE.Kudos team entire team, especially to Vishal Bhardwaj and Abhishek Chaubey.

Mind Blowing movie! Everything about the movie looks perfect. The screenplay, the characterization, the settings, the performances, the music, the slick editing and the different twists and turns make this one a definite watch for all times. The dialogues are witty. Madhuri looks simply gorgeous as the Begum. The acting by the star cast is top rated. Madhuri, Nasir, Arshad, Huma, Vijay excel in their roles. The music is soothing, particularly the numbers by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. The settings are amazing. Abhishek Chaubey has arrived on the scene as one of the best Directors in Bollywoord. This sort of movie needs to be encouraged. This movie scores a perfect 10!