Delhi-6 (2009)

Too much of everything

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

If Rang De was his interpretation of Bhagat Singh & his ideas, Delhi -6 is clearly about Gandhiji & like Roshan his fatal quest for brotherhood between various religions.Very often a movie is hated not because of its own merit but its main protagonist,Delhi-6 is one such example of stereotypic image that Indians have about the NRI's as Ghora Chita well mannered person, & in this sense Abhishek Bachchan looks like a miscast ,but I believe that his portrayal of Roshan is better than Farhan Akhtars' portrayal of Milkha Singh in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. Another factor could be the lack of use of violence by the protagonist unlike DJ in Rang De Basanti or Milkha in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag , Roshan is more close to Gandhian Philosophy of non-violence , religious tolerance & harmony due to the fact that his parents are of different religious communities. Although he returns from US the movie don't depict Indian Values as inferior in any way & that makes this movie a Cult Classic , people will realize its greatness only with passage of time.A feel good movie ,It can act as a therapy when a person is feeling down & to Understand India & its life without Trivialization ,sugarcoating or preaching with amazing cinematography , locations ,beautiful characters having depths & expertly portrayed by the legends like Waheeda Rehman, Prem Chopra, Rishi Kapoor(who reinvented himself brilliantly for this character role) Om Puri, Pawan Malhotra, Vijay Raaj. This is mixed with the young talents like , Deepak Dobriyal along with amazing sound & music makes it a treat to watch every time. Rakeysh Mehra's movie are run not by his protagonists but the characters acting in cohesion to tell a story , In Delhi – 6 his story telling abilities become really clear due to his familiarity with the life in old Delhi & no bounds that were there in RDB due to the Revolutionary Reference & BMB being a Biopic. Plot(spoiler alert) Roshan (Abhishek Bachchan) accompanies his dying grandmother Annapurna (Waheeda Rahman) to their ancestral property in crowded Delhi. Roshan is initially stunned by the mad rush of neighbors: Ali Baig (Rishi Kapoor) the renaissance man, feuding brothers Madangopal (Om Puri) and Jaigopal (Pavan Malhotra), their wives and families, Mamdu (Deepak Dobriyal) , Gobar (Atul Kulkarni) the simpleton, Sethji and many others. Roshan eventually warms to the place and wholeheartedly embraces the sense of community. He accompanies his grandmother to the Ramleelas, hangs out at Mamdu's sweet stall, plays with the children, and gradually becomes steeped in the culture. Roshan is also slowly exposed to some sobering realities. the religious intolerance even though on surface a harmony is seen, prevalent superstitious beliefs, the unaccountable & powerful public servants ,caste system, patriarchy. When he is experiencing all this the problem of Kala Bandar gets a communal turn leading to communal violence. Amid this roshan struggles with his dilemma whether to return , is he in love with Bittu & how to reestablish the communal harmony in Delhi – 6?Love for ones homeland /watan /gaav , the sentimental value of our roots, these are values & hence it don't mean that they come only when one live in a physical space. Our homeland has sentimental Value just because of its people & their values which are seen in the love & affection Roshan & his Dadi are showered upon when they return to Delhi – 6 . But this heaven quickly becomes a hell when they are overwhelmed by their fear of Kala Bandar, which leads to decline in rationalism which is exploited by religious Baba & selfish politicians to create a communal rift between them. The Hindu sees Kala Bandar/Evil as Muslim out to harm Hindus & their religion & vice versa , The hysteria continues ,while his Dadi wants to return Roshan has become a part of Delhi – 6.Roshan offers himself as a Kala Bandar who is representative of both the communities i.e. Hindu & Muslim due to his parents, on the surface it seems that he is giving them a super ordinate goal a common enemy, but symbolically it means the presence of Evil within both the communities & after critically wounding him the residents of Delhi – 6 realize that they were in their attempt for finding lasting peace in Delhi – 6 by killing the Kala Bandar/source of evil,fear,danger, have instead created 100's of it inside themselves.A very relevant film in a country where like roshan the greatest advocate of religious tolerance was shot dead in the name of religion. A country where the violence & hatred is still propagated & accepted by masses in the name of religion.It took Roshans sacrifice for the residents of Delhi – 6 to wake , what sacrifice will we need ?Sub plots- Bittu played by Sonam Kapoor is a girl who represent the continuing social change in India, where her ambitions are resisted by the patriarchal mindset. Her courage to do the right is what attracts Roshan towards her. Another interesting theme is every rational person is called as mad by the people of Delhi 6 , be it Gobar,Roshan or the Mirror man who asks everyone to look inside their souls to find god. Further the Indian social problems like cast ism ,patriarchy,breaking joint family system,Role of media , god men,etc. are tightly knit in the plot line making multiple viewing enjoyable.PS I like the original ending in which Roshan dies in the end which was changed later & was not part of released film.

After Mehra's pretentious and overrated 'Rang De Basanti', I wasn't expecting much from 'Delhi 6'. However, I was pleasantly surprised. 'Delhi 6' gives a glimpse of local life in old Delhi. Right through the raw streets, to the sweet shops and finely crafted houses which were once owned by rich people, the look and essence feel very authentic. In addition, the colourful characters keep the viewer amused.The cinematography is exceptional and A.R. Rahman's music has hardly ever been a letdown. They are stunningly visualized (even though the CGI is far from superb). Not only are the songs hummable but the lyrics are eloquent. My favourite is 'Genda Phool' and I loved how it was visualized on the local neighbourhood women going about their daily chores.Waheeda Rehman very easily steals the show where acting is concerned. Not only is she completely convincing as a local from Delhi but her spontaneous reactions and strong presence makes it difficult for one to pay attention to anyone else sharing the scene. This is followed by Divya Dutta who is remarkable in a small role. Atul Kulkarni is very likable as the neighborhood fool Gobar. Om Puri, Supriya Pathak and Pawan Malhotra, Deepak Dobriyal, Prem Chopra and the rest of the cast are adequate. Sonam Kapoor shows tremendous improvement since her debut. Abhishek Bachchan's interpretation of Roshan does not feel one bit like a guy who was raised in America. His acting is passable at best.While the first two thirds of the movie is a delight to watch with the slice of life feel and satirical humour, the latter portion is overdone and preachy. I also feel that an alternate ending would have been preferable even though I understand that Mehra chose a conventional (and over the top) ending to adhere to the Indian audience.Overall, 'Delhi 6' is well worth watching even if flawed. Mehra is clearly improving as a director and if he keeps progressing this way then I can look forward to his future endeavors.

"Delhi 6" is a messy and overlong - though frequently appealing - tale of a young American man who travels to India to rediscover his roots. When his grandmother is diagnosed with diabetes, Roshan agrees to accompany her back to the land of her birth so she can end her life at the same place where she began it. While there, Roshan learns a thing or two about a culture he's been largely sheltered from in his life in New York. This includes taking the bad along with the good: the sense of community along with the antiquated caste system; the respect for tradition along with the adherence to ancient superstitions; the respect for law-and-order along with the corruption and cronyism of the police and politicians; the technological advances along with a scarcity of resources like electricity and water; the arranged marriages along with the flowering of true love. That latter is particularly crucial to the story as Roshan falls for a beautiful, independent-minded woman whose father wants to marry her off to a man of his choosing even though her heart's desire is to perform as a singer on the popular TV show "Indian Idol." Like most mainstream movies made in India, "Delhi 6" provides a relatively upbeat, prettified look at life in that country. Any hint of poverty is pushed to the edges, while the foreground becomes an almost nonstop dizzying swirl of music and color. And I do mean "nonstop," for if there is one thing "Delhi 6" has in abundance it's musical sequences, some of which drag on for an insufferably long time, adding an unnecessary burden to the movie's overall running time. The film also culminates in an overwrought scene that feels like a bizarre melding of "West Side Story" with "Carousel." So what's likable about "Delhi 6"? Well, its cultural observations are sometimes compelling, particularly its portrayal of the tension that exists between Hindus and Muslims in that nation. Also, the actors (Abhishek Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor, et. al.) are both physically attractive and energetic. And while the humor occasionally veers towards the goofy and the "villainous" figures are largely two-dimensional stereotypes, the movie has a genuine affection for its characters and country (flaws and all) that finally wins us over.

Wikipedia says, "Old Delhi, walled city of Delhi, was founded as Shahjahanabad by Indian Emperor Shahjahan in 1639. It remained the capital of the Mughals until the end of the Mughal dynasty. It was once filled with mansions of nobles and members of the royal court, along with elegant mosques and gardens. Today, despite having become extremely crowded and dilapidated, it still serves as the symbolic heart of metropolitan Delhi." In 'Delhi-6', Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra sets out to map its arterial and venal nodes in an effort to capture the essence of the heartbeat and in doing so, rediscovers his roots (the film-maker grew up in the Chandni Chowk area of Old Delhi).The NRI's reluctance to be part of the Indian setup giving leeway to an almost willful desire to fit in feels done-to-death already, inspite of there not having been too many films that have explored this theme. Here thankfully, it is allied to the evergreen "protagonist oblivious to what he's getting into, gets sucked into the vortex, has to make choices" theme. As expected, Abhishek Bacchan brings his subtle touch to the proceedings, beginning his journey as a sampler of sights and later on, wanting to be part of the "madness".An ensemble cast cutting across generations provides the perfect foil and they are well cast here. Waheeda Rehman's Dadi is all grace. Rishi Kapoor (Ali) seems to be essaying roles with ease in his second innings. Om Puri (Madanagopal) and Pavan Malhotra (Jaigopal)gel together as brothers in a feud. Prem Chopra (Lalaji) makes a surprise return to cinema and Divya Dutta (Jalebi) shows Veer-Zaara wasn't a one-off. Atul Kulkarni as Gobar is entrusted with a role that one wouldn't associate with him but he pulls it off brilliantly proving what a fine actor he is. Sonam Kapoor's Bittu is Roshan's (Abhishek) first introduction to the bundle of contradictions that is India. While there is very little chemistry to speak of between the two, her refreshingly different looks light up the screen and in contrast to 'Saawariya' where she seemed lost, this one has her in an ambitious frame of mind and for the most part, she dazzles.Metaphors abound here. The allusion of Bittu to a dove that can't fly seems clichéd but isn't harped upon too often. The ongoing Ramleela enactments mirror the reality of the goings-on in Old Delhi and then there is the 'Kaala Bandhar'. It's sheer testimony to Mehra's confidence in his abilities as a film-maker for the amount of screen time given to this aspect of the film is staggering when you consider that it could've really hurt the movie's box-office chances. It might actually. That aside however, the roots of this interpretation lie in his first film 'Aks' where Rama and Ravana are depicted as states of the mind for which Amitabh Bacchan's Jekyll-Hydean make-overs won him acclaim. The 'Kaala Bandhar' / 'Monkey Man' is used as the catalyst in the theme of escalation which is something that holds true when it comes to public issues in India. For about three-fifths of the movie there isn't much that happens except that the seeds for the ensuing chaos are sown. As a game of pool progresses smoothly, before you know it, the situation spirals out of control.A R Rahman's score provides exquisite leit-motifs with the Old Delhi exploration theme complementing the visuals perfectly. Nearly all the songs 'Arziyan', 'Genda Phool', 'Masakali', 'Rehna Tu', 'Dil Gira Dafatan' and 'Bhor Bhaye' serve as high points for the film.Indian films have usually tended towards scant respect for geographical influences on the narrative and the characters. It's usually cultural influences that rule the roost in Indian films. Placed in this context, Delhi-6 is a departure from the usual. The first view of the Jama Masjid is a stunning panoramic shot. The Fatehpuri Masjid and the Lal Qila mark the two ends of the Chandni Chowk. Paranthe Waali Gali with the Paratha shops and the shots of characters relishing Jalebis remind one about the culinary status of Old Delhi. The presence of the Sikh Gurudwara, the Naya Mandir and the Baptist Church are pointers to the religious diversity of the locality.Though there are liberties on the part of the film-maker and clichés (Taj Mahal, for instance) aplenty, on the whole, Delhi-6 delivers on its promise. The depiction of this part of Old Delhi makes you want to experience it.