Delhi Belly

Humor is relative. What's humorous to me might not be funny to you and while you laugh on something, I might not laugh on it. Humor is also circumstantial and gets rusty out of the context. However, there is some humor which is universal and is acceptable to everyone. If we apply the same theory on modern Hindi films, Andaz Apna Apna and Munna Bhai series might be the only films to go in universally accepted humor category. Some other humor examples that worked on the box office but were not universally accepted are Singh is King, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, Phir Hera Pheri, Ready, Dhamaal and Golmaal etc. Then there is another kind of humor which does not go well with the masses but has its own cult following like that of Wesa Bhi Hota Hai Part II, Mithya, Bheja Fry etc. Delhi Belly (DB) is somewhere in between the universally accepted form of humor and the subtle cult following kind of humor. Through DB and other such efforts, Hindi cinema is coming out of romantic comedies and running around the trees.

To start with, the film is hilarious. It leaves you with one laugh riot after another and does not give you a chance to fully recover from the previous one before sending you through another piece of joviality. It's mostly tongue in cheek humor but at times goes very physical as well. What works in favor of the film is its dialogues and wonderful acting even though the story does not have ground breaking stuff to offer. DB could very easily go as the best casting of the year 2011, especially with the kind of role given to Vijay Raaz. Another thing that goes in favor of DB is its short duration and fast pace.

Abhinay Deo, in his second directorial outing after a mildly interesting and mildly painful Game, has made sure that he doesn't go wrong anywhere even if he does not create a masterpiece. He has focused on technical side more to make sure that the editing is crisp and background score goes in line with the action despite no songs. Also, with an open ended climax, he seems to have left a door open for a sequel. Nonetheless, it's more of an actors' film rather than a director's film and the actors have handled their responsibility with utmost satisfaction of the director. Nobody goes overboard in humor and specially the sidekicks stick to their jobs and cinematography is as per the need. The biggest compliment that I can give DB is that it has made Shehnaz Treasurywala look bearable.

The lead trio, which has a distant similarity to the trio of The Hangover, has carried the film well on its shoulders. Imran Khan has done a very good job. This is his best performance since his debut. He looks in control and has a much improved dialogue delivery and comic timing after two lowly performances in Break Ke Baad and I Hate Luv Storys. Kunal Roy Kapoor is a welcome addition to the comic brigade. Vir Das is fantastic. A highly underrated actor, I must say. If someone needs more exposure for his talent, that's got to be Vir Das. The debutant Poorna Jagganathan surprises. She might not be the best looking new comer, but she surely is a good performer. The film, however, in my opinion, belongs to Vijay Raaz. He is in terrific form and outdoes himself. We all know what a brilliant actor he is but here he takes charge and delivers an outstanding performance as the villain. His scenes with Vladimir in the hotel and with the trio in their apartment are to die for. It's criminal to see so less of Vijay in recent times. Aamir Khan also appears at the end for an item number but that's after the film has left its mark.

There are two reasons why DB might not work with masses even though it has a release of 1400 prints which is huge. The first barrier is the language. 95% of the film is in English. The last film with such high level of English in it was Kites and it was a box office disaster, though from a different genre. The other issue is also the language but here I mean the profanity in it. Yes, it's an adult movie and has an A certificate but the explicitness that DB has, I have never seen in Hindi cinema before. In that department, it can actually put Hollywood to shame. It's that openness though, that makes DB worth watching again.

To conclude, DB is worth a watch. Actually a lot more than worth a watch but you have to have an appetite for a certain kind of humor to watch it repeatedly. Also, be careful who you are accompanying when you go to watch it and what's your level of frankness with the people you are watching it with. Definitely, not a movie to watch with your mother-in-law or your 12 year old niece.

It's barely half an hour since I left the movie theater, and I'll say this - I could easily buy tickets for the rest of shows for the day and watch this movie over and over.

The whole ensemble of cast has done an awesome job. Right from the extra you see in the background to Imran Khan. Vijay Raaz really defines the term "effortless acting". Right from the start of the movie it is shown just how the real world is. Delhi Belly is unpredictable. You probably won't even try to predict what will happen next because you will be too busy trying to drink in the explosion of humor on screen.

It (the movie) is really bold in some areas. I actually am still wondering how it got through the Censor Board without taking out the stuff that I saw. If this movie has an uncensored version, I would buy it in the blink of an eye.

I am quite ecstatic that Aamir has branched out from the typical movies he produces to invest in something so uncanny. Bollywood really needs more movies like Delhi Belly. Not the pretentious love stories with the ridiculous fantastical songs every ten minutes. If you haven't watched it yet, open a new tab right now and book tickets. Really, open a new tab...NOW!!

I'd rate this movie 11/10 if it were possible.

I'm reviewing this with an American point of view. First off, most non-Indian Americans might not understand what the big deal is. To us, this is nothing new. We've watched comedy like this for years. However, those of us who have some general knowledge of Indian films and Bollywood will certainly be able to appreciate just how different and important this movie is. It is like no other Indian film previously made (at least, not like any I have seen.) It's dirty, raunchy, explicit, disgusting and crude. It's also extremely witty and hilarious.

While I don't think most Americans will feel this is anything special, I *do* think a lot of them would like it, if they gave it a chance. It's the kind of American Pie like comedy that sells well here, yet I personally think it's a lot more intelligent than our normal crude comedies. Also, I'm a girl and while I may have liked it, I can see how not many other females would be into it. It's really, when it boils down to it, a guy movie, about guys, complete with their toilet habits, dirty clothes, and disgusting apartment. ;) If you don't speak Hindi, that's not a problem, since the movie is about 98% in English and the spoken parts that aren't in English, had subtitles. The only disappointment I had with the language barrier was that, in the version I saw, there were no subtitles for Aamir Khan's absolutely HILARIOUS song number at the end, where he is 'Disco Fighter'. Apparently, the lyrics for "I Hate You (Like I Love You)-In Brackets" is loaded with innuendo and double meanings, but unfortunately, I was unable to understand.

So, if you have shunned Bollywood because you can't speak Hindi, you don't have that excuse with this movie. If you have stayed away from Indian cinema because of the over the top melodramatic love story formula, you also have no excuse with this movie. Go see it. Just not with your parents or on a first date. ;)

The bad:

I am not totally against the use of bad language in films - some times it is totally appropriate - but I think there were times in this movie when it was just being used for the sake of it, and/or just to get cheap laughs from teenagers who still find the use of the F-word funny. One thing I love about Bollywood is it manages to get laughs with having to resort to bad language - and long may it remain that way.

The good:

The plot is fast-paced and it gets down to business pretty much from the get-go. I was watching it with my 17 year-old son and he thoroughly enjoyed it (maybe he is the target audience for gross-out comedy). It has some classic comedic moments and there were many times I laughed out loud.

If you enjoyed Hangover then this is likely to be something you'll enjoy too.

I did watch it with sub-titles on, but from what I can remember the dialog is almost all in English. Maybe this was to try and give it wider appeal.

I had liked Abhinav Deo's GAME too for its style and had not known at that time that he was directing DELHI BELLY or was from the advertising world. I mention this fact about being from the world of advertising because this would factor into the director's understanding of urban realities, most of all the language of real life.

Language is the MAIN character of this movie. The plot, the actors, the music, the songs, the chases-- all lean heavily on language and that's the most unique feature of this film. The language of the by now infamous lyrics, the "heroes" and the "villains" alike reflects the grim, gritty, sometimes squalid reality of urban India and translates it into images that are at once shocking, disgusting, entertaining and creatively ingenious.

Once the director has decided that he is going to use this language (both literally as well as metaphorically) he has complete freedom to depict urban realities-- sexual, emotional, physical, financial, marital, professional et al. The film is funny because beneath all the crudities and cuss words lies the recognition of ourselves in our day to day life, its frustrations, the curve balls that it throws us from time to time and our desperate attempts to keep our sanity in a completely insane world.

In a recent interview, Abhinav Deo thanked Amir Khan for his vision. This vision is possible only in a man who has the creative genius to shed the hypocrisy and double entrendres of Bollywood cinema and move on to a cinematic form that is so completely in tune with the 21st century India, the metamorphosis of our youth, the blurring lines that divide morality (as we knew it) from immorality, even amorality, cynicism from romanticism and so on.

The movie from start to finish is tightly held together. The cast is well chosen and so are the locales. Nothing jars in the movie. People look as much at home in a five star hotel as they do in the clogged by lanes and streets of Old Delhi. The screenplay is tautly held together by an equally taut editing. I loved Vijay Raaz who is able to depict the malevolence of a sleepy looking but deadly reptile with such finesse, the two young men who share Imran's filthy apartment and the young woman who tempts Imran to break his engagement. The contrast between the old Maruti and the red new (Santro?) car that can zip through the flyovers of Delhi is as meaningful as the black eye that Imran sports through most of the film.

I am sure some reviewers and certain sections of the audience will slam the movie for various reasons. But that is because the movie is ahead of its time and will make people uncomfortable because of its iconoclastic nature. I salute Amir and his team for this and wish them many many years of great film making.