Welcome to Chandni Chowk, an area in the walled city of Delhi with the zip code 6. Originally meaning moonlit square or market, it is one of the oldest and busiest markets of Delhi.
So when an NRI boy (Abhishek Bacchan) comes to town to bring home his ailing Grandmother (Waheeda Rehman) who wishes to spend her last days at her ancestoral home , he is bound to get sucked into the chaos which is so as much a character of Chandni Chowk as is its irreverent dynamism.
So, before this American born confused desi realises the intoxicating charm of the congested narrow bylanes of Delhi 6, he is already on the crossroads of a new awakening.
So is it another coming of age sort of story or a tribute to historic and cultural heritage of a bonhomie called Chandni Chowk?
Well, its actually an attempt at both but with a complex layer of interwoven issues and some discreet metaphoric undercurrent.
At one hand, we try to see through the eyes of the young protoganist NRI (Abhishek) coming to terms with his Indian connection with its deep rooted values, traditions, rituals and emotions.
On the other hand, we have this part of the city out of which grows the very image of secular India , where the inhabitants live and die for each other , each day.
But the story just does not stick to this plot, it leaps and overleaps into such symbolic gesturing and plodding of social issues and vicious diatribes, that at one point it seems like going nowhere.
It actually goes to no man's land rather than tell us a tale of life in those lanes of delhi 6, and then tries to come back in the end...leaving the viewer confused, provoked and over-sensitized.
But nevermind, this exercise doesnt take too much of a toll, because as I said, its a metaphoric undercurrent and not 'in your face' berating of our society at large. The episode of 'monkey man' taking away the biggest slice of the pie and also our Atta boy in its sway. And in turn, this 'monkey man' becomes a sort of mirror, a reflection , of ourselves, as individuals, as Hindus,Muslims, as social animals ....and as secular Indians.
Some terrific detailing, wonderful cinematography, commendable special effects, and some truly memorable performances from some vintage stars like Rishi Kapoor, Prem Chopra, Waheeda Rehman and Om Puri. Abhishek fits into the shoes of the character so well that he actually wins your heart as somebody who doesnt understand whats happening around him but still believes 'India works." Where people are good hearted and have real emotions.
That actually appeals to you...because we as Indians are ready to ape the western society for its rich lifestyle rather than understand own richness of culture.
So full marks to him as well as the director for bringing this up from within ourselves.
Sonam Kapoor is a delight to watch with her 'massakali' act , another symbolic representation of a life of a bird caged and yearning to fly. A gesture at our middle class girl who wears a 'salwar kameez' at home and rehearses to western beats in a sarong in a studio.
There was a lot of potential in sparking off the chemistry between Sonam and Abhishek, but the director had some other plans...he has this 'Ramayana' tale running parallel in a 'Ramlila' ...he has this two feuding brothers and their families sharing the same wall with a 'replacable' brick...he has a politician, a 'sadhvi' , a flirty photographer , an untouchable sweeper (Divya Dutta) , a shrewd Policeman...and yes, the 'Monkey Man' to the huge ensemble....it almost felt like a 'Nukkad' revisited.
Actually Mr.Director, Rakesh Omprakash Mehra, took a huge cinematic leap with his cult fiction, 'Rang De Basanti', that now anything coming after it is bound to have huge expectations and hype. The kind of excellent standard of film making and story telling that he set with RDB, is unparrallel to date...so Delhi 6 falls short of it on many levels. It ends like an unconvincing assortment with a lot of potential wasted or overused. Another disappointment for me the treatment of AR Rehman's superlative musical score...it was not given its due on screen space...the songs just melted away into the hustle and bustle.
But worth mentioning is the beautiful picturisation of the song 'Dil Giraftan' where we see a Sdream sequence in which the streets of Chandni Chowk mix into Times Square of New York. Splendid and Magical , a lavish piece of Art....a gem of sorts!
Well, this is a movie not only about one place, or a city or about any one person . Its a Mirror on the old wall....where you look and say 'Standing with the man in the mirror, asking him to change his ways".
