Pessimism

There isn't much difference between liars and optimists.

ISHQIYA

What started as a plan to enjoy sometime with a friend turned into an experience that offered great cinematic bliss to the great Hakumei-Sama. She always regretted how she missed watching Omkara in the cinema hall and she was more than willing to repent. Ishqiya was it!
Pretty sure she was, of the fact that the movie would be a good watch but this good!?

The moment she saw it was a Vishal Bhardwaj production, Bejin set herself comfortably in her seat. Apprehensions took over her within the first few seconds for she was just not willing to be disappointed. 'Not in the mood for another Kaminey', she thought.
'And sometimes, just sometimes, your prayer is answered' were her thoughts after she was done.



Now the catch here is that you don't have to be a member of the Eastern U.P. circuit to acknowledge this movie but you surely have to be a Bhojpuriya baalak to know how truly well made this movie is! No, this movie is not in Bhojpuri. It follows a more Khariboli style (probably for mass appeal). It's just that the movie's environment is brilliantly desi! The language, characters, their involvement with each other, music everything only adds to it. Good thing is that nothing is overdone.

Naseeruddin Shah was brilliant like always. It's weird how it's so easy to fall in love with Naseer after watching each of his movies but the thing about Ishqiya is that it's one movie which makes you fall in love with Naseer's character. You sympathise with him and can almost feel what it's like to be Khalu-Jaan, the old romantic full of anxiousness.

['Koi to roke, koi to toke. Is umar mein ab khaoge dhokhe. Dar lagta hai ishq karne mein ji. Dil to bachcha hai ji, thoda kaccha hai ji.']

Arshad Warsi is good to watch as the roadside rustic, Babban. His hormonally driven youth is characterised by kaajal eyes and Soorma Bhopali style of talking. His evident transformation from a player into a man helplessly in love is cute.

[Babban to Khalu-Jaan: "Aapka ishq, ishq. Aur hamara ishq, sex?!"]

Vidya Balan's character Krishna, is dark! Both visually and otherwise. A classic case of femme fatale, Krishna gives both these men the kind of romantic pleasure they seek and why? Well, that forms the main plot of the movie. A woman of stark contrasts, Krishna is driven, desperate, innocent looking, simple yet sexy. Negative? I wouldn't call her that.
A woman with a voice to die for, Krishna doesn't even have to work to appeal to Khalu-Jaan's refined self.


Apart from the leads, the side characters do justice to what they are supposed to do. Bejin particularly liked the cocky kid who played Nandu.

[Nandu to Babban: "Hamare wahaan chuttad dhone se pehle tabancha chalana sikhaate hain."]

Look out for this movie to know Gorakhpur, for the music, to feel for two friends who fight for a woman who loves neither of them, for tabancha and a script that's written well and delivered even better!

And before you sad-ass losers go on about how the great Hakumei-Sama makes for a nearly idiotic film critic, check out the following links.



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Happy watching, suckers!