Box Office: RGV’s Rann Screwed; Ishqiya Saved
We rarely ever see Goras coming to see Bollywood films (unless they stumble into the wrong hall).
So we were surprised to see a Gora buying a ticket for Ishqiya at Regal Commerce.
But then we shouldn’t have been surprised because the fame of Naseeruddin Shah and the positive buzz surrounding this film precedes its release.
With an offbeat story set in the violent badlands of Uttar Pradesh, Ishqiya is a well-told tale of love and crime and deceit and revenge and redemption.
So how can such a movie not be interesting, especially with the fine ensemble of Naseeruddin Shah, Vidya Balan et al.
Vidya Balan is Krishna, the widow of a professional kidnapper who dies in a fiery explosion.
Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi play thieves Khalujan and Babban respectively. Fleeing from their boss after robbing him, they land up at the house of their old friend Vidyavardhan Verma, only to find him dead.
But their good times come to an end soon after their boss catches up with them.
Meanwhile, the looted money has disappeared and just as it seems there’s no end to their woes, at Krishna’s urging they decide to kidnap a local businessman.
Nice Ménage à Trois
And both Khalujan, he with the fondness for the old Hindi songs, and Babban, he with the raging hormones, fall for the widow.
But everything is not what it seems.
And the twist towards the end while not lame is not great either.
The story tends to lose some momentum towards the latter part of the movie. And for all the fiery explosions and shooting at the end, we thought the last 20 or 25 minutes to be a let-down.
Forced to endure an endless run of bad acting from bozos like Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra and their lesser known peers, it’s a delight to see Naseeruddin Shah, Vidya Balan, Salman Shahid and Arshad Warsi on the screen.
There are plenty of comic moments in the film, most of it in the interaction between Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi.
It’s hard to believe that Ishqiya is the first film of Abhishek Chaubey. Was he sitting in co-producer Vishal Bharadwaj’s lap as Vishal wielded the megaphone? 😉
The songs are pleasing, particularly Dil to Bachcha Hai, the fine picturization adding to the allure of the song.
And the photography captures the lawless character of the rugged terrain well.
Ishqiya is by no stretch of imagination a masterpiece but hey what more can you ask from the debut film of a 23-year-old.
Unfortunately, Ishqiya is playing in limited theatres in the U.S. (even in New Jersey).
Related Stories:
Box Office: RGV’s Rann Screwed; Ishqiya Saved
Ishqiya Review – Charming Ménage à Trois added by SearchIndia.com on
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After a long time your review exactly matched with mine ;).. I am still not able to understand why the director spoiled entire show in the last 30 mins..
SearchIndia.com Responds:
You write: After a long time your review exactly matched with mine
Is that good or bad for us? 😉
Was this review there before the “Goa” reviews or had you put it on hold? Sounds interesting.. will wait till it hits the netflix instant streaming.
SearchIndia.com Responds:
You write: Was this review there before the “Goa” reviews or had you put it on hold?
There are super duper commenters.
And then there are the snooper dooper commenters. 😉
how was the acting of vidya balan aunty?
cannot believe the director was jus 23 years old. i hope this guy doesn’t end up like simbu (who till date keeps bragging about is hopeless manmadhan n vallavan which he directed at the age of 23)
fact of the month: simbu n i were born in the same hospital in annanagar, chennai 🙁
SearchIndia.com Responds:
1. You write: how was the acting of vidya balan aunty?
Vidya maami was decent here.
But we liked her best of all in Parineeta.
2. You write: i hope this guy doesn’t end up like simbu (who till date keeps bragging about is hopeless manmadhan n vallavan which he directed at the age of 23
When we are in a particularly masochistic mood and feel the desperate itch to inflict serious harm on ourselves, we watch these Sim(bhu)ians. 😉
3. You write: fact of the month: simbu n i were born in the same hospital in annanagar, chennai
Scary, the thought. Enough to make us head for the top of the Annanagar Tower.
the movie had very little in the form of story ….it was more of screenplay and after some time it got repetitive …..when mustaq catches them for the 2nd time ….that’s when the story actually begins ….what came after that was a very lame reason to do all this ….some dialouges were witty ……otherwise its a highly overated movie ….
SearchIndia.com Responds:
You write: otherwise its a highly overated movie ….
It has to do with Naseeruddin Shah and to some extent Vishal Bharadwaj and Vidya Balan. Tis’ this combination that’s given the media a powerful hard*n. 😉
caught it on DD. a film with characters and not heros and sidekicks, the last minutes was a bit ordinary but did feel like a cohesive whole. Good to see a movie after the hype has died,only the decent ones stand up.
Just learned today that Vidya Balan is portraying Silukku in “Dirty Picture”.. I think she is too old to portray Silukku, but her age may be right if she is portraying Silukku in her last years.. While Jayamalini, Anuradha, Jyothilakshmi looked sleazy/disgusting, something about Silukku was alluring.. Wish she had worn less gaudy/more revealing clothes in all those item numbers.. I was a bit sad when she died.
One of the many good songs she has been in:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIuKNIMWwIQ
But this other song from the movie is a better one, but stars another actress:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFr9fkj2Y70
SearchIndia.com Responds:
The second song is good. Remember listening to it in a distant era.
Vidya Balan as Silk is old hat.