The Dirty Picture
Director: Milan Luthria
Cast: Vidya Balan, Emraan Hashmi, Naseeruddin Shah, Tusshar Kapoor
Rating: ***1/2
Reshma (Balan) is a small town girl with big ambitions to be a dancer. She runs away from home to land in a hole of a room in the big bad city of Chennai. Even when she goes around trying her luck, she is either jeered at or propositioned. She manages to make it big, largely with the help of the reigning superstar, the lecherous Surya (Naseeruddin Shah). Reshma quickly learns the ropes of the game so when Surya boasts of over 500 conquests, she beats him with a proposal to teach him 500 ways. That's Silk. Ambitious enough to do whatever it takes but with a super confidence that she can deliver much more than what is demanded of her. After becoming a reigning star, Silk with fame and money, also manages to acquire ego and a kind of restlessness. Her downfall begins with a heartbreaking incident.
The best thing about this movie is that it bravely remains stuck to its silky fibre, without veering away even once by taking a moral ground. It might be accused of trying to be frontbencher friendly, but that's what Silk is all about and no one should be complaining. What you see is what you get, which goes both for Silk and this film. Passion reflects in this film, in Silk's characterisation, in detailing, in casting and in general.
Dialogues by Rajat Aroraa might be bordering on corny at times, but goes with the flavour of the film and manages to titillate, attract applauses and whistles and provides good support. Talking about dialogues, one says, 'There is no one like Silk'. If I may dare to say, there are very few like Vidya Balan. In a place full of actresses obsessed with their blow dried hair and designer outfits, never mind what role they are playing, Vidya Balan has the guts to put on kilos, show off a sizeable paunch and still stand there looking all real and yes, irresistibly sexy.
A standing ovation to this lady, who bites into this once in a lifetime role with such passion that she becomes Silk. So much so, that she might just be capable of bringing in the much needed changes in the power equations of Bollywood, if only she is given enough chances to do so. Just as a brilliant actress is supposed to do, she has dropped all inhibitions. Some scenes, like the one where she offers sound effect to a noisy next-door couple making love, she manages to keep you in a state of pleasant surprise through the movie.
While Naseer is fantastic as Surya, it is Emraan Hashmi who actually manages to steal some of the scenes, in spite of Vidya's presence. Hashmi, as a high-brow director, who hates Silk, is subtle and very good.
While the first half of the film is highly entertaining, the second half loses some steam.
The film shocks, titillates, makes you laugh, and gets you involved. As Silk says in the film, Filmon mein teen baat honi chahiye, entertainment, entertainment, entertainment. Well, this one has loads of it. Go watch. www.mid-day.com
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