Delhi 6 Movie Review

After Rang De Basanti, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Delhi 6 is sorely disappointing. The movie falls flat in the absence of strong plot, climax or focus.

Roshan Mehra (Abhishek Bachchan) visits India for the first time to drop his grandmother (Waheeda Rehman) who wants to die at home in Chandni Chowk, Delhi. The by lanes of Chandni Chowk, where the story unfolds, provide culture shock to Roshan. He soon falls in love with the vivacious Bittu Sharma (Sonam Kapoor) who wants to cast away the bonds of traditions and be the next Indian Idol.

The story takes a sudden turn when communal tension breaks out in the peaceful area when the Kala Bandar (Black Monkey) that has been terrorizing the entire city, reaches Chandni Chowk. Abhishek tries to do his bit for communal amity but his religious antecedents catapult him into the eye of the storm. However, like typical Bollywood movies, Delhi 6 also ends on a happy note.

Abhishek Bachchan, yet again, plays the ABCD (American Born Confused Desi). However, his American boy act is getting old and over the top. Sonam is natural and beautiful, and lives up to expectations. The supporting characters do justice to their roles. Waheeda Rehman is graceful as ever but Rishi Kapoor is wasted. Amitabh Bachchan's role is amateurish and unnecessary.

The screenplay is interesting at times and preachy at others. Some of the shots by cinematographer Binod Pradhan are simply brilliant. Technically the movie is a slipshod effort. The actors have been shot against the background of visuals shot in Delhi, which looks completely fake.

Verdict: Overall, Delhi 6 disappoints as the director who gave us Rang De Basanti (2006), clearly fails to live up to expectations.

Audience Verdict: Delhi 6's first day first show saw an encouraging turnout at popular suburban theatres in Mumbai. Most viewers came out satisfied but were unambiguous in their opinion: Delhi 6 does not come close to Rang De Basanti (2006). Others found the concept of the Kala Bandar ridiculous. The audience, in all, considered the movie good and watchable.

Rating: 3 Stars on 5