The Dirty Picture

When this movie was in the making i was thinking so cheap about Ekta Kapoor for stooping low to such extent that she has to resort to these sort of gimmicks and hated Vidya Balan for taking up the lead role. I liked her so much in Munnabhai and Parineeta that i couldnt believe that she could carry on this role leave alone take it. And when the movie got released and was declared a hit felt it was another win for the soft porn industry running within our movie land. But when i read the reviews, the feedback was unanimous. Right from hard core movie critic to casual movie watcher, every one had spoken so highly about the movie that the curiosity was kindled. I happened to watch the movie yesterday and needless to say was mightily impressed. First i thought should i even tell anyone that i saw this movie. This movie ultimately was NOT 'that' kind of movie which no one wants to talk about in public, but whose kind rules the net.

Its hard to believe this movie was not a novel-to-screen kind of script. The story is right out of any Sidney Sheldon books. It has all the ingredients in right proportions. A lead lady character, as in all his novels, who hails from a not so great background, with dreams of reaching the sky and beyond and with determination to take anything head on to achieve the dream, which they eventually do, with pomp and splendour, but at the cost of a pound of their soul and some self respect and like in all his novels they have an almighty fall. While the ones with positive ending allows the characters the luxury of a phoenix like resurgence, this one ends as a tragedy where the lead takes her life committing suicide. Though the story is claimed to be based on the life of 'Silk' Smitha, donned by Vidya Balan and Naseerudin shah's Suryakanth is supposedly a take on Rajini, the story line could suit any struggling and aspiring artist who are hell bent on achieving success even at the cost of losing their morals. This movie unwraps those gray and shady world of the cine industry and not just that, it turns the spot light on that world, minuting it to the detail. Its that kind of story that can be called a true open secret. Everyone, be linked with movie line or not, is aware of the casting couch and the kind of behind the screen activities that happen and those which are kept under wraps, literally and figuratively and the story is a real example of a true open secret. Yet, not many movies have taken up this theme and not many have done it with this finesse and are watchable to say the least.

There is always a risk of the movie crossing into the art film territory if it lingered beyond the normal commercial boundaries and a tad more on this side would've pushed it into a totally different category of its own, away from the general public and would've got it buried into the realms of a different industry altogether. It takes courage to portray your own people in bad light, talk about the shady deals happening around you and if you also happen to be a leading lady the pressure is all the more serious. Vidya Balan deserves a big round of applause for taking up this role. Not that the other actresses couldnt have done more justice to the role, but she always had this image of a homely character artist and to shed that image and take up the other extreme of her on screen persona deserves tremendous courage and probably a bigger pay cheque. Right from the opening credit scene where she gives that 'voice over', its Vidya's show all the way. Naseeruddin shah is almost invisible in the movie, though he occupies the second longest screen space. Call it on his performance which is thorough or Vidya's dominating screen presence, whichever way, he does what he does best - get into the skin of the character. But at times he almost looks bored, wondering what the heck  he is doing in a movie like this which is totally heroine dominated. Tushar kapoor owes one more to his sister for giving him a role in this movie. His is more of a cameo for which he was adequate to say the best. Emraan-serial kisser-Hashmi, gets a chance to wet his lips again and he does it with gusto.

But the movie totally belongs to the screenplay writer and the dialogue writer. Wow. The movie has so many good punch one liners that you can make a book out of it. They are liberally strewn all over the movie and saves the movie from drowning into a sorrow mode. If we have such original screenplay writers abound Bollywood would soon give its illustrious original, whose name it has plagiarized, a run for its Oscar money.

Gils Verdict - This is that kind of movie, which makes one realise the heaviness of the mask they wear and the starkness of reality. Remove the word 'Dirty' from the title and rename it as 'The picture - for hypocrites', it still makes more sense. Not a movie for family watching though for we are all hypocrites aren't we :)