Ishqiya (2010)

Sadly Over-hyped

Pretty Good

Great Film overall

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

The performances by the whole cast has to be given an ovation for they were so enigmatic with their roles & portrayal; and I am so in love with Abhishek Chaubey's direction.Speaking of noir, the film chiefly talks about betrayal, romance, lust, banditry and crime as a whole. Vidya Balan is the cynosure of the story and revolves around her quest to find what actually happened to her beloved spouse. Naseeruddin Shah & Arshad Warsi's characters follow suit as they try to equal their uncle in terms of money. Things go worse when the characters meet. First comes betrayal, then comes mastermind plan, subterfuge, love, love songs, dreams and all.The screenplay is tad non-linear and it accentuates the experience. What I loved most is the blank screens that go in line with scenes of anticipation & suspense. The editor did a very good job by dimming the screen and coming back with another frame. The music is mind-blowing; the score of beats, tunes and reverberating rhythm still rings in my head. All aspects are finely matched together to bring out a crime thriller with tint of black comedy. Good cinematography!BOTTOM LINE: A very well-executed cinema by a newcomer. 2010's one of the best movies. Highly Recommended!Profanity/Vulgarity: Mediocre | Sex/Foreplay: No | Mouth-Kiss: Strong | Violence/Gore: Very Strong | Alcohol/Smoking: Strong | Drugs: No | Porn: Very Mild

Sitting in the train to Hafuf from Riyadh, watching it, I was thinking to myself why I had not watched Ishqiya when it was released ten months back. There is no reason why one should delay watching Ishqiya, unless, you are the 'Om Shanti Om' and 'Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani Type'. I am not any of the above mentioned types; hence, I should have watched it earlier.Ishqiya is about Khalu Jaan (Naseer Uddin Shah) and Babban (Arshad Warsi) and their love triangle with Krishna (Vidya Balan) in a story that's not a love story by any means. If a movie's hero is called Babban and the next lead is called Khalu Jaan, while the guy trying to kill them is known as Jija Ji although his name is Mushtaq Bhai, you are not in for a rosy ride.What it is: Its intense, it's unusual and it's remarkable.What it isn't: It's not pinkish and mushy and sweet.It takes some time to get the hook of their accent and their lingo, but its pace is so fast that it does not leave you much time to ponder on that. The first half leaves your mind thinking, your face smiling and your eyes rolling. It's the unpredictability of Ishqiya's screenplay that makes it an outstanding watch. Second half becomes a bit more serious and the pace slows down a bit but the performances of the actors reach greater heights in it.Naseer is in top form. I have rarely seen him acting badly (barring Tridev) but this one is a master piece. Watch out for the sequences pre and post 'Dil to Bacha Hai Ji'. Also brilliantly done by all actors is the scene on road in the stolen car where Naseer taunts at Arshad's mother.Arshad is radiant. He is the most underrated actor in the industry dominated by Khans and Kapoors. His on screen chemistry with Vidya is so real that it makes you wonder. Of course the much hyped smooching scene is also responsible for that. Arshad looks every bit a con artist and his relation with his Khalu is also something that has never been seen in Bollywood before.Vidya is fantastic. This by all standards is her finest performance and this year's strongest role for a lead actress. I would be surprised if she doesn't bag a couple of awards for this portrayal.Getting Salman Shahid for Jija Ji's role was a master stroke. It makes me wonder who would have thought of casting a relatively unknown Pakistani actor out of nowhere. Little cameos from the village kid and KK are very natural. The old 'taai' is one of the most adorable little characters I have seen in recent times.Abhishek Chaubey knows what he is doing. He takes over from exactly where his guru Vishaal Bhardwaj left with Kaminey. He touches a different topic, approaches it in a different way and convincingly tells the story. He has complete grip over the screenplay. As much as I disagree with the climax and would have hoped for a little cruel one, that's a matter of personal choice based on the liking I developed for the characters watching it.Ishqiya is excellent music, fantastic acting, intricate storytelling and a must watch flick, unless, as I mentioned above, you are the 'Main Ne Pyar Kiya' type of movie goer. Also, the language used in Ishqiya can put some people off. Personally, I'll put it in one of the best this year.

Vidya Balan gave a superb performance and is the show-stealer. The film's setting of a fringe city is quite fascinating as it showcases traditional values and lifestyles clashing with urban concepts and development in India's booming economy. Vidya did a great job playing her complex, multi-dimensional role as a woman who is a devoted and loving wife, who at the same time cannot settle for betrayal and expects the same level of devotion in return. It is interesting to see how she begins appreciating herself, and to an extent becomes selfish, and decides she needs to live for herself and avail of opportunities presented to her. Naseerudin and Arshad are an awesome combination and are hilarious together. A very well-scripted and directed film, Ishqiya is not like any other Bollywood film I have seen. It has an interesting, indie feel to it. Alongside, it also shows the eye-opening issue of caste wars.

This is how life ends not in a bang but a whisper….. This is the way I guess s one should describe the movie and despite building up a credible plot ending leaves something to be desired. One good point is that Hindi films are maturing now and apart from straight college boy girl romance other angles are also being pursued and similarly in relationship areas apart from normal father –son, mother –son or friend angle complex relationships like guru- chelas whose object of affection is same girl, two buddies, two business partners, or mistress and wife are being presented in very nuanced way just as they are in real life. Movie's name is very apt because the entire protagonist including the kidnapped businessman or slain dacoit makes seemingly life threatening choices just because they are in love with someone. As they say love follows similar pattern to insanity and this movie exemplifies.Some obvious loopholes – vidya's effort to entice the two gangsters are too much obvious. There should have been some kind of subtlety here. It is inconceivable that police is attacking the house from front and they can easily slip from back. A big businessman with underworld links in lawless areas and without security? . caste war angle is just used to create useful coincidences in film, which could be done otherwise as well.But scenes involving brother in law of naseer is hilarious to core and so is the concept of vidya finally finding solace in company of these two men.It is difficult to say if it is inspired from some movie, Indian or foreign but I remember seeing one Brazilian movie where a woman with some fatal disease has a threesome with two youth who fall in love with her.