This post is based on a film which has inspired this indolent creature to blog again. The Dirty Picture.
This film, The Dirty Picture, is a biopic of Silk Smitha who happened to be the sex siren of Kollywood (Tamil Film Industry) in the 80’s. She not only exactly knew what men want but also how exactly to show it. Sex, skin show and raunchiness were what she had under the name of her talent and had no regrets about it.
But Milan Luthria has very well made this biopic as a commercial Bollywood film without losing the feel of it. Here is what I think of a few aspects.
Storyline: The film is based on ‘Up to the moon and back’ story. It moves under the narration of Ibrahim (Emraan Hashmi) who has played the role of an Art house Film Director in the movie. Story starts with Reshma (Vidya Balan), a teenage girl with the dreams of getting love, fame and all the attention abandons her family and runs all the way to Madras (now Chennai). But Kollywood wasn’t initially too generous in accepting her. Luckily, she gets a break in a song where some kinky scenes were to be performed. Reshma grabs it with both the hands and showed every bit of her acting talent (read as skin show) which makes the front benchers go crazy.
Selvaganesh, producer of that film gets highly exited from this new discovery and rechristens her as Silk and then there was no looking back for her. But what goes high comes back for sure. Call it a law of gravity. Changes of her stars alignment takes her deep down to the barrel. She gets drunk, fat and out of market. Bankruptcy knocks her door hard and she is left with no friend but one foe – Ibrahim. The film has nothing to do with Silk Smitha other than taking her screen name.
Screen Play: Here comes what you call the strongest part of the film. It’s screenplay. The story has traits of Munshi Premchand’s novel: Seva Sadan. Although screen play clearly reveals that it is an adaptation of a novel that takes you back in eighty’s. Especially the Horse Betting scene, the scene in which Silk goes back to her house and her love sprouting for Rama Kant (Tusshar) are too novelistic.
But nevertheless, it’s strongly scripted (or adopted) which runs the film at a neck breaking speed before interval. Film proceed in this happened and that happened and then this happened fashion. The only thing which misses is why and how? Just before interval, Silk says that she is not a film which changes after the interval which was a subtle hint to the viewers to be prepare for a U turn. Story after interval digs deeper in the emotional side of Silk. However, it doesn’t get very deep in emotions as the Producers must have thought about avoiding access depressing stuff so as to make it a Commercial Biopic. The love angle is refreshing as the concept of getting in love with your enemy is not very common in Bollywood.
Background Score: Ten out of ten. That is what I’ll say if the question would be to rate The Dirty Picture’s background score. The song ‘Nakku Mukka’ not only makes you feel the taste of Tamil movies charisma but also makes you tap your feet as you see Silk climbing the success ladder. The use of heavy drums and sonatas are strong enough to jab your heart along with Silk.
Acting: Do not be surprised if Vidya Balan wins the National Award for this performance for this is by far the best female centric role any one in Bollywood has ever played.
Acting: Do not be surprised if Vidya Balan wins the National Award for this performance for this is by far the best female centric role any one in Bollywood has ever played.
It’s not very easy to wear slutty clothes, gain extra 12 kilos and show your cleavage when you have never even worn western outfits in most of your movies. Getting out of shape is never easy in an industry where size zero is considered as a trend.
Naseeruddin Shah is beyond comparison. He very well plays the role of some famous bad ass eighty’s star without letting an insinuation on any one. You forget that he is Naseeruddin Shah and start looking him as an overaged actor who is still playing roles of a college student.
Tusshar was average. There wasn’t anything much for him to do other than kissing Vidya.
Emraan Hashmi must thank Milan Luthria and Balaji Telefilms for offering him such films. After Once Upon A Time in Mumbai, he has again proved that he has much more acting talent other than doing it with his lips. Be it a role of an Art house director, a sulking failed person or a lover, Emmran does well in every shade of his character.
Other than the technical aspects, this film rules because of the clear vision of the Director. The film has pure Tamil sets that will time travel and take you back in the eighties of Tamil Nadu. The other bold aspect was that none of the character spoke in Tamil. Be it a junior artist or the Producer itself. Even the famous Tamil slang/ascent was not there which is the major plus point in the film. Imagine Tusshar speaking dialogues in Tamil ascent. There was a scene which needs special mention. The scene in which Silk runs from the porn film set and finds her early images every where she look. As a film maker or the writer such scenes proves that how deep you look in human’s philosophy and how well the character is designed. Although, film critics would call it a hypocrisy. Why not porn when every limit was crossed by her. Different people, different views.
I can write on and on and on about the movie but then it would become a really dirty post.
This film has delivered what mostly other biopic(s) fail to – Entertainment, Entertainment, and Entertainment.
My rating – 4/5.
Love and Peace.
Vinayak Shashi Seth
