Dhobi Ghat - A Review

You take a large black and white photograph of a smiling street vendor hawking vegetables in the midst of the hustle and bustle of a busy road. You put the photograph on a caravan and go town to town inviting views. Some see art in the photo, the black and white a metaphor for colorless harshness of the vendor’s life and the smile reminiscent of the endurance of human spirit. Yet some others look at the photo and see….well… a smiling vendor hawking vegetables in midst of a busy road. If you (like me) belong to the latter group of people, Dhobi Ghat is likely to leave you scratching your head, wondering what all the fuss is about. This probably explains why Aamir Khan, a savvy producer, decided to premiere the movie in the festival circuit before bringing it to the masses back home

The Plot:

An anti social artist with a troubled past, a vivacious young housewife with a troubled present, a lost investment banker with a silver spoon, the earnest young dhobi with dreams in his eyes and pain in his soul, their lives, their hopes, their muses, in a city that is always in a hurry.

The movie starts with a view of Mumbai’s sights and sounds as recorded on a handycam and narrated by a newly arrived migrant housewife Yasmeen (Played by Kriti Malhotra). You are then quickly introduced to the other key protagonists: Arun (played by Aamir Khan) a moody, temperamental artist; Shai (Played by Monica Dogra) a NRI investment banker on a sabbatical; Munna (Played by Prateik) a struggler with bollywood dreams who is a dhobi by day and rat killer by night. The film charts their lives as they intersect, form bonds, love and finally lose. Throughout the film you are treated to montages of every day life in Mumbai which comes alive as a protagonist in its own right in the movie.

My Take:

Right from the start, Dhobi Ghat has a documentary, arty house feel to it. While all the characters and  their situations feel very real, the narrative as a whole is un-compelling and fails to keep the viewer involved throughout. There were several points in the movie when the focus on showcasing the everyday life of the protagonists (for instance the sequences involving Yasmeen’s narrative on everyday life in Mumbai) makes the viewing tedious. What makes sitting through such pieces possible however, is the excellent performance from the entire cast. While Aamir’s acting abilities need no endorsement, it is Prateik who delights with his standout and nuanced portrayal of Munna. Finally, for a viewer so used to seeing celluloid stories taken to a logical end, the lack of a conclusion left one wondering as to the point of it all

Verdict:

For a moviegoer fed on an appetite of spicy masala, Dhobi Ghat resembles a salad devoid of dressing – healthy, nutritious but unappetizing