Delhi 6 [2009]

Post Rang De Basanti the whole of India was looking forward to Rakesh Mehra’s next venture; Rang De Basanti never touched greatness, but what made it special was the director’s clarity of vision and his intent to speak his mind and not please his audience. Delhi 6 (a reference to Delhi's famous Chandni Chowk area), unfortunately, is the very antithesis of the former in its blatant desire to endear itself to its viewers. In an inferior variation of Swades, the movie chronicles an NRI’s return to India out of compulsion only to end up falling in love with the place, the locals, the culture, and not surprisingly, a girl (the lovely Sonam Kapoor). That said the movie is not all bad, it has its moments. The first half – a vibrant splash of colours, images, and the various idiosyncrasies that define a place – is filled with both nostalgia and mild satire, and left me craving for more. The director, however, undid all the good work with a forcefully contrived, overtly didactic, and hopelessly clichéd second half that left me unfulfilled. I was also severely disappointed in that very few scenes were shot on actual locations. Rehman’s energetic score and Abhishek Bachchan’s smart performance were the only saving graces.








Director: Rakesh Omprakash Mehra
Genre: Drama/Social Satire/Slice of Life/Ensemble Film
Language: Hindi
Country: India