Delhi 6 - a case of loss of focus

Many movie reviewers have pointed it out correctly - Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's heart is at the right place but there's a lot more to be desired. By 'more' I think they are talking about execution quality perhaps.

I would say the movie needed a little less. It needed:

1. fewer eccentric characters
2. fewer types of music
3. fewer visual themes
   
4. fewer social issues
   
5. fewer narrative themes / metaphors
   

Though the movie was breathtaking in individual bits and parts, though all the actors did justice to their characters, though the settings were amazing, there was a lot to contend with for the audience and therefore, while every issue was relevant, the impact wasn't as forceful as one would expect.

The movie felt like a collage of great visuals, good music and good performances. But that's what spoilt it for Delhi-6. The task of weaving them seamlessly wasn't a simple one; they were brought together eventually in quite a style but not with the required intensity.

The movie would have been far better made had there been a simple focus on the Abhishek-Sonam relationship with a backdrop of Hindu-Muslim tensions and mediated by the incident/metaphor of Kaala Bandar. The distracting visuals, music, characters would have automatically fallen in place.

Rare is a case where almost all the parts are perfect but the whole is less than perfect. Such is the perfection of each part that each one of it should ideally stand on its own and be converted into a separate movie.

Think about it. Does not each of the issues highlighted deserve a movie in itself? If that's the case, why complicate matters by mixing it all up in just one movie.

Photo courtesy: www.planetbollywood.com

Celebrity brand – Mr. Perfection, Aamir Khan

Watching Taare Zameen Par was an experience par excellence. What was the movie about? A little child’s struggle to grapple with dyslexia and as a consequence, with his problems at home and school. The child’s in deep trouble when his new art teacher comes in and helps him achieve the unthinkable; of course, by making him explore his unusual abilities in a suitable manner.

That’s been Aamir Khan’s success mantra through out his career. There have been diversions every now and then, but more or less he has achieved success with one formula – depict achievement of victory in adverse circumstances. Adverse circumstances often in a very specific context, often unforeseen, often compelling enough for a drastic and definitive measure.

Let’s go back to some of his earlier successful movies:

Deewana Mujh Sa Nahin – fighting all resistance to win the love of a woman who’s a big star

Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar – victory in a cycle race for which he prepares and participates in a very short time in lieu of his injured brother

Dil – fighting against parents to win his lady-love. QSQT was on similar lines, in which he wins but ends his life when he knows that his beloved was killed

Hum Hain Raahi Pyar Ke – overcoming a crisis in business for which he incidentally assumes responsibility after the death of his sister and brother-in-law

Rangeela – winning his lady love even when pitched against a superstar

Ishq – fighting all the status and wealth barriers to win his lady love

Ghulam – struggling as an aspiring boxer but wins a fight against an infamous but stronger boxer who also happens to be a goon and killer of his brother

Sarfarosh – solving an intricate problem of terrorism and the people who abet terrorism

Dil Chahta Hai – struggling to understand ‘love’ and his friend’s feelings but eventually fighting to save his love just before she’s about to get married and also winning back his friend

Lagaan – fighting to win an important cricket challenge thrown by the British rulers of the region and in turn saving a village from back-breaking taxes

Rang De Basanti – purposeless all life but determined and therefore, succeeds in avenging the death of a dear friend, an Air-force pilot, who dies in a dubious situation which arises out of the corrupt dealings of country’s top politicians

Aamir’s made some rather forgettable movies too. He’s made some pure comedy movies, some off-beat movies et al. But he is one of the very few actors in Indian cinema who’ve recognized and exploited (in a very positive and constructive way) a particular theme or pattern in movies and delivered smashing performances.

That’s the power of focus. Of course, if you’ve watched these movies, you know what I’m talking about. Aamir Khan can be viewed as a brand. He’s a perfectionist (in other words, specialist) and he uses it in a particular way – reflected through his choice of movies (victory in unforeseen, compelling and adverse circumstances) and his role (that of a hard-working, determined victor) in those movies. And that brings him success. Perhaps, he knows it!