Dhobi Ghat (2011)

The film is a 'ground level' look at the hustle and bustle of Mumbai city through the eyes of the 4 lead protagonists - an introverted painter (Arun), an NRI investment banker (Shai) who is on a sabbatical in Mumbai, a young Muslim woman (Yasmin) who wants to give a video tour of Mumbai to her brother through a series of tapes and a young dhobi (Munna) who wants to make it big in the movies.

There isn't any particular story as such, as just some incidents affect these 4 protagonists. While Arun gets hold of Yasmin's tapes and is engrossed by them, Munna falls in love with Shai. Shai is attracted to Arun's intense yet recluse nature while she treats Munna as a good friend.

Prateik Babbar as the young dhobi is too good to be real. His style sense, his dressing, his shoes and grooming are hard to believe, given his social stature. He acts earnestly. Aamir Khan in a de-glam avatar tries to be cool and casual. There are generous helpings of English in the movie giving it a 'wannabe' effect. Monica Dogra as Shai is super smart and heavily anglicized. Kriti Malhotra is beautifully naive and wins us over with her pure innocence and intentions.

The way Tushar Kanti Ray has captured Mumbai is the highlight. The crowd, the hustle and the bustle etc. are all 'live' on screen. The shots on the streets of Mumbai are another example of smart production. Internationally renowned composer, Gustavo Santaolalla's music is there as a support stream without being particularly brilliant.

VERDICT: A different, offbeat attempt by Kiran Rao. Though not uplifting, it has good intentions nevertheless.