Dhobi Ghat (Rao, 2011)

Dhobi Ghat is a personal film about 5 characters, yes the city of Mumbai does actually play a character. The shots of Mohd. Ali Road during a busy and crowded evening to the classy art shows to the actual Dhobi Ghat and the slums of Mumbai gives you the indication what kind of city Mumbai really is.

The story of Mumbai and how it affects the people living in it. It does not spare anyone, it can be the artist, your local dhobi, the investment banker or a newcomer who is trying to cope up with moving to Mumbai from a small town. Rao's story is an intimate story about an investment banker who meets an artist who is struggling to find his next muse and her chance meeting with a local dhobi which turns into more than a fascination for her. The artist finds his muse in video dairies of a person who moved into Mumbai and documents her daily life in Mumbai using a camcorder.

Rao does take time to fall into her stride which is evident as the movie meanders painfully slowly in the start but gets a proper foothold once all characters are well established. Her attention to detail is remarkable and shows that she really researched the shit out of Mumbai.

The acting my newcomers Monica Dogra as Shai the investment banker and Kriti Malhotra as Yasmin a new Mumbaite is flawless. The carefree attitude of Shai and the enthusiasm of Yasmin is genuine and shows how Rao can really manage and direct newcomers. Similarly Parteik Babbar as an ambitious dhobi shows that he is of the same gene pool as Smita Patil his mother. He camouflages himself as a dhobi with a dream in Mumbai and his last scene of realization shows us his capability as an actor. The only sore point on the acting front was Aamir Khan, who looked awkward as an artist, it seemed as if he was burdened with the role that he didn't want to commit to. Though I was impressed that even though him being the super star, the film was not entirely about him but about Shai the investment banker.

Dhobi Ghat is clearly the first independent art house movie out of Bollywood for a long time which is true to life and which portrays intimate account of the bustling Mumbai.

4.5/5