Best review of a movie
I'm a big WWE (formerly WWF) fan; a lot of factors contribute in making the show 'the longest running prime time show' - maybe in the entire history of television. It's like a never-ending film with constantly evolving storylines and characters played by the wrestlers. A storyline, much like the movies, would consist of a wrestler playing a good guy, called 'babyface' going head to head with the villain or the 'heel' in wrestling terminology.
WWE has had many classic heels such as 'The Undertaker' or 'Shawn Michaels' or even 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin. What worked for all these characters was that they had a lot of 'Heat' with the audience; people would pay to boo them, to see them getting beat up. All of these wrestlers are either current or future Hall of Famers.
But there were a lot of other wrestlers/heels in particular who started off very well but disappeared shortly. These were the wrestlers who initially got some heat going with audience but failed to sustain that 'heat' for a long time. They were the ones who - in wrestling terms again - used 'cheap heat' to get instant fame and were subsequently forgotten. But what is 'cheap heat'?
'Cheap heat' is what you get by directly abusing the audience with heavy duty cuss words. The audience does hate the wrestler because he's using the most 'extreme' foul language against them (grabbing instant attention) but forget about him soon because that's all he's got. No substance, no originality, only momentary 'cheap heat'.
Delhi Belly is a classic example of 'cheap heat' being exploited to the maximum. The only difference is unlike WWE's failed wrestlers who needed to sustain themselves over a period of time, the film only needs to work for you once, and in most of the cases it will, excepting some - like mine.
It is the laziest, most cunning (remember I used this word) screenplay in a long time. A while back I asked filmmaker Anurag Kashyap about using 'cuss' words in his films. He said, "That's the way we talk in real life. Why not in films?" It was an interview for his film 'Gulaal'. I was blown away by the film and I completely agreed with him.
But while I consider 'Gulaal' to be a genuinely written script, I've got a big problem with the writer of Delhi Belly. It is somewhat of an exploitation film at best. Something tells me the writer had two choices:
1. The plot which, without any doubt, is an intensely watchable one. It uses original/witty dialogues according to the situations and hope it works for the audience.
2. Given the same plot, go for a sure-shot, less satisfying screenplay, which you know will work for most.
It kills me that the team went for option 2 compared to option 1 simply because it required more effort.
Remember I used the word 'cunning'. Let me explain.
To get three guys to play 'hip Delhiites' who talk like actual living beings is one thing but to use that as a disguise to let your characters hold a prostitute's breast while talking to her, or constant reference (and shots) of ass cheeks to using every 'maa-behen' gaali you've ever heard in 'Hinglish' (as the ticket reads) is another. They've done anything to get your attention. It's like what Mahesh Bhatt said in a TV chat show, "I am a prostitute selling myself, rest is up to you."
And let's not use the 'oh, we talk like this in real life' notion here. Nothing in the film has been written to show 'reality'. Everything has being written very slyly to get that cheap thrill going amongst the audience.
Again I do have to admit that it works like a charm - for most. I am not offended by the film. I am just so disappointed. Here's hoping this film won't trigger a series of future films with immense 'cheap heat'.
Then again something tells me it will. Bollywood!
