After Classic Westerns and Curry Westerns, the likes of Vishal Bharadwaj seem to have designed a desi sub-genre where the bucolic Bihar backdrops are credibly carried off by the rural realms of Maharashtra’s Wai village. Call it ‘Wai-stern’ or whatever, but from Omkara to Ishqiya this rough-and-tough sub-genre has often been an antidote to candyfloss cinema, while still having a heart and in the right place.
Plot
Two petty thieves, uncle Khalujan, played by Naseeruddin Shan and his nephew Babban, played by Arshad Warsi, are on the run after double-crossing their boss. When all other avenues for shelter dry up, they land up at the house of a friend only to be told that he is dead. His widow Krishna, played by Vidya Balan, takes them in. What follows is an incredibly tangled tale of love and longing, guns and deceit.
Both uncle and nephew fall inexorably in love with her. Khalujan conducts an old-world romance, listening to her sing and in a lovely scene, even peeling garlic in her kitchen. Babban is aggressively sexual but the poetry of their love is underlined with danger. You are always aware that nothing is quite what it seems.
What Worked
Abhishek Chaubey keeps the pacing brisk and the humor, crisp. He skillfully shifts notes going from suspense to laughter in a blink. And the dialogue, by Vishal, is pitch perfect.
Ishqiya would have faltered if the performances had not matched the writing but all three leads are absolutely terrific.
What Didn't
In the second half, there are stretches in which the plot starts to blur and the end-twist is less than convincing.
Performances
Vidya Balan’s smoldering looks scorch the screen even as her eyes hint at tragedy. She proves that she is miles ahead of the cookie cutter Barbie dolls that clutter Bollywood and that sensuality has very little to do with showing skin.
Arshad Warsi is feral as Babban and Naseeruddin Shah, heart-achingly vulnerable as an old man giddy with love. Watch his smiling eyes in Bharadwaj’s lilting composition Dil Toh Bachcha Hai Ji. Salman Shahid (last seen in Kabul Express) is an interesting character and Adil Hussain makes for a strong negative lead.
If you have the patience and the willingness to savor an edgier, less populist popular Hindi cinema, you will be amply rewarded. Highly recommended.
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