Dhobi Ghat is an acquired taste. Either the film will sink into your skin like a slow ache or it will be bewildering and downright boring.
Dhobi Ghat is the story of 4 characters: Arun, the famous lonely painter (Aamir), Munna, the dhobi who wants to be a star (Prateik), Shai, the banker on a sabbatical in India (Monica) and Yasmin, the recently married Muslim girl who records her life in Mumbai for her brother back home (Kriti). They say that Mumbai is the fifth character in the movie, and if so, I found it to be a silent character, an immovable witness to the harmony and turmoil in which the characters function simultaneously. Much like the aunty in Arun's neighbouring apartment: always there, always seeing everything, but always silent. Not sure if that was a parallel that Kiran had in mind, but it seemed relevant to me.
Munna, played by Prateik, a dhobi with dreams of becoming an actor. And Yasmin, a young married Muslim girl, played by Kriti Malhotra, who makes video diaries that Arun discovers.
These people intersect in the disparate spaces of the city – posh art galleries and narrow gullies in slums; the dhobi ghat and high-rises.
Kiran Rao and cinematographer Tushar Kanti Ray construct a rich and intimate portrait of the city. In places, the locations almost overshadow the characters – there is a terrific shot of Arun walking down the bustling Mohammed Ali Road during Ramzan.
In another scene, Munna covers his shanty from the torrential rain as local trains whiz by.
Rao also observes human behavior keenly – so when Shai first asks Munna to sit down in her up-market apartment, he hesitantly feels the sofa before placing himself down. And when Shai’s disapproving maid serves them tea, she brings one nice cup and one glass that befits Munna’s status.
Prateik is achingly lovely as Munna but the star of the film is the luminous Kriti Malhotra who revealingly loses the hope and shine in her eyes.
This saga of love and longing is punctuated by a haunting background score created by Oscar-winning composer Gustavo Santaolalla.
What doesn’t work as well is the pacing. Rao’s build-up of characters is painfully slow with the first 30 minutes or so being the most problematic.
Some of the early scenes are clumsy and the disjointed narrative just isn’t engaging enough. I was also confused by the suggestion that Munna is having a relationship with an older woman customer – so does the dhobi routinely offer more than just clean clothes?
Intriguingly, Aamir Khan, otherwise such a fine actor, strikes a false note.
With constantly furrowed brows, he seems to be performing at a different pitch from everyone else. You can almost feel the weight of being in an art house film on his shoulders - the early scenes with him and Monica are particularly awkward.
Still, if you are willing to have patience, Dhobi Ghat comes together nicely..
I rate the movie 2.5 stars.. some may like to watch it.. and some really won't :)
If u like movies of different genre... then go for it.. otherwise you may find it boring !
Rating - 2.5 / 5
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