'Ishquiya' and more Manoj ... Clinton, Priyanka G and others.

Here's the much delayed 'Ishquiya' review....

A case of freak Bollywood casting….

I watched ‘Ishquiya’ last night ( yes, I know…. I am guilty of being way behind schedule on this one!), and I thought to myself, there are two kinds of male stars in Bollywood, just two – star sons … and the others. If you are not a star bachcha or bhaanja, your chances of making it to the big league are discouraging, if not downright dismal. Look at Arshad Warsi in ‘Ishquiya’ ( and earlier in ‘Munnabhai’, of course). The guy has what it takes in terms of macho, good looks as well as prodigous talent. He is red- hot sexy in ‘Ishquiya’ and it is obvious what Vidya Balan’s character sees in him – pure testosterone. The scene in which she nicks his thumb with a knife and then sticks it into her own mouth to suck on it, is so erotically charged, it beats Munni’s and Sheela’s jhatkas hollow. I don’t know whether it’s the surma in Arshad’s eyes ( a bandit from Bihar wearing blue lenses and electric blue eyeliner? Sab chalta hai in Bollywood, boss), or his daredevil attitude – but it works big time. Compare his rugged masculinity to the sissy, chocolate boy looks of the star- sons ruling the roost – those milk sop, namby- pamby mama’s boys who can’t say ‘boo’ to a goose. And look at Warsi in this particular role… even when the heroine isn’t sucking his thumb provocatively, kissing him passionately or rolling around in bed with him after a raunchy dance number. This guy delivers big time… and that isn’t easy when an actor is pitted against veteran Naseeruddin Shah…. yes, even for the luscious lady’s attention. He gets the best line in the movie when he points out to Naseeruddin that what he (Shah) feels for Vidya is called ‘ishq’, but his own ‘ishq’ for her is dismissed as sex!
As a Bhardwaj movie, I was pretty disappointed with the award-winning ‘Ishquiya’. It was way too glossy, for one. And had the look and feel of a well produced television serial set in the badlands of India. Most of the characters were pretty one-dimensional. And it wasn’t clear whether the director wanted to make a rom-com, a comic caper, or a strong, statement film. By casting Vidya against type, Vishal made his boldest move. And on her part, Vidya was wow! Those tantalizing backless cholis, and the carefully disheveled hair… the kohl-lined eyes and nude lipsticked mouth! But more than all of that, her uninhibited, sexually charged performance in which she plays one man against another with such ease, and makes complete lattoos out of the lot, has the audience panting for more. Since this is a movie more about sexual politics than gang wars, kidnappings and caste equations, Vidya is the one person who holds it all together. Also, the cheeky kid who plays Nandu , the teen Thakur who is trained to handle guns and kill on sight, is a terrific find. She has certainly come into her own with two outstanding performances within a span of a few months (“Nobody Killed Jessica,” being the other one). Vidya, like Arshad , is an ‘outsider’ who is not a pampered, superficial, anorexic star daughter . She doesn’t need to bitch out co-stars, nor flash her designer labels ( can these ladies spell ‘Prada’?) to attract attention. Vidya is far too refined for such cheap stunts. Yet, she is right up there , giving a run for their money to all those clotheshorses with zero talent but loads of attitude. Vidya could become an iconic, superstar – like Vyjayanthimala before her. I will not say Hema Malini or Sridevi, who lack Vidya’s histrionic depth and range . Will Arshad and Vidya team up again? No chance! ‘Ishquiya’ was a freak case of inspired, brilliant casting. After its stupendous success, it will be business as usual for these two – more commercial Bollywood junk. Pity!