Ishqiya

Director Abhishek Choubey first assisted Vishal Bhardwaj when Vishal was shooting for the children’s film Makdee in 2002 and then was the Asstt Director for him in The Blue Umbrella, Maqbool and Omkara. Ishqiya is Abhishek Choubey’s debut film as Director. The much acclaimed Kaminey last film by Vishal Bhardwaj (Kaminey) also had Abhishek doing the screenplay. ISHQIYA sees Vishal and Abhishek teaming up with Sabrina Dhawan to write a crackling screenplay that makes for a film that is will remind you of Omkara and Maqbool in terms of its stylised story telling and powerful music. Great visuals and twists and turns that make for a brilliant film. The dialect is authentic and does not falter anywhere – not in the Bhopali Hindi nor in the Hindi that you hear in Gorakhpur where bulk of the story is set.  If you were offended by the unfiltered language of Omkara then beware there is a lot more of that in Ishqiya. Why? ‘coz that is the way the characters communicate in the film. It is way the two crooks Khalujaan (played by Naseeruddin Shah) and Babban Hussein (Arshad Warsi) communicate.  However, this is a film whose music will haunt you long after the film is over. The song Ab Mujhe Koi Intezaar KahaaN… (trans: What need do I have anymore to wait for someone) in the haunting voice of Vishal’s wife Rekha Bharadwaj is my favorite. Gulzar is a legendary lyricist. He surpasses himself in this song. Rahat Fateh Ali sings Ibn-E Batuta and Dil Toh Bachcha Hai and does it beautifully.You have to buy the music CD for Ishqiya. You will need to

Here is another song by Rekha Bhardwaj – Tere Ishq Mein

Then this is not the review of the music CD. I just got carried away. The film is much more than that. Two crooks are trying to run away from their benefactor and land up seeking shelter in the home of Krishna (Vidya Balan) – a young widow. Both men simultaneously fall in love with the sensuous Krishna. There is stuff about an arms dealer and his fondness for S&M and some sensuous moments between Arshad Warsi and Vidya Balan that make the screen simmer for brief moments. After the memorable role of “Circuit” played by Warsi in the Munnabhai film, this is another great side-kick character that Warsi creates in Ishqiya. While Circuit was cute but obsequious, Babban has no problem speaking his mind and even cosying up to his senior’s flame.

So anyone who is looking for the coy girl-next-door in Vidya Balan will discover a different level of her histrionic talent. She wowed the audience with her performance in Paa. And now she has us wrapped around her little finger in Ishqiya. The film moves at the pace of a thriller and does not drop in pace anywhere. One suggestion to Abhishek Choubey. Stop doing the Tarantino like endings. Unless you did it at the insistence of Vishal B who has now adapted that style in three of his films – Omkara, Maqbool and Kaminey. The last few minutes of the film felt like old footage from Vishal’s films.

Overall rating would be a 4 out of 5. The plot takes unexpected twists and turns, the characters are distinct, the humor is great, the music is awesome, the language and narration is authentic but the ending is a tad stretched out and a bit weak. But … clearly a film that I recommend you watch.

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