Dhobi Ghat

Lo and behold, there's a new talent on the director's chair. Take a bow, Kiran Rao, this is one of the best directorial debuts ever.

Dhobhi Ghat is a scholar's (Kiran Rao) dedication to its muse (Mumbai). A savoury ode to one's fetishes. A philosopher's view of the contradictions of our civilization. And a guiltless acceptance of one's harmless pursuits. There is no scepticism in Rao's love for the city. It's pure and unconditional. That is why she chose "Dil tadap tadap ke keh raha hai aa bhi ja" as the song to describe her feelings.

He meets her, she meets him and he meets Yasmin. There's no beginning. There's no end. There's a journey that goes, ripping the obstacles around it, while walking, sipping a cuppa tea, smelling the fragrance of flowers and hacking the caustic forces in form of cruel changes before they suck our passion.

The editor's chopping table called for a sacrifice; as a result, the fifth character, that of the labourer, went away. One may call it a mistake, but perhaps it was influenced by the ruthless impatience of today's young breed.

We all know Prateik had talent. We all saw how he turned an unlikeable introvert from Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na into a lovable character. This time he submits himself to his character of Munna, a ghetto boy. Never do you feel that he is the MTV-watching yuppie. The ode to Salman Khan, the Khan of all seasons, is a masterstroke. How could Munna be a fan of anyone else, other than the 'Bhaijaan' of the Hindi film industry? Monica Dogra is impressive. She underplays herself so well. We need to see more of her. Kirti Malhotra (Yasmin) is a talent to watch out for.

Now on to the biggie: Aamir Khan. He is the only mainstream actor, a man of the classes and the masses, who'd have the guts to be a part of a cinema like this where he is basically a supporting character, free from any starry traits. This character is the opposite of what he played in Ghajini. There he played it to the gallery with aplomb. Here he's restrained, virtually immersed in the background. He talks less, thinks more. For those not used to subtle acting, this performance of Aamir warrants a repetitive viewing to get the notes correctly.

Here lies a cathartic passion of finding one's inner-self in Mumbai Diaries. In many ways, it's a kind of a love story where one doesn't realises that one is in love till years go by -- an unchanging soul of one's life. It grows on you like a fine malt.