Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon!

Chandan Arora and Ram Gopal Verma team up and deliver a funny, endearing, touching, subtle and sincere little gem ironically titled 'Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon!'. The film shows the many shades of the Hindi film industry both through a fantasy-like perspective (the way Chutki sees it) and a realistic perspective (the way Chutki and Raj experience it) but most of it is done in a subtle way and the humour really balances the tension in the film.

The triangle love story between Chutki, Raj and the film industry is also wonderfully downplayed. There is no typical 'I Love You' scene or a scene where Raj acts out his jealousy. Raj clearly loves Chutki and his principle priority is her happiness. Chutki's first love is the movies but she eventually grows to love Raj after realizing the sacrifices he has made to make her dream come true.

Makrand Deshpande deserves credit for coming up with the story idea. The multi-dimensional screenplay is very strong. Director Arora has a strength for telling stories about the common people. He has further demonstrated this in the charming 'Main, Meri Patni Aur Woh'. Very few directors can tell such stories with conviction.

The songs are quite well-presented. They're not used in typical Bollywood fashion. They add to the fantasy element of the film. The cinematography is good too and lighting works brilliantly. The editing crew has done a fine job and the film flows fluidly.

Antara Mali delivers a mind-blowing nuanced performance. She completely owns Chutki and does a fine job of mimicking Madhuri Dixit. The 'Madhuri' sequences are suitably brief and Mali gives Chutki a unique personality. Rajpal Yadav is terrific. He conveys Raj's unconditional love for Chutki with ease and an endearing subtlety. Govind Namdeo shows a flair for comedy as the hilarious agent. The supporting cast is pretty solid.

'Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon!' is another gem produced by the Ram Gopal Verma factory. It has charm. It's got humour. It's fantastical and real and above all, it has heart.

The movie is about Chutki (Antara Mali), a small town village girl who sees herself as the iconic Madguri Dixit. She dances and sings her way around the village and all adore her but none more than Raja (Rajpal Yadav) a childhood playmate who believes in her potential. Chutki ends up marrying Raja so they can go off to Bombay and Chutki can realize her dreams.

But her copying Madhuri ends up getting her jobs as part of the dance troupe, as an item girl. She wants to be a leading lady but she is like a babe in the woods - the vulnerable outsider - both Bombay and the biz are completely unknown to her and her husband. In fact one is expecting dire things to happen at any moment - the slightly shady looking neighbor, who turns out to be pretty benign, the hoodlum who turns out to be a cowardly fellow, the cabbie who merely price gouges, the agent who seems so ominously shady yet turns out to be a real agent and helpful at that.. These personalities in the world around her underline the fact that nothing should be taken at face value.

The movie also had some very funny moments - Choli ke peeche kya hai wil never seem the same to me! And the part where Rajpal Yadav goes to plead on her behalf and ends up being offered the acting role instead, ironic yet funny.

I liked Antara's looks - she was a strange blend of attractive and ordinary and she acted very well as the village belle who was so self assured in her village environment and so vulnerable and unsure in the big city. Rajpal Yadav was very good as the self effacing husband. I particularly liked the fact that the "Madhuri" moments were brief and Antara managed to make them her own. Music was unobtrusive and worked well in the film. I also liked the fact that not much was made of the Chutki Raja romance and the fact that the marriage was in name only!

this movie was extremely enjoyable. what a breath of fresh air!. antara was awesome, and totally inhabited her character ( a village girl who is a madhuri dixit wannabe).she had the dance movements and facial expressions down pat..( i guess as much as one can copy the one and only ms dixit!). rajpal yadav was absolutely amazing and pretty much stole the show.''fresh idea. great script and direction . very well developed and three dimensional characters..classic story arc . makes you want to root for the underdog protagonist.! overall gotta give it an 8 ! most underrated movie of 2003. most underrrated actor- rajpal yadav.

Terrific movie! And completely unexpected with unforgettable performances from Antara Mali and Rajpal Yadav. People do not give Antara Mali enough credit and type cast her as a wanna be Urmila Matondkar and Toy of Ram Gopal Varma. I've not seen her latest offerings yet (Nach and Gayab) which I understand are the eye of storms, however, she did her homework for this role of an innocent and naive village girl with huge aspirations and pulled it off perfectly.

Not to mention, she does a terrific Madhuri Dixit! I'm sure Mrs. Nene herself would approve

In the meantime, Rajpal Yadav brings a character to life that the audience can not help but identify with and root for. You really wish that his lovable underdog will get the girl! The cutesy chemistry of the two is enough to recommend this movie.

Add to this a refreshingly original storyline and Ram Gopal Varma's slick and tight style of film making, and you have a cute, feel good, and surprisingly fun movie to watch.

Today, most people suppress their desires and wishes thinking they are ridiculous or unrealistic, but Antra Mali's character pursues her dreams of becoming a popular actress like her idol, Madhuri Dixit. It was nice to see the opposite of the movie star prototype take the male lead in this film. A 4-foot, nonmuscular, humble, and shy man proves himself a worthy actor. However, the amount he supports, encourages, and sacrifices for Antra in the movie I don't think any man can do in the real world, sorry to say.