<< A still from the movie
Story: Three young professionals who happen to be roommates -- Tashi (Imraan Khan), Nitin (Kunaal Roy Kapur), Arup (Vir Das) -- inadvertently become couriers for a cache of diamonds, smuggled in by a Russian gangster. The diamonds have to be delivered to a local gangster, Vijay Raaz. Unfortunately, a strange mix-up causes a weird package to be delivered to him instead. This is the beginning of the troubles of the happy-go-lucky threesome which obviously has no experience in tackling Delhi's crazy underworld.
Movie Review: So who's the real hero of the film? Is it writer Akshat Verma who has given Bollywood one of its smartest scripts to hit the horizon since a long long time? As a comedy, Delhi Belly is such a refreshing change from the run-of-the-mill Hindi film laugh riot which almost always borders on the juvenile. The humour is all situational, beautifully woven in the script and never having to depend on a banana peel skid. Grow up all you comedy filmmakers who insist on treating your audience as retards!
Is it director Abhinay Deo who tells a story peppered with the most unusual incidents in a down-to-earth, matter-of fact way which works wonders for the film? Mercifully, there is no desire on his part to shock and awe you or send you into hysterical bouts of laughter, simply because the events are so bizarre, they shock and awe you by their very nature and keep the laughs coming relentlessly. Certain sequences almost bring the house down: Vir Das and his exploits with the burqa, Kunaal Roy Kapur and his exploits with orange juice, Vijay Raaz and his encounter with the contraband packet.... Too many to enlist!
Is it the performances: all set pieces and fine examples of how to underplay and over-impress? If Imran Khan pitches in his best act till date as the journalist trapped between fleeing from death and floundering in love's dilemma, then newcomer Kunaal Roy Kapur is the funkiest victim of the accursed Delhi belly. His gripes, groans and loo exploits are the stuff classic comedy is made of. Vir Das delivers his usual competent clown act without trying too hard: quite a scene-stealer. Vijay Raaz as the gangster is a scream while the girls blend in with ease.
And finally, is it the Censor Board which displays such maturity in passing the film with no cuts? For the first time, we get a film where characters actually speak the language real young people speak. And no, nobody's morals get corrupted. One of the highlights of the film is its screenplay, brimming over with cuss and swear words, which themselves add to the fun factor of the film. Ram Sampath's audio score with quirky lyrics like Switty, DK Bose and Chudail are an added bonus.
All in all, Delhi Belly is a fine example of how the brightest and the boldest, when they pool in their talent, can create a film that is guaranteed to give you your money's worth, even as it re-writes all the moth-balled rules of an ageing industry.
Enjoy the experience.
