The movie is an absolute treat to watch. Everything is just about perfect. Performances. Script. Dialogues. Direction. Music. Technicals. Everything. Its as gritty (and grippy) as it gets. Its like omkara part 2 with 'characters' staying with you even after you leave the cinema hall. Must watch.
Plot and Narrative: The movie is set in eastern UP village of Gorakhpur and is a story of two thieves who take shelter in a woman's house running from a don because they owe him money. In order to get 'out' of their problem, they land up in a bigger mess. There are twists, turns, plots, subplots, confusion and chaos and thats the fun part. Cant provide 'details' since it may spoil the fun. It starts on a lighter note but somewhere in your heart you know that its going to turn darn pretty soon and it does with utter smoothness that you hardly feel any jerk.
Performance: EVERYONE and i mean EVERYONE delivers. Be it Naseer in his 'Dil to baccha hai ji' portrayal of a 60 + lover who covers his grey hair with surma and is in love with a much younger woman though he cant express it. Be it 'high on libido' Arshad Warsi, who as soon as entering a new village asks 'where is the red light area'. Be it a cold blooded and manipulative Vidya balan in her 'Ch*****m sulphate' act. Or even the other character actors like Tai, Nandu, Verma, Mushtaq etc etc. Everyone just delivers perfectly. No overacting. No underperformance.
Music: The music is already topping the charts with 'Dil to baccha hai ji' leading from the front. Even 'Ibn e Batuta' ' strikes the right chord to set the pace for the movie. A mention about lyrics must be made while discussing music for the movie. Dil to baccha hai ji explains the mention make up of an old man who does not have love in his life so perfectly that it makes Naseer's performance much easier. Remarkable to say the least.
Miscellaneous: The whole 'eastern UP' setting has been captured in a very rustic way. It reminds of Omkara in every frame. Dialogues are like the soul of the movie. They are very crisp and so well written that it just strikes a chord even if you do not belong to north India and can't understand the meaning fully. They are explicit but that is exactly what the plot required. This is the kind of language which is spoken there. The Kids know more about 'Tamanchas' than 'Potty training'. It has to be that way, else soul of the movie would have been compromised with. Also, the liplock between Arshad and Vidya again was required to show that the woman can go to 'any' length to get what she wants.
Positives: Script. Dialogues. Performances. Music. Direction.
Negatives: A Bit confusing in parts. Not a universal Appeal
Overall: An Absolute must watch for anybody who liked Omkara and loves VB's cinema. (Even though its not directed by him but you can see HIS influence everywhere)
Feel-O-Meter: 9/10 (Yes, you might think thats a bit too high but hey I have never been known to hide my 'feel-ings' ;)
PS: How many of you guys think Ishqiya is actually a combination of Ishq+Chu***a. Just a thought ;)