Movie Review : Dedh Ishqiya (2014)

Rating : Good (4/5)
Genre : Drama
Year : 2014
Running time : 2 hours 32 minutes
Director : Abhishek Chaubey
Cast : Naseeruddin Shah, Madhuri Dixit, Arshad Warsi, Huma Qureshi
Kid rating : PG-13

“Dedh Ishqiya” is a better film than it’s prequel “Ishqiya”, and that, if you will recall, was not half bad either. In this too, we follow the colorful life of small time conmen Khalu Iftekhar (Shah) and his nephew Babban (Arshad Warsi). These two have gotten separated after their last heist – the theft of an expensive necklace from a jewelery shop. Babban searches for Khalu, but he seems to have disappeared.

Khalu Iftekhar finally resurfaces posing as a Nawabi poet at a swayamvar-styled extravaganza in Mahmudabad, where the late Nawab’s widow, the beautiful and wealthy Begum of Mahmudabad (Madhuri Dixit) will pick the best poet as a husband. Babban attaches himself to Khalu as a servant, and also attempts to attach himself to the Begum’s beautiful companion Munniya (Huma Qureshi). Together they plan a kidnapping.

The first half of the film is a little slow, dragging it’s way through shayiri and old-world romance. The Urdu is so dense that were it not for the subtitles I might not have understood some of the dialogues. The lead actors are all impeccable. Madhuri is diva-like as the beautiful Begum Mahmudabad, and Huma Qureshi delivers another class act. Shah and Warsi need no further accolades accomplished artists that they are. Vijay Raaz (remember him from “Delhi Belly”?), superbly portraying the villanous Jaan Mohammed, local MLA, goon and the Begum’s admirer extraordinaire, lends the quirk to this comely cast of characters. I must also mention Manoj Pahwa who plays poet Noor Mohammad “Italvi”, the sobriquet hinting at his Italian ancestry.

Post intermission, the plot thickens. The plot-twists pile up on each other. I can only describe it as Tarantino-esque; the characters reign supreme with their affected mannerisms and peculiarities, the plot unfolds with such zaniness and forethought that you are left chuckling after the fact.

The film remains true to it’s setting, and it’s well-done tone lets us sink back and enjoy this kingly drama. The characters might have mobile phones – there is a delicious scene where Babban is berating Muniya on her technological backwardness clinging to an iPhone 2, when he already has an iPhone 5 – but they remain robed in Nawabi attire, live in decrepit palaces, travel by tongas, and speak only the most chaste Urdu.

Dedh Ishqiya is an entertaining watch. You might require a little patience during the first half, but stick with it and all will be well 🙂 .

Kidwise : A few scenes/dialogues require some parental discretion, but on the whole pretty safe for 13+.