Dhobi Ghat is not a film. It is an experience. It is poetry in motion. Like a true product of creativity, it arouses extreme reactions. It will either seep in deep within you like a slow pain or it will surpass you, take you by surprise much like a midsummer night shower, leaving you wondering in bewilderment about what just happened.
The whole experience has an ethereal feel. The traversing emotions and the interspersed interactions of 4 human beings and their aspirations paint a mystical landscape of paradoxical realism and the inexplicable dream world.
The characters are Shai, played by Monica Dogra, an NRI investment banker who is back in Mumbai for a sabbatical and change of pace of life. Arun, essayed by Aamir Khan, an angst-ridden artist who has a one-night stand with Shai but has little affection or time for her the next morning.
Munna, played by Prateik, a dhobi with dreams of becoming an actor. And Yasmin, a young married Muslim girl, played by Kriti Malhotra, who makes video diaries for her brother that Arun discovers.
The movie beautifully captures the essence of varied relationships and explores their foundations based on the social milieu of Mumbai. From posh art galleries to narrow gullies of slums, from the high rises of the city to the Dhobi Ghat. The film raises questions on the basis and foundations of contemporary relationships. Can relationships really transcend cultural, social and more importantly, economic barriers? It also addresses relevant social issues of migrants in the city, their lifestyle and the day to day struggle; they call life – depicted beautifully in the scene where Munna’s shanty leaks due to water from the rains.
The cinematography is par excellence and captures the life in the city of Mumbai in such an impactful manner that at times, it even overshadows the characters. Kiran has displayed an uncanny maturity and unparalleled understanding of human behaviour when she portrays the scene where Munna visits Shai’s upmarket house for the first time ever, and heads to sit on the floor when asked to sit. She has also beautifully captured the egalitarian soul and spirit of Shai’s character when she picks up the not so fancy cup of tea brought on purpose by Shai’s maid befitting Munna’s social status over the fancy crockery one.
Dhobi Ghat is poetry as narrated by a seasoned poet, a rendition by a true maestro, you might just think its slow in the beginning but your have to wait for it to build up and reach the crescendo of its peak. It challenges you intellectually. It compels you to think. It persuades you into noticing the small hidden gems like the overall tribute to Salman or the quality and the timing of the background music “Sab Moh Maya Hai.” It will surely leave you stirred from within, slightly contemplative, slightly reflectively and majorly melancholy. It’s an emotional ride you should subject yourself to, at least once just to see how it affects you.
