Story
Begum Para (Madhuri Dixit-Nene) of Mahmudabad hosts a poetry and music festival in her mansion. The country's best poets participate, including con-man Khalujaan (Naseeruddin Shah), who faking as the Nawab of Chandpur, not only tries to show off his poetic wares, but also impress the widowed Begum in hunt for a husband, preferably a poet.
Babban (Arshad Warsi) arrives in Mahmudabad to take Khalujaan back , but undergoes a change of heart no sooner he lays his eyes on Begum's maid and confidant Muniya (Huma Qureshi), a loud and sexy young woman. Muniya too has her own plans. She often leaves the palace in a disguise to meet goons in dark alleys. The palace is rife with intrigue...
'Dedh Ishqiya' is shrouded in mystery. Sure, one is familiar with Khalujaan and Babban, but new characters like Begum Para and Muniya lend ambiguity and mystery to the movie. Unlike 'Ishqiya', which was rustic,'Dedh Ishqiya' brings to the fore a different universe altogether. There's plenty of poetry, music and color in the sequel, for a change. At the same time, there are several layers to the story that will baffle you and hold you to the edge of your seat till the end. Peppered with chaste Urdu, unconventional humor and simmering sexuality, the characters engage in treachery and deceit yet again, albeit this time, it's even perilous than before.
Analysis :
A standing ovation to director Abhishek Chaubey for taking the story forward so convincingly and mind-blowingly. Thanks to the capricious and unpredictable screenplay, the movie marches on in mystery, leaving the audience spellbound.
Vishal Bhardwaj misses a point with his musical score. However, he does score a 10 on 10 with his witty, Urdu-peppered dialogues which is the mainstay and the spine of the film. The DoP captures the old-world charm beautifully well and the visuals are gorgeous.
Performance :
Naseeruddin Shah steals the show as Khalujaan. The fine actor slips into the skin of the character, giving it all to his role and delivering a performance that will go down in history as one of his bests. Madhuri Dixit-Nene, in an unconventional role, is terrific from the start. Arshad Warsi, a spontaneous performer, wows with his stupendous act. Huma Qureshi is delightful and holds well despite being pitted against top notch actors. Another memorable performance comes from Vijay Raaz. Salman Shahid, Ravi Gosain and Manoj Pahwa add up to the brilliance of the film.
Final Word:
Powerpacked narration, excellent direction and out of the world performances make 'Dedh Ishqiya' a treat to watch. Don't miss it for anything!