The Dirty Picture is a smart strategy to bring in box-office collections by Ekta Kapoor as she knows people love to know the inside story of a film star or any film star. This isn't the story of Silk Smitha an item dancer from the South, it could be a bio pic of any artiste whose rags to riches background makes for a good escapist watch. The movie works only for two reasons, some spectacular dialogues and Vidya Balan's work. If you still notice that Vidya Balan doesn't sizzle or isn't attractive despite the trademark exposing, the reason is that she is just a dancer and not an actor; she is not meant to be beautiful, she is only used for titillation and setting the screen on fire.
The people from South who go to the movie expecting to see the drowsy, lusty eyes of Smitha or the husky voice, the thunderous thighs will be heavily disappointed. The reason for Smitha's brother raising an objection is completely justified. Not that the film is vulgar but simply because her name is used to promote the movie and any action whatsoever cannot be defended by the person around whom the movie is made as she is no more alive.
The Dirty Picture in short is about the dirty life, a label associated with the life of an item dancer or a vamp in movies, for the clothes they wear, for seducing the men and breaking the homes of people on screen; they are cursed to live with the stigma and cannot rise above the level of the role they are given. They are like the plastic that is used and discarded like the hero Suryakant (Naseeruddin Shah) mentions and so it could be Helen, it could be any other actor and for convenience she is Silk.
Reshma has a dying urge to act and when she is on an empty stomach and the choice is between buying food and a movie ticket she chooses the latter. With no acting or dancing experience she pounces on the opportunity given to her and uses her only assets, het oomph and figure to become famous. In this course of her journey from being a no body to a somebody she encounters various men and women in the film industry from small-time producers to egoistic top stars, to ideal and decent film directors and scheming cinematographers, there are film reporters who survive on scandals and live in an era where they can actually light up a cigarette and have a conversation with a film star.
There is a 'Santosham Awards' ceremony in which the dirty lady is given an award and a person remarks, "Award dhene wale isse bhi ghatiya hai." Reshma becomes Silk in no time and she finds peace in the big mansion she yearns and earns for herself but the emptiness begins to haunt her life when the stars go back to their wives after 'tuning' her innumberable times. Looks like the character has a heavy ego she never mentions her sorrow or desperation publicly and seeks a decent death instead when she finds no escape from the ignominy.
The Dirty picture is an imitation of life in the film industry..you have a star tucking in his tummy while being photographed, making love to the artiste in the car, a star gifting diamonds to her, the king-sized false egos that stars live with but what feels like a whiplash is when the time is over and a new person begins to replace the artiste, the insecurity and frustration, desperation sets in.
The last scene has Silk putting on make-up before killing herself..that signifies the false world they wish to live in..they want to remain beautiful to the world always. There are remarks at directors who have ethics, strong belief in themselves but are confined to being labeled as art film directors as producers seek films only for the first four rows audience. The disparity in film reviews and box-office collections are discussed but none of them fail to excite us as we have already seen Neninthe, Appalraju and some more small movies that focus in the inside matters of the industry.
The Dirty Picture could be a hit but all you see is Vidya Balan's weight and her sincerity that she put in her work, the dialogues. There is no fire, there is no emotion and the last nail in the coffin is the last line that is used with stark indifference and insensitivity that now she is dead, she could be ruffling hearts up in the sky. The only thing that keeps your ears ringing is the 'Ooh la la' song from Bappi Lahiri and the silly photos that were used as reference from Silk's life stuck up on the walls of her empty house.
The people from South who go to the movie expecting to see the drowsy, lusty eyes of Smitha or the husky voice, the thunderous thighs will be heavily disappointed. The reason for Smitha's brother raising an objection is completely justified. Not that the film is vulgar but simply because her name is used to promote the movie and any action whatsoever cannot be defended by the person around whom the movie is made as she is no more alive.
The Dirty Picture in short is about the dirty life, a label associated with the life of an item dancer or a vamp in movies, for the clothes they wear, for seducing the men and breaking the homes of people on screen; they are cursed to live with the stigma and cannot rise above the level of the role they are given. They are like the plastic that is used and discarded like the hero Suryakant (Naseeruddin Shah) mentions and so it could be Helen, it could be any other actor and for convenience she is Silk.
Reshma has a dying urge to act and when she is on an empty stomach and the choice is between buying food and a movie ticket she chooses the latter. With no acting or dancing experience she pounces on the opportunity given to her and uses her only assets, het oomph and figure to become famous. In this course of her journey from being a no body to a somebody she encounters various men and women in the film industry from small-time producers to egoistic top stars, to ideal and decent film directors and scheming cinematographers, there are film reporters who survive on scandals and live in an era where they can actually light up a cigarette and have a conversation with a film star.
There is a 'Santosham Awards' ceremony in which the dirty lady is given an award and a person remarks, "Award dhene wale isse bhi ghatiya hai." Reshma becomes Silk in no time and she finds peace in the big mansion she yearns and earns for herself but the emptiness begins to haunt her life when the stars go back to their wives after 'tuning' her innumberable times. Looks like the character has a heavy ego she never mentions her sorrow or desperation publicly and seeks a decent death instead when she finds no escape from the ignominy.
The Dirty picture is an imitation of life in the film industry..you have a star tucking in his tummy while being photographed, making love to the artiste in the car, a star gifting diamonds to her, the king-sized false egos that stars live with but what feels like a whiplash is when the time is over and a new person begins to replace the artiste, the insecurity and frustration, desperation sets in.
The last scene has Silk putting on make-up before killing herself..that signifies the false world they wish to live in..they want to remain beautiful to the world always. There are remarks at directors who have ethics, strong belief in themselves but are confined to being labeled as art film directors as producers seek films only for the first four rows audience. The disparity in film reviews and box-office collections are discussed but none of them fail to excite us as we have already seen Neninthe, Appalraju and some more small movies that focus in the inside matters of the industry.
The Dirty Picture could be a hit but all you see is Vidya Balan's weight and her sincerity that she put in her work, the dialogues. There is no fire, there is no emotion and the last nail in the coffin is the last line that is used with stark indifference and insensitivity that now she is dead, she could be ruffling hearts up in the sky. The only thing that keeps your ears ringing is the 'Ooh la la' song from Bappi Lahiri and the silly photos that were used as reference from Silk's life stuck up on the walls of her empty house.
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