Dhoby Ghaut

I was thinking, so much of the act of falling in love is about intrigue and mystery.
That lingering sense of wonder that pulls us deeper into an obsession? What else can it be called but intrigue? It could be with a city, it could be with a person, or something else, the lesser we know, the more mysterious they look, the more the whole feeling draws you in. And that, for me, the essence of Dhobi Ghat.

Munna, the dhobi, is intrigued by who’s intrigued by the investment banker from New York – Shai, who’s intrigued by what makes that recluse painter Arun tick, who’s intrigued with the story of Yasmin. Each of them is different. Munna doesn’t seem to have many attachments in life. He’s now a typical Bombay boy, working because he has to, and waiting to make it in the film industry. Yasmin is the creature full of joy and discovery of a new life and city that has landed in her platter. Shai, now on a sabbatical, has the safety net even if her photography project fails and poses a stark contrast to Munna. It is mirrored by how a chauffer-driven car awaits her even when she goes to mean dingy streets of Mumbai. Arun, the chainsmoking JD-drinking painter, and self-confessed loner,  preys on the story of Yasmin, drawn to her, confused with what is left of her. Each of them is lonely, and each work with their fascinations for the other, and with their fascinations for the city, Mumbai, which despite its known transgressions and warts has a certain sense of intrigue which never fades away.

And then there is the aspect of unrequited love. I believe, the moment mystery is resolved to completion, it stops being love. Much of traditional romanticism has depended on the lack of resolution or finality of a love story.

And in a way, that intrigue and unrequited-ness are the two words I would perhaps use to describe my experience of watching the movie. Ms. Rao pulls us in, leaves us wondering and wanting more, and then promptly jilts us at the altar, never quite giving us the closure we seek.

Prateik, as Munna, is an absolute joy to watch. Thankfully, he’s inherited his genes from his mother. (A friend and I discussed how Raj Babbar always looked ready to rape, and were quite happy that the Babbar name was dropped from the credits). He just has this presence on screen, with his body-language, punctuating the most structured moments of the movie. Monica Dogra is perfectly cast as the accented  Shai. Kriti Malhotra is absolutely fascinating as Yasmin, embodying the spirit and curiosity of the new bride, the new immigrant in the city. Aamir Khan has perfected his intellectual scowl over the past few years. Yes the one where he stands in front of a painting with his arms crossed, and holds his frown for two minutes, while the audience tries to guess what he’s thinking? He puts the scowl to good use here.

Ms. Rao, (from what we see of her choice of clothes) is a non-conformist, and scatty and whimsy. So much so that she makes it look cool, because she doesn’t follow convention and makes us think what her aesthetic is. And well, it works.

And in a way, I am already waiting for what she does next.

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