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Starring:
Prateik, Monica Dogra,
Kriti Malhotra, Aamir Khan
Written & Directed by Kiran Rao
Dhobi Ghat (Mumbai Diaries)
is Kiran Rao’s first feature film as a writer and
director. It is the story of four people from very
different backgrounds, whose worlds intersect and leave
them forever altered. As they find themselves drawn into
compelling relationships, the city finds its way into
the crevices of their lives, separating them even as it
brings them closer...
One of the main characters - Arun’s life is drawn by
Kiran Rao’s personal experience she has had as a tenant
in Mumbai, having had to shift to a new apartment almost
every year (due to short term tenancy laws). Every new
apartment she moved to, she always felt a little warm
from the last occupant, leading to the idea that she was
in some strange way connected to the earlier tenants
that had lived in the space before her. What if they had
left behind something that revealed to her their life
and secrets?
Munna (Prateik), the young and beautiful washerman
(dhobi) who delivers clothes to Shai’s house, aspires to be a film actor. When
he learns of Shai’s hobby of photography he agrees to show her the ‘real’ city
in exchange for her shooting his portfolio. Shai discovers the city through
his eyes and her lens, and an unlikely friendship develops as Munna can’t stop
himself from falling in love with her.
Meanwhile Arun finds a new apartment where he can resume his silent, reclusive
life. In the process of settling in, he stumbles upon a secret that at first
he is ready to dismiss, but later finds more and more absorbing: a secret that
will find its way into his heart.
Credits & Crew -
Written & Directed by Kiran Rao
Produced by Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao
Music Composer - Gustavo Santaolalla
Director of Photography - Tushar Kanti Ray
Editor - Nishant Radhakrishnan
Sound Mixing Engineer - Anup Dev
Sound Designer - Ayush Ahuja
Production Designer - Manisha Khandelwal
Costume Designers - Isha Ahluwalia, Darshan Jalan
Financial Advisor - Bimal Parekh
Executive Producer - B. Shrinivas Rao
Line Producers - Sunitha Ram, Kishor Sawant -
Still Photography - Jyotika Jain
Final Painting - Ravi Mandlik
Art Gallery work - Sukanya Ghosh
First A.D. - Advait Chandan
DI Colorist - Kiran Kumar Kota
VFX Supervisor - Ashoke Chowdhury
Publicity and Promotions - Spice
Publicity Designer - Marching Ants
Make-up - Jogindra Gupta (for Aamir Khan), Kamlesh Shinde
Hair - Joyce Luize Margaret
Action Directors - Javed-Aejaz
Written & Directed by - Kiran Rao
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It is around Arun’s existence, that the other characters
sketches are interlaced.
It begins inside a taxi in the pouring rain of Mumbai, the
cab driver strikes up a conversation with the shy girl
with an amateur video camera, shooting the grey city
through the misted windows, Yasmin (Kriti Malhotra), and
they find out that they are from neighboring towns back
home in Uttar Pradesh. The brief encounter creates a small
space of belonging.
Shai (Monica Dogra), an affluent investment banker on a
sabbatical in Mumbai meets Arun (Aamir Khan), a gifted
painter at the opening of his new show. Arun and Shai
spend a night together, which later Arun cannot explain
and Shai cannot forget. The very next morning they part
ways, almost sure they will never meet again. This lady
appears to be completely confused and ready to mingle just
with anybody she meets on her short visit to the city.
Fragments of experiences of these people from different
surroundings is seen through a naïve video diary, black
and white photographic images and painting - form a
portrait of Mumbai and its people, bound together as they
journey through longing, loneliness, loss and love.
Prateik was cast in a cameo in Aamir Khan Productions’
Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na has a substantial and very impressive
debut as a lead actor in this docu-drama. As for Monica
Dogra and Kriti Malhotra, its their first film as actors.
The director had mentioned in one of her pre release
interviews that this is not a mainstream bollywood film
and even though it’s a 95 minutes film it drags.
Despite having an aimlessly drifting script, it is Aamir
Khan with his underplayed performance and Prateik who is
the main attraction of the film. It’s a fine documentary
film on Mumbai, certainly not the fun filled weekend fare.
- Aniz Filmvala
Cast -
Munna - Prateik
Shai - Monica Dogra
Yasmin - Kriti Malhotra
Arun - Aamir Khan
Vatsala - Kitu Gidwani
Amma – Nafisa Khan
Salim - Danish Hussain
Pesi - Jehan Manekshaw
Yasmin’s Husband - Ashok Varma
Neighbouring blank lady - Sanjivani Oagle
Latabai - Aasha Pawar
Vanitha - Jyoti Pawar
Munna’s Client - Babita Sehgal
Karim - Jitendra Shinde
Rakesh - Rohit Tiwari |
