Ishqiya

Plot synopsis:
The film starts with Krishna Verma (Vidya Balan) trying to convince her husband, Vidyadhar Verma (Adil Hussain), a local gang-lord, that he should surrender. He agrees, but is soon killed in a gas explosion. Two criminals Iftikhar aka Khalujan (Naseeruddin Shah) and Razzak Hussain aka Babban (Arshad Warsi) botch up a job and escape from the clutches of their boss Mushtaq (Salman Shahid), who wants to bury them alive. They land up in Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh to seek refuge in the house of Vidyadhar Verma.Instead they meet his widow Krishna, who gives them shelter and tries to seduce both of them in order to achieve her own secret goal. She proposes the kidnapping of Kamalkant Kakkar aka KK (Rajesh Sharma), a small businessman. The duo reluctantly agree, since they want to escape the clutches of Mushtaq. Khalujan and Babban meantime realize that they are falling for Krishna, but they do not reveal their feelings to each other. Khalujan decides to tell his feelings to Krishna, but is shocked when he sees Krishna and Babban having sex. Khalujan is angry, but keeps quiet. However, when the kidnapping does not go as smoothly as wanted, Khalujan and Babban start fighting.Meanwhile, Krishna tortures KK and asks him where her husband is hiding, revealing that Verma might be alive. KK finally calls Verma. Both Babban and Khalujan realize that Krishna was just using them. They confront her, whereupon she reveals that KK and Verma were partners in the illegal business and that Verma is still alive. The duo reach KK's factory and are shocked to find Verma. Verma's goons blindfold the duo and take them to a deserted spot. When they take out their blindfolds, Babban sees Nandu (Alok Kumar), a boy he had previously met, pointing a gun at them. However, Nandu leaves them alive and explains the whole story. He tells that Verma had no plans to leave his criminal life, so he faked his death in front of Krishna, so that she would think he is dead.Khalujan and Babban race back to Krishna's house, where they have left her tied to a chair. Meanwhile, Krishna succeeds in opening the tube of gas cylinder, causing a gas leak. Verma confronts her and she tries to kill both of them by igniting a lighter. Verma assaults Krishna while the duo arrives. Soon, police arrive at the scene too. Verma's goons are killed in a shootout, while Verma is killed in a gas explosion. The duo save Krishna and soon the trio is seen walking away from the burning house.Unknown to them, Mushtaq is pointing a gun at them. Suddenly Mushtaq's wife/mistress calls (whose voice is surprisingly similar to Krishna's). The trio are still seen through the gun hole of Mushtaq, thus making their fate unclear, although it can be assumed that Mushtaq left them alive.Cast and charactersNaseeruddin Shah as Khalujan/Khalu/Iftikhar, 51-year-old Khalujan is a pure romantic at heart. He is a bit of an odd cookie in the world of crime. Sure, he has a sharp mind and body and has been toughened up over the years living in the world of guns and gangsters; yet, he is very emotional and tender at the core. He wants to go back to his village and wants to settle down in a quiet, peaceful country life existence. Only, life had other plans for him. Love happens to him. Krishna happens to him.Arshad Warsi as Razzak Hussain aka Babban, 32-year-old Babban is in more ways than one, the antithesis of the kind of man his uncle is. If Khalujan is all heart and soul, Babban is all flesh and blood. He is hot-blooded, lustful and scoffs at the idea of true romantic love. Babban is cynical, indifferent to finer things in life and tough as nails. Through the course of the film, Babban discovers what it is to love and to be betrayed. It makes the dormant softer side of him come alive. Perhaps for the first time in his life, Babban cares, for Krishna.Vidya Balan as Krishna Verma, 30 years old, femme fatale, small-town girl, mysterious woman and forgotten widow; Krishna is a bundle of contradictions. She was seen as a woman madly in love, as an object of desire, as a vision of purity and engaging herself in a lustful bout with another man.Salman Shahid as Mushtaq Bhai, Master of Khalu and Babban; a cold-blooded criminal who is chasing the duo after they botched up his job, causing him loss of money. Due to him, the duo has to take refuge in Vidyadhar Verma's house.Anupama Kumar as Manju Kakkad, Wife of KK; a typical wife of a rich businessman and a clueless person in all the drama.Gauri Malla as Mamta (Nepali actress), Niece of a beauty parlor owner; runs a brothel in garb of beauty parlor; KK is her regular customer.Adil Hussain as Vidyadhar Verma, Husband of Krishna and an illegal weapons dealer; likes Krishna but does not want to stop his illegal business, hence he fakes his own death in front of Krishna.Rajesh Sharma as Kamalkant Kakkad aka KK, Founder of KK steel company, partner of Vidyadhar Verma in arms business; runs his arms business in garb of steel foundry.Alok Kumar as Nandu, A 15 year old boy and acquaintance of Babban. Is given a contract to kill the duo by Vidyadhar Verma, but leaves them alive and tells them the real story as he feels that Vidyadhar has done injustice to Krishna.

Tags: romantic

Review:
It is written by two talents, Vishal Bhardwaj and Abhishek Chaubey, who had previously scripted together such great movies as Omkara and Kaminey, only that this time the one who directs this feature is not Bhardwaj, but Chaubey, who was his assistant.
The witty and well-honed dialogues, the sophisticated camera work, the colourful characters, and the breathtaking cinematography, give the film an engagingly suspenseful yet authentic feel.
In the meanwhile it gives the audience a chance to watch a true triangular love story, which is brought out on in an ironic sort of way.That's what makes it an overall enjoyable piece, and it certainly would not have been possible without the film's three leads.
Ishqiya feels very much a Vishal Bhardwaj film, and well, he is also the film's producer and music director.
And it simultaneously makes us laugh and think, to feel for characters so nicely etched that we cheer even when they're breaking the law.Arshad & Naseer, Mama and Bhanja, both con-men, are on the run from Naseer's Jijaji, for what exactly we're not sure but it involves some money and some ice.
Right from the number of classics liberally laced in different situations (Dhanno Ki Aankhon Main, Pyaar Ka Surma at a brothel, Ae Meri Zohra Jabeen as a ringtone for the Jija) or the semi-classical song that Vidya sings in the beginning or the two flagship songs the zany, peppy 'Ibn Batuta' or the lyrical, romantic 'Dil to Bacha Hai', after a long time in a Hindi film, it was worth the price of a ticket just to see the songs.
Arshad Warsi and Vidya Balan light up the screen with their effervescent performances, while Naseeruddin Shah, true to his character remains the stable one.
And Vishal / Abhishek continue their knack of picking an ensemble cast that looks like they belong to the villageseach of the characters we meet look comfortably at home in their rural setting.
Set in the village of gorakhpur ishqiya deals with two small gangsters Arshad and Naseeruddin who with vidya balan make a plan to kidnap a small businessman to earn money and return to the head!
Naseeruddin Shah is the legend as everyone knows but in this film he shines in a great manner in his romantic scenes with vidya!And of course Vidya Balan oh what a performance she has given in this film!
She has carried away a widow woman full of vengeance in a superb way..The climax of the movie is fast paced and is full of twists and turns but the scenes between Arshad and Vidya are hilarious!
Every character even if appears for a small stint has a purpose in the movie and the loose ends get tied up towards the finale.☼ Naseeruddin Shah:: I am at loss of words for somebody who is an epitome of acting personified.
If Naseeruddin Shah's character personified a seeker of love, Arshad Warsi is balanced with lust overdrive.☼ Salman Shahid:: I had my brain racking trying to recall the familiar deep baritone voice of this actor.
From the film making house of Vishal Bhardwaj comes a fresh and most promising talent of Abhishek Chaubey who combines the best from his senior with his own slick raw style to give us 'Ishqiya'.
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's superb rendition of Dil toh bachcha has the perfect blend of soothing music and rich lyrics that make it the song that will linger in your head for a long time.
And yes, the use of the songs from the past, which i think is Vishal Bhardwaj way of giving tribute to the Classics is incorporated to elevate the impact of the scenes to another level.The kind of movie Ishqiya is, it relies heavily on performances.
I just wish she makes the right moves; She has all the ingredients of becoming an all time great.Ishqiya is the true Indian movie.
This is what a good movie is all about - The authentic setting of village life with beautiful cinematography, the 3 main starts were perfect - I for one could not picture any other actress alive in Hindi cinema that could have delivered the role what Vidya played.
Vidhya Balan suits so much in the role that you forget that you are seeing an actress from glamor world of bollywood.If you admire Omkara's genre, it is worth to watch Ishqiya.
Who could predict that a movie that starred the immensely talented Naseeruddin Shah, Vidya Balan and Arshad Warsi along with the 'Vishal Bharadwaj' tag could only turn into a movie which you would call nothing more than 'Okay, decent'.
As with Vishal Bhadwaj's movies, Ishqiya too has a rustic setting, foul mouthed characters and a hinterland heart.
Ishqiya 9/10 After a long time an Indian movie achieves the status of a perfect thriller.
If told in any other format, it would have looked so predictable that you could write the whole story from the beginning scene.Cinematography: Beautiful, captures a few good frames on village life.
And with "Ishqiya" directed by his associate Abhishek Chaubey, Vishal comes up with another movie contributing in the said movement following the same formula of surprising the audiences with its realistic characters, on-screen abuses, bold language and expressive sexual sequences.In real terms, "Ishqiya" straight away won over the viewers before its release, with its brilliantly compiled, earthy and sexual promos supported by few well composed songs, just as "Kaminey" did a few months ago.
But as seen in the case of "Kaminey", due to some major serious issues, "Ishqiya" may also witness a divided box office result between its critical acclaim and the actual universal response in the coming weeks.The movie revolves around the story of two con-men who are running to save their lives from their boss and find shelter in the house of a young and attractive widow.
And no doubt, it's well directed by the debutant director Abhishek Chaubey who never gives you any glimpse of a first time project.But the main drawback in the movie is that its starts too slow and picks up too late.
The love triangle plot in the script, left with an open end in the last scene, also may find less takers among the viewers in the smaller centers.However, the best part of the movie remains its performances, where every character enacts his part in a highly realistic and amusing way with just the right lingo, style and attire.
The rest of the cast is also a treat to watch with everyone playing their parts with sheer conviction.Musically, it has a great soundtrack to enjoy with gems like "Ibne Batuta" and "Dil To Bachha Hai Re" in the incomparable style of Vishal Bhardwaj and Gulzar together as a team.
4. Has Vishal Bhardwaj decided that all his produced or directed films will always have a pre- release hype dependent on vulgarity, abusive language and sexual scenes?In short, if you are expecting to see a highly entertaining or light comic movie as projected by the well designed promos of the movie then you are sure going to be disappointed to a great extent.
All the humorous and enjoyable comical scenes which were there in the promos of "Ishqiya" are scattered here and there in the film which fail to generate a collective entertaining impact as seen in the 3 minute trailer of the movie before its release.
'Ishqiya' earned amazing critical acclaim, but only average success at the box office, Now I know why!Chaubey's direction is apt, Vishal Bhardwaj's dialog are in complete sink with the film.
After all it has backing of probably the most intelligent people of the contemporary Hindi movie fraternity - Vishal Bharadwaj (arguably the best among contemporary movie makers) as the writer and music director, Gulzar (undoubtedly, the best living poet who writes for movies) as the lyricist, Naseeruddin Shah (one of the finest actors), Vidya Balan(too good, isn't she?) and Arshad Warsi (quite a surprise, to outshine his other two co-stars).
No sooner the movie has been released, people have started comparing, "If Vishal is India's Tarantino, Abhishek Choubey definitely is Robert Rodriguez."The movie is set in a remote UP village where you see it all that you have already been aware of from news or views - the caste war, the black marketeering, the corruption, the kidnapping, the flesh business, the adultery, the illegal immigration, et al.
The performances by the whole cast has to be given an ovation for they were so enigmatic with their roles & portrayal; and I am so in love with Abhishek Chaubey's direction.Speaking of noir, the film chiefly talks about betrayal, romance, lust, banditry and crime as a whole.
- Dialogues were bold and non sense vulgar language but they are funny.....On the movie is a one time or not watch movie.....Ishqiya is a story about love arising in characters, portrayed uniquely according to their own personal traits.
Ishqiya directed by Abhishek Chaubey is an amazing watch.What I liked mainly was the style of direction.The style of direction by Chaubey is similar to that of Quentin Tarantino.For a first-timer it needs so much effort to direct a movie in the style of Tarantino and Chaubey does that flawlessly.The story is very good.The screenplay is water-tight.The music is another thing that I liked.Ibn Battuta is foot-tapping,while Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji is melodious.Kudos to Vishal Bharadwaj.The dialogs add spice to the movie.Performances-Each and every cast deserves applause.Naseeruddin Shah is fantastic.Arshad Warsi is simply mind-blowing.Vidya Balan is superb.Salman Shahid is funny.On the whole,Ishqiya is a must watch!.
Reasons: For one, it's coming from a filmmaker like Vishal Bhardwaj, who we know does take his movies seriously (even if it's a comedy).
Second, you have performers like Naseeruddin Shah & Vidya Balan and a near perfect character actor in Arshad Warsi.
Had this movie been directed by a person like Rohit Shetty, I would have proudly said that it is a 8 on 10, but from Vishal Bhardwaj, the man with Omkarra & Kaminey, the bar is set a bit higher and hence, I'm tempted to give it 5, or maybe a 5.5, not more..
Though Bharadwaj still has a strong ties to it (as producer, music director and co-writer just to name a few), Chaubey has done a competent job and he's proved to learn a lot from his mentor.Set in a remote village in Uttar Pradesh, this black comedy follows the story of two thieves and a hot but not-to-be-messed-with widow.
Vishal Bharadwaj has proved himself as a best director in this decade.It is really a film -noir made after a long time.
The story is fine and Vidya Balan's performance is ever best in Indian cinema.Simply a film-noir after 70's.A big salute to Ishqiya team.A film-noir that would ling forever in Indian Cinema..
One of the best Bollywood western/noir films ever made.Vishal Bhardwaj has made a niche for himself by making movies which not only have an excellent storyline but take us into the heart and soul of India which lies in it's villages and small towns and the people who live in them.The story was very good and the performances of all the actors was top notch.
First time director, Abhishek Chaubey did a superb job of directing this movie and is a rising star in Bollywood.
It was as if you were watching real life and not reel life.The music was average, however the stand out piece in the OST was Dil to Bacha Hai. The song has an olden golden feel to it, similar to the songs Mukesh used to sing in Raj Kapoor movies.I thoroughly enjoyed this film and highly recommend anyone who is not aware of the potential Bollywood has in producing good movies with great story lines..
I was expecting much more from the ending but it was kinda similar as kaminey where all the people joined together at the same place like they want to end the movie (Vishal ji Please improve ending...
I am not any of the above mentioned types; hence, I should have watched it earlier.Ishqiya is about Khalu Jaan (Naseer Uddin Shah) and Babban (Arshad Warsi) and their love triangle with Krishna (Vidya Balan) in a story that's not a love story by any means.
As much as I disagree with the climax and would have hoped for a little cruel one, that's a matter of personal choice based on the liking I developed for the characters watching it.Ishqiya is excellent music, fantastic acting, intricate storytelling and a must watch flick, unless, as I mentioned above, you are the 'Main Ne Pyar Kiya' type of movie goer.
2011 film awards for lyrics and critics' best actress award given to Vidya Balan for this movie, had raised the expectations of seeing this movie, reminding one of Vishl Bhardwaj's earlier movie 'Omkara', but this movie did not live up to his earlier movie's expectation of having a good storyline.
Nevertheless one is satisfied to see the typical rustic lifestyle of Bihar as earlier seen in movies like Omkara, Apaharan etc, here again Vidya Balan's looks and clothes seemed to be too sophisticated for a rustic rural life in Bihar, as compared to the other two male characters Naseerudin Shah and Arshad Warshi, who looked and acted very real.
so i went with same expectations and i'm feeling so happy to claim all my expectations were met.the music is awesome and when you get involved with the characters it makes it even more melodious and apt.screenplay/ direction is top notch, during the first 15 mins, you might feel what is happening but in the last 15 mins it makes you feel those first 15 were not for nothing, they were meant to be there.i won't reveal the plot, because i hate reviews which tell what happens, but i must say you need to have your eyes at the screen and ear wide open when arshad warsi is in the frame, as he is provided with most fresh, unique, hilarious, deep thought dialogues..
vidya balan is looking her best, i've never liked her act so much as i did in this one..
i just loved that scene.there are some raw language usage, but its not unnecessary, its not like just to add there are slangs in the movie, they are there where they make sense, and it goes so easy with the flow you don't feel uncomfortable.i can go on writing, but you would have judged by now, i'm a novice when it comes to reviewing cinema...
Vishal Bharadwaj one of the skilled directors after OMKARA comes with another great film ISHQiYA(2010) The film just like OMKARA is set in the heartland of UP, Gorakpur The film starts off well and keeps your interest alive throughout The film is a black comedy with ample thrills and funny moments, also thrown in several twists and turns and some sex laced scenes too The film is well handled by Abhishek Choubey and the film throughout it's run time of less then 2 hours keeps you involved.
Several scenes are superb: The start of the film wherein there is an explosion, The bonding between Naseer/Arshad Naseer slowly falling for Vidya, Vidya-Arshad sex scene, the twist when Naseer feels betrayed, The fight between both, The climax Direction is superb Music is superb again by VB, All songs are situational and no lip sync Ibne Batuta is superb, while Der Lagi and Ab mujhe Koi by Rekha Bharadwaj are superb too, Dil to Bachcha hai ji is awesome too and marked the career growth of Rahat FatehNaseeruddin Shah a fabulous performer leaves yet another indelible impression, he gets into the skin of the character and seems at ease throughout Arshad Warsi takes a break from comedies and does a superb job in his role Vidya Balan fresh after PAA does a superb act in her role too, She proved her mettle This film also turned her into a sex-siren Salman Shahid seen after KABUL EXPRESS yet again leaves a mark Rajesh Sharma who startled everyone with NOKJ and TDP started off his career with Khosla Ka Ghosla(2006), and does a superb job in this film too Adil Hussain who left a mark in AGENT VINOD is superb here too Alok Kumar as Nandu is good too.
A very well-scripted and directed film, Ishqiya is not like any other Bollywood film I have seen.
First of all, I thought it was a great ensemble of artists, from Naseeruddin Shah Sahab (Khalujaan) to Vidya Balan (Krishna Verma), Arshad Warsi (Babban Hussain) and of course, Vishal Bharadwaj, even though he wasn't the director, yet you could make out it was his writing, it had his "essence".
This was Abhishek Chaubey's debut movie as a director, before this he wrote screenplay for Vishal Bharadwaj's earlier movies like Kaminey, Omakara etc.
Like Vishal Bharadwaj's previous movies this too has the raw earthy feel to it, be it the accent, locations, dialogs, everything.
-Tiny spoiler- Apart from great performances, do look out for a passionate kiss between Arshad Warsi and Vidya Balan, well I'm mentioning this because I have NEVER seen such a kiss before in ANY Indian movie.
I don't know how elder people watching the movie took it, but I certainly found it as a sign that Filmmakers have started showing intimate scenes like they happen in real life, but not throw in just for the sake of showing it.
Using typical lingo of the locality the movies are set in, Mumbai, UP, Bihar etc, which makes you feel the characters are really from that soil, ambiguous and abstract but at the same time witty and razer sharp dialog, amazing cinematography and above all that Indian audiences' favorite - awesome music.
The film starts with two small time bandits, both legendary actors – Arshad Warsi (Babban) & Naseruddin Shah (Khalujaan).
Naseeruddin Shah has played a big character after a long long time and it was a pleasure to see him in this movie.