Movie Review: Chalo Dilli

Director: Shashant Shah
Producer: Ramesh Sippy
Banner: Big Daddy Productions, Eros International Media Ltd, and Bheegi Basanti Entertainment
Genre: Road movie, Comedy
Cast: Vinay Pathak, Lara Dutta, and Brijendra Kala
Special Appearance: Yana Gupta, Akshay Kumar


Chalo Dilli, a road movie, is about two exactly opposite people, with same destination, stuck together for their journey from Mumbai to Delhi. Though the film have a strong star cast, it proves to be an unsuccessful attempt to entertain the audience.


Chalo Dilli starts with the introduction of Mihika Banarjee (Lara Dutta), Senior Vice President of a top Financial Institution in Mumbai. Mihika, wife of Lieutenant Vikram Banarjee, is a sophisticated, career oriented, successful, perfectionist, strong willed young married woman.


Then enters Manu Gupta (Vinay Pathak), loud, obnoxious, rude, chatter box, crass guy who has a small saree shop at Karol Bagh. Manu is a kind of person Mihika has never had to interact with, in her entire life. Manu lives his life with the funda of "Kaun Si Badi Baat Ho Gayi" (means, whats the big deal).


The journey starts from the dream city, Mumbai. Due to uncertain reasons Mihika is forced to travel in budget flight to Delhi with Manu Gupta. The flight lands in Jaipur Airport because of technical faults. Here Mihika lands up in a situation where she has no choice but to travel with Manu for the rest of her journey to Delhi.


The freaking journey of Mihika and Manu, through air, road and train, tries to showcase the real India. The truck driver, the kid serving tea  at the dhaba, the owner of the dhaba, the begali couple in train, the ticket checker, the thieves who stole scrap from railway, all join and leave the story without making an impression. Shashant forgets the fact that the female lead character, Mihika was unfamiliar with rural India but the audience are not.


On the acting prospects, only Vinay Pathak is, as always, worth watching. Lara Dutta, as Mihika, is perfect as a snotty banker but is less expressive. Akshay Kumar's role is small and still fails to make an impression. The songs do not play any role in the movie, yet an item song filmed on Yana Gupta, flaunting her curves in the re-mixed version of Laila Main Laila, was not so good but is the most noticeble part of the movie.


The story is decent and lite (extra lite), but the dailogues and background score  fail to make audience laugh. Post intermission the movie seems a bit dragging. Cinematography and direction could have been more impressive.


All in all, if someone is really fond of watching Vinay Pathak's acting, then do watch Challo Dilli. A suggestion, the movie should have been named Mat (Do not) Challo Dilli, but stay at home.


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