Delhi Heights Movie Reviews

"Tum Itna Bolke Thak Nahi Jaate" - this concluding statement by Neha Dhupia when Jimmy comes to ask forgiveness from her pretty much sums up what DELHII HEIGHTS is all about. There is so much of talk with less of drama and some meaningful action happening throughout the course of the film that it is but obvious for an audience to get restless.

To top it up, there are some real strange things happening as a part of the film's screenplay. Some scenes go on and on and on [like the climax or the one where a confused Simone Singh tries to make audience even further confused in her 'I will live with you/I will not live with you' conversation with her flirting husband Rohit Roy].

On the other hand some of them just get over when one thought that there is some conversation about to build up. Yet again Simone's scenes take the cake as she tends to make abrupt exits, especially in the eateries. First she catches the 'living in forever and just married' couple Jimmy and Neha in a 'Yo China' kinda joint and excuses herself suddenly before one could say 'momo'. Later when she sees Neha browsing idly in an outdoor coffee joint, she comes, delivers a 'thank-you' note for Neha's 'ideal marital' life being her inspiration and then says tata!

Ok, so thankfully it is not too much about the 'times and tribulations of three couples' kinda drama. Frankly we had enough of it. But even as Jimmy/Neha have been thrust upon the responsibility of anchoring a film with Simone/Rohit and Om Puri/Kamini being at the peripherals, there is hardly any interesting sequences that stay with you.

The beginning is extremely lukewarm even as a bored narrator tries to get the film started with a clichéd saga of 'saddi dilli' and stuff alike. You expect the film to take off but the direction seems to be so loose with disjointed sequences and extra long pauses between one scene and another that one wonders if you are watching a television soap instead.

It could have been an absolute mayhem if the performances by Jimmy Sheirgill, Neha Dhupia and Om Puri wouldn't have been competent enough. While it is now as expected to see Jimmy perform even the most half baked roles [as the one here] with fill conviction, what really comes as a delight is Neha's comfort in front of the camera. To her credit, she is least conscious of the camera as she performs her most natural performance ever.

If in JULIE she was required to be all fiery, here she is subtle and convincing as a Delhi woman who is trying her best to balance between her demanding corporate circles and a husband who for some strange reasons isn't even willing to talk in order to solve the misunderstandings that have crept in. And to think of it, they are shown to be knowing each other for 5 years!

There are just no ups and downs in the film. Just when you thought that there would be some interesting moments after the interval where Jimmy starts suspecting Neha of having passed on some critical contract details to her own company, he just stops talking to her. Worse, she goes to her parents place and that only brings something to cheer about [how selfish of us!] as the best 5 minutes of the film come in the form of the delightful song 'Tere Bin' by Rabbi.

In the interim, there is not much movement in the graph as Rohit gets back to Simone [how else but after an accident], Om Puri finally dancing to the 'dhol' on the occasion of marriage of his daughter, a bookie [Viveik Shauq who is acting silly, laughing silly and overall sounding very silly] leaving his bookie business behind [after being caught by the police], Madhavan [yes, he plays himself in a special appearance] signing the best of the two contracts and last but not the least the four teenagers of the apartments continuing to play their pranks [each of the revolving around girls]!

End of story. Finito. So what was the story by the way? Last but not the least, how different would have the viewing experience being if the film was set in Sri Lanka? Why Delhi - with an extra 'i' in the film's title?

One single factor which is the best part about the film is its art direction. Setting up opulent interiors has been a hallmark of Karan Johar films. He could as well take a cue from DELHII HEIGHTS when it comes to urban interiors since they are the best ever seen in a Hindi film. Each and every room has been imaginatively, yet naturally decorated in the film. Also, it goes with the characterization.

So while Jimmy and Neha have a tastefully done living room and a bedroom with great woodwork, some nice paintings on the wall and fine movable furniture, Om Puri's house has that typical Mughlai decor that is oh-so-royal when it comes to a generation gone by in Delhi. Rohit and Simone's house is done up neatly too with vibrant colors while bean bags and some plush couches are the highlights of the place were the teenagers stay. If not anything else, the film could act as a handbook for up market interior decorators!

On the technical front, while the cinematography of the film is good and attempts at giving DELHII HEIGHTS an up market look, what takes the film's graph to an abysmal low is the Anand Kumar's direction coupled with Sreekar Prasad's editing. It is impossible to believe that he is the same man who has edited just released GURU. Rabbi's music is a relief from the beginning till the end of the movie.

It needs some lukewarm happenings on the screen to make you long for a film to get over even if it is under 2 hours of duration. Well, DELHII HEIGHTS just achieves the impossible.