Movie Review: Delhi Belly (Rating 5/5)

Directed By: Abhinay Deo
Written By: Akshat Verma
Starring: Imran Khan
Genre: Comedy
Jamia Journal Rating: 5/5

Although new and fresh for India, the movie Delhi Belly, sadly, is a rip-off of Hollywood, in substance and style.

I recall Amir Khan saying in an interview that some people have said, this movie is a copy of “Hangover” or some other Hollywood movie like it; but, he goes on to say, let me assure you all, this movie is not a copy of any movie.

Though technically Amir is right, the movie is not a copy of any single Hollywood movie; it is however, a rip-off of an entire genre of Hollywood movies.

I don’t know if it is an actual genre, but it is one of those typical Hollywood movies where you have a bunch of slacker friends, usually in their twenties, just getting along with their unexciting, not-so-special boring lives and boring girlfriends; or as it is in most cases, a lack thereof.

However one day, out of pure chance, luck or happenstance, call it whatever you want to, they get involved into something really dangerous, and their lives takes a sudden turn for the exciting. You have your car chases, people getting shot and what have you.

So the people who liken it to “Hangover” aren’t too far off the mark. It is something like that. However, a better example of it, off the top of my head would be: “Dude Where’s My Car,” “Harold and Kumar go to White Castle,” and one could also include the movie, “The Big Lebowski.”

The creators are heavily “inspired” by Hollywood, so much so that they had to make it in English in order for the humor to work.

So, who says it’s a Hindi movie? A better description would be: an Indian movie in English.

If I had to describe it in one line, I would say: Delhi Belly is an American movie, set in an Indian context.

But I guess the real question here is: in an industry where creatively ripping other people’s ideas off is the norm, does it even matter? Does it even matter if it’s not an original concept?

For your average movie goer, I suppose it hardly makes any difference.

So keeping that in mind, I’m glad to declare – Delhi Belly is effing hilarious!

Though the movie has an ‘A’ rating for some obscene language (there is no nudity) the target audience is clearly the urban youth; by which I don’t mean the very young, but your typical 18-25 demographic. However, that does not mean others would not find it funny and entertaining. Anybody with a crude sense of humor will absolutely adore it.

You have three main characters in the movie, Tashi who is played by Imran Khan; Nitin, played by Kunaal Roy Kapoor; and Arup, played by Vir Das.

Keeping in with the genre I mentioned earlier, the three  are your typical slacker types, who share a run-down apartment in your average looking neighborhood in Delhi; the kind of place where you get water for only two hours of the day.

Though Tashi is the cooler one among the three with a potentially exciting  job as a news reporter and a hot girlfriend, he doesn’t feel too excited about his life; neither do his two friends. They just seem to be going through the motions.

However, everything changes when they have a run-in with a dangerous gang of criminals. From then on, it’s “Bhaag D.K. Bose” till the end, if you catch my drift.

It’s a really good movie, and for us university students in Delhi, I feel we are morally obligated to go watch it.

But don’t download it if you can afford to pay for a movie ticket. Let Amir Khan and everyone involved with the project know how much you love and appreciate the movie by buying a ticket.

By the way, I would be remiss if I were not to mention how awesome some of its songs are.

The best thing about the movie in my opinion is one of its songs titled, ‘Bhaag D.K. Bose,’ which sadly, is not even in the movie and only gets a partial play in the backdrop during a chase.

I’m not sure on this but I think there are only two songs that get played in its entirety in the movie; however neither of the two are ‘Bhaag D.K. Bose’ or ‘Nakkaddwaley Disco, Udhaarwaley Khisko.’ Sad but true.

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