Delhi Belly, Mango People and Mango Language

The last couple of months has seen the release of two movies as different as chalk and cheese in two distinctly different languages. Strangely enough, they have many common threads running through them. Other than the facts that the content creators were debutants, they went on floors around roughly the same time or that they were stuck in the cans for extended periods of time before hitting the marquee (within a month of each other), their use of language has unintentionally catalysed a potential alteration in the creative dynamics of the universes they inhabit. While Kumarraja Thiagarajan (henceforth referred to as KT)’s awesomely crafted neo-noir ensemble Aaranya Kaandam could potentially justify the use of expletives, as the principal characters were all gangsters, the Akshat Verma-Abhinay Deo helmed Delhi Belly—an absurdly irreverent take on the life and times of three Delhi based flatmates bucks the trend of mainstream Hindi films by actually having the three protagonists (that includes up and coming popular star Imran Khan) use F, C, G words in their day to day banter. Just like any of us –the mango people. While Aaranya Kaandam deservedly rode to critical (and hopefully commercial) acclaim on its spectacular content (and not it’s liberal use of swear words), Delhi Belly has unfortunately attracted disproportionate (and sometimes harsh) attention in the media and the blogosphere alike on it’s use of what self-righteous stereotypes describe as “FOUL” language. Though Delhi Belly is certainly not the first mainstream Bollywood offering to use “street” language, it certainly is the first to have its Mango People protagonists use language that’s as common as a Jayalalitha cutout in Chennai these days.

On the face of it, Delhi Belly is no masterpiece. But what deserves special mention in Delhi Belly is LA based writer Akshat Verma’s skilful weaving of situational and physical comedy in a manner that’s entertaining to say the least. And that’s a sort of re-invention in Hindi cinema that saw this genre dying a slow death after classics such as Chashm-e-Buddoor or the mad Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron, Andaz Apna Apna. I am not for a moment putting Delhi Belly in the same league as the above hallowed movies, but the one thing that Delhi Belly shares with its yesteryear cousins is their central irreverent core. Right from the moment DK Bose went on air with lyrics such as “Daddy Mujhse Bola, Tu Galti Hain Meri, Saabun Ki Shakhal Mein Beta Tu To Nikla Keval Jhaag….Bhaag DK Bose” and with a plotline that has a box of diamonds getting mixed up with stool samples of one of the protagonists, it was clear that Verma and co were just being unaffectedly, unabashedly, absurdly irreverent. We saw streaks of occasional irreverence in another Varma’s Daud , but the staple diet of late has been the horridly un-funny UnEase Bust-Me’s chimp fart movies or the strictly painful Golmaal franchise that have also somehow become money spinners. In the wake of this, Delhi Belly certainly deserves plaudits for inducing genuine mirth. Watch how Vijay Raaz half-puzzled, half-expectantly looks at the stool sample spread out on a fine piece of cloth expecting to see diamonds or even the way farts are used in the plot device. Leaving aside the aesthetics, the way Verma puts it together here invokes laughter because of the situation as well and not the act itself. This is exactly that kind of film that falls into the category of paisa-vasool entertainment.

I am told Delhi Belly has been a fiscally super-successful venture for its investors (that includes Aamir Khan and UTV) and while that is great news for some, it’s a constant reminder that in order for something like Delhi Belly to have a pan-Indian appeal it has to have the backing of a superstar and a mammoth marketing budget. The success of Delhi Belly , particularly in the urban centers also points to a growing schism between two Indias—one that’s decidedly conservative, loves UnEase Bust-Me school of humor to the point of being self-righteous and another that’s looking at breaking the shackles of conformity. As the Baba Ramdev episode showed or the reactions to Raja Sen’s movie reviews on the Rediff Message Boards show that there is no sign of abatement in the hostilities between the two.

In the end, here’s a sincere hope that Delhi Belly is remembered for more than just it’s use of normal day to day language. To borrow from The Hindu's Sudhish Kamath, it's great news that mainstream Bollywood has finally come to the Frat Party.