The Dirt

Few weeks ago, at a friends place, i had the opportunity to watch "The Dirty Picture". The movie is loosely based on a south indian film actress, Silk Smitha. I'm not giving away the story, so there is no spoiler warning.

As we started to watch, S asked me how could she do what she did, however she eventually changed her opinion. But what i answered to her surprised myself, i was without any prejudice, she had her body as her skill to sell, she wasnt educated, she was being abused by her own family, she had very little to go by, so she did what she felt was right for her. I was given a "look" which i chose to ignore.

But really the dirt of this movie is not in her selling her oozing voluptuousness on the screen, nor is of the people who want to see it, it is of the people who exploited her, who viewed her solely as on object of sex. Yet portray exploitation as a platform. These are the same insecure men who'd do anything to keep their self inflated egos full by crushing other people or actresses naivety to their pleasures. She could be no saint, but the crime was hers not alone, and yet she crucified herself.

I personally loved the movie, but somewhere it failed me, i agree with few floating reviews out there, which say when the camera was on Vidya Balan, she captivated the screen, the other popular actors couldnt justify thier roles to the way she was, the dialogues were written so true to the character and the movie. They showed a feisty girl, who does unconventional things never heard of on screen. But the movie ran in thin waters for me when they didnt show a strong reason for her to take matters in her hands towards the end of the movie.

But the real kudos go to the actress who portrayed the character so grit fully true. By the end of the movie, i sorely wished Silk Smitha was alive to tell her story. Vidya Balan showed how beautiful a body can look and as she ages in the movie, the same body that she flaunts looks old and saggy and somehow not attractive as it was portrayed before. Her body language, her style of sitting, her way of clothing, how she taps her personal experiences to bring on screen performances were more than worthy a note. She was brilliant. Simply superbly brilliant.....You rock!