Entertainment

Dhobi Ghat is a 90 minute motion picture written and directed by Kiran Rao. Mumbai, the hustling bustling city that has allured and continues to allure millions of Indians forms the backdrop for the roving eye of the camera. Every day scores of people make the trip to this venerable city harboring dreams for a better tomorrow throwing up an interesting potpourri of people whose characters have come to life in many Bollywood scripts in the past.

Rao in this movie uses four distinct characters and synergizes their individual stories to weave a common thread through their apparent dissimkilarities. Meet the first character Arun played by the Bollywood “Mr. Perfectionist”, Aamir Khan. Arun is a pensive artist whose chance encounter with an NRI investment banker Shai kick starts the story. Shai played by Monica Dogra is in Mumbai on a sabbatical to nurture her passion for photography. Their meeting ends up in a one night stand that Arun truly regrets. He is forthright in rejecting the idea of a companion leaving Shai to look for a way to bring about closure. Trying to heal her raw wounds she meets the young, energetic aspiring actor alias dhobi, Munna played by Prateik Babbar. Munna offers Shai a city “darshan” and in the process is completely smitten by this suave up market woman.

Enter the fourth character who is introduced through the video letters that she tapes for her brother in Uttar Pradesh. Yasmin played by Kriti Malhotra is a young Muslim girl who also happens to be the ex-resident of the dwelling where Arun currently abodes. Her emotional outpouring of her failing marriage deeply disturbs Arun who becomes obsessed with the video footage and its character.