Isqiya Movie Reviews:

It all began with Omkara – the city audience’s love for small-town India. Then came others like Dev D, Gulaal, and now Ishqiya; and the love affair has reached the next level.

Ours is a country divided into two – the city and small-town/rural. The rural is usually portrayed to suffer poverty and issues that the multiplex movie watchers can’t identify with. Then comes the small-town full of delicious quirks and nuances, and its dangerous underbelly. So we travel to Gorakhpur in Easter UP, where Krishna (Vidya Balan) is mourning the death of her husband who was with the `sena’, a grassroots movement. This sena is full of dangerous men who encourage children to pick up weapons and are constantly on the run. Just before his death, Krishna was convincing her husband Verma to surrender. “I can’t take it anymore,” she cries talking about his constant absence. That’s when she leaves the room and a blast takes away Verma’s life.

Meanwhile two small-time crooks are digging the ground on their enraged boss’s instructions; the boss is planning to bury them there. Babban (Arshad Warsi) the younger, swaggering one thinks up a quick plan. His uncle (Naseeruddin Shah) follows the hint and they’re free, with a bagful of cash. Hunting for a place to take refuge, they land up at Verma’s home. Krishna looks after them and Khalujan, as Naseeruddin’s character is called, finds himself drawn to her. Meanwhile Krishna is leading Babban on, while pining for Verma. Then on, this delicious quadrangle love story takes the more sinister form of a kidnapping, even as you see a glimpse of the small-town rich and their lavish lifestyles.

Small-town India is at its rustic best here: you notice with delight the details with a faded Lux soap-advertising calendar on the peeling wall, to the authentic styling. As in Omkara, the local swear words bring out the most laughs in the screen– it’s inexplicably delightful to the urban viewer. Dialogue by producer, co-writer and composer Vishal Bhardwaj is simple and real, with occasional gems like “is duniya sab se gehri dushmani miya-biwi ke beech hai” (the deepest enmity in the world is that between a husband and a wife). The music, like Vishal Bharadwaj’s other works, stays with you even after the end credits roll. Gulzar’s lyrics form the perfect accompaniment to Bharadwaj’s tunes. Background score is the best one has heard in a long time.

Complementing the layered characterisation are the performances. Vidya Balan’s straight-faced cunning makes her character unpredictable and immersing. And one wonders which other female actor would agree on a role requiring her to wear drab sarees for the entire length of the film. Arshad Warsi, best known for his Circuit act in Munnabhai, will now hopefully be better known for his Babban. Kohl-eyed, aggressive, foolish, quick; this character is a wonderful one, and Warsi adeptly brings out the role’s varied colours. Naseeruddin Shah is a surprise, wonderfully exposing the vulnerability and foolhardiness of the seasoned criminal who believes that perhaps, he really can get that lovely, young woman to fall for him.

Each character is complex and their intentions are usually far from honourable. But it is the writers’ (Vishal Bhardwaj, Sabrina Dhawan, Abhishek Chaubhey) skill that gets us to like each of these quirky people and care for them. After assisting writer-director-composer Vishal Bhardwaj, Chaubhey debuts with a film that’s his own even it contains influences of Bhardwaj’s work and those of noir veteran Quentin Tarantino.

Chaubhey insinuates humour in the darkest of scenes: you guffaw as a man cheats on his wife with the local beauty parlour lady who whips him, or when one of our characters is going to be dug alive and insists on telling a joke. Despite the pace that slackens here and there, Chaubhey’s storytelling is sharp, confident and hugely enjoyable. A delicious tragicomic love story; you must sample this.

Get ready for tangy, pungent, sizzling and spicy stuff. Be forewarned, Ishqiya isn't the fluffy, candyfloss, saccharine sweet story of lovers breaking into songs in mustard fields. In Ishqiya, you just don't know what turn the story may take next. Not just the story, even the characters here are so impulsive and unpredictable.

Buzz up!
You need to have a strong stomach to absorb Ishqiya. It's high on drama, it's wild, it's real. But it's not dark, it's not sleazy, it's not crass. Frankly, you don't expect debutante director Abhishek Chaubey to make a stereotypical fare thanks to the tutelage by his guru Vishal Bhardwaj, who loves to swim against the tide and undertake risks in film after film.


You could call Ishqiya a distant cousin of Omkara. Set in Gorakhpur in North India, the film has a rustic feel, depicts characters that may make you uncomfortable and is laced with saucy lingo. Yet, it's different than Omkara.

Final word? You can't help but fall in ishq with Ishqiya. Tired of sherbat? Try this spicy jaljeera for a change!

Two thieves, Khalujaan [Naseeruddin Shah] and Babban [Arshad Warsi], are on the run from their boss, Mushtaq. They seek refuge at a friend's house, but instead meet his widow, Krishna [Vidya Balan]. The time spent together draws the duo to her, Khalu with his tinted vision of old-fashioned love and Babban with his lustful eye. But the past catches up with all three!

There's no denying that the promos had prepared me of the journey ahead, yet it took me a good 15-odd minutes to get into the world of Khalujaan, Babban and Krishna. But once you get sucked into their world, the blurred images start getting clearer and clearer and you become an active participant in their journey.

The first hour passes in a jiffy, but the story actually gets dramatic and volatile in its second hour. It's at this stage that things start getting more and more unpredictable. The story does a somersault every 10 minutes and by the time it reaches its finale, you're curious to know how the debutante director would conclude this saga. The end, of course, will have its share of advocates and adversaries, but the fact remains that it's offbeat.

Abhishek Chaubey is a welcome addition to the ranks of avid storytellers. His choice of the subject and also handling of the material is what makes this film so eminently watchable. Not once do you feel that Ishqiya has been helmed by a first-timer. Note the change of events in the song 'Dil To Bachcha Hain Ji' or the kidnap drama and the heated argument that follows thereafter. Even the passionate lovemaking sequence between Arshad and Vidya has been dexterously canned.

However, Chaubey and his team of writers could've kept the writing simplistic towards the finale. It's complex and also lacks clarity. Yet, all said and done, screenplay writers Vishal Bhardwaj, Sabrina Dhawan and Abhishek Chaubey deserve kudos for coming up with a film that keeps you hooked for most parts.

Vishal Bhardwaj's musical score has his unmistakable stamp all over. The film is embellished with two lilting gems - 'Ibne Batuta' and 'Dil To Bachcha Hain Ji' - which are a rage with listeners already and have been juxtaposed beautifully in the plot. Mohana Krishna's cinematography is first-rate. Dialogues [Vishal Bhardwaj] are acidic and a few lines are indeed startling.

Every actor in Ishqiya delivers a sparkling performance! Naseeruddin Shah is superb as a romantic. He is matchless in the sequence when he learns the truth about Vidya and Arshad. Arshad packs in a bravura performance yet again. Post Munnabhai films, Arshad should be liked in this one the maximum. Vidya continues to surprise. It's a dynamic performance undoubtedly. PAA and Ishqiya are two landmarks in her career.

The actors enacting the role of Jijaji, the kidnapped victim and Vidya's husband are all perfect. The child, who interacts with Arshad, is natural. In fact, every performance in Ishqiya is worthy of mention.

On the whole, Ishqiya is definitely worth a watch. The film has a riveting plot, great performances, soulful music, an absorbing story and skilful direction to make the viewer fall in ishq with it. It should appeal to the hardcore masses as also the multiplex junta.

Steamy visuals, colourful expletives, Gulzar’s lyrics, impressive star cast — Ishqiya promises all this and much more. Coming from Vishal Bhardwaj’s stable, the film, will give a rustic feel to the audiences just like Omkara did.

The directorial debut of Abhishek Chaubey, the movie has actors like Naseeruddin Shah, Vidya Balan and Arshad Warsi. It has already become an awaited venture courtesy its songs and promos.

“The film is a blend of romance and suspense. It deals with various aspects of love, lust, complete submission and false love. It is not just about the three central characters; other characters in the film are also connected to it,” Chaubey said.

“I have borrowed my backdrop and settings from reality and I used them to tell the story. It’s basically about the emotional journey of these three people,” he added.

The story involves two thieves — Khalujan (Naseer) and Babban (Arshad) — who are on the run from their boss. They seek refuge with an old friend and instead meet his widow Krishna. As they plan their escape, their time spent together draws the duo to her.

Khalu with his tinted vision of old-fashioned love and Babban with his lustful eye — both are attracted to her.

The threat of imminent death forces them on a path of violence and betrayal. Set in a rural landscape, Ishqiya explores basic human emotions influenced by desire, greed and revenge.

Vidya had to mouth expletives for the movie, which made her apprehensive.

“I was very apprehensive while using those slangs. I have never used them in my real life but I had to because the script demanded. The movie belongs to a certain terrain where slangs are part of their lingo,” Vidya said.

“Abhishek Choubey had to constantly keep giving me a pep talk. Quite often I was stuck because of the language and content,” she added.

With only four songs on the soundtrack, the music of the film has already become a favourite among listeners.