Today, most people suppress their desires and wishes thinking they are ridiculous or unrealistic, but Antra Mali's character pursues her dreams of becoming a popular actress like her idol, Madhuri Dixit. It was nice to see the opposite of the movie star prototype take the male lead in this film. A 4-foot, nonmuscular, humble, and shy man proves himself a worthy actor. However, the amount he supports, encourages, and sacrifices for Antra in the movie I don't think any man can do in the real world, sorry to say.
12 Reviews
Pace is very fast of this movie
dkgupta49316 June 2022
Pace of movie is so much fast of the movie. Women with ambitious dreams to become actor is not a easy task there are lots of struggles involved in this process. Where uncertainty waits for you. Its an optimistic movie.
Bollywood gets self-reflexive
BrandtSponseller22 May 2005
Director Chandan Arora hits gold with his debut film, Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon, an unusual, self-reflexive look at Bollywood's reality versus its public image and the dreams it fosters.
The story concerns an innocent girl named Chukti (Antara Mali), who lives in the farming village hinterlands of India and who loves the work of Bollywood star Madhuri Dixit. Most of the village turns out during their free time to watch the latest films on a makeshift screen in a makeshift theater. Chukti has a talent for mimicking Dixit, a fact she exploits by putting on public performances of her own--dancing on a small stage to Dixit songs playing on a boom-box.
Chukti dreams of moving to Mumbai and becoming a film heroine. Of course her parents are traditional, so they won't hear anything of it. When they realize she's serious enough to consider running away, they plan to marry her off as soon as possible.
Enter Rajeshwar Singh (Rajpal Yadav). He's the only person in the village who sincerely believes in Chukti, and he's also in love with her, although she seems oblivious to it--she only cares about becoming a star. He suggests that if he can talk his father into arranging a marriage between them (which they'll keep secretly platonic), he'll take her to Mumbai as his wife. There, they can pursue Chukti's dream.
The bulk of the film is about Chukti trying to make it in Bollywood. The dramatic hinge is the clash of her dreams with the realities of the film business and big city life.
This is a unique film in that it forgoes many of the staples of the Bollywood genre. Yes, there are songs, there is a romance of sorts, and there is even a kind of love triangle, but these are all very unusually incorporated. The songs are exclusively present for realistic, dramatic purposes. Songs only appear when characters are engaging in stage performances, "celebrations" with music, film performances, and so on. Arora always has the music at a level of remove--we're watching people watching or engaging in performances.
The romance aspect is almost exclusively implicit. There is something of a resolution to it in the end, but the resolution is extremely subtle--it basically amounts to a character putting on a piece of jewelry, and the action easily enables multiple interpretations.
The "love triangle" takes place between the party who "secretly" loves Chutki and a party who is only trying to manipulate her dreams to take advantage of her. It is resolved in an incredibly powerful dramatic moment that in a lesser film would be followed up with a clichéd vengeance subplot. Here, it's not brought up again--this says much more than the stereotype would.
"Incredible dramatic power" is apt for much of the film, even though there are extended comedic segments, as well. Most of Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon is constructed more like a tragedy with brief comic relief. All of the plot developments are very realistic. And as such, the theme of the film is often a "necessary medicine" disillusioning from unrealistic dreams.
Some might think it is a flaw that most characters are slightly caricatured in the film. However, it is not as if there aren't people in the real world like this. There is no shortage of the relatively naïve, coming from the heartland to Los Angeles, New York City, and presumably Mumbai, hoping to make it big in a stroke, yet having very little knowledge of how the arts and entertainment industries work. For another example, it's certainly not the case only in fiction that some parents are bilked out of money via funding requests from their offspring for non-existent projects and studies.
That the film is so unique should be expected once one realizes that it was produced by Ram Gopal Varma. Varma is well known for advocating breaks from various Bollywood traditions that have become clichéd. He's made films completely void of musical numbers. He's made films without romance elements. He's made films with vastly different pacing and plot structures than the typical Bollywood film. There's nothing wrong with the traditional Bollywood formula, except that variety is necessary. Varma is doing much to set the Indian film industry on the right road in that regard.
So it's fitting that Varma is behind this well-acted, well-directed, well-photographed, etc. film that looks at Bollywood with a critical eye. It is just as intriguing for its insights into the real world of film-making as it is for its plot about Chukti and Raja. Varma and Arora show us that often, a director is more someone who merely tries to keep a lid on burgeoning chaos, partially emerging from underlings who'll make stupid decisions in an attempt to please, and partially from "grunts" who don't know what the heck they're doing. They show us the complicated world of agents who mean well, but who have to be shysters a bit because it's in the job description. They show us how catty and competitive other entertainers can be. They show us the realities of working one's way up. They show us the difference between image, such as the idea that Bollywood, or even Hollywood, is some kind of glamorous, unified entity, and the scattered, somewhat grungy reality--Chukti and Raja have to live in a rat-hole, next door to someone who has been involved with over 50 films, and some participants don't even live in the same country. They show us how important it is to learn to take rejection. They show us a transparent look at studio guards and security. They show us that manipulative/exploitative fraud isn't limited to the entertainment industry. And so on.
Whether you just want a unique, humorous, powerful and moving film about charming characters, or an "inside" look at the film industry, or a bit of both, Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon fits the bill.
The story concerns an innocent girl named Chukti (Antara Mali), who lives in the farming village hinterlands of India and who loves the work of Bollywood star Madhuri Dixit. Most of the village turns out during their free time to watch the latest films on a makeshift screen in a makeshift theater. Chukti has a talent for mimicking Dixit, a fact she exploits by putting on public performances of her own--dancing on a small stage to Dixit songs playing on a boom-box.
Chukti dreams of moving to Mumbai and becoming a film heroine. Of course her parents are traditional, so they won't hear anything of it. When they realize she's serious enough to consider running away, they plan to marry her off as soon as possible.
Enter Rajeshwar Singh (Rajpal Yadav). He's the only person in the village who sincerely believes in Chukti, and he's also in love with her, although she seems oblivious to it--she only cares about becoming a star. He suggests that if he can talk his father into arranging a marriage between them (which they'll keep secretly platonic), he'll take her to Mumbai as his wife. There, they can pursue Chukti's dream.
The bulk of the film is about Chukti trying to make it in Bollywood. The dramatic hinge is the clash of her dreams with the realities of the film business and big city life.
This is a unique film in that it forgoes many of the staples of the Bollywood genre. Yes, there are songs, there is a romance of sorts, and there is even a kind of love triangle, but these are all very unusually incorporated. The songs are exclusively present for realistic, dramatic purposes. Songs only appear when characters are engaging in stage performances, "celebrations" with music, film performances, and so on. Arora always has the music at a level of remove--we're watching people watching or engaging in performances.
The romance aspect is almost exclusively implicit. There is something of a resolution to it in the end, but the resolution is extremely subtle--it basically amounts to a character putting on a piece of jewelry, and the action easily enables multiple interpretations.
The "love triangle" takes place between the party who "secretly" loves Chutki and a party who is only trying to manipulate her dreams to take advantage of her. It is resolved in an incredibly powerful dramatic moment that in a lesser film would be followed up with a clichéd vengeance subplot. Here, it's not brought up again--this says much more than the stereotype would.
"Incredible dramatic power" is apt for much of the film, even though there are extended comedic segments, as well. Most of Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon is constructed more like a tragedy with brief comic relief. All of the plot developments are very realistic. And as such, the theme of the film is often a "necessary medicine" disillusioning from unrealistic dreams.
Some might think it is a flaw that most characters are slightly caricatured in the film. However, it is not as if there aren't people in the real world like this. There is no shortage of the relatively naïve, coming from the heartland to Los Angeles, New York City, and presumably Mumbai, hoping to make it big in a stroke, yet having very little knowledge of how the arts and entertainment industries work. For another example, it's certainly not the case only in fiction that some parents are bilked out of money via funding requests from their offspring for non-existent projects and studies.
That the film is so unique should be expected once one realizes that it was produced by Ram Gopal Varma. Varma is well known for advocating breaks from various Bollywood traditions that have become clichéd. He's made films completely void of musical numbers. He's made films without romance elements. He's made films with vastly different pacing and plot structures than the typical Bollywood film. There's nothing wrong with the traditional Bollywood formula, except that variety is necessary. Varma is doing much to set the Indian film industry on the right road in that regard.
So it's fitting that Varma is behind this well-acted, well-directed, well-photographed, etc. film that looks at Bollywood with a critical eye. It is just as intriguing for its insights into the real world of film-making as it is for its plot about Chukti and Raja. Varma and Arora show us that often, a director is more someone who merely tries to keep a lid on burgeoning chaos, partially emerging from underlings who'll make stupid decisions in an attempt to please, and partially from "grunts" who don't know what the heck they're doing. They show us the complicated world of agents who mean well, but who have to be shysters a bit because it's in the job description. They show us how catty and competitive other entertainers can be. They show us the realities of working one's way up. They show us the difference between image, such as the idea that Bollywood, or even Hollywood, is some kind of glamorous, unified entity, and the scattered, somewhat grungy reality--Chukti and Raja have to live in a rat-hole, next door to someone who has been involved with over 50 films, and some participants don't even live in the same country. They show us how important it is to learn to take rejection. They show us a transparent look at studio guards and security. They show us that manipulative/exploitative fraud isn't limited to the entertainment industry. And so on.
Whether you just want a unique, humorous, powerful and moving film about charming characters, or an "inside" look at the film industry, or a bit of both, Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon fits the bill.
Why aren't there more Bollywood movies like this?
vermaao8 November 2004
Terrific movie! And completely unexpected with unforgettable performances from Antara Mali and Rajpal Yadav. People do not give Antara Mali enough credit and type cast her as a wanna be Urmila Matondkar and Toy of Ram Gopal Varma. I've not seen her latest offerings yet (Nach and Gayab) which I understand are the eye of storms, however, she did her homework for this role of an innocent and naive village girl with huge aspirations and pulled it off perfectly.
Not to mention, she does a terrific Madhuri Dixit! I'm sure Mrs. Nene herself would approve
In the meantime, Rajpal Yadav brings a character to life that the audience can not help but identify with and root for. You really wish that his lovable underdog will get the girl! The cutesy chemistry of the two is enough to recommend this movie.
Add to this a refreshingly original storyline and Ram Gopal Varma's slick and tight style of film making, and you have a cute, feel good, and surprisingly fun movie to watch.
Not to mention, she does a terrific Madhuri Dixit! I'm sure Mrs. Nene herself would approve
In the meantime, Rajpal Yadav brings a character to life that the audience can not help but identify with and root for. You really wish that his lovable underdog will get the girl! The cutesy chemistry of the two is enough to recommend this movie.
Add to this a refreshingly original storyline and Ram Gopal Varma's slick and tight style of film making, and you have a cute, feel good, and surprisingly fun movie to watch.
One of the Best Hindi Movies-A Treat
Herag8 April 2004
Warning: Spoilers
A "Mumbai Filmi Type" is thrown out of his apartment, sneaks into Chutki(Antara Mali)and Raja's (Rajpal Yadav) new abode, who are in Mumbai seeking fame-Chutki leaves the apartment to get tea. A good actress can show her talent even by the way she walks out of her apartment to the side-walk. Her walk has the feel of disappointment. This sets apart an actress from other "Performers". Ram Gopal Varma has an astute eye for talent and Antara Mali didn't disappoint him in "Company" and "Road" and now in "MMDBCH" she is just too good. This is one of the sweetest movies to come out of RMG Banner. There is an innate beauty about this film and the brilliant direction by Chandan Aurora that brings up the best of Mali and Yadav. Rajpal Yadav, was seen in many Masala Movies, in an attempt to fill the slack from Johny Lever, who has become a bane and a bore, but Raja, is a role custom fitted for Yadav, who in his inimitable accent and style, captures the essence of a relation, where one half always seem to care more for the other half with a selfless devotion and belief in the talent. The sojourn in the village till they reach Mumbai is plainly hilarious. The Govind Namdeo as the "Agent" (the way he treats Raja as an useful idiot!) is superbly casted so are parents of Chutki(the phone dialog between Chutki and her father is a real tearjerker) and Raja. There are some heartfelt and authentic rural scenes. The ending is an anticlimax, rather selfish and abrupt, almost like no dessert was served, but the main course was so delicious and sweet, I didn't miss the dessert.
fresh air!
hellisotherpeople22 November 2003
this movie was extremely enjoyable. what a breath of fresh air!. antara was awesome, and totally inhabited her character ( a village girl who is a madhuri dixit wannabe).she had the dance movements and facial expressions down pat..( i guess as much as one can copy the one and only ms dixit!). rajpal yadav was absolutely amazing and pretty much stole the show.''fresh idea. great script and direction . very well developed and three dimensional characters..classic story arc . makes you want to root for the underdog protagonist.! overall gotta give it an 8 ! most underrated movie of 2003. most underrrated actor- rajpal yadav.
Bollywood meets postmodernist cinema - a bit
daniel-schut28 October 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon turns a critical eye to Bollywood, and does this in a good way. There are several layers to comment this movie on: since most of the above commenters already talked about the plot and the message of the movie, I'll talk a bit more about the film-technique.
The main thing I noticed is how the movie plays with 'reality' and ' virtuality' in quite a postmodernist fashion: whenever in real-life, ' fake' or 'unreal' emotions are in play, there's a typical Bollywood-song: when Chutki sings about her dream to become the next Madhuri in the beginning for example, and when supporting role Rumi also sings about is dreams to become famous: through use of this technique the viewer realizes that part of why Chutki wants to be famous is not only because she has a real and unique talent (which she obviously has), but also because she has a certain narcissistic bent, which becomes apparent through the rest of the movie, for example in how she treats her best friend and husband Raja. The rest of the song and dance we see is carefully integrated in the movie so that there is no ' break' from the movie, something some bollywood-movies suffer from. Another technique used is at the moment when Raja and Chutki go to see her debut-film and in a near-empty theater witness how the movie excites derision and contempt in the few drunks who bothered to buy the ticket for Chutki's first movie: at the moment when reality really sinks in into Chutki's self-centered world-view, and when Raja for the first time really shows how he feels after all the bad treatment he got, the film-picture suddenly goes grainier and the colors become a bit staler, as if we were sitting at a drive-in back in the 70's or something. Those ' most real' moments are shot in an ' unreal' moment. We can interpret this as meaning that this is the moment where both characters display the film-like heroism so much talked about, but on the other hand it also signifies the disconnect there is between Bollywood and everyday reality: any moment like this in a cliché-Bollywood flick wouldn't be important.
There's more little gadgets like these, which make the movie a really well-thought out expose and critique of all types of Bollywood-clichés: not only the plot is a comment on Bollywood, but also the techniques used, the way the characters are built up , and more. In that sense it is a very good movie, and very good acting by lead actors Antara Mali and Rajpal Yadav.
At the same time, this impressive intellectual tour-de-force does make it more difficult to really identify very deeply with the characters and to really feel all of the emotions - and that is one of Bollywood's strong points: these movies are usually guaranteed to bring tears to your eyes and smiles to your face. While there are some emotionally tense moments there, the obvious flaws in the main characters, e.g. Chutki's narcissism and Raja's overall shyness, necessary to drive the plot, these necessary flaws do also irritate sometimes and at certain points seem to be unbelievable. Again: these character flaws are necessary, they don't compromise Antara and Rajpal's good acting, and they drive he plot, but their obviousness from the beginning on does make the characters reactions a bit more predictable and less identifiable with. The most interesting character is Raja's, who seems to overcome his naiveté quite quickly and from halfway in the movie onwards is constantly seen asking the right type of questions in every situation, and most interestingly, in some sentences even seems to be harking back on his knowledge as a farmer (e.g. when he talks about getting to know the film-industry from the stem and the root) to make sense of big-city Bombay.
So, all in all this is a good movie which may speak a bit more to the mind then it does to the heart. It is good to see that Bollywood is able to play with their clichés and standards. Don't get me wrong: I love the standard Bollywood movie, exactly for their 'unrealistic' topoi like song and dance and the us of color. But this movie reminds us all that their are more ways to a make a good movie, and that India is picking up on all of them. Go see it, enjoy it, and think about it.
The main thing I noticed is how the movie plays with 'reality' and ' virtuality' in quite a postmodernist fashion: whenever in real-life, ' fake' or 'unreal' emotions are in play, there's a typical Bollywood-song: when Chutki sings about her dream to become the next Madhuri in the beginning for example, and when supporting role Rumi also sings about is dreams to become famous: through use of this technique the viewer realizes that part of why Chutki wants to be famous is not only because she has a real and unique talent (which she obviously has), but also because she has a certain narcissistic bent, which becomes apparent through the rest of the movie, for example in how she treats her best friend and husband Raja. The rest of the song and dance we see is carefully integrated in the movie so that there is no ' break' from the movie, something some bollywood-movies suffer from. Another technique used is at the moment when Raja and Chutki go to see her debut-film and in a near-empty theater witness how the movie excites derision and contempt in the few drunks who bothered to buy the ticket for Chutki's first movie: at the moment when reality really sinks in into Chutki's self-centered world-view, and when Raja for the first time really shows how he feels after all the bad treatment he got, the film-picture suddenly goes grainier and the colors become a bit staler, as if we were sitting at a drive-in back in the 70's or something. Those ' most real' moments are shot in an ' unreal' moment. We can interpret this as meaning that this is the moment where both characters display the film-like heroism so much talked about, but on the other hand it also signifies the disconnect there is between Bollywood and everyday reality: any moment like this in a cliché-Bollywood flick wouldn't be important.
There's more little gadgets like these, which make the movie a really well-thought out expose and critique of all types of Bollywood-clichés: not only the plot is a comment on Bollywood, but also the techniques used, the way the characters are built up , and more. In that sense it is a very good movie, and very good acting by lead actors Antara Mali and Rajpal Yadav.
At the same time, this impressive intellectual tour-de-force does make it more difficult to really identify very deeply with the characters and to really feel all of the emotions - and that is one of Bollywood's strong points: these movies are usually guaranteed to bring tears to your eyes and smiles to your face. While there are some emotionally tense moments there, the obvious flaws in the main characters, e.g. Chutki's narcissism and Raja's overall shyness, necessary to drive the plot, these necessary flaws do also irritate sometimes and at certain points seem to be unbelievable. Again: these character flaws are necessary, they don't compromise Antara and Rajpal's good acting, and they drive he plot, but their obviousness from the beginning on does make the characters reactions a bit more predictable and less identifiable with. The most interesting character is Raja's, who seems to overcome his naiveté quite quickly and from halfway in the movie onwards is constantly seen asking the right type of questions in every situation, and most interestingly, in some sentences even seems to be harking back on his knowledge as a farmer (e.g. when he talks about getting to know the film-industry from the stem and the root) to make sense of big-city Bombay.
So, all in all this is a good movie which may speak a bit more to the mind then it does to the heart. It is good to see that Bollywood is able to play with their clichés and standards. Don't get me wrong: I love the standard Bollywood movie, exactly for their 'unrealistic' topoi like song and dance and the us of color. But this movie reminds us all that their are more ways to a make a good movie, and that India is picking up on all of them. Go see it, enjoy it, and think about it.
Comic, poignant, touching - love this film
HeadleyLamarr15 July 2007
The movie is about Chutki (Antara Mali), a small town village girl who sees herself as the iconic Madguri Dixit. She dances and sings her way around the village and all adore her but none more than Raja (Rajpal Yadav) a childhood playmate who believes in her potential. Chutki ends up marrying Raja so they can go off to Bombay and Chutki can realize her dreams.
But her copying Madhuri ends up getting her jobs as part of the dance troupe, as an item girl. She wants to be a leading lady but she is like a babe in the woods - the vulnerable outsider - both Bombay and the biz are completely unknown to her and her husband. In fact one is expecting dire things to happen at any moment - the slightly shady looking neighbor, who turns out to be pretty benign, the hoodlum who turns out to be a cowardly fellow, the cabbie who merely price gouges, the agent who seems so ominously shady yet turns out to be a real agent and helpful at that.. These personalities in the world around her underline the fact that nothing should be taken at face value.
The movie also had some very funny moments - Choli ke peeche kya hai wil never seem the same to me! And the part where Rajpal Yadav goes to plead on her behalf and ends up being offered the acting role instead, ironic yet funny.
I liked Antara's looks - she was a strange blend of attractive and ordinary and she acted very well as the village belle who was so self assured in her village environment and so vulnerable and unsure in the big city. Rajpal Yadav was very good as the self effacing husband. I particularly liked the fact that the "Madhuri" moments were brief and Antara managed to make them her own. Music was unobtrusive and worked well in the film. I also liked the fact that not much was made of the Chutki Raja romance and the fact that the marriage was in name only!
But her copying Madhuri ends up getting her jobs as part of the dance troupe, as an item girl. She wants to be a leading lady but she is like a babe in the woods - the vulnerable outsider - both Bombay and the biz are completely unknown to her and her husband. In fact one is expecting dire things to happen at any moment - the slightly shady looking neighbor, who turns out to be pretty benign, the hoodlum who turns out to be a cowardly fellow, the cabbie who merely price gouges, the agent who seems so ominously shady yet turns out to be a real agent and helpful at that.. These personalities in the world around her underline the fact that nothing should be taken at face value.
The movie also had some very funny moments - Choli ke peeche kya hai wil never seem the same to me! And the part where Rajpal Yadav goes to plead on her behalf and ends up being offered the acting role instead, ironic yet funny.
I liked Antara's looks - she was a strange blend of attractive and ordinary and she acted very well as the village belle who was so self assured in her village environment and so vulnerable and unsure in the big city. Rajpal Yadav was very good as the self effacing husband. I particularly liked the fact that the "Madhuri" moments were brief and Antara managed to make them her own. Music was unobtrusive and worked well in the film. I also liked the fact that not much was made of the Chutki Raja romance and the fact that the marriage was in name only!
One of Bollywood best productions in recent years!
Sherazade12 August 2006
Warning: Spoilers
If there is any hate surrounding the publicity of this film, it would probably be due to the fact that many actresses probably wanted a chance to play Madhuri Dixit but couldn't get the role, or Bollywood didn't want you to see its ugly side. Pick either one and you'll probably be right. Antara Mali is the Madhuri Dixit of her village! She is so talented that she is literally bursting at the seams with it. Day in, Day out, much to her parents dismay, she puts on show after show, entertaining the happy and fanatical people of her village who can't seem to get enough of her turn as the famed Dixit. Don't miss the scene in which (inspired by the scenes of Devdas) she puts on a great show consisting of the Madhuri numbers from the film.
One day, her parents grow tired of her show-offs and plan to marry her off. When Chutki (Mali) learns of this, she runs to her best friend's (played by Rajpal Yadav) house and tells him the bad news. Raja, as he is fondly called, believes so much in his best-friend Chutki that he refuses to allow her parents to make such a big mistake. So, he plots with her to put on a marriage show for their family and villagers and that way they will be able to travel to Mumbai in the hopes of making it big. The scheme works and they get to go to Mumbai. Only once they get their they realise that everything is not as easy as it seems on television.
Disappointment after disappointment follows them every were and the dignity of Chutki is compromised so many times as she begins to learn the ways of the city as a villager visiting there for the first time. Chutki can get annoying at times, she isn't the least bit patient. She just wants to become a 'HEROINE' by all means that she loses out on many opportunities in the process. By the time she realises that she has to start from somewhere, all those free opportunities are long gone and now she has to pay her way to get to the top. Humiliated by the flop of her first major film release, she retreats to the village to find solace. Her famed destiny follows not too far behind, in this mostly ignored but otherwise superb film!
One day, her parents grow tired of her show-offs and plan to marry her off. When Chutki (Mali) learns of this, she runs to her best friend's (played by Rajpal Yadav) house and tells him the bad news. Raja, as he is fondly called, believes so much in his best-friend Chutki that he refuses to allow her parents to make such a big mistake. So, he plots with her to put on a marriage show for their family and villagers and that way they will be able to travel to Mumbai in the hopes of making it big. The scheme works and they get to go to Mumbai. Only once they get their they realise that everything is not as easy as it seems on television.
Disappointment after disappointment follows them every were and the dignity of Chutki is compromised so many times as she begins to learn the ways of the city as a villager visiting there for the first time. Chutki can get annoying at times, she isn't the least bit patient. She just wants to become a 'HEROINE' by all means that she loses out on many opportunities in the process. By the time she realises that she has to start from somewhere, all those free opportunities are long gone and now she has to pay her way to get to the top. Humiliated by the flop of her first major film release, she retreats to the village to find solace. Her famed destiny follows not too far behind, in this mostly ignored but otherwise superb film!
Stellar Dreams
Chrysanthepop20 August 2009
Chandan Arora and Ram Gopal Verma team up and deliver a funny, endearing, touching, subtle and sincere little gem ironically titled 'Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon!'. The film shows the many shades of the Hindi film industry both through a fantasy-like perspective (the way Chutki sees it) and a realistic perspective (the way Chutki and Raj experience it) but most of it is done in a subtle way and the humour really balances the tension in the film.
The triangle love story between Chutki, Raj and the film industry is also wonderfully downplayed. There is no typical 'I Love You' scene or a scene where Raj acts out his jealousy. Raj clearly loves Chutki and his principle priority is her happiness. Chutki's first love is the movies but she eventually grows to love Raj after realizing the sacrifices he has made to make her dream come true.
Makrand Deshpande deserves credit for coming up with the story idea. The multi-dimensional screenplay is very strong. Director Arora has a strength for telling stories about the common people. He has further demonstrated this in the charming 'Main, Meri Patni Aur Woh'. Very few directors can tell such stories with conviction.
The songs are quite well-presented. They're not used in typical Bollywood fashion. They add to the fantasy element of the film. The cinematography is good too and lighting works brilliantly. The editing crew has done a fine job and the film flows fluidly.
Antara Mali delivers a mind-blowing nuanced performance. She completely owns Chutki and does a fine job of mimicking Madhuri Dixit. The 'Madhuri' sequences are suitably brief and Mali gives Chutki a unique personality. Rajpal Yadav is terrific. He conveys Raj's unconditional love for Chutki with ease and an endearing subtlety. Govind Namdeo shows a flair for comedy as the hilarious agent. The supporting cast is pretty solid.
'Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon!' is another gem produced by the Ram Gopal Verma factory. It has charm. It's got humour. It's fantastical and real and above all, it has heart.
The triangle love story between Chutki, Raj and the film industry is also wonderfully downplayed. There is no typical 'I Love You' scene or a scene where Raj acts out his jealousy. Raj clearly loves Chutki and his principle priority is her happiness. Chutki's first love is the movies but she eventually grows to love Raj after realizing the sacrifices he has made to make her dream come true.
Makrand Deshpande deserves credit for coming up with the story idea. The multi-dimensional screenplay is very strong. Director Arora has a strength for telling stories about the common people. He has further demonstrated this in the charming 'Main, Meri Patni Aur Woh'. Very few directors can tell such stories with conviction.
The songs are quite well-presented. They're not used in typical Bollywood fashion. They add to the fantasy element of the film. The cinematography is good too and lighting works brilliantly. The editing crew has done a fine job and the film flows fluidly.
Antara Mali delivers a mind-blowing nuanced performance. She completely owns Chutki and does a fine job of mimicking Madhuri Dixit. The 'Madhuri' sequences are suitably brief and Mali gives Chutki a unique personality. Rajpal Yadav is terrific. He conveys Raj's unconditional love for Chutki with ease and an endearing subtlety. Govind Namdeo shows a flair for comedy as the hilarious agent. The supporting cast is pretty solid.
'Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon!' is another gem produced by the Ram Gopal Verma factory. It has charm. It's got humour. It's fantastical and real and above all, it has heart.
Wish Bollywood would have had more films like this!
ankurkrazyy16 November 2018
Firstly whenever you see a film like this you realize it's not a cinema from any angle. Infact it is something happening in maybe your locality or maybe a gulli next to your house.
Performance wise each and single person was brilliant and what strikes you the most is the fantastic chemistry between the leads ie. Rajpal and Antara. They make a great couple on screen and even the very brief emotions are noticable between them.
While the brilliant Antara plays the belle who does everything to persue her dreams, it is Rajpal who is the best presence on the entire screen, his emotions and his feelings are genuinely portrayed.
Direction by Chandra is very very good. And one can only wonder why Bollywood doesn't render films like this.
Long story short! Worth watching!
Performance wise each and single person was brilliant and what strikes you the most is the fantastic chemistry between the leads ie. Rajpal and Antara. They make a great couple on screen and even the very brief emotions are noticable between them.
While the brilliant Antara plays the belle who does everything to persue her dreams, it is Rajpal who is the best presence on the entire screen, his emotions and his feelings are genuinely portrayed.
Direction by Chandra is very very good. And one can only wonder why Bollywood doesn't render films like this.
Long story short! Worth watching!
Loved Antara Mali in it.
nadkarnisumeet7 March 2021
Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon review :
A small town girl called Chutki (Antara Mali) is a huge Madhuri Dixit fan and aspires to be a Bollywood star like her. Her parents get her married off to childhood pal Raja (Rajpal Yadav) who supports her dream and they land up in big bad Mumbai to encounter all sort of hurdles. A Ram Gopal Varma (RGV) production for his then muse Antara Mali; Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon was a well executed comedy drama by newbie director Chandan Arora. The seemingly serious screenplay is laced with humorous moments which makes the film a nice breezy watch at just about two hours thirty minutes of its run time.
The films truly belongs to Antara Mali who delivers her career best performance as a Madhuri fan with a go-get it attitude. She has brought such an innocent charm in Chutki that you root for her every time she gets in to trouble. You just want her to win though it appears impracticable. That is the sweetness Antara lends her character and elevates the film to a cut above the common place. Rajpal Yadav, fine actor that he is, brings in a certain amount of earnestness in his act. Govind Namdev, playing the manager who tries to help Chutki, is also impressive.
On the flipside, the film only skims the surface of the casting couch syndrome without getting in to the gory details. A peripheral actor does try to take advantage of Chutki but it is all done and dusted with pronto. A little more insight in to the functioning of the Hindi film industry could have taken this movie to an altogether different level.
Nevertheless, Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon is one of the better products coming from RGV factory. Like Antara loves Madhuri, I started loving Antara after this film. Recommended watch!!
Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.
A small town girl called Chutki (Antara Mali) is a huge Madhuri Dixit fan and aspires to be a Bollywood star like her. Her parents get her married off to childhood pal Raja (Rajpal Yadav) who supports her dream and they land up in big bad Mumbai to encounter all sort of hurdles. A Ram Gopal Varma (RGV) production for his then muse Antara Mali; Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon was a well executed comedy drama by newbie director Chandan Arora. The seemingly serious screenplay is laced with humorous moments which makes the film a nice breezy watch at just about two hours thirty minutes of its run time.
The films truly belongs to Antara Mali who delivers her career best performance as a Madhuri fan with a go-get it attitude. She has brought such an innocent charm in Chutki that you root for her every time she gets in to trouble. You just want her to win though it appears impracticable. That is the sweetness Antara lends her character and elevates the film to a cut above the common place. Rajpal Yadav, fine actor that he is, brings in a certain amount of earnestness in his act. Govind Namdev, playing the manager who tries to help Chutki, is also impressive.
On the flipside, the film only skims the surface of the casting couch syndrome without getting in to the gory details. A peripheral actor does try to take advantage of Chutki but it is all done and dusted with pronto. A little more insight in to the functioning of the Hindi film industry could have taken this movie to an altogether different level.
Nevertheless, Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon is one of the better products coming from RGV factory. Like Antara loves Madhuri, I started loving Antara after this film. Recommended watch!!
Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.
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