Seven Stages of Love...

"dilkashi, uns, mohabbat, akidat, ibadat, junoo, maut"

Attraction, Infatuation, Romance, Reverence, Worship, Obsession and... Death
This is what we learn when we go to watch Dedh Ishqiya. This and the fact that no amount of graying hairs or aging limbs can take away the acting prowess of the two powerhouses, the enchanting Madhuri Dixit and the magnificient Naseeruddin Shah. They lead the way in this movie where love, lust, deception and treachery is cleverly woven into a series of comical escapades which end with our lovable thieves back to where they begin.
This edition of the movie picks up where the last one left-off. Arshad Warsi tries to wriggle his way out of Death's grasp with cunning words and sly intelligence. What follows is an unholy re-union with his Khalu, who is on a quest to re-capture his childhood sweetheart's love. The story takes us to Mamudabad where the widowed Begum, played with her usual regal grace by Madhuri Dixt, holds a poet's congregation to chose a husband for herself. This is not what she desires, but does so to fulfill a promise she made to her late husband, the erstwhile Nawad of Mahmudabad. The poets try to outdo and out-recite each other from the moment they lay eyes on the Begum. Introducing the Begum to us is the lovely Huma Qureshi, who holds her own even in scenes with the legendary Madhuri. She portrays the role of a loyal confidant, a friend and a soul-mate to the aggrieved Begum, helping her live through her hardest days. She looks in every way as lovely as Madhuri herself, with perfect dialogue delivery and a commanding screen presence. I predict a very bright future for this actress.
This is where the story gets interesting as Naseeruddin Shah, posing as a Nawab, impresses the Begum from the outset, much to the chagrin of the local MLA, played with aplomb by Vijay Raaz. A scene where the uncle-nephew duo and the MLA and his men square off with guns pointing at each other is hilarious. The comic timing of every actor is spot-on and the audience is left in splits. I must commend the script writers here, who capture both the polished Urdu as well as the local slangs used in the film with equal capability. Nowhere does any of the lines seem out of place, nowhere does any of the verses seem exaggerated. The main twist in the film is somewhat predictable but there is another twist at the end which will leave you thumping the arm rests in the theaters.
Enough cannot be said in praise of Naseeruddin Shah. He seems to be getting better with age. From Ishqiya to Dedh Ishqiya, and everything in between, he mesmerizes with both voice and presence on screen. The first verse he recites in honour of the Begum as well as the song he sings at the poets' congregation are worth remembering. Madhuri Dixit still has the capability of stopping a million hearts with one look. She fits perfectly into the role of the aggrieved widow, matching Naseeruddin dialogue for dialogue, emotion for emotion. She displays the trials and tribulations of a single woman holding together the crumbling empire with precision. Arshad Warsi is at his hysterical and explicit best in scenes with Naseeruddin Shah and Huma Qureshi. This is a role which he fits into very well. He mixes innocence with deviousness with ease to portray a cunning but extremely loyal thief. Huma Qureshi is surely heading for big things if she continues to play such roles. After her success in Gangs of Wasseypur, this adds another feature in her slowly increasing cap of movies. The songs, as usual, by Gulzar, are worth mentioning. He has even written a rap song, sung by none other than Honey Singh! "Dil ki Misaaj' and 'Hamari Atariya', which unfortunately comes on only at the ending credits, will stick to you for some time. The direction, by Abhishek Chaubey comes without much room for improvement, with the screenplay keeping one interested all through the movie. Nowhere in the movie did I feel bored.
All in all, I would definitely recommend Dedh Ishqiya as a weekend watch, and beyond. As good as the first installment.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5