For an actress who staunchly believes dancing awakens spirituality, no other movie could have marked a befitting comeback to Bollywood than Yashraj Films' 'Aaja Nachle'.
After a five-year long hiatus, Madhuri Dixit has stepped again under the arc lamps of tinsel town for producer Aditya Chopra 's film 'Aaja Nachle', which has been directed by ace cinematographer Anil Mehta .
Don't miss the film's slideshow (story in pictures) at Aaja Nachle .
Madhuri Dixit as Dia She was the life of Shamli. And then she made one mistake - she fell in love. The town never forgave her and she never forgave the town. She made a new life, far away from her past. But now the man, who taught her how to dance and how to live, is no more. And he has left behind a job for her. She has to go back to the town... and teach it how to dance again.
Konkona Sen Sharma as Anokhi Anokhi is a force of nature, not truly subject to control. Whether it is her perpetually running nose, or her penchant of coming up with the most imaginative abuses. Anokhi is truly anokhi (different). Dia finds something unique in her and takes the chance of her life. Trouble is, Anokhi cannot sing or dance to save her life, or Dia's.
Kunal Kapoor as Imran Local toughie, Imran, believes that tough guys don't dance and romance is for wimps. Unfortunately for him, Dia thinks otherwise and makes him the lead actor in her theatrical production, where he has to do only two things - dance and romance. He has seen a lot of rough stuff, but is Imran prepared for this?
Raghuvir Yadav as Doctor Nobody knows what his real name is, but Ajanta's old caretaker, fondly called Doctor (Raghubir Yadav), wears a cap on his head and many hearts on his sleeve, all bleeding for the cause of theatre. He is Dia's support system in her fight, which becomes a battle and then a war.
Other Characters There are many other interesting characters in the small town.
Jugal Hansraj plays an accountant. Ranvir Shorey plays the owner of the town café. Vinay Pathak plays a “responsible” government official. Akhilendra Mishra plays a local ex-MLA who never takes a stand on any issue. Yashpal Sharma plays a young constable.
Synopsis
After nearly a decade, an unexpected phone call shakes Dia (Madhuri Dixit) out of her dance rehearsal in New York.
Makarand (Darshan Zariwala), her teacher, her guru, is dying and she must return to Shamli town. The town where she grew up, the town where she learnt to live and to dance. Also the town she left on an impulse, severing ties with her parents and her people.
It is a poignant and troubled return. Not only has her guru passed away but the institution that he so lovingly nurtured is in decay and under threat of demolition. Ajanta theatre, the once vibrant hub of the community, the place where Dia's fondest memories are embedded must now be brought down because the local political authorities feel it a waste of prime real estate.
With the help of Doctor (Raghubir Yadav), the caretaker of Ajanta, Dia sets out on a mission to prevent the destruction and resurrect the spirit of Ajanta. In an atmosphere of mistrust, ridicule and active hostility, Dia picks up the gauntlet and agrees to achieve the near impossible task of putting together a theatrical production.
She must also ensure that every member of the production is from Shamli town. She has only two months to prove her point or the bulldozers will be waiting.
In this context begins Dia's tumultuous journey of dealing with small town prejudices, encountering the resentment of the powerful contractor, the cynicism of the local political powers, resolve the delicate tensions of inter personal relationships and rally her motley team of non starters.
Dia's ragtag troupe consists of a low level muscle Imran (Kunal Kapoor), the local tomboy Anokhi (Konkona Sen), local ex-MLA Chaudhary Om Singh (Akhilendra Mishra), a tea stall owner Mohan Sharma (Ranvir Shorey), a responsible government official Mr. Chojar (Vinay Pathak), a struggling insurance agent Sanjeev Mehta (Jugal Hansraj), the town vagabond Dhankuber (Nowaz) and a host of others.
She must create in this chaos an order to save Ajanta... in order to preserve what her guru so lovingly nurtured. She must create art in order to preserve what she believes is the soul of society.
The stage is finally set... Will it work? Won't it?
Lights dim.
Crowds quieten.
Curtains rise on Ajanta.
'Aaja Nachle' has been written by Jaideep Sahni. It is based on a story by Aditya Chopra.
The film's music has been given by Salim-Sulaiman. Lyrics are by Piyush Mishra, Jaideep Sahni and Asif Ali Beg.
Movie Review : Just about watchable (5/10) 'Aaja Nachle' is a perfect example of how good actors can sometimes save a poor movie and make it watchable, at least once.
Music Review : Melodies of rustic flavour (5/10) The melodies of 'Aaja Nachle' conjure up bucolic images of an Indian countryside. The flavour of music by Salim-Sulaiman is strict...
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