Film Review : Julie

(the creative inputs for this review are courtesy Harshad, Nishad, Vivek,Yatin and Sameer)

Julie is an interesting story about the transition of a young girl’s life which moves from Goa’s easy pace to Mumbai’s frenetic chaos. Its stars Neha Dhupia in the title role and has many male stars such as the ever reliable Priyanshu (and not Sudhanshu or Himanshu) Chatterjee, Yash Tonk and veteran Sanjay Kapoor.

But the true star of the film is the dynamic duo of Sanjay Pawar ( Dialogue) and Nishikant Kamat ( Screenplay). It is their talent that makes this film move from just ordinary to hilariously ordinary.

The movie opens with an interview of a young tycoon and a very eligible bachelor, Mihir Shandilya ( ably portrayed by a very bored looking Priyanshu Chatterjee, he is justifiably bored, he was the only guy who didn’t get to make out with Julie in the film). In the interview he brings up the topic of his mystery mehbooba, who is but of course Julie, Julie gets up, leaves the house and goes to the TV studio and demands that her interview also be taken, because in her own words being a “Professional Callgirl, Prostitute, Dhandewaali, ek Vaishya” is qualification enough…well after all it is the idiot box, and on Zoom TV it is qualification enough (however in this case the channel is called C Tv).

Then using a path-breakingly non linear narrative technique, we have Julie flashback and tell us about all the lovers from her past.

Starting from her first love, Yash Tonk, who is a local fisherman with big dreams and small dialogues. In one very eloquent scene on the beach, Julie stares out at the sea and asks “Jab sooraj ki kiranein is samundar ki leheron par …blah blah blah..more blah blah blah…toh samundar ka rang kitna golden ho jaata hai na!”, to which Yash replies, “Huh?”, and in a very layered performance that one “Huh?” conveys a complex emotion such as “Please don’t ask me such difficult questions I am here just to rest my head on your butt”.

They also share one night of passion, after which Yash Tonk becomes amazingly committed towards his career and leave for Mangalore to catch bigger fish. (This should make the jobs of many career counselors more demanding than ever before.) However, Yash returns only to marry some rich guy’s daughter, and not Julie. Julie, disillusioned and heartbroken moves to Mumbai, to live with her air hostess best friend, Dinky (yes that’s her name, so we have Dinky and Julie in Bombay now).

In Bombay, she walks into the offices of Shah Builders, who sees her file, and gives her a job (quite similar to the recruitment policy of my current employers). Julie sees a sample flat and tells Shah Builder that the walls need to be colored sky blue, Shah is impressed, and great profits are made over blue walled flats, but she does not get promoted ( once again, very similar to my current employers).

But in these offices she meets Sanjay Kapoor, Lover #2. In an innovative scene where Sanjay expresses his love for her, he writes "I love you" all over Julie's body, however now that the ink in the Magic Marker is over, Julie cant do the same and decides to get even by singing a song. Sanjay is an Indoors designer, and coupled with Julie’s wall paint color deciding talent there is nothing that can stop them, except of course Wadhwa a builder who wants to spend a night with Julie, before he can confirm a contract. Sanjay advises Julie to go ahead, “And wadhwa ke saath ek raat chandni mein nahane ka mauka” is not something one should give up. Julie gets angry and replies with “Tum toh ek aise insaan ho jo Birthday pe arthi ke phool leke jaate ho, aur arthi ko janmadin ke phoolon se sajaate ho”, and stomps out, leaving poor Sanjay much confused and seriously missing his much simpler “aati-nahi” days.

After this Julie, heartbroken again and brainwashed by a pimp decides to become a prostitute full time, and with great professional commitment. Life seems to come a full circle for her, when she runs in to Lover #1 Yash Tonk who has to make the payment for some client. But Julie is no defeated, wallowing in self pity kind of a gal, she hits back at Yash with Sanjay Pawar’s best dialogue to date “ Aaj mere Jism ki bakery tumhare kaam aa rahi.” And the truly priceless “Aag mere badan mein lagi hai, aur Biscuit tum kha rahe ho” (which if rumors are to be believed will soon be replacing Britannia’s “Eat Healthy Think Better” line).

How will Julie’s interview exposing her profession effect her relationship with Mihir Shandilya ( whom every one insists on calling Mihir Chandelier)? Mihir’s large and loving family is very ably portrayed by actors who were last seen as the third row of by-standers in Mithun’s action/dance sequence from ‘Classic - Dance of Love”, but will they accept Julie now? To find out, you must watch this classic.

Truly, such movies are made rarely, where the audience can revel in a consistently intriguing duel between Sanjay Pawar’s very original ( and I do mean that) dialogue and Neha Dhupia’s minimalistic approach to emoting ( and even clothing).

(In other key, but unrelated, observations, few things can beat spending an evening with a few very funny friends and enjoying a piece of cinema par excellence that is Julie)