Catangro
After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.
Blake Rivera
If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.
Nicole
I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.
Vinay Kumar
An unusual tale, far away from usual bollywood "love-stories of Hero and his beloved Heroine, Chalo Dilli is a different journey of two persons who are on the opposite extremes! Mika Banerjee (Lara Dutta) and Manu Gupta (Vinay Pathak) are the unlikely pair who are caught together in a strange situation and have to exchange dialogues and get along with each other as they become the only known soul for each other in their unusual route to Delhi. Mika Banerjee is the elite, independent women, Senior Vice President of a 200-crore company having a sophisticated planned life-style. On the other extreme, Manu Gupta is carefree, friendly and happy-go-lucky saree shop owner from Karol Bagh, Delhi, not equipped with "elite-class etiquettes". Vinay Pathak, with his unique style of acting will again make you giggle, laugh, smirk and cry all together! Lara Dutta also fits into the role as the sexy and confident working woman . Both the lead characters of the movie are the commonly found ones but these two extreme personalities coming together through dramatic sequences is what brings the humor and charm in the plot. The less-taken road which they shared via dingy 'Dhaba', ticket-less train journey and a lot other exciting things is refreshing and will give you a reason to maintain a smile on your face throughout while you sit back relaxed in your seat and enjoy it till the end! The movie leaves you with a beautiful message, from the "Kon si Badi Baat ho gayi" attitude of Manu Gupta whenever he finds himself in a problematic situation. Watch it and you won't realize when the clock went in circle twice. Bonus! You'd be left with a preciously beautiful message with a smile on your face and moist eyes!
namashi_1
'Chalo Dilli' , Directed by Shashant Shah, is A Passable Fare, that offers some nice moments in the goings-on, that manage to hold your interest. And even the performances, by Vinay Pathak & Lara Dutta, are up-to the mark!'Chalo Dilli' Synopsis: Enroute to her destination via plane, a busy executive gets stranded with a middle-classed fast-talking male.'Chalo Dilli' works in parts and comes across as a decent one-time watch. Being a Road-Movie, the film offers some nice moments, that genuinely hold your interest. However, after a winning first-hour, the film falters in it's second-hour, that is slightly longer than it should have been. The Screenplay by Arshad Sayed works nicely in the first-hour, but post-interval, it gets a bit dragging. Shashant Shah's Direction is fair. Cinematography & Editing, are satisfactory. Performance-Wise: Vinay Pathak & Lara Dutta deliver impressive performances. And even their on-screen chemistry, is interesting. Akshay Kumar scores in a brief role. Brijendra Kala & Gaurav Gera support well. On the whole, 'Chalo Dilli' is a decent watch.
abhinab-bose
I am very surprised with the number of negative comments out there for this film..OK it might be a copy of an English film but why can't anybody ignore that and appreciate the amazing performances.Vinay Pathak as usual is in superlative form.It amazes me how he picks up the minutest of details for his character.I won't say that it was like a never before seen kind of movie but it definitely was a heart warming one.A simple movie which had special moments of its own..One special mention for Lara Dutta.She acted beautifully and was at par with Vinay Pathak in each and every scene.An unusual pairing but that was the plus point of this movie.Recommending everyone to watch this film.
bobbysing
Inspired or Copied films have always discouraged me to write about them in length. But once in a while comes a film which though is not an original, but still remains a descent one having some new entertaining additions in its script, which keep the viewers hooked for most of its duration. CHALO DILLI is also one of those very few films which compel you to praise them despite the fact that they are clearly inspired. The last movie which gave me a similar kind of feeling was the well directed "Taxi No. 9-2-11" (2006) which was largely based on "Changing Lanes" (2002).The film revolves around the unplanned journey of two opposite sex strangers who come from a completely different background and are forced to live one night and day together in absence of any other choice. Lara Dutta is a happily married rich corporate business woman, habitual of living an up-standard life and Vinay Pathak is a middle class ladies garments shop owner in Chandni Chowk, Delhi. They together give you a nice enjoyable fun ride in the theaters with some predictable but still funny realistic stuff which more or less keeps you engaged. Particularly the film never lets you down in the first half but in the second it does have a drop in the pace and drags. Yet, after watching its superb emotional climax you don't mind its minor drawbacks and just want to remember the movie with a smile.However the fact remains that CHALO DILLI lifts its main plot and many of its major initial sequences, all from the English Hit "PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES" released in 1987. To be specific, the part played by Steve Martin in the Original is played by Lara Dutta in the Hindi version and the role of John Candy is played by Vinay Pathak. In a very silly and childish manner, the film starts exactly with the same sequence as seen in the English flick where in a corporate meeting the boss is trying to select an advertisement campaign for his product. And then till the next few reels the film blindly follows its inspiration without any major changes. For instance, Lara getting late for her flight, the first meeting of the couple in the traffic jam, the change in flight schedules, Lara deciding to go by budget class, they both meeting again in the plane, the plane landing at a different destination due to some problem (Jaipur instead of Delhi), Lara taking a taxi for Delhi and then they both sharing the same taxi incidentally on their way to Delhi. Everything is taken as it is from PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES. Interestingly another recently released English film titled DUE DATE (2010) also is said to be based on this Steve Martin's movie too.So, where it doesn't excite me to write about CHALO DILLI anymore due to its Copied status, at the same time I am also willing to praise its highly impressive climax which will be both shocking as well as enlightening for all the viewers with a rightly pumping heart in their bodies. In fact the final part of the film has a power to transform even the coldest heart in the theater and I am always a little biased with movies having that kind of power of changing a person in them. So, if you are game for such life-inspiring content then do watch it for sure. Director Shashant Shah uses many close to real life instances in the film perfectly. Like the sequence of the couple's early journey by taxi having a sleepy driver, a late night dinner at the road side Dhaba, their ticket less journey in the train, their stay in the weird Red Tomato Palace and few more. He also uses Delhi and its reference to build up a north Indian ambiance effectively (as the capital is at present the hot favourite spot for all Bollywood film-makers). But I only wish Shashant had not copied the overall concept of his film blatantly from the one mentioned above and had cleared his name from such uncreative controversy.The film purely depends upon the refreshing performances of its two lead characters Lara Dutta and Vinay Pathak who alone make the project watchable and entertaining. Lara shows another side of her talent and that's her excellent comic timing evidently visible in this film. She is simply great along with the amazing Vinay Pathak who has become a pro in acting for such kind of roles (though a little repetitive too). He is really superb as the Old Delhi shop-keeper and I truly loved him in the last 10 minutes of the film. In the supporting cast Brijendra Kala as the TC is the best and Akshay Kumar looks cool in his climax cameo. The film doesn't have any great songs and the Cinematography is also just fine. But it's the light mood of the film which wins you over in the end and you really don't mind spending your money and time on this enjoyable ride.As an undisclosed inspired or copied movie, as always I am not willing to vouch for CHALO DILLI. But only because it has got something which can bring up a positive change in a person's attitude towards life…….I would like to recommend it to all my readers for this weekend. Go have a nice entertaining ride with the charming Lara and the witty Vinay saying CHALO DILLI.
