Delhi-6: Down memory lane

After Rang De Basanti, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra is hoping to recreate the magic with Delhi-6, writes Abdulla Mahmood

Following the success of Rang De Basanti (RDB), director-producer Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra is back with Delhi-6. Since RDB turned out to be a cult film of sorts, there is huge expectation for Delhi-6, which stars Abhishek Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor in the lead, along with a stellar supporting cast of Kunal Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Waheeda Rahman, Om Puri, Atul Kulkarni, Pawan Malhotra and Divya Dutta.

The Story

Roshan (Abhishek), a young American of Indian origin, travels to India for the first time with his ailing grandmother (Rahman), who wishes to live her last days in Delhi. Having lead a very western lifestyle in America, Roshan is unfamiliar with the huge melting pot that is India - its sights and smells, food and culture, religion and beliefs.

He finds himself embraced by the neighbourhood with warmth and affection. Amid all of this he meets and falls for Bittu (Sonam), a young girl who wants to find her true identity and break free from the typical Indian social structure. Thus begins the longest journey of Roshan's life - the journey
from within.

The story is told against the backdrop of the ancient city of Delhi. The metropolis becomes a character in itself, as the city represents the chaos of Indians, their religion and their beliefs.

Mehra's tribute

If Mehra's RDB led to a national debate contemplating the role of the youth in Indian society, Delhi-6 is expected to strike a chord with Indians of all ages who live outside the country.
"Delhi-6 means a lot to me. It is like second homecoming. My film is a tribute to the city and its people, among whom I've grown up. I have tried to project the emotions of people from various walks of life besides capturing the mindset of today's youth through my main protagonists Roshan and Bittu," says Mehra.

Having worked with established actors before - in Aks with Amitabh Bachchan and with Aamir Khan in RDB - this is the first time Mehra has cast relatively new actors in the lead. "Given an option, I would love to work in every film with Amitabh and Aamir but it is not always feasible. I have wanted to make a film with Abhishek for some time, and when I completed the script of Delhi-6 I knew that he was the perfect choice for Roshan.

On the other hand, it took me a while to finalise the girl. I am glad I opted for Sonam who has huge potential as an actress. Both of them were very dedicated to
their work and the film will showcase their commitment to acting," says Mehra.

Sonam's second tryst with stardom

Delhi-6 will be an acid test for Sonam, who will be seen in her first release since her lukewarm debut in Saawariya.
Though Sonam was appreciated for her performance in Saawariya, it was co-star Ranbir Kapoor who walked away with the honours. "After Saawariya, I waited for the right project to come my way.

I am fortunate to have been offered Delhi-6. As soon as I met Rakeysh I knew that I had to act in his film not only because my character was intriguing but also because Rakeysh is an extremely good human being," says Sonam.

From the initial promos, it seems that Sonam and Abhishek share an amazing onscreen chemistry. "Abhishek and I hit it off right from the word go! The fact that we knew each other before did help. We both have a childlike quality in us and love to have a lot of fun on the sets. So it all translated onscreen."

Sounds good

One of the major contributors to Mehra's success of RDB was AR Rahman's music and once again Rahman has churned out an amazing track, which is undoubtedly superior to award-winning Slumdog Millionaire's.

"Rahman is a composer par excellence who understands the requirements of the script and the director's vision before composing the music. Every song in Delhi-6 adds to the film's narrative," says Mehra. Ask him about his favourite track and he says, "Every track is perfectly suited for the situation being depicted on screen but Arziyaan is a beautiful melody which is special to me."

Award-winning lyricist Prasoon Joshi adds, "The coming together of the Delhi-6 album took nearly two years to finalise. It was important for me to internalise the feel and the landscape of emotion in the music before writing the songs."