Aaja Nachle Reviews

Madhuri Dixit, one of Indian cinema's biggest '90s stars, returned to the screen after a five-year absence in Anil Mehta's drama about a successful choreographer trying to go home again. Dia (Dixit) left to marry American photographer Steve (Felix D'Alviella), severing ties with her disapproving family and friends. The marriage didn't last, but she went on to establish an international career as a dancer and choreographer. Dia is living in New York City with her young daughter, Radha (Dalai), when she receives word that Makarand (Darshan Zariwala), her dance instructor, is dying. Dia and Radha take the next flight out to Shamli, the town where Makarand established Ajanta, an academy dedicated to teaching and performing traditional Indian dance dramas in an ancient outdoor theater. She arrives too late to see her old teacher one last time, and is dismayed to learn that Ajanta is slated for demolition to make way for a shopping mall. Dia makes the case for its preservation to local politician Raja Saab (Akshaye Khanna), who responds with a challenge: If Ajanta is really the vital part of Shamli's cultural identity that she claims, then Dia should be able to mount a production using local talent and see significant community attendance. If she can't, then clearly Ajanta's time has passed. So Dia and Doctor (Raghubir Yadav), Ajanta's aging caretaker, set about producing the traditional story of Laila and Majnun, who fall in love as youngsters but are separated by their families. Among the obstacles they must overcome are the lack of trained performers, the efforts of local politicians and businessmen – especially Ranooj Singh (Irrfan Khan), who's married to one of Dia's best friends (Divya Dutta) from their student days -- and Dia's own past, which is still the subject of gossip. And then there's Dia's unorthodox choices for the leads: Tomboyish Anokhi (Konkona Sen Sharma) and Imran (Kunal Kapoor), the low-level thug she secretly loves. Will real-life chemistry kick-start the show and save Ajanta? Dixit's star quality is undimished, but Jaideep Sahni's screenplay gives her little to work with beyond hoary "Hey kids, let's put on a show" cliches. That said, the show – which provides the films climax – is exactly the kind of colorful, energetic spectacle for which Bollywood is famous.