The Dirty Picture

Just like Ohm Peace Ohm is a trip to the 1970s in the Indian film industry, The Dirty Picture takes a look at the 1980s. The story was inspired by the life of a South Indian vamp named Silk Smitha. For those interested in period detail, The Dirty Picture is certainly very interesting stuff; beginners will probably have the most trouble with the fact that an old movie star plays teenage roles without hesitation. On the other hand, if there is anyone worth watching in contemporary Bollywood as a character actor on the rise, it is Vidya Balan, who plays the lead role here. She carries almost the entire film on her performance and her transformation is very powerful. It was her animalistic sex appeal that made her a star, but at the end of her career, it took little for her to make the cheapest porn... Unfortunately, the film lacks a certain empathy and the masks here and there are not very convincing, so it is still clear that the lovely Vidya is still playing her fallen Silk under the make-up. (22.02.2012)