Last year when I saw and liked Anurag Basu's Metro, the part appreciated most was Sarmaan's hilarious call-centre segment where everyone was screwing everyone. Later a month or so I rented Billy Wilder's classic The Apartment and shocked to discover particular segment in Metro was lifted from this entire movie. Yes, I was disappointed. I couldn't enjoy a virgin Wilder classic experience but there was a grin on my face definitely how director didn't ruined the borrowed material and did the justice to piece of plagiarism, if there is any such thing exists. Similar experience to greater extent I had last weekend with DilKabaddi which I thoroughly enjoyed, is a straight rip-off of Woody Allen's outstanding Husbands and Wives (1992). But this time there was a strange sense of familiarity with the characters instantly. Their idiosyncrasies somehow carried a floating signature.In Woody Allen's favorite territory- man-woman relationship, which he explored over three to four decades. This one is a comedy of marriages, divorces, break-ups, reconciliations and re-marriages in the wake of characters' mid life crisis and their inherent urge for infidelity. Film introduces its two principal couples setting the mad-com tone of the film. Sameet (Irrfan) and Meeta (Soha) announces they are separating in the house of their best friends Rishi (Rahul Bose) and Simmi (Konkana Sen Sharma). Second couple is rattled; especially Simmi (soon starts questioning her own relationship). They start to reason why their friends are separating. Simmi asks if Meeta is cold in bed. Rishi reasons yeah as she is too "intellectual" types. Later in one scene Sameet confesses Meeta is too arty and he's tired of watching art movies. With his newly found partner he can watch Welcome without guilt. (Hilarious).Separation follows Meeta start dating Simmi's colleague Rahul Khanna while Sameet packs his bags and moves in with his gym instructor (Payal) for a bawdy romance full of kinky thrills. Story then probes lives of second couple which turns out more interesting that it seems. Rishi is a literary college professor who regards most of his colleagues as womanizers but for him it's too hard to cross the line now but soon is pulled with infatuating force in the direction of one of his young pupils Raga (well cast). On other hand Simmi is more dangerous types as described by her ex-boyfriend "passive-aggressive types". Tagging her husband as "too critical" she shares her poems silently nourishing hidden feelings to her sensitive and perfect-husband-material colleague Rahul Khanna. No one is innocent in this world.Characters learn a lot in the course of their infidelity and desires. Sameet who feels his wife gives him stress all the time realizes, only after basking in bed one too many days and nights of course, and realizing there is no way they can appear socially together (one laugh out loud sequence in a party continued in his house), wants to reconcile. He believes now, "Sex for the sake of sex is a disease. Saathi sathi hota hai". In another one oddly touching scene one character shares a passionate kiss with his long time crush in a perfect romantic setting but confesses he can't go on doing it. Walking in rain, he confides in us he just wants to go back home and hug his wife.Almost filming scene to scene faithfully director makes material more comic and less cynical but keeps the playfulness same in the treatment. Characters talk directly into the camera. Interviews acts on behalf of audiences asking right questions. Actors are doing well here especially Irrfan who plays parody of cheating husbands with such flamboyance and such ridiculous colors; it is sheer brilliance of the actor.I was the sole soul in my flock to enjoy this desi version of Woody Allen. This is one is about marriages. Even if you are not married you can enjoy it. Like one of the characters says who wrote an article once on Paris and she's never been Paris, you don't have to, she says, "it's a trick".

Watched the movie with very low expectations and the plot is about ultra-modern dinky urban marital crisis and its not too bad for an one- time DVD watch. With names like Irfan Khan, Konkana Sen, Rahul Bose - the tag "powerhouse of performance" becomes synonymous and hence there is hardly any flaw in their performances (Ifran pays homage to Govinda though!). Soha could have been better as "perpetual dissatisfied" lady. And yes, Rahul Khanna needs to do his homework. Payal Rohatgi was convincing as a "bimbo". Only time will tell the standing of Saba Azad. The abstract narrative is innovative and interesting. Songs are passable.

Rahul Bose was very smug on "Coffee with Karan" about trashing his movies. When it comes to bad cinema, he is an integral part. Konkana is just a prodigal daughter of an influential mother with more aspirations than talent. What disappointed me was the performance of Irfan. He deserves better than this crap serves him. Soha Ali, although another prodigal daughter, displays much more promise. This sad attempt at parallel cinema with brazen display of plagiarism, only goes on the prove that a bad director can undo any classic script. Woody Allen's "Husbands and Wives" not only provides script for the movie, narration is a verbatim copy too. Look for Irfan making a fool of himself towards end by trying to pull a Govinda.

Till sometime back, the three-letter word, sex, was considered taboo on the Hindi screen. But it's out of the closet now. Dil Kabaddi goes a step further it takes you inside the bedroom of two couples and makes you listen to the bedroom chat that they indulge in, bringing the sex lives out in the open.It tries to explore fields like sexual needs and fantasies in marriage but the movie ends up showing nothing but confused relationships .Dil Kabaddi is a humorous and exaggerated take on the dynamics of the relationships between married couples, without being judgemental. It reveals the internal dilemma of the characters as they struggle to maintain or easily let go of their marriages, to fulfill their deeper desires.Rahul Bose and Irrfan Khan have done challenging roles and same for the actresses Soha Ali Khan and Konkona. The film has been made keeping multiplex viewers in mind but it is not for kids and families. Even all multiplex viewers won't go for the kind of confusion concept.The question is not whether Indian audiences are ready for a theme like this. The question is, does the script hold your attention for the next 2 hours? Sadly, it doesn't!