One and a half passionate) is a 2014 Indian slapstick black comedy film directed by Abhishek Chaubey and starring Arshad Warsi, Naseeruddin Shah, Madhuri Dixit, Huma Qureshi and Vijay Raaz.
At the 60th Filmfare Awards, Dedh Ishqiya received 5 nominations, including Best Actress (Dixit) and Best Female Playback Singer (Rekha Bhardwaj for "Hamari Atariya Pe").
Khaalujaan (Naseeruddin Shah) and his nephew Babban (Arshad Warsi), who are partners in crime, pose as a Nawab and his attendant, and manage to run away with a prized necklace from a jewellery shop.
Babban duly begins to dig a grave under supervision, but manages to escape, with the promise that he will bring back both the necklace and Khaalujaan.
However, Babban himself delays departure after falling in love at first sight with Muniya (Huma Qureshi), Begum Para's beautiful maid and constant companion.
She declares that she will marry Jaan Mohammad and that he will become the new Nawab of Najibabad Since the necklace has clearly failed to move the Begum, Khaalujaan decides to see if a gun will serve the purpose better.
She has employed Babban to act as her kidnapper and extort a hefty ransom from Jaan Mohammad, who was expected to pay up because otherwise he would never fulfill his dream of becoming a Nawab.
All four of them (Begum, maid, and the uncle-nephew duo) reach the railway station to collect the money, but find that they are surrounded by Jaan Mohammad's goons.
It is a cheeky letter of thanks and goodbye from the women, informing the men that they have sold the priceless necklace and used the proceeds to buy a house and settle down in a faraway town whose name they withhold.
At a private party held in Mumbai, Shemaroo Entertainment and Vishal Bhardwaj, who had previously produced Ishqiya (2010), announced the sequel with the same cast and crew.
[12] The shooting was initially scheduled to start in September 2012, but was shifted to November, and was further postponed even at that time, due to issues related to Kangana Ranaut's desire for an expansion of her role.
Anupama Chopra, the Hindustan Times movie critic said, "Dedh Ishqiya is worth watching just for Abhishek Chaubey's ambition.
"[18] Giving it 5 out of 5 stars, Rediff India's movie critic Raja Sen called Dedh Ishqiya a genuinely smart film.
[19] Taran Adarsh from Bollywood Hungama also gave positive review, Ishqiya was sharp, spicy and volatile, with impulsive characters and a storyline taking a somersault every few minutes.
Like a skipping stone, the film touches upon a variety of genres – action, comedy, romance, social critique – and Chaubey handles them deftly".
If you're a fan of clever lines with terrific actors, great writing, masterful direction and Urdu poetry, Dedh Ishqiya hits your sweet spot.
If you don't really give a damn about any of this and just want a fun time at the movies, Dedh Ishqiya is perhaps the most hilarious thriller Bollywood has produced.