Miss Lovely is Ashim Ahluwalia’s 2012 idiosyncratic period docu-drama that is set in the C-grade bylanes and labyrinthian alleys of 1980s Bombay. This film uses various narrative tropes to showcase the rise of illegal pornography before the age of internet and how these films were peddled like drugs and consumed by the sexually repressed population. It follows a distinctive narrative, shifting from drama to documentary to romance and even thriller. The deconstruction of genre is mostly dwindling between pulp fiction and modern contemporary which can clearly be seen in the outlandish red lighting, titillating scenes, glossy plots and the grimy geography. 

The plot, about the Duggal brothers - Sonu and Vicky, who make Porn for a living, emphasises on the power dynamic between the two. The film gets the viewers hooked in the very first scene when Sonu reacts to his actions playing on the screen by saying- ‘Ye nahi karna chahiye tha...Ajmer nahi jana chahiye tha.’ In that very moment, Sonu has successfully convinced the audiences to empathise with him and sit throughout to find out his story as the default protagonist of the film. Miss Lovely is a blatant depiction of the porn film industry where the makers have not shied away from portraying the sleazy sex industry- the horror and smut of it all. It doesn’t look, sound or feel like a usual Bollywood film even though it has the hints of melodrama, thrill, romance. It could be the screen presence of its carefully casted actors, the well thought out dialogues, impeccable direction or attention to detail that gives this film a desired retro feel that transports the viewer to the smelly, sleazy, smutty lanes of 1980’s Bombay.

The portrayal of the women in Miss Lovely is also very fascinating. The women harassment stereotype has even been reversed in a scene where Sonu is riding in the car with a few women and he gets molested by them. But having said that, the film makers have resorted to the age old narrative of women who smoke and their personality is typecasted on screen. Sonika is shown to be a ‘pious’ and ‘innocent’ heroine ‘stuck’ in the recurring web of the porn industry- she is not shown to be drinking or smoking. She is believed to be in ‘love’- another concept associated with the female protagonists (read:heroines) of the times. But right after her expose, she is seen with a smoke in her hand. And also, sharing a bed with another semi-nude man.

Another issue that the docu-drama talks about is the ageist industry- it sheds light on the tragic fate of these heroines who are discarded like disposables, once they reach a certain age. The film follows a whole fiction plot narrative when Pinky (who was shown as a sad bait till half the film duration) comes out to assert the narrative ‘Same strokes for same folks’. The film takes help from umpteen brilliant metaphors to suggest the oncoming actions. The quavering cruise at the half time is suggestive of the impending misfortunes and life shaking events for Sonu in the offing. Miss Lovely also uses long still photographic shots for transition with little or no camera movement. While this could purely be a director’s preferential choice; it also helps the viewers register and reflect on the previous actions and to get accustomed to the geography where the film is set. 

All in all, Miss Lovely is a raunchy yet brutally honest depiction of the C-grade porn film industry. The retro-arty film has staggering elements to help move the narrative. From noir film, to pulp fiction, melodrama and romance- the film is packed with all. The tawdry geography adds a sincere facet to the narrative making the plot more real, which is otherwise mostly absent in the glitzy films that frequent the stories in this industry. If you thought you missed drama in the first half, then you just need to wait till the climax when the ‘nauseatingly righteous’ Sonu reaches a brink and finally gives in to the outburst of  stifled vehemence.