Mona Lisa Smile (2003)

I have watched this movie more than once, and each time, I have learnt something new. When I watched it for the first time, I paid attention to the superb cast and the strong female characters. The second time, I paid attention to the mentions of Yale Law School, “New York kike” and relationship upheavals including divorces that took place post the attack on Pearl Harbour.

The third time, I paid attention to the paintings and the painters. The title of the movie is obviously inspired by Mona Lisa. Vincent van Gogh and his sunflowers were familiar, and I got to know about Jackson Pollock’s work. When the students start grumbling at their first exposure to Pollock’s work, this is what Julia Roberts’ character Katherine Watson tells them -

"Do me a favour. Do yourselves a favour. Stop talking and look. You're not required to write a paper. You're not even required to like it. You are required - to consider it. That's your only assignment today. When you're done, you may leave."

Marcia Gay Harden, who stars in this movie, has also acted in the movie “Pollock” made on the painter.

I love the usage of this song in the movie.

Great Expectations (1998)

Recently, I got a chance to watch this movie on Romedy Now. I haven’t read the book, and I remember stills from this movie – it was released in 1998, and it reminded me of days when I was mad after Titanic and its stars. I still had about twenty minutes to go before the movie ended, and I couldn’t stay up. Gwyneth Paltrow’s acting came across as unbelievably cold, and I am not sure whether this was a deliberate choice.

I recommend the movie – there are enough moments that left me surprised and glued (for example, the introduction of Ms. Dinsmoor played by Anne Bancroft), the music is really good, the usage of voiceover is interesting and there are beautiful lines like this one.

“I'm not going to tell the story the way it happened. I'm going to tell it the way I remember it.”

Finn (Ethan Hawke) is the narrator of this story. I wonder what it would be like to hear the same story from Lustig (Rober De Niro).

Watch the trailer.

Born Free (1966)

Soon after we came back from Srinagar last year, the then-Yokefellow and I went to a shop in South Mumbai that sold pirated CDs of movies and sitcoms. The sibling had also accompanied us – I was scheduled to buy her birthday gift that day. “Born Free” was one among the CDs – I can’t recollect now whether it was my choice.

The movie is based on a real incident and starred a much-in-love real life couple (Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers) as the Adamsons who raise an orphaned lion cub Elsa to adulthood.  Joy (played by Virginia) wants to release Elsa back into the wild, where she truly belongs. This is not an easy task, as Joy and George go on to discover. Post the movie, the actors became committed animal rights activists and they established the Born Free Foundation. As for the real George and Joy Adamson, they separated - George was apparently interested in lions and Joy was interested in cheetahs.

I’d highly recommend this movie – the scenes with the lions are shot very well, and the music is very good.

After watching the movie, in the course of some conversation, I got this text – “Poor Elsa. I will train you.” I said something related to Simba from The Lion King, and left it at that.

Teaser post: RamLeela (2013)

I have watched all movies directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, and have written about Devdas and Guzaarish. I have a half-finished post on Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, and must complete it.

I saw on twitter a lot of praise for the trailer of RamLeela, and watched it today. The opening sequence is from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, and I can point out a few more sequences that remind me of Bhansali's previous work. I am glad that bright colours are back, Deepika and Ranveer look good together, and the background music sounds interesting.

Yes, I shall be watching this movie in the theatre. This year looks set to add yet another feather in Deepika's cap.

Bombay (1995)

The movie is highly acclaimed and I was watching it in Hindi for a while recently. When I was growing up, I had heard the songs in Tamil and Hindi so many times that it didn’t take me time to recollect the lyrics.

What struck me was the picturisation of this song.



Arvind Swamy’s suit-wearing character is literally hounding his wife played by Manisha Koirala to bear him a daughter. It doesn’t help that she is politely refusing, and yet dancing to his tunes. They already have two sons (twins) who join the fun.

I don’t have much idea on movies made in other South-Indian languages, and I can say that Tamil movies employ vulgarity more easily when compared to their Hindi counterparts. If you have watched the sequences from “Enthiran” when the robot rescues the naked woman who is bathing when the fire breaks out (she subsequently commits suicide when lots of people see her naked) or when the robot successfully prevents Aishwarya Rai’s character Sana from getting raped in the train, you perhaps might know what I am referring to. Was there no other way to portray the robot’s prowess and his inability to understand emotions?

Before you take offence like a relative once did, it is not to say that Hindi movies aren’t vulgar – there are enough examples like I mentioned in this post. However, Hindi movies understand customer segmentation in a way Tamil movies don’t. Read an opinion given here. Or consider that teenagers (or worse, adultescents) were the chief targets for the makers of “Grand Masti”.

I have been an observer to this conversation between two women more than once – one of whom refused to even utter the word sex, and the other brought up Kamasutra and sex positions at the drop of a hat. Both are movie-watchers, and have different tastes. Given that movies seem to be the staple form of sex education in the country (apart from having “well-informed” friends who develop “non-vegetarian” habits early on), one of the changes I’d like to see in Indian movies is a more informed and evolved depiction of sex. For that, a start has to be made with revamping the education system, and the reality shows in which children now participate – either mouthing adult lyrics or dancing to adult moves.

Shuddh Desi Romance (2013)

Let me say this right in the beginning - I didn’t enjoy this movie despite an interesting trailer, good acting by everybody, the realistic setting and the really nice music. Watching commitment phobia in real and reel life has become extremely boring for me, and while I understand that rom-coms can’t survive without this concept in some form or another, I am certain that it is time for me to look at more interesting movies. A friend told me that she couldn’t relate to the movie at all. As for me, I walked out even as the title song was playing (when the closing credits were rolling) – the sibling was surprised, and she walked a little slowly behind me so that she could watch the song. Later at night she said, with disappointment writ on her face, “The movie didn’t leave me with any afterthought.”

The story is set in Jaipur, and takes us to other parts of Rajasthan as well. Sushant Singh’s character Raghu considers Rishi Kapoor’s Goyal as his father. Raghu is uneducated and does odd jobs – he cons foreigners into buying stuff by giving them stories of the orphans of Iraq and Afghanistan. He also pretends to be a baraati whenever Goyal asks him to, and gets paid for the act. On the day when he is really getting married, he meets the fake baraati, English-speaking, independent Gayatri (played by Parineeti Chopra). He develops cold feet mouthing the classic – “Doubt ghadi dekhkar thodi na aati hai”. I have heard this line in reality, and the thought that came to my mind was regarding the selfishness of the character. The bride Tara (played by Vaani Kapoor) later smiles and tells Gayatri in a matter-of-fact way, “Mere baare mein socha hi nahin na?”

It is our right to lead our life exactly the way we want. While clamouring for this right, let's not forget to take responsibility for our actions and for being considerate towards others.

All three of them don’t have deep parental ties. Raghu’s parents are no more, Gayatri’s mother is no more and her father is posted in faraway Assam, and Tara’s parents died in a road accident in Delhi when she was still a child. They are indeed thinking only about themselves when they take decisions. For instance, Gayatri asks her father not to interfere in her matters.

Post Raghu’s ditching Tara at the wedding altar, he enters a live-in relationship with Gayatri. Raghu is incredibly attracted to her (the cliche "opposites attract" is at work here), and he moves into her house without the slightest hesitation. Gayatri wants to take it slow, and then easily lets go of what she wants to do. The neighbourhood gossip confuses Raghu, and he doesn’t trust Gayatri easily – one of the more realistic scenes in the movie. Like I mentioned earlier, it is a worrying trend that financially independent girls are supporting reckless men in the name of love. Gayatri runs the house, takes an extra loan from Goyal because her “brother” has come home, buys Raghu stuff, washes his underwear and (thankfully) enjoys unrestrained sex in return.

Then, the unexpected happens. The movie is new and I don’t wish to spoil the twist.

When Tara later runs into Raghu, it appears as though she is seeking a combination of revenge and closure. When she starts interacting with him, I think she forgets the past and becomes determined to see him mature - she falls in love with him, and seems like an understanding lover. A few more scenes, and she mouths the line – “One may not remember the moment when one falls in love, and one surely remembers the moment when one falls out of love.” 

Rom-com movies would like us to believe that falling in and out of love is as easy as turning a tap on and off. Unless one is the lead pair, of course. Their love conquers all, and the tap never runs dry.

Goyal has a nice line to mouth regarding how the three of them are running away for different reasons. So if one partner is unable to deal with a relationship based on lies and the other is unable to deal with the truth, why does the ending not reflect this? Instead, the movie gets into how the lead pair isn't ready for marriage, how the pair prefers status quo to continue while experiencing genuine love. The partner with the preference for truth says stuff that goes,"Tum uske saath khush nahin rahoge. Tum use khush nahin rakh paate." Ugh.

Trivia that left me feeling surprised - the writer is Jaideep Sahni. When I compare this story with his previous works including Chak De! India, I am further disappointed. The movie is being marketed as "Random Desi Romance" abroad - I think this title does more justice to the movie than the original Hindi title. As for the interval being referred to as "Bathroom break", perhaps I should have taken the hint, indeed taken a restroom break and left the theatre.

Teaser post: Shuddh Desi Romance (2013)

The title of the movie makes me think of ghee, and watching more than one song gives me the impression that the movie has some similarities with “Saathiya” and “Yuva”. Nevertheless, the pairing is fresh and I am curious to watch this movie.

The lead actors Sushant Singh Rajput and Parineeti Chopra have been appearing in TV shows including "Indian Idol Junior" and "Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa", and it was wonderful to see Madhuri Dixit dance impromptu to one of the songs from this movie.

There's another actress in this movie, and she features in this song. It reminds me of Pushkar, especially in the shot taken at the well of death. Is there a Rajasthan link somewhere?

Chennai Express (2013)

I have grown up watching SRK movies, hence it is with mixed feelings that I watch his movies now. The thought of watching SRK's old movies again is far more appealing than that of watching his recent movies. Yet I go to the theatre every now and then, giving myself some excuse or another.

I was genuinely going to miss watching Jab Tak Hai Jaan, and couldn’t resist the combined pressure of the then-Yokefellow ("It is Yash Chopra's last movie") and the sibling (she likes Katrina). My parents were in town as well. Perhaps I didn't wish to resist after missing Ra.One and both Don movies in the theatre?

Perhaps.

“I am going to watch comedy and laugh a lot” – this was the reason I gave myself for Chennai Express. It is a poor reason, given that I get easily distracted while watching mindless movies. As it turned out, not getting tickets for the lone show of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag was the other reason. The sibling has been aggressively promoting the Milkha movie so much that I decided to go and watch it. I still cannot fathom the sight of Milkha dancing.

The promotion of Chennai Express was eye-catching, and everything looked straight out of a Tamil movie. People took offence at the accents. 

SRK said that he was the lone non-South Indian associated with the movie. That’s not true. The 6 feet 4, well-built Nikitin Dheer who played Tangaballi can’t pass off as a South-Indian even if everybody wishes. While casting Nikitin Dheer as the villain, why do filmmakers want us to believe that he will lose physical fights? Yes, I know that romance has to win / justice has to be awarded and all that idealism, yet against Dheer, it looks absurd. Hrithik’s Akbar looked somewhat convincing against him, and managed to win the fight. SRK’s puny Rahul had a different idea. His courage won Tangaballi’s heart, and he let go.

What did I like about this movie? 

In the opening credits, Deepika's name appeared before that of SRK - this was a nice touch. Deepika’s Meena looks ravishing. SRK played a 40-year old and looked convincing. Some of the action sequences, especially the ones where SRK is driving an orange coloured jeep, are nicely done.  The usage of Tamil and some Malayalam is nice – it feels good to understand other Indian languages, particularly when I find myself stumble through the Punjabi used in movies I like (for example, Fukrey). I could recognize Tamil actors in the movie – Sathyaraj, Delhi Ganesh, the priest in the village where Rahul and Meena take refuge. I couldn’t recognize Manorama though. I liked the references to SRK's earlier movies including "Dil Se" and DDLJ (of course), and the communication via songs.

“Telegram se leke twitter ke zamaane tak woh zinda rahe. Poori zindagi ji unhone.” 

I also liked the take on death – Rahul’s Sachin Tendulkar-loving grandfather (played by Lekh Tandon who is supposed to have discovered SRK) “getting out” on 99, how Rahul reacts to his parents’ death when he was 8, and the news about Meena’s mother’s death.

As a kid, I heard the song that went “Ennama kannu, soukiyama?”. Regular Tamil movie-watchers, did this line get used later in some eve-teasing context? So when Sathyaraj goes “Ennama kannu” repeatedly, I was quite thankful that Rahul makes fun of it towards the end.

“Lungi dance” – sung by Honey Singh is a earworm. I can imagine it being played on the dance floors at b-schools and perhaps in dance floors outside as well. The tune is catchy, and everybody who watches Indian movies these days seems to swear by their allegiance to the Thalaiva. I am not a fan of Rajnikanth or Honey Singh (I am speechless at how he gets so many songs despite his horrible song of last year), and yet liked the way this song has been picturised. Go ahead, take offence.



I tweeted to the film critic post this review, and received a neat “thanks” in response. Among other stuff, I found myself nodding about the “clever update on facebook.” It did cross my mind – several updates did, and then I let them all be.

“I think I should stick to watching movies that make 00 crores”
“Rahul. Naam kyun suna maine?” 

I didn’t mind the brief sermon delivered by Rahul on what it means for women to be truly independent, though speaking to a powerful Don in a reasonable manner seemed silly.

And yes, it was wonderful to discuss the movie with Manali. We spent some time looking through the wiki entry when we were wondering about the locations used in the movie.

Now, coming to the bits I didn’t like.

Why did the Sardar character have to be introduced? Or for that matter the Sri Lankan smugglers?

More than the accent, I get annoyed when a language isn’t spoken correctly. Deepika’s accent isn’t the problem. When she mixes gender and says, “Kamban goan jaati. Chennai express se.” it is annoying. It reminded me of the focus on “shudh bhaasha” in this movie.

“Garu” makes an appearance – this is clearly Telugu. A smattering of Malayalam also appears in the form of the truck driver who calls out to Ayyappan just as all stereotypical Mallus do. Each language has its nuance. Why confuse them all?

“One two three four” is sung in perfect Hindi apart from the strong start in Tamil. If I didn’t know it was a Hindi movie, I would have easily mistaken it for a Tamil song – the music is overwhelmingly Tamil, and so are the dance steps. How did the dappan koothu dancer sing in perfect Hindi and speak about shaking booty?



I am waiting for 2 States. It better get the stereotypes right, and I hope there’s lots of English to boot.

Celebrity gossip

It took me a long time to accept that Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif are indeed seeing each other, especially after the onscreen chemistry Ranbir shared with his ex-girlfriend Deepika Padukone in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. Yes, I have seen the pictures taken in Spain. What do they say about a picture being worth a thousand words?

:-(

Smileys are worth a few words.

I was a fan of the Deepika - Ranbir real life jodi and when they broke up after dating for a bit, I thought maybe they’d get back after a few years. They did get back, and not in the manner I imagined.

Given my loyalty towards her, I am tempted to ask myself if I know Deepika from a previous birth or something. I don’t believe in reincarnation, so that’s a false start. Maybe it has something to do with justice - Ranbir reportedly cheated on Deepika with Katrina.

I then got reminded of this scene from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.

I don't see BPL taking place here, so perhaps it is time for me to concentrate on Chennai Express, which was originally scheduled to release on Federer’s birthday and has now been postponed by a day. By the looks of it, Rohit Shetty and Deepika have a winner.

Devdas (2002)

I had earlier written about the Devdas character in this post, and it is a nice feeling for me to derive strength from my own writing. I was watching a few scenes from this movie recently, and I realised that one of the reasons why Madhuri Dixit as Chandramukhi is so watchable is because she doesn’t take poor treatment from most people. However, she is willing to take poor treatment at the hands of the spineless Dev babu – a classic case of strong women tolerating abuse in intimate relationships.

Watch this scene.

Really. Tamasha ab khatam hua.

Talaash (2012)

When the promos of this movie first came out, I knew that I’d like to watch the movie. In order to avoid an anti-climax, I started telling myself that perhaps this movie wouldn’t be as good as the promos made it out to be. When I later saw why the movie is titled “Talaash: The Answer Lies Within”, I got to know that there was another movie by the same name – “Talaash: The Hunt Begins”.

The surprising bit – Kareena Kapoor has starred in both movies.

I watched the 2012 movie on the last day of November 2012 in the theatre and liked it. I watched it in bits and pieces when it was telecast on one of the TV channels in April this year, and liked it even more. Surprising, I know.

The inspiration from The Sixth Sense is hard to ignore (I had earlier mentioned this movie here), and if you are like me, you’d spend some time during the interval in order to figure out the twist and lo behold, it is clear. Kareena’s clothes told me that something was wrong. She was too well-dressed when compared to the average Hindi movie prostitute, and that set me thinking. I then waited to see how the twist would unravel itself on screen, and was quite happy with the treatment.

As the opening credits roll, this song plays. It sets the mood very well.



The movie starts with the death of the actor Armaan Kapoor (Vivan Bhatena) in a mysterious car accident. Aamir Khan’s character Surjan “Suri” Singh Shekhawat investigates the accident and speaks to the two junkies (?). He almost speaks to the dog who witnessed the accident as well.

Suri is married to Roshni (Rani Mukerji). They have lost their only child in an accident. This has left Suri feeling perennially guilty for not being able to protect his son, and he withdraws from his wife. He also becomes an insomniac. Suri then meets Rosie, the prostitute played by Kareena Kapoor. She aids him in his investigation. He also finds himself being able to share his thoughts with her, and he often seeks her. Rosie leads him to Temur, a lame pimp played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

The name Temur is a delightful reference to Timur Lang. Temur’s love story is told really well. He is love with an older prostitute, and their anguish is best depicted in the scene towards the end of the movie when she opens a bag in the train. She finds several bundles of currency notes – the pimp has bought her freedom. He loses his life in the process.

When Rosie mentions to Suri that nobody wanted to investigate into how a girl disappeared into thin air, it made me wonder. How exactly are death certificates issued in India?

Roshni is left upset dealing with her withdrawn husband and the loss of her child. He has refused to have another child, and she finds her offbeat methods of finding solace being torn apart by him. Finally, when they fight in front of his subordinate (played by Raj Kumar Yadav), she asks her husband as to whether she ever questions him on his nocturnal jaunts. She understands that he derives happiness from whatever he does, then why mustn’t she indulge in what gives her peace and happiness?

Peace. Happiness. Both are much abused words these days.

Suri and Roshni reunite at the end of the movie. Watch them when they live in their past. As for the handlebar moustache, the sight made me relive my past.

Fukrey (2013)

I am finding it amusing that I am recommending a movie based on two loafers. It has a well-written story, and a cast that looks the part. The movie has been shot in Delhi, and I could recognize many places shown in the movie. The dust-laden feel of the city has been captured well.

Two boys have flunked their XII Std. exams repeatedly and yet are keen on entering one of the best colleges in the city. Another boy wants to shift from his correspondence course and study at a proper college - it happens to be the same college. The fourth character has studied at this very college and spends time there making music.

I liked this song based on an old Punjabi folk song. It made me think of my long-forgotten desire of picking up Punjabi.

When the struggling musician needs money for his father's operation, his estranged girlfriend (who is a Professor in the same college) steps in to help him and rather effortlessly at that. This, when he has let her go because she asks him to get more serious about their relationship and he chooses music over her. There is a gem of a scene when he starts to fill out a form and the letters get smudged immediately.

There is a remark made by the lead character played by Pulkit Samrat - "I like mature girls. Pata hai, meri girlfriend mujhse badi hai." It made me smile, for I have heard it in real life as well.

As for the character played by Manjot Singh, there are some hilarious moments involving his Bullet. The policeman makes a remark on the sound of the Bullet, and I agree. Even a non-rider like me can recognise THAT sound anywhere.

The best performance in the movie is by Bholi Punjaban (Richa Chadha). Watch it for her.

A Little Bit of Heaven (2011)

If you don’t mind watching romcoms on a Saturday morning, this sappy movie can be watched atleast in parts. The movie hasn't got good reviews, so if you are particular about them please give the movie a miss.

It is nice to see the lead character Marley (played by Kate Hudson) have a genuine and intelligent sense of humour - she laughs easily, she can make others laugh and she has an excellent approach towards life. For a variety of reasons, women prefer to laugh at what men have to say rather than make them laugh.

The relationship between Marley and her mother and the daughter is done well. When Marley complains to her friend and colleague Lucy about how her mother drives her crazy, Lucy tells her – “Duh. That’s what mothers do.”

Towards the end of the movie, there’s a scene where Marley’s mother is driving her back home and has just smiled and told her, "That's what daughters do." in response to something Marley said.

Marley: "Will you help me plan my funeral?"
Marley's mom: "Sure."
Marley: "'Cause I don't want it to be some somber affair. I want it to be a celebration. I want to put the F U N back in funeral."

I question the generalization – all mothers and daughters drive each other crazy? What if one had role descriptions for personal situations (e.g. JD for mother in this household) and people complied / didn’t comply? Life would be more specific, and easier in many respects.

Watch the trailer here.

Hera Pheri (2000)

This movie is the adaptation of a Malayalam movie, and is sure to make you laugh. Wiki tells me that the movie has become a cult classic, and rightly so.

While I always remembered that Tabu’s character is called Anuradha, I was suddenly reminded of a scene from this movie last week. It features a telephone, Baby bhaiya and several callers.

:-)

Taking offence…

…becomes quite easy when it has something to do with the big screen. Communities, business houses, actors – all of them are quick to react based on what is shown about them. Taking offence is about telling the audience the stereotype / portrayal is untrue. This has its merits, and limitations.

Deepika’s accent in “Chennai Express” is causing angst among South Indians Tamilians, even when the entire cast and crew of the movie is South Indian – save for SRK.

“Billu Barber” was renamed to “Billu” because the barber community raised objection. Muslims and kathak dancers took offence when “Vishwaroopam” was to be released. As for “Being Cyrus”, a few Parsis took offence.

Zandu balm makers Emami took offence at the song “Munni Badnaam Hui” and Malaika later endorsed the product. Rooh afza makers took offence when YJHD released - the lead character had unflattering things to say about the drink.

There were objections raised to the spoof on Doordarshan's music in "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara".

Manoj Kumar took offence at his portrayal in “Om Shanthi Om”. Nearly 6 years after its release, the man is still going strong with his protest.

Given that movies are about creating impressions that can be viewed repeatedly and by a large audience, everybody is keen that the 'right' impression is created. Compare all of this with Brad Pitt being banned in China because he acted in “Seven years in Tibet” or Richard Gere being permanently banned in China for his support to the Dalai Lama.

To me, taking a stand (and a clever sense of humour) seems more valuable.

Govinda music

Recently, I saw a photo doing the rounds on facebook that spoke of how it feels like we are back in the '90s. Well, Madhuri Dixit is back in Bollywood and Sanjay Dutt is back in jail – that’s where the similarity ends. I am not the teenager I used to be, and I don't feel nostalgic when I think of the rotten and often raunchy music from the '90s.

As you can see, the title of the post has nothing to do with the original Govinda and rasa lilas.

This morning, I got reminded of this song.

“Main Apni Shaadi Mein Na Jaun Meri Marzi
 Main Pairon Se Table Bajawaau Meri Marzi

 Main Kutubameenar Pe Ghar Banawaau Meri Marzi”

As a teenager, I laughed at the first line - ‘bunking’ one’s wedding came across as daring and different, and I had never bunked classes. As an adult, the line and its repeated usage of “Meri marzi” makes me think of the word ‘loser’ readily. Marzi is all about rights / wishes and associated freedom. Where are the duties?

The song makes for awful listening, yet I'll let you go ahead. Don't miss the children who give Govinda company.



When I was even younger, I mostly couldn’t stand Govinda – those were the days when the vulgar ‘Sarkay liyo khatiya’ and its likes were big hits. The dance steps were atrocious, and even fine dancers like Karisma and Govinda couldn’t save the song for me.

See for yourself.



This ‘item’ song is better. This is mostly attributable to the presence of Ms. Dixit (as she was known in those days). Strangely, this is when I noticed for the first time how expressive Govinda really is.



When David Dhawan decided to exercise his marzi and move on to Salman Khan, Govinda's career received a jolt. He has still not recovered fully from it. As for his stint in politics, I think he got away by singing "Meri Marzi" there as well.

Post his comeback, he played an IIM-A alumnus and serenaded Katrina. Ironically, this was in a David Dhawan movie starring Salman Khan as the lead hero.

I am not sure why this post has developed into a full-fledged post on Govinda (my intent was quite different). I remember reading in magazines how close he was to his mother, how her death affected him deeply and how he talks to his dead mother.

To the humble actor who arrives late on sets - what's next?

Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013)

A few years ago, there was a controversial episode in “Koffee with Karan” where Deepika spoke candidly about her ex-boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor. Ranbir came across as a momma's boy, and that's a post for another day.

On momma's boys, i.e.

Today, Deepika and Ranbir are good friends. Recently, Ranbir’s mother Neetu (who reportedly disapproved of Deepika) warmly hugged Deepika. Why not? Deepika is on a roll with “Cocktail” and “Race 2” being declared as hits. Now, YJHD is the third-biggest grosser ever in Bollywood. It makes sense to be good to her, no?

This is my teaser post on the movie. As expected, many songs from the movie are still stuck in my mind even if I was disappointed with their sudden appearance. The songs are picturised really well, and the movie is worth watching just for them.

A group of three friends (Ranbir’s Bunny, Kalki’s Aditi and Aditya’s Avi) are on a trip to Manali, and Deepika’s good-girl, bespectacled, "topper" Naina joins them on an impulse. She is worldly unwise unlike them, and can sing Bachchan songs and use her calm head when required.

At Manali, when Bunny tells Naina that if he had a heart, he would have fallen for her smile. He then tells her that she is the sort of girl one romances, not flirts with. Finally, he says - “Apne aap pe daya karna chod do. Apne aap se pyaar karna seekho.” 

One must admit that Bunny knows how to flirt with all of them.

Naina develops a liking for Bunny and doesn’t declare her love for him because she knows that Bunny doesn’t believe in commitment. A mature head on her young shoulders, she concentrates on her studies and goes on to open a clinic close to where her parents stay.

She also wisely invests in contact lenses, or perhaps lasik eye surgery. She doesn't let go of her competitiveness as well.

Aditi is silently in love with Avi, and finds her love not reciprocated. She decides to get married to a ‘boring’ engineer with a BMW rather than wait endlessly for the drunkard, fast-losing-money bar-owner (or was it a restaurant?). She has a destination wedding in Rajasthan, and that’s where Bunny and Naina meet after years.

Bunny's real name is Kabir Thapar. He is self-centered and doesn’t wish to get deeply involved with anybody. “Main udhna chahta hoon. Bas rukhna nahin chahta.” He is an only child, his mother is dead, he has a step-mother who he hates (a charming Tanvi Azmi) and his father (Farooq Sheikh) is the indulgent sort who silently praises his son for having the courage to lead his life the way he wants and for paying the price for indulging in his dreams. This is true in Bunny’s friendships as well. He finds it easier to deal with the non-demanding Aditi when compared to the demanding Avi who has expectations from his friend. 

In short, Bunny's commitment phobia is celebrated.

Much later, while spending time with Naina, he tells her - “Tum right nahin ho. Bas mujhse alag ho.” He rightly realises that she is very different from him. Why is he drawn to her then? She has turned drop-dead gorgeous, you see. She also mouths lines such as - “Zindagi mein kuch na kuch hamesha chooth jaayega. Isliye jo hai, usi ka mazaa le lo!”

Bunny scores when he points out her double-standards when it comes to her consumption of alcohol. Earlier, his father scores when he points out to Bunny's habit of lying.

Later, when in true Hindi movie style Bunny comes to woo his girl and asks for her hand, she asks him – “Tum bhaag to nahin jaaoge?” Bunny has rejected the offer to host a new TV reality show, and is jobless when he woos her. Conveniently, both his parents are dead by now and hence Naina has no in-laws to contend with. As for Bunny, he is suddenly willing to let go of his dynamic career and independence in order to be with a pretty doctor whose life begins and ends in the same locality, and who has a controlling mother.

Hindi movies obviously don’t deal with the operating nuts and bolts of daily life. Two months later, Bunny would be cursing his decision to be with someone so different from him. He will complain that he doesn't get time with Avi, Aditi and Aditi's husband. He will find his wife's structured career boring. The fact that his wife spends lots of time at her clinic will irritate him. Her clothes will be declared as revealing, and he will act possessive. He will (subtly or otherwise) ensure that Naina loses her friendship with Vikram.

It is good for Naina that like her, Bunny isn't cynical. Perhaps their marriage would work. The rooh afza would taste just as bad as before though. Hey, the manufacturers don't think so.

In terms of performances, it is Deepika who shines in her role and is the best part of the movie. This is high praise considering that she is paired opposite the oh-so-awesome Ranbir Kapoor. I loved Kalki’s Aditi – feisty and practical, and an absolutely fantastic friend. I didn’t think much of Aditya’s portrayal of Avi, and Rana Daggubati as Vikram is wasted in his bit role. 

As for Madhuri Dixit, with the pun (unintended?) on ‘via Agra’, she shows why she remains Queen Bee.

My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)

Yesterday, I got up thinking of a song. I knew that it starred Julia Roberts, and I struggled to remember the movie. Then it came back to me – the song is “I say a little prayer” from the OST of “My Best Friend’s Wedding.”

Do you remember the picturisation of this song?

The lyrics go this way. I like the idea of praying for a loved one. Once a day is good enough though? 

The moment I wake up

Before I put on my makeup

I say a little prayer for you

While combing my hair now

And wondering what dress to wear now

I say a little prayer for you

Forever and ever, you'll stay in my heart

And I will love you

Forever and ever, we never will part

Oh, how I love you

Together, forever, that's how it must be

To live without you

Would only mean heartbreak for me

I run for the bus, dear

While riding I think of us, dear

I say a little prayer for you

At work I just take time

And all through my coffee break time

I say a little prayer for you

Forever and ever, you'll stay in my heart

And I will love you

Forever and ever we never will part

Oh, how I'll love you

Together, forever, that's how it must be

To live without you

Would only mean heartbreak for me

I say a little prayer for you

I say a little prayer for you

My darling, believe me

(Believe me)

For me there is no one but you

Please love me too

(Answer his pray)

And I'm in love with you

(Answer his pray)

Answer my prayer now, babe

(Answer his pray)

Forever and ever, you'll stay in my heart

And I will love you

Forever and ever we never will part

Oh, how I'll love you

Together, forever, that's how it must be

To live without you

Would only mean heartbreak for me

Fight Club (1999)

This is a violent film, and has some fine performances from the lead actors. There are quotes that are thought-provoking, and outright funny. Brad Pitt plays Tyler Durden, Edward Norton plays the unnamed narrator and Helena Bonham Carter plays Marla Singer.

Tyler Durden: "Now, a question of etiquette - as I pass, do I give you the ass or the crotch?"
This is really the reason why I hate seats other than aisle seats while flying.

Tyler Durden: "It’s only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything."
My interpretation of this quote will take some time in getting expressed.

Tyler Durden: "Listen up, maggots. You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You're the same decaying organic matter as everything else."
This line almost made me cry. It is so deprecating of the human race that it hurts. How does one respond to such cynicism and not get damaged in the process?

From KKHH (1998) to SOTY (2012)

Remember the cute Anjali from “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai?”

After over a decade, she has appeared in “Student of the Year”. I kept telling the sibling that it is the same girl, and Wiki confirmed that it is indeed Sana Saeed. This has been an interesting transformation, and she has now featured in two movies that have raked in the moolah.

Rock On!! (2008)

Remember the couple Joe and Debbie from the movie? The characters were played by Arjun Rampal and Shahana Goswami respectively.

Debbie’s fashion designing career doesn’t get a kick-start when Joe’s band ‘Magik’ wins a competition and gets into the professional league. This disappoints Joe the lead guitarist, and when he gets less mileage than the lead singer Aditya (played by Farhan Akhtar) he walks out of the band in a fury.

Years later, Joe is a broken man for his career doesn’t do well. He can no longer play the guitar at the big stage. Joe and Debbie are married now and have a son. Debbie takes care of Joe’s family’s fish business. It is fair to assume that fashion designing and fish don’t go together. The difference between the two of them is that she decides to take up a job that is far removed from her dreams in order to support the family. He, on the other hand, is dejected and stuck in the past.

Our generation is caught in a flux. Women work and are economically independent. Men realize that there is indeed a fair chance that they get to pursue their dreams while the women run their house. The marriage suffers when the man is unable to meet success while pursuing his dream, and doesn’t wish to give up his dream. The woman gets increasingly frustrated for she is responsible now for the finances as well as the good health of the relationship.

Check this song between 2:30 and 3:24.



Later, when Joe finds an outlet for his music, he realizes how overworked his wife is and is back to being nice to her. If Bollywood is a fair indicator of our society, the man and his dreams remain more important than the woman and her dreams. The man can remain the teenager wrapped up in his lost dreams, while the woman matures for both of them. 

Teaser post: Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013)

Given my recent track record of not liking any song from the world of Bollywood, this song is an exception. It reminds me of the Kishore Kumar style of singing, and the song is fun. I didn't enjoy watching the sight of wine (or is it champagne?) glasses getting recklessly broken though.



I sincerely hope the movie is not a case of cliches put together, whether from real life or from other movies.

Jab We Met (2007)

I had earlier written that this movie has joined the list of movies I can watch anytime, and it is true. I watched it recently again, and I marveled at Imtiaz Ali’s direction. He understands relationships, and keeps his stories largely realistic.

The lead pair (Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor) was seeing each other in real life and broke up during the course of making this movie. I admire their professionalism in completing this movie, particularly that of Shahid. It is reportedly Kareena who wanted to move on.

The scene in which Kareena’s character Geet Dhillon verbally abuses the jerk, her boyfriend Anshuman (played by Tarun Arora) is a delight. Anshuman dumps her because she suddenly appears in front of him. He is faced with several fears and asks her not to get in touch with him. Post that, Geet spends nine months on her own in Shimla without any contact with her family. Geet had earlier helped Shahid’s character Aditya Kashyap overcome the hurt caused by his break-up with his girlfriend (she marries someone else and he attends her wedding to top it all), and now Aditya helps her overcome her hurt.

When the coward sees Geet with Aditya, he suddenly desires her again and wants to be nice to her. Jerks must not be given a second chance, and the movie thankfully shows the same.

Runaway Bride (1999)

The movie is about Julia Roberts' character Maggie Carpenter and Richard Gere's character Eisenhower Graham, 'Ike'. While there are several mushy moments, one of the scenes stayed back with me.

This is a scene with Ike and his ex-wife Ellie Graham played by Rita Wilson.

Ike: "Ellie, what went wrong? With us. With the two of us, I mean. I know it's been a long time. Do you remember?"

Ellie: "Yeah. Do I remember? Of course I do."

Ike: "Is that what -- Did I do the same -- Is that what happened? Did I just... not see you?"

Ellie: "No. No, you didn't."

Ike: "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Ellie."

Ellie: "I'm sorry too, Ike."

It helps that Ellie has remarried, is Ike's publisher and her spouse Fisher is a relaxed man. He does quip though, "Confucius say, man who leave wife alone with ex-husband may leave altogether."

Roles Bollywood actors choose

I had once written about the effect of neuroticism and how Hollywood actors choose to play neurotic characters.

When I look at Abhishek Bachchan, since 2004, he played the con artist in “Bunty Aur Babli” and “Bluffmaster”, he got conned in “Dhoom 2”, his character wove a fantasy tale in “Jhoom Barabar Jhoom” and his character pretends to be gay in “Dostana”. Why do liars appeal to him?

When I look at Meenakshi Sheshadri, she has played a strong, no-nonsense woman in “Ghar Ho To Aisa” and in “Damini”. I haven’t watched much of her other movies, so this is the image I have of her.

Rajesh Khanna and Shahrukh Khan have played the romantic hero several times in their career, and were hugely popular with women filmgoers for the same reason.

This is why the versatility of Ranbir Kapoor appeals so much, and it makes me happy to see that he isn't typecast. He can take on just about any role and make the movie work for him. And for us. Remember what I once wrote about him?

When characters act funny

Marriages are fragile relationships when compared to blood relations, and are more susceptible to negative emotions. Bollywood has come up with several interpretations of marriages, and there is enough drama with songs to boot.

In “Abhimaan” (1973), Amitabh Bachchan’s character cannot tolerate the success of his wife played by Jaya Bhaduri (who takes up a singing career at his insistence) and his pride throws their marriage in disarray. In movie-style, he realizes his mistake and then they reconcile.

This story was reportedly based on Pandit Ravi Shankar and his wife Annapurna Devi – she was more talented than him. In real life, Pandit Ravi Shankar moved on, found other women and got married again. Annapurna Devi never married again.

In “Aap Ki Kasam” (1974), Rajesh Khanna plays a jealous husband who cannot trust his wife (Mumtaz). He leaves her, and then she moves on and remarries. He ends up being a broken man. One song from this movie is stuck in my mind these days, and I have to put an end to the haunting effect of the song.

Compare “Devdas” (2002) and “Dev.D” (2009). These are my views on the story of Devdas.

Today, there is a new breed of men who don’t think twice before taking advantage of the financial independence of their wives and continue to retain all qualities of the traditional MCP. Think Akshay Kumar in “Aitraaz” (2004) – his married character is almost willing to be seduced by Priyanka Chopra’s ex-girlfriend character and the only reason he stops (from the final act so to speak) is because he suddenly remembers that he is married.

I think he suddenly remembered that his wife is a lawyer.

A side point – why badmouth pigs while labeling people as male chauvinist pigs or female chauvinist pigs? Pigs don’t have to be involved, do they?

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Oh my darling, oh my darling,

Oh my darling, Clementine!

Thou art lost and gone forever

Dreadful sorry, Clementine

After 8 years of completely avoiding this movie, I finally got around to watching it in July 2012. This was 108 minutes of time well spent. For good reasons, I am reminded of this movie today and I decided to get down to writing about it. 

Kate Winslet plays Clementine and Jim Carrey plays Joel. Clementine and Joel are lovers who spend two years together, and then they break up. They are very different from each other, and this contributes to the break up. Clementine then decides to erase all of Joel’s memories, and becomes Joel-free so to speak. Joel decides to do the same to become Clementine-free. The movie is from his perspective and shows how he struggles to hold on to her memories. He tries to hide their important memories within other memories, and realizes that he has much more control over his memories than any machine ever can.

The attendant in the clinic (Elijah Wood) is incidentally dating Clementine when he views Joel’s memories, and proceeds to interact with her in the same manner as Joel had once done – he has her case history and enough evidence to know how Joel behaved and what Clementine liked about Joel. Clementine gets confused repeatedly, and doesn’t know why.

I am not getting into the plot with Kirsten Dunst – it is an interesting twist. Watch the movie to see how it ends. The Yokefellow thinks happy endings are meant for movies, and I am at the opposite end of the spectrum where I believe in happy endings.

Winslet’s acting is a class act and she received an Academy award nomination for her performance. The striking colours of her hair, her dialogue delivery and her body language are fantastic. The movie makes use of Bollywood music, and the song “Everyone's gonna learn sometime” is nice.

Some thoughts as I watched the movie.

If we are expected to hold on to memories of love long gone, we lose the perspective that it perhaps makes sense to obliterate (a strong word) those memories in order to move on. If we spend time in seeking the friendship of old lovers and maintaining those friendships, then we’d never give our new lovers a chance. We'd not give love a chance.

Imagine if someone were to tell you the stuff that you wanted to hear, somewhere deep within, and it is not because he/ she is supremely understanding of you. It is because he/ she has got to ‘know’ you in a roundabout manner, and already knows what matters to you, what your pet peeves are. He/ she doesn’t ever tell you that he/ she ‘knows’ you. Would you feel cheated? Would you feel flattered? Would you question the authenticity of the friendship / relationship / whatever you wish to call it?

The movie also made me think of the beauty of companionship. Some get obsessed with the idea and repeatedly seek company in order to be with someone all the time. There are others who move away from the idea when their companion leaves them.

I leave you with this.

How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!

The world forgetting, by the world forgot.

Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!

Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd;

Midnight’s Children (2012)

I am a fan of Salman Rushdie’s writing and I am fond of Tinkerbells. Hence, when she asked me to do a review of the movie ‘Midnight’s Children’, I thought that I could use a diversion.

I remember finishing the book while on a train journey from Mumbai to Chennai - in 2002 and not 1999 as I originally told Tinkerbells. After three false starts, I read the book just before I joined b-school, and have vague recollections of the writing. I was travelling on my own, and my fellow passengers commented as to how I spent more time reading and less time talking.

Things haven't changed.

In February 2013, I watched the movie on my own and in a largely empty theatre. The few occupants were mostly foreigners or Indians who had lived / were living abroad. I got an aisle seat and was happy with the positive discrimination. I later noticed that there were atleast 3 more ladies who had come to watch the movie on their own.

The movie is faithful to the main story. What helps while watching this movie? For starters, reading the book will help. An understanding of India’s history is helpful. An appreciation for what happens when a person is forced to move sides because the country that once belonged to him doesn’t belong to him anymore, and what happens when you are not your parents’ child is useful. A liking for depictions of irony will help. If you dislike the idea of magic (and stories like Harry Potter), watching all the Midnight’s Children talking to each other might be bit much.

I remembered the description of Saleem Sinai’s grandfather, and found the casting of Rajat Kapoor as Aadam Aziz good. When his character ages, Shabhana Azmi plays his wife Naseem and I didn’t like her performance as much. Dal Lake looks real - I can't find any ready links as to whether film shooting was done on site.

Ronit Roy who plays Ahmed Sinai and Shahana Goswami (of ‘Rock On!!’ fame) who plays Amina Sinai were both well-cast. The break-up of Amina's first marriage is shown well. Amina’s sister Emerald (played by Anita Majumdar) was good, and her husband Zulfikar (played by Rahul Bose) was reduced to a caricature. I don’t know if this was deliberate – my memory of his character from the book eludes me.

Satya Bhabha who plays the protagonist Saleem Sinai has been panned by critics. His casting and acting worked for me because of the way he brought to life Saleem’s unsure body language, his Anglo-Indian parentage, his bewilderment at what happens to him and his love affair with Parvati. Also, his lack of height seemed to elevate his performance.

Parvati played by Shriya Saran was easily the best of the lot. The way she moved about in the dirty bylanes of Delhi with ease, and her comfort with her body was nice to watch. She played a magician, and she did well.

Soha Ali Khan plays Jamila Sinai, Saleem’s sister. She was aptly cast, and so was Seema Biswas as Mary the nurse who swaps the lives of two children – Saleem and Shiva. I remembered the descriptions of green chutney from the book, and was glad to find the chutney find its way into the movie.

This brings me to Shiva, played by Siddharth of ‘Rang De Basanti’ fame. He surprised me with his depiction of violence just via his body language, and was immensely watchable.

I didn’t like the portrayal of the Lady, played by Sarita Choudhury. There seemed too much effort with the movement of her jaw, and it came across as unnatural. What I liked was that there were no cuts introduced regarding this character. It serves as a reminder for me to read up a little more on Indira Gandhi.

Oscars 2013

As soon as I watched ‘Lincoln’, I predicted that Day-Lewis would win his third Oscar. Today, Daniel Day-Lewis won the best actor Oscar for his performance in the movie. What makes it special – he became the first man to win three Oscars for acting. I am yet to write about the movie, and will do so sometime.

I had also predicted that Anne Hathaway would win the best supporting actress Oscar for her performance as Fantine in ‘Les Miserables’. She did. It is only a matter of time before she wins the best actress Oscar. I had once mentioned her here.

I am so thrilled that Adele won the best song Oscar for ‘Skyfall’. This morning, when I heard her perform, I had goosebumps. She has a mesmerizing voice.

Well deserved, all three.

Ghar Ho To Aisa (1990)

Bollywood in the ‘90s was full of stereotypes. The mother-in-law was evil personified, the sister-in-law was evil-trained and could take her place at short notice if required, and depending upon the story, the father-in-law would be a mute spectator or an abettor. There were multiple references to dowry and greed for money.

In “Ghar Ho To Aisa”, Meenakshi Seshadri’s Seema is an educated, rich, no-nonsense woman. Her poor friend from college Sharda (played by Deepti Naval) gets married into a family where the mother-in-law Durga (played by Bindu) and sister-in-law Kanchan (played by Rita Bhaduri) torture her. Durga has perfect control over her husband Ramprasad (played by Saeed Jaffrey), and her elder son. Sharda’s husband and Durga's elder son Vijay (played by Raj Kiran) is a bully who cannot stand up to his mother, and he proceeds to have an extra-marital affair. The affair receives full support from his parents and sister. Kanchan’s husband Bajrangi (played by Kader Khan) is a ghar-jamai and he is a mute spectator who doesn’t dare say anything against his shrewish wife.

Sharda receives support mainly from her brother-in-law Amar (played by Anil Kapoor). Seema gets married to Amar, and then proceeds to teach Durga and Kanchan the lesson of their life.

I was less than 10 years of age when I watched this movie, and remember being very impressed with Seema for standing up to her husband’s evil family. I also wondered as to why Sharda didn’t make a similar attempt.

Luckily, Seema and Amar remain married towards the end of the movie and therefore justify the title of the movie. Till date, real life doesn't mirror Bollywood and what one can wish for is Ghar Na Ho Aisa.

The movie is so old that it is freely available on YouTube. At 2:01:51, a scene starts where Kanchan and Durga plot to burn Seema’s hand. Watch how she thwarts their plan, and takes revenge of behalf of her friend.  

The first phone scene from ZNMD (2011)

This is my original review of the movie.

Arjun, Kabir and Imraan have started the road trip, and then Arjun (who is driving) gets a work-related call. Kabir makes a casual remark about why someone can’t throw Arjun’s phone away, and Imraan actually does so. He yanks at Arjun’s phone and throws it away in the midst of his call.

Arjun is furious, and then the fight starts. Unresolved feelings come up, and then Kabir steps in with his candid assessment of the situation, and of how Arjun and Imraan should deal with the situation as adults and not as children.

The way Arjun says that Imraan gets away with situations when he is always acting so cool / so fun to be with, and when he insists that Imraan has to apologise till the time the apology doesn’t stem from his heart is beautiful to watch.

Arjun's real demand from Imraan was a sincere apology and an acknowledgement of the cracks in their friendship. The fact that he is girlfriend-less or phone-less isn't as bothersome.

Nice going, Hrithik.

Pooja from Biwi No. 1 (1999)

I had watched this movie at home, and found it entertaining in the way David Dhawan movies can be. The songs were interesting, the actors played their roles well, and there was a happy ending. I added this movie to my list of Hindi-movies-with-sunshine-optimism. They don’t mirror reality.

Pooja (played by Karisma Kapoor) is a happily married housewife who takes pride in taking care of her husband, two children, her mother-in-law, the dog and the house. Her husband Prem (played by Salman Khan) gets bored of her goody-goody behavior and gets quickly attracted to a model Rupali (played by Sushmita Sen.) He starts spending more time with Rupali, and starts lying to Pooja.

When Pooja discovers the affair, she asks Prem to choose between her and Rupali. Prem chooses Rupali and moves in with her. His friend Lakhan (played by Anil Kapor) then steps in, gives Pooja tips on attracting her husband back, and she wins him over.

This is not the complete story.

Pooja actually takes Prem back – Rupali leaves Prem to go back to her boyfriend Deepak (played by Saif Ali Khan) and Prem is left alone. Pooja is the epitome of wifely sacrifice, and Prem the epitome of selfish behaviour. Sickening, both.

I wrote in my previous post that I believe the cheating spouse / spouse who emotionally abandons must be allowed to go away. This movie mirrors pretty much everything that I don’t believe in - the movie shows how physical attraction is more important than mental compatibility, how a sincere spouse who spends more time taking care of those at home is boring, how extroverted behavior is more deserving of romantic love, how emotional drama on part of the family will make the cheating spouse realise his mistake, and how husbands deserve complete trust and understanding irrespective of their behavior.

There were some nice moments. The mother-in-law (played by Himani Shivpuri) is good to Pooja and supports her instead of her errant son. The husband’s friend, Lakhan, helps Pooja tap into her self-confidence. I believe in the innate power of sincere (and direct) apologies and forgiveness, and it was good to see Deepak forgive Rupali. As for Pooja, she gets back to wearing glamorous clothes and shows off her perfect figure and dancing skills.

Life’s good when you rediscover yourself. 

Dev from Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (2006)

I have written about extra-marital affairs in my other blog and am a firm believer that once there is an extra-marital affair, it is best to let the cheating spouse go, and officially declare emotional abandonment as unacceptable. The cheating spouse is unhappy in the marriage and it is unfair and mentally agonizing for the spouse who has been cheated to forgive the cheater. Granted that it cannot always be the case – there are families involved, and many times there are children as well – and a compromise towards maintaining peace is often reached. However, if there are no such ties involved, it is best to walk out.

One of the more dramatic movies made on extra-marital affairs is Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, and it was my first movie review. When I read it now, I realize that my opinion on Dev the ineffectual wimp hasn’t changed. The irony – Dev was played by the super successful Shahrukh Khan.

Rhea (played by Preity Zinta) is his hard-working and professionally more successful wife. Dev is emotionally unavailable to her and their son, and is a bitter man because he cannot play football anymore (post an accident) – and therefore doesn’t have a stable career.

There are several confrontation scenes between the two of them. In one of them, Dev wrongly accuses Rhea of taking up a more lucrative offer and being selfish regarding herself and her career, and doesn’t wait for her to announce that she has let the offer pass because it would mean uprooting their family.

There is another scene where Rhea declares to him that she wears the pants in the marriage, and that harsh truth leaves him shattered. He is forced to face his own incompetence, and is unable to deal with it in a constructive manner. The affair follows.

The scene where Rhea slaps him after getting to know about his extra-marital affair had left me with mixed feelings. She could have expressed her sense of betrayal with words? For instance, with something on the lines of, “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.”

Perhaps Rhea decided that it was no longer worth it to be reasonable with Dev.

With the wimp out of her way, Rhea then decides to focus on her son and her work – in that order. Her mother-in-law supports her, and stays back with her. She finds love again.

Priya from Dil Chahta Hai (2001)

I had earlier written about 'Dil Chahta Hai' in this post.

Remember Sameer's (Saif Ali Khan) girlfriend Priya (Suchitra Pillai)? She looks disgusted at having Akash (Aamir Khan) around her at all times when she is trying to have a snap clicked with Sameer at a party. She finds Akash's behaviour obnoxious when he randomnly goes and proposes to Shalini (Preity Zinta) at the same party, and then has a conversation with Sameer at the beach.

Watch the clip from 24 minutes 49 seconds till 30 minutes 49 seconds.

Priya asks Sameer to stay away from Akash, and issues an ultimatum. Sameer, who doesn't have the heart to break her heart – and loves his friend more than his girlfriend – struggles with the ultimatum. After all, why is he being asked to choose between his close friend and girlfriend?

He lands up at Akash's place for advice on how to deal with the situation, and doesn't realise when Akash starts making fun of him and his confusion. “Be a man” is great advice for someone who knows what he wants – not for a confused soul like Sameer.

Siddharth (Akshay Khanna) knows Akash well and asks Sameer what he wants to do. He helps Sameer relax. By then, Akash's charming speech has had its effect and Sameer is all set to be a man.

To make matters worse, Akash tells Priya when she calls for the second time that Sameer had not visited him that day. Priya loses her cool completely and breaks up with Sameer.

Sameer and Priya wouldn't have had a long lasting relationship because of the differences in their personalities – she is more aggressive and clear thinking when compared to him, and he is gentler and a people-pleaser. However, could their relationship (while it lasted) have been more peaceful if Akash wasn't confusing Sameer, or if he wasn't teasing Priya as much?

Shashi from Yuva (2004)

I had watched this movie in Bangalore (when it was still called that) with relatives, and had liked the movie in parts.

The pair I liked the most was that of Lallan Singh (Abhishek Bachchan) and Shashi Biswas (Rani Mukerji). The wikipedia entry describes their relationship nicely - "He loves, marries and abuses his wife."

Towards the end of the movie, Shashi insists that Lallan and she leave town, and keeps asking him if he will turn up at the station. He gives every indication that he will, after returning a gun. She offers to throw it away herself, and he doesn't agree.

Unexpectedly, he goes and kills his brother. Expectedly, he doesn't turn up at the station.

Shashi is in the train waiting for him and there is no sign of him when the train starts moving. Her frustration gets vented out when the ticket checker asks her a simple question (not verbatim) - "Aapka pati bathroom mein hai?"

Watch the clip between 22 seconds and 1 minute. 



I wonder why I didn't pay as much attention to the other two couples that shared healthy relationships.

Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin (1991)

Couple of days ago, I found myself singing a song. While I was singing, I couldn't recollect the movie or the singer. I looked it up on youtube, and then realised that the song was from 'Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin'. The spelling of 'Manta' makes me happy - the extra letters were not in fashion at that time.

I must confess that I didn't grow up with the notion of a man of my dreams, so I am recommending the song purely on its cuteness quotient. Anuradha Paudwal is the singer.



I then looked through the other songs in the movie, and realised that I had heard all of them multiple times over. I also remembered that the movie was good fun to watch.