Movie Rec of the Day: Chalte Chalte (India, 2003)

[dangermousie]

The random movie recommendation of the day is Chalte Chalte, a delightful Bollywood movie about love at first sight, and what happens to that love once the happy couple ties the knot.

The first half is a breezy fairy tale, as we meet Raj and Priya. He is an owner of a small trucking company, she is a Greek expat fashion designer from an upperclass family. He loses her phone number, and she is engaged to someone else. He is incredibly impulsive and she is entirely too level headed. Love triumphs, of course. In fact, if the movie stopped after the first hour and a half, it would still be one of the most fairy-talish delightful confections I've seen come out of Bollywood.

But here comes the twist. These people who fell in love after a whirlwind courtship are married. And now the fact that they are opposites doesn't seem so romantic after all. He ignores her and watches TV. She yells at him to pick up his shoes. They argue and bicker and drive each other crazy, and make up passionately and love each other. And then money troubles come in, and the fact that her family has never liked him, and... Basically watch for yourself to find out. All I will say is that I find the ending one of the most realistic and yet sweetest in all of Bollywood.

If you need more reasons, it stars Bollywood's biggest star, Shahrukh Khan, and one of Bollywood's most popular "heroines," Rani Mukherjee. It has lovely stretches filmed in Greece, great song and dance numbers, fun secondary characters, Rani in beautiful outfits, and Shahrukh looking to die for in stonewashed jeans.

Comments

[linaerys.livejournal.com]

Scolding SRK is adorable.

I have this one, I really have to watch it one of these days. Somehow I don't have the long 3-hour stretches of time that I did back in January.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Scolding SRK is adorable

*sigh*

Actually, this one you can watch in two hour and a half stretches, because it really is separable. It's probably either in or near my top 10 SRK films.

Hmmm, let's see

1 Veer-Zaara
2 DDLJ
3 Asoka
4 Dil Se
5 Devdas
6 Swades
7 KKHH
8 Paheli
9 Main Hoon Na
10 Chalte Chalte (yup :D)

[scottishlass.livejournal.com]

Chalte Chalte is one of my all time favourites BW movies. Not only because SRK is in it but because Rani is (instead of Ash). And boy, SRK as the angry one is scary and fascinating.
Thumbs Up for this movie!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I adore Ash. She is beautiful, a great dancer, and has good chemistry with SRK. But I am glad she dropped out (or was fired) because her vibe was all wrong for this movie. Rani has a comfortable, every day, a well worn vibe to her. She is pigheaded and adorable all at once (just like SRK).

SRK as the angry one is scary and fascinating

Yes. The only other movie he had a similar effect on me was, oddly enough, Asoka. When he lets loose with Rani during the climactic fight, I really wanted to get into the movie and smack him senseless myself. But yet, while you are mad at him, he can make you feel sorry for him and root for Rani to take him back minutes later. I love that.

Btw, icon!

[(Anonymous)]

Hehe. SRK's leg looks like its going through Rani's hair in that first pic. :P.

I liked this movie. It has some of SRK's best dramatic performances during the second half of the movie.

What I loved most about the movie was the picturization of the songs. Very colorful and they show so much beautiful scenery, esp. during Dagariya Chalo, Suno Na, and Tauba Tumhare Yeh Ishare. Plus SRK and Rani are so well dressed in these ones.

One way Chalte Chalte has influenced my life: I've started to refer to some things/and people as "cute-ly ugl-ley"! :P The way SRK describes that stuffed doggie he wins for Rani is too cute. :)

Hmmm, seeing those pics makes want to see the movie again.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, I love the songs!

Whenever I need cheering up, I just plug my DVD to "Gumshuda." Love, love, love LOVE.

The way SRK describes that stuffed doggie he wins for Rani is too cute

Yes :) I love that he can't win it and the booth guy just finally takes pity on him and gives it to him!

[(Anonymous)]

Gumshuda is awsome! And it has that teasing moment where Rani (in a sari) and SRK break into dance for just a sec. It just leaves you wanting to more of them dancing!

[quote]Yes :) I love that he can't win it and the booth guy just finally takes pity on him and gives it to him[/quote]

How much money did he spend on trying to win the pug? He must have seen SRK making a cute'ly ugly puppy face that he just couldn't resist. ;)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

It just leaves you wanting to more of them dancing!

Oh yes. He did this movie during his severe back problems and I am always beyond amazed that he was able to do the dancing in this one (that's psychotic work ethic for you!).

I really hope he and Rani have some dances in the upcoming Karan Johar flick.

How much money did he spend on trying to win the pug?

Yup, I don't think the booth owner lost in that transaction!

[plazmah.livejournal.com]

Actually, I didn't like this movie as much as I thought I would. Probably because the movie I saw right before this was Saathiya and I felt like it was a ripoff. I prefered the personality Vivek Oberoi had rather than the one SRK had. The whole thing with SRK being insecure about money and all that "class differences" took away from the point of the movie; highlighting the life and struggles of a married couple, IMHO.

Still, really really liked the movie. The songs are to die for. Tauba Tumhare Yeh Ishare is gorgeous. Me and <lj user="wasabi_girl1" regularly watch the video and talk about how we want to steal Rani's entire wardrobe. Or at least her stylist ;)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

The thing is, I don't care for Saathiya. It felt less realistic. But to each her own :)

[plazmah.livejournal.com]

Aaah, the last bit of my comment never made it! I was just saying how me and Ani watch Tauba Tumhare Yeh Ishare and talk about how we want to steal Rani's clothes ;)

[wasabi-girl1.livejournal.com]

This movie was pretty good, but sometimes you want to slap the two of them when they're arguing. I mean, I watch BW to escape, I don't need to see them argue! :P

But then again, I love Saathiya...hmm. I dunno, if it hadn't been SRK, then I wouldn't have liked it as much, but the songs were too awesome! :D

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

See, I like the realism of the arguing. Because they are still sweet.