Bachna Ae Haseena: not bad

Last night, I went to see Bachna Ae Haseeno, a Bolly flick starring Ranbir Kapoor, Bipasha Basu and Deepika Padukone.

The plot of BAH is pretty simple: Ranbir is a player who thoughtlessly manages to woo and ditch two pretty awesome women (Minisha and Bipasha), in addition to various enjoyable one night stands. Until he falls in love himself with Deepika who turns him down flat. Falling in love for the first time, and being turned down actually makes him grow up and realize the wrongs he committed, so he embarks on a quest to find the two women he wronged and earn their forgiveness (which is actually my favorite part of the movie. This is a rare Bolly flick where the second part is better than the first).

So, good or not? I liked it and didn't want my money back, but I didn't love it. It entertained me but it neither made me giddy with joy (except for one moment which is spoilery) nor emotionally involved.

It's episodic (as each woman gets her own 'story') which is a tricky thing to deal with: sometimes you can have an episodic movie which makes each story feel complete, fully developed and even fleshed out (one of my favorites, Salaam e Ishq does just that) but in BAH all three stories feel rather underdeveloped. Deepika's part especially suffers from it. What is it in her that makes Ranbir give up his silly lifestyle, change for the better, fall in love? Sure, she is hot, but so were Minisha and Bipasha. I suppose he has grown up and is ready for committment, in his late 20s, but h was quite happy slutting around just months before and once again, why Deepika? ( Spoilery long thoughts )

So overall, enjoyable two and a bit hours. But I think Hum Tum did the story of a flirt falling in love for the first time and what it means and what happens much much better. That leads me to the fact that part of why I only liked it is certainly not the movie's fault: it just is not the type of movie I normally prefer. I like my deathless love movies: the Veer-Zaaras, the DDLJs, the Fanaas, even Hum Tums (HT is swoonily romantic in the second half), better than something like this. Can't help it.

Bachna Ae Haseena: not bad

Last night, I went to see Bachna Ae Haseeno, a Bolly flick starring Ranbir Kapoor, Bipasha Basu and Deepika Padukone.

The plot of BAH is pretty simple: Ranbir is a player who thoughtlessly manages to woo and ditch two pretty awesome women (Minisha and Bipasha), in addition to various enjoyable one night stands. Until he falls in love himself with Deepika who turns him down flat. Falling in love for the first time, and being turned down actually makes him grow up and realize the wrongs he committed, so he embarks on a quest to find the two women he wronged and earn their forgiveness (which is actually my favorite part of the movie. This is a rare Bolly flick where the second part is better than the first).

So, good or not? I liked it and didn't want my money back, but I didn't love it. It entertained me but it neither made me giddy with joy (except for one moment which is spoilery) nor emotionally involved.

It's episodic (as each woman gets her own 'story') which is a tricky thing to deal with: sometimes you can have an episodic movie which makes each story feel complete, fully developed and even fleshed out (one of my favorites, Salaam e Ishq does just that) but in BAH all three stories feel rather underdeveloped. Deepika's part especially suffers from it. What is it in her that makes Ranbir give up his silly lifestyle, change for the better, fall in love? Sure, she is hot, but so were Minisha and Bipasha. I suppose he has grown up and is ready for committment, in his late 20s, but h was quite happy slutting around just months before and once again, why Deepika? ( Spoilery long thoughts )

So overall, enjoyable two and a bit hours. But I think Hum Tum did the story of a flirt falling in love for the first time and what it means and what happens much much better. That leads me to the fact that part of why I only liked it is certainly not the movie's fault: it just is not the type of movie I normally prefer. I like my deathless love movies: the Veer-Zaaras, the DDLJs, the Fanaas, even Hum Tums (HT is swoonily romantic in the second half), better than something like this. Can't help it.

Bachna Ae Haseena: not bad

Last night, I went to see Bachna Ae Haseeno, a Bolly flick starring Ranbir Kapoor, Bipasha Basu and Deepika Padukone.

The plot of BAH is pretty simple: Ranbir is a player who thoughtlessly manages to woo and ditch two pretty awesome women (Minisha and Bipasha), in addition to various enjoyable one night stands. Until he falls in love himself with Deepika who turns him down flat. Falling in love for the first time, and being turned down actually makes him grow up and realize the wrongs he committed, so he embarks on a quest to find the two women he wronged and earn their forgiveness (which is actually my favorite part of the movie. This is a rare Bolly flick where the second part is better than the first).

So, good or not? I liked it and didn't want my money back, but I didn't love it. It entertained me but it neither made me giddy with joy (except for one moment which is spoilery) nor emotionally involved.

It's episodic (as each woman gets her own 'story') which is a tricky thing to deal with: sometimes you can have an episodic movie which makes each story feel complete, fully developed and even fleshed out (one of my favorites, Salaam e Ishq does just that) but in BAH all three stories feel rather underdeveloped. Deepika's part especially suffers from it. What is it in her that makes Ranbir give up his silly lifestyle, change for the better, fall in love? Sure, she is hot, but so were Minisha and Bipasha. I suppose he has grown up and is ready for committment, in his late 20s, but h was quite happy slutting around just months before and once again, why Deepika? ( Spoilery long thoughts )

So overall, enjoyable two and a bit hours. But I think Hum Tum did the story of a flirt falling in love for the first time and what it means and what happens much much better. That leads me to the fact that part of why I only liked it is certainly not the movie's fault: it just is not the type of movie I normally prefer. I like my deathless love movies: the Veer-Zaaras, the DDLJs, the Fanaas, even Hum Tums (HT is swoonily romantic in the second half), better than something like this. Can't help it.

Two of my favorite Bollywood scenes/songs of all time

This post is to post two of my all-time favorite Bollywood songs from two movies that share that super-coveted 'favorite Bollywood movie number 1' spot, and have for years: a super-hit Veer-Zaara made in 2004 and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge made almost a decade yearlier, in 1995, and one of the hugest Bolly hits of all time.

(Coincidentally, they both star Shah Rukh Khan. Funny thing is, he became my favorite Bollywood actor because of those movies, not those movies became favorites because I was a fan of him).

Despite the fact that the movies are rather different in plots and situations, other than the forbidden love aspect, these two songs are basically about the same situation: the girl who is about to be trapped in an arranged marriage discovering that despite any logic or hope, the guy she loves has come a huge distance to find her, without being sure she loves him back, just because the chance of finding out is worth it.

First off, 'Tujha Dekha' from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, starring the arguably biggest hit couple ever: Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. In case you are unfamiliar with Bollywood, for which DDLJ is one of the few ur-movies, the plot is as follows: the tongue-in-cheek, Westernized Raj and Simran, who is from an incredibly conservative family, fall in love when they meet during a Eurorail trip, but at the end she leaves to go to her arranged Punjabi marriage in India. They haven't even exchanged "I love you's" at that point (though it's clear they are mad about each other) but one morning she wakes up to find out that Raj has found where she went and flew all the way to India to find her. (I did not spoil the movie for you, we are halfway in). Which is where this song comes in. I have a confession: not only is Tujha Dekha my favorite Bollywood song of all time, the moment she runs into his arms and the moment he goes down on his knees is my favorite movie in any Bollywood movie, ever, of all time. I have rewatched that scene and that song too many times to count.

The second song is 'Aaya Tere Dar Pe Deewana', from Veer-Zaara starring Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta (I think it was the last full-romance movie SRK did and probably will do, but what a way to go out!). Veer-Zaara is a super-romantic story of a very forbidden love between an Indian pilot and a Pakistani aristocrat. Oh boy, is it forbidden and angsty. When I saw it in the theater, grown men with mustaches were crying next to me (I was bawling as well, I confess). In this song, Shah Rukh has come all the way to Pakistan, which means he has to resign his military position which has been his life, after a phone call by Preity's servant on the mere chance Preity might want him, and not the aristocratic man she is betrothed to. The thing I love most about this scene? The same thing I've loved the first time I've seen it: he comes to the shrine and he stands there, but he makes no move, no hint, no sign that he knows her, even, even when she starts walking towards him, until she puts her arms around him. Because it must be entirely her choice: he would never force her or push her or do anything that might expose her in front of her family unless she desires it.

Happy watching!

Two of my favorite Bollywood scenes/songs of all time

This post is to post two of my all-time favorite Bollywood songs from two movies that share that super-coveted 'favorite Bollywood movie number 1' spot, and have for years: a super-hit Veer-Zaara made in 2004 and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge made almost a decade yearlier, in 1995, and one of the hugest Bolly hits of all time.

(Coincidentally, they both star Shah Rukh Khan. Funny thing is, he became my favorite Bollywood actor because of those movies, not those movies became favorites because I was a fan of him).

Despite the fact that the movies are rather different in plots and situations, other than the forbidden love aspect, these two songs are basically about the same situation: the girl who is about to be trapped in an arranged marriage discovering that despite any logic or hope, the guy she loves has come a huge distance to find her, without being sure she loves him back, just because the chance of finding out is worth it.

First off, 'Tujha Dekha' from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, starring the arguably biggest hit couple ever: Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. In case you are unfamiliar with Bollywood, for which DDLJ is one of the few ur-movies, the plot is as follows: the tongue-in-cheek, Westernized Raj and Simran, who is from an incredibly conservative family, fall in love when they meet during a Eurorail trip, but at the end she leaves to go to her arranged Punjabi marriage in India. They haven't even exchanged "I love you's" at that point (though it's clear they are mad about each other) but one morning she wakes up to find out that Raj has found where she went and flew all the way to India to find her. (I did not spoil the movie for you, we are halfway in). Which is where this song comes in. I have a confession: not only is Tujha Dekha my favorite Bollywood song of all time, the moment she runs into his arms and the moment he goes down on his knees is my favorite movie in any Bollywood movie, ever, of all time. I have rewatched that scene and that song too many times to count.

The second song is 'Aaya Tere Dar Pe Deewana', from Veer-Zaara starring Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta (I think it was the last full-romance movie SRK did and probably will do, but what a way to go out!). Veer-Zaara is a super-romantic story of a very forbidden love between an Indian pilot and a Pakistani aristocrat. Oh boy, is it forbidden and angsty. When I saw it in the theater, grown men with mustaches were crying next to me (I was bawling as well, I confess). In this song, Shah Rukh has come all the way to Pakistan, which means he has to resign his military position which has been his life, after a phone call by Preity's servant on the mere chance Preity might want him, and not the aristocratic man she is betrothed to. The thing I love most about this scene? The same thing I've loved the first time I've seen it: he comes to the shrine and he stands there, but he makes no move, no hint, no sign that he knows her, even, even when she starts walking towards him, until she puts her arms around him. Because it must be entirely her choice: he would never force her or push her or do anything that might expose her in front of her family unless she desires it.

Happy watching!

Two of my favorite Bollywood scenes/songs of all time

This post is to post two of my all-time favorite Bollywood songs from two movies that share that super-coveted 'favorite Bollywood movie number 1' spot, and have for years: a super-hit Veer-Zaara made in 2004 and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge made almost a decade yearlier, in 1995, and one of the hugest Bolly hits of all time.

(Coincidentally, they both star Shah Rukh Khan. Funny thing is, he became my favorite Bollywood actor because of those movies, not those movies became favorites because I was a fan of him).

Despite the fact that the movies are rather different in plots and situations, other than the forbidden love aspect, these two songs are basically about the same situation: the girl who is about to be trapped in an arranged marriage discovering that despite any logic or hope, the guy she loves has come a huge distance to find her, without being sure she loves him back, just because the chance of finding out is worth it.

First off, 'Tujha Dekha' from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, starring the arguably biggest hit couple ever: Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. In case you are unfamiliar with Bollywood, for which DDLJ is one of the few ur-movies, the plot is as follows: the tongue-in-cheek, Westernized Raj and Simran, who is from an incredibly conservative family, fall in love when they meet during a Eurorail trip, but at the end she leaves to go to her arranged Punjabi marriage in India. They haven't even exchanged "I love you's" at that point (though it's clear they are mad about each other) but one morning she wakes up to find out that Raj has found where she went and flew all the way to India to find her. (I did not spoil the movie for you, we are halfway in). Which is where this song comes in. I have a confession: not only is Tujha Dekha my favorite Bollywood song of all time, the moment she runs into his arms and the moment he goes down on his knees is my favorite movie in any Bollywood movie, ever, of all time. I have rewatched that scene and that song too many times to count.

The second song is 'Aaya Tere Dar Pe Deewana', from Veer-Zaara starring Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta (I think it was the last full-romance movie SRK did and probably will do, but what a way to go out!). Veer-Zaara is a super-romantic story of a very forbidden love between an Indian pilot and a Pakistani aristocrat. Oh boy, is it forbidden and angsty. When I saw it in the theater, grown men with mustaches were crying next to me (I was bawling as well, I confess). In this song, Shah Rukh has come all the way to Pakistan, which means he has to resign his military position which has been his life, after a phone call by Preity's servant on the mere chance Preity might want him, and not the aristocratic man she is betrothed to. The thing I love most about this scene? The same thing I've loved the first time I've seen it: he comes to the shrine and he stands there, but he makes no move, no hint, no sign that he knows her, even, even when she starts walking towards him, until she puts her arms around him. Because it must be entirely her choice: he would never force her or push her or do anything that might expose her in front of her family unless she desires it.

Happy watching!