Bollywood as Medicine: Saw Paap
Apr. 29th, 2005 11:01 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dangermousieThanks guys! Feeling better today.
Once the antibiotics wore a bit off yesterday, I decided to cheer myself up with a movie I just bought: Paap. It's a Bollywood remake of "Witness." And by "remake" I don't mean "loosly inspired by," the way "Hum Tum" is very loosely inspired by "When Harry Met Sally." Nope, a genuine remake. The plot (for those who don't know): a young Buddhist boy witnesses a murder. A police officer must protect him and the young woman who came to Delhi to retrieve the boy to take him back to their community. The cop ends up at the community for a while. The movie makers substituted a remote Buddhist community for the Amish of the original film.
I loved it. The plot would be surprising to someone who hadn't seen Witness, but since I have, I knew everything that was coming. That's OK, I didn't get it for the plot. I got it for the incredible scenery and John Abraham (playing the cop). Also, this has to be the most explicit BW movie I've ever seen (by that I mean it would get PG in the US).
Random observations follow:
1. This movie has an incredibly (for BW) short running time of 2 hours. However, that is not necessarily good. Some BW movies feel bloated and padded to reach the desired 3 hr running time, but I think this one could have benefitted from 20 or so more minutes.
2. John Abraham continues to grow on me. Not only hot, but can act really angsty, too. Yum. I was incredibly amused, however, how many excuses the filmmakers found to have him shirtless. He made Salman look always clad by comparison.
3. I really liked the actress who played Kaaya. She was beautiful and acted really well. It was her first movie, but I haven't seen her in anything else. Has she been in anything else? I hope so. I thought she and John Abraham had great chemistry.
4. The scenery. One of the biggest reasons I got this movie. The cinematography was amazing and the scenery: so gorgeous. I could stare and stare and stare. It's somewhere in the vicinity of Manali, which is now another place to add to itinerary for when I go to India.
5. It was great to see the Buddhist community and the rituals. Not something one sees often in Bollywood.
6. The music. I loved it. It had only 3 songs but they were all lovely. So were the picturizations. Once again, in one of them the fillmakers loved showing the girl in her bathing outfit, LOL. The picturization of the last one (her imagination): steamy!
7. Steaminess. This is the most explicit BW movie I've ever seen. Though granted, I usually stay away from "bold" flicks so haven't seen Murder or Julie or similar. Not only did it have kissing (the horror! :)), but I must say that Kaaya had the most vivid imagination. The sex scene she imagined: against the wall, on the kitchen table, unhooking her stockings, raised the temperature in the room quite a bit. Though I must say if I was brought up in an isolated community with only monks for company and then sexy John Abraham showed up, all seriously wounded protecting me, I'd be having a fantasy or two of my own. It was funny (as vierran45 I think pointed out) that his romantic fantasy was a fairly demure traditional one and hers was very steamy. I have to say I liked the kissing at the end. Felt natural: that is what people do, as opposed to just coyly kiss everywhere but.
8. I liked this ending better than the Witness ending. I am a sap. (Don't want to spoil for those unfamiliar with plot).
So, glad I bought it.
X-posted at bollywhat boards
Once the antibiotics wore a bit off yesterday, I decided to cheer myself up with a movie I just bought: Paap. It's a Bollywood remake of "Witness." And by "remake" I don't mean "loosly inspired by," the way "Hum Tum" is very loosely inspired by "When Harry Met Sally." Nope, a genuine remake. The plot (for those who don't know): a young Buddhist boy witnesses a murder. A police officer must protect him and the young woman who came to Delhi to retrieve the boy to take him back to their community. The cop ends up at the community for a while. The movie makers substituted a remote Buddhist community for the Amish of the original film.
I loved it. The plot would be surprising to someone who hadn't seen Witness, but since I have, I knew everything that was coming. That's OK, I didn't get it for the plot. I got it for the incredible scenery and John Abraham (playing the cop). Also, this has to be the most explicit BW movie I've ever seen (by that I mean it would get PG in the US).
Random observations follow:
1. This movie has an incredibly (for BW) short running time of 2 hours. However, that is not necessarily good. Some BW movies feel bloated and padded to reach the desired 3 hr running time, but I think this one could have benefitted from 20 or so more minutes.
2. John Abraham continues to grow on me. Not only hot, but can act really angsty, too. Yum. I was incredibly amused, however, how many excuses the filmmakers found to have him shirtless. He made Salman look always clad by comparison.
3. I really liked the actress who played Kaaya. She was beautiful and acted really well. It was her first movie, but I haven't seen her in anything else. Has she been in anything else? I hope so. I thought she and John Abraham had great chemistry.
4. The scenery. One of the biggest reasons I got this movie. The cinematography was amazing and the scenery: so gorgeous. I could stare and stare and stare. It's somewhere in the vicinity of Manali, which is now another place to add to itinerary for when I go to India.
5. It was great to see the Buddhist community and the rituals. Not something one sees often in Bollywood.
6. The music. I loved it. It had only 3 songs but they were all lovely. So were the picturizations. Once again, in one of them the fillmakers loved showing the girl in her bathing outfit, LOL. The picturization of the last one (her imagination): steamy!
7. Steaminess. This is the most explicit BW movie I've ever seen. Though granted, I usually stay away from "bold" flicks so haven't seen Murder or Julie or similar. Not only did it have kissing (the horror! :)), but I must say that Kaaya had the most vivid imagination. The sex scene she imagined: against the wall, on the kitchen table, unhooking her stockings, raised the temperature in the room quite a bit. Though I must say if I was brought up in an isolated community with only monks for company and then sexy John Abraham showed up, all seriously wounded protecting me, I'd be having a fantasy or two of my own. It was funny (as vierran45 I think pointed out) that his romantic fantasy was a fairly demure traditional one and hers was very steamy. I have to say I liked the kissing at the end. Felt natural: that is what people do, as opposed to just coyly kiss everywhere but.
8. I liked this ending better than the Witness ending. I am a sap. (Don't want to spoil for those unfamiliar with plot).
So, glad I bought it.
X-posted at bollywhat boards
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no subject
Date: 2005-04-29 06:36 pm (UTC)I just ordered this movie from Nehaflix a few days ago and I'm anxiously awaiting to get it! Thanks for posting your observations. Now I know I didn't waste my money. It sounds like I'll enjoy this movie as well (especially John...hehe).
no subject
Date: 2005-04-29 07:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-04-30 02:13 am (UTC)I've seen Witness, but at the time I saw it the topless scene was the most scandelous thing I'd ever seen. So, yeah. It's been a while. As Bollywood? Yeah, I don't think the Witness ending would work with a muscial.
no subject
Date: 2005-04-30 03:44 am (UTC)I saw Witness a long long time ago too...
no subject
Date: 2005-05-06 01:43 pm (UTC)It really is a beautifully shot movie. And I do love that ending!
no subject
Date: 2005-06-15 03:24 am (UTC)