Rang De Basanti

Before viewing the film, I knew next to nothing about Rang De Basanti, except for that it:

1)Starred the ultra-talented Aamir Khan.

2)Was a highly respected film, receiving postive reviews from bloggers, critical acclaim, and several award nominations/wins.

3)Made a political and social comment, and although I had no idea regarding what, I knew it generated a lot of discussion and gave RDB a substantial mark in the history of Indian cinema.

4)Had a cool name. I didn't know what Rang de Basanti meant at the time, but I loved the way it sounded(By the way, thanks to IMDB.com, now I know it means Paint it Yellow (Saffron), a statement that represents being sacrificed for a good cause. The color yellow is also used frequently in the film. Wow. Its even cooler now!)



Sold. I would have purchased it based on #1 alone.

I was cautious about going into the film blindly, especially with such high expectations, as I had with Lagaan. Although I enjoyed that film, I totally overanalyzed it and walked away feeling it wasn't what I expected. But after I wrote the post and started reading the comments, I realized I missed the beauty of Lagaan--its uniqueness is what sets it apart, and I didn't appreciate that at the time.

With Rang de Basanti, I wasn't going to let that happen. I remained patient through the first half, which reminded me a tad bit of Dil Chata Hai. This wasn't a good thing, since Rang de Basanti lacked the character development and chemistry the friends in that film shared. Even Aamir Khan's DJ felt like a milder Aakash...



But, I chose to cast those feelings aside and remain patient, knowing something big was going to happen and whirl the balance of the film in a completely different direction. Boy, was I glad I kept the faith. Shortly after intermission, it all came together, and I realized this film was nothing like Dil Chata Hai. In fact, it was unlike any film I had ever seen, and I was amazed in the turn of events as well as the clever plot which was unraveling before my eyes.

The film begins when a British filmmaker named Sue(played by Alice Patten) decides to make a movie in India based on her grandfather's diary, a prison guard during the Indian Independence Movement. She travels to India to begin shooting with her friend Sonia (Soha Ali Khan--Saif Ali Khan's sister, for those of you who are like me and did not know). Sonia helps Sue find her cast for the film--four of Sonia's own closest college friends, DJ, Karan, Aslam, and Sukhi(Aamir Khan, Siddarth, Kunal Kapoor, and Sharman Joshi, respectively). Later the crew adds Laxman (Atul Kulkarni), although not without some conflict. We see the friends laugh, cry, have fun, all things we can expect college students to do. This occupies most of the first half, although the film is peppered with flashbacks from Sue's grandfather's diary, which later transform to our college friends in character.

If you've seen Rang de Basanti, you know its much more than that, as the core of the film's message starts to really take shape in the second half. But for the sake of those who haven't seen the film, the rest is better left unsaid--Just please trust me on this one and see it for yourself!



I've said it before and I'll say it again--Aamir Khan is truly an amazing actor. But I realized after watching Rang De Basanti that I respect him for something else, too: It seems like he chooses to do films that have a political or social message that he feels strongly about. Just look at the evidence--his role in Fanaa and controversial comments he made surrounding it, the strong Indian unity and triumph during British rule in Lagaan, the sensitive issue in Taare Zameen Par (a film I haven't seen but I know is about a child with a disabilty--which definitely strikes a sensitivity chord with me). Unfortunately, I don't know Aamir Khan personally, so I can't say whether my statement is valid or not, but I just get the impression that he chooses projects which mean something to him. And, wow, I really love him for that.

The rest of the cast was amazing, and all deserve individual credit, but since there are so many of them, I'll refrain from doing so--its not really necessary in this film. I will say that I heard Shahrukh Khan was supposed to play the part of Sonia's boyfriend, but was unavailable to do so (the part was ultimately given to Madhavan). I have mixed feelings about that--it could have been an amazing opprotunity for him to do something different and do it well, or his star power could have bogged down his ability to play a supporting character. It would have been either great or awful, but I guess we'll never know, and that's okay.



I thought some of the songs in the film were pretty, but sometimes felt a little bored while watching--weird for me because I'm not one of those people who get antsy during song-time in Hindi films. I usually watch them as closely as I do the dialouges. But, for some reason, I found my mind wandering in this film's musical moments.

(***SPOILER*****)I just have to say the ending is extremely powerful and effective, and I mean that in more than just content but on a technical level as well. The director played this out brilliantly--I'll never forget the last few frames...or DJ and Karan's smiles. Not to mention Karan's flashback of his last moment with his father. Powerful. I was literally in floods of tears.
(****SPOILER END*****)

I guess this is a short post because a film like this truly speaks for itself. I can't even crack any sarcastic jokes or comment on Kunal Kapoor's hottness, because it just doesn't seem relevant(but hot he is--ok, I couldn't help it).



Just go see it. It is definitely a one of a kind film.


Text © 2008 Nida Nazir
Bitten By Bollywood

Laaga Chunari Mein Daag

I may be just a tad biased where Laaga Chunari Mein Daag is concerned, because it was the first Bollywood movie I got to see on the big screen back in October.

My mom and I made a whole day of it--First the movie and then dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. Mmm, Bollywood and Godiva cheesecake...two of my favorite things! Since we had such a good time that day, and the movie was a part of that experience, I may have enjoyed Laaga Chunari Mein Daag a bit more than I would have otherwise. I was eager to get my hands on the DVD and find out, once and for all, whether this movie would be as much fun in the comfort of my living room.


And guess what...it kind of was! But allow me to explain, because there is a catch. Let me put it like this...if we look at LCMD as "the journey of a woman" from village life into prostitution, and the feelings and experiences she encounters along the way, then it fails miserably. Here's why:

1)We aren't given any real juicy stories about Vibha's life and transformation as a prostitute. In fact, there's really very little shown of her day to day experiences in the profession. We just skip from a scared young woman to a confident call girl with little in between except for a song. I don't know about you, I would have appreciated a little more insight into her life.

2)There are a lot of holes in the story, such as why Vibha would have rather slept with Karan's boss instead of taking him up on his offer to give her money. In a story with such a heavy topic, there really should be a solid basis for her making the decision she did.


3)Abhishek Bachchan, who I normally love onscreen with Rani, had a very small role that he did little with. He kind of seemed like he didn't want to be there(Then again, to cut him a break, the man did just marry Aishwarya Rai. Maybe he really wanted to go home, and who could blame him?). I think the writers placed too much faith in Rani and Abhi's popularity as a couple that they felt they didn't have to flesh the story out, since the public would love them anyways. Well, I am a fan of these two, and I still did get excited when they were onscreen together in LCMD, but I was a tad dissapointed that there wasn't more to their romance.

Despite these issues, if you take Laaga Chunari Mein Daag as a "chick flick", something you can curl up and watch with a pint of chocolate ice cream and some friends, then it is actually quite good. There are some great performances and hidden touches to the film that make it extremely watchable and fun. Here's why:

1)Konkana Sen Sharma and Kunal Kapoor. Wow, I really enjoyed these two onscreen together! Their scenes after the intermission were some of the best parts of the movie. Konkana is a breath of fresh air and Kunal is simply dreamy (so much so, that I forgave him for that disgusting sandwhich with drippy mayo and his feet on Chutki's desk). I love them together, I love them seperately. I've definately got to see Aaja Nachle.


2)Rani Mukerjee is one of my favorite actresses, and this movie had a lot of Rani in it. I'd read multiple reviews that criticized her performance, saying it was dull and lifeless. But I think one of the great things about Rani's talent is that she never overacts, having the unique ability to say so much with her eyes alone.


3)Konkana's character, Chutki, had a thing for Shahrukh Khan. I love when I hear references to other actors or movies in Bollywood and I just get it. It makes me feel like I've come so far.

4)I always feel like Jaya Bachchan and Anupham Kher are overused in supportive parental roles...well, at least Anupham Kher is. But in this movie, I forgot all about that and found the little family to be pretty believable.

5)And back to Abhishek Bachchan. Although I stand by my opinion above, I was very pleased with Abhi's reaction to Rani's confession at the end. Call it cheesy or predictable, but in that last scene I started to feel like I actually did get a satisfying dose of Rani/Abhi after all(even though it was a small one).

I'm not quite sure where the songs fall in. I liked the visuals and the actors in the sequences more than the actual melodies. Kind of dissapointing since I usually dig Yash Raj songs. The only one I really liked was "Kachi Kaliyan".


And on a final note, I just found out what Laaga Chunari Mein Daag means in Hindi. Nice. Kind of makes me like it more, in a strange way.

So there you have it. My first Bollywood movie in the theater! Make no mistake, though...Laaga Chunari Mein Daag is definately still a "renter". Although it wasn't a dissapointment, either, if viewed as just an excuse to spend some time with Rani and Konkona. Here's to many more trips to the theater for Hindi films!

Text © Copyright 2008 Nida Nazir Bitten By Bollywood