LOVE AAJ KAL - A CONFUSED LOVE STORY

1989 - Maine Pyar Kiya: "Ek ladka aur ladki kabhi dost nahi hote .... yeh toh parda hai parda .... " this scalding comment (a key turning point in the movie) kindled the fire of love in the hearts of two "good friends of the opposite gender", though it still took a white winged friend to make the two souls commit to their everlasting love (remember kabutar ja ja ?!).

2009 - Love Aaj Kal: Set in London, this is a tale of the modern day two "good friends of the opposite gender" (Saif Khan & Deepika Padukone - a refreshing new pairing of two good looking actors with the devil - may - care attitude), both professionally extremely ambitious, who realize that they may not have a future together since their professional calling is different. Friendship turns into a relationship (though they never believe it to be true love). After two years, they realize its best to break off so that when the career opportunities they have dreamt about do present themselves, they do not have to undergo a heartbreaking separation. They actually CELEBRATE their break - up (got to hand it to whoever coined this bizarre yet innovative thought!) and OFFICIALLY decide to separate. Enter a friendly Sardar (incidentally the same guy who hosts the break – up party & who, in his prime, looked uncannily similar to present day Saif – lets just call it CREATIVE LEEWAY!!) who, slowly but surely, citing the example of his love story with a Punjabi kudi (now why would someone want a Brazilian model to play a Punjabi kudi, especially if you have such lovely kudis in India?? Beats me, but that’s not the point, so lets just proceed !!) tries to brain wash Saif to believe that Deepika is the girl for him. Saif initially rubbishes the Sardars’ theories, but being extremely interested in his story, suddenly finds a strange resemblance to his modern day caper. Deepika shifts base to India & Saif starts dating a new hottie in London, but both are inseparable & keep finding new modes & reasons of communication. The till now speedy flick then stretches & stretches & stretches & stretches …. just like the bubble gum you are chewing. The end is as predictable as is the end of chewing gum, you always spit it out, RIGHT?!

The whole plot revolves around how love was approached in yesteryears’ & how it is treated by GenX. Yesterday it was about SACRIFICE, about IMPOSSIBLE PROMISES (“Harleen Kaur – agle har janam mein e hi meri potti banegi, ya jo bhi iska naam hoga” – vows the YOUNG Rishi Kapoor) & today it is about CONVENIENCE (parties to avoid sad break – ups), an ABSOLUTELY CONFUSED EMOTIONS (“am I your girlfriend?” asks a confused Deepika to an equally confused, if not more Saif, in one of the opening sequences of the movie) & SACRIFICING LOVE ON THE ALTAR OF AMBITION!

Rahul Khanna plays a cameo similar to his dads’ role in Chandni, but Mr. Vinod Khanna had a meatier role which he delivered with panache!

Pros:
A refreshing cast – Saif Khan & Deepika Padukone demonstrate the right attitude & approach – a tribute to GenX! The music is good with a couple of foot tapping numbers.
Its absolute nostalgia to watch Rishi Kapur & Neetu Singh on screen in the same frame (never mind HOW a tall slim young Punjabi kudi becomes SHORT in the last scene ;) – creative leeway at its best!) after a LOOOOOOOOOOOOONG TIME!

Cons:
Old wine in new bottle. Predictable story line. Come on Imtiaz, after Jab We Met the expectations from your movie were SKY HIGH!

Verdict: Watchable, 3*.

BHOOTNATH - A COMEDY OF (T)ERRORS?!

Bhootnath - A Summary:

OLD Casper Meets Baghban!! A confused movie about a Scary (?) Ghost, a streetsmart kid & the old vs. new generation formula, with dollops of star power (Big B, SRK & Juhi).

Golden Oldie (Big B) deserted by his only son (Priyanshu -- WHO?) dies in seperation & haunts his OWN bungalow to prevent his son from selling it to make big bucks. Enter SRK & Juhi with a fearless & roguish kid who befriends Bhootnath & finally leads him to Nirvana (term used for want of a better synonym!).

PROS: The Kid & Big B (strictly in that order!).

CONS: Weak script, too many irrelevant & incoherent songs and a STRETCHEDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD narration!

VERDICT: Worth a MISS!

TASHAN - A TRIBUTE TO ORIGINALITY!

Tashan - The Style .... The Goodluck .... roars the Villian Of Tradtional Times (a.k.a. Anil Kapoor, to the uninitiated)!!!!

Welcome to a story defying logic, stunts defying gravity, songs defying the adage - GOOD OLD INTELLIGENT LYRICS A NECESSITY - ("Bollywood has a song for every situation" preaches Saif a.k.a. Jimmy a.k.a. Guruji to a mystfied Hollywood MEANINGFUL FILM MAKER)and a Manmohan Desaiesque plot of long lost lovers & revenge. But all the lacunae that the film carries, it substitutes through ORIGINALITY (&, of course, Kareenas' Size 0 - a definite plus for all the MALE audience & a matter of ENVY for the female audience!!!! ) & ATTITUDE!!

A simple (? READ ON TO DECIPHER!!) story of 4 conmen (3 MEN & 1 WOMAN actually, excuse the chauvinistic comment!!!!), treachery, action & love - TRUE BOLLYWOOD ISHTYLE!!!! The characters: Anil Kapoor - the VILLIAN who has an undying yearning to learn ENGLIS. Saif - the happy go lucky call centre executive who has a weakness for lovely ladies & a penchant to attract life threatening situations!!!! Kareena - adds ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooomph as an attractive CHHALIYA. Akshay - the original BOLLYWOOD ACTION HUNK as a RECOVERY AGENT.

NOW FOR THE STORY: VILLIAN murders CHHALIYAS' villian dad. CHHALIYA dupes GURUJI to help her dupe VILLIAN. GURUJI dupes VILLIAN only to realize that CHHALIYA has duped him! VILLIAN hires RECOVERY AGENT to kill GURUJI & recover CHHALIYA. CHHALIYA spins RECOVERY AGENT in a web of love to help herself from the clutches of VILLIAN. RECOVERY AGENT falls for CHHALIYA (who, along with GURUJI planned to dupe RECOVERY AGENT). GURUJI dupes RECOVERY AGENT & VILLIAN only to realize that CHHALIYA really pines for RECOVERY AGENT & both GURUJI & CHHALIYA fight the VILLIAN to: 1. release RECOVERY AGENT, 2. help CHHALIYA avenge her villian dads' death, 3. make loads of MONEY!!

PHEW!!!!!! simple story, like I said .... RIGHT?!!

Pros: like I said ORIGINALITY & the fact that the film, as it was made, never seemed to want audience to confuse it with a CLASSIC.

Cons: the production house & starcast increase the expectations to the SEVENTH AASMAAN & hence the film falls flat on its face!!

Ok - the key question - the kind of audience who may like it - definitely those who go with ZERO expectations & just want to have FUN ..... so go on ... & enjoy tHE initiation of illogical originality in Indian Cinema ....