A Match Made in Heaven

Time has come to talk about a film which turned into an addiction for me. Its not my intention to make a proper review as I cannot be objective when heart is completely involved. Rabne Bana De Jodi gave me many headaches and I would not give details for safety reasons, but the fact that such a film cannot be found here says a lot about this. All in all, it was only the 4th view that included everything (quality, soundtrack - yes you read well, soundtrack! -, subtitles, etc.)

The movie, starring Shahrukh Khan as Surinder 'Suri' Sahni and Raj (Kapoor!), Anushka Sharma as Taaniji and Vinhay Pathak as Bobby Khosla and directed by Aditya Chopra, receieved bad critics, but also very warm ones. I guess the bad ones came from people who could not accept the fact that the heroine cannot literally recognize her husband after he suffers a complete change of style - from a normal, shy, clumsy, boring man to an over the top, joyful, lighthearted, flirty, crazy guy. Maybe this was not the most brilliant convention chosen so that the plot could elaborate from, but it is still a convention. Once you admit this, the beauty of the movie can really make an impact on your soul.

I will not talk in detail about the story, the characters, the cinematography, the soundtrack or the fact that the flick is a cornucopia of Hindi movies references but I will highlight some scenes and moments in the bullets style:

-the ordinary sneakers image when SRK gets down from the train followed immediately by the brilliant red of his wife's wedding sari is the moment when we realize tough times are coming for our hero.
-the big kitchen hosts one of the most delicate and humorous shots in the movie - the red rose placed back again in the vase.
-Punjab Power lighting up your life ji. Extrapolating a bit the Punjab Power is in fact the love energy that lightens Suri's otherwise grayish and ordinary life.
-Suri's first victory - the yellow food box and the amazing song of Haule-Haule (incredible lyrics).
-Accha, accha short jingle marking intelligently certain moments/intros.
-Meri love story bana de yaara scene where the entire craziness starts and where Shahrukh shows for the first time in the movie how many things he can express only with his eyes and thin smiles.
-Raj's flamboyant and hilarious motto invented on the spot (and of course in "full version"): Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, Hum hai rahi pyaar ke, Phir milenge, Chalte Chalte (Never Say Good-bye, We are travelers on the Path of love, We'll probably meet again soon - these are approximate translations and mainly based on the official sources like Wikipedia and imdb) mixing shamelessly the titles of more or less iconic movies very well known to Hindi movie watchers.
-Raj's cool and "too silky smooth" T-shirts and goggles. :)
-Raj's idiotic but heart melting obsessive expressions - mafiji, sorryji, never again or Taani partner Hello dear Never fear Raj is here.
-"Romance to dance Hindi Film style" song item - one of the most entertaining and colorful tribute to the history of Hindi movies I have ever seen.
-Shahruk's schizoid monologue just before Intermission and the beautifully shot fall of a single teardrop.
-Dance pe chance item song - addicting and smiles inducing moments. Always remember me of teenage hood crazy times.
-Gol-gappas eating contest between Raj and Taani where I also found the cutest flaw of the movie. Shahrukh with wedding ring and without it within the same scene.
-The Dhoom style bikes confrontation immediately followed by Bobby's explanations regarding the macho attitude.
-Raj's confusion related to Rakhi bandra and no macho issue.
-Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai item song. What more beautiful love declaration than tell someone "I see God in you"? It’s so impressive, as such love cannot be found in real life.
-Suri's ridiculous fight with the Sumo guy. Critics dismissed the scene as it lacked humor. Well the thing is it was not intended to be funny, on the contrary. Maybe its the most realistic scene from the entire movie. Many times we find ourselves doing stupid gestures so we could impress the one we love. The way Suri makes a fool of himself almost hurts you like a knife cut. Those who loved and were not loved back can better understand and relate to this otherwise useless scene.
-Suri and Taani dancing in the competition. The robotic moves as well as the expressionless faces unfolding one more time the story and the basic misunderstanding.

Thank you Suriji for letting us with the hope that someone might love us more than God. And I am sure if this thing ever happens, God won’t get upset.

The 3 Magi from East reloaded

In the Christian tradition it is said that baby Jesus was visited after his birth by 3 Magi (or 3 Kings from the East) to give him some special gifts. Gaspar - gold, Melchior - frankincense and Balthasar - myrrh. They often are overlooked (though much respected in the popular belief) and none of the Gospels or other writings left us more information about their roundabouts and who they really were.
Fascinated by them and having no intention of making a preposterous blasphemy I gave them personalities and to be on the safe side different names, too.
I shall start with the myrrh bringer (symbolizing the suffering, among other things) - Varkansi. He is the wisest of all, with a mind like a rare diamond, tough, as he hates being vulnerable, strong, untouchable, though generous to a certain point, always in search for perfection, never happy, with mind-blowing depths. He stabs you without any mercy, but you hear his heart crying. Varkansi - the bearer of pain and sorrow. He carries his heavy burden with indifference and he is doomed to be madly loved and hated in the same time.
The frankincense bringer on the other hand, Salopil, comes with the shinny power of prayer. He spreads love, light and flowers. He is pure, shy, and clumsy, with beautiful, honest eyes and he would not hurt anybody. He trembles for any human being grief. He offers himself without second thoughts, but he always remains lonely. When his soul crushes, he does not despair, as he always finds the will to go on, by asking God's help. The magic of his prayers makes people smile and this is how he makes the next step. He is doomed to move on until he meets his God.
Well, the last, but not the least, Setimakan, runs all over the place with his golden gift of virtue, kingship and certitude. He is warm, kind, balanced, laughs a lot at everything, he pokes on Varkansi's seriousness and Salopil's genuineness, but always with a tear in the corner of the eye. He is the rock on which everybody holds with gratitude. He does not mind at all, as he realizes this is the reason he lives for. His helping hand is always there and he just needs a sign to bring you down to Earth. He is doomed to be never forgotten.

Having said that I hope for each and one of you to meet the 3 Magi from East (in dreams if not otherwise), as we all need them, even if we do not know that.

"Happies endings"

All's well that ends well. Though Shakespeare's play title seems to be more appropriate for movies, sometimes life reminds us to stay tight and wait for the best to happen. Because "the happies endings" can take you by surprise and let you as exhausted and perplexed as in a bad outcome situation.
Instead of jumping around with exhilaration, you just watch in dumb awe. And the moment perishes and you cannot live it again, at least not with the same intensity. And then you wonder why the hell you lost hope and why you did not let Universe do its job at its own pace.
Lets receive things as they come, handle them with care and calm, accept the inevitable, pray to find strength and even in the worst case scenario, be also prepared for the positive results, as they can, too, blow your mind if unexpectedly hit you.
Don't miss the chance to taste the sweetness and the blessings of "happies endings".
PS. "Happies endings" also announce my next post which was so much time delayed. :)

Assumption is the mother of all fuck-ups

First let me give credit to my Twitter friend @farhanmasood for the title of this blog post. Your tweet came to the precise moment. :)
We always make assumptions.
Jews - they run the world from backstage because they have loads of golden coins. Muslims - they are the leading terrorists because they are cruel and fanatic. Christians - they are bigots, because they go to church, but stab you behind your back. Hindus - they are weird, poor and they live among mice, because this is what we saw on a damn youtube vid.
Lawyers - they are sharks, because they dare put you in jail, after charging you big time. Politicians - they are corrupted because they build palaces with the money from the taxes you pay. Rockers and bikers - they are to be banned, because they worship Devil. Advertisers - they suck because they play with your mind. Homosexuals - they have to be punished because they are against the nature.
Says who? (sic!)
All of the above are pure assumptions built up in time due to unfortunate occurrences, prejudices and lack of knowledge and information.
On a smaller personal level we proceed in the same way. This colleague is stupid, because she/he cannot send a fax. She is a whore because she slept with several guys. He is an opportunist, because he offered himself to work more. She is a bitch, because she did not admire my new dress. He is a goof, because he married with the bitch in the previous sentence. He is a part of a conspiracy because he does not give you the same amount of attention.
Stop judging. Gather information. Know all the details. Check different sources. Wait and have patience. Do not make assumptions as you can get yourself in the most fucked-up situation.
Repairing the consequences and healing the wounds might cost you more than you have imagined.

One of those days...

This has been one of those days when everything announced a normal Friday...catching up with friends, watching movies, reading, enjoying the simple browsing over the Internet, laughing at stupid things...
And then...it hits you...a short conversation on messenger with someone you dearly care about goes completely wrong, while you are totally unprepared. Out of the blue the misery is all over you. You feel helpless, as you are not given the chance to find out what your mistake was.
And you start imagining things that might not be true at all. You start blaming yourself for something you do not clearly understand. You let yourself overwhelmed by an artificial guilt which can turn you upside-down and which begins eating you inside like a hungry rodent.
All of a sudden your self-esteem is down and the world has nothing to offer you anymore. You simply wish to vanish. Then the worst thing happens: self-pity. The ugliest soul torture. Worthy of despise feeling.
Human beings are that fragile. Words are fearful weapons. Beware.

Lord Ganesh in a Chinese potato

I have always had a thing for movies that receive bad feedback both from critics and audience. That was the case with "Chandni Chowk to China", a Nikhil Advani movie, featuring Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Chia Hui Lui and Roger Yuan. I postponed watching it until last night, when I was in enough good mood to swallow any aberration.

Believe it or not, the flick managed to make me smile several times though it is a failure indeed. And I still wonder why, as it could have been a good commercial movie. The plot is clicheic, but afterall we all engage in the stories where the goofy, pathetic hero goes through an initiation process in order to get his revenge or to become the savior of the world. The fighting scenes are well done, even if exaggerated, but let’s not forget that for more rocambolesque jumps through the trees, "Crouching tiger hidden dragon" took an Oscar. Akshay is doing his best not to cross the line into the ridicule acting, Deepika, as the evil twin, is a pleasure for the eye with her almost manga look, Roger Yuan is so cute speaking Hindi... The cinematography, the editing, the soundtrack are all decent...so why all the money spent in such a super-production did not prove worthy? Why the two different nations combination did not work as it should?

The potential for a truly good comedy was huge. Remember Rush Hour? Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan's charismas were mind-blowing and highly entertaining. This is what "Made in China" (informal alternative title) lacks: the chemistry between the Hindi and Chinese actors. It was too soon to mix things at such huge level. Maybe with a smaller production in first place would have prepared better the audiences.

Lord Ganesh could not find the magic way to reveal himself through a Chinese potato. Yet.

Movies on fast forward

If someone had told me 10 years ago that one day I would do such a sacrilege to watch movies on fast forward,I would have probably been outraged. Who, me? People, I practically grew up in the cinema hall, as my parents worked their entire life in a cinema. My oldest memory IS from a movie: a cut head rolling down a hill. I guess it was Richard III with Lawrence Olivier. Every important moment of my development is tagged with a movie. I am a flick marathonist. I cherish and breath films and I have a great respect for everybody in this industry, from the extras, cameramen, props, to the directors, producers and actors.
And here I am in 2009, watching movies for maximum 1 hour and if they do not grasp my attention, I use the FF option on the player. Is it because I do not have patience anymore? Is it because the number of released movies is too big? Is it because of their quality? Is it because there are no new stories to be told? Or is it because time is too tight?
Sometimes I feel ashamed, sometimes not.