Spoilers ahead…
With Ek Duuje Ke Liye or Vicky Donor, we sense the effort to make something that’s more than just a cross-culture romance, the effort to make a movie. Why not have some fun with the fact that the only Hindi the hero knows comes from the cinema, and thus have a song – in an elevator that’s stuck – made entirely of concatenated Hindi-film names? Or, why not have the hero and heroine take a gentle dig at the stereotyping that surrounds them by calling each other “Fish” and “Butter Chicken”? Abhishek Varman’s 2 States, on the other hand, is content to be a sitcom, and not even a good one at that. Remember how wonderful Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi is when it plays inside your head? And know the feeling when, spurred by this nostalgia, you try to watch an episode on YouTube, and you cringe at the laugh track and the overemphatic performances? Sitting through 2 States is something like that. Worse, in fact. The Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi episodes lasted 20-odd minutes. This goes on for two-and-a-half hours.
That’s two-and-a-half hours of Tamilians eating from banana leaves and learning Carnatic music and rearranging their facial expressions as if trapped in an elevator where someone just let it rip. Two-and-a-half hours of Punjabis being crude and overbearing and suspicious of non-Punjabis, especially those dark-skinned Tamilians who just can’t wait to snare fair Punjabi boys for their daughters. Two-and-a-half hours of the most clichéd song situations – the shaadi song, the we-broke-up-and-I’m-moping song, the falling-in-love song.
The ones falling in love are IIM-A classmates Krish (Arjun Kapoor) and Ananya (Alia Bhatt). He’s Punjabi, but he’s all buttoned-up – in other words, he’s like a Tamilian. And he behaves like a typical tech-savvy Tamilian when he impresses her father by helping him with a PowerPoint presentation. She’s a Tam-Brahm, but she eats chicken and plants a kiss on his lips – in other words, she’s like a Punjabi. And she behaves like a typically brash Punjabi when she impresses his mother by getting aggressive with a groom who threatens to break up with his cousin sister. This is the only interesting thing about the movie. What if this angle had been pursued? What if, instead of just one-off episodes, the characters had been shaped like this consistently, where they aren’t just opposites who are attracted to each other, but also opposites of who we think they’d be?
We never find out, because the contrivances, otherwise, are the most obvious ones. His parents (Ronit Roy, Amrita Singh) don’t want her. Her parents (Shiv Kumar Subramaniam, Revathy) don’t want him. It’s like watching a never-ending game of tennis where the opponents hate each other and are slugging it out on either side of the Vindhyas: 2 states, one love. The rest of the film plays like the latter parts of Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge squared, with Krish and Ananya both doing things to make an impression on people who don’t want them. The only difference is that they’re casual about sex, something that would have seemed more subversive had we not seen these scenarios play out between a far less “sophisticated” couple in Shuddh Desi Romance.
This material, based on Chetan Bhagat’s novel 2 States: The Story of My Marriage, might have worked if treated with slapstick energy. Instead, Varman tries to class it up. He wants to transcend the writing, the way Abhishek Kapoor did with Kai Po Che (which was based on Bhagat’s The 3 Mistakes of My Life). And so we’re made to endure a lot of slow staging, with meaningful pauses. It’s hard not to laugh at this silly story being treated as if a matter of grave national importance is being raised for the very first time. Adding to the pomposity is a framing device, with a downcast Krish baring his heart to a psychotherapist. These scenes are the cinematic equivalent of lead. But the lighter scenes are no better. The moment where Krish barges into the room where Ananya is being interviewed and proposes to her should have been crazy-magical. We should be smiling. The more susceptible among us should be wiping away a tear. But what ensues is as bland as bread – okay, a day-old Danish, given that it comes to us from Dharma Productions.
Well, not quite. The scene is somewhat redeemed by Bhatt’s I-can’t-believe-this-is-happening smile. After Highway and 2 States, she’s beginning to look like the real deal. She has a coltish vitality, and she almost compensates for her co-star’s lack of inner life. (With his hangdog expressions and lugubrious line readings, Kapoor comes across as someone who was hit by a tranquiliser dart just as the director yelled “action.”) The other almost interesting performance comes from Ronit Roy, whose character is essentially a genteel variation of the monster he played in Udaan. But he’s let down by the writing. He’s absent through most of the movie, and when he suddenly wakes up and decides to help his son, it’s like witnessing the birth of a brand-new technique to resolve problems in the plot: the dad ex machina. Could this mean that Chetan Bhagat may have been boning up on Greek drama while writing his bestsellers? I feel like I’ve just been hit by a tranquiliser dart.
KEY:
* song made entirely of concatenated Hindi-film names = see here
* Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi = see here
* learning Carnatic music = see here
* let it rip = see here
* shaadi = wedding
* a PowerPoint presentation = see here
* Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge = see here
* Shuddh Desi Romance = see here
* Kai Po Che = see here
* the monster he played in Udaan = see here
Copyright ©2014 Baradwaj Rangan. This article may not be reproduced in its entirety without permission. A link to this URL, instead, would be appreciated.
Baradwaj Rangan 
MANK
April 20, 2014
Brangan: dad ex machina
Ha,Ha. very funny.Poor Ronit roy , he seems to be getting typed in these kind of roles. and i find it a taxing experience to watch Arjun Kapoor act.He must be the most hyped up untalented actor in recent times to emerge in hindi films.As you pointed out about those hangdog expressions and lugubrious line readings, he has already made that his trademark, not to mention that ridiculous grin that he’s got pasted on his face for those intense roles in aurangzeb or gunday. What on earth made mahesh bhatt call him the best thing about this film .I wonder?
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Radhika
April 20, 2014
The book was such an OTT exagerration of all the punjoo-thambi steretotypes, it made me shudder. I see the movie is no better. The irony about the scene where Amrita Singh makes a crack about dark Thambi boys – is that by the standards of Panjabi chikna-dom, Arjun Kapoor is quite swarthy – not exactly the gora-chitta like say, Jugal Hansraj of yore, might have been.
I see movies like this and I wonder – why is it so important for the younger generation that they be accepted – loved, actually, hahaha – by the in-laws? What happened to the chutzpah of heroes and heroines where they told their parents to go take a f.f. and that they were in love and the parents could lump it? Remember Dev Anand in Tere Ghar Ke Saamne – he had more gumption in his genteel lope than all these macho guys have in their stubbly swagger. DDLJ did the entire younger generation a huge disservice when it made it mandatory for young lovers to feel like losers if they didn’t get all the inlaws to adore them.
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prasunbanerjee
April 20, 2014
Chetan Bhagat has commercial success … Sajid Khan has commercial success … Cant wait for the Himmatwala book … the most cringeworthy scene of the movie was the shameless self plug “Story Hero Hoga” …
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Gradwolf
April 20, 2014
haha wow you’ve thrashed it! Well done.
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Gradwolf
April 20, 2014
After the line in this review we must ask you KJo type rapid fire – Alia Bhatt or Parineeti Chopra, the more promising one?
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Aran
April 20, 2014
The movie followed the book pretty faithfully. Having read it long ago, I actually remembered scenes from it while I was watching. Woe. So in that sense, I suppose nothing more awful could be said about the story since it was an adaptation. Arjun Kapoor, though… he just reminds me of a sulky kid in every scene. And the other irritating character from the movie was Ronit Roy, surprisingly since you seemed to have liked him. The most annoying part of the movie for me was when he apologises to Amrita Singh at his son’s wedding and she wells up. What was that?! That’s neither the time nor place to tie that particular thread up into a tidy bow. I actually rolled my eyes at that part.
Finally, what were the psychiatrist scenes doing in the movie? When does Krish go to the psych and want to commit suicide? Were those visits at different times during the entire movie or just one visit? Because if he wants to kill himself when everything’s fine and dandy toting two chubby kids to the psych, then there seems to have been something lost in translation here.
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Maru
April 20, 2014
LoL! What a smashing review – paisa vasool, but wait …. I didn’t even have to fork out any paisa for it! 😉 I knew I wasn’t going to watch this one, so felt safe that I could read the review right away, boy …. am I glad I did. I love these movies that are like the tranquilizer darts that hit Arjun Kapoor, but somehow make brangan spew words with Alia Bhat’s coltish vitality. 😛
Now I have join in the chorus with Gradwolf (great question,G!) and ask Alia or Parineeti in KJo style. You’ve gushed about both brangan, you can’t dodge this one! 😀
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brangan
April 20, 2014
Radhika: DDLJ did the entire younger generation a huge disservice when it made it mandatory for young lovers to feel like losers if they didn’t get all the inlaws to adore them.
A terrific note. This has to be the comment of the year.
Gradwolf/Maru: It’s too early to say, no? But put a gun to my head and I might have to go with Parineeti, simply because I’ve liked here work from the beginning, whereas SOTY was a bit of a bummer and gave NO indication that Alia could act.
Aran: he most annoying part of the movie for me was when he apologises to Amrita Singh at his son’s wedding and she wells up.
Agree, but that’s why I said he’s let down by the writing. And I too couldn’t place the shrink scenes. Why is he telling all this if he’s already got two babies, implying that things have been resolved? Or is the baby scene a later one?
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Rahul
April 20, 2014
I found one subtext rather interesting – Krish’s childhood, growing up with an abusive and alcoholic father,connection between that and his communication problems (has been specifically mentioned by his mom and by his girlfriend), the effect of his communication problems on his relationships, and his dream of being an author.
By that reading, I think Arjun’s lackadaisical approach kind of fits. First, he struggles to convince himself and Aaliya that he is in love with her, then he struggles to convince her parents and even after putting that much effort, Aaliya still isn’t convinced enough to marry him without the blessings of both their parents.
And, to compensate for all that, he wants to become a writer.
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ThePenn
April 20, 2014
Krish goes to the shrink because he has a nervous breakdown after breaking up with Ananya. They don’t explain that in the film properly. In the book, the baby scene is supposed to show how Krish and Ananya’s children will be from the state of India and not from Punjab or Tamil Nadu.
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Desi Daaru
April 20, 2014
I think I will give this one a pass. The book, for all it’s faults, had a heart. The romance in the film however looks irredeemably synthetic, in the vein of Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani.
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soumya
April 20, 2014
BR,
This material, based on Chetan Bhagat’s novel 2 States: The Story of My Marriage, might have worked if treated with slapstick energy. Instead, Varman tries to class it up. He wants to transcend the writing, the way Abhishek Kapoor did with Kai Po Che
I couldn’t agree more.. throughout 2 states I kept on wondering why a script which needs treatment of say Band Baaja Baaraat was playing out like a typical Karan Johar movie… also having read the book(long back) and seen the movie I felt one thing that certainly got lost in translation was a terrific sense of humour. I remember the book constantly had me in splits while scenes in the movie felt too forced to even draw a smile; Bhagat’s books have this innate sense of comedy even in most tragic situations but I always feel it never finds its way to the screen; except maybe in 3 idiots…
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Utkal Mohanty
April 21, 2014
Looking at the trailers I too thought that it was a rather bland affair, lacking the wild imagination and comic energy of 3 Idiots. The film , as I found out, was trying for neither. What it does try is to tell a story, sincerely. It’s a good story. The characters are real and relatable. The performances are heartfelt and convincing.
The hero of the film, in more ways than one, is Chetan Bhagat, because the film follows the book verbatim. And also it is the true story of Bhagat’s life. The love story of a Punjabi boy from Delhi and Tamil girl from Chennai is just one part of it. There is his troubled relationship with his army father and his dream of being a writer. Arjun Kapoor nails the character perfectly , bringing out the angst convincingly. First Vicky Donor and now this – it is refreshing to see these soft-hearted Punjabi males falling for Bengali or Tamil women, without a shred of machismo seen in typical Bollywood Punjabi heroes, pining for their lady loves more than the ladies themselves, who are a little more confident and self-assured.
I am not a big fan of realism, but I was quite drawn in by the natural progression of Krish and Ananya’s relationship as portrayed in the film. Both Arjun and Alia look their part, and Alia is such a natural, with her sunny, confidence personality, that you can see why Krish, coming as he does from a fragile home of estranged parents , falls hook line and sinker for her and contemplates suicide at the prospect of losing her. Thankfully, the film does not attempt the typical campus portrayal with a menagerie of quirky characters. The arc of Krish and Ananya’s romance is pretty much what the first half focuses on. I always liked the way Chetan writes sex. Here Ananya asks Krish , if it was his first time. ‘ With you? Of course.’ he replies. Prodded further, he tells her about Rashmi, the professor’s daughter at IIT, Delhi. I like the honesty, which is what marks out Krish. And I like the way it establishes the link with Chetan Bhagat’s earlier book, Five Point Someone.
Shhankar-Ehsaan-Loy are in top form here, aided by the fresh and smart lyrics of Amitabha Bhattacharya. Dil ka dimaag se / Jhagda lagaaya kise/Peechhe ke darwaaze se ae./ Dabe paanv aaya kaise – Amitabha writes in ‘ Offo’. Ho akhiyaan kare jee hazoori / Maange hai teri manzoori – he pleads in ‘ Mast Magan’. Tujh bin suraj mein aag nahi re / Tujh bin koyal mein raag nahi re – he laments in’ Chandaniya’. Nothing extraordinary about their picturization – but thankfully, they have been placed at the right places.
The Tamil and Punjabi community tics are mildly funny, but they are played out not so much for raising big laughs as for providing genuine insights into the communities. Unlike what unthinking critics say, the parents are not portrayed as stereotypes. They are etched using archetypical Tamil and Punjabi templates, but they are genuine characters with individual signatures too. You can see what are the insecurities of each of the four parents are. Reavthy perhaps knows she is never going to be a great singer, and her husband resents the fact that his boss is going to make the presentation that he prepares ( the price that one pays for not having the guts to be an entrepreneur.) . Ronit Roy is the army man who can’t find his bearing outside the military life and alcohol only makes him more aggressive. Amrita Singh leans heavily on her son after being forsaken by her husband, and is very afraid of losing that hold over Krish.
We feel for Krish who is trapped between these damaged characters. He is mortally afraid of losing Ananya, and he is equally afraid of hurting his mother who he knows has been hurt enough. You feel his weariness when he says to his mother , ‘ I am tired of filling in for father .’ The scenes of Krish with his father and mother are touching , both Amrita Singh and Ronit Roy playing their characters superbly. It also shows the tragedy of an earlier generation of Indians who let societal pressure constrict their lives so much that they wanted to control their children’s live in revenge. It also shows how the younger generation is learning to break out of this trap, managing to live on their own terms , and taking the older generation along with them. It is so heartening.
Heartening it is also to see how aware and appreciative we have become of cultures of other communities. Both in Chennai Express and this, the girls look lovely in silk sarees and flowers in their hair, and the Tamil marriage ceremonies look gorgeous too with a sea of men in white silks and women in more resplendent colours.
In the end, like Krish, the film too wins our heart , making up for what it lacks in flamboyancy, with its sincerity and utmost decency.
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SN
April 21, 2014
Saw the movie over the weekend and the contrast to Queen that I saw the previous weekend cd have been more acute. Such a lifeless movie! What is it about “heroes” in movies nowadays that “under”-acting (the opposite of hamming if I may) has become such an in thing? The hero looked like a zombie throughout with one expression – and suddenly jumped into dances – absolutely spot on observations that the songs were just too formulaic. The first 45 minutes or so on campus were still bearable to me because of nostalgia more than anything else but even in those, I really did not feel much for the couple – it almost felt like even the decision to “manage” the parents’ approval was done via a case study and was cold and calculating. The lesser said abt the caricaturing of “Madrasis” and “Punjabis” the better – all cringe-worthy. Totally agree with your review. I usually figure out which movies to see after seeing the promos – my ultimate fear always is that the promos will have all the punches and the movie will have little more. This was a classic example of that! I have not read any of Chetan Bhagat’s books and dont intend to but the common thing I heard was that the previous 2 films (ignoring “Hello” which was an Atul Agnihotri/ Sohail Khan movie so has to be ignored anyway) which were either “adapted” or “based” on them) were far better than the books. In this case, I heard the book was better. Looking at the movie, does not seem like it needed a lot of effort.
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usha
April 21, 2014
Agree Kai Po Che the movie transcended the book (that I gave up after struggling through a few chapters) by a million miles. 3 idiots is a just okay movie in my vocabulary and I gave up the book that preceded it after the first few pages ( I can’t even remember the names of these books)! Of all Chetan Bhagat’s books, 2 states was the only one I enjoyed (particulary since I had seen a Punjabi South Brahm wedding at close quarters). Was quite looking forward to this movie..not seen it yet, but came here for your review before going 🙂
Kai Po Che is a fantastic director’s movie..I had trouble convincing the NRI part of my family that it wasn’t anything like the book and that they should see it!
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usha
April 21, 2014
Radhika, brangan, The in-laws ( to which status i am recently elevated) might not always be such horrors you know 🙂 they might even be your friends! Pleasing in-laws is just one of the many stereotypes in Indian movies and society just like domineering traditional mothers-in-law!
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Girish Balakrishnan
April 21, 2014
Hi BR, caught it on a night show and regretted having forsaken sleep. For starts, think it should have been condensed to two hours of playing time.
The transformation of Ronit Roy’s character has to be the most mystifying seen in recent times. For the best part, he’s seen exuding Punjabi aggression at his son and, then, almost magically, at dinner one day, goes all soft on him with an inexplicable display of newly-discovered concern. His character certainly needed more fleshing out.
The other point I noticed was that amidst all the frenzy of shooting at multiple locations (Ahmedabad, Madras and Delhi), viewers get taken for a nice, illogical ride. Arjun Kapoor, who lands in Madras to take up his job assignment, is shown taking a rick to Pattinapakkam – which, incidentally, goes through lanes in Pondicherry, if I’m not mistaken, before reaching its destination! And, if this is not enough, his office is shown as being located at the Indiabulls Centre in Bombay! Guess he must be teleporting to work.
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SN
April 21, 2014
Realised I had typed this out wrong in my previous comment: “Saw the movie over the weekend and the contrast to Queen that I saw the previous weekend cd NOT have been more acute.”
Adding a bit to my earlier comments, I found (despite the nostalgia of seeing IIM-A particularly how it has changed but remained the same) quite a few quirks, which really show how much our directors / writers need to do to avoid making some ridiculous mistakes when representing things beyond their comfort zone (which wd be all businesses are either ad agencies or airlines and it seems almost that they have never seen the inside of any school/ college or university in India). As far as I know there is no company called “Sunsilk” (I know HUVR wd not pay them money for product positioning, but even then, it is hilarious). Also not even sure YES Bank figures on campus but I am not sure anyone wd say they believed it to be the “best”!
We talked about a lot of stereotypes in the movie wrt North / South, etc. but I thought one that is very much a product of the IIT graduates who come to IIM has almost missed everyone – Ananya apparently is a topper in Economics and does not know how to represent a basic equation and has to take the help of an IIT graduate, ergo guys from non-engineering backgrounds dont get their own subjects well and have often to be taught by engineers! How totally believable that is! Although I am not sure Chetan Bhagat had it in his book or not. And unless things have really changed in IIM-A (I doubt they wd), I have never seen dorm-mates trying to eavesdrop near another dorm mate’s room when he is with his girl friend. Although I did see this kind of behaviour very regularly when I was in under-grad in Delhi.
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Rahini David
April 21, 2014
Usha: The point Radhika made and Rangan seconded is not whether in-laws are horrors or not. It is the whole concept of “Stand back while I date each individual in your family (pets included)”. The onus should not be on the couple. The families should just accept the person who the Son/Daughter chose for themselves. No question of “Prove it to me that you are lovable, I’ll reserve judgement until then” business.
You think you were recently elevated to the Status. Nah. Me thinks one of your children got married to somebody and that is it.
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ramitbajaj01
April 21, 2014
@SN- ‘non-engineers taking help from engineers’ part is there in novel.
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Iswarya V
April 21, 2014
Rahini: So darn right about the in-law status thing! Sometimes, I wish our annoying silly-fun movies resembled “Monster in Law” rather than carry the DDLJ baggage. That said, I’ve attended lectures about the political implications of this winning-over-the-family theme (specifically citing DDLJ) and the reason for its rise in the 90’s popular culture! So, apparently we’ll have to wait for the whole national politics to change before our movies shed the obsession.
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usha
April 21, 2014
Rahini..Good point about elevation in status..that was a tongue in cheek comment by me 🙂
Your point about accepting the person the son/daughter choose for themselves in perfectly acceptable in the present urban social context..I did that too and enjoyed the process 🙂 but if a marriage is arranged as it is quite often in India, it is a package that involves two families. The dichotomy in this movie was that the couple chose each other but had to put up with the ramifications as if it was an arranged marriage..it happens because we are in a transitioning society.
Having said that, I don’t really know whether individuality is the answer..only time will tell..
Yes, i love it that my daughters-in-law love my dogs too ( that was tongue in cheek again, just in case 🙂
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Prasanna
April 21, 2014
I felt, initially, that the Mr. Subramaniam’s character was being, if i could say, developed.
1. He gets all defensive for no reason, stating that he was working each and every day and was not on vacation, when being asked whether he travelled all over India.
2. When asked about how his work is going on, he says whats new about it. Its the same always.
3. He drinks when none of his family members are around, and can consume very less evidently.
4. His bemoaning the fact that someone does the powerpoint and some else presents it.
In a way he is a person who is trapped professionally and socially in to being someone, he does not want to be. But after the interval he becomes a one note character who sits and gets up as his wife wishes him to.
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Prasanna
April 21, 2014
Radhika: While i agree that manufactured parental consent is not essential, isn’t it also true that wanting your parents to accept your partner is also as much a choice as choosing to give a damn about it?
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Olemisstarana
April 21, 2014
Usha – First, Congratulations!
Second, I will amble in to this conversation and add to what you say, perhaps addressing Rahini along the way – all these tropes (runaway rebellious couples, recalcitrant parents, couples seeking to placate the in laws families etc.) are all ways of adding tensions and focal points to a storyline. Stories and storytellers place their onus where they please – when things become an unswerving trend and formulaic (as I suspect the let’s-please-even-Fido plotline is), they change. Or are done better. Whatever. It’s not necessarily an enormous social statement which ends in my-way-or-the-highway.
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Rahul
April 21, 2014
Well, in this film the DDLJ trope is a trope of course, but is also connected to Arjun’s communication issues. Arjun has no qualms about getting married against the parents’ wishes, but since Arjun does not seem that much in love, Aaliya needs that additional security. To note, after Ronit Roy visits Aaliya’s house and she calls Arjun, she wonders if he is still in love with her.
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burcidibollyreview
April 21, 2014
Another critic says: “On the whole, 2 STATES is one of the finest movies to come out of the Hindi film industry of late.”
Why are the reviews so different? Is it because of the insight of some viewers about South Indian culture? Most South Indians I spoke to had disliked Chennai Express, whereas North Indians seemed to love it. Can we say the same for 2 States? Do these types of films only work for viewers who are not the ones being stereotyped?
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Jerina
April 21, 2014
(With his hangdog expressions and lugubrious line readings, Kapoor comes across as someone who was hit by a tranquiliser dart just as the director yelled “action.”) …Oh God, bang on! Excellent, creative description for a man to describe whom I would have most come up with the word ‘blah.’ Arjun Kapoor consistently seems to merge with the ‘proverbial’ wallpaper and it doesn’t help when he is paired with a robust, vivacious Alia Bhatt.
I have thankfully not seen the movie as I was not impressed with the book at all. I found it to be substandard drivel, with no coherence or grip in narration. Though it was a real account of his marriage, I thought he could have handled the cliches better.
Anyway, movies such as these always make for a good read in your blog. Here’s to more of those! (Oops sorry for being insensitive, BR). 😉
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Radhika
April 21, 2014
Rahini – I was about to reply to Usha then saw your comment. Zigackly what I wanted to say, thanks. Loved your line about dating each individual, wonder dog Moti included.
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sachita
April 22, 2014
I do have to say this convincing the parents and getting married with their consent is lot more common for the past few years – so many of friends waited till the parents agreed (the wait ran for few years in one case) as opposed to doing it alaipayuthey style and i think movies are just reflecting that.
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usha
April 22, 2014
Let me start by saying I finally went to 2 States yesterday
Interesting. The reviews just re-affirm my view that everybody looks at life (and movies in this case) from the perspective of their own life experiences!
Aran: For example, the (eye ball rolling!) moist eye moment of Amrita Singh when the husband apologizes to her was one of the points in the movie that struck women my age (who I went with). In the patriarchal society that she was raised in (Yes I know it still is but really you can’t know how much worse it was :), the woman has been raised (brainwashed if you will) to look for the husband’s approval and even if it is too little, too late, it still touches her. That is her. That is all.
I go with all of Utkal Mohanty’s review particularly about providing genuine insights into communities. I know so many women like Revathi, with her gorgeous sarees and jewellery and attitudes whether it is her music or her ‘cultural superiority’. I have faced Subramaniam like situations at work! and the closet drinking and eating chicken is so accurate ( Ananya wouldn’t each chicken while her parents are around!)
It needs unusual skill to nuance a movie given the constraints of making it in 120 minutes versus a book that can go on and on. I guess that is what separates a good from a great director. This movie fails to nuance.
And, er, just a little bit of redemption for Ronit Roy’s character..the story line of his repentance is from the rather autobiographical book, I think…he wasn’t given enough screen time..
Olemisstarana: thanks for the congratulations! was that tongue in cheek too? 🙂
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ramitbajaj01
April 22, 2014
@burcidibollyreview- but Brangan gave a positive review for Chennai Express.
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Rahini David
April 22, 2014
Usha: You see it is a topic where tongue in cheek comments and truly pompous comments are virtually indistinguishable from each other. So I just had to shoot back. Peace.
Radhika: Thanks.
Iswarya: I had kept away from Monster in Law out of fear that it is the same story in a Foriegn Bottle. I guess I have to give that a shot now.
Sachita: I have noticed that trend too. These movies do leave an impact on the collective psyche. And these movies do take their stories from what they see around them. This movie is particularly relevant as it is packaged as Bhagat’s own story.
But it is also because the parents of today do consider the choices of their wards much more than they used to a generation back. They themselves were watching Maniratnam movies when they were college-goers.
Prasanna: I do understand that everybody has a right to bend over backwards. But it is a kind of elevating experience to watch stories about young people who grew a spine.
Olemisstarana: I am sure DDLJ was a refreshing experience in a period when most “love-jodi’s” were jumping off cliffs to prove their love. During that period of time, choking a “Yes” out of the old man was itself an act of bravery. But then than movie happened in 1995. Is it not time to change direction now?
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Iswarya
April 22, 2014
Rahini: I’d say you’re right about the Foreign Bottle part, but what a difference that bottle makes! I mean, MIL is a fairly tolerable movie if you have a taste for that genre, but what *is* refreshingly different, esp. to us, is the sort of ethos it comes wrapped in. Instead of our soupy endings like Santhosh Subramaniam and the like, it’s not about the family finally recognising that this bride/groom isn’t all bad after all, but the tantrum-throwing-oldies finally learning to grow up and keep themselves at a respectable distance. And letting their children move on.
I remember how the comments thread here once ended up discussing the mating habits of primates. Given the record, this thread may perhaps go on to explain why human beings are the only mammals seeking to exercise parental control over extended period of time even after their offspring is mature enough to mate! 🙂
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Abhirup
April 22, 2014
I saw the movie, and I am with Mr. Rangan on almost everything he has said about it.
I thought a rather crass thing about it was that throwaway bit where Krish tells Ananya not to be bothered by the professor who chided her, because in a few years’ time, she will be earning much more than the professor. So does a bigger paycheck alone make you a worthier being? Does it trump the fact that a so-called economics topper couldn’t answer what seems to be a pretty basic question of economics? To put it mildly, I don’t think so. The professor was well within his rights to say what he said. Even if Ananya does earn more than him, it doesn’t negate the fact that what he said was absolutely right.
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Harikrishnan Raveendran
April 22, 2014
@ abhirup,
But hero or heroine doesn’t have to be right always,na?People make such comments.Maybe the movie was trying to depict it.
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Abhirup
April 22, 2014
Harikrishnan Raveendran: But does the movie ever try to question what Krish says, the way it questions his flip-flopping over the future of his and Ananya’s relationship (culminating in the proposing-during-the-interview scene)? Of course a hero or a heroine doesn’t have to be right all the time, but when a stupid and crass remark like Krish’s is made in such a throwaway manner, and no effort is made subsequently to address its aptness or lack thereof, you have to wonder if the filmmaker thinks along the same line as Krish. I am aware that the focus of the movie is the love story, and not this particular issue that I have raised, but that remark WAS a loaded one in its belief that a bigger paycheck trumps all, and if the filmmaker had no intention of tackling it properly, he should not have included it either. Krish could simply have consoled Ananya in a thousand other ways.
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Utkal
April 22, 2014
In response to different points raised by different people in the forum :
1. The first thing to do is NOT to look at it a as a funny film like 3 Idiots dishing out laugh-aloud broad comedy. It is more like a later day Woody Allen film, replete with wry humour, and a study of human quirks and inadequacies.
2. Chetan Bhagat wrote this book based on his own life and own experiences. So do not go around looking for loopholes. Take the business of an IITian helping an Eco topper with her economics. Bang on the money. Happens every day. There are Eco courses in institutes like ISI which are more mathematics laden. And others less so. It is possible for a very good student to know the concept of NPV but not the equations. For an IITian Eco should be no big deal and the equations involved child’s play, if they just take one look at it. (Where they might face a problem is in writing an elegant essay on Economics and Human Progress.)
There is probably no company called ‘ Sunsilk’, but it is not a documentary, and it si niot at all impossible, or even improbable to have a company with that name.
No, you cannot fault Bhagat on detailing in this one.
3. The reason the film works so well and connects with so many is because of the essential truth it portrays and the characters who are oh so human, and ot stereotypes . Amrita Singh is a typical Punajbi, but she has her own story of why she continues to live with her impossible husband. Ananaya’s father is atypical Tamilian Brahmin, but there are reasons why he is so reticent. So unwilling to take help, why drinks secretly and so on. Ronit Roy’s character of course is goldmine of human frailties. Failed ambition, failure to build a relationship with his wife or son, alcoholism, and more. All the four parents play their roles very well.
4. Of course , the big charm of the film is the characterization of Krish and Ananya. Every little trait, every motivation of the two have been carefully mapped. Krish is trying to balance so many things, he is almost snapping with tension. He needs the sunny and confident presence of Ananya. The erotic impulses of the two have been captured with precision. Krish is honest. He wants a full-blown relationship and he expresses it directly. He is also honest about talking about his past girlfriend. Ananya too is confident enough not to hold back and not be too insistent on ‘commitment’. These nuances are wonderfully rare in Hindi films. And fortunately, Arjun Kapoor and Alai Bhatt decide to live the characters rather than act.
5. Thankfully again, the social quirks of Tamila and Punjabi communities are not all on the much traversed tracks … Punjabis drinking daru or Tamilians going to temples. Things covered here are much more subtle. Take the business of Amrita Singh’s idea of how the ‘ boy’s side’ should behave. They should not give the better room to the girl’s side, the ‘groom’ should not carry the luggage of the ‘girl’s side’.
6. As I mentioned earlier, everyone is so human, so real. No one is an idealistic hero. Amrita accepts Ananya because “ instead of one MBA, she now has two MBAs.” Of course she loves her son, does not mean she would not like to encash his achievements for something in the marriage market. Krish is not beyond agreeing to his mothers desire to have her daughter-in-law on a’ sword’s edge’ like other mothers-in-law do, knowing very well that Ananya would manage to handle her . And when Ananya asks Duke to accept his bride without adequate dowry, she knows what button to press. ‘ If it was not an arranged marriage, would you have managed to ‘patao’a girl like Minty?’ Duke knows the answer to that one, and what is good for him.
7. And lastly , so many of us start judging a film ( not only this one) by what one expected it be or by what one wants it to be , rather than what it is and what the director wants it to be. So much more enjoyment to be had if one looks at a film with an open, unprogrammed mind.
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Olemisstarana
April 22, 2014
@Usha – don’t you hate the interwebz sometimes? So hard to discern snark from sincerity, no? When confronted with comments that could go either way, I err in the favor of the positive interpretation – keeps me happy and the internet a (sliiiiiiiiiiightly) happier place, but that’s just me. I am about to acquire some in-laws of my very own and we are in the process of elevating each other… 🙂
@Rahini – No. If it’s done well, I am in favor of anything. Just because a movie pays lip service to the tropes of a trend does not mean that it can’t do it well. I am in for a rebellious love story and for a let’s-try-to-please-the-whole-family-flick provided the story telling and the crafting is good. There was an element of the latter in Ankhon Dekhi (not the focus, but an element) and the former was the infrastructure of Ishaqzaade. I preferred Ankhon Dekhi vastly to Ishaqzade. The examples may not be exactly apropos, but that’s what I have after pondering on this question for about 17 seconds. In short, I think it’s silly to say that you will go and make the opposite of a trend just because it is a trend.
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brangan
April 23, 2014
Rahul: The film did have its moments. But far too few. Like I said in the review, I liked that “ulta” of the whole South-North thing, but for something like this to truly make a difference in a movie, it cannot be there for just a sprinkling of scenes. It has to be worked into the very texture of the film. Otherwise, it’s just a one-off affectation.
As Girish Balakrishnan says: The transformation of Ronit Roy’s character has to be the most mystifying seen in recent times.
The other problem with these “nuances” is the “Dharma Productions” approach. All the gloss kind of overpowers the small details — though I still think KANK balanced gloss and substance pretty well. That is one underrated movie, when it comes to mainstream movies about relationships.
since Arjun does not seem that much in love
Where do you get this? To me, it seemed, in fact, that he was more heartbroken without her than she was without him.
Prasanna: Agree with what you say. But even with the “bemoaning the fact that someone does the powerpoint and some else presents it,” you have to do it cinematically. You can’t just have a guy mouth this line. That’s a clumsy, expository way of doing things. It’s like the screenwriter saying, “Oh I want to bring out this aspect of this character here, so I’ll just have him say this line.”
burcidibollyreview: Why is it surprising that two people rate a film differently? Surely not everyone looks at something with the same eyes…
usha: The reviews just re-affirm my view that everybody looks at life (and movies in this case) from the perspective of their own life experiences!
Always, usha. Always. Therefore, never trust anyone who says they are giving you an “unbiased” view of a movie. There’s no one who comes without baggage and one’s reaction to art arises primarily from which primordial buttons are pushed.
Rahini David: Is it not time to change direction now?
I’m not sure about this. Films aren’t always about the capturing the zeitgeist. Sometimes a film is just the story of one couple or person or group of people, from which it’s not advisable to extrapolate to the “current scenario.” My problem with this film was that it didn’t tell its story well and was stuffed with bad, over-conscious (and also cautious) filmmaking and some inadequate performances.
Utkal: It is more like a later day Woody Allen film…”
Uh, okay.
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usha
April 23, 2014
Utkal: yes to everything.
olemisstarana: My sincere apologies. Congratulations and best wishes. Elevating both sides is the way to go!
Rahini: a wise young man once told me there is a grain of truth in every tongue in cheek comment.
Also didn’t get the reference to Maniratnam and parents. Seen most of his bilinguals and Kannathil muthamittal and Anjali. What did I miss?
Generally: I find these south sentiments a bit puzzling. Having been south Indian for the longest time, (by virtue of being on this planet for a long time!), I didn’t find either Chennai express or 2 states offensive. Meenalochani was gutsy. And fun. Guess we southies need to practice laughing at ourselves a little more : ) I am impressed that both the Tamil language and the Tamil actor have mainstreamed into Bollywood and reached every corner of India. ‘Madrasi’ is probably even now being replaced by ‘Tamil’! In contrast, Kannada is not even a distant blip on the mainstream horizon (not talking about the Karnads, Karanths and Kasarvallis here)
After being here, I was thinking what is the purpose of cinema? to entertain? to elevate? to make a social statement? For Bollywood, I choose the first..
brangan: thanks for letting me use so much of your blog space!
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Utkal
April 23, 2014
Henry at Satyamshot mentions a scene which really shows how smart and subtle the film generally is;
“I loved the scene where Arjun was angry at Alia for even entertaining another marriage proposal, and she tells him she is just doing it to please her family. Then he asks here why she is wearing such a nice Saree, and all she says is ‘Thanks’ and that it’s her mom’s’. Rare maturity shown by Alia’s character in that sequence, offers just enough explanation, and doesn’t give into his anger.
For me, the movie had a number of such worthwhile small moments.”
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Rahini David
April 23, 2014
Olemisstarana: Considering that you tend to err in the favor of the positive interpretation, you certainly respond to “Is it not time to change direction now?” with some warmth. 🙂
Acquiring some brand new in-laws, eh? Happy Married Life. 😀
Utkal: You centainly fall deeply in love with several movies. Positively delightful. No snark. It really is.
Iswarya: I should say I am a huge fan of Santosh Subramaniyam. For in the beginning it seems to play the trope straight. Then it almost becomes a deconstruction of the trope. Hasini tells the family that this is hardly the Santosh she fell in love with. He used to be happy about her personality. Now he seems to control and alter her too much. She is not happy with how Santosh has started to cut the corners of the square peg to fit the round hole.
Santosh tells the father how smothered he has felt all his life. And Subramaniyam is positively astounded that he does not know his son at all. So it is not exactly a soupy end IMO. Subramaniyam doesn’t accept Hasini. He accepts Santosh’s right to choose his bride.
“go on to explain why human beings are the only mammals seeking to exercise parental control over extended period of time even after their offspring is mature enough to mate”
Let us turn to Theology instead. Cause I am versatile like that.
“Blessed are the meek: for they shall INHERIT the earth.”
http://biblehub.com/kjv/matthew/5.htm
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Arjun
April 23, 2014
“Generally: I find these south sentiments a bit puzzling. Having been south Indian for the longest time, (by virtue of being on this planet for a long time!), I didn’t find either Chennai express or 2 states offensive. Meenalochani was gutsy. And fun. Guess we southies need to practice laughing at ourselves a little more : )”
Offensive no, stupid and annoying, definitely.I am saying that without having watched either film but you don’t need to sample horse dung to confirm that it tastes rotten do you?
All too often, this is used as a convenient excuse to pass off substandard jokes based on dumb stereotypes as funny, the questioning or criticism of which would suggest a lack of humour on the part of the intended recipients. If I am not amused by a dumb Rajnikanth joke made up by a typically clueless, Paan chewing, Salmaan Khan loving, loud-mouthed, Northie philistine, surely I can’t be accused of being sensitive? (Hope Northies found this funny)
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Arjun
April 23, 2014
@Usha: Btw, that comment wasn’t directed at you, but at society in general. 🙂
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Rahini David
April 23, 2014
Rangan: This is one movie for which I can do the entire “This is the story of a particular boy and a particular girl not a generic boy and generic girl” routine. Because we know that this is basically Bhagat’s story. But otherwise, is it possible to see a Hare and Tortoise story, and think it is a story about a particular Hare and a particular Tortoise? Not that there is anything wrong it.
Do you remember that there was a trope called “We can’t tell her that for she has a weak heart “? Aaha was the last movie that I saw, that employed it. There was also a “En mel aanai” trope (sometimes called the “Un thaai mel aanai” ). Why are they not employed anymore? Because we as a society have stopped giving a fuck about weak hearts and Thaai Mel Aanai. Can a “Get married to the Rapist” story work now? Certain tropes have expiry dates. Certain tropes do not. The new teacher reforming a school will always work. Underdog stories are eternal too. Maybe pleasing the in-laws is an eternal trope or maybe there is an expiry date. It will depend a lot on the audience. Currently the popularity of VTV and 2States show that many youngsters do have this problem of parents objecting to their choice of partner and react very positively to movies that portray it.
I am not angry with 2 States at all. I felt that it reasonably achieved what it set out to achieve.
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Utkal
April 23, 2014
Rahini David: There are many films that i don’t love at all. But i don’t write about them. You see, I don’t do film reviews. I do love songs to films I love. That’s why you will not see too much mention of blemishes. ( When you love someone you don’t notice if she is a few inches shorter than ideal, or if she is a little thick around the waist or if she has one crooked tooth.)
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Abhirup
April 23, 2014
Rahini David: Ma’am, I missed this remark of yours–“I do understand that everybody has a right to bend over backwards. But it is a kind of elevating experience to watch stories about young people who grew a spine.”
All I can say is, thanks a million. That’s about as succinct and accurate as it gets. I agree with those here who have no fondness for the must-gain-parental-and-familial-approval-before-getting-married movies, of which ‘Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge’ is the prime instance. What these movies essentially say is this: the feelings of the lovers themselves mean zilch unless sanctioned by the elders. You may be as deeply in love as possible, but you have no right to be together unless every family member of yours and your paramour’s give their permission for it. I think this trend needs to die, and now. I would much rather have our characters behave like Pratap Ravi in the first part of ‘Rakta Charitra’, who walks into the home of his girlfriend, and says to her father, “I love your daughter, and she loves me. So we are going to get married. I don’t care if you approve. But it would be nice if you bless our union.”
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Olemisstarana
April 23, 2014
@Rahini: I thought some more… and read some of your comments (directed at BR) and think some tropes should be done away with, but I don’t think it’s because of mere audience fatigue, but because of real societal and cultural shift. For instance, no matter how well done the story final product, I doubt if “Birth of a Nation” would be tolerated today (if we accounted for anachronisms, etc.). Similarly the rape victim marrying the rapist narrative – hard to imagine that appealing to my sensibility now, even if it were couched in exquisite metaphor. I had – have – so much trouble dealing with Raanjhanaa. So much I love about that movie, technically and musically and in terms of performance, but holy hell – this is the story of an innocent girl being hounded by a petty, vengeful stalker – but this is a rant for a different place and time.
Also, I just disagreed with you – no hard feelings at all. Maybe your reading of my comment was flawed… 🙂 I enjoy your comments immensely, and rarely de-activate lurker mode.
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Sharan (@sharanidli)
April 24, 2014
“It’s like watching a never-ending game of tennis where the opponents hate each other and are slugging it out on either side of the Vindhyas: 2 states, one love.”
Brangan, to use a wonderful tennis-match metaphor — the Vindhyas as a net is a striking image — and mix it with some brilliant word-play requires immense skill. To make it look effortless is something else!
This must rank among your most witty reviews yet — take a bow!
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brangan
April 24, 2014
usha: I agree. Everyone is fair game. Southies. Northies. Easties. Westies. In India we get so offended by the simplest of stereotype-based humour, I wonder what it’d be like if an SNL-type show came on air here. And the fact of people getting offended by “Chennai Express” was surprising — it was the heroine’s movie all the way, just like “Vishwaroopam” was a “Muslim’s” movie all the way. In that movie too, I didn’t get the objections at all. I mean, the hero is a God-fearing Muslim and he’s saving the world. What could be better (of you care about these things, that is)?
Rahini David: No, I was going after something slightly trickier: How does one decide if a trope is to be extrapolated as being representative of a community or if it’s just something that’s greasing the wheels of the story? That’s a personal call, sometimes. Here, I wasn’t worried so much about the stereotypes as the film being so long and boring and generally uninventive. Everything seemed to be been-there-done-that.
As for these stereotypes still existing, I have no doubt. I’ve been called a “Mallu” by Delhi types after they learnt I was from Chennai 😀
Sharan: Thank you 🙂 Wrestled with this line quite a bit — to add the “net” word or not? will people see the visual image that you describe? — but am so happy you got *exactly* what I was going for. Thanks again.
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Nathan
April 24, 2014
“by Delhi types”…hmm…Hello kettle, pot says hi!!
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Ravi K
April 24, 2014
Brangan, I’m not so sure that most North Indians know enough about South Indians to properly stereotype them. THAT is what I find offensive 🙂
Stereotyping is a tricky thing to pull off, particularly the North-South thing. People are okay poking fun at themselves, but if another group pokes fun at them it can come off condescending, if not inaccurate, unless they have some familiarity with the group in question. I have not read or seen 2 States, but I bet it is more accurate and good-natured in that respect than, say, Ra.One.
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brangan
April 25, 2014
Nathan: Haha. Touché.
Ravi K: By that same token, I’d also venture that many South Indians don’t know enough about North Indians to properly stereotypes them. Besides, what is “proper” stereotyping, anyway?
About “Ra.One,” I prefer an in-your-face, comically exaggerated stereotype like a curd-and-noodles-eating Tamilian to a more subtle and insidious one like a family (in “2 States”) in which the younger brother is studying for IIT and the mother is trying to learn Carnatic music. The former is so over the top as to be laughable. The latter is more “realistic,” and to my mind, more problematic.
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usha
April 25, 2014
hmmm..to me it is the same difference..IIT brother, musical aspiration mother, noodles and curds..I eat oats with curds 🙂
I thought I had signed out of this conversation, but couldn’t resist that 🙂
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Pranesh
April 25, 2014
I’ve never understood the South Indian IIT stereotype. I went to a NIT and 40% of the population was from the North. They were crazy nerds too.
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Arjun
April 25, 2014
It’s not a South Indian or even Tamilian thing. All this IIT, Carnatic music, curd rice etc are bascially Tam brahmin stereotypes. In reality Brahmins are probably less than 5% of the state’s population and largely confined to the metros. The overwhelming majority of Tamilians are macho men who eat meat, are most definitely non-nerdy and have absolutely no interest in carnatic music or getting into IITs. But unfortunately most Tam Brahmins have a very narrow, Brahmin-centric view of the universe and we see these stereotypes being largely unquestioningly transmitted to the North Indians.
The real Tamizhan listens to Ilayaraja not carnatic. They love their (chicken) leg piece and other such manly foods, not your wussy curd rice and pickle. OTOH their quirks include spending Monday mornings at Tasmac, building temples for actors and prostrating before Amma.
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Rahini David
April 25, 2014
Olemisstarana: Oh come on. I wasn’t offended by your comment or anything. I mean, you devoted 17 seconds and deactivated your lurker mode and all that. Thank you for your comments. 🙂
Rangan: You are very forgiving about everything and everyone other than people who bore you stiff, aren’t you? That is wonderful. 😀
“How does one decide if a trope is to be extrapolated as being representative of a community”
I am helped by not being properly aware of these region and caste based stereotypes. I am not entirely sure which region is supposed to be more brainy or chauvinistic or hardworking or cunning or innocent or rich or this or that. I think North Indians like chaat items and I am often led to believe they actually enjoy Holi. Apart from that I am a big zero in all this. As a tamil woman from a Christian family I am not sure what the labels on me are. One sterotype that I have seen in Tamil Movies is the Hot-Mallu-Aunty trope. I should say that I’d find difficult to say “everyone is fair game” to that one.
Arjun: How come chicken legs are manly? What is womanly? Chicken Breasts? 😉
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Russell
April 25, 2014
i thought that the film was ‘meh’. Yes it did have its moments, but they were few and far between. I did enjoy Aalia’s acting – BR, you very correctly described it as a ‘coltish vitality’ – mooh ki baat cheen li yaar. One thing I was very thankful for – for once, in a Dharma movie, the other students in IIMA were not wearing neons, breaking into hip hop dances in the background or wandering around on skateboards..phew.
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Arjun
April 25, 2014
@Rahini: That was my feeble attempt at irony. Sorry, forgot to turn the font on 🙂
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Shankar
April 26, 2014
@Rahini David: “How come chicken legs are manly? What is womanly? Chicken Breasts?”…
That was genuinely funny!! 🙂
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Ravi K
April 26, 2014
Baradwaj, I was being somewhat facetious with the “proper stereotyping” bit. I guess there has been the occasional Seth or Punjabi caricature in Tamil films, but Arjun got at what I was trying to say when he mentioned that Hindi film stereotypes of Tamils are really Tam-Brahm stereotypes. But even within that their strokes are very broad compared to something like “Tambrahm Rage” (http://tambrahmrage.tumblr.com/), which was clearly done by Tam Brahms poking fun at specific things, which is usually a way funnier approach.
However, I will say that while I’m not from a Brahmin family, my grandfather and great-grandfather on my mother’s side were vegetarian teetotalers who were very much into Carnatic music and Sanskrit. So maybe the Hindi filmmakers have it right after all 🙂
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Meena
April 28, 2014
so much cynicism and sarcasm – this much energy couldn’t make a two hour film. – meanwhile the movie has had a 40 crore opening…Get a life guys !!!
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Srini
April 28, 2014
Off Topic : I saw your review of “Vai Moodi Pesavum” in The Hindu, but not on your blog?
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Sev
April 28, 2014
I think the comment by “Meena” is missing the point (at least the way I see it). I feel it is potentially erroneous to conclude that people who are analyzing the nitty gritty of a movie did not like it. They may have liked portions of the movie while being unaffected by others. Or they may have loved it in its entirety. Moreover, these posters are likely contributing to the 40-crore tally of the movie much like those people who loved it. I guess, my point is, as far as a movie recovering its investment is concerned, people who watch it and choose to analyze it (and in the process, realize that they dislike it) are also contributing to it.
That is what I like about movie-discussion blogs like Rangan’s- they are centred around the experience and thoughts an individual movie goer experiences while watching a certain movie. In that respect, the person watching the movie, the circumstances around which he/she watches the movie, and the movie itself are all important. I prefer this idea to the black-and-white view propounded by reviewers like T. Adarsh, Anupama Chopra and their ilk which focuses on a sort of narrow metric to gauge a movie heedless to the individuality of the watcher. I think the same holds true for discussions of books, or TV series, or soap operas (my guilty pleasure 🙂 )
As an aside, Mr. Rangan, how about a discussion of non-indian movies, particularly those by renouned giants of yore like Bergman, Fellini etc. I’d be interested in your experiences and your viewing of these movies. Thanks!
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Sara
April 28, 2014
@Meena… Some random guy made a stupid movie that earned 40 crores, but because it earned so much, people who criticize it don’t have a life? I fail to grasp the logic there. You do realize that for some of us money means nothing after basic necessities in life are met, right?
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Mambazha Manidhan
April 29, 2014
The problem with disliking a well-liked movie is you start wondering if there is something wrong with you.
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Olemisstarana
April 29, 2014
I wonder what it says about the person who comments on those who don’t have a life, telling them that they don’t have a life… so many levels of wtf, no?
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Olemisstarana
April 29, 2014
@Meena — the above comment. BR, I do wish we could edit before you got to these! Also, thanks for letting us duke it out on your real estate.
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Rahul
April 29, 2014
“but for something like this to truly make a difference in a movie, it cannot be there for just a sprinkling of scenes. It has to be worked into the very texture of the film”
I do see where you are coming from, but I kinda sorta disagree. A subtext, by definition, wont announce itself loudly or repeatedly in a movie. Once you “feel” a subtext, it can change the texture of the movie for you, sometimes retroactively. And, isn’t it similar in real life relationships? A few key moments define ,what broadly consists of scraps of banal exchanges. Not that it should work the same way for a movie, just sayin .
“Where do you get this? To me, it seemed, in fact, that he was more heartbroken without her than she was without him.”
You made the tranquiliser dart comment, not me. : ) However, I agree that the way the story panned out, he seems to be more heartbroken , but how he may have come across to Ananya , based on his stunted communication style, his history of a failed relationship and his seeming unwillingness to commit early on- he had to work harder to convince Ananya about his feelings,was my point.
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Sanjay
April 29, 2014
Has Brangan gone on a vacation?.There hasnt been any new reviews or articles this week
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Rahul
April 29, 2014
“All the gloss kind of overpowers the small details”
It is interesting to me that its not just the glossy style, but a deliberate attempt by the makers to gloss over moments of high drama , like the scene in which Krish slaps his Dad – these scenes just fizzle out, like flat beer. Sometimes a subtext can be even more compelling, if you get the impression that it is being muzzled . It is like , art takes a life of its on , and takes on the creator.
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burcidibollyreview
May 4, 2014
So I just saw the film. The stereotypes were really not a big deal, I think people have exaggerated it. I enjoyed the film, really liked it. I just dislike the hypocrisy of the characters. The way they call each other “friend” to their parents when they’ve slept together about a million times. That really bothered me. I also thought that the film would be a clean family film but I’m afraid the intimate scenes made it impossible for people to watch this film with parents, which is disappointing.
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shumailarazzak
August 29, 2014
Which building is used in the film (as the university)?
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Santa
September 19, 2019
Finally saw the movie (several years too late!). Stereotyping was cringe-inducing. But I didn’t mind it overall mainly due to Alia’s breezy performance. Also, didn’t find Arjun Kapoor as stiff as he typically is. The highlight of the movie for me was when Revathi started singing Saathiya. It would have been even better if the business tycoon owing the music label would have turned out to be Salman.
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