Saturday, May 09, 2009

It happened one weekend...

You know what? For all the absurdities, I still have a soft corner for bollywood movies of the early 90s. Case in point - Dil Hai ke Manta Nahin (1991), which I chanced upon while surfing channels yesterday. And sat through it. It was a nostalgic experience given that this movie came out at a time when we were in college, and life was footloose & fancy free.

It was one of those 'assembly-line' thingies the Bhatt camp used to dole out back then. It was good, clean fun. DHMN was supposedly an inspiration of a hollywood classic (ok, stop rolling your eyes) 'It happened one night', which was once earlier made in bollywood before DHMN itself. It was called 'Chori-Chori' starring the show-man Raj Kapoor, and amchi munnabhai's real-life mom Nargis.

It gives a different kind of a high when you see the lead pair bickering and fighting tooth 'n nail the first half of the movie and then falling in love in the end. But DHMN holds a special place in my heart because the first rays of romance were entering my own life, and I remember going to this movie with almost the entire class, and yes...my future wife as well. And a movie becomes all the more special when you start relating to the characters, and your life had situations similar to those on the screen.

Well yeah, at hindsight it does seem a bit silly, compared to movies of today which are more technically advanced and realistic (and most times..err..bold, for want of a better word), and given that the movie's hero is so well known for those realistic movies today. DHMN in that sense was the perfect mix, a perfect antidote for boredom, and a perfect reckoner for people hopeful of love. It had all the masala in it, the 'drop-of-a-hat' song sequences, and of course a happy ending. And to top it, you didn't find it embarrassing to watch it with anyone...heck, I could watch it with my neighbor, Mr. R. I couldn't be seen dead with him in any movie hall today. I swear.

Rent the movie today and watch it. You'll smile through the weekend. Trust me. :-)

Monday, May 04, 2009

Scream Test

Shetty frowned as he flipped the various portfolios.

"Damn. Damn, and more damn," he muttered. He should've never listened to that Desai kid. These US-returned youngsters thought no end of themselves. One measly degree from some bloody university and they thought they knew what film-making was all about. MBA too, to top it. He shook his head and wiped his bald head.

"Next," he barked into the intercomm.

The lanky guy peeped his head through the door and stepped in with a meek "sir?"

"Come in," Shetty grunted.

He looked nervous, this guy. Shetty sized him up quickly. Hmm..not so bad actually.

"So, you are..." he pored over his profile, hooking on his glasses on the nose.

"Ankit...sir."

"Ankit," Shetty repeated and leaned back, his hands over his head. He looked at the nervous guy's face for a few seconds, a smirk slowly creeping across his own face. "So, you want to be a star, huh?"

"I want to be in this film, sir."

Shetty rolled his eyes.

"No, really sir..."

"You see, Mr. Ankit," Shetty said, leaning forward keeping his hands on the table. "This will be our most expensive movie till date. Special effects. Music. You name it. And we want actors," he said with a typical gesture. "Actors. Not dreamy-eyed stars. And that is why we're interviewing and auditioning new faces."

Ankit nodded sagely.

"And..."

"I know sir," Ankit interrupted. "And I understand that. I think...I'm..I'm your guy."

Shetty raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? And what makes you so confident, young man? We'll have a screen test, and..."

Ankit interjected again. "Sir, I'm telling you..."

"Listen young man. I don't like to be interrupted. I'm the director of this film, and I can show you the door, rightaway. Ok? You're lucky the producer of the film isn't here with me today, else..." Shetty wiped his brow with a frown.

"Anyway..what makes you think you're so qualified for this movie? What's so great about you anyway?"

"Sir, this is a horror movie right?"

Shetty nodded.

"Sir, I think I can give it that authenticity. And you won't even need special effects."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes sir," said Ankit, pulling out his head and placing it on the table.

"You see sir," the head spoke. "I died last year on my way to the same studio, for the same film. And I really want this film. I'm dying to do it, excuse the pun."

Then guiltily, he picked up his head and screwed it back on.

"So, I'll get the role, right sir?"

"Sir?"

"Sir?!!"

******