Chennai Express

The only time I have ever walked out of a film was 5 minutes into a Hindi film in Southall when I realised there were no subtitles. Luckily my Hindi speaking companion was sympathetic. Even now I am rather tense watching the first moments of a Hindi film until the subtitles appear on the screen. I bring this up because had Sue suggested we leave at the interval I would have been out of my seat like a shot. I think we stayed partially because we were already there and, for me, to see if the second half could be worse than the first.

Chennai Express is one of the fastest grossing Bollywood films of all time. It’s already a member of the 300 Crore Club ($48m) worldwide, one of only four films to do so, and broke box office records in the weekend of its release in India. While the public have flocked to the film the critics, both in India and abroad (the film was released worldwide almost simultaneously) have not been so impressed.

So to the movie: Rahul (Shah Rukh Khan (SRK)) is the scion of a well-to-do sweet seller’s family in Mumbai, raised by his grandparents after his parents’ deaths. After an indulgent and spoilt childhood Rahul (SRK) is seemingly prevented from meeting women because he’s so committed to his grandparents and the business. At the time of his grandfather’s death Rahul is planning a “boys’ “ weekend in Goa but plans are complicated by having to dispose of the ashes near Chennai. Getting on the Chennai Express Rahul helps a running woman, Meenamma (played by Deepika Padukone) onto the train, but finds she is pursued by a number of non-Hindi speaking brutish men. Then Rahul finds they are her father’s henchmen who have found her after she ran away. Some comedic moments follow with lyrics from songs from SRK’s films changed to confuse the Tamil speakers. But escape attempts are futile and they arrive at her father’s “territory” and Rahul finds he is a local underworld chief who has promised his daughter to a friend’s gigantic son, Thangaballi. Rahul and Meenamma escape spending time at another local village, are found and escape, but Rahul returns to the mafia village to fight the brutish Thangaballi. Rahul says he fights for the “common man”. Love conquers all and her father accepts Rahul as her husband.

The first half was fairly pacey establishing Rahul as restricted by family issues, a familiar theme in Bollywood. But that was just to set the scene. The “boys” again were just thrown in for effect. The Hindi songs bastardised on the train were an in-joke taken from SRK’s previous films – along with a number of other references to other Bollywood films (Dilwale Dulhania le Jayenge; My Name is Khan; Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara; Khabi Khushi Khabie Gham). But beyond that there was very little characterisation, particularly of Meenamma. There were hints of racism - Indians are racist too - in the portrayal of the darker South Indians as large unintelligent brutes. There were a couple of dance numbers in the first half but they were simplistic dances and songs, often childish and facile.

The second half was actually a bit better, but that’s not saying much. A couple of the dance numbers, particularly set on the South’s tea estates, were actually quite entertaining. A car chase followed but for someone raised on Bond and Bourne the chase was fairly tame. But then a quite brutal fight scene between Rahul and Thangaballi.

None of the characterisation was strong. Rahul’s invocation of the “common man” was quite unexpected, and the love between Rahul and Meenamma was just not believable, certainly not compared to some of the couples in SRK’s previous films.

The hints of racism were added to by confusion between Hindi and Tamil, and just made one very uncomfortable. In addition, a scene when Rahul is on the run and comes across a man with dwarfism and a speech impediment is meant as a comic interlude partially but is gratuitously exploiting a dwarf and added nothing to the plot. But the Hindi speaking families behind us found it quite amusing.

The film also featured pure unreconstructed sexism of the type ingrained in Indian culture, but also of the type you hoped an international Bollywood film might manage to transform a little. Instead, we had a fairly assertive Meenamma on the run from an arranged (perhaps forced) marriage to Thangaballi, being captured and brought back to her domineering father by his henchmen. She seems to have no choice but to go through with the marriage to her father’s chosen partner before Rahul comes to her rescue. Rahul eventually ‘wins’ and is granted his chosen bride by Meenamma’s father – but only after the classic punch-up between the two would-be grooms over who gets the ‘girl’. Despite her feistiness, and constant attempts to escape, Meenamma returns to the passive bystander while the men fight over who gets to marry her. Hardly a promising role model for a 21st century woman – one in control of her own destiny - in whatever country – or indeed for her father or potential husband.

Brought up on the best of modern Bollywood and starring SRK we were expecting a lot better both in terms of the plot, songs and dances. The racism, sexism and casual treatment of the dwarf detracted considerably from the film. We didn’t find the comedy scenes funny at all – perhaps something was lost in translation.  If the film was meant as a parody of your classic Bollywood romance or Tamil action movie, then it wasn't a very good one and the in-jokes and references may well have been lost on an international audience. We do wonder if Bollywood tries too hard to combine what would normally be separate genres in its films from rom-com, to thriller to social commentary, and this was just a step too far.

Sue and I both evinced some concern for SRK’s continuing career. As we have noted before despite the fact he is good shape he can’t continue to play action roles, dance, and play the romantic partner of an actress in her 20s. Bollywood doesn’t appear to have the range of genres and movies that would be available to a leading actor of SRK’s age in Hollywood. But with SRK’s star power he can surely mould the industry to suit himself. Perhaps his wife’s involvement as a producer of Chennai Express skewed his judgement. Almost incidentally SRK and Padukone appeared on breakfast television in the UK, Daybreak, to help publicise the film. But the appearance was cringeworthy; the presenter had no idea that she was in the presence of a movie superstar, nor about the Indian film industry.

Overall 1 out of 5 and that’s mainly for the rather expensive popcorn we devoured.

 

Have a break.....listen to some classic Bollywood

I needed to give my brain a rest from studying, so thought I would have a cup of tea over some classic Bollywood.  This is the brilliant 'Dil Se Re' (from the movie 'Dil Se' of course) with SRK and music by AR Rahman.

Dil Se Re

Then brilliant in a different way is the Miami University acappella choir 'Misfitz' singing their version of Dil Se Re.

Misfitz

Back to work now I guess.

Bollywood and me (Part 1)

As I sit writing this I can see Sue’s collection of Bollywood DVDs under the TV. Amongst them are many of mine and some have become her favourites. On occasion with guests we might play a favourite scene or song. I don’t think Sue had seen Bollywood before she met me but she now scours the listings of our local Cineworld for Bollywood movies. We are quite selective and probably see only the cream of Bollywood based on recommendations from cousins in India. You may think that coming from an Indian family I was brought up on Bollywood but nothing could be further from the truth.

I came to Bollywood rather late in life. We shunned a lot of Indian culture when I was growing up and later Bollywood didn’t really have much to offer me. I do remember Channel 4 showing Bollywood movies on Sunday lunchtimes; these were often violent gangster movies starring Amitabh Bachchan. All I recollect is lots of fake blood, guns and machetes. We did wonder what the fuss was about.

Then some years later I was reading the TV previews in a national paper. A film to be screened by Channel 4 in the early hours was said to be “the finest work to come out of Bollywood in recent years”. So I taped it, and my journey began. That film was Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (The Brave Hearted Will Take Away the Bride, 1995) starring Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) and Kajol, both then unknown to me, but I realized later were amongst the royalty of Bollywood.

The story is quite simple: an Indian-British boy (Raj) and girl (Simran)(SRK and Kajol) meet on a Eurail holiday one summer and fall in love. Cue lots of location shots in London and all over Europe. He is a rich indolent boy while she is a dutiful daughter. But the relationship is doomed; she has been promised to a young man in India as a bride. After the holiday her family fly off to India for her betrothal and wedding. After some soul-searching Raj follows her, and then ingratiates himself into the wedding party. They are found out, Raj leaves, and is attacked by the groom and his friends at the railway station. As finally Raj gets on the train Simran beseeches her father to let her go with Raj, at first he refuses but eventually he relents.

Since this was really the first Bollywood film I’d seen I had no frame of reference but I was spellbound for its 3 hours. I knew about the dancing and songs interspersing a serious film but they didn’t feel intrusive apart from one song. Kajol and SRK were utterly compelling and were a highly charged romantic couple. SRK in particular showed some gift for comedy as well as being the romantic lead. I liked the strong emphasis on tradition and family: e.g. Simran being prepared initially to submit to an arranged marriage. But in the end it is the parents who see sense and the couple leave together with her father’s blessings. I was impressed with the high-quality film-making, a world away from the other Bollywood movies I had seen, however briefly. The music was a revelation to such an extent that I bought a CD of the soundtrack on my next trip to Calcutta. The only thing that jarred for me was the violence; but one should not forget in India a film is supposed to be escapism for the masses, combining music, dance, drama, romance all in 3 hours. I must also confess I did have a crush on Kajol for a long time after seeing the movie. (I think Sue knows this!!).

I lent the tape to my mother who until this point had not been a Bollywood fan but I guess I corrupted her. She is now a devoted SRK fan as well as to other stars. Often the highlights of her trips to Calcutta include a couple of hours in Music World frequently buying over £100 worth of DVDs. Many of my DVDs are at Sue’s and she’s now a devotee, buying DVDs in Delhi, and playing CDs in the car. On winter evenings she might entertain us by dancing to her favourite Bollywood songs (Sue: I deny this completely - a) for dancing at all and b) even if I did for being vaguely entertaining).

Since watching Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge I too am a fan of Bollywood, but perhaps not as much as my mother. Nevertheless I want to take you on my journey through the best of Bollywood and tell you how I met a famous star.

After Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge I was always on the lookout for Bollywood movies on in Central London. There were usually reviews in the mainstream papers and this was in the days before the Internet took off. I didn’t know then that the best place to see Bollywood was in Indian areas such as Southall, where the Himalaya Palace, now sadly closed down because of DVDs and satellite television, was the place to go. But I read that a new SRK movie was to be shown in Leicester Square so off I went.

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, also known as K3G, (Sometimes Happiness, Sometimes Sadness) is the everyday story of billionaire folk in India. The cast list is a veritable Who’s Who of the Bollywood hierarchy with the patriarch and matriarch played by Amitabh Bachchan and his wife Jaya, and other key roles by SRK, Kajol, Rani Mukherji, Hrithik Roshan, and Kareena Kapoor. Initially it’s all happy families until the elder son and heir to the family business, Rahul (played by SRK), meets and marries Anjali (played by Kajol), a woman from a low class background. Eventually there is a rift between Rahul and his father, and Rahul exiles himself to London. There he creates a life for himself and Anjali, and his sister in law. Later his adopted brother, Hrithik Roshan as Rohan, finds Rahul, and befriends him. They are reconciled but will Rahul and his father make up?

This is melodrama at its best and again a focus on tradition, obedience to the culture of one’s parents. Some of the scenes especially between Rahul and his mother are incredibly moving. I loved the music and the ensemble dances. This movie has one of the best dance scenes I have ever seen: SRK and Kajol dancing to Suraj Hua Maddham at the Pyramids. That scene alone is worth the price of admission.

After K3G I think the next Bollywood movie I saw was Devdas. I remember this had been highlighted in the UK press. It’s the story of a London returned Devdas, Bengali of course, played by SRK, being prevented from marrying his childhood sweetheart Paro (played by Aishwarya Rai) because she is the wrong class (a familiar theme in Bollywood movies). Devdas takes her marriage badly, falls into bad company and becomes an alcoholic. But he finds solace in the arms of courtesan, Chandramukhi (Madhuri Dixit). The sets were utterly sumptuous as were the costumes. Would that early 20th century Calcutta actually looked like that. In this film SRK doesn’t dance but Rai and Dixit are just breathtaking. Two songs stand out: Madhuri Dixit in Maar Dala; I’m told by a dancer friend that ballet companies would copy many of the moves in their warm-ups. That’s some compliment. The other song is Dola Re Dola, where Dixit and Rai are dancing together. Overall this is an outstanding movie, again exemplifying conflicts within families, with lavish scenes, a very strong cast, and innovative choreography.

After over-exposure to SRK it was time for a change. Lagaan was the next movie I saw in central London. It stars another Khan, Amir (Bhuvan), and takes us back to colonial times; a tax dispute between villagers and the British masters is settled by a cricket match. Tensions in the village abound between various castes and religions but they are settled so that the villagers can create a unified team, new to cricket, to face the “evil” British. The villagers have the services of a “spy”, the sister of one of the British officers, who teaches them the rudiments of cricket and falls in love with Bhuvan. Lagaan was a sea-change from most Bollywood movies and kept many of the best elements but most engaging was the strong story lines, music and dance scenes that were integral. It was probably my introduction to the music of AR Rahman, who is a giant of contemporary Indian music. Practically all the Indian characters were engaging, the British were perhaps predictably cruel but redeemed by the spy. As a piece of film-making it’s near flawless keeping one enthralled and engaged for its entirety.

Then it was back to SRK; how could we miss one of his films? Kal Ho Na Ho (There May Or May Not Be A Tomorrow) told the tale of Aman (SRK) in the US, there for medical treatment for a fatal condition, meeting and falling in love with MBA student Naina (Preity Zinta). He knows he will never live long enough to marry Naina so he engineers a relationship between Naina and Rohit (Saif Ali Khan (SAF). They are both unsure about the relationship but with Aman’s help they hit it off. Shades of Cyrano de Bergerac here. Instead of London we are taken on a tour of New York. The songs in this movie are amongst our favourites particularly played on long car journeys. We particularly liked the theme song and Maahive, with an ensemble and starry cast. For viewers brought up on Western movies and dramas the acting is sometimes over the top, but after a while one sees this as the norm in Bollywood movies. Again there is a strong focus on the family, but also some liberal themes: one family is Christian, and there is comedic gay sub-text. Nevertheless this again an outstanding film, with leading stars, and music and scenes that stay in the memory.

Not long after seeing Saif Ali Khan in Kal Ho Na Ho I was in quite an upmarket hotel in Jaipur. Returning from sightseeing our car was prevented from entering the grounds of the hotel by numerous police cars. The police checked our identities to ensure we were indeed guests of the hotel. On entering the hotel lobby we asked why there was such a police presence and were told Saif Ali Khan and his then girlfriend were having lunch. I passed him a couple of times and said hi. Thus far he’s the only Bollywood star I’ve seen in real life but am sure there will be other opportunities in future. In retrospect what was surprising was the extent of the police escort, perhaps 10 cars. I don’t think Tom Cruise would get this kind of treatment in London but would provide his own security generally.

The only other Bollywood movie I’ve seen at the cinema apart from recent ones with Sue was Love Aaj Kal (Love Today Tomorrow) starring Saif Ali Khan as Jai and Deepika Padukone as Meera. This I saw at the aforementioned Himalaya Palace in Southall. Having driven from Central London we had eaten well at Madhu’s Brilliant across the road and presented ourselves at the cinema in time for the showing. The cashier said the film wouldn’t be showing as there were no other filmgoers and they had a minimum number. We contemplated and asked what the minimum number was: four they replied, so we bought four tickets. So we were the only ones in the audience, the movie started as soon as we sat down, at the interval we went out for some Indian sweets, and the movie restarted as soon as we returned. That was a near perfect way to watch a movie; no complaining about others talking, rustling sweet papers, getting up to go the loo, or a tall man or woman in front of you.

Love Aaj Kal is a modern Bollywood film mainly about an Indian couple living in London. While there is a contemporary storyline there is also a more old-fashioned chaste storyline about Jai’s mentor and friend (Veer Singh) and the love of his life, Harleen, when younger. SAF plays both Jai and the younger Veer Singh. The film offers a comparison between love in the past, the strictures and mores, and today, with a different moral compass and expectations. The modern couple are shown living together and shock actually kissing, while for the older couple the relationship is almost Chaucerian, akin to “amour courtois”, i.e. love from afar. Veer has to show a deft touch in approaching Harleen, and her family. But for the more contemporary couple in the West they do not abide by the rules in India. The contemporary couple break up, find new partners (with Jai a white European woman), but later find each other again. In this film one gets two love stories for the price of one. It works well for me and you are left guessing to the last moment as to which couple or both will find love ever after.

So this concludes the first part of my Bollywood journey but not before I tell you about one of my favourite dance scenes. If you are a Bollywood aficionado you will know it well: the famous train scene in Dil Se. Telling it really doesn’t do it justice; you need to see it. Not long into the movie starring SRK of course, he is dancing atop a moving train. The music, Chaiyya Chaiyya, by AR Rahman is utterly spellbinding, as is the choreography by Farah Khan, but what is even more spellbinding is SRK dancing and jumping around on top of a moving train. SRK’s co-star on top of the train, Manisha Koirala, deserves high praise. How the scene was filmed is astonishing. Today I don’t think SRK would be able to get insured for something so dangerous; then he was reasonably well-known but not the superstar he is today. I would urge you to look up the scene on YouTube.

To be continued.....

Jab Tak Hai Jaan (English: As Long as There is Life)

Seemingly for months now, the Indian film listings at Feltham cineworld have seemed to consist mainly of Tamil action or thriller movies which have never quite appealed. Last Sunday, however, we found Jab Tak Hai Jaan in the line up. Directed by the late Yash Chopra (of Veer Zaara fame), starring Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) and music by A.R.Rahman – it was a must. It had already achieved ‘blockbuster’ fame in the overseas market – opening at no.5 in the US and no.4 in the UK, becoming the highest midweek and weekend grossing Bollywood film ever in both countries.

It was a lengthy 3 hours long, so we settled in for the duration armed with diet cokes and popcorn. It started with a tribute to the director Yash Chopra, who sadly had died only weeks before the release of the film. The tribute was in Hindi, no subtitles, so I was slightly anxious the film would carry on in this way – fortunately (for both me and Susen), English subtitles appeared once the film started.

The first scenes were of SRK, playing Major Samar Anand in the Indian Army, a brave bomb disposal expert who refused to wear body armour whilst disabling the bombs. The location was Kashmir – in Pahalgam. This was sad to see, as I backpacked in Kashmir and stayed in Pahalgam back in 1987 – before any particular threat to Westerners and ongoing violence pretty much made it off limits to tourists. Now, the beautiful landscape was just a backdrop to bomb disposal efforts from terrorism in a Bollywood film.

Jumping back in time: Samar is trying to make his way in London. We see him sweeping snow up outside a church, where he first encounters Meera, the inevitable love object. For once, he has not inherited or made vast wealth (at least not initially) and is sharing a very basic flat with a friend (or possibly relative) from Lahore. A welcome reality check to the lives of most average people in London. His success as a fishmonger, however, earns him a job in a restaurant owned by a customer, at which he excels.

But Meera (played by Katrina Kaif, of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara recent fame), as befits the beautiful heroine, has just graduated cum laude from university and is about to be set up for life – to marry the eligible Roger, her father’s choice - and continue in her father’s successful business. Until she meets Samar that is. Then an interesting twist on the classic Hindi duty-over-love dilemma occurs – where she feels obliged to marry Roger, who is English, (the safe choice and her father’s choice) as compared to Samar, from India, (the exciting but lower class choice). Here, the story is subverted in that the English man is the ‘safe’ choice, whilst the ethnically similar choice is the risky choice. Hence, class is privileged over ethnicity – an observation I have been making for the best part of two decades now.

But a car crash witnessed by Meera makes her do a deal with God: if his life is saved, then she will have nothing more to do with him (a scene reminiscent of ‘The End of the Affair’ based on Graham Greene’s novel). The ambulance scene is so unbelievable – I am being slightly pedantic here in that he is rolled onto the stretcher into the ambulance, despite having a head injury. I am literally crying out in my head ‘put a neck brace on!’ – to no avail.

He lives – and cut to Kashmir where he is prepared to dice with death every day as a bomb disposal officer in the Indian army. Akira appears (played by Anushka Sharma), to make a documentary of his life for Discovery Channel. This again leads to an unbelievable, cringe-worthy dance sequence of his new potential beau – Akira: doing her hip-thrusts in very short shorts with locals joining in the dance sequences. What a conservative local Muslim population must have made of this stick-thin Bollywood actress in shorts and gyrating hips, goodness only knows. I am assuming they were paid for their time and attention.

The plot winds on, fairly predictably – with echoes of Veer Zaara in the long absence, the love relinquished to become reunited decades later. Inevitably, the setting both in London and India will draw audiences from both India and the diaspora. I found myself recognising London backdrops – from Chiswick Park (near where I used to live), Trafalgar Square, Borough Market and Hay’s Galleria (near where I used to work). Man! – if I had known SRK was filming right outside, I would have been straight down there with my pen and autograph book.

Altogether an entertaining 3 hours, though any good editor could have cut it to 2 hours or under without losing meaning. Music was unfortunately forgettable, despite the promise of A.R.Rahman. Some of the scenes were poignant – most notably when Meera meets her mother and her partner (played by Bollywood stalwarts Neetu Singh and Rishi Kapoor) for the first time in 10 years. SRK was good, professional but slightly predictable. It remains to be seen how credibly SRK will continue to be as a man in his later 40s partnering women in their early and late 20s. Overall a 7/10 I think. My son rated it 4-5/10. This might have been because of the love interest and (forbidden) kissing – a real turn-off for pre-teen boys more into video games. Worthwhile, but come on SRK – we are waiting for the next wow factor.

 

Suresh and Padma Wadkar at Cadogan Hall

OK, so I must confess that I had never actually heard of Suresh Wadkar before going to his Bollywood concert at the Cadogan Hall on 17 November 2012.  This probably put me in a minority of one, judging by the audience's obvious knowledge and enjoyment of his songs.  I also seemed to be a minority of one in (I'm pretty sure) being the only white English person in the audience, the rest being Indian (either Indian born and brought up - ie. Indian Indian or of Indian origin, born and brought up in the UK, ie. English Indian.  There is a difference).   Susen also had never heard of Suresh Wadkar, so I felt a bit better at my lack of knowledge.

The evening started with various introductions, thank yous and, slightly bizarrely to my mind, a short promo film from one of the sponsors for their luxury flats for sale in India (sorry, not sure exactly where).  I couldn't help smiling as one of the musicians was introduced as having a degree in IT - of course! - the modern Indian professional. Then a very nervous-looking Padma came on - Suresh's wife.   I was distracted by her dress, which I couldn't quite make out - it looked like a kurta top over a very full long skirt.  I am sure it has a name but it was a new style to me.  But when she started singing, her voice totally captivated me, almost entirely unexpected from someone so unassuming and obviously quite nervous.  She has a high soprano voice, typical of many of the female Bollywood voices and which I now associate more with the older films of the 1980s and 90s.  Still - the clarity of her voice, her mastery of the subtle intonations and scales of the ragas was amazing.  If I had heard that music on a film,  I don't think I would have heard the subtleties so clearly - the live performance really brought it to life, into 3D.

Then the man himself - 'her better half' as Padma so graciously introduced him.  And he didn't disappoint - again, his mastery of his voice, of the subtle scales was a joy to hear.  The duets with both Suresh and Padma were a delight, to see such accomplished singers in tune with each other. I just loved watching the accompanying musicians as well - so obviously enjoying their communication with each other and the audience through the beat of the music.  One tabla player just seemed to smile the whole way through which was quite infectious.

My main criticism of the evening was that Suresh introduced the songs and communicated in Hindi (unlike his wife who had spoken in English). This was probably fine for the vast majority of the audience - but I certainly could not follow it, nor Susen - whose other language is Bengali.  I did think it was a shame in that here he was in London, at a mainstream venue and yet his assumption was that no-one English would have been interested in his performance or in the audience.  I am sure his English would have been near perfect so I don't think it was a question of not knowing the language but simply an assumption that he was communicating with a solely Indian audience (almost correct, but not quite!)

That aside, a very good evening.  Neither me nor Susen recognised any of the songs - although many in the audience seemed to know them all.  I think, as with his wife, his music dates back to slightly older Bollywood (pre-Shah Rukh Khan?) than I am familiar with and I must confess that towards the end, the songs and structure of the songs, seemed somewhat formulaic and to merge together.  That may be a reflection of my ignorance of the songs rather than anything else.  More please.