My last attempt at watching a hindi movie in the theatre was Jodhaa Akbar. Needless to say I came out traumatised and with all faith lost in movie makers today and the future of this art in the country (ok, so maybe I look for opportunities to exaggerate a tad wee bit, but the movie was a pain in more ways than one and I couldn’t believe I paid actual money to see it!).
Since then I haven’t really had the courage to pay exorbitant amounts of money (seriously what is with the pricing of tickets these days?) to go see movies on the off-chance that I might not want to shriek with disbelief ten minutes into it. Until 4 days back.
It has been a long time (or at least as much as my tired little memory can recall) since a movie has been applauded by critics across the board (leaving no suspicion of under the table mithai boxes). I waited to read reviews from all possible sources and talk to those friends of mine who take pleasure in the whole first day first show concept. Based on popular verdict I ventured into a multiplex after ages.
3 hours, lots of popcorn, atleast a litre of pepsi and lots of laughter later, I came out smiling and feeling nice (as opposed to the usual what was I thinking when I came for this movie). Finally a movie that is believable – from the age of the actors playing the characters to the way they speak to each other to the way they dance. The latter was enjoyed by all those who have often wondered how every main character in every movie seems to have a black belt in fancy dancing. Here the characters danced the way I remember dancing at that age with my college friends (mainly jumping around and uncoordinated), they spoke the way I recall doing – a liberal mix of English and bambaiya (and if my parents are not reading this, several choice words that could make your ears burn!)
The realness (is this a real word?) of the characters makes you smile all through the 3 hours. They don’t seem contrived or made up. There are small things that make the whole group endearing – from the standard tubelight in the group who takes 2 seconds more that everyone to get a joke, to the whiner, to the gujju with his delightfully mimic worthy accent (and in college, my group had all the above three in one person!! :D) The parents seem normal, wearing normal clothes instead of full wedding apparel all the time, they seem to be doing regulare everyday stuff instead of plotting and conniving against everyone they know, and talking like parents do instead of long drawn speeches from mughal-e-azam!
And finally, validation for the movie being a success and connecting with the audience is the simple fact that everyone in the packed theatre, while exiting, was humming/singing/mouthing “Pappu can’t dance sala…” with a silly happy grin on their faces and a bounce in their feet! :)
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