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Band Baaja Baaraat - 2010

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I was thinking that life is super and yet sometimes stupid, directionless unfolding of events where what we say is forgotten sooner than it is said and yet in the clowning around of the he-said-she-said aspect of it, we often end up creating poetry, and if not given much emphasis and by letting it sink into us long enough, this poetry will soon become a natural way of life. This is a feeling that I would translate rather directly when it comes to films. Stupid or not, poetry or not, life or not, films speak the most unanimously understood language and we breathe, chew and savour them and when ingested and digested well, they infuse in us trends, optimum health and a definite feel-good factor.

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I cannot last remember when I had watched a film by Yash Raj Films, and I say so not because I had any problem with their banner, but more because I was disheartened by the way the new blood was ruining the history, by virtue of weak business decisions, that had been built brick by brick by Yash uncle and his entourage. When most of their over-hyped mega-star projects turned turkey there emerged a Chak De - a movie I didn’t watch but showed signs of a winner not because of the presence of Shahrukh but because, as reported, clearly the content was king. When Fanaa was being made, and considering that Ravi K Chandran is a dear friend, and had shot Fanaa with Aamir, whose family and my association goes a long way, it still didn’t entice me to watch it because I felt that it lacked the punch. Then YRF rolled out Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and besides the fact that Ravi was the cinematographer of this one too and it was the launch of Anushka Sharma who being from my city Bangalore had modelled for some of my close fashion designer buddies, yet both the reasons weren’t motivating enough to for me to watch the film due to its weak quality that was evident in the scenes that were being aired at that time on television. Time passed swiftly as it always does, and sitting listlessly one evening last week, I decided to pay the cinema a visit. In the Internet listing of the pictures that were currently showing, I found the poster of Band Baaja Baaraat appealing and even though I hadn’t seen a preview or read anything significant about it, I still decided to watch that film.

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With no anticipation really other than being drawn by the poster of the film, I took my seat and soon after the introductory credits faded away and I first set my eyes on Ranveer Singh I knew that this is a film I was going to watch from the beginning to the end because Ranveer had the ability of filling you up with euphoria rather plainly by his impactful and yet understated demeanour. His energy, innocence and dignity were something that you realised you hadn’t seen in ages on screen. As the movie unfolded, I was sold by this lad’s flair to portray his character to near perfection. I felt that he would go a long way in his career if he only refrained from biting into the tempting dust of wanting to get on the top quickly by signing films with recognised directors who more often than not made rubbish and defended their rubbish as well. I also felt that if he continued to maintain his focus and stayed with screenplays that would push him to polish his already sensitive skills then there was no way he would falter, dent a bit maybe on a wrong decision, but not falter. 

The following day the news daily reported that Ranveer had been thanking the filmmakers for having taken the risk of launching him considering that he was a newcomer. It was his luck that he was in the right place at the right time because no one else at this point in the industry, barring a Shahid Kapur, could have done justice to the role that had been etched out for him, and I honestly feel that it's not Ranveer who has to thank YRF but they ought to thank him because his effectiveness has put YRF back on track after a long spate of dampeners.


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Anushka Sharma as I declared earlier, I have a soft corner for since her debut film was with my friend Ravi K Chandran. That I haven’t seen any other films by her, I think that Band Baaja Baaraat has proved that she is someone with substance when used correctly. No doubt that she has great screen presence. Her plus point is that she doesn't overact because I think she is well aware that her natural self is immense talent all on it’s own. Will be watching you Anushka from now on and do hope you only get what you’ve envisioned for yourself because you definitely deliver what’s required of you and deserve much more.
 

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As the director, Maneesh Sharma is skilled. The screenplay by Habib Faisal is efficient and takes you where it is intended to take you. It teaches you a lesson or two not only of love but also of team spirit. It is indeed so true that one can work wonders when in the company of those whose souls connect.

The vigour in the tunes is catchy and contagious. Given that the songs are situational, they blend rather well with the screenplay. Thank you Maneesh for avoiding the unreal dream sequences shot in exotic locales that YRF is so known to add in most of their films.  

The ego hassles that result post the dissolving of the partnership between Ranveer and Anushka was slightly overdone. Agreed when the harmony between two people is disturbed, they react trivially; reactions don’t have to be logical, but disrespecting what they have built with great interpersonal effort and behaving like spoilt children when they've been behaving like adorable adults exceeded the realms of workable behaviour for me. That said, I still maintain that there is a definite freshness to the entire approach of the film with the premise being very promising, even though it appears largely like the team has obtained inspiration from The Wedding Planner. Barring certain situations and the usage of time-tested clichés, the movie still managed to beguile me with the delicacy with which it had been handled.

I adored the way the team hasn’t stepped back from making a statement about how big stars throng weddings for a price and steal the show. The manner in which the scenes where Ranveer convinces the bride that ‘her’ Shahrukh Khan is none other than her own ‘husband’ to be is commendable. Quite seriously one doesn’t need a Shahrukh Khan to add glory to any event - we are all Shahrukh Khan’s in our own right if we believe in ourselves and believe more so in the people we love and who love us.

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The other nuances I found refreshing in the film were how this girl doesn’t regret getting physical with the man she wants. Particularly the immediate feelings that they go through are very well depicted. The intricacies of how the subconscious mind seeps so unknowingly into our conscious (tu and tum) and how these days women are so very acceptable with getting physical is also something that has been shown eloquently and the confusion the situation throws up is praiseworthy. Another thing I have observed lately is that nearly all male leads on screen want to have this waxed look that leaves them no different from their female counterparts but Ranveer, despite having a near perfect body, has preserved his natural look. I think that men must look and feel like men and women must look and feel like women and we owe Ranveer another plus point here.

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Conclusively, I trust Adi or any other powers-that-be don’t allow the triumph of this movie impede their imagination and end up choosing roles for the cast in their future films that could put their onscreen lives in jeopardy. By producing this screenplay YRF have proved that they have learned from their mistakes and are on the road to recovery. Adi is someone who gave my friend Jimmy Sheirgill a marvellous platform in the film Mohabbatein and I would only wish him the best because now he has given us Ranveer, a much-needed break in a film world that’s crumbling with known surnames who know not how to act and who yield no productive results and are yet given a million opportunities. I’m glad he has realised that this is a movie with all the right ingredients and the proof of the pudding has very well been proved and in case he seems to have any doubts about what he’d like to pick in the future, I’d only say don’t look too far, Adi - knock on Yash Uncles door and trust me there’s very little scope that with his wisdom you will ever go wrong.



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