As part of my research into Just Jhoom! Dance-Fitness routines, I watch a lot of Bollywood films! Or that’s my excuse for spending 3 hours watching a film – and I’m sticking to it!
Needless to say I’ve seen hundreds of films – and that’s not an exaggeration!
So, when I sit through a rubbish film – with crap dialogues, hammed up acting and not one good song to compensate for my wasted time – it makes me very cross. Over the years I have got more fussy and definitely more critical of Bollywood films.
Don’t get me wrong – I do enjoy a masala, feel-good, think-little, type of film – like I Hate Luv Storys which I watched recently. The script was mediocre – some good lines, the songs were good, the actors easy-on-the-eye. And I watched it with a friend in a cinema just before we both went out for dosas! So a fun way to spend an afternoon….and I came out with a song for my Just Jhoom! class – bonus.
Recently I watched 3 Idiots – a film that was a blockbuster round the world – breaking all sorts of box office records. And yes, it is an inspiring, up-lifting film with a great script, excellent songs, super humour and one of the best actors (and my favourite) Aamir Khan in it too. So why then, was I a tad underwhelmed? Were my expectations too high before I saw the film? Was it that some of the production values were lacking? I don’t know! All I know was when I saw the birth scene with a doll instead of a real baby I wanted to scream – and throw something at the screen. Come on Bollywood! You can do better than this!!! With all the money and expertise thrown at this film, naff filming, editing and directing of that mediocre level had no place here. It pissed me off! Can you tell?
One thing that surprises me is that Aamir Khan, an actor known for his interference and perfectionist qualities – let a scene like that go through….wonders will never cease…
I don’t expect realism in a Bollywood film – how could I with all that singing and dancing? I do want escapism – but I want it done well.
So the question is – do I lower my expectations – or do I have a right to be so indignant – especially when I’ve spent money and time going to watch the film? Time I will never get back….
What do you think?
I felt the same way you did about I Hate Luv Storys – and the dosas definitely rounded off the afternoon really well!
I did notice the doll in the baby scene of 3 Idiots and I do take your point about the disappointing attention to detail in this particular scene. Is it just laziness on the part of the producers/directors and why did the perfectionist Aamir Khan let something like this slide? If they can do better, they should.
However, it didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of this film at all. Being a Rajkumar Hirani film, I knew it would gloss over certain details but would be very entertaining with an important social message like the Munnabhai series. Therefore, I was primarily expecting to be entertained and somewhat moved by the film, and I really was! I can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard during a Bollywood film and I thought the messages in the film were so important! I was also really impressed by the script and the acting. Too many good things in the film that fulfilled the essential criteria of a superior commercial Bollywood film. It really worked!