SubscribeAisha: Bollywood’s Next Rom-Com… A Trailblazer?
In a previous post, I stressed Bollywood’s need for I Hate Luv Storys to succeed. I am hesitant about the film’s ability of moving away from the cliches decades of formulaic Bollywood movies have created, but am hopeful that newcomers Sonam Kapoor and Imran Khan and debutant director Punit Malhotra will deviate from the tired masala recipe that producers use to draw in the crowds.
Although I am unsure about I Hate Luv Storys (but not completely disheartened), I am much more confident and excited about another rom-com that will release soon after IHLS: Aisha. Now, watching the trailer, it doesn’t hide its obvious similarities with the other Jane Austen’s Emma interpretation, Clueless. But, unlike my concerns with IHLS, I believe this film will push the envelope and give Bollywood something that will be more innovative, rather than feed off of Bollywood’s developing love of romantic comedies without the over the top drama. Yes, it is a commercial Bollywood film made to draw in the crowds, but I believe it will do so on its own terms, not because of a tried and tested routine. There are a few reasons that I believe this film is the romantic comedy worth waiting for:
- Abhay Deol. He plays the male lead, and his career so far is amazing. As I wrote in a previous post, he is THE Bollywood actor worth watching and following, and the very fact that he is starring in Aisha makes me believe that this film will be ripe with artistic merit and innovation.
- The lack of any Swiss Alps locale in the promo. Must I say more?
- Amit Trivedi. It is often assumed in Bollywood that music takes a back seat in “art” or “parallel” films. Trivedi has defied this notion. He won accolades for his stupendous work in Dev D. and for by far the most memorable and popular song in Wake Up Sid, “Iktara,” which shined above the other music in the film, which was composed by Bollywood’s some of Bollywood’s most famous musical men, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. His involvement in this film can only be a good thing, and will also prove to be in stark comparison to the more typical, unimaginative track of I Hate Luv Stories.
- The Director. Rajshree Ohja. She’s a woman, she’s young, and she seems amazing. Check out this article about her and see for yourself.
- The Producers. The Kapoor clan, Sonam Kapoor’s family, is producing the film. Although her last two and only films weren’t great, she does have a certain modern appeal that her colleagues lack, and I’m not quite ready to give up on her. Her character seems very different from the one in IHLS. In this film, she represents the globalized Indian girl, a character I, a 24 year old living in Boston, can easily relate to. The reason I have so much faith in her character is because of:
- Devika Bhagat. Bollywood’s latest trailblazer is the number one reason I believe I will not be disappointed by Aisha. Bhagat is best known for writing the witty, television show, Mahi Way. The show just aired its series finale last week (it lasted one season), and the dialogue, messages, casting, and story line made it one of the best shows I’ve seen on Indian television, and without a doubt the most accurate portrayal of today’s Indian urban youth. I first wrote about the show in the beginning of its season, and will write about my opinion of the show in its entirety when Rishta.com, another brilliant dramedy by the same production company comes to an end next week. Until then, I will add Devika Bhagat to my growing list of Bollywood game changers. She’s up there with Abhay Deol, Ranbir Kapoor, and one day Vishal Bhardwaj, Anurag Kashyup, and UTV (and even Imtiaz Ali. We will just pretend that Love Aaj Kal never happened).
As I have said before, I am equally supportive of parallel films like Mr. and Mrs. Iyer as I am of films like Dev D. and of Lage Raho Munnabhai. There is room for films in Bollywood that are commercial but aren’t formulaic, and Aisha seems to fit in with these new crop of movies. If done right and my expectations are not to be let down, Aisha has the potential to further propel the world’s largest film industry in an even more progressive and innovative direction.
Here is the theatrical trailer. Enjoy!
Bollywood: Please Ignore Sajid Khan
I can’t help but dwell on the double meaning in the tile of Sajid Khan’s new film Housefull. The film is about a man who marries three women, hence the title. But the title hints at Director Sajid Khan’s real mission to make the film: to attract large audiences, reap the profits from a huge box office hit, and, to have sold out theaters with a “full house.”
Khan has been repeatedly saying that this film is made for entertainment purposes only, and is made to appeal to the masses. He says it will be a masala flick, and has in the past hated on critics for giving him bad ratings. His last film, Heyy Babyy, “borrowed”a plethora of material from Hollywood and Bollywood films, lacked an original script, and was ripe with overacting and brainless jokes. According to this review of Housefull, it seems like this film is more of the same.
In an interview with India Express, Khan said:
I know that there are 10 per cent pseudo intellectual people who like slow, boring, insignificant and non-entertaining films. But then for me, cinema is only about entertainment. It could be in any form, whether action, comedy, thriller or drama,” Sajid said.
Expressing his desire to make only entertainers, Sajid, “Nobody comes to watch a film to change their life. Has a film ever cured cancer, split an atom or changed society? Not at all. The sooner most directors realise it, the better it would be for Bollywood as it would stop delivering any flops.”
Filmmakers have proven that art and comedy can be mixed, that intelligent films can deliver box office gold. Take Jaane Tu Yah Jaane Na or the Munnabhai films. They were commercial, mainstream, but were original, inspiring and hilarious. Entertainment doesn’t mean that there’s no room for some depth.
A few years ago, the Sajid Khan- style brainless masalas were all the rage in India. The audiences loved them, and the producers loved the profit. Khan’s words may have held a lot of weight in the 90’s and early 00’s, but today, his words aren’t applicable to Bollywood. Art films are doing well, and filmmakers have begun to make smart entertainers. At some point, audiences started rejecting these cliched scripts and overacting, and began to appreciate films that were smarter, more original, and all around better films.
I’m not saying that films like Dev D. or Omkara, though both successes, are the only examples of what constitutes as a smart yet successful film. Uber-masala flicks like Wake Up Sid and Jab We Met are all great and original films that achieved box office success.
Khan’s may say his main goal is to attract audiences and to make money, but his rejection of films as art work is problematic. Alas, he was successful with his debut film, and it seems like he will be with this movie as well. That’s fine, and that’s his right. My only hope is that Bollywood filmmakers and producers don’t budge from their current progress and don’t forget that intellect and entertainment aren’t mutually exclusive.
Munnabhai’s Back!
All you Munnabhai fans, rejoice!
Sanjay Dutt, who was sentenced to six years in prison for being “peripherally linked” to the 1993 bombings in Mumbai, was released on bail today.
After serving a sixteen month sentence after the bombings in 1993, Dutt received the six year sentence fourteen years after the actual event.
The film industry, and even politicians such as Sonia Gandhi came out in support of Dutt, as I wrote in an earlier post.
Personally, I’m glad he’s back!
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