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!
Aaja Nachle: Greatest Lesson for Bollywood
The verdict is in: Aaja Nachle has failed. This is definitely a wake-up call for Bollywood.
First of all– the reason Aaja Nachle failed was because it had a poor script, lack of strong character development. It was filled with cliche dialogues, too many songs that took away from the story, and great actors that were completely wasted.
The thing is– this movie could have been monumental. A 45 year old single mother (Madhuri Dixit’s character) was the protagonist, a rare feat in Bollywood. The film was not another Mother India or any sort of Bollywood tragedy where the actress is crying the whole time or is faced with extreme injustices– it was supposed to welcome an era in Bollywood where producers would make films that could stand with a female as the lead in mainstream masalas.
But, this didn’t happen. And as this movie fails, people are labeling it as a failure for Dixit, for whom this film was a comeback. The problem in actuality is that, although the concept for the film was fresh, nothing else was. Along with Dixit, there were at least four other mainstream actors and three mainstream actresses. This is a typical Bollywood technique– fill the movie with surprise guest appearances and other stars to make it more marketable. The film wasn’t a failure for Madhuri– but for Bollywood’s mainstream masala formulas.
Many are using this film as an example of Bollywood’s glaring problem of how to deal with actresses that are too old to be love interests but too young to be mothers of 20- some actors. Aaja Nachle was an attempt to try a new “formula.” But the problem rests with this idea of a “formula.” The film was horrible because of the script and the addition of more than four love stories and many more subplots in the film. It should not be viewed as a Dixit failure, or a queue that Dixit should be done with Bollywood.
Aaja Nachle shouldn’t make the industry shy away with having older women as protagonists in mainstream cinema– but it should make Bollywood realize that the same routine techniques for hits that have been used throughout the 1990’s and 2000’s will not work. Aaja Nachle was one of the most anticipated films in Bollywood for 2007 because of Dixit– nothing else. That being the case, Bollywood needs to stop following the “formula” and be more innovative.
So Long Europe, Hello Banaras!
In the 1960’s, A film called “Sangam” was made and was one of the most popular films of that time. In fact, it is still remembered and cherished today. One of the reasons for its popularity is– it was the first Bollywood film to have a been filmed in Europe.
Since then, whenever the actress dreams of dancing with her lover, or when a couple goes on their honeymoon, the scene goes straight to some beautiful location in Europe. In fact, Yash Chopra, master of romantic films, received an award from the government of Switzerland, acknowledging how many scenes he has filmed in their country.
But this type of foreign fascination is dwindling in Bollywood. Last year, the film “Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna,” which was filmed purely in New York, received mix reviews and was the least popular of the director’s films, which in the past have always reeked of American-European obsession. The films that succeeded last year took place in rural India, New Delhi, or Mumbai.
If you take a look at the next big releases for this year, such as “Taare Zameen Par” or even “Aaja Nachle,” which is in fact about an Indian returning to her country from America, both take place in India. The best movies and the biggest successes of 2007 were all located in India as well, some in small towns, others in Mumbai or New Delhi, including two films that were filmed primarily in the holy city of Banaras (not including Chak De India– but that’s a different story– they went abroad for a hockey tournament, not to dream).
Speaking for myself, I definitely won’t miss the lead couple running through fields of flowers in Switzerland. Dancing on a rickshaw is much more fun.
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