Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi

[zaheema]

http://www.interval.in/videos.php?id=45900



Starring: Shah Rukh JKhan, Anushka Sharma, Vinay Pathak

Yash Raj once again produces a heavily self-referenced film with nostalgic undertones. For the last 5 years or so there has been a trend in Bollywood and especially in Yash Raj and Farah Khan films to parody or pay tribute to films and stars of bygone days. It has been quite enjoyable to ‘pick the references’, especially for someone like me – who is relatively new to Bollywood cinema. However, most embellishments, if done to excess can become quite tiresome. Where they once appeared quite original, nostalgic references are now beginning to look like expensive padding. Having starred in Farah Khan’s pastiche Om Shanti Om (2007) and playing a caricature of his famous Raj roles in Aditya Chopra’s latest film – Shah Rukh Khan is emerging as a figure head for retrospectives. It’s not a trend that will serve the actor well in the long run because it’s beginning to run dry. And the Indian summer of clinging to youthful roles (albeit subtlely) is all but over. Aditya Chopra has written some successful screen plays among them – Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), Mohabbatein (2008), Bunty aur Bubli (2005) and Dhoom (2006). What makes Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi interesting is its initial emphasis on ordinary life. You can almost smell the streets in the early scenes as the attractive, young bride (Anushka Sharma) is taken to her new home by her meek, scholarly husband – Surinder (Shah Rukh Khan). Most of the film’s charm emanates from simple deeds, exchanges and observations. Surinder – who is some 20 years older than Taani and painfully introverted, attempts to endear himself to her. He attempts to rouse her for breakfast by tapping timidly at her door several times before he manages an audible knock. Or he places a red rose across her plate, looks at it and reconsiders the boldness of the move. Surinder imagines capturing her heart slowly in an endearing rendition of Haule Haule so in keeping with the naïve and loveable man being portrayed. His movements are of the simplest type – slow, on-beat, clichéd –just like an old fashioned Punjabi man dancing. For this guy, there is no fantasy world of breathtaking surroundings or glamorous locales; he is fulfilled by riding on a rickshaw with the woman he adores. The Surinder character as written by Chopra and performed by Khan works a treat but the same cannot be said of his alter ego – Raj