Chak De! India

Chak De! India is a catchy song (but not Bollywood style, no dancing in this movie, only really good field hockey playing) in a formulaic and predictable but very satisfying movie. (Of course, any movie with Shahrukh Khan in it is bound to be very satisfying...) Like Remember the Titans or Coach Carter, this is a movie about building a winning team. But, there is a twist. It's a girls' team; in fact, it is the India National Team and they hope to go to the World Cup! The challenge is, no one wants to coach a woman's team. The girls are the top players in their respective states, but there is no history of success with the sport.

Enter Kabir Khan (Shahrukh Khan). 7 years past, Khan, the captain of the Men's India Team, took a penalty shot at the end of the game, missed, and lost the cup. Labeled a traitor to India because he missed the shot and was the only player to shake the hand of the opponent team (naturally, Pakistan), he disappears from the public eye. He returns to volunteer to coach the team after a 7 year hiatus from Hockey. What follows amidst various trials and tribulations is the formation of a team.

More than just a team movie; however, this is a movie about respect and love of country - India. There are predictable moments in the movie and there are surprises also. The acting is good and the girls are great. Shah Rukh doesn't pull any stunts in this movie, but his quiet presence makes the plot development plausible and builds sympathy in the audience. Shah Rukh allows the girls to star; they are the standouts. Yet his understated athleticism is essential to the film also. This is a very feminist movie; not vehemently so, but convincingly so. For all of us who have tried to assert ourselves as equals in an unequal world, this movie speaks to the heart of the matter. Again, a movie full of important values: respect, appreciation, loyalty, and patriotism - all for the right reasons.

Swades: We the people

Shahrukh Khan's Swades is a study of contrasts: economic disparity, village/urban values, Indian/American culture, and right livelihood are treated with sensitivity and respect. Shah Ruhk Khan plays Mohan Bhargava, a successful project manager for NASA. His life is full of respect and success; he has a great job and life is good. However, he worries about his childhood ayah (caretaker) and wishes to bring her from India to America to live with him. He takes a two week vacation to India to bring her back. However, he meets with unexpected complications. A great souled sort, he enmeshes himself in the village life, develops relationships with those he encounters, and finds himself taking responsibility for village concerns. What is the right livelihood for him? Should he return to his prestigious, even fun, job in a land of prosperity with its prevalence of technology, or should he stay in the village, work to improve conditions, and enjoy the blessings of family? It's not an easy choice; his work with NASA has global importance. But, he takes a brave stand. See this great movie!

Raincoat

Indian Cinema - drama, nay tragedy. One day, one afternoon in the life of estranged "friends" from 6 years past. I bought this movie because it stars Aishwarya Rai (my favorite actress). I was not disappointed. The music is haunting, beautiful, and moving. It sets the tone for a slow moving poignant love story of loss, lies, vanity, and sacrifice, seemingly all for naught. Aishwarya's performance is subtle and nuanced. A lady who usually plays a mischievious, energetic, fun loving love interest combined with lots of wonderfully expressive dancing, makes no moves here. She portrays a woman whose heart and verve have been sucked out of her, and yet, upon receiving an unexpected visit from her past "friend" musters up the presence of mind and heart to pretend to a wonderful life. Her "friend" does the same. Both seek to preserve their pride, yet both need the solace only the other can provide. Their boats are fated to pass in the night. In spite of the situation, much like O'Henry's The Gift of the Magi, they both sacrifice their most precious thing to the well being of the other. The ending realization is as tragic as Greek Drama and as powerful. Yet, what could be done differently?

Rab ne bana di Jodi

Ok, I know I'm going a little overboard with the reviews of Shahrukh Khan's movies; but, I can't help it. I just enjoy them so much!!! The next one is a bit different. The sub-titles could have been improved; maybe it was just a lower budget movie. Nonetheless, I also enjoyed this one!

Rab ne bana di Jodi is the story of a common man's love story. Shahrukh Khan plays a common man and its amazing how well he acts in this movie. It is very difficult to recognize Shahrukh as the main character. He is so versatile that he can make the audience believe just about anything. He plays a nerd so well that we forget how handsome he is. How do we remember it is a character being played by Shahrukh Khan? because the character is so convincing and endearing. We care about him. The plot revolves around a marriage based upon a dying man's request. While Surinder (Shahrukh) loves Taani (Anushka Sharma), she does not love him and is miserable. Surinder wants her love and will do just about anything for her. He agrees to allow her to attend dance class. She meets an odd, energetic, outgoing young man (Surinder's newly created secret alter-ego, Raj) who becomes her dance partner. Eventually, of course, she falls for him. Will she remain true to her husband and marriage, or follow her heart?

Although a predictable story line, Shahrukh Khan's performance makes it worth it. Although the Raj character is ridiculous, there are moments of heart that endear him to you. Again, Shahrukh brings heart and humanity to the characters that he portrays. Surinder is reserved, stuffy, boring, yet we intuit the depth of emotion under the surface, thanks to Shahrukh's portrayal. This movie is worth seeing just to watch and analyze Shahrukh's acting skill.

Kabhi Alvida naa Kehna

All of the movies that I am posting here are hindi (I think), so I'm basing my responses on the content of the subtitles combined with the acting.

Kabhi Alvida naa Kehna is set in New York. A story of two couples and their relationships, Kabhi Alvida naa Kehna explores the temptation to confide relationship troubles to friends and the complications that can ensue. With an excellent acting ensemble (5 of the very best Bollywood stars) including: Shahrukh Khan, Abhishek Baachchan, Amitabh Bachchan, Rani Mukherji and Preity Zinta, this is a movie that can't go wrong. Oftentimes I dislike American relationship dramas and prefer to skip them; however, the acting is so good in this, the story so plausible , and the camara work so exceptional that I was drawn right in. The moral implications and emotional pathos are nuanced and the ambiguity of the situation is heart rending. This is another very satisfying movie to watch.

Main Hoon Na

One of the movies produced by Shahrukh's company, Main Hoon Na is a movie about India/Pakistan relations, loyalty to ideals and family, and looking behind appearances to the reality. Shahrukh plays a Major in the Army who goes underground as a college student to guard the daughter of a General. He does not seem to fit with the student population until he performs an amazing rescue of the popular boy in the school. At this point he is accepted and becomes a part of the community. Filled with amazing physical feats and heart jerking moments, Main Hoon Na is filled with humor, drama, music, love, politics, and exploration of family dynamics. This is very satisfying movie.

Om Shanti Om

Another Bollywood great, Om Shanti Om explores the strength of a love that will not die. Featuring Shahrukh Khan, Om Shanti Om is filled with famous Bollywood stars. In the company of many the great stars, Shahrukh still stands out as the best. The story begins in the 1970's with Om's crush on the female superstar of the time. Om (Shahrukh) is a junior artiste hoping to be a hero in the movies. His ultimate dream is to unite with his Dreamy Girl, win the best actor award, and live in a big house with all the accoutrements. He dies a heroic death trying to save his "dreamy girl." Next thing we know, thirty years have passed and we see Om asleep on a round bed in a glorious house surrounded by servants, beautiful women, and an adoring public. Does he have another chance to realize his dreams? Will he remember his past life? There are some fun songs and dances and a very satisfying ending.

Mohabbatein

I've been enjoying Bollywood films lately. Shahrukh Khan has continued to earn my respect and affection as a versatile and accomplished actor. Not only that, but he has killer dimples and a lovely sense of humor.

Mahabbatein is a 216 minute movie that holds one's attention from beginning to end. It features three of the most accomplished and famous actors of the Bollywood stage: Shahrukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, and Amitabh Bachchan. A story of a contest between love and fear, the movie is set in a boy's college in India. Three young men meet and become roommates. They are influenced to pursue their heart by a new hire with a secret past. The new music teacher (Shahrukh Khan) strives to change the heart of the school and its headmaster (Amitabh Bachchan) in the interest of eternal love (as opposed to honor, tradition, and discipline.)

The three young men and their love stories provide the plot and the three primary characters provide the framework and unity for the plot. Is love worth it? Or, as Tolstoy might ask, "What do men live by?" Tolstoy answers, "I have now understood that though it seems to men that they live by care for themselvs, in truth it is love alone by which they live. He who has love, is in God, and God is in him, for God is love "(Tolstoy, What Men Live By, 1881.)