never a break

my favourite part of rab ne bana di jodi is the one which does not feature any of the leading actors of the movie. nothing is happening in that part. maybe no one gets excited by it. since it was a yash raj super starrer everyone was excited for obvious reasons. but what stays with me to this day is the first minute of the movie. the first minute shows the land of punjab, rural landscape, yellow mornings, sandy eyed dirty linen clad rustics. i can go on and on. the north indian rural landscape is my sweetheart. i hated it first. but back then i was a child. i had a craving for cleaner, greener and better smelling places to live. but things come around and their meaning for us changes.
i stumbled on jai arjun's review and it brought back all the memories. he makes very good observations about the movie. very fine acting by shahrukh occasionally. the film has some rare gems by shahrukh. which makes me think highly of aditya chopra. but that thought last only a while. you feel, how is it that someone who has all the financial backing of a legendary movie studio, sharp insight into the indian psyche and good movie making skills fall prey to song and dance frivolity. you need to have at least one meaningless multi starrer belly shaking, cleavage plunging, pelvis jerking dance number. we do have some good things about our movie but that wont sell the movie. the song does.
what else sells in india? religion. i was bleeding from my ear every time i heard the word "rab" in every possible context from love to vegetables. interestingly the word rab is used in different religions for god. and i believe the tendency of people of relating most aspects of life with god has been exploited. lot have criticised the movie for plot loopholes but they did enjoy it. because its amusing - songs, jokes, gags, style. our movies are focused on maintaining the size of brain of indian masses, especially the youth, at the size of a pea. that is true for more than half of bollywood. but what is interesting is this movie is non elitist, gives victory to the geek and yet is hit coz of reasons same as any other masala flick.