I recently watched a bunch of completely nonsensical hindi movies. I mean they were completely ridiculous. But I enjoyed it. Every time Suresh walked in and I was watching one of these movies, I had this look on my face of peace and bliss. He would smirk and say 'Hindi Move?' At the end of the movie I did feel I wasted time but never depressed and disturbed.
Suresh on the other hand loves movies that are 'real'. Real = disturbing or depressing. He will not agree. For instance I have watched almost all of Aamir Khan's movies -- even the useless Ghajini. But Suresh has been ranting for months now on how I need to watch Dhobi Ghat because it is brilliant. Brilliant in Suresh's lingo = disturbing.
In all the arguments we have had of how useless hindi movies are, Suresh has always won. But there was this one time that I gave him a good lecture and it actually sunk into his most elaborate brains on why people probably watch 'this crap'.
The movie was 'Fanaa'. The year was 2006. In our little U.S. town of Richmond, the release of Hindi movies was very rare. And so when Fanaa came to the Byrd theatre, I just had to go watch it. I was known to be a crazy hindi movie buff and so my American friends soon heard about the awesome movie that was to be released within a 5 mile distance. I convinced a couple we met often to come watch the movie with us (Robert and Rachel Everely ... thanks for enduring the torture).
The movie was lousy. About 1.5 hrs into the movie there was the familiar stopping point of 'INTERMISSION'. Rachel turned to me in disbelief - 'There's an intermission!'
Suresh was rolling in laughter and very pleased that there would be a few more people that evening at dinner who would be ridiculing Hindi cinema. I was just mesmerized at seeing Aamir Khan on big screen after a really long time.
After the movie the plan was to meet at a restaurant for dinner. As we sat in the car, I had this satisfied look on my face and Suresh was still amused. A few minutes into our ride and I said
'This is what I miss the most about being in India'
Suresh 'What this hindi crap?'
I lost my cool
Me: 'What would rather have - boy meets girl - they have sex and then romance blossoms! Typical English movie. Where is the wooing of the girl? Where is the winning of the heart? Where is courtship?'
Suresh was silent for a little while. Then he said ' That is true!'
I thought he was pulling my leg again and turned to give him a few more lines when I saw that he had actually meant it.
Hindi Cinema - 1 Suresh Philosophy - 0
Of course my statements didn't stick very long in 'Suresh Town' since we watched a few more really bad movies and he finally gave up. I decided to watch movies on my own. But that night was a big night for Indian Cinema - when I got Suresh Joel to think of how special those songs and dances have made our Indian Cinema. I mean if you can watch Beauty and the Beast dance to 'Tale as good as time' ... well then you can watch Aamir khan dance to Zoobi Doobi!
Bombay talkies is a new movie coming to celebrate 100 years of Indian cinema ... and I got a feeling Suresh is going to be watching it with me. Thanks Indian Cinema for letting us live in an imaginary land for 3 hrs every so often!
The title of the blog was inspired from one of Imran Khan's movies. Terrible movie. I was watching another yet another movie on evening and Suresh walked in and asked me what I was watching 'Mere Brother Ki Dulhan'. He rolled his eyes. Few days later he ask's me ' How was the movie .... what was the name --- mere biwi ki dulhan!'
There's a new title of a movie I will never be watching!
Suresh on the other hand loves movies that are 'real'. Real = disturbing or depressing. He will not agree. For instance I have watched almost all of Aamir Khan's movies -- even the useless Ghajini. But Suresh has been ranting for months now on how I need to watch Dhobi Ghat because it is brilliant. Brilliant in Suresh's lingo = disturbing.
In all the arguments we have had of how useless hindi movies are, Suresh has always won. But there was this one time that I gave him a good lecture and it actually sunk into his most elaborate brains on why people probably watch 'this crap'.
The movie was 'Fanaa'. The year was 2006. In our little U.S. town of Richmond, the release of Hindi movies was very rare. And so when Fanaa came to the Byrd theatre, I just had to go watch it. I was known to be a crazy hindi movie buff and so my American friends soon heard about the awesome movie that was to be released within a 5 mile distance. I convinced a couple we met often to come watch the movie with us (Robert and Rachel Everely ... thanks for enduring the torture).
The movie was lousy. About 1.5 hrs into the movie there was the familiar stopping point of 'INTERMISSION'. Rachel turned to me in disbelief - 'There's an intermission!'
Suresh was rolling in laughter and very pleased that there would be a few more people that evening at dinner who would be ridiculing Hindi cinema. I was just mesmerized at seeing Aamir Khan on big screen after a really long time.
After the movie the plan was to meet at a restaurant for dinner. As we sat in the car, I had this satisfied look on my face and Suresh was still amused. A few minutes into our ride and I said
'This is what I miss the most about being in India'
Suresh 'What this hindi crap?'
I lost my cool
Me: 'What would rather have - boy meets girl - they have sex and then romance blossoms! Typical English movie. Where is the wooing of the girl? Where is the winning of the heart? Where is courtship?'
Suresh was silent for a little while. Then he said ' That is true!'
I thought he was pulling my leg again and turned to give him a few more lines when I saw that he had actually meant it.
Hindi Cinema - 1 Suresh Philosophy - 0
Of course my statements didn't stick very long in 'Suresh Town' since we watched a few more really bad movies and he finally gave up. I decided to watch movies on my own. But that night was a big night for Indian Cinema - when I got Suresh Joel to think of how special those songs and dances have made our Indian Cinema. I mean if you can watch Beauty and the Beast dance to 'Tale as good as time' ... well then you can watch Aamir khan dance to Zoobi Doobi!
Bombay talkies is a new movie coming to celebrate 100 years of Indian cinema ... and I got a feeling Suresh is going to be watching it with me. Thanks Indian Cinema for letting us live in an imaginary land for 3 hrs every so often!
The title of the blog was inspired from one of Imran Khan's movies. Terrible movie. I was watching another yet another movie on evening and Suresh walked in and asked me what I was watching 'Mere Brother Ki Dulhan'. He rolled his eyes. Few days later he ask's me ' How was the movie .... what was the name --- mere biwi ki dulhan!'
There's a new title of a movie I will never be watching!
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