In a recent interview, I asked whether the job requires fluency in Hindi, because I suck at it. This is an anomaly in Bangladesh, because the older generation has grown up with Big B and the Khan trifecta (Salman, Amir & Shahrukh - for the uninitiated), and the present generation is overdosing on the Ekta Kapoor soapfest. Some of the children I meet speak Hindi more fluently than Bangla.I enjoy Hindi movies sometime. However, as I was hanging out at Wahid's place last week, I tried to watch one of the biggest hits of Indian cinema this decade, Kaho Na Pyaar Hai, I realized that the movie didn't hold up well over time, and it's only six years old! The fishnet vest that launched Hrithik's sex symbol status looked cheesy, the dialogue was hackneyed. We had to turn it off, it was so embarassing.
This got me into thinking about the Hindi films that I actually liked. Manasi and Deepa dragged me to see
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai back in 1999 in a theatre, and on my way back they were swooning about Shah Rukh's look, while I complained about his skinny legs and explained why he should never wear shorts. Two of my favorite Bollywood movies both star Aamir Khan, which is a mere coincidence. I fell asleep in his Oscar nominated Lagaan, and found it even more boring than Titanic.I saw Qayamat se Qayamat tak, a well made ripoff of Romeo and Juliet, when I was in high school, and found the songs to be catchy and the plot alluring. And I saw Dil Chahta Hai, and homage to young friendship, in early 2001, and missed a lot of plot points before seeing it again with English subtitles on DVD. And I still hum the songs when i'm alone.
Both movies appeal to me, I think, because they possess a certain recklessness about life and love. The young actors frolick, and pay no attention to common sense, and dive into their destiny, whether doom or fulfillment.
And I can only admire them from a distance. And then head back to my planned out life.
