01 February 2009

Slumdog and Rock

I saw two movies yesterday. Slumdog Millionaire and Rock On. I shall not get into reviews about how good they are. Its been proven. Let me share some personal reflections over and above the brouhaha.

Slumdog Millionaire -
Of all the adulation and worthy praise being flowered on this movie, I felt one angle has not been adequately extolled; that of the tenderness and purity of love. One of the prime reasons why I generally avoid Bollywood flicks is this reason. Some movies which our industry makes are remarkably successfull in portraying this form of pure, unadulterated love. Case in point - Kal Ho Naa Ho, Tere Liye, Tere Naam, Qayamat se Qayamat tak, Saajan so on .. These bring me immense pain for reasons of my own being. So, I was very uncomfortable watching Slumdog from this point of view. Rest all off course, super movie.

Rock On -
Wow. A million times over. I rate this one certainly one of the best Hindi movies I have ever watched. 'I have ever watched' .. please dont jump on my neck, coz you first need to understand the 'I' there to appreciate the statement. If Dil Chahta Hai were 5 on 10 for me, Rock On is a 8. It is so so 'real'. Thats exactly what happens! Thats exactly how breakups happen - of rock bands, of best friends and of relationships. Thats exactly how rock bands are made up of. Super!

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13 comments

Blogger Fighter Jet kuchh to bolti...

Yes,definetly Rock On is good experiment in story telling.I wish they produce more of that kind...and not the yashraj bulshits.

6:39 PM  
Blogger Jas B kuchh to bolti...

What a coincidence, I also watched Slumdog Millionaire yesterday!
It was a great movie, worth all the accolades...
It wonderfully portrayed how certain things are learned from life's bitter experiences...and yeah the tenderness and purity of love, so subtly portrayed.

I haven't watched Rock On, but I'll try and watch it since you have given it an 8/10 and youlike me also avoid bollywood movies!

How have u been?

8:46 PM  
Blogger Unknown kuchh to bolti...

Slumdog is an exaggerated movie...typical bollywood masala...some good points are good direction(more credit to Loveleen Tondon, it seems she has studied Mumbai under microscope, and amazing sound track by Rehman(jai ho). I will suggest watch "City of God" another movie based on slums in Rio De Janeiro ...i felt most of the plot was taken from this movie.

Rock On was a good movie...but miss the subtlety of Dil Chahta Hain...may be my bad that I compared Rock on with Dil Chahta hain

8:15 AM  
Blogger Jas B kuchh to bolti...

City of God was a brilliant one a well, very intense. Now that you pointed it out, yogsma, I can see the semblance. But kudos still to Indian cinema to have made and portrayed such a movie!

I have to watch "Dil Chahata hai", I only have watched bits and peices of it!

9:36 AM  
Blogger Unknown kuchh to bolti...

@ Fighter Jet - Yep!

@ Jas - I certainly recommend Rock On. Its as such ordinary but thats the charm in it! Figure it out:-)

@ Yogsma - I liked Slumdog's story, screenplay and direction. I shall keep a watch on 'City of God'

8:18 PM  
Blogger Radha kuchh to bolti...

Dude, I really enjoyed "Rock On", but no way was it better than Dil Chahta Hai ! :)
I loved the music. And the cast. Especially liked Purab Kohli for some reason; its probably the first time people noticed him on screen.

Havent seen Slumdog yet :(

4:46 PM  
Blogger Unknown kuchh to bolti...

@ Radha -
Yes I liked Purab as well. Actually I liked all characters including the supporting cast. The songs ! i am so mesmerized with them I am going to devote a separate post for that.

My grouse with Dil Chahta Hai was I could not relate to it. Rich brat kids having all the money in the world to do what they want.. it was a great movie but I did not find anything in it for me.

6:34 PM  
Blogger Chica, Cienna, and Cali kuchh to bolti...

i so want to watch slumdog...probably this weekend.......and "city of gods" is one helluva movie.........the best part is it is based on a true story apart from direction which is so gritty right from the casting credits........

we loved rock on.....i could not peel my eyes off arjun rampal, particularly in the climax song :)
....but the movie is nowhere close to Dil Chahta Hai.....that was some fun movie!!!! I can watch DCH umpteen times and still giggle through it !!!!

9:07 AM  
Blogger Unknown kuchh to bolti...

@ Behenji -
Arrgh.. in the climax song he has a horrible drooping moustache! and tooo long hair. He looks 'peel-your-eyes-off' only in pre band break up days. Anyways, those are your eyelids.. go ahead and excoriate them with pleasure:-)

I grew up with rock shock around me, and dreamt of being a vocalist with long hair and all he he .. hence Rock On struck a chord with me at just the right frequency.

1:45 PM  
Blogger Unknown kuchh to bolti...

@666
Dil Chahta Hain has universal appeal in Indian Youth despite it has been shown on rich brat kids..... the friendship bond is always there despite social status....Isn't it so??;-)

I found Rock On another version of Jhankar Beats(Rahul Bose, Juhi Chawala starrer). That's why it couldn't attract me more.

3:21 AM  
Blogger Unknown kuchh to bolti...

@ yogsma - DCH is great. No doubt.

Yes Rock On is similar to Jhankar Beats. I loved JB as well, but RO struck a 'true hindi rock' chord with me .. which is still resonating:-)

7:40 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous kuchh to bolti...

666,
comment on GOOD YEAR (Russel Crowe)!

11:00 AM  
Blogger Unknown kuchh to bolti...

@ Anonymous -

Sorry, I did not understand one bit :-). I read my post and the previous comments however I still find myself mentally challenged with your comment!

I more than welcome anon commenters and this is exactly why!

1:06 PM  

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