Mumbai: 
What it's about: Surinder Sahani is a simple-looking, ordinary middle class working guy. He has a boring desk job in Punjab Power plant. His life changes when he marries the vivacious Taani (Anuskha Sharma) to fulfil a promise made to her dying father. They get married but they live under the same roof as strangers. Surinder loves her but doesn't know how to tell her. He knows what kind of guy she craves, so he transforms himself and woos her as Raj. She begins to fall in love with him but he won't reveal his identity to her because he wants her to love the real Surinder. The final test is when it's time for Taani to chose the man she wants to spend her life with.
What's good: Aditya Chopra steps away from the YRF formula. The leading lady doesn't dress in chiffons, there are no karva chauth scenes, the hero doesn't dress in the latest fashions, zip around in foreign cars, or jive on the Swiss alps. The best thing about Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi is Aditya Chopra's simple story and the sweet, romantic moments. Action pictures and love stories, two of the most tried-and-true movie formulas, have lately become the most flaccid; however, Aditya Chopra offers something new to the jaded audiences. Surinder and Taani's romance is not about big gestures like a wall in his room full of her photographs, him showering petals on her from a chopper, and him writing her name in blood. The romance is in RBNDJ, is in Taani telling her husband that she will try and be the best wife, it reflects in her packing lunch for him, and making haldi milk for him when he catches a cold. He, on the other hand, gives her space, understanding, and tries to make her happy in ways he knows best. What couple won't connect with that? It tells a generation obsessed with looks that love is not about how he or she looks, it's about what he or she is. The lovers in RNBDJ don't express their love by mouthing heavy-duty dialogues, rolling on top of each other, or looking dreamily looking into each other's eyes. In Rab Ne... the romance is real, as are real, the costumes, the dialogues and the performances. Shah Rukh Khan deserves credit for experimenting with two different characters one as a dull guy and a bore, and the other a wannabe buffoon. And he dives into the two character with unmitigated delight and bravado. New-comer Anushka doesn't look or dress like the typical Hindi film heroine. She is like a breath of fresh air, suits the part, and does justice to her role. Vinay Pathak, as the overly loud friend is effective. There are many beautiful moments in the film. Watch out for the scene between Surinder and his friend Bobby when he urges him to reveal his identity to Taani. The song Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai is a winner.
What's bad: RNBDJ is a perfect example of how you can connect with the audiences, even if you offer them outrageous stuff in this day and age like a promise made to a dying father, and SRK's 'double' role where a woman doesn't recognise her husband just because he has a moustache and a different hairstyle. There are other clichés in the film like a drunken Surinder talking to a statue dressed like him. The length (two hours and 40 minutes) could easily have been trimmed. The gimmicky song with the five actresses Kajol, Bipasha, Lara, Preity and Rani has no impact. The choreography is predictable and dull, with the same old back-up dancers.
What to do: A feel-good film that will make you rediscover love. It's simple, sweet and oddly moving. Watch it with someone you love.
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FiLM REViEW |
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Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi |
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*** |
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Dir: Aditya Chopra
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Anuskha Sharma, Vinay Pathak |
