Sunday, September 20, 2009

Dil Bole Hadippa: After-thoughts

Dil Bole Hadippa is a quintessential mass masala movie. It has all the ingredients required to cook a Yash Raj mass masala movie. I am using the template from Tarla Dalal's website to review the movie.

Name of the dish:
In our school, When reviewing a story/play, we were advised to write about the title at the end. This was because title is supposed to give out the overall idea and ethos of the story/play. So, once other elements of the stroy/play are reviewed we evaluate how good the title is in representing the story and the elements making the story. But i am violating that protocol and describing the title first (following Tarla Dalal). The name of this dish is very generic and any resemblance to the plot of the movie can be considered as purely coincidental. It however induces curiosity in the viewer as what the movie could be to have such a title - Dil Bole Hadippa (My heart goes hurrah). The curiosity, however, doesn't end with the movie. Looks like Yash Raj has bought a lot of 'such' titles in discount and is now using those randomly - Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (can be used for most Yash Raj love stories), Ta Ra Rum Pum, Tashan and Salaam Namaste. Dil Bole Hadippa, looks like to be from the same pool and could have been used for any of the above movies.


Cooking Time: Doesn't matter. It depends heavily on the availability of the actors.

Preparation Time: The time required to teach Rani how to act out cricket shots.

Ingredients:
1. famous actors - Rani, Shahid, Anupam Kher and Dalip Tahil
2. Average bollywood masala music and dances - both are not really required.
3. Some fairy tale kind of a plot. [Sometimes i wonder, how useful would these yash raj movies be to the grandmas!]
4. Some very fashionable costumes

That's it. With the above four ingredients can make you heart go hurrah - at least, so is the claim

Method:
Bring a beautiful Indian village girl and an NRI guy together. Make them dislike each other initially. Make sure that the father of the guy likes the girl and thinks that she would be 'ideal' for his son. Now, add a dollop of, what the movies claim, 'indian values' in the girl. Now, add a tumbler full of dreams into the girl. And in the end make sure her dreams come true.

Garnish the dish with some India-Pakistan 'aman', come-back-to-india, eternity of marriage and gender equality messages.

That's it. You are ready with Dil Bole Hadippa.

Well, if you couldn't get any relation between the above and what is shown in the trailers, you are correct. For the sake of completeness i would mention it.

The movie is actually of only about 20 mins. How long is a purely detective movie if you get to know who the culprit is in the very beginning? The movie opens with Indian Tigers losing the India-Pakistan 'Aman Cup' for the 8th time in a row. Indian Tigers owner', Anupam Kher is desperate to win it the next time. His son (Shahid Kapoor) is shown to be an ace cricketer staying in London with his 'separated-from-Anupam-Kher mother (Poonam Dhillon). And Veera (Rani Mukherjee) is the best batsman (both right handed and left handed) in the village. That's it. It doesn't take one to write in Mundane Journey to fit the pieces together. The movie exactly does what you think it should do. And in the same precise detail you thought it would do. It even injured Veera's right hand so that she can prove her claim that she is both a right handed and a left handed batsman.

The one good thing about this movie is the performance of all the actors, especially Rani. She proved how seasoned an actor she is by playing the role of Veer (male) and Veera (female) brilliantly.

The movie, essentially, banks on two of the three things India is passionate about - Cricket and Pakistan (third being bollywood itself). The plot, however, is very old.

Dil Bole Hadippa is not a multiplex movie. So, be austere and don't waste your hard earned money on this movie in a multiplex, especially when you have recession in the US and drought in India. If you have time, you may watch it at a single screen theater that is at walkable distance from your house.

Think of environment before driving to the theater.

Cheers!

12 comments:

Maliha Mariyam September 20, 2009 at 12:05 PM  

very well written :)

Priya September 21, 2009 at 12:03 AM  

this review is a good read:)

Nethra September 21, 2009 at 12:23 AM  

I too liked Rani's acting. She not only looks beautiful but also acts perfectly.
I fell in love with shahid. He looks awesome.
Your review was good :)

Prashant Mehta September 21, 2009 at 2:18 AM  

@caneo, Priya and Nethra

Thanks!

Sagar September 21, 2009 at 3:26 AM  

The review is a too good read. On a lighter note, I would like to know whats the template for posting comments on Tarla Dalal's Blog (if any) :P

It seems of late, The Yash Raj camp has lost its golden touch and seems to read the 'viewer's pulse' wrongly. Again, I fail to understand their "suit-for-all-sizes" movie titles.

Prashant Mehta September 21, 2009 at 6:11 AM  

@Sagar

I agree. the golden touch which we saw in kabhi kabhi, silsila, Chandani, DDLJ, etc seems to be lost.

Lavanya September 22, 2009 at 11:32 AM  

I loved your review. I know you'd prefer some 'points to improve' but seriously, i loved your experimental style of writing.
Tarla Dalal and Yash Raj Banner should start a joint venture (something like, cookery shows with a twist ;) )
The best part of your review is the last paragraph! :)
Great going!

abhi September 22, 2009 at 3:56 PM  

a good review. a nice one from you after a long long time.
the best line : "Think of environment before driving to the theater."
btw dont try to advertise HiTech theatre...ppl will still drive to inox/pvr.

Prashant Mehta September 22, 2009 at 7:29 PM  

@Lavanya

Yeah. I'd be good to see an NRI love story 'cooked' :)

@abhi

yeah, ppl will still drive to inox/pvr. But that is unfortunate. HiTech is great - one doesn't have to book ticket in advance and most importantly, it doesn't drill a hole in one's pockets

Mustaf September 24, 2009 at 1:07 PM  

I read Rajiv Masand's review first and after reading the first few lines where he briefed about the story, i just stopped and thought "that's it!!! And why the hell Sahid and Rani agreed to do this movie" this would have been blunder even in 70s/80s or did they think that anything and everything on cricket will sell!!!

And he was also saying the same abt Rani's performance, i really feel sorry for her, don't know why she is not clicking, i wish her all the best and hope she comes with a bang!!

And your post, nothing as such to comment as i saw someone mentioning you like feedback on your posts also and even me too:) May be you can focus on shortening your posts little bit, specially the kapil sibal post was gr8, but it could have been shorter. This was candid hoping you would take it, not many takes candid anything nowadays :)

Prashant Mehta September 24, 2009 at 10:00 PM  

@Mustaf

"And why the hell Sahid and Rani agreed to do this movie"

The answer is Yash Raj Banner - the brand and the money!

Thanks for the feedback. I welcome candid and constructive feedback. Because, unless i know where i can improve, i cannot improve. I'd try to keep my posts short.

I guess, it's the Madhyamik board training of writing page-loads or influence of greatBong. Or both :-P

Mustaf September 24, 2009 at 10:16 PM  

But did not you read the Madhaymik question paper saying in bold answer should be brief and to the point :), but yes i defnitely know that these instructions do not apply for Bangla and History:P

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