May 8, 2013

• Come Fall In Love- All over again… DDLJ

  Recently I rewatched the classic 1995 bollywood film, Dilwale Dulhanis Le Jayenge (The Brave Hearted Will Take Away The Bride) with Shahrukh Khan playing Raj, the irrepressible playboy, who falls hard for the overly protected Simran as played by the beautiful and stunning Kojol while vacationing in Europe and then has to convince her parents to let him marry her (complicated by her engagement to a complete stranger and her father’s best friend’s son). One of two Indian films on the 1001 Films You Must See Before You Die list, you can catch it on the big screen in Mumbai today- 900+ weeks of continually running (One of the things on my list of things to do if I’m ever in Mumbai). It was my introduction to Bollywood and Shah Rukh Khan years ago and I still come back to it when I’m puzzling out something vague and hazy.

  It is really two movies in tone and storytelling technique (a storytelling style I’m comfortable with since Johnnie To tends to do the same thing). In the first half (the courtship in Europe), Shah Rukh plays a light and cheerful fellow, pulling gags and playing constantly. Everything is a joke and it isn’t until the couple spends the night together that you see the side of Raj you need for the other half when he calms the crying girl saying, “You think I’m trash, but I am Hindustani and I KNOW what a Hindustani girl’s honor is worth. Trust me. Nothing happened last night.”

  That is the theme of the film- he is a man of honor, proud of his family upbringing, and trustworthy. The director, Aditya Chopra, needs this theme to drive the second half and it is there that the film finally grabs me and makes me pay attention. Raj refuses to elope with the girl, wanting the blessings of her family first. He slowly gains the trust of the girl, her sister, and mother, but the father is more difficult. The climax when the father is slapping Raj in anger and Raj responds with his speech about parents love is one of my favorite scenes of all time.

  DDLJ isn’t a perfect film- SRK overacts a bit in the first half, but is supurb in the second. The fight scene is poorly filmed and staged. The dialogue loses something in translation. But the glorious parts are glorious. And what did it help me puzzle out? I’m still a bit hazy, but I think that I was searching for signs of the trustworthy man you see in Act 2 to emerge in Act 1. I want hints that he isn’t changing but revealing a hidden part of himself later on- otherwise, you go… where did that come from? He was such a flit and now he man ups? Hmmm…. consistency in character is my lastest thing. I’m ok with characters changing, but I need to see the journey.

  • 8:03 am
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