Review: Hameshaa

Hameshaa
Stars: Saif Ali Khan, Kajol, Aditya Pancholi
Directed by: Sanjay Gupta
Released: September 12, 1997

Childhood friends Raja (Ali Kha) and Yash (Pancholi) come from two very different back grounds. Yash is very wealthy, and Raja is poor. This, however, does not stop them from growing up thick as thieves and close as brothers. Hameshaa opens with them racing each other in what seems like a very dangerous setting. The friends, however, simply laugh it off and begin talking about who they would choose if they had to – each other, or the girl of their dreams. Enter Rani Sharma (Kajol), a beautiful young woman in a neela dupatta peela suit (arguably the best, most upbeat song from the movie despite the laughable choreography. But, hey, it was 90s Bollywood). Soon after, Yash too encounters Rani and is also completely in love with her beauty and charms and finds it impossible not to fall in love with her.

Both men are quick to find each other and express their hearts’ desires, neither of them realizing that they are in fact speaking about the same woman. When Yash, however, finds out that the woman he so desperately wants has given her heart to his best friend, he becomes… a tad bit unhinged. He poses to Raja the same question they discussed when we first saw them – friends or the perfect girl? Much to Rani’s horror, Yash pushes Raja over the edge of a cliff and she joins him despite earnest efforts from Yash.

Years later Yash is an older and bitter man living with his Dai Ma and as fate would have it, he stumbles upon Raju and Reshma – both bearing an uncanny resemblance to Raja and Rani respectively. Not about to lose what he considers to be the love of his life a second time, he begins working hard to keep the two of them apart. Does true love always prevail? Well, you’ll just have to find out!

I truly love how Kajol can look great with any – and I mean any – Khan. She and Shahrukh are one of if not the most popular and charismatic couple in the history of Indian cinema, their jodi bringing many fans young and old to the cinema to watch their magic unfold on screen. Then she acted with Salman Khan and proved to have chemistry with him as well in their small parts of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and the cute movie Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya. And of course who could possibly forget the tangible love that she and Aamir Khan portrayed during Fanaa. That covers the three major Khans, right? Well this film proves that she and Saif are pure pyaar, even more than her and Shahrukh in the majority of their films together, in my opinion.

            

As far as their acting goes, Kajol does what she is famous (or infamous, depending on who you ask) for and takes the emotion to the next level. Her expressions during songs are equally adorable and hilarious. The song Aisa Milan Kal Ho Na gives her a chance to prove just how sensual she can be. This film is nothing difficult and doesn’t require top notch acting and therefore natural talents such as Kajol and Saif Ali Khan pull it off with little effort on their parts. Aditya Pancholi is able to deliver a good performance as Yash, making you truly hate him and his villainous self increasingly throughout the film, while still making you feel somewhat bad for him as he too loved Rani and had her taken away from him. But in the end, I found it hard to root for anyone other than Raja and Rani, which of course is only right.

            

I would classify this film under my guilty pleasure category. It is not a perfect film, but it is decent. Classic 90s romance film and a good one time watch for most people. But because of the combination of beautiful settings, wonderful chemistry and a beautiful struggle for love, I enjoy this film much more than I probably should. Objectively, however, the rating really must be a simple:

Rating: 5/10

Review: Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge
Stars: Shahrukh Khan, Kajol
Released: 1995
Directed by: Aditya Chopra


This film is a classic, possibly the most famous film ever to come out of Indian cinema and is known all around the world. For the children of parents who have actually lived in Hindustan get a glimpse of what their parents lives were all about. The great thing about this movie, is that it is able to do that all while giving it a very modern take.

So we have Simran, the daughter of convenience store and dedicated Indian Chaudhary, or Babu-ji as she calls him and a strong but meek mother, Lajo. They're not very wealthy, but Simran and her younger sister Chutki have always felt a lot of love from them. Raj Malhotra is the goof-ball son of a very wealthy widower, Dharamvir Malhotra. He goes to college and fails - which his father is surprising proud of. Combine that along with Simran's sensual and heartfelt dance to Mere Khwabon Mein, and you already have a pretty good understanding of their characters.

About twenty minutes into the movie, Simran gets a marriage proposal from her father's best friend's son, Kuljeet. Simran isn't too crazy about this, but wants to make her father happy, so she agrees to the marriage. However, she wants to travel Europe before she goes to India to get married and reluctantly, her father agrees. Who would happen to be going on this trip along with her and her friends? Well none other than Raj Malhotra of course. The two share a very interesting meeting when they both rush to catch the train and Simran's clothes - including her bra - end up all over Raj. Raj, being a ladies man, immediately starts to put the movies on Simran, all of which she rejects.

As their trip through Europe runs its course, it is obvious that the two young people are getting closer and closer, but still want to try and hate each other. It's not until they're leaving each other when they are back in London that they realize they have feelings for each other. When Simran expresses these feelings to her parents, her father is outraged and promptly packs the family up to take them to India and get Simran's marriage on its way. When Raj comes looking for Simran and discovers that she's gone to India to get shaadied off, he of course rushes after her.

Simran is going through with the wedding and her father's wishes, but is not at all happy about it. She doesn't see how she could ever be happy when she's in love with Raj and can't be with him. That is, until she hears a mandolin playing a soft, familiar tune... It is none other than Raj, whom she runs to through a thick field of yellow flowers. He assures her that he has a plan on how to get them to be together, and tells her to trust him.

I'm going to stop here - that's right, you don't get to know how it ends unless you watch it, which I advise you to do... NOW! I don't think you're a true Bollywood fan until you've seen this movie. SRKajol is Bollywood's Kate and Leo x 10000 and this movie made it for them both. This movie is responsible for all the cliches we see in Bollywood movies. This movie has inspired so many other movies. This movie has been referenced several times in other movies throughout the years and is, from what I've seen, the most popular Indian movie ever.

The acting is top notch. Both SRK and Kajol won Filmfare awards for their roles and it was very much well deserved. Their chemistry is perfect and their comedic timing is priceless. Scenes that would normally make you roll your eyes (running through a field of flowers to each other) is sweet and romantic in this movie and a lot of that is thanks to the amazing acting powers of SRKajol.

The songs are also amazing. My two favorites are, of course, Mere Khwabon Mein and Mehndi Laga Ke Rakhna. This is a movie not to be missed by anyone. I mean it. If you haven't already stopped reading this review to go watch it - do it. Now!!!

Rating: 10/10

10 Most Beautiful Women In Bollywood

10. Madhuri Dixit



She is called the goddess and the queen of Bollywood all at the same time. Well, I don't agree with that, but she is gorgeous. Her smile just radiates happiness, femininity and beauty and that is hard to find all in one woman.

9. Karishma Kapoor



For a long time, I thought that Karishma was... well, ugly. But the more I've looked at her the more I've realized that she has something about her face that is just... gorgeous. My favorite feature of hers is her lips which have a very beautiful shape to them. She has a beauty that isn't straightforward and isn't the kind you see everyday, but it shouldn't be ignored.

8. Aishwarya Rai



This woman is known as the most beautiful woman in the world and all one has to do is glance at her and they know that she is extraordinary beautiful. Her eyes are her most amazing feature. They're a gorgeous bluish green, which is something that we do not see in Asian women very often.

7. Deepika Padukone



Wow. That's all I can say for Deepika really. Wow. She has such presence in beauty, not only in her films but also in her pictures. Like Karishma, she has a different face, but it is seductive and breathtaking.

6. Rani Mukherjee



My favorite feature of Rani cannot be seen, but heard. Her voice is mesmerizing and incredibly sexy. She can make men and women everywhere weak in the knees with just a few words. And to match her voice is an almost equally as beautiful face. She's on the shorter side, but she's full of spunk, attitude and personality that can be rare to find.

5. Shilpa Shetty



Shilpa Shilpa Shilpa... Everything about her face is pleasant to me. She has a cute nose, nice lips and gorgeous, expressive eyes. One of the sexiest women ever to touch the Bollywood screen.

4. Kangana Ranaut



One cannot even begin to comprehend just how much this woman has captivated me, both with her beauty and with her acting skills. There's something quiet, unassuming and mysterious about both her looks and performances that is special considering how loud and overly-energetic some actresses can be.

3. Kareena Kapoor



Many people I know can't stand Kareena - and that's putting it nicely. They find her mean and ugly and the only good thing they usually have to say about her is that she is a good actress. What do I say to them? POO POO! I adore Kareena with everything in me. She's innocence, sex appeal and attitude all in one and she IS a very talented actress. Her tendency to say mean things about her costars can be unbecoming, but hey, not everyone can be perfect like our next two ladies.

2. Madhubala



This woman... is the true goddess of Bollywood and is the true star and face of Bollywood to me. She had such a beautiful, girlish charm about her that I have yet to find in any other actress, Indian or otherwise. She has a strange face that is surprisingly gorgeous and no one can quite compare to her.

1. Kajol



I know no one is surprised by this, but that's because I love, love, LOVE her. Her face is something special and her unibrow gives her more character than all the other actresses on this list combined. She has this "I'm amazing and I know it" look in her pictures that works for her and not for others. Her eyes are soulful and expressive and she has the most beautiful skin I've ever seen. For me, she is the queen of Bollywood now and forever. Forget Madhuri, forget Kareena, forget Aishwarya - she has a talent and a beauty that cannot ever be matched up with by anyone.

Review: We Are Family *Spoilers*

We Are Family
Stars: Kajol, Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal
Directed by: Siddharth Malhotra
Released: 2010

We Are Family is a remake of the western/Hollywood film Step Mom starring Susan Sarandon and Julia Roberts. This is the first time I've seen a western film remade in Bollywood and actually thought that the Hollywood version was better. This isn't really my type of film, as I tend to stay away from those extra sappy films, but I was on a Kajol kick and was interested in seeing Kareena Kapoor.

So we have Maya (Devgan), a divorced mother of three spoiled brats named Aleya, Ankush and Anjali. Although these three kids live with their mother most of the time, they also visit their father, Aman (Rampal), often. However, what used to be a fun trip to daddy's house soon became a nightmare when Aman begins dating Shreya (Kapoor). Shreya makes a terrible first impression when she falls - literally - into Anjali's cake and the kids hate her right from the start. Maya shares their feelings and is not at all crazy about having her children around this stranger. That is, until she finds out that she has terminal cervical cancer. After which she begins on a quest to get her children to like Shreya, and to get Shreya ready for the motherhood she never thought she'd be asking for.

This movie was... well, terrible. The only thing that saved it for me was the acting. As my friend Ally says, Kajol is one of those actresses that can't be bad - this was no exception. But the person who really shone through for me was Kareena. I'd hear some good things and some... not so good things about her and was hesitant to see how she acted, but I was very pleasantly surprised. She was absolutely fantastic. Arjun really just annoyed me, as he usually does - I really can't stand him or his acting. However, the fabulous acting on the two heroine's parts couldn't save the movie. The lines were terrible and cliche (and not in the way I like..) and the music was terribly misplaced. Don't EVEN get me started on the Jail House Rock number they did, which wasn't too bad until Arjun came in and danced with the girls. It was all a colossal joke to me, and in the end I was surprised Maya wasn't ready to die in order to get away from her incredibly annoying and spoiled children.

Rating: 4/10

Review: Fanaa

Fanaa
Stars: Kajol, Aamir Khan, Rishi Kapoor, Tabu
Directed by: Kunal Kohli
Released: 2006

Okay so, there is a lot wrong with this film, let me just start by saying that so you're prepared. We start off with Zooni, a sweet young but blind girl who is looking for Mr. Right. She travels with her friends to Delhi to perform in a dance for independence day. And of course, if you're going to the capital of your country, you don't just dance right? And of course you're going to find someone to show you the sights, right? Right! So they hire sweet, handsome and poetic Rehan who seems to fall instantly in love with Zooni despite her blindness. Her friends do not take kindly to this, but that doesn't stop Zooni from going out to meet her charming tour guide so he can give her a private tour of Delhi.

Going against the odds, Zooni and Rehan slowly fall in love with each other. The night before Zooni is due to board the train and go back to her home in Kashmir (really shot in Poland with gorgeous scenery) Zooni and Rehan meet up at his house and find themselves in a not-so-innocent situation. After a night like that, the two lovers decide that they cannot be apart any more, and they decide to get married. But first, Zooni goes to the doctor the get her eyes examined and discovers that there is a surgery that will give her her eyesight back. She quickly agrees to it and prepares for the day of her surgery. Her parents come down from Kashmir to support their daughter and their future son-in-law, but disaster strikes and Rehan is presumed dead due to a terrorist bombing. Zooni finds it hard to move on, but goes back to Kashmir with her parents. Little does she know, Rehan is far from gone and has a huge secret - one she never saw coming.

The first hour or so of Fanaa when Zooni and Rehan are falling in love is my very favorite. I love watching them grow closer, and it was these scenes that made me start to like Aamir Khan and, more importantly, my very favorite actress Kajol. It was just about everything a Bollywood romance should be. With singing and dancing in the rain in Dekho Na and lighthearted flirty songs like Chand Sifarish. I felt that the plot twist in the middle was a little odd and definitely unexpected, but that can be good or bad depending on how you look at it. Fanaa is most definitely a movie that had not been seen before (although similar stories would come about ie: Kurbaan) and it was a chance to see one of the best jodis in Indian cinema shine.

The acting was a sheer and epic win on all the main actors' parts. Kajol very much deserved her best actress Filmfare award and made a very good choice picking Fanaa to be her comeback film after marriage and the birth of her daughter Nysa. Aamir Khan is an actor with a lot of charm and masculinity, but surprisingly enough, I always find that who he is paired with in a movie is very crucial to his performance and whether or not I will end up enjoying it. But, as I stated earlier, he and Kajol are amazing together and really should get doing some more movies soon. Perhaps the most surprising person was Rishi Kapoor. This was the first look I'd ever had of him and boy am I glad for that! I would soon come to realize that he spent a lot of time during his prime as a hero romancing girls that looked too young and innocent for him, but he is bloody fantastic as a father in a film. He was a sweet old man and very loving towards his little Zooni.

Besides the great acting and mindblowing scenery, Fanaa had great music to go along with it. There is not one song from that film that is not on my iPod. I love it all - from Chand Sifarish to Chanda Chamke to Mere Haath Mein. All were great and it was very nice to see the classic random Bollywood songs with the multiple costume changes that I adore more than any other.

Despite the half-ridiculously predictable/omg I didn't see that coming plot line, Fanaa has enough great assets to make it a good and enjoyable film. A win in my book and a must-see if you like true chemistry between a hero and heroine.

Rating: 7/10

Review: My Name Is Khan *Spoilers*

My Name Is Khan
Stars: Shahrukh Khan, Kajol
Directed by: Karan Johar
Released: 2010

Where do I start? I guess with saying this is not your average Karan Johar or SRK film for that matter. If you've seen Khabi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) you know that this very popular director doesn't shy away from song and dance and especially the cheesy love lines. So, assuming that you're familiar with his work, which also includes Kuch Kuch Hot Hai (1998), you would sit down to watch My Name Is Khan expecting a rather light hearted love story with some tears thrown in here and there. Well, you're partially right.

MNIK begins lighthearted and sweet, and tells the story of a young man, Rizwan Khan (Shahrukh Khan), who happens to have Asperger's Syndrome, a high functioning form of Autism. Rizwan is born and raised as a Indian Muslim and grows up with the strong idea that there are only two types of people in the world, good people who do good deeds, and bad people who do bad deeds. When he grows older and his mother dies, he moves to San Francisco to live with his brother Zakir, who has become quite successful in the business world selling beauty products. He quickly sends Rizwan to work selling them at local beauty parlors. His life changes when he walks into Karma, the workplace of single mom Mandira (Kajol). She sees past the his odd quirks - his intense hatred for yellow, his incredible intelligence, and his dislike for being touched - and becomes his friend while he falls in love with her. Because this is a Karan Johar movie, they get married and start to live happily ever after. Until the fateful day of 9/11.

Six years after the event, and after many incidents of hate against their family, the Khan's suffer the greatest loss of all - the death of Mandira's teenage son Sameer. Mandira blamed Rizwan for this and angrily tells him to go to the president and tell him that his name is Khan, and that he is not a terrorist, and that Sameer wasn't one either. So, determined to prove his love for his wife, Rizwan leaves and goes to find the president while Mandira searches for the boys who killed Sam.

That was a lot of spoilers! You're going to have to watch the movie now to see whether he does meet the president though :) Anyway, for me, this film did wonders. I laughed and cried, sometimes simultaneously. My Name Is Khan is a movie that teaches even the most closed minded individuals that people are not always what they appear. Just because someone happens to be a Muslim, does not mean that they're a terrorist, and just because someone isn't 'normal' does not mean they are inferior or do not have feelings. MNIK is a movie for everyone to watch, whether you're American, Indian, Catholic, Muslim, Hindu, black or white.

What made this film even better was the fantastic acting. The two main characters, Rizwan and Mandira are played by what might be the most popular jodi in Bollywood history - SRKajol. They give top-notch performances and even won the Filmfare awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role Male and Best Actor in a Leading Role Female respectively. SRK makes his portrayal of an Autistic man incredibly believable without overdoing it and making it a joke. Kajol effortlessly goes from the funny, kind, accepting mother and wife to a sad, heartbroken and vengeful woman in the blink of an eye. I also believe this movie would be no where without the spectacular music. Sajda, Tere Naina and Noor-E-Khuda are personal favorites and will not soon be forgotten, just like this film.

Rating: 10/10