January 26, 2007
Hyderabad

I saw 'love actually' when its DVD came out about an year and a half ago and knew instantly that there was a movie in it that could be made into an Indian Film. I liked it but also saw its shortcomings, the stories didn't talk enough to each other. Tracks of different love stories that intersect a few times during their journeys, was what 'love actually' is all about. I wanted to write something different and better on the same lines but also knew that it would be very difficult for me to sell it to a Telugu producer, considering my fresher tag. May be when I venture into Bollywood, God willing, I would give it a shot, I told myself. 'Cos what is a more universal thought than love is? I knew I could pull it off, when I get to it. I also knew that if anyone could do a really good job of it, it has got to be Nikhil Advani. I just hoped he wouldn't get his hands on it, for his 'kal ho na ho' deftly walked around a few ideas feeding off each other. I saw 'Salaam E Ishq' today and my verdict is, he more than pulled it off. My salutes!

It is George Bernard Shaw who once said, 'there are only two tragedies in life. One is when you can't have what you want. The other is when you have it'. It is a seriously profound statement. Love and marriage, both define what life is all about. Both are tragedies when you have it as well as when you don't. The great lyricist Aatreya said in Devadasu, 'manishiki manase teerani shiksha, devudila theerchukunnadu kaksha'. (Heart is God's biggest punishment to man yet, he took his vengeance thence) There is a poetic dialogue that happens between Anil Kapoor and Priyanka chopra that reflects what both George and Aatreya said. Anil and Priyanka are both at the crossroads of their lives. Anil wants to have fun in life, having forgotten the excitement that he once had when he first married Juhi 15 years ago. He is confused by what he feels now for one young Anjali. Priyanka is so consumed by her single minded focus on making it to a Karan Johar's Film that she does not know what to do when she finds love coming her way from Salman.

Priyanka asks Anil, "why do you search for something that you already have?"
He asks her back, "why do you want to lose what you could have?"

They learn from each other, reminded by each other of what they have, what they could have and what they could lose if they do not wake up in time. They leave thanking each other.

A wiseman once said "watch out what you wish for, for it might come true". Akshaye wants to lose Ayesha, he has developed cold feet as the wedding date approaches. And when he loses her, he is devastated. When reality becomes difficult to face, man begins to live in an imaginary land and Akshaye builds his own imaginary space and starts living with her there. 'you dont listen to me even in my imagination', Akshaye complains. It was beautiful, tell me about it bro! Akshaye's zany interpretation of Shiv was so good, people were laughing even when he wasn't involved in a comic setting.

He finally goes and tells her "we had such good times Ziya, why cant we do it forever without the marriage?" Ziya reminds him, "you don't love the times Shiv, you love the person that you had those times with". Very good!

And then the funny interludes of Sohail Khan, he was a real discovery for me and for the rest in the theatre. His story was simple. Horny, all the time!

Nikhil was awesome in the way he showed the paparazzi around the item queen mini(Priyanka), the more than life-size lifestyle of the Film people. He continues to surprise us all through the Film with the choices he made, the Film gripped me most of the time, although it could be shorter by about 20 to 30 mins(it stands at about 3 and a half hours now but is mostly either entertaining or thoughtful).

There are so many ideas in the Film that walk together. Just imagine facing a situation where your loved one has lost all the memories of you in a freak accident. The man's frenetic, frantic attempts to make her recall their good times. His desperation. His frustration at the realization that he cannot share their past anymore with her. He takes her back to his parents' home, the home where she was rejected, hated, humiliated and even man-handled. When John's dad tells him that there is nothing that he can give them there, John passionately replies, 'No dad, you can give us something, Hatred, you can give it to us again. Hate her dad, hate her as much as you did last time around when we came here, hit her more than you hit her last time. You know, she might recall it all, she might remember me again, love me again'. John pleads earnestly, honestly. It wasn't glycerine folks, they were real tears, 'cos you feel them. Stars dont become stars by themselves. The characters they play, make them Stars. John should get the most improved actor award for this performance, but still he ain't Saif. I cannot imagine what Saif could have done with John's character. Is there a better high in this world, than watching talent? The best performer for me goes to Priyanka chopra. I am not going to talk much about it here, just go watch her do it. She was sexy, she was deep at the same time. She was also starry and vulnerable at the same time. I hated her in Don, she just stood there many a times opposite ShahRukh, without a purpose. Nikhil is a much better director of actors than Farhan is, there hasn't a micro second in this Film where Priyanka wasn't doing something, and that is remarkable for the actor as well as her director. And when the camera drools over her body, it wasn't just drooling, it was pumping cholestrol into my heart. Boy, she was breathtaking. She is the only sexy star in India other than Mallika, forget the Ash's, Bips, Isha's and Nehas, they are all just imposters and I am glad Priyanka aint working out, it is good not to see the tonedness in a woman's body for a change. Flesh that does not pretend could be infinitely mouth watering.

I don't even want to talk about what Govinda and the gora girl did, you have to see them on the screen. Forget about what the usual critics tell you guys, go watch it. It is an intelligent, entertaining and thoughtful Film made by a thoughtful Filmmaker. The Nikhil Advanis and the Rakeysh Mehras are the future of Indian Cinema. I could only look forward to more in this year 2007, here is wishing y'all a very happy cinema year!