Episode 010 - Love Love Love Love Love Aaj Kal (audio file format: 192 Kbps mp3 - duration: 34:15 [mm:ss] - size: 47.1 MB)
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WARNING: This episode contains spoilers.
In this episode, I look at the Imtiaz Ali directed film "Love Aaj Kal" ("Love Now and Then"), starring Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, Rishi Kapoor, and Giselle Monteiro.
This is an episode that leaves me somewhat troubled, questioning my own thought processes. Which, you know, is not a comfortable feeling; yet, probably not such a bad thing in the end either, because how else do we learn and grow except by exploring those things that leave us feeling uncomfortable or lacking in skills.
I do want to refer you to three reviews that have made me think rather a lot lately -- both before writing the episode (in the case of the first one), and after writing it (in the case of the two others).
First, that review from Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN. I know I took Masand to task a little bit in this episode, but after thinking about it, I'm wondering about some of his criticisms. I've been reading Robert McKee's most excellent book, "Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting" (New York: HarperCollins, 1997), and thinking even more. It's too early to have any sensible thoughts on this yet, but Masand's review makes me want to revisit the film at some point once I've digested what McKee has to say.
Secondly, Aspi of Aspi's Drift asks an interesting question regarding "Love Aaj Kal": Can a Movie Coast on Hipness? Again, it's not a question I can answer without seeing the film again. And I think I won't be able to really answer it right away either -- I think it's a question that makes you wonder whether the film is just too hip to be timeless or memorable, something I think Rajeev Masand was trying to get at as well in his review. But again, I think it's absolutely something worth thinking about further.
Finally, Beth of Beth Loves Bollywood has a very balanced view of the film, I think. She doesn't entirely like it; nor does she entirely dislike it, either, but she presents a balanced discussion. I was delighted to find she'd also picked up on the professions of the various characters -- though I missed out on Veer entirely, and ultimately, I think her take might be more satisfying on the whole than mine is. We disagree regarding Deepika -- in fact, I think I may be entirely alone in my feeling that Deepika showed improvement in this film -- however, we both agree on the absolutely splendid cameo (yes, I spoil it for you in the podcast, but I do warn you when the time comes) courtesy director Imtiaz Ali.
Now, as to that question: did we all see the same film? As I indicated in a previous post here on the blog, no, we didn't. We each brought different experiences and expectations to the film, and we each got something different out of it.
If I'm honest, I was, after four absolute duds, ready for a good film. Too ready, perhaps. I may have been just so relieved that "Love Aaj Kal" lived up in some way to the hype that came before it, in a way that no other film had done in the previous month. I was, honestly, rather worried about Deepika Padukone, so maybe I grasped at any small improvement and made more out of it.
Or maybe not. But who can know, really? I am old fashioned and I love a love story, so perhaps I got exactly what I needed from this film. And now that I've got all the love for "Love Aaj Kal" out of my system, I'll be able to watch it a second time and see what Rajeev Masand or Aspi or Beth saw, too.
The Scarborough Dude responds in Episode 209 of the DicksnJanes Podcast , in his own wise, elder-statesman way, to Julien Smith's blog post about long distance relationships.
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Abrar - Ul - Haq
"Cycle" (mp3)
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