The Losing and Gaining in Past Lives

In Past Lives, Celine Song tells a melancholic story about two childhood friends over twenty-four years. Na Young and Hae Sung are classmates in Seoul who walk back home every day. Then, Na Young's family immigrated to Canada, and the two lost contact. Twelve years later, Na Young (Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) connect again using social media. Na Young has now become Nora. After speaking for a few weeks, they again separated. Another twelve years later, they meet again in New York and contemplate the nature of their relationship. The film is semi-autobiographical and inspired by events from Song's life.

Early in the film, Na Young's mother sets up a date between her daughter and Hae Sung in a park. She clicks many pictures and tells Hae Sung's mother they are immigrating soon; thus, she wants to create good memories for her daughter. Hae Sung's mother asks her why she is leaving everything behind. Na Young's mother replies, "If you leave something behind, you gain something, too." This, in essence, forms the theme of the film. One loses something but also gains something. Losing life in Korea. Gaining life in Canada. Losing an old identity. Gaining a new identity. Losing the name Na Young. Gaining the name Nora Moon. Losing a friend. Gaining a husband.

Nora meets Hae Sung in New York and tells her husband Arthur (John Magaro), "And I feel so not Korean when I'm with him. But also, in some way, more Korean." The strange paradox reiterates the theme of gaining something while losing something. The diaspora, as we have seen, even in the case of India, loses its connection with their home country, but at the same time, the distance makes them feel more connected to their home. It is such a profound thought and can only come from someone who has truly experienced it. At another point in the film, Nora sits in a play rehearsal, and a lady says, "Some crossings cost more than others. Some crossings you pay for with your whole life." Crossings is mentioned in the context of immigration, pointing to the same theme of losing and gaining. One crosses to get something, but there is a cost to it.

When Nora decides to stop meeting Hae Sung at twenty-four, she goes on a writer's retreat to Montauk. It is the same place where the two lovers break up and try to erase each other's memories in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Nora stops meeting a friend but meets a new friend at this retreat. Losses and gains. But what must be mentioned is that Nora does not try to delete her old memories. Those memories have shaped her to be the person she has become today. This is why it is understandable when Nora breaks down after Hae Sung leaves in the end. She gained a lot in her life, but that does not mean one cannot mourn the things that she lost. One can grieve for something that could have been. She was grieving for the twelve-year-old girl that she left behind with Hae Sung. 

The other theme in Past Lives, which also gives it its title, is the Buddhist concept of In-yeon. "It's an In-yeon if two strangers even walk past each other in the street and their clothes accidentally brush because it means there must have been something between them in their past lives. If two people get married, they say it's because there have been 8,000 layers of In-yeon over 8,000 lifetimes." Nora and Arthur got married, so perhaps there were higher layers of In-yeon between them, much more than between Nora and Hae Sung. This concept is not different from Hinduism, where marriages are considered to last for seven lives. I think of the ending in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, where Sameer (Salman Khan) does not see the love for him in Nandini (Aishwarya Rai). He tells her that she can be married to Vanraj (Ajay Devgn) for the seven lives, but in the eighth life, they will be together again.

All the characters in the film deal with their own issues and heartbreaks. Nora was ambitious from childhood. She once cried in school because she came second. She tells her friends she wants to win a Nobel Prize. It is the reason she is moving countries because Koreans don't win it. Twelve years later, she wanted to win the Pulitzer. Then, another twelve years later, she wished a Tony. Her ambitions wither down with time. On the other side is Hae Sung. He thinks he is ordinary. And no girl will marry him because of his ordinariness.

And, there is the beautiful character of the husband, Arthur. In an early scene, Arthur tries to speak to Nora in Korean even though her grasp of the language is rusty. But later, in a moment of vulnerability, he reveals the real reason. He is learning Korean because Nora speaks it in her dreams. You dream in a language that I can't understand. It's like there is this whole place inside of you where I can't go. He has a bit of envy as he realizes he cannot compete with Hae Sung. He asks Nora if Hae Sung is attractive; she says he is masculine in a Korean way. Then, he follows up with her to see if she finds him attractive. But far from being the "evil white American husband," he has the immense grace to be a human. He realizes that Hae Sung has traveled to meet his friend after all these years. There was a life to her before he met her. It is precisely why Hae Sung tells Nora that he did not realize that liking your husband would hurt this much because Arthur is a gem of a person. Remember Kabhi Kabhie, where Vijay (Shashi Kapoor) has the maturity and grace to accept that his wife once loved someone else. In the end, after Nora breaks down, Arthur helps her grieve. He would genuinely understand Nora's emotions at that point and support her.

Not only is the film beautifully performed, but it is also lovingly shot. In Korea, when young Na Young and Hae Sung separate, their paths diverge when she walks up the stairs, and he walks into the alley. The stunning moment defines the film. When they connect twelve years later, they keep saying wow. Another twelve years later, they meet and again keep saying wow. Their first meeting in twenty-four years also happened in a park, like the one they went on a date when they were kids. When Nora shows New York City to Hae Sung, all the places they go are full of lovers talking and kissing in the background.

The film opens with three people chatting at a bar, and someone from the audience tries to guess the relationship between the three. Towards the film's end, the narrative comes down to the same place, and the relationship between the three becomes clear. Nora and Hae Sung's conversation at the bar brings everything they wanted to discuss for a long time. He tells her that if he keeps wondering how they would have had a life together. He understands that she had to leave because it is her, and the reason he likes her is because she leaves. Hae Sung, in this scene, is a portrait of heartbreak. A serene calmness glimmers on his face, making one feel for him. And, then, in the film's last moment, Nora and Hae Sung wait for a taxi and do not say anything. The quietness is devastating. For a minute, I thought they would kiss each other, ruining everything, but Nora and Hae Sung are far too mature to do anything like that. He hugs her and says, "What if this is a past life as well, and we are already something else to each other in our next life?" She says she does not know, and then he leaves. The answer is, perhaps, yes because every moment that passes by immediately becomes a part of our past life.

Dialogue of the Day:

"It's an In-yeon if two strangers even walk past each other in the street and their clothes accidentally brush because it means there must have been something between them in their past lives."

—Nora, Past Lives

"Some crossings

cost more than others.
"Some crossings...
"you pay for
with your whole life."

Read more: https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/movie_script.php?movie=past-lives

The Devotion of Jaane Jaan

Sujoy Ghosh adapts Keigo Higashino's novel The Devotion of Suspect X in his latest film, Jaane Jaan. The film stars the fantastic trio of Kareena Kapoor, Jaideep Ahlawat, and Vijay Varma in the lead roles. Set in misty Kalimpong, the film is the story of a single mother, Maya (Kareena Kapoor), who gets involved in the murder of her abusive husband Ajit (named after the villain actor Ajit [?]; played by Saurabh Sachdeva). Her neighbor is the quiet mathematics teacher Naren (Jaideep Ahlawat), who is in love with her but does not have the courage to say it. Finally, there is Karan (Vijay Varma), an inspector, who comes looking for Ajit but then gets involved in solving his murder. 

Jaane Jaan is not about the mystery of solving the murder, but it is about getting away from it. It remains true to the premise of The Devotion of Suspect X. At the heart of the film is a love story, and it is this love that helps the person get away with murder. This love is compared to devotion, which, to me, adds a selfless connotation to it. In devotion, there is not any expectation of getting something in return. It is the staunch dedication and fidelity in serving and protecting the beloved that the lover loses his own self in it. It is this devotion that is portrayed melancholically in Jaane Jaan. Naren was about to end his life after he learned that someone else had solved a problem he had spent ten years working on. The morning he planned to die, his new neighbor Maya knocks on his door and asks for a plumber's number, inadvertently saving his life. Naren falls in love with her. After this, he keeps an eye on her every moment. Maya's friend Prema (Lin Laishram) compares him to Shah Rukh Khan's character from Darr, reminding us again of the creepiness of one-sided love. Every day in the morning, he stands in front of the mirror, practicing to speak to Maya. However, when he reaches her café, he cannot gather the courage to say those words, unable even to raise his eyes when he sees her. He is a man who is so intimidating in terms of his intellect and physique, yet he cannot order egg-fried rice in front of her.

It is because of his stalking habit that he gets an opportunity to help Maya. He figures out that there is a dead body at Maya's place. He suggests that he can help her. When she asks why he is helping her and why he won't get in trouble, he says, "Main phas chuka hun." Throughout the film, he keeps saying, "Main sab sambhaal lunga." Whatever the situation, he said he will take care of it. Maya need not worry. When she cannot help him move the body, he says he will take care of it. At times, when he could be in trouble due to some of Maya's mistakes, he never gets angry. Main sab sambhaal lunga. He sacrificed himself for her. He even kills another man to put her out of trouble. Maya asks him why he is going to jail to save her life. Then, he reveals that it was she who saved her life, after which he became her devotee. And, now, by putting himself in jail, he would get closer to being with the first love of his life—mathematics. He is so devoted to the loves of his life—mathematics and Maya—that he is fine with going to jail for them. Devotion, after all, comes with sacrifice attached.

Naren also feels pangs of envy of the other men in Maya's life. When he removes Ajit's body, he looks at him and says he might not be as good-looking as him, but at least he is alive. In the same vein, he looks at his old college friend Karan and realizes that he has maintained himself well. Even though they both are the same age, he looks twice as old. He also seems to want to have more hair. In a stunning scene, he cannot stop thinking of Maya and Karan spending time together at the Karaoke bar. He repeatedly shakes his head, but all in vain. Then, he does a bit of Jujutsu in the middle of the road in the middle of the night. It is a pacifying moment that depicts that negative energy can be channeled out to forms of art. Jujutsu, after all, is a martial art.

Imtiaz Ali's Jab We Met opens with a suicidal Aditya (Shahid Kapoor), who is thinking of ending his life by jumping from the train. At that particular moment, Geet (Kareena Kapoor) says something and stops him from jumping. She inadvertently saves his life. They become friends and separate. Then, things do not turn out as planned with Geet. She meets Aditya after a while and tells him she cannot take any more favors from him. He has already done a lot for her. Aditya gets angry and tells her that he is alive because of her. It was because of her that his business was doing well. He also returned to music in his life—all because of her. The moment when Naren opened the door and saw Maya took me to the train scene in Jab We Met. Like Geet did for Aditya, Maya saves Naren's life and helps him return to his first love.

Kareena Kapoor saving depressed men.

Kareena Kapoor as Maya shines again. She is terrific in Jaane Jaan—not one false note. She has always been an interesting actor whose performances are worth watching. She was the best thing about Laal Singh Chaddha. She does sadness quite beautifully. Even in Reema Kagti's Talaash, Kareena Kapoor as Rosie saves a grief-stricken Surjan (Aamir Khan) from the depths of depression. She literally and metaphorically saved his life by taking him out of the sea of grief. I did not think Maya was a mysterious character. It was quite clear to me that she was not duping the teacher. The only point I felt was that she should not have lied to Naren when she went out with Karan, which was another stunning moment. She has that star quality in that scene, and the film shows it with panache. Her face is lit in pink as a tribute to the original song Aa Jaane Jaan from Inteqam, where the stunning Helen was lit in pink. The original song Aa Jaane Jaan is also notable as it is one of Lata Mangeshkar's few sensual songs.

Maya seems to easily cast her maya on the two men. Both were unable to not give in to her charm. She was on their mind even when not in front of them. There is a replica of the moment with Karan when Naren shakes his head to get her out of his head. Karan also keeps thinking of her and imagining himself with her. He also had to shake his head and come back to reality. The film uses the same background score in the two scenes. It is also worth mentioning that we never see the sexual component of Naren's love. Karan imagines himself kissing Maya, but with the teacher, no lust is shown, even in his dreamy moments. Initially, it feels like the character of Karan is not on par with the other two. But I watched parts of the film again, and I realized he was quite funny. Starting from the time when he says that he also thought he would lose the fight to the way he flirts with Maya—Karan is also quite a nice character but not as memorable as Naren. Jaideep Ahlawat as Naren is made to look not as handsome, but then he brings a quiet dignity to his performance. Like the way he smiles, the way he is awkward, the way he says he does not know who will love him.

At one point in the film, a character remarks that Maya is a single mother who is unlikely to be a murderer. Karan argues back that why cannot a single mother be a murderer? This was also the premise of Ghosh's Kahaani that a pregnant woman is unlikely to be thought of as a criminal and will not raise any suspicions. Even in Badla and Kahaani 2, Ghosh has depicted mothers taking revenge. Additionally, like it was in his other films, Jaane Jaan also pays tribute to the old songs littered throughout the film. At some points, the songs are even hard to hear clearly. Almost all of Ghosh's films have this tribute to the old songs. Jaane Jaan, as mentioned before, is titled after the song Aa Jaane Jaan from Inteqam.

The film has cinematography by Avik Mukhopadhyay. Many of the frames in Jaane Jaan reminded me of Shoojit Sircar's Sardar Udham, which also had cinematography by Avik. Both films have a motif where the frames have contrasting shades of blue and yellow, and there is often a glowing lamp that lights them. It all comes out aesthetically, giving a calming aura to the frames.

If mothers are present in Ghosh's films, then it is logical that children will also be present. Remember, there was the 'running hot water' boy Bishnu in Kahaani. Likewise, in Jaane Jaan, there is a running track where Naren and his student Dipok (Markush Lepcha) keep playing a game of snatching the coin from the hand. Dipok always loses. Naren keeps telling him that his aim should not be to win but to save the coin. As a teacher, he always wants his students to win. When the police are close to catching him, Maya tells him they are suspicious of him. She adds that all people think he is in love with her, but she believes there is nothing between them. At the moment, Naren does not hear what she is saying and loses his attention. He then comes inside his room and starts crying. The next day, he plays the same game again with Dipok and finally loses. There is a faint smile on his face. Perhaps he realized that he had forgotten the same lesson that he gave to Dipok, that his focus should not be on winning the game but on saving the coin. Likewise, his focus should not be on winning Maya but on saving her. And to save her, he needs to let go. Devotion, after all, comes with sacrifice attached.

Trivia:

1. The Game of Death is mentioned in Jaane Jaan.

2. Ashanti is mentioned in Jaane Jaan.

3. Hichki and Jaane Jaan—"There are no bad students; only bad teachers."

4. Vasan Bala's Monica, O My Darling was also based on a novel by Keigo Higashino called Heart of Brutus.

Other Reading:

1 On Bob Biswas and the mythology in Sujoy Ghosh's Cinema—Link

2. On Badla—Link

3. On Kahaani 2—Link

4. On Monica, O My Darling—Link

5. On Sardar Udham—Link

Dialogue of the Day:
"P equal to NP kehta hai ya to hum khud problem ka solution dhoonde ya phir kisi ke bataaye hue solution ko maan lein."
—Naren, Jaane Jaan

Life Or Something Like It

This is another weekend where I did not have any new things to write about. I really feel guilty when I do not do anything productive. It feels like I wasted all this time while the world seems to move far ahead, as if it is some type of competition. I have been spending my time reading some random old history about the conflict in Sudan, the Israel-Palestine dispute, the India-Pakistan war of 1965, and the creation of Bangladesh in 1972. I like to read about geopolitics a lot.

I have also been randomly watching Rituparno's Ghosh Abohomaan (which is allegedly based on the relationship between Satyajit Ray and Madhabi Mukherjee), Om Raut's Adipurush, and Maneesh Sharma's Fan. I wanted to write about Nitesh Tiwari's Bawaal, which is quite lovely (save the last few minutes). It is another interesting addition to the filmography of the writer Ashwini Iyer Tiwari that again delves into the concept of image and shame. Her films often talk about these things. The child was embarrassed by the mother in Nil Battey Sannata. The husband is embarrassed by the wife in Bawaal. Ajay (Varun Dhawan) is so conscious of his perceived image that he almost cages his wife Nisha (Janhvi Kapoor) inside their house. This image thing was also seen in Bareilly Ki Barfi, where Pritam Vidrohi (Rajkummar Rao) becomes Badass Babua so easily as if he always wanted to be him. The opening bits of the Bawaal, where Ajay rides a bike with everyone looking at him, are reminiscent of Badass Babua's entry in Bareilly Ki Barfi. There was also the concept of image in Panga where a housewife takes to sports again because she cannot see herself in the mirror as she feels ashamed. Bawaal makes the point that the image is only a notion in our heads. We have to be comfortable with who we are and find our own ways of happiness. For instance, Ajay made a point to wear only branded clothes. In Paris, his suitcase gets exchanged with a Gujju guy. So now, he has to wear the colorful clothes of the Gujju guy, while the other guy has to wear his branded clothes. What was interesting was that for the Gujju family, Ajay's branded clothes were so dull that the guy's mother said they were not even suited for mourning. If Ajay liked it, it was fine for him to wear those, but he became so focused on it that he forgot to even live his life. The same way he was behaving in relationships. Now, as I have already written the summary here, I did not feel like writing a whole new piece.

Of course, there is also Atlee's Jawan, which was released this week. I just did not feel like going to it. It isn't a film that I want to watch in the theater. I was disappointed with Pathaan, which I could have watched at home. The thing with watching movies in the theater is that one gets a little biased by the audience. It happened to me during Rocky And Rani Kii Prem Kahaani as well, where people next to me were howling at some of the lines, and I was like, what is so funny here. There is pressure to laugh at the same jokes, and I don't like it. I love the experience of the big screen, but I prefer to watch them at home now unless it is a film that I really, really, really want to watch, which is becoming increasingly rare. Jawan is not the kind of film that I want to watch.

This brings me to another topic. Ten-fifteen years ago, I would still watch some of the films as early as possible. But living away from theaters has brought patience in me. I see people all around me who are passionate about films and actors and many other things. I was never passionate about any film actor or filmmaker. I like some films and actors, but I have never been devoted enough to even call myself a fan, something which I also wrote in the piece about Fan. I felt like more than the films, I enjoy reading about them. I still remember some great writing on some of these films, even after years. Writing about those films was my way of understanding them and the world. 

I have increasingly struggled to write with the same pace because of a lot of things happening in life, and a lot of things not happening in life. I want many other things in life. I want to see the world, but I don't feel like going anywhere (I have actually traveled to just one place in the last year, which is about an hour away from where I am). I want to be respected in many things in life. But after a while, you know deep inside that you have missed the train. It ain't going to happen now. So, just take it slow. There is also a certain freedom in accepting your own fate. Everyone realizes these things at some point. And, then, I got this email yesterday, which made me feel, you know, it is ok. It is enough. :)

Dialogue of the Day:

"Ek ajeeb sa darr lag raha tha, jaise kuch galat ho raha hai, jaise koi train chhooth rahi hai."
—Geet, Jab We Met

Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani—It's All About Living With Parents

In his twenty-fifth year of cinema, Karan Johar brings Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani forward by looking back at his earlier films. Written by the trio of Ishita Moitra, Shashank Khaitan, and Sumit Roy, the film is a love story rooted in traditional values but gets a modern makeover. Swad Wahi, Soch Nayi. The film stars Ranveer Singh as Rocky and Alia Bhatt as Rani—the eponymous couple of the prem kahaani. Rocky is the scion of the (Punjabi) Randhawas; Rani is the star journalist daughter of the (Bengali) Chatterjees. The duo starts living in the other's house to convince their families they are suited for each other; after all, family is the backseat driver in every relationship. The cross-cultural clash allows the film to emphasize that times have changed. It is all about loving your parents, but that love has to be earned. Respecting your parents does not have to come from fearing them.

Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani is the antidote to Johar's own Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. It is visible that this film is questioning the ideology of his second film. Many elements and sequences of Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani are similar or an inversion of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani opens with the house of crazy rich Indians—the Randhawas—who live in Delhi in what seems to be a replica of the White House. The film makes a joke out of it. The crazy rich Indians of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham—the Raichands—also lived in Delhi, but their house, in all seriousness, was the Waddesdon Manor in the United Kingdom, which had no relation to Delhi. The rich Randhawas of Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani are engaged in the business of selling sweets; however, it was the poor family in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, the Sharmas, who owned the mithaai ki dukaan.

The family matriarch of the Randhawas is Dhanlakshmi Randhawa, who is played by Jaya Bachchan. It is her writ that runs in the family. The family patriarch of the Raichands is Yashwardhan Raichand, who is played by Amitabh Bachchan (the reel- and real-life husband). Not only are their names similar (dhan), even their thoughts and beliefs are similar. At one point, Dhanlakshmi even says Yashwardhan's iconic dialogue—Keh diya na, bas keh diya.

At one stage in the film, Rocky proposes to his family that Rani should live in their house for three months. After some trepidation, Dhanlakshmi relents. She tells her son and Rocky's father, Tijori (Aamir Bashir), that she agreed because if she had not, then Rocky, their family's sole heir, would leave them, and there would be no one to take care of the business. This was precisely what happened in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham when Rahul (Shah Rukh Khan) left the house after he eloped with Anjali (Kajol) and moved to London. When Rahul comes home after his wedding, Yashwardhan tells him that he has proved that he is not his blood. Rahul was an adopted child but never made to feel like one, but these words broke their relationship. Rahul silently leaves. During the final moments in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, Dhanlakshmi says the exact words to Rocky, that he can't have the same blood as her. Rocky schools her, "Khoon ke rishtey aur mohabbat ke rishtey ek jaise nahi hote. Mohabbat ke rishtey banaye jaate hain." The funeral scene in the film is also a throwback to Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham when Tijori (the father) joins hands with Rocky (his son) to light the pyre of his father. In Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Rahul (the son) joined hands with Yashwardhan (his father) to light the pyre of his grandmother.

In Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, there is Rocky's sister Gayatri (Anjali Anand), called Golu, as she is overweight. Her family members' continual ill-treatment and fat shaming made her suffer from self-doubt. She calls out the despicable behavior of her family. In Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Rohan (Kavish Majumdar) was called Laddoo because he was a bit overweight. He was fat-shamed by his brother all the time. The film treated him as a comic trope.

In Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Yashwardhan Raichand gave the excuse of tradition. He said that his grandfather went to the university, so his sons have to go to the same university. In Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, it is Dhanlakshmi who propagates the tradition. Her mother-in-law was rude to her. So, she behaves in the same way with her daughter-in-law Punam (Kshitee Jog). In Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Yashwardhan is given a redemption arc and comes around. But here, Dhanlakshmi is given no such treatment. She is left lonely because the film believes that some people, especially those with huge egos, cannot really change.

In Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, there was a moment in the film when Rahul enacted his father's style to try to become like him. He wanted to be his father. In Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, the young Anjali (Sana Saeed) tries to become the old Anjali (Kajol). In Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, old and young people also compare themselves. Early in the film, Rani tells Dhanlakshmi that they are alike. Dhanlakshmi disagrees and says their beliefs are different. Toward the end, Rani breaks her relationship with Rocky after the Durga Puja celebration because she believes the one who could not stand for her mother how will he stand up for her. After all, he is the son of his toxic father. Again, her grandmother Jamini (Shabana Azmi) intervenes and tells her story of her abusive husband, who used to beat Rani's father, Chandon (Tota Roy Chowdhury). Still, he turned out different from his father. Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani points out that we are not our parents, and we can break the shackles of intergenerational trauma cycles. How our parents made laddoos is not the only way to make them. There are other ways to make them.

The incomplete love story of Jamini also finds resonance in the love story of Rani. Jamini tells Rani that she could not get a chance to fulfill her love story because of family, but she advises Rani to fulfill hers. She does want her to end up like her. Rocky and Rani did not make the same mistakes that their grandparents did. Their love story will not remain incomplete because of their family.

The theme of unrequited love, a motif in Johar's oeuvre, again comes to the fore in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. Jamini had fallen in love with Rocky's grandfather Kunwal (Dharmendra) in 1978 during a trip to Shimla. They spent seven days together, which gave them a lifetime of love. Rocky finds a photograph of Jamini and tries to reunite her with Kunwal. This premise is not very different from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, where Anjali reads her mother's letters to reunite her father, Rahul (Shah Rukh Khan), with his college friend Anjali (Kajol). A few other moments keep reminding us of Johar's first film. Before leaving college, Anjali had given her red dupatta to Tina (Rani Mukerji). Here, Jamini sends Kunwal a red muffler. Yeh Laal Rang Kab Mujhe Chhodega. At another point, Rocky and Rani stealthily bring Jamini to make her meet Kunwal using the ladder, just like the way Rahul came to meet Tina in college.

Laal mere dil ka haal hai, kya Subhash Ghai ki picture Taal hai.

The story of Jamini, however, has more in common with the story of Maya (Rani Mukerji) from Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. In the introduction scene of that film, Maya meets Dev (Shah Rukh Khan), and they talk about pyaar and mohabbat. Maya is not sure about her marriage to Rishi (Abhishek Bachchan) and wonders what if she finds her soulmate after her wedding. As things turn out, she does find love with Dev many years after her wedding. They have an affair but then decide to part ways. However, their families find out about the affair leading to an irreparable breakdown in their marriages. Likewise, Jamini finds love with Kunwal many years after her wedding. They both were trapped in loveless marriages. When they met at a conference, sparks flew. "Kabhi kabhi do pal ka saath bhi aap ko zindagi bhar ka mohabaat de jaata hai," she says. He became her soulmate. She says, "Pehli baar laga jaisa koi meri rooh ko pehchanta hai." Rooh—the word for soul. At Kunwal's cremation, she again says that he was her soulmate. However, they had decided to not be together because of their families and remained trapped in unhappy marriages all their life, waiting for love. Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna is still more audacious because it says that people can stray in marriages even with great partners. But what is admirable about Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani is that the film shows the romance between two old people, who are often not given the luxury in films. They are even shown kissing each other.

Jamini and Kunwal also get relive their romance through the medley of old songs in the film. Rani says that the love that her thakuma (grandmother) has for these old songs is actually for the memories she associates with the songs. Memories, in fact, play a particular part in the film. After his accident, Kunwal becomes unwell, and his memories come and go. Rocky brings back Jamini in the hope that memories of love can heal him. At another point, Tijori is surprised that his father remembers Rani by her name. He never heard his name being called by him. When Rani goes to Kashmir, the song Tum Kya Mile plays out in her memory. When Somen (Namit Das) hugs her, the memory of how Rocky used to hug her played in her mind.

The old songs also reflect Johar's love for Hindi cinema. In Bombay Talkies, he used one of his favorite songs, Lag Jaa Gale. He added many more songs to Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. However, the use of old melodies in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani works way better. There are songs from every era. They blend seamlessly when Jamini and Kunwal relive their old days. Yeh Laal Rang Kab Mujhe Chhodega from Prem Nagar becomes the calling of Kunwal early in the film. Later, Kunwal starts singing Abhi Na Jao Chhod Kar from Hum Dono, and both women—Jamini and Dhanlakshmi—are thrown off their feet. Later the same song becomes the proposal song of Rocky and Rani. There were some other great uses of songs in the film. Rocky uses Aaja Mera Gaadi Me Baith Jaa; later, Rani uses the same song. This song is from Miss 420, starring Sheeba, who appeared in the film as the woman Kunwal assumed to be Jamini. One of the other charming moments was Rani's birthday when Rocky takes her to the old shop. He plays Suno Suno Miss Chatterjee from Baharen Phir Bhi Aayengi.

One of the best song scenes in the film is related to Rocky's mother, Punam, who secretly sings when no one is watching her. She wanted to become a singer, but then she got married. Her dream remained a dream. "Sapnon se behtar toh samjhaute hain na, kam se kam roz toh nahi tootate," she says to Rani. Some of Ishita Moitra's dialogues are lovely. (Remember the samjhauta moment in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Meri beti samjhauta karegi aur pyaar nahi, yeh toh maine kabhi socha hi nahi tha.) Rani signs her up for an audition at a singing competition. She is angry at Rani for putting her in trouble, but then she shows some spine and decides to go. At the audition, she sings Aaj Phir Jeene Ki from Guide, which is a song in which a woman Rosie (Waheeda Rehman) sings about her newfound freedom. When the line "Tod ke bandhan" comes, Punam takes out her ghoonghat, as if she is also breaking the bandhan. And, then, she gets to complete the words in front of her husband. It is a beautiful moment. And, during the film's last few moments, when she and Tijori go to Rani's house, she no longer wears the ghoonghat. It also echoes Rani's earlier comment in the film when she said that she felt suffocated by the ghoonghat that her mother and grandmother wore. The ghoonghat is now gone.

The ghoonghat is gone.

Other echoes in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani keep coming back in the narrative. In the opening moments, Rocky dances on Heart Throb. He asks his friend to watch out for his family because they do not like his dancing. Later, after meeting Rani, he invites her to an akaadha where he will be dancing. It does not seem that he has lachak in him, Rani tells him. The bodybuilder Rocky then displays his lachak on What Jhumka. Then, he finds out that Rani's father, Chandon is a Kathak dancer—a profession that is not as common with men. Chandon believes that men of today do not have the rhythm. Girls like the rhythm of their men. Once Rocky starts living with the Chatterjees, and learns more about dance. Izzat kabhi aadhi nahi hoti. Later, Chandon takes on the stage at a Punjabi wedding and dances with full fervor on Kahe Chhed Mohe from Devdas. The audience, not used to seeing a man perform a Kathak dance with grace and elegance, makes fun of him. At home, Chandon recounts his life story, where he had been humiliated for his passion for dance since his childhood. His father even hit him. But ultimately, his mother encourages him because "Hunar ka koi gender nahi hota." It is my favorite sequence from the film, and Tota Roy is magnificent in it. It is so moving the pain that people carry in their hearts. This also seems to be the personal story of Johar, where he has recounted in interviews that he used to love dancing as a kid but was mocked for the same. Finally, this dance trope culminates during Durga Puja, where both these men—Chandon and Rocky—dance together on Dola Re from Devdas. The iconic dance was filmed on two women—Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit—in the original film. Two men dance to the same song, as they said, hunar ka koi gender nahi hota. And then, Rocky dances again with Rani in front of his family on Dhindora Baaje Re which is inspired by Jab Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya from Mughal-E-Azam. Arey ishq kiya toh sharm kya, they sing and dance without fear, with all the lachak and rhythm, while Dhanlakshmi looks on. The dancing arc that started in the beginning ends with defiance. 

This brings us to the terrific performance of Ranveer Singh as Rocky, who is truly the heart throb of the film. (Side note: The lyrics of Heart Throb are pretty catchy. Bhed bhav nahi karta main, kaliyon mein aur phoolon mein.) Rocky has the charm of Bittoo from Band Baaja Baaraat without his street smartness. He is into bodybuilding, but at the same time, he calls himself 'fragile.' He is sensitive as he is hurt by people making fun of him. His gold-plated name card matches his heart of gold. The color of the clothes he wears matches the color of his cars. He does not seem to hide anything. Whatever he has in his heart, he says it. When Rani's family questions her on the suitability of Rocky, Rani tells them that he has a good heart. In her fight between the heart and the mind, she decides to go with the heart and chooses a man who has a good heart. I kept wondering if there was some other actor, would he have made Rocky as likable as Ranveer does and making us forget the flaws of his character.

Rocky speaks English in his peculiar style. It was not clear why would the third generation of a wealthy family who is born and brought up in the poshest parts of Delhi not be able to speak good English. He is also not very smart in terms of general knowledge. He fails to answer the question about the president of India. It was the same question that Alia Bhatt incorrectly answered in her infamous Koffee With Karan episode. Therefore, the film educates him (and the audience) on racism, feminism, and patriarchy. At the same time, it does not judge him harshly because he is the way he is because he was told those things from childhood. His speech on cancel culture is a plea to treat others with kindness because nobody is perfect. Na woh perfect hai, na hum. Aur pyaar kahan perfect hota hai. In this aspect, the film does not portray the Bengali family as the paragon of virtue. It shows their flaws as well. It also calls out the shady behavior of men like Somen, who seem to be liberal but can also be very obnoxious.

Related to this aspect, it is also worth observing the interiors of the houses of the two families. The house of the Randhawas feels claustrophobic and suffocated. There is less light, even in the daytime. For instance, the sequences when some family comes to see Gayatri for matchmaking are so dark. There is also a golden statue of Dhanlakshmi outside their house. There is also a massive portrait of her in their office boardroom. So, when Rocky sees Rabindranath Tagore's portrait in Rani's house, it is likely that someone like him would think that he is her grandfather. The house of the Chatterjees looks so airy. There is an open verandah for the dance. Their house is all culture and has Raja Ravi Varma paintings.

Dhanlakshmi and Tagore

Galaxy of Musicians by Raja Ravi Varma

Alia Bhatt as Rani is all kinds of amazing. There is not one false note in her performance, but her character is so perfect, which makes her not as interesting as Rocky. She says the right things. She supports all the people. She is like an activist. The one time the film (rightly) admonishes her is when she signs up Rocky's mother for an audition without telling her. She realized that there are consequences to her actions. But together, Rocky and Rani are fire. The way Rocky wipes off the lassi on Rani's upper lip and puts it in his mouth is the sexiest scene in the film, which again shows that desire can be shown in fascinating ways without any skin show. Lassi Te Phassi clearly. I also loved the moments the two realized that they are falling in love. Rocky fell in love with Rani during What Jhumka when he looked at Rani and paused for a minute, wondering what is happening to her. On the other hand, I felt that Rani fell in love with Rocky when she asks herself why he is still smiling after a chat with him. This is also a Karan Johar moment where these inexplicable feelings are explained by Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. His characters fall in love first and then have an epiphany that they are in love. Think of the scene where Anjali thinks to herself about Rahul's comment on pyaar dosti hai in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.

Kuch Kuch Hota Hai

Yellow

The supporting cast is fantastic. I liked Tota Roy Chowdhury and Kshitee Jog. Churni Ganguly is hilarious. There is a lot of sadness in the character of Shabana Azmi, and she plays it beautifully. Jaya Bachchan seems to have the most fun but was reduced to a caricature. Dharmendra did not have much to do, given his health issues, but he was good in what he could do.

We also see other tropes from Johar's earlier work. Death makes an appearance yet again in this film. There is nary a full-length feature film by Johar where there is not a death of a character. There is also the motif of hands which has been seen in other films by Johar well, primarily Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Student of the Year. Early in the film, there is a particular sequence when the growing apart of Tijori and his father Kanwal is depicted through their hands moving away from each other. At another stage, when Rani proposes to Rocky in the middle of the road, they hold each other hands while Abhi Na Jao Chhode Ke plays. Later, when they decide to live at each other's house, yet again, we see them holding hands before they separate. This culminates beautifully in the wedding during Kudmayi, where the father of the bride and the father of the groom perform the daan of their child to the other. There is again a beautiful shot of hands in the subversive sequence. Kudmayi is the most beautifully shot song in the film. There are some other moments. Like how the groom cries (instead of the bride) while getting ready. Like how the bride's father (instead of the mother) makes her ready.

Death

Hands

In fact, I loved the other songs as well. They slowly grow on you after seeing the context of the movie. Ve Kamleya and Ro Lain De are beautiful. Heart Throb is cool. I wished they had added Shreya Goshal's version of Tum Kya Mile in the film; after all, if Rani is imagining the song, it should be the female version.

I was also reminded of Zoya Akhtar's filmography, especially, in two scenes in the film. Rani finds Rocky's mother eating cakes at night. Women finding comfort in food has been a motif in Akhtar's oeuvre, especially, the famous cake-eating scene in Dil Dhadakne Do. Toward the end, Rocky stands up for his mother before his father and grandmother. We have seen Ranveer Singh doing a similar act in Gully Boy. Another little factoid is that the sher by Firaq that Jamini mentioned was also referred to in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.

Not everything is perfect, though. There are some things in the film that underwhelm. The second half becomes too preachy. The bra shopping scene did not work for me. Later, Rani helps the Randhawas conceptualize and modernize an ad campaign with a feminist theme, which is quite generic. The campaign is titled Swad Wahi, Soch Nayi. It is reminiscent of Star Plus' revamp campaign—Rishta Wahi, Soch Nayi. The story of Chandon and his dance worked wonderfully because it integrates well with the narrative of the film. However, these other sequences seemed heavy-handed. I also did not get the whole joke about Kunwal 'Lund', if that was a joke, I assume. Also, I felt that the love between Rocky and Rani happens far too suddenly. When they take their grandparents out, they also start dating or having fun without any phase of falling in love.

What I also felt was missing in the film was the beauty that has become the hallmark of Johar's cinema. I miss the sheer gorgeousness that we have seen earlier. Think of the bouquet scene in Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. Or the Tumhi Dekho Naa sequence. Here, the film has scale, but it does not seem to have that elegant beauty. It is not the costumes and colors which are magnificent here. I felt the issue was the sets. They did not seem to have that classic Johar style. For example, the What Jhumka and Dhindora Baaje Re sets looked garish and gaudy. We do see some flashes of his beauty in them. In Dhindora Baaje Re, everything is red, and everyone is wearing red except Dhanlakshmi and her son, who stand out because their thoughts don't blend in this world. Likewise, in Tum Kya Mile, the poet sings, "Berange the din, berangi shaamein, aayi hai tum se rangeeniyan." She brings color to his life. And, then, in the end, Rocky says to Rani, "Tera rang chaddh gaya hai. Everything Rani pink." Everything around him is actually in Rani pink. I wish there were more such gorgeous moments.

Nevertheless, I still really enjoyed Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, and it gave me a lot to ponder upon. The film is Johar's attempt to move forward with the times by evaluating his past work. After twenty-five years, he is growing up, like his movies. Johar is often overtly critical of his earlier work. They were good films for the era and in the era they were made. Perhaps, he should remember the words of Rocky, "Hum sab itni jaldi ek dusra ko cancel karte rahe na toh life me kabhi koi kuch seekh nahi paayega."

Trivia:

1. A snippet from Karan Johar's old interview with The Big Indian Picture.

2. Jamini sings Go Chini Tomare, Ogo Bideshini, which was written by Rabindranath Tagore. It was also shown in Charulata.

Other Reading:

1. On Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna—Link

2. On Ae Dil Hai Mushkil—Link

 

Dialogue of the Day:

"Hunar ka koi gender nahi hota."
—Chandon, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani