Author Archives: masalaaddict

Duniya Meri Jeb Mein

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Duniya Meri Jeb Mein is kind of insane. But it sneaks up on you. It starts out all about family and brotherly love and then it drags in the circus, deception, murder, amputations and revenge. God knows what inspired Tinnu Anand who directed it. It’s also another Kapoor Khazana delight as it stars Shashi and Rishi Kapoor, plus Neetu Singh.

Beth wrote this film up some time ago, and I strongly recommend the LolBolly masterpiece she created.

Karan (Shashi) lives in a spectacular house run by Mrs Robins (Nadira), the mother of his dead friend Johnny. She looks after Karan as a means of keeping her son’s memory alive, and seems to be Shashi’s only friend. He is the sole financial support for his little brother, Vishal (Rishi), who is at a fancy college and believes that Shashi is a successful businessman (he pretends he owns the house Mrs Robins works in, and borrows fancy suits).

Karan is poor but honest only not really honest but he is dishonest for the right reasons so that’s OK isn’t it?

Vishal is a top student.  He turns down a scholarship as he believes his big brother will provide for him and so wants someone less fortunate to benefit. That’s a nice gesture, but it puts the pressure on Karan to deliver a scholarship to the USA.  Vishal falls in love with Neeta (Neetu) in the course of a chance meeting, and they spend a lot of time sneaking in and out of each other’s hostel rooms.

For most of the first half, Neeta and Vishal occupy the romantic comedy track with support from Paintal and assorted college personnel. It wasn’t my favourite element of the film, as I found Vishal bordering on the sleazy and entitled rather than boyishly charming. He never really considered the damage to Neeta’s reputation or that he may get her expelled. It was about what he wanted and the tricks he employed to get his hands on her. Neeta didn’t have to do much apart from chase Vishal around. Rishi got a spectacular spotty shirt which I did applaud.

Karan scrambles to keep up the deception about his finances as Vishal and Neetu are engaged and her family come to meet him. In an alcohol fuelled meltdown, he tries to tell the truth but the guests, including the house owner Diwanchand (Agha), just think he has a knack for metaphors.

Yes it is all a bit complicated. Perhaps they’re all stunned by the architecture. It must have been like living inside an Easter egg with all the curved walls, and I can’t begin to describe the art collection.

Karan has been funding Vishal’s lifestyle by working in a circus. He and Rawat (Ranjeet) are trapeze artists so be warned, there will be leotards (although Shashi looks more like he dressed for cricket).

Ranjeet is hired to break into a wealthy criminals abode. His employer thinks of everything, right down to detailed building models and a training course, and it becomes clear Ranjeet needs more assistance.  Or possibly a bit less Ranjeet as he isn’t terribly nimble.

Karan believes that they are breaking into the apartment to rescue a little girl. Sigh. I suppose that can be put down to being a good person, but the matching pleather pants are never explained. My DVD is terrible quality so it’s almost impossible to screencap the trapeze sequence between the buildings but it is great, especially with the cheesy disco soundtrack (thanks Rajesh Roshan!).

Shashi is betrayed and his life ruined in one swoop.

Ranjeet is hired to finish Karan off so he cannot testify, and he does seem to take to the dark side with ease. There is lurking and suspense, enhanced by dramatic lighting and camera angles. But Ranjeet isn’t a very skilful assassin, and the bed-ridden man with no legs manages to fight him off. It’s clear by now that Karan is hard to kill.

Karan sets out for justice and vengeance, which are sort of interchangeable in this film. There is a token police presence, Inspector Yadav (Sudhir), who is also out to solve the crimes. He doesn’t really add a lot of menace or suspense, but there is a law and order message in amongst all the shenanigans.

Some men might give up when faced with double leg amputation and the destruction of their dreams, but Karan is made of sterner stuff. Vishal decides to feel very hard done by. Yes, clearly he is suffering the most. In fact, everything is always about Vishal and he is quite tiresome as he feels sorry for himself, and then weepily apologises. I was especially irritated by a scene when he berated Karan for secretly working in a circus which meant that of course he was also a thief and a murderer. Not Rishi’s finest character choice. Shashi and Rishi have great rapport, and their brotherly relationship played out really well in the less fraught scenes.

Diwanchand sort of adopts the boys. While Vishal and Mrs Robins believe he is tucked up in his very stylish bedroom, Karan is really honing his sneaky carpentry skills (but how did he get the materials?). The last 45 minutes is where it gets crazy. Karan takes to the streets on his wheely board, searching for Rawat. Helen does her thing! Karan demonstrates an impressive near-vertical take-off which I put down to his circus training. Or something.

There are lingering doubts about some things. Things like why, when on the Conveyor Belt of Death, Shashi didn’t just roll backwards but you know, it doesn’t pay to overthink.

Neetu more or less disappears in the second half of the film. It’s all about the manly angst as the brothers fight about who will do the revenging, but then Neetu comes back as Ranjeet bait. There are more disguises and complicated scheming and…

The finale should be seen rather than described but naturally, evil cannot withstand a double Kapoor onslaught even if evil has a helicopter. Especially once the Kapoors stop arguing with each other.

I can’t help but enjoy this very silly film, and love that Shashi still gives a  committed performance. I also enjoy seeing Vishal cop a tight slap from Mrs Robins. I would have liked a better soundtrack, especially as Neetu was underutilised and more songs might have given her more to do. 3 stars!

Chori Mera Kaam

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A child is kidnapped, only to see the criminal Amarchand (Anwar Hussain) stymied by Inspector Kumar (Policeman PRAN!). Kidnapping was clearly Amarchand’s go to plan as before long, Inspector Kumar’s eldest son is also abducted. This tactic fails, as Pran announces he would sacrifice all of his children, not just one, to bring a crook to justice.

Oh dear, such a promise made to the filmi forces of fate can only mean bad news. Things happen, as they do, especially when guns, alcohol and revenge are involved. Young Munna is abducted, rescued, caught, menaced, rescued, abducted again and finally taken in by a thief called Mr John (David Abraham).

Years pass and Munna becomes Bholanath (Shashi Kapoor).

He leaves jail after a delivering a ‘fortunately/unfortunately’ style monologue that exercises his range of facial and vocal expressions. His on/off girlfriend Sharmilee (Zeenat Aman) gets out at the same time and this delightful Kalyanji Anandji song gives us a fly on the wall view of their daily rounds:

While Bhola has a heart of gold he isn’t the brightest crayon in the box, and gets by on charm more than planning. He understands people and can take advantage of their weakness and stupidity but he doesn’t ever seem to think too far ahead. Bhola has many of the traits of a stock filmi heroine and Shashi seems quite unselfconscious about playing dim and pretty. And yes, Shashi naysayers, I do think he was acting. He could have been dressed prettier though – the brown highpants are not good especially with the Kapoor thighs.

Sharmilee is smart and more practical, despite her predilection for ruffly outfits, and I never expected to see Zeenat stealing a chicken so that was noteworthy. Sharmilee has a sick father that she supports through her petty crimes, and she explains to him that her work is what takes her away. I liked this slight role reversal where the lady gets to come and go, citing ‘work’ and her responsibility as breadwinner. It isn’t a sustained element as she does get sidelined towards the finale, but it is fun to see the girl in charge for a while and Zeenat suits this kind of role. She directs Bhola during a break in and seems to coach him in what he needs to do to carry off a con.

Shashi and Zeenat have nice chemistry as the likeable criminals. They play out their scams with relish, and bounce dialogue back and forth with dash and enthusiasm. They also have some great outfits and Shashi scores some excellent shirts.

Escaping from the police after an attempted burglary, Bhola and Sharmilee make off with a briefcase which contains a manuscript called ‘Chori Mera Kaam’. They are spotted by the mysterious Shankar (Ashok Kumar), who has a history with Mr John and unbeknownst to Bhola, was instrumental in his early life. He also seems to be beloved by the wig department.

The obligatory comic relief  in this case is a protracted and very amusing scam involving Sharmilee being allegedly hit by a car ad killed. Pravinbhai (Deven Varma), the unfortunate driver is conned into paying compensation and digging a grave at the ruins near Borivili. By coincidence this is where Shankar hangs around. By an even more fortuitous coincidence, Pravin owns a publishing house.

Bhola becomes an overnight sensation, his illiteracy and lack of nous covered up by Shankar who blackmails Bhola and Sharmilee for a share of the proceeds. This manual on how to commit the perfect crime draws the attention of villains and the police. Amarchand aka arch-criminal Number 7 wants to find a mask maker as per page 165 of ‘Chori Mera Kaam’ so he can carry out even more heinous crimes. I love that the police seem totally mystified by how people keep getting away with crimes described in the book, although they also read it so surely they should be prepared. Number 7 does have an expensive looking lair to maintain, right down to the essential stuffed tiger, so I can imagine his cashflow was under some pressure.

And then the plot thickens.

There are cross and double cross manoeuvres, silly disguises and improbable schemes. So it’s all great fun but there is a pinch of substance. The film favours the ‘good’ criminals – those who steal because they are poor, have dependants and have no other means of making a livingl. These are the sympathetic and sentimentally appealing characters. Writer K A Narayan makes some observations about the hypocrisy of the wealthy educated criminal like Amarchand who has no such excuse for his choices.

Iftekhar as the Police Commissioner looks like he turned up on the wrong set but was too polite to just leave so stayed on and did his bit. I liked Ashok Kumar as a paunchy middle aged hero – he was smart, capable and took to the wigs with great enthusiasm.  Shetty made a flamboyant purple suited appearance so it was clear Number 7 had opted for the very best class of henchman. Raza Murad played Shyam, Pran’s policeman son, and didn’t get much to do apart from being a lot taller than anyone in his family. Urmila Bhatt’s small role as Amarchand’s independent and dignified wife was quite pivotal, and only once in her scenes did I yell ‘nooooooooo’ at the DVD.

Eventually Bhola finds out the truth about his parentage. His biological father and brother need help to clear their names and bring Amarchand to justice, and it’s a chance for the petty crim to change his fate. The final confrontation must have given director Brij food for thought – it involves Shashi, Ashok and Pran in disguise, rain, lots of mud, a tiger and a bucket.

You may imagine how these things combine to form a wacky but satisfying conclusion, or just go watch the film. 3 stars!

Jab We Met

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I remember Jab We Met as much for the circumstances of seeing it as for the film itself. Heather & I rolled up at Hoyts only to find the session was showing in the Halfpipe, where there are no seats as such, just numbered beanbags for two to share. So it’s just as well we were friends as I imagine it would be a bit odd to have to snuggle into a giant beanbag with a stranger. Especially if Heather that stranger kept muttering ‘beanbags are for cats not for people’.

Imtiaz Ali has taken a run of the mill romantic road story and made it fresh and charming with some considered writing and character development.  He worked wonders with his stars, drawing out excellent performances.  This is the only film in which I wholeheartedly like Kareena Kapoor (and her character), and it’s the one that made me first register Shahid Kapoor as a good actor not just as a great dancer and delightful eye candy. I wish they had spent a bit more on the visual effects, but I suppose they had to decide on CGI or eyeliner for Kareena.

Aditya Kashyap (Shahid) is grieving for his dead father, jilted by his love and suffering from the stress of his high powered job and a legal challenge by his estranged mother. All this unfolds in the first few minutes in a near silent performance by Shahid. Aditya has a breakdown of sorts once he is done with his routine and obligations, and wanders heedlessly through Mumbai. He ends up on a train, oblivious to its destination as his may be more final.

Geet (Kareena Kapoor) is a bubbly Punjabi girl, full of herself and a bit of an over-sharer. Fate puts her on the same train and she soon sees all is not right with Aditya. Her attempts to draw him out are clumsy and silly, but mostly motivated by kindness, and eventually he responds.

The direction to Kareena may have been ‘do as you will’ – she is spontaneous and crackling with energy.

Mishaps and misunderstandings send the odd couple on a road trip as Aditya escorts Geet back to her family in Bhatinda. Happy to be home, she is concerned that Aditya may lapse back into his depression and insists he stays for a time. Geet is determined to live according to her heart and can’t understand how someone as attractive and wealthy as Aditya can let life beat him down. Aditya sees her joie de vivre as foolish and selfish but he comes to admire her essentially happy nature.  I really liked the quick glimpses of the deeper compassionate side of Geet which lay under the bubbly ‘look at me’ extrovert. The trip home also allowed for an explosion of colour and movement in Nagada Nagada:

Geet plans to elope to meet her true love, Anshuman (Tarun Arora).  She is aware this will hurt her family, and Aditya doesn’t pretend he agrees with her. His view of marriage and family is tinted by the damage he saw his parents inflict on each other, and he envies Geet her happy home as well as her faith in love. Through Geet he comes to accept that his mother didn’t leave from malice, but rather to pursue the happiness she needed. They explore each other’s beliefs about the nature of love and what makes a good life, growing closer through these conversations.

It was fun seeing Dara Singh as the patriarch, ruling the family with a strict but loving hand and scaring the bejesus out of Aditya, and I enjoyed the raucous family gatherings.

For a number of reasons, including more family misunderstandings and a squad of enraged uncles, Aditya takes Geet to Manali and drops her at Anshuman’s. Their goodbye is beautifully captured as Aditya, just by saying her name, declares his love and she silently realises and refuses. This is undercut by Kareena’s demented Snow White outfit but still, it’s a lovely moment.

Geet’s confidence and resilience stems from knowing she has a family and home to return to no matter what. When she cuts herself off from that support she doesn’t blame anyone, but she does lose the spark and certainty that might have helped her move on when things go awry. Kareena gives a painfully real portrayal of being ground down by disappointment.  It is the loss of faith in her own decision making that leads Geet into further complications before the final denouement. It isn’t until Geet goes home again and gets her mojo back that she is able to see what she wants and more importantly, take action.

Aditya on the other hand has gained confidence – losing Geet taught him that he could survive and keep going. He stops being the passive observer, mends fences with his mother, and deals with his unrequited love for Geet. His employees (especially the girl to the left of picture) might have preferred a bit less of the office singalong but there was no going back!

When they meet again it doesn’t take long before the unguarded communication they had shared resumes. Aditya doesn’t try to hide his feelings and Geet doesn’t pretend not to know, and their occasional awkward moments are endearing. It is refreshing to see this kindly honesty towards characters’ romantic choices.  Aditya is a more decisive man nowadays, but not one to force issues with Geet. Shahid shows Aditya’s turmoil and temptation as he does his best not to influence Geet despite knowing that he could succeed.

Anshuman is the fly in the ointment and the weak link in the film. I got the feeling Anshuman decided what was good enough for wealthy industrialist Aditya was good enough for him as there was no convincing motivation shown for him to change his mind and chase after Geet. Tarun Arora’s performance is the least successful in the ensemble, and certainly helped ensure I never felt any empathy for his character.

The soundtrack is excellent and the songs are sufficiently different in style and scope that they suit the mood as well as sometimes providing a change of pace. Yeh Ishq Hai is a pretty travelogue with folkloric touches and some highly amused backing dancers that marks the shift to Manali. Tum Se Hi and Aaoge Jab Tum fill in the emotional life of Aditya and Geet once they parted, and depict the passing of time.  Plus, the subtitle team were fully on board and made sure I didn’t miss a syllable.

It’s always a shame when Shahid is paired with a mostly non-dancing heroine as it tends to limit the dances, but the fun choreography suited them both. The bhangra infused set pieces allow for high energy and sparkle, and Mauja hi Mauja ends the film on a high (thanks again to the subtitle team – working hard right til the end).

The conclusion is inevitable, but there are many roads that could have taken us there. The care invested in writing for Geet and Aditya makes the ending satisfying, and Kareena and Shahid are natural and charming in their characterisations. 4 stars !

Heather says: I love this film! I’m a very big Shahid fan and this is one of my favourites. I can watch him in almost anything but it’s always better when there is an actual story and a chance for him to act rather than just flex at the camera. Like Temple, it’s also my favourite Kareena film since usually I’m not too much of a fan of her acting. She has been good in a few roles, Omkara for example is another where I think she does well, but generally she is too over the top for me. I suspect that her Geet is actually very similar to the real life Kareena, but the character here really suits her and the transformation to sad and unhappy Geet was also very well done. Her exuberance and vivacity bubble off the screen so that when we see her in Manali after her life hasn’t taken the direction she anticipated, the difference is very striking.

Shahid is excellent in his role as Aditya. His initial scenes where he is so lost and sad were very believable and he manages to convey his depression so well without words. Aditya’s gradual realisation that there could be more to life in the face of the juggernaut that is Geet and her family is also nicely portrayed. The family’s obvious unconditional love and support for Geet was one of the great things about the film and came across very well. I love the look on Aditya’s face when he realised that Geet was not going to stop talking – ever! I’m quite sure that I’ve seen that look on my husband’s face from time to time as well.

Anshuman was the one part of the story that didn’t really fit. While his initial reaction to Geet turning up in Manali was very believable I didn’t get any sense at all that he had a true change of heart later. It was all a bit sudden and seemed to be more a case of jealousy and wanting something just because someone else also wants it. Tarun Arora also indulged in a little too much scenery chewing for my liking but that may just be because I didn’t like his character much at all.

I’d totally forgotten about the dreadful toy train and car used in the chase scenes until I watched this film again. It’s so very funny when they seem to have spent so much money on costumes for Kareena and the set for Mauja Hi Mauja. Possibly the money also went on the songs since they are all excellent. I remember that this was the best soundtrack for me that year and I danced to most of them at Bollywood dance class at some stage. They still sound great. Such a shame that there isn’t more dancing by Shahid in this film, as that would have made it almost perfect. 4 ½ stars.

I should also add that the beanbags provided a major workout since stomach crunches were required any time we wanted to reach our drinks. A truly unforgettable experience!