The conflict between dil (heart) and dimag (mind) is common fodder for cheesy Hindi film dialogues—"dil kuchh kehta hai, dimag kuchh aur". My reaction to Rab Ne... plays on the same binary. My head thought the film was obviously flawed, stretched out and tedious in parts, but my heart found something irresistibly warm about it. The bad bits first. The tale is about a young girl Taani (Anushka) getting married to a nice boring man Surinder aka Suri (SRK) because of plain bad luck. Failing to inspire her in any manner he dons a flamboyant new avatar of Raj. Now how she couldn’t see through his act, considering SRK’s nose and dimple can only be SRK’s nose and dimple, is a fact I’m willing to ignore. The problem for me lies elsewhere. The film doesn’t ever articulate the woman’s point of view; it’s chauvinistic and "touching the feet of the man" kind of regressive. And the resolution is pat and easy—with Rab (God) stepping in when everything fails. SRK’s loud alter ego sucks as does the multi-starrer item number and the irritating references to Yashraj films.
So what’s good? It’s interesting how Chopra weaves the film around just three characters—the couple and Suri’s friend Bobby. For a mainstream Hindi film it has very little physical action, just the progression of a relationship. The girl makes a confident debut, looking a true-blue Punjabi kudi and SRK is kind enough to let her tower over his short frame, which only adds to the appeal of his Suri, the likeable common Joe. Right from the look—those sports shoes with baggy trousers—to the little gestures—seeing love in a yellow tiffin box, the indecision on whether to leave behind a rose for his love. He is a reminder of the many well-meaning but boring men that many women today would have shown the door to. The mismatched couple reminds one of real-life ones, who make you wonder what they saw in each other. The mix of Hindi, Punjabi and English results in some nice lines—macho kharab kar ditta, apne aap ko self-invite kar liya. Best bit: the witty end credits that celebrate ordinary romance. You have to leave the theatre with a goofy smile.
High Fives
Bollywood
1. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
2. Dostana
3. Dil Kabaddi
4. Maharathi
5. Yuvvraaj
Hollywood
1. The Day the Earth Stood Still
2. Four Christmases
3. Twilight
4. Bolt
5. Australia
Ringtones
1. Changes (2 Pac)
2. Cash Flow (Ace Hood, Rock Ross, T-Pain)
3. No Se Vivir Sin Ti (Conjunto Primavera)
4. Pink Panther (Henry Mancini)
5. I’m Me (Lil Wayne)
Courtesy: Film Information
