Wednesday, August 3, 2011

329. Jihne Mera Dil Luteya


And today's quiz question is this. Why is Showcase Cinemas, which rarely show Indian films, screening this Punjabi movie across the country.
I have to say, I was mightily grateful, because it gave me a chance to catch up with it at Derby's Foresters Park. And, Showcase is the only multiplex chain which denotes subtitles on its listings, which also helps.
But, if it were to experiment with Bollywood, I would have expected a bigger movie which would have guaranteed more bums on seats.
As it was, there were less than 10 of us to take in this romantic comedy.
Yes, I have written two words which have again turned me to stone.
Of course, in India, romantic comedy doesn't mean quite what it does in the west - but one feature which it does have in common is that it normally means unfunny.
Jihne Mera Dil Luteya (please, if you have a translation, leave me a message), is just too obvious by half.
It has ingredients I have seen so many times this year: families at war, marriage pressures, corruption and a heck of a lot of slapping.
Honestly, I have always wanted to go to India but now I'm not so sure. It seems like everyone is ferociously slapping each other all of the time.
Even the women don't mind thwacking folk with an open palm.
I'd fear a summer holiday in Goa might just end up with my ears being boxed.
Anyway, back to the story... two next door neighbours (Gippy Grewal and Dijit Dosanjh) have developed the same rivalry as their fathers, thus when a well-to-do family moves in nearby, they both angle to marry the tasty daughter (Neeru Bajwa).
Needless to say their schemes are so half-baked they end in farce and misunderstandings.
Meanwhile, the pair are being advised by two "uncles'' who are as potty as they are.
The songs are pretty good but the comedy is so hammed up that it didn't prompt any laughs from the little band watching with me.
There are echoes of Mel Karade Rabba here (Grewal was fighting for the hand of Bajwa then), meanwhile the Lion Of The Punjab, Dosanjh, is, again, all brawn but not much else.
It's all harmless enough and its ending has a bit of a twist but overall it was a pretty tepid way to spend a couple of hours and I give it 4/10 with an appeal to Showcase to give Indian films another go but next time to choose one with a bit more pazzazz.

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