Shortly after my obsession with this fine film industry I signed up for Netflix and looked for films with any actors that I was familiar with. Kajol was one, thus lead me to the film 'Hota Hota Pyaar Ho Gaya' which I received and watched last night. Suffice to say, if you are looking for a film that literally shoves the message that there is nothing greater than an arranged shaadi, then this one's for you.
The film starts off like 80% of the other romantic Hindi films do. Feisty young boy meets even feistier young girl and the two fall quickly in love, much to disapproving parents. This is probably where the similarities end. Both are arranged to be wed to others, but instead of trying to convince parents that they are meant to be, decide to wed their respective partners and then make their lives so miserable that they've no choice but to divorce them, leaving the two free again to live happily ever after. What ensues is far from exceptional story telling, for the script is loose and the scenes look like discrete units strung together. It's a pretty amateurish attempt at making a complex storyline work.
Written and produced by Firoz Irani, this was his one and only attempt at directing, and I wonder how he was able to get such established stars as Kajol and Jackie Shroff to even make this film. Kajol's performance as Pinky, the stubborn spoilt daughter is, perhaps, the highlight of the film, though I found it hard to digest the change of heart after such deliberate rebellion. Jackie Schroff, as Kajol's miserable husband, gives a very restrained performance most of the film. He looks the mature, tolerant man he plays, and since that was what he was expected to do, you can't blame him for the weaknesses of the film.
The film is chalk full of "in your face" symbolism (check out the vermilion that is spilt conveniently landing on a picture of Kajol right in the part of her hair), bad dialogue, terrible dancing, forgettable music. Everything in this movie feels rushed. The dramatic parts are not dragged out nearly long enough. The sub-plot with the villainous bad guys (I don't even know what their deal was anyway), was superfluous and served nearly no purpose, but, boy does Jackie have an accurate arm - even when facing death in the eye!
Ayesha Jhulka plays Shobra, the under appreciated traditional wife of Bunty who turns into a modern day seductress the second she takes of her glasses and lets her hair down via Hollywood's 'She's All That'. Though the Bollywood wife who dons modern clothes just to draw her husband's attention may be just a little too cliche, it certainly grates on you when, despite the husband's superficiality, the woman goes on gushing about how much she loves him. Atul Agnihotri's character, just as his career in film, is insignificant. Halfway into the movie I almost forget he was even in it.
To get to the point, 'Hote Hote Pyar Ho Gaya' isn't the stuff that makes you wonder why all movies aren't made like this. In fact, you're certain all movies, however they are made, shouldn't be made like this. And a particular shout out to the ending for splashing the movie's so called message right on the screen - just in case you missed it!
The film starts off like 80% of the other romantic Hindi films do. Feisty young boy meets even feistier young girl and the two fall quickly in love, much to disapproving parents. This is probably where the similarities end. Both are arranged to be wed to others, but instead of trying to convince parents that they are meant to be, decide to wed their respective partners and then make their lives so miserable that they've no choice but to divorce them, leaving the two free again to live happily ever after. What ensues is far from exceptional story telling, for the script is loose and the scenes look like discrete units strung together. It's a pretty amateurish attempt at making a complex storyline work.
Written and produced by Firoz Irani, this was his one and only attempt at directing, and I wonder how he was able to get such established stars as Kajol and Jackie Shroff to even make this film. Kajol's performance as Pinky, the stubborn spoilt daughter is, perhaps, the highlight of the film, though I found it hard to digest the change of heart after such deliberate rebellion. Jackie Schroff, as Kajol's miserable husband, gives a very restrained performance most of the film. He looks the mature, tolerant man he plays, and since that was what he was expected to do, you can't blame him for the weaknesses of the film.
The film is chalk full of "in your face" symbolism (check out the vermilion that is spilt conveniently landing on a picture of Kajol right in the part of her hair), bad dialogue, terrible dancing, forgettable music. Everything in this movie feels rushed. The dramatic parts are not dragged out nearly long enough. The sub-plot with the villainous bad guys (I don't even know what their deal was anyway), was superfluous and served nearly no purpose, but, boy does Jackie have an accurate arm - even when facing death in the eye!
Ayesha Jhulka plays Shobra, the under appreciated traditional wife of Bunty who turns into a modern day seductress the second she takes of her glasses and lets her hair down via Hollywood's 'She's All That'. Though the Bollywood wife who dons modern clothes just to draw her husband's attention may be just a little too cliche, it certainly grates on you when, despite the husband's superficiality, the woman goes on gushing about how much she loves him. Atul Agnihotri's character, just as his career in film, is insignificant. Halfway into the movie I almost forget he was even in it.
To get to the point, 'Hote Hote Pyar Ho Gaya' isn't the stuff that makes you wonder why all movies aren't made like this. In fact, you're certain all movies, however they are made, shouldn't be made like this. And a particular shout out to the ending for splashing the movie's so called message right on the screen - just in case you missed it!
June 22, 2009 at 5:07 PM
Lol at that tag line on the box cover before bunty and bubli there was bunty and pinki which i believe is a reference to Love story (1981)
http://bollywooddeewana.blogspot.com/2009/03/love-story-1981.html
June 22, 2009 at 5:08 PM
Pinki was a stubborn girl too in love story which makes it seem like a rehash of Love story
June 23, 2009 at 1:45 AM
It hurts to see Kajol in such a movie.
June 23, 2009 at 7:04 AM
@ Bollywooddeewana - That's hilarious about Love Story. Pretty much a blatant rip off, at least parts of it. Hopefuly Love Story was a much better movie.
@ This movie was almost painful, but Kajol was probably the best part.
June 23, 2009 at 10:22 PM
I was really keen to see this one when it came out - people falling for their arranged-marriage partners sounded so romantic back then. Guess I had a lucky escape!
June 24, 2009 at 6:41 AM
@ Bollyviewer - I think it had the potential to be a great movie, especially given the premise is kind of different, it just wasn't executed properly. Maybe someone should take the story and try to redo it today.