tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post2935813459180690379..comments2024-03-09T15:11:29.350-08:00Comments on Exotic and irrational entertainment: Bollywood Rewatch 1: Hum Dil De Chuke SanamPessimisissimohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04223566131580795337noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post-22546449113555804872011-06-21T04:39:24.255-07:002011-06-21T04:39:24.255-07:00Hi Pessimisissimo,
And thanks, for this (still) en...Hi Pessimisissimo,<br />And thanks, for this (still) enthusiastic rewatch! Thanks to you, I enjoyed plunging back into this Bhansali extravaganza. The flaws for me were apparent from the start (Salman...), save on miss Aishwarya's face. But she would make me see almost anything at the time. As a result now, I don't see anything with her. <br />cheers, yvesyveshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12975451635895715233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post-89430228395852855342011-06-15T06:30:47.710-07:002011-06-15T06:30:47.710-07:00Filmbuff, I agree with your list of HDDCS's ma...Filmbuff, I agree with your list of HDDCS's many virtues. Sanjay Leela Bhansali movies are almost always gorgeous to look at (and listen to), and he integrates the songs into the story with great care: Nandini's playful and vivacious character, especially, is expressed so vividly through her dancing. This was also the first movie of Ajay's we ever saw, and I too think that it's one of his best performances (and most interesting characters).<br /><br />But it seems (as <a href="http://bollyviewer-oldisgold.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow"><b>Bollyviewer</b></a> once commented about Yash Chopra) that every Sanjay Leela Bhansali film has a fatal flaw. In HDDCS Salman and his conversations with the thunder were, for me, just too jarring. The tone of those scenes matches nothing else in the movie. And they're unnecessary: the second half would work better, I think, if all of the Salman scenes were cut, and Sameer's life were as unknown to us as it is to Vanraj and Nandini.<br /><br />So I'll continue to recommend HDDCS to friends, but after our rewatch I'll have to mentally slap a big Salman warning sticker on the cover.<br /><br />Thanks for your comment!Pessimisissimohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04223566131580795337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post-25465741830346208162011-06-13T23:09:35.451-07:002011-06-13T23:09:35.451-07:00I like this movie for the music, dance, cinematogr...I like this movie for the music, dance, cinematography, locales (Rajasthan), Ajay and Ash in that order. I must confess that the movie worked for me on a rewatch too ie I saw it again recently nearly after a decade. I think this is one of the best performances from Ajay.<br /><br />Good to read posts on bollywood on your blog again!Filmbuffnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post-82940769096986775252011-06-12T21:13:57.777-07:002011-06-12T21:13:57.777-07:00Many thanks for the correction about Helen's r...Many thanks for the correction about Helen's relationship to Salman, Filmi Girl.<br /><br />Re: Sameer, in my memory of the film from our first viewing he was virtually absent from the second half, which probably made him more tolerable. So I was dismayed to discover on a second viewing that my memory had played me false: Sameer is all too prevalent in the second half. That's a major reason we were less impressed with the film the second time than we were on our first viewing.<br /><br />Thanks for your comment!Pessimisissimohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04223566131580795337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post-62791290913664849442011-06-12T16:05:40.679-07:002011-06-12T16:05:40.679-07:00Not to be pedantic but Helen is Salman's fathe...Not to be pedantic but Helen is Salman's father's second wife, not Salman's mother. :)<br /><br />I totally agree with your take on Salman's character, although for me I really hated him on first watch and found him more appealing (if still really childish) on later watchings... perhaps because I knew Nandini wasn't going to end up with him in the end.Filmi Girlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16182245444783020664noreply@blogger.com