Chantabbai, Hamein Rang De

I loved Rang De Basanti.

Everytime I watch a movie in theater, I want it to be worth my time and money. I don't watch movies for the sake of entertainment or "timepass" anymore. My TV takes care of that! So, when am in a theater, focussing my energies on movie and movie alone, I want it to be a memorable experience. After reading good reviews of the movie, I decided to give it a go. And I do feel, knowing less about the movie, does help a lot. I was taken for a ride where I didn't know what to expect next, and that's how I enjoyed it even more.

The comedy, acting, music, characters - loved everything. I don't watch a movie thinking it is a movie, it is more like an experience for me. I am right there.. with the characters..in the story. I don't watch all movies by getting immersed in them, but few of them. I was there in Rand De from the beginning to the end. So at the end, it became a part of me. It made me think... think of the country, my life, the movie, the ideas, the characters. I spent six hours watching the movie (yeah, watched it twice), but probably spent twenty hours thinking or talking about it. And that's a lot.

Yes, I didn't like the ending. But then, when I think about why the movie ended that way, I kind of get convinced by director's/story writer's point of view. After all, it was about the "third-kind" of people.

After a long time, got a chance to see an old (probably from 80s) telugu movie - Chantabbai, starring Chiranjeevi and Suhasini. My friend recommended that movie to me, saying it is funny and good. However, I didn't feel the same. I had to sit through the "jokes" (slap-stick comedy?) and predictable back talks. I also found the characters to be not-so-well-defined. I wanted to "think-80s", but didn't quite do it. I did enjoy the simple settings - the whitewashed walls and the garden/Goan trees/lake backgrounds for songs (as opposed to current all-foreign backgrounds). I enjoyed the simplicity in characters and their lives, and of course, I loved watching Chiranjeevi!

After waiting for two and half hours for the movie to get over, I still ended up admiring it. The one thing that I liked about it, how the movie had a social message in it. Movies are a media that can reach far and wide, especially into the rural parts of India, so I always appreciate movies which have some new idea or knowledge in it. Current movies seem to be missing that social message element in them, as they have different goals now.

I have realized that am not good movie-reviewer. So, I guess, I will avoid talking about movies in future. I still don't know what can I talk about... but that's for another blog. For now, let me just post this. Thanks for reading it through! :)