FILM-FORWARD.COMReviews of Recent Independent, Foreign, & Documentary Films in Theaters and DVD/Home Video
I HAVE FOUND IT
In this delightful mix of tear-jerking drama and cheesy romance, director
Rajiv Menon puts a South Indian spin on Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility.
The film revolves around a single mother and her daughters. A cruel twist
of fate, coupled with family betrayal, forces the family out from their
mansion in the village and into the big city.
Like most Indian movies, this one revolves around love and marriage. The
elder sister, Sowmya (Tabu), practical and down-to-earth, struggles with
the stigma of being branded “unlucky” after a former fiancé committed suicide.
She resists love, even when she finds it, scared of rubbing off her misfortune on the man who loves her - Manohar
(Ajith), a budding filmmaker. Her younger sister Meenu, played by former
Miss World Aishwariya Rai, is passionate, vivacious and outspoken. She
waits for her knight in shining armor to “come like a storm,” and in true,
serendipitous Bollywood style, she meets her love in a rainstorm. The
fairy tale affair with Srikanth (Abbas), a poetry-loving
businessman, comes to an abrupt end when he is forced to marry someone else.
But in the spirit of Bollywood cinema, the film ends happily when
Meenu finds love unexpectedly.
Both Tabu and Aishwariya give moving performances and Mammootty, who plays a
handicapped, slightly jaded war veteran, is wonderful. Romance is
played out with songs that
transport the actors to exotic locations (including the Egyptian pyramids) for
synchronized dances and furtive glances - with complete disregard for
continuity. The film also has its dose of rain scenes, the Bollywood
substitute for kissing scenes. And the catchy music, by A.R. Rahman, is largely based on
classical South Indian themes.
In addition to the movie, the DVD includes many clips of its musical numbers. Though the DVD
extras aren't much, the film itself moves quickly
and is funny, moving and visually delightful. It gives the viewer a unique
and dramatic glimpse into Indian society and for those unfamiliar with
Indian cinema, it is an entertaining foray into the genre. Preeti Mankar
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