India Masala
Bollywood and culture in an emerging India
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara: Showcasing Spain
At one point in Zoya Akhtar’s film, the three protagonists are sitting in a bar in Spain, celebrating the fact that they have just completed a daring sky-diving adventure, when one of them (Hrithik Roshan) starts talking about an old Doordarshan ad. He talks about the music, how the logo would unfold and finally, is asked by another protagonist — “Yeah, but could you please get to the point?”
That could be the tagline for the whole film. Don’t believe the filmmakers when they say “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara” is not a rehash of Farhan Akhtar’s “Dil Chahta Hai”. It tries to re-create the same coming-of-age effect, the same clever lines, but with half the success of the earlier film.
Akhtar takes her three protagonists to Spain, not Goa, but you can see the similarities in so many other ways. There is the joker of the group, there is a hard-nosed, practical one and there is the peacemaker who tries to behave sensibly all the time. There is of course the “chudail” girlfriend, and the fun-loving independent-spirited girl who everyone wants to fall in love with.
The story begins with a proposal. Kabir (Abhay Deol), the son of a rich businessman has just proposed to the daughter (Kalki Koechlin) of another rich businessman and decides it is now time to honour the pact he made with his best buddies in college. The trio take a three-week trip to Spain, with the understanding that each of them gets to involve the other two in an adventure sport of his choice.
On their very first adventure, they meet Laila (Katrina Kaif), a diving instructor who believes life is about seizing the moment. She makes friends with the three, falls in love with one of them during what is essentially a very long, scenic drive through Spain, interspersed by long silences which are supposed to convey something, poetry being recited in the background and epiphanies that each of the three protagonists have on the way.
Unfortunately, they take too long to get to those life-changing epiphanies and the films slackens. Also, director Akhtar deals with their issues on a very superficial level, concentrating instead of showcasing Spain and its beauty. At times, it almost feels like you are watching a really expensive tourism video.
The first half is funny and keeps you interested but a while into the second half, you want to ask them, “What’s the point?” Unlike her earlier film “Luck by Chance”, which took a no-holds-barred look at the dark side of the film industry, here Akhtar deals with cosmetic problems — and dilutes the impact of her film. You don’t feel for her characters at all.
Luck By Chance: An insider’s look at Bollywood
My favourite scenes in Zoya Akhtar’s “Luck By Chance” are when Rishi Kapoor is on screen as the over the top, aging Bollywood producer Romy Rolly.
And that’s not just because he is brilliant in the part — he is. But the scenes capture perfectly the subtle performances and nuanced characters this film is bursting with.
“Luck By Chance” is the story of Sona and Vikram, both struggling actors who are looking for a break in the big, bad world of Bollywood. Through their story, Akhtar depicts the confounding, ugly and yet oh-so-attractive world of our film industry.
The director tells the story light-heartedly but don’t expect direct humour. There are a lot of subtle references to real-life Bollywood characters, dialogues said in the passing and facial expressions, a refreshing change from the in- your-face slapstick humour we are subjected to most of the time.
The film follows both Sona (Konkona Sen Sharma) and Vikram (Farhan Akhtar) through their journey in Bollywood, one they undertake with the understanding that nothing here comes easy. So she sleeps with a producer who promises her a big break and he has no qualms about flirting with a yesteryear actress in the hope she will cast him in her daughter’s debut project.
A host of characters as well as some top Bollywood actors make an appearance in this journey. What is commendable is how Akhtar has astutely used even two-minute guest appearances. So you have Aamir displaying his “perfectionist” tendencies, Abhishek mentioning “Pa” and John Abraham talking about doing “experimental films.”
Also a part of this colourful ensemble are Juhi Chawla who plays the producer’s doting wife, Sanjay Kapoor, who ironically plays the failed actor brother of a big producer and Dimple Kapadia, the yesteryear siren who now grooms her daughter and is referred to as a “crocodile in a chiffon sari” by Romy Rolly in a fit of frustration. One of the highlights of the film is undoubtedly Hrithik Roshan, who plays the role of the insecure star with such skill and ease.
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The Wall
