Rich people's problems are fun

"My films are an escape hatch. . . . My constant efforts are to take people into a world of fantasy where there is no worry, no serious thinking, just fun and entertainment all the way. . . The person who comes to the movies should be happy to see whatever he’s seeing.

                                                                                                                     -- Manmohan Desai 

Up until 1990, rich people were usually the villains in the movie. In a socialist society, the rich people were depicted as the immoral lot. Even, if they showed the hero to be rich, he was always shown to be the exception to his fellow rich folks, as the one with a golden heart who cared for the poor.

It wasn't considered "cool" to be rich. 

However, in the 1990s, in the post-liberalisation India, being rich and having a lavish life, became aspirational.

 With this came the movies showing rich people's problems. These movies have often been criticised for being fake and dumb.

In my opinion, they are a wonderful watch. There is something beautiful in watching a movie with glamorous people doing outrageous over the top things. Commercially speaking these "big" movies have always done well. As they say, if that many people saw it and appreciated it, who are the critics to pan it.

Few of my most memorable movies (guilty pleasures) would be such "make believe", "larger than life" movies depicting rich people's problems. The grandeur and opulence, the make believe world, the designer clothes-- all are aspirational to say the least. 

This post is not analytical. It's simply an attempt to share a "happy part" of my life. The choice of movies to discuss was tough, considering the HUGE pool. I finally narrowed it down to 3 of the cheesiest options, which would be mocked the most 😃😋😋.

The movies in chronological order, of their release dates are:-

1. Hum Aapke Hain Koun (1994)

One movie I can never get tired of watching is Hum Aapke Hain Koun. I think this was the first movie I saw in a movie theatre (the grand Hind Cinemas in Kolkata). 
Since, it's all about memories, I particularly remember the "didi Tera devar deewana" song. In the course of this song, Salman Khan's character (Prem) jumps onto a huge chandelier and continues dancing and singing. 

It's hilarious to watch on screen, but what makes it unbelievably hilarious to me was the reaction of my great grandmother (bhalo dida), with whom I went to watch the movie. 

When Prem jumped on the chandelier, Bhalo Dida, got so involved with the movie, that she started shouting in the theatre itself "nebe jaa, nebe jaa buddhu!! bhenge jabe" (get down quickly you fool, it will break).  

 

The story and the conflicts are over simplified, bordering on being lame (if you try to rationalise it today). However, even today if I am feeling low and disillusioned with the harsh real world, I would turn on Zee Cinema on a Sunday, hoping they are playing  HAHK. Most of the times it would indeed be playing, and you are immediately allowed to escape into this wonderful happy world where people are "extra" nice (come to think about it, the villain/antagonist is the khadoos aunty (played by Bindu), who we have seen probably in every family).

As a 8 year old kid, I fantasised about having a cricket field and swimming pool in my house. Even today I would love to have both of that in my house. It's this "happy space" that makes this movie special for me. 

2. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (K3G) (2000)

It's been 20 years since Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (K3G) released, and yet every time it comes on television, I would love to watch it from whichever stage it is playing. This will probably be the cheesiest choice in this list. 

 

The number of memes and jokes made on this movie, even today, shows its relevance. You may criticise it's storyline and lamest of characters, but you CANNOT ignore this movie. 

 

 

Nothing, absolutely nothing, was small scale in this movie. 

To illustrate the opulence, the Chandni chowk (where the romance of Kajol and Shahrukh Khan's character blossoms in the first half) that is shown, looks more like an India themed set in Disneyland. Anyone who has visited Chandni Chowk (or seen it in movies like Delhi 6) would know that it looks nothing like the one in K3G.

In any case, who cares-- in the words of the movie's iconic character, Poo (played by Kareena Kapoor), all that matters is "good looks, good looks and good looks" 😋

 

There are so many instances in the movie, to show the sheer madness involved. To mention just a couple of sequences, (1) Rahul's (SRK's character) entry sequence and his mother (Jaya Bachchan) supersonic ears catching the sound of his footsteps; 

(2) Rohit (Hrithik Roshan's character) landing up in London in search for his brother, walking around with girls in tri-color clothes with Vande Mataram jazzed up version as background score. 

The ultimate over the top sequence, has to be the national anthem scene-- Rahul and Anjali's (Kajol's character) son (who is born and brought up in London) sings the Indian National anthem in his school's annual day, to please his overtly patriotic mother. Boy!! His mother is pleased. At the end of the song, not only does she complete the song, but dashes with full emotion towards her son to hug him (Trust me, no son would be comfortable with such overt expression of emotions by their mothers, specially in front of the entire school)

As I said, none of it makes sense. Probably didn't make sense even then. However, the sheer conviction of the maker, created a magic world, which all seemed so believable and wonderful, while we sat in the dark movie theatre (I have an equally filmy story about how me and my friends went to watch K3G, first day first show. However, that will take up an entire post in itself- so maybe some other time)

(3) Dil Dhadakne Do (2014)

Between Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and DDD, I chose this, since I guess, it's lamer, and will fit the bill for this blog better.

Unlike the previous two movies, which (if the need arises to appear "intellectual") I could blame on the innocence of childhood, this came after I had graduated and had started working. 

In fact, when I saw this movie in the theatre, I was a little disappointed (maybe the burden of expectations post-ZNMD, were too high). However, this movie has really grown on me courtesy the numerous repeat telecasts on TV (This is another Zee Cinema weekend favourite).

Sima aunty

I love the world it creates. The champagne drinking crowd going on an international holiday (oh how I miss this, right now). The rich housewife (South Delhi) aunties sitting and gossiping or trying to be Sima aunty of the Indian Matchmaking fame.

 

My favourite scene would be when all the aunties are sitting and discussing prospects of marrying Farhan Akhtar's character to Priyanka Chopra's much younger cousin. PC, who loved Farhan, overhears the conversation and scolds them. She tells them to get a life and to go and do some work.

After PC leaves, Indu aunty (played by Ayesha Raza Mirza), completely oblivious to what PC meant, very cutely responds "pagaal ho gayi hain, humhe kaun naukri dega" (is she mad, who will give us a job!).

The beauty of these movies, is not the story or the performance or the direction. Basically nothing that satiates the needs of a puritan "cinema lover". 

The true beauty of these movies lies in the "feel" it provides to the viewer, and it's precisely the reason I would hope that such movies continue to be made. After all, there are enough troubles in the real world, for a viewer to have to pay to watch the "reality" in the reel world.