As it happens, this weekend we both watched recent, cute and fun romantic comedies headed by talented young newcomers, the men, especially, made us look twice. Julie selected Band Baaja Baaraat (Band, Horns, Revelry — 2010) on DVD, while Jenny opted for Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (My Brother’s Bride, 2011) in the theater. Here’s how the party went down:
Julie M: Band Baaja Baaraat is a typical romantic comedy–and is entirely predictable — although well done and with very likable leads.
Anushka Sharma (last seen as Taani in Rab ne Bana di Jodi) plays Shruti, a “together” young Punjabi woman from Delhi with an ambitious life goal–she wants to be the most in-demand wedding planner in the world–and through a series of circumstances she ends up business partners with Bittoo (Ranveer Singh), an irresponsible cut-up trying to get out of working on his father’s rural sugar cane farm for the rest of his life. She has only one rule: don’t mix business with romance. Bittoo agrees, reluctantly because he is half in love with her already. They get along great, complement each other’s style, and become incredibly successful over the course of the next two years. 
[SPOILERS, kinda…if you didn’t see them coming already.…]
One late night, partying after their first super-duper expensive wedding job, they end up in bed together, occasioning a fairly explicit (although not really showing anything) naked scene. The next day she realizes she is in love with him, while he makes it clear to her that he thinks of it as just a casual hook-up. The first half ends with the Big Reveal of this conflict. I’m not going to go into more plot details but you can probably figure out how it ends up. The business is affected, more circumstances throw them together again, and I don’t have to say more except there is a very romantic kiss that made me wish I was 22 again.
Anushka is cute and fiery, and channels Kajol all the way in manner, facial expressions and dancing style. Ranveer is charming and very good-looking (VERY!), and is more than competent in the role although to my mind he is much better at being the offhand wisecracking kook–he falls flat in the last 20 minutes as he takes on a more romantic persona. Their chemistry is excellent, and that, in addition to the high production value, is the key to the film’s success.
The plot does not give over to slapstick and moves along with virtually no sub-plots. Costumes and sets are exceedingly colorful and exuberant–a plot point is that their business is known for “kitschy” weddings rather than the classy affairs a rival planner specializes in, no doubt occasioning much merriment in the office of the set dresser because they clearly had fun with it.
Lots of highly visual, high-energy and danceable songs that are well-integrated into the plot and action. One song in particular “Ainvayi Ainvayi Lut Gaya” becomes their company’s “signature” number, which they perform at all the weddings they coordinate. Tons of English words, and both the songs and the dialogue is packed with pop-culture slang and references that give it a fresher feel than the tired plot would ordinarily signal.
Here is “Ainvayi Ainvayi”, as performed at their first wedding job together, in which you see her starting out exasperated with him because he has booked this lame college band (his slacker friends) and then getting into the spirit of the song. No wonder their partnership and business take off. And it’s a total earworm as well—I’ve been humming it for three days.
This song, “Dum Dum Mast Hai”, comes in the 2nd half at their biggest wedding job yet, where they have arranged for Shah Rukh Khan to perform but he has broken his ankle and they have to quickly, and of course absolutely unbelievably, pull together this massive dance number on 24 hours’ notice with themselves as the lead dancers.
Jenny K: I never saw Band Baaja Baaraat, but the clips make it look fun. Ranbeer Singh is new to me…actually IMDb says it’s his first film. Looks like he did a good job.
Julie M: After further research I noticed that Ranveer Singh got his B.A. from Indiana University just a few years ago. IU is only 60 miles from me. Given how totally adorable he is, you would have thought I would have felt the heat all the way up here in Indy…ok, I’ll stop now. But he really is cute and I predict a career path for him doing roles that SRK did at that age.
Jenny K: In that second number, he’s even wearing a very SRK choice in wardrobe! The designers would seem to agree with you…as I do. But in truth, the films that Shah Rukh did at that age submerged him in plots either psychopathic, seriously slapstick or revenge oriented. Let’s not wish that on these boys.
Julie M: I think this movie is perfect for young people who have not yet become jaded on rom-com conventions. I thought it was pleasantly diverting and at times highly enjoyable, but I called pretty much every plot development within the first 10 minutes and spent the rest of the movie watching my predictions come to life. Man, I hate when that happens.
Jenny K: Well, there is such a thing as RomCom Comfort Food, that some of us never get jaded by…so as long as there are attractive lead characters amidst beautiful scenery and a happy ending that will do until the next wonder-hit comes along. Somehow you don’t mind the predictability, it is actually reassuring.
There is lots of cute new talent around these days. I went to see Mere Brother Ki Dulhan last night to see the now tried and true Imraan Khan. That young man just has a face that I can’t stop looking at. May be the Aamir resemblance, I just don’t know…maybe the moustache, here. Click for a close up.
But the surprise was the young man starring as his brother, Ali Zafar, who does quite well for himself in his second film. I read that he’s quite a popular singer, especially in his home country of Pakistan. From his showing in this movie, I can say that Ali handled the comedy as deftly as the dancing, held his own with Imraan and Katrina, has a seductively rich speaking voice, and a recurring resemblance to a young John Stamos, that didn’t hurt him in my book. Check out the comparison shots and see what I mean….do you think John Stamos is actually Hindustani, not Greek?
Given that this film was a time-pass, I quite liked it. The lead couple, Imraan and Katrina, meet cute in a 5 year old flashback, where she’s a Free Spirited Rock Chick (has to be capitalized, she’s definitely an Archetype),
and he’s a calm, steady, nice guy that she doesn’t truly value at the time. Flash forward to where Kush (Imraan) is standing-in for his brother, Luv (Ali) who lives in London and wants Kush to find him a nice, non-NRI Indian bride. After much fruitless searching, Kush finally decides on Dimple (Katrina) as Luv’s perfect bride. But the way these stories go, lo-and-behold, in three short song medleys they realize they are in love with each other, and Bhaisaab is a distant, but ever nearing, memory… Egad! How will this turn out? 
Well, of course, we know…but I think its fun how they get there. My friend Pat thought the leading ladies were both “annoying,” but I didn’t agree. Katrina has scored another endearing portrayal, and yet it’s still distinct from her role in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.
Here’s an excerpt from one of the love songs. The movie is shot in and around the Taj Mahal, which is, of course, gorgeous and yet somehow never too much of a good thing.
My favorite song is one that took place when they all get a bit drunk on bhang (a local mixture of milk, almonds, sugar and spices with marijuana, delicious and potent!) at a roadside inn and the sing a song in tribute to Madhubala, who starred in the classic romance Mughal-e-Azam, and that poster is conveniently on the billboard next to their table?!? Unlikely, yes; lots of raucous fun, definitely.
Pointless Nitpicking: I don’t get why no one thinks of the problem inherent in comparing an upbeat modern love story to Shah Jahan’s memorial to his dead wife, and also to M-e-A which details a doomed, albeit richly bejeweled, love story in another royal setting, neither of which have happy endings.
Julie M: I bet they are anticipating a huge, young, NRI audience for this film, who are not as sensitive to such nuances. I think the Taj Mahal is marketed to foreigners primarily on the love aspect and not so much on the death/tomb aspect.
Jenny K: Also weird that though Ali supposedly sings so well in real life, they didn’t use his voice, or his built-in audience to boost the soundtrack sales. Strange. IMDb says that Ritesh Deshmukh was originally offered Ali’s role. Maybe the score was already recorded when he was cast, but it still seems a wasted opportunity. Ah, I found a clip of him singing in a video ad for Lux soap. Cute, but looks like he needs to take Cowboy Hat Wrangling 101. [JK’s Note: DustDevil pointed out that “Madhubala” is sung by Ali. Well, see…it did make sense…I was right, and blind at the same time! Thanks, DD!]
Julie M: What does all that have to do with Lux soap, in the video? And do they really have 4 1/2 minute commercials in Pakistan? He is adorable, though. Someone to watch.
Jenny K: Lux has a history of doing ads with Bollywood stars. Here it is, in brief:
Then afterwards the men got in the act…Mr. Metrosexual SRK being the first. Very tongue in cheek.
And then Aish and Abhi:
Now it looks like they are going with even longer videos with the youngsters like Ali Zafar which you have, above. The three girls on the billboard become the three girls in the western, the pirate story and the “man on the street” bit, respectively.
Julie M: That’s making sense now. Kind of like how makeup companies in this country use stars as models: Drew Barrymore and Taylor Swift for Cover Girl.
Jenny K: And Beyonce and Aishwarya for L’Oreal…that girl is certainly the crossover queen, isn’t she. Workin’ all the angles!
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Jenny Ketcham
julialmoore
Filmi-Goris 
I saw MBKD today, and for me it was superior to BBB (which I also liked) because it never fell into the “I love you/I hate you!” trap. I always enjoy a romantic comedy where the leads are working together to overcome the obstacles.
BTW, that is Ali singing in “Madhubala.”
You’re right, DD…I missed that when I checked on Raaga.com. Thanks for catching it. I have to stop posting so late at night. I’m slipping. Actually, I think that was the catchiest song on the soundtrack.
I’ve seen way too many rom-coms in my time and have come to dislike the formula. I wish I could be more like Jenny and let it unfold. Indian ones, to me, are a bit different (except for the nerd/hot girl combination…ugh!) than American ones, which I have pretty much stopped going to entirely because they are so unutterably stupid. I think the production numbers makes the positive difference, but some plots even they can’t overcome.
I understand why some people were a bit disappointed by BBB, and was afraid of being so to, after anticipating it for months, literally. However, I found it to be perfect in a rom-com-y way. If MBKD is better, it must be really good. I’m anxious to see it.
Btw, if you want more of Ali, you should definitely watch Tere Bin Laden, it’s hilarious.
If you say so, Limette…I’m inclined to trust your opinion. But the name itself, Tere Bin Laden, and the synopsis I read, sounded like it was one big set-up for lots of broad, bad jokes. Aimed at the same audience that likes the Harold and Kumar films. Not my usual scene…I may be too old for them. Sigh. But I thought I wouldn’t like Loins of Punjab Presents, and Tropic Thunder, and after I gave them a chance, I loved both of them. If you give TBL a thumbs up, I’ll check into it more closely.
I have never seen a Harold and Kumar movie so I can’t address that comparison, but I think you might be misjudging Tere Bin Laden. It wasn’t at all what I thought it was going to be – the opening sequence made me nervous about what I was in for, but after that I was thoroughly surprised. It’s remarkably charming, and also not at all about American prejudice against brown people (again, excepting the first 10 minutes). It’s also only 90 minutes long, so it’s not a huge investment to make, especially if you’re impressed by Ali Zafar. Just a thought – I can’t say for sure you’ll like it, but I have a feeling it’s not what you think.
Thanks for the opinion, Carla…with your thumbs up along with Limette’s, I think Tere Bin Laden may just have to be scouted out!
Finally saw BBB on Netflix today and quite enjoyed it. The perfect way to spend a lazy afternoon at home. The leads are cute and spunky, The plot goes pretty much the way you’d expect, except in the “surprise” turn their relationship takes just before the interval (not that it would be a surprise in an American film, but in an Indian one…not sure how I feel about all that Westernization). Also, Anushka Sharma handles her second act scenes with a subtlety and grace that is rare in a twenty-two year old. Reminded me a bit of Konkona in Luck by Chance. She’s one to watch. Thanks for recomending it, Julie!
Anushka’s next outing, in Ladies V. Ricky Bahl again with Ranveer Singh, was not so good, I hear. Let’s hope 4th time’s the charm. I think she’s a real cutie.