Love Stories

Somewhere in India there lived a little boy who believed in Love Stories, one who did not care if it would come true in his life but who believed that around him in this world Love existed. He believed in Serendipity. And believed that love requires it.

He believed in the movies. He believed in Paris, in Roman holidays, in the supreme sacrifice for love since the time Rajendra Kumar shot himself in the climax of Sangam.

Then Love changed and Love, Sex Aur Dhoka came to be a part of his life. And he waited. For the love stories that he discussed with his best friend on their way back home from school, for the innocence to return and tell him that you know what, whatever happens, some things are for ever.

So when he saw everyone scathingly attack “I Hate Luv Storys” and “Milenge Milenge” he felt bad. I Hate Luv Storys is a classic boy meets girl. Girl likes boy. Boy doesn’t. Boy like Girl. Girl doesn’t. They then fall in love with each other. And everyone lives happily ever after. Well, almost everyone. Girl’s ex boyfriend goes away heartbroken without a fault of his own. Collateral Damage – always there – forgotten.

The good part of the movie was it never preached. It was glossy, beautiful as we want to see in the movies. Maybe full of the clichés but then we love to see the clichés again and again. Some of us do. That’s why with all its failings when Kal Ho Na Ho comes for the umpteenth time on television, we never turn the channel.

“Milenge Milenge” was equally ostracized by critics but it took us back in time, an age when Kareena Kapoor was still not her Size Zero and looked exactly like the lady my best friend since 1989 fell in love with. Perhaps if the movie was completed on time, it would have made a lot more sense. But what we have is the reality. Serendipity in Delhi and Mumbai feels nice. A copy, perhaps not the best one but when did that stop us from believing it in once again.

And yes, of course I watched Raavan. And the photography is breathtaking. There’s the standard attempt to confuse the boundaries of good and evil. But then when you get a visual treat should you bother much?