Commentary

Rating: 9/10 (25 May 2009)

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (Match Made By God), 167 min 2008, Yash Raj Films
If you enjoyed Sharon Maguire's, "Bridget Jones Diary", you will love this Hindi movie. With less melodrama and fantasy that Bollywood is known to offer, this film gives the allegiance to blind faith in the true self. The story is so charming with its mixture of insouciance, wit and candor that it's enough to restore a belief in fairy tale endings to the most embittered casualty of modern life–urban marriage. This film is full of wisdom and hope especially for at Generation X buckled up to ride on the fast lane of urban dating.
Don't expect Suri to be Casanova, however. Rather, his seduction process is pure, unblemished and almost spiritual. I have to admit, to bring this rather interesting, meek character to life must have been a challenge for director Aditya Chopra. Who could have imagined that Shahrukh Khan would be so perfect? Adopting an impeccable look of a geek who can't seem to "lit up his own life" let alone his energetic wife's, he plays the role of Suri with so much sensitivity and dignity, and you fall in love with Suri. Shahrukh brings integrity with childlike stubbornness, innocence, and tenderness melting your heart like ice cream in a New York Summer. Shahrukh's double role of Raj is impeccable making Suri enter into Taani's life in the guise of Raj—the skintight shirt, ripped jeans, spiked hair with ample of tackiness and brassiness — to win Taani's affection. Aditya accomplishes a miracle of making Suri entirely endearing, utterly real and acceptable while the aloof, slick and hypnotizing Raj becomes attractive even alluring to a woman with broken dreams. Sharukh's performance of Suri is deeply sentimental and natural one barely senses the work that must have gone into it. Throughout the film you ardently root for Suri to succeed and pray that the two will end together. This film is a delight to watch giving a whole new meaning to Billy Joel's song, "I love you just the way you are", although I would have suggested a film title to be "Against All Odds". If you want a more spiritual title, Match Made in Heaven definitely works.
What makes this film more relevant to Generation X is that we can all relate to Taani. How many dates have we been without seeing an end in sight? How many of us have lost the faith in loving, completely disenchanted with this entire concept of love? Taani summarized well, "I can't see love in anyone", she says. It is not that love does not exist, but we are so caught up at the moment, we no longer recognize it. Read more on Isisbollywood at wordpress.com
RHK, Isisbollywood.wordpress.com