Chennai Express (2013, Bilingual - Tamil/Hindi)
Another cheesy typical Bollywood movie that would satiate the appetite of the masses as well as the coffers of the producers - it has set the history of being the highest grosser surpassing '3 Idiots'!
It tells the story of a 40 year old sweet merchant (Rahul, SRK, who else) orphan who grew up with his grandparents. His 100 year old granddad dies and to fulfill the deceased's wishes, he has to spread his ashes in Rameshwaram in the southern tip of India.
Rahul is upset because it interferes with his grand plans to holiday with his friends in Goa. He tricks his grandma into believing that he is leaving by train when his friends are actually waiting at the next station. Unfortunately, Rahul gets into the same compartment as Meenammal (Deepika Padukone). Meena, the daughter of a villager gangster, is escorted back to her village by her father's henchmen after she tried to abscond from being married off to another gangster cousin.
Rahul gets pulled into the web of mis-communication, deceit and violence to follow Meena to her village. Bla, bla, bla, Rahul hates Meena, Bla, bla,bla, Fights, eloping, in another village, situations, understand, fall in love, goes to Rameshwaram with the urn of ashes, fights with gangsters, fall, rises from ashes like phoenix fights the villains, wins the heart of the girl and everybody is happy!
As you can see, it did not really win my heart. As Indians all passionate about classic story lines and dialogues, the filmmakers have successfully used these formulas. Many scenes are reminiscent of classic Hindi and Tamil movies. The early scene of the heroine running to alight a moving train is ashamedly similar to Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. It is probably done to draw the audience to the aura of the evergreen hero since the 90s. A letter throwing incident involving different young couple to be at a secret rendezvous is eerily same as a scene from Muthu. So is a scene where the couple is on the run. They are treated as a couple in a land with Kerala background.
Sadly, many of the talented Tamil actors' might is wasted here. Sathyaraj, besides his masala wise talk cracking matinees, his acting is quite recommendable in films like 'Periyar'. Delhi Ganesh's ability also goes to waste. I suppose the viewers are going to the theatres not to see this oldies but to see their favourite pint evergreen actor challenge the massively muscular gundhas, take them one on one or many, fall, rise with rejuvenated zest by the power of love, make a come back, put a scythe at the neck of the opponent to put his claim on the girl of his choice and feel good about it, not to analyse and criticize!
The release of the film coincided with India's Independence Day with the aim of uniting the country especially the Hindi speaking and the Tamil speaking population of India. At the same time, so as not to upset the southern viewers with their brand of stereotyping and jokes, the director must have come up with the skeet that idolizes the uncrowned King of Tamil Nadu - Super Star Rajnikanth.
Another cheesy typical Bollywood movie that would satiate the appetite of the masses as well as the coffers of the producers - it has set the history of being the highest grosser surpassing '3 Idiots'!It tells the story of a 40 year old sweet merchant (Rahul, SRK, who else) orphan who grew up with his grandparents. His 100 year old granddad dies and to fulfill the deceased's wishes, he has to spread his ashes in Rameshwaram in the southern tip of India.
Rahul is upset because it interferes with his grand plans to holiday with his friends in Goa. He tricks his grandma into believing that he is leaving by train when his friends are actually waiting at the next station. Unfortunately, Rahul gets into the same compartment as Meenammal (Deepika Padukone). Meena, the daughter of a villager gangster, is escorted back to her village by her father's henchmen after she tried to abscond from being married off to another gangster cousin.
Rahul gets pulled into the web of mis-communication, deceit and violence to follow Meena to her village. Bla, bla, bla, Rahul hates Meena, Bla, bla,bla, Fights, eloping, in another village, situations, understand, fall in love, goes to Rameshwaram with the urn of ashes, fights with gangsters, fall, rises from ashes like phoenix fights the villains, wins the heart of the girl and everybody is happy!Sadly, many of the talented Tamil actors' might is wasted here. Sathyaraj, besides his masala wise talk cracking matinees, his acting is quite recommendable in films like 'Periyar'. Delhi Ganesh's ability also goes to waste. I suppose the viewers are going to the theatres not to see this oldies but to see their favourite pint evergreen actor challenge the massively muscular gundhas, take them one on one or many, fall, rise with rejuvenated zest by the power of love, make a come back, put a scythe at the neck of the opponent to put his claim on the girl of his choice and feel good about it, not to analyse and criticize!
The release of the film coincided with India's Independence Day with the aim of uniting the country especially the Hindi speaking and the Tamil speaking population of India. At the same time, so as not to upset the southern viewers with their brand of stereotyping and jokes, the director must have come up with the skeet that idolizes the uncrowned King of Tamil Nadu - Super Star Rajnikanth.
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