Reading Time: 4 minutes
Ruchira journeys through the masala Bollywood movies and tells us, tongue-in-cheek, with oodles of humour, who gains from it. Read more in the weekly column, exclusively in Different Truths.
More often than not the heroes and heroines are sole offspring of multi-millionaire parents – utterly spoilt brats owing to the overdose of affection and pampering. Again, Autumn’s children born after decades of marriage are nearly always boys, seldom girls. The protagonists commute to college in swanky cars or expensive motor bikes; academically they are either brilliant or rock bottom. There is no middle path.
In most mansions, the quarter’s watchmen and old faithful retainers, are choc a bloc with good furniture and utensils – far removed from the dingy surroundings where they reside in real life.
The rich man’s son heads to the countryside on an assignment or vacation and encounters an accident/roadblock/ landslide or at least a flat tyre. An ethnically clad (mostly designer lehengas and backless cholis) but gaudily ornamented village belle (heroine) arrives on the scene – jumping off a tree, or a bullock cart, chewing a piece of sugar cane or a blade of grass. An altercation ensues, though sometimes, it is love at first sight. The youth takes up lodgings in the dame’s house, later elopes with her without papa’s blessings; alternatively, he ditches the naïve belle for his sweetheart in the city.
There are identical or fraternal twins galore – separated at birth or in infancy. Reasons are varied – wicked nurses swapping new-borns in hospital wards, families hit by natural calamities, moms /guardians losing their wards in crowded local fairs, et al. Upon growing up they find themselves on opposite sides: one good and law abiding, the other invariably smuggler goon or vamp. As climax nears they interact and recognise each other. After a melodramatic reconciliation, they join forces to combat evil. Whether it is Dilip Kumar in Ram or Shyam, Hema Malini in Seeta Aur Geeta, Rakhee in Sharmilee or Salman Khan in Judwaa, the end is predictable.
Coming to the action sequences, you watch handicapped/disabled heroes battling villains and annihilating them, a la Sanjeev Kumar in Sholay or Amitabh Bachchan Roti Kapda Aur Makaan, riding a motorbike (one arm amputated) through the skies to descend on his enemies. Whene
The elite and discerning viewers may find such films run-of- the-mill cliché and irksome. But for Aam Janata such movie are perfect for time pass and paisa vasool!
©Ruchira Adhikari Ghosh
Photos from the Internet
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