The typical Shahrukh Khan character is devoted, charming, brave,
hugely romantic, and a bit of a dork. That’s a part of his appeal; he
may be a NASA engineer or an Army officer or a maverick cop, but he’s
still human, flawed, and relateable. An SRK character is like the
Captain Universe of Bollywood protagonists - he’s “the hero who could be
you.” Still, Shahrukh has never been quite as geeky as he is in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008).
Surinder Sahni (Khan) is a shy and tightly wound employee of Punjab Power. When he meets Taani (Anushka Sharma), the vivacious daughter of his favorite professor, Surinder falls madly in love, for the first time in his life. Unfortunately for him, it’s Tani’s wedding day, and that’s why she’s so happy. However, the day doesn’t turn out quite the way Tani had planned; the groom and his entire family are killed in a bus crash on the way to the ceremony. The shock gives Taani’s father (M. K. Raina) a fatal heart attack, but before he dies he asks Surinder and Taani to marry, so that she will be taken care of when he’s gone. It is his dying wish, so they both agree.
Surinder brings home his bride, and the two settle into a soert of routine. Taani explains to Surinder that she can’t love him, can’t love anyone, but she promises to be a good wife in every other respect. Surinder says that he doesn’t expect anything more than that, then quietly devotes himself to life better in whatever small way he can, all the while treasuring every scrap of attention she pays him.
Taani has always loved dancing, so when she sees an ad for dance lessons, she asks Surinder if he’d mind her signing up. He decides to sign up as well and, united by a common interest and common activity, the pair get to know one another better and grow much closer, deepening their bond and strengthening their marriage.
Wait, no, that’s what a sensible person would do. Surinder gives Taani money for the lessons, then asks his flamboyant hairdresser friend Bobby (Vinay Pathak) to make him look more like the heroes from the Bollywood movies Taani loves. After the makeover, Surinder stops off at the studio to catch a glimpse of Taani, and due to the usual humorous misunderstandings, he’s randomly assigned as her dance partner, and she doesn’t recognize him!
Surinder takes the opportunity to become Raj, a swaggering, motorcycle riding mechanic, figuring that as Raj he can say all the things that Surinder can’t. The problem is that in his own way, Raj is every bit as socially inept as Surinder; he’s more confident and has better hair, but he still has trouble with social cues and boundaries. However, because Raj is really Surinder he’s also very nice, and eventually wins Taani over. They become friends, and possibly more.
The closer Raj gets to Taani, though, the more worried Surinder becomes. It’s not just that he wants Tani to fall in love with him; he’s a victim of one of the great geek fantasies, the idea that if he loves her enough, then someday she’ll suddenly notice all the things that he does for her, and will finally love him back. As a result, he refuses to do any wooing at all as Surinder, and he is surprised and hurt that she seems to be falling for the guy who actually talks to her instead.
Bizarre personal choices are a hallmark of romantic comedy, of course. As a guide to life, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi is terrible. As a sweet escapist fantasy, it’s wonderful. It’s a very gentle movie; everybody’s nice. Anushka Sharma is a genuine find, and it seems the more ordinary and awkward Shahrukh’s character is, the more charming he becomes.
Surinder Sahni (Khan) is a shy and tightly wound employee of Punjab Power. When he meets Taani (Anushka Sharma), the vivacious daughter of his favorite professor, Surinder falls madly in love, for the first time in his life. Unfortunately for him, it’s Tani’s wedding day, and that’s why she’s so happy. However, the day doesn’t turn out quite the way Tani had planned; the groom and his entire family are killed in a bus crash on the way to the ceremony. The shock gives Taani’s father (M. K. Raina) a fatal heart attack, but before he dies he asks Surinder and Taani to marry, so that she will be taken care of when he’s gone. It is his dying wish, so they both agree.
Surinder brings home his bride, and the two settle into a soert of routine. Taani explains to Surinder that she can’t love him, can’t love anyone, but she promises to be a good wife in every other respect. Surinder says that he doesn’t expect anything more than that, then quietly devotes himself to life better in whatever small way he can, all the while treasuring every scrap of attention she pays him.
Taani has always loved dancing, so when she sees an ad for dance lessons, she asks Surinder if he’d mind her signing up. He decides to sign up as well and, united by a common interest and common activity, the pair get to know one another better and grow much closer, deepening their bond and strengthening their marriage.
Wait, no, that’s what a sensible person would do. Surinder gives Taani money for the lessons, then asks his flamboyant hairdresser friend Bobby (Vinay Pathak) to make him look more like the heroes from the Bollywood movies Taani loves. After the makeover, Surinder stops off at the studio to catch a glimpse of Taani, and due to the usual humorous misunderstandings, he’s randomly assigned as her dance partner, and she doesn’t recognize him!
Surinder takes the opportunity to become Raj, a swaggering, motorcycle riding mechanic, figuring that as Raj he can say all the things that Surinder can’t. The problem is that in his own way, Raj is every bit as socially inept as Surinder; he’s more confident and has better hair, but he still has trouble with social cues and boundaries. However, because Raj is really Surinder he’s also very nice, and eventually wins Taani over. They become friends, and possibly more.
The closer Raj gets to Taani, though, the more worried Surinder becomes. It’s not just that he wants Tani to fall in love with him; he’s a victim of one of the great geek fantasies, the idea that if he loves her enough, then someday she’ll suddenly notice all the things that he does for her, and will finally love him back. As a result, he refuses to do any wooing at all as Surinder, and he is surprised and hurt that she seems to be falling for the guy who actually talks to her instead.
Bizarre personal choices are a hallmark of romantic comedy, of course. As a guide to life, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi is terrible. As a sweet escapist fantasy, it’s wonderful. It’s a very gentle movie; everybody’s nice. Anushka Sharma is a genuine find, and it seems the more ordinary and awkward Shahrukh’s character is, the more charming he becomes.
No comments:
Post a Comment