Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon (2003) is a
Bollywood movie about Bollywood movies. It’s the story of Chutki
(Antara Mali), a small town girl with big dreams. Everyone in her
village tells her she looks just like Madhuri Dixit. She doesn’t,
really (though the makeover she receives mid-film helps) but she does do
a dead-on Madhuri impression; the dancing, the facial expressions, and
even the look in her eyes is perfect. Because of this talent, Chutki
has become a literal village belle, and star of all the local dance
productions. Her father is willing to indulge her, but when (urged on
by her friends) she announces her plan to move to Mumbai and become a
film star, he decides it’s time for her to settle down and get married.
And her mother has just the boy in mind . . .
Desperate, Chutki turns to her childhood friend (and besotted admirer) Raja (Rajpal Yadav) for help. Raja comes up with a simple plan: HE will marry her. Since Raja is the son of the village headman, her parents will consider the match a step up. Once they’re married, Raja will announce that he’s moving to Mumbai to seek his fortune, and then the two will be free to pursue Chutki’s dream. She accepts, although she puts far more emphasis on the fake marriage than Raja would like.
The plan works, more or less, and the pair finally arrive in Mumbai, chasing a dream and completely unprepared for the reality. Raja and Chutki are almost painfully naive; they panic when separated at the train station, are cheated by the first taxi driver they see, and wind up paying six months rent in advance for a truly squalid apartment. They’re even more hopeless when dealing with the film industry; Chutki expects instant stardom (after all, she was always the star back home!) but she doesn’t know how to get it. And the situation deteriorates further when she falls under the spell of Rumi (Raman Trikha), an aspiring actor who Only Wants One Thing.
While MMDBCH is by no means a realistic portrayal of show business, the film does a great job in showing the daily humiliations of an aspiring actor’s life. Chutki has a few near-discoveries and lucky breaks, but they lead nowhere. Her real successes come from hard work and talent, and only after hiring an agent (Govind Namdeo). Dancing on the beach is not enough.
MMDBCH isn’t just a “road to stardom” movie, though. It’s also a very successful love story, thanks mainly to a magnificent performance by Rajpal Yadav. Raja is an unlikely romantic hero; he’s very short, and not conventionally handsome. He’s not unconventionally handsome, either. Still, it’s very clear from the start that he loves Chutki with every fiber of his being. There are no passionate declarations of love here, and no grand romantic gestures. The love story plays out subtly, both through the overall plot, as Raja sacrifices everything in order to help Chutki fulfill her dreams, even though he knows that once she does she’ll have no further need of him, and through a series of small moments, such as the wedding night, when you can see Raja’s hopes turn to ash as Chutki crows about “fooling everybody”, but he still manages to be excited for her. And when Chutki finally realizes just how remarkable her husband is, she lets him know through a tiny gesture that means everything.
As I mentioned earlier, Antara Mali doesn’t look much like Madhuri Dixit. When she’s dancing, though, you don’t notice. She’s good enough to make you believe that she does have a shot at becoming a star. Even when not channeling Madhuri, Mali gives a strong performance, but she is overshadowed by Yadav’s brilliant one.
Most of the music is lifted from assorted Madhuri films, but there are two original numbers, both of which are presented in a Broadway style rather than a Bollywood one; the songs grow out of and act as a continuation of the dialogue, rather than advancing the timeline or reflecting the emotional state of the characters.
I really enjoyed Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon. It isn’t typical Bollywood fare, but it features some great dancing, an understated but very sweet romance, and an amazing performance by Rajpal Yadav.
Desperate, Chutki turns to her childhood friend (and besotted admirer) Raja (Rajpal Yadav) for help. Raja comes up with a simple plan: HE will marry her. Since Raja is the son of the village headman, her parents will consider the match a step up. Once they’re married, Raja will announce that he’s moving to Mumbai to seek his fortune, and then the two will be free to pursue Chutki’s dream. She accepts, although she puts far more emphasis on the fake marriage than Raja would like.
The plan works, more or less, and the pair finally arrive in Mumbai, chasing a dream and completely unprepared for the reality. Raja and Chutki are almost painfully naive; they panic when separated at the train station, are cheated by the first taxi driver they see, and wind up paying six months rent in advance for a truly squalid apartment. They’re even more hopeless when dealing with the film industry; Chutki expects instant stardom (after all, she was always the star back home!) but she doesn’t know how to get it. And the situation deteriorates further when she falls under the spell of Rumi (Raman Trikha), an aspiring actor who Only Wants One Thing.
While MMDBCH is by no means a realistic portrayal of show business, the film does a great job in showing the daily humiliations of an aspiring actor’s life. Chutki has a few near-discoveries and lucky breaks, but they lead nowhere. Her real successes come from hard work and talent, and only after hiring an agent (Govind Namdeo). Dancing on the beach is not enough.
MMDBCH isn’t just a “road to stardom” movie, though. It’s also a very successful love story, thanks mainly to a magnificent performance by Rajpal Yadav. Raja is an unlikely romantic hero; he’s very short, and not conventionally handsome. He’s not unconventionally handsome, either. Still, it’s very clear from the start that he loves Chutki with every fiber of his being. There are no passionate declarations of love here, and no grand romantic gestures. The love story plays out subtly, both through the overall plot, as Raja sacrifices everything in order to help Chutki fulfill her dreams, even though he knows that once she does she’ll have no further need of him, and through a series of small moments, such as the wedding night, when you can see Raja’s hopes turn to ash as Chutki crows about “fooling everybody”, but he still manages to be excited for her. And when Chutki finally realizes just how remarkable her husband is, she lets him know through a tiny gesture that means everything.
As I mentioned earlier, Antara Mali doesn’t look much like Madhuri Dixit. When she’s dancing, though, you don’t notice. She’s good enough to make you believe that she does have a shot at becoming a star. Even when not channeling Madhuri, Mali gives a strong performance, but she is overshadowed by Yadav’s brilliant one.
Most of the music is lifted from assorted Madhuri films, but there are two original numbers, both of which are presented in a Broadway style rather than a Bollywood one; the songs grow out of and act as a continuation of the dialogue, rather than advancing the timeline or reflecting the emotional state of the characters.
I really enjoyed Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon. It isn’t typical Bollywood fare, but it features some great dancing, an understated but very sweet romance, and an amazing performance by Rajpal Yadav.
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