Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (translates as "the big-hearted will take away the bride") 1995 5/5 stars Simran (Kajol) lives in London and is betrothed to the son of her father's best friend in Punjab. The summer before she is to be married, she takes a European rail vacation with friends, and meets Raj (Shah Rukh Khan). They don't realize that they have fallen in love until they have parted. Raj then follows Simran to India, determined to win her father's approval for their marriage. In this romantic comedy/drama, family values and respect for elders is placed in high regard, even while portraying that the most hardened of hearts must be softened in the face of true love. Both Kajol and Khan are excellent in their roles, maturing their characters perfectly. The supporting cast is stellar. While there is no breath-taking choreography, the songs are lovely and memorable. The costumes, cinematography, locations, and sets are all beautifully done. Overall, this is a funny, sweet, and serious movie that is a must- watch for any Bollywood fan. Movie available through Amazon Prime.
Jab Harry Met Sejal (translates as "when Harry met Sejal")
2017
4/5 stars
Sejal (Anushka Sharma) looses her engagement ring on a family European tour. She convinces the guide, Harry (Shah Rukh Khan), to retrace the tour in order to find the lost ring. While searching for the ring, they find what neither was expecting: love. This is a cute, feel-good film about the changing power of love. Sharma is charming in her role as the naive and sweet Sejal. Though not a serious role, Khan (debonair as always) does interject some emotion. The music was good, but there was very little choreography. While not a deep plot, it is enjoyable and was overall entertaining.
Suryavanshi
1992
4/5 stars The wicked princess Suryalekha (Amrita Singh) falls in love with the one man who is able to defeat her champions. This man, Suryavanshi Vikram Singh (Salman Khan) deceives her, then leaves her in disgrace. Incensed, she kills herself and her ghostly self torments the area as she waits for Suryavanshi to be reborn and return to her.
Hundreds of years later, an archaeologist uncovers part of Suryalekha's palace. His team, including his daughter Sonia (Sheeba) and son-in-law Vicky (Salman Khan), visit the palace grounds. Suryalekha's spirit is convinced that Vicky is Suryavanshi reincarnated and calls to him. It is left to Sonia to overcome the evil with her love and protect her husband.
This is, at times, a silly movie, and sometimes overly dramatic. That said, it's still an enjoyable tale, full of action, romance, the supernatural, and music. There is much more to the plot that can be explained in a brief synopsis, and the romance was a good story. Singh was fantastic as the beautiful and evil Suryalekha, and Sheeba's portrayal of the opposing pure and lovely Sonia was equally good. Both of Khan's characters were less than three-dimensional, but still appealing. The most unfortunate aspect of the entire movie was the light brown hair/beard of Suryavanshi, which looked simply goofy on Khan. The music and choreography were good, as were the costumes for these numbers. Overall, while bordering on the ridiculous in parts, it was an entertaining movie and a good example of the Bollywood of the 1990s. Movie available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/sh1wwILGvp0
Shaadi Karke Phas Gaya Yaar (translates as "I'm screwed by getting married") 2006 3/5 stars This movie begins as a romance, when Ayaan (Salman Khan) meets model Ahana (Shilpa Shetty) and falls in love with her. After finding her diary, he woos and marries her with the help of the information her diary provides. Then the movie becomes a domestic drama, with their marriage on the rocks--with the diary as the apex--and the viewer is left wondering if love will be enough to reconcile them.
The plot starts off interesting, but after a while, the arguments become tiresome. The resolution happens too quickly, and is not fully believable. Khan goes from charming to stubborn well, but the viewer will be conflicted as to whether he is in the right. Ahana's character is too spoiled and sullen to be fully likable; whether this is the fault of the actress or the writing is uncertain. There are some quite good songs, but the choreography is below average. Overall, this is an okay movie, but not one I would universally recommend. Movie available on YouTube:
Chandra Mukhi (translates as "moon-faced beauty")
1993
3/5 stars
The lovely Sridevi plays Chandramukhi, a princess from another planet. She has fallen to Earth, and during that fall lost her magical-power-granting leaf. She meets Raja, a boy of around 10, who is being abused by his step-uncle. To help Raja, she uses the remains of her powers to age him so that he can defend himself. After this, she and the adult Raja (Salman Khan), go on an adventure to find her leaf.
This is a truly silly fantasy flick, but mostly enjoyable nonetheless. While the songs are average, the choreography is good and Sridevi is truly a fine dancer. Khan's part is odd in that, at times Raja seems to have matured as he aged (particularly when wooing Chandramuhki), and at others seems to still have the mentality of a child. This made the romancing feel a bit awkward, but nonetheless, Khan and Sridevi had good chemistry. Khan was charming, but overacted at times. On the whole, it is an absurd plot, but one can't help but like it anyway. (movie not currently available)
