Chandni

Chandni
(translation: "moonlight")
1989
4/5 stars

Rohit (Rishi Kapoor) meets Chandni (Sridevi) at a wedding and is instantly smitten.  He woos and wins her, but before they can be married he suffers an accident that leaves him paralyzed. Rohit pushes Chandni away, not wanting her to be tied to him.  Grief-stricken, she moves to Bombay, where she takes a job as secretary to Lalit (Vinod Khanna).  Lalit falls in love with her, and she agrees to marry him.  Before they are married, though, a recovered Rohit comes to find her, and Chandni must choose between him and Lalit.

This drama has a good plot that, while predictable, keeps the viewer's interest.  It not only spotlights Sridevi's stunning beauty, but her dancing as well.  In addition, she matures her character in a believable way.  Kapoor and Khanna both give good, often emotional, performances.  The music was quite good, as was the choreography.  Sridevi's costumes, especially the traditional ones, were gorgeous.  Overall, it's an engrossing film, and quite enjoyable.

Cast also includes Anupam Kher, Waheeda Rehman, and a cameo by Juhi Chawla.

This movie is available with Amazon Prime.

The Taming of the Shrew (BBC Television Shakespeare)

The Taming of the Shrew
(BBC Television Shakespeare)
1980
3/5 stars


Baptista Minola (John Franklyn-Robbins) of Padua has two lovely daughters: Katherina (Sarah Badel) and Bianca (Susan Penhaligon). Bianca has many suitors, being retiring and maidenly. Katherina, on the other hand, is a shrew, short of temper and sharp of tongue. Baptisa vows that he will not allow Bianca to marry until her older sister has. Petruchio (John Cleese) comes to Padua, intent on finding a rich wife. Katherina is just such a prospect, and he quickly arranges with Baptista to marry her, and then sets about to tame her.

I truly dislike the play itself (my review here), and watched this only in hopes that seeing it staged would give me a better appreciation for it.  Unfortunately, it didn't.  However, the play was mostly well-performed, with Cleese making a surprisingly good Petruchio.  I found that some of the actors tended to speak  too quickly when the character was excited, which made it difficult to understand the lines.  Overall, though, it was generally well-staged performance of a poor play.

This can be viewed for free with Amazon Prime.

Nagina

Nagina
1986
5/5 stars

Rajiv (Rishi Kapoor) returns home from studying abroad and encounters and falls in love with a mysterious woman, Rajni (played by the incomparable beauty, Sridevi).  He finally persuades his mother (Sushma Seth) to agree to the marriage.  They don't know that Rajni is harboring a dreadful secret, until the sage Bhairon Nath (Amrish Puri) reveals it.

This horror-drama is surprisingly good.  The plot is riveting, with many unexpected twists.  The actors are polished and believable, with the snakes being impressively controlled. (Though I will confess to some concern over the welfare of said serpents.)  The costumes are good, with Sridevi's being extravagantly beautiful.  The makeup was convincing, as well, from death pallor to turquoise eyes.  The songs and choreography were, while not exceptional, solid.  Overall, this creepy movie is highly entertaining.

(Cast also includes Prem Chopra and Guddi Maruti.)

On a side note: If you have ophidiophobia, don't watch this movie! I am not terrified of them, just moderately afraid, and I had snakes dreams three nights in a row afterwards.

Maine Pyar Kiya

Maine Pyar Kiya
(translates as "I loved")
1989
4/5 stars

Prem (Salman Khan) returns home from the US to find Suman (Bhagyashree) visiting with his family. She and he become fast friends, which eventually blossoms into love. Prem's rich father is completely against a match with Suman; Suman's father reacts to this by also forbidding a marriage. Prem must work hard to earn the right to marry her.

This is a sometimes silly movie, occasionally overacted, but thoroughly enjoyable. It is Salman Khan's first leading role, and both his talent and charisma are fully apparent. Bhagyashree did an excellent job as a gentle teenager feeling first love.

The music and choreography are not memorable, and the fight scenes were a bit over the top. However, the story was sweet and the emotions portrayed were realistic. Overall, it's a movie that leaves the viewer happy for having watched it. (On a side note: I loved the pigeon!)

The cast includes: Alok Nath, Reema Lagoo, and Mohnish Behl

Movie available on Amazon Prime.