While watching `Aakarshan’ -Â a great movie – ( great because – film-maker Prakash Jha’s heart is in the right place ) , I am getting nostalgic. Why ? Because – I can see so many incidence, situations, characters from the film which have one or the connection with other films.
Amitabh Bachchan , in a still from Aarakshan
For example – Bachchanji’s role – Amitabh Bachchan is playing Deepak Anand – a principal with strong moral values. Can we go back little and remember another great movie, `Mohabbatein’ – which Bachchan Sa’ab had played a strict college principal? While in `Mohabbatein’ – he plays a teacher who is against any sort of emotional attachment ( love, romance – or pure `mohabbat’ in Hindi).
In Aarakshan, he is Deepak Anand, he a man with strong moral values – who walks with ram-rod spine. (Why should he bend in front of the social mis-casts?). He is upright. He is humane. A man with a heart of gold and a will made of pure steel.
Amitabh Bachchan is the professor of mathematics. He is a math-magician, who transforms lives of his students with his knowledge, making a subject like maths – QED – Quite Easily Done. In Aarakshan – his character’s knowledge as mathematician helps or transforms the lives of thousands of students.
Amitabh Bachchan , in a still from Teen Patti
But do you remember – he had played a professor of mathematics in another film. The film was Teen Patti by Leena Yadav. And again, here in this Bachchan Sa’ab had played a professor of mathematics, who tries to understand the intricacies of the game of Teen Patti (three cards – in Hindi) and tries to change his life and his people around him. Albeit in a different – smart way.
So, you can understand how playing professor of mathematics comes so easy to Bachchan Sa’ab.
Aarakashan reminds me of another great movie, 3 Idiots – which again had commented on the system of education and society. While the entertainment quotient was high in 3 Idiots– for Aarakshan you have to reserve your heart in another corner. It is that beautiful, yet hard hitting.
Deepika Padukone and Saif Ali Khan – they are paired for the second time in `Aarakshan‘. The first time they sizzled on the screen was Saif Ali Khan’s home production, “Love Aaj Kal” , which was directed by Imtiaz Ali. `
In “Aarakshan” – they play normal characters – of college students , and who are in love in a very normal way. In ``Love Aaj Kal’‘, they discover love in a very unusual way. For the first time in Hindi cinema – a subject of relationship – and break-up has been handled in a very different manner.
I will definitely ask you to watch this space – for more information –
But I will also reiterate that go and watch `Aarakshan’ for sure. There is no reservation about recommending `Aarakshan’.
Let me start with the two films which have released on the same day. `Delhi Belly’ and `Bbuddha Hoga Tera Baap’. No, here in these films – there is a very strange connection. Nothing to do with story or even anything visual on the screen.
Now about `Delhi Belly’ – has a different feel to it. A youth centric movie ( ? should we call it / if not a cult ? ) , there was another movie – `Shaitaan’ which vied for our attention with the equal emphasis on the actions and re-actions, pains, trials and tribulation of the youth.
If we go a further back – R Madhavan was shown to be coming out / or jumping out of Delhi Airport. And the movie, one of my favourites, 3 Idiots. Just see how the same actor get to do the scenes. Though in `3Idiots’, his opening scene is inside the aircraft. But after feigning heart-attack he is shown to wheeled on the lobby and he jumps from his wheel chair. He runs out on the lobby of Delhi Airport. This scene had a comic element (jumping and running out of the airport) combined with a little suspense.