It is just a habit or just observation, I don’t want to label. But while watching movies I just cannot help but find a sort of similarity between two films. No.. No… I am not going to talk about the story ideas or the lifting of / plagiarizing the concepts. For such things you have examples galore. And that is a different subject all together.

Here, I am talking about something very simple or very unusual or simply incidental co-incidences.
And believe me it is not forced. Neither the wrong observations. Sometimes they are just simple. Sometimes very unusual, yet that happens. Just read along. I will mention the similarities or connections or just observations. And I think I will go on adding and updating. Either with the latest movies or with the movies released not so long ago.

Let also put a disclaimer that this piece of writing is not there to offend the sensibilities of the film makers, actors or anybody who is connected with the business of movies in any manner. The show must go on….

Let me start with the latest of the lots. Just watched `Chillar Party’ – a real heartwarmer. `Chillar Party’ had lot of kids either playing or going to school. Just few days ago, another of my favourite movie was about children. Or child actors playing the main role. And it is nothing but Amole Gupte’s `Stanley Ka Dabba’ So two movies with the children playing the main and central characters.

Again both the films shot in schools like, `St.Xaviers School’ (Chillar Party) and `Stanley Ka Dabba’ at Holy Family High School in Andheri, Chakala. This school has a special place in my heart for something more than the film.

While `Chillar Party’ had a character nicknamed `Silencer’, we had seen another `Silencer’ not so long ago. `3 Idiots’ had `Silencer’ played by Omi Vaidya.

Now another similarity, the films have something to do with teaching and education system. In `3 Idiots’ – Aamir Khan’s character Racho had something to say about the education system. Here in `Chillar Party’ – the `tapori; character Phatka has something against the education system that deprives us of the beauty of childhood.

Now talking about `3 Idiots’ – it brings to my mind another film by the great director Raju Hirani, `Lage Raho Munna Bhai’. (Again a favourite film, for so many reasons.) While in there is a radio jockey called `Janhavi’ played by Vidya Balan, we have Googly, a male with a female voice playing a radio jockey.( audio or video nahi match karta as described by Phatka in `Chillar Party’)

The idea of a male with a female voice playing a RJ, is a brilliant idea of the film writer. (Which is different subject all together)

`Lage Raho Munna Bhai’ had Munna played by Sanjay Dutt and his lady Janhavi (Vidya Balan) talking about `Gandhiji’ and Gandhigiri. `Chillar Party’ has children parading in underwears. Didn’t Gandhiji made a Dandi March for our independence and freedom. Here children are parading in `chaddies’ for the freedom of their friend, `Bhidu’ the stray dog.

Let me find similarity between `Chillar Party’ and recently released, `Delhi Belly’. Both the brilliant productions from the UTV stable. While `Chillar Party’ has a star like, Salman Khan backing it. `Delhi Belly’ has Aamir Khan at the helm of affairs. Great job by both the super powers.

But a small similarity between both the films, is a very talented actor. Most of time he gets to play a thief or a goon in films and serials like `CID’.

Here in `Delhi Belly’ he is – you guessed it right, a comical and very loving goon / henchman of Vijay Raaz, the villain. (His one word – `loondri’ for laundry was hilarious.) In `Chillar Party’ he doesn’t get to say a single word. But he plays the dog catcher roaming in a municipal vehicle. Yeah, this observation many might not made about this actor.

More about such stuff – in next episode
Keep reading .