Khoobsurat
The Disney Khoobsurat remake takes the concept of the original starring Rekha and crosses it with Princess Diaries. So you cannot expect any spectacular or groundbreaking cinema. What you get is pure feel good Disney Princess entertainment. It is fun. It is entertaining. It has some hilarious moments. It has some sweet moments.
Sonam Kapoor suits the role to the tee. I can't imagine anyone else portraying the quirkiness, bubbliness and hyper-excitement as well as her. She isn't the finest actress. However, she has an understated style that makes her well suited for the girl next door types. Sometimes she reminds me of Zoey Deschanel. Fawad Khan is deliciously handsome. He looks regal and stately. He has a piercing intensity as the prince. He does the opposites attract chemistry with great finesse. Would be cool to see him in more movies. Ratna Pathak Shah does the snob mom best. She was underutilized. She could have had more scenes. Kirron Kher of course steals the show as overbearing Punjabi mom. Even if it is clich for her, she is always superlative.
Overall a decent film. No glaring flaws or down points really.
PS: IMO the subtle lesbian jokes by Mili's brother highlight my lipstick theory.
Daawat-E-Ishq
(Caution - Major spoilers ahead)
I found the trailers misleading. This film isn't about food but about dowry. In fact food isn't as much of a part of the film as I expected.
The film deals with the very sensitive issue of dowry and its imprint in Indian culture. Gulrez Qadir and her father are frequently humiliated by outrageous dowry demands. A small time court clerk her father struggles to find a good match for his well-educated daughter. After her boyfriend breaks her heart by demanding a dowry, Gulrez decides that enough is enough. She no longer wants to marry She decides that she will find the greediest, slimiest, dowry demanding family and entrap them with section 498a dowry prevention law. She plans to use the money to build a career in USA. She finds that in the Haider family. Their son Tariq is uncouth, uneducated and uncultured, yet they have no qualms demanding a whole slew of household appliances and a car as a dowry summing 40 lakhs. Gulrez and her father are all set to con the greedy family, when Tariq throws a curve ball at them. Turns out that Tariq is unlike anything they expected. He wants to marry for love. He wants to ensure that his bride is happy to marry him. He doesn't want any money and is against dowry. He is only humoring his traditional father. His father is a heart patient and he is worried that disagreement may cause health concerns. He insists on paying the dowry himself. This puts Gulrez in a conundrum. She actually falls for this gem of a guy. He is not the slimeball she thought he was. But she cannot tell him the truth either. So what will Gulrez do now?
I commend Habib Faisal for showing both sides of the coin. Even in modern India, many women suffer due to dowry demands and harassment. The anti-dowry law is essential to protect many innocent women and their families. Yet the law can be misused. But the movie also cautions you from judging the people who misuse the law by showing why people may be pushed to do so. Another important fact it addresses is that English education and upper class lifestyle don't make a better person or spouse. Tariq is uneducated and uncultured, but he ends up being a much better person that other well educated men Gulrez has met.
Sadly, the good concept is ruined by botched execution. While both Tariq and Gulrez charm, the movie rushes and unfolds very haphazardly. The only plus of the movie is Aditya Roy Kapur as Tariq. He manages to be handsome and charming, despite his audacious character. Might I say, the look suits him.
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