Chalte Chalte

After a long time here is a film which entertains,delights and leaves one gasping at the brilliant acting. There are brief tedious patches when Shahrukh Khan and Rani are not on screen but those are few and far between. The story is very everyday -boy meets girl, falls instantly in love and wooes successfully this girl who is bit out of his world. But the Shahrukh charm is such that one wonders how she could have contemplated even for a week the thought of marrying some other chap even if she knew him from childhood. Delightful wooing scenes, lovely songs, very charming and sexy marriage episodes followed by quarrels. These are so believable that the audience is left gasping at the audacity of the rows. Luckily a happy ending and one is left feeling good and satisfied. I shall be very disappointed if SRK does not win every award for this year's best acting. Cant wait to see other Shahrukh films due this year.

Chalte Chalte (`Walk Along') is a mainstream Bollywood romance that goes one better. Instead of leaving you at the altar to assume that `they lived happily ever after', Chalte Chalte takes you inside the marriage after Boy meets Girl, Boy wins Girl, to experience Man faces the realities of life with Woman.

Start with Raj (Shah Rukh Khan), a middle class guy who owns a small transport company. Raj is messy, impulsive, quick tempered: a guy who acts in haste and repents at leisure. One day he bumps into Priya (Rani Mukerjee), a beautiful, sophisticated upper-class fashion designer born in Greece and raised in luxury. Priya is organized and efficient; passionate, but always proper. Also a bit of a snob, she assumes Raj is merely a truck driver and snubs him accordingly.

Love blossoms, but the road to happiness is never smooth in Bollywood: Priya becomes engaged to her childhood friend, Sameer, a wealthy businessman from Priya's world of money and privilege. Raj, not wanting to spend the rest of his life regretting `if only' follows Priya to Greece to convince her that he, not Sameer, is the man of her dreams. Not so amazingly, he manages to succeed.

Your typical Bolly romance would be running the end credits about now, but we're just at the interval. The rest of the film switches from sun and sea drenched beauty of Greece to the mundane colors of Mumbai, and Raj's messy apartment. Now daily life intrudes, and Raj is left trying to keep the grand promises he so easily made when Priya was a prize to be obtained.

Chalte Chalte provides a mature look into a marriage, not of two movie stars, but of Mr. and Mrs. Anybody. The charm, or the drawback, depending on how you view it, is that the film has no real plot, no villains, no heros. Just real people doing the best they can with what they have, and with whom they've chosen. The problems Raj and Priya face are problems that all married people the world over face every day: disapproving in-laws, money problems, personality clashes, and on and on. The film works best for me on its most mundane level: arguments over wet towels on the bed, shoes on the floor, appointments missed, arguments about anything and everything, and then the making up, the kissing and cooing and apologies before starting another round.

Most of the performances in Chalte are solid. The supporting players, including Satish Shah and Lilette Dubay are wonderful, and though a handful of new-comers intrude on the flow of the film from time to time, their presence helps develop the story and provide narration and a bit of comic relief. The usually shrill and obnoxious Johnny Lever shows some welcome restraint this time, and creates an endearingly poignant character who helps tell the story in yet another way.

Rani Mukerjee, in my opinion one of India's best actresses, is stunning, both in appearance and in her acting. She exudes a warmth, a naturalness and a realness that makes you want to be her best friend, or her lover. With her exotic amber eyes and husky voice she is spellbinding in all her scenes, an intriguing mixture of sexy sophistication and little girl charm rolled into one.

But this movie belongs to Shah Rukh Khan, and no mistake. Coming after the opulent success of Devdas, and the larger than life Asoka, Raj is Everyman, a regular guy with money problems, wife problems, ego problems, problems, problems, problems. Khan is brilliant, and totally believable as a middle class business owner, struggling to keep up with everyday life. Usually prone to bursts of hammy over-acting, in Chalte Chalte he is restrained and controlled in every scene. Even in those moments when Raj is rampaging over his wife's well-intentioned betrayal, or on his knees humiliating himself in a crowded airport in front of Priya's snooty relatives, begging her not to leave him, Khan never goes over the top in his acting. Gone is the bratty charmer of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge: this Raj is a mature, sensitive lover, and a bumbling husband, willing in the end to sacrifice even his male Indian pride for his love. Shah Rukh Khan has a definite gift for creating complex characters who don't fall easily into good-guy, bad-guy categories, and Chalte Chalte's Raj is one of those characters. The story has a definite (and intentional) been-there-done-that feel, but Khan is the reason to watch it all one more time.

There are those who say the movie has no ending, no resolution, and at first viewing I was one of them. But on second viewing I came away feeling that both Raj and Priya had in fact learned important lessons about each other and themselves. Priya, coming from the upper classes does not at first understand the inner demons Raj has to grapple with, knowing he is from a lower class, and that however successful he might become, to Priya's snobbish Anna Aunty he will never be more than a truck driver. Raj has to learn to put aside his ego if he wishes to remain with Priya, and respect her feelings and attachments, even though they are uncomfortable for him. In the end they both realize that life goes on, you do your best and forgive each other's flaws and mistakes, and love will get you through. Chalte Chalte.

The music of Chalte Chalte is a good mix. There are a couple of catchy tunes that will grab you immediately, a couple of ballads that might have to grow on you, and a couple of poignant numbers that I found to be hauntingly evocative during the sadder moments of the film. At times the background score does become a bit loud and intrusive, but on the whole I found it to be quite beautiful. The choreography was nice, if not overly exuberant (perhaps due to Khan's highly publicized back problems), the cinematography is gorgeous, and there are some dialogues and scenes that will stay with you long after the film has ended.

There are a couple of scenes that I would have trimmed, most notably the climax which starts out very movingly, but then lags a bit because of length, and the fact that the entire cast are in danger of drowning in glycerine. But Chalte Chalte is a thoughtful offering that will leave you pondering after the closing credits.

I absolutely adore this movie! I've noticed that films produced by Shah Rukh himself tend to end up in my TOP-10 list -- Asoka, Main Hoon Na. And the same happened with Chalte Chalte -- it's definitely one of my favorites now, right up there with Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and DDLJ, if not better.

I really love the SRK--Rani jodi. They both gave great performances and looked really convincing and sweet as a couple. I was so rooting for Raj and Priya to be happy and together in this film that the viewing turned into a very emotional experience for me, which I didn't expect at all, having read some rather lukewarm reviews.

Rani looks absolutely stunning (well, as usual) and very feminine. Shah Rukh oozes charm and charisma in a really complex role. I personally just loved his character -- with all his flaws and insecurities. Together they are just way too cute.

I liked how realistic and unpretentious this film was, liked the drama in the second half, loved the music and all the songs. They are all outstanding.

Overall, I think it was a very well made film that really endeared itself to my heart. Not one boring scene (except for the very beginning -- I really thought that subplot could have been done away with), and Johnny Lever was great -- hilarious in most scenes (in an unusual role), serious and adding to the drama in others.

I'm just grateful that this film exists.

I don't know why, but I get the feeling that a lot of the so-called critics mocking the way Hindi movies are done, are thinking it just isn't right.

I for one have come to accept the whole song and dance routine, the sometimes awful acting and outrageous production. (don't expect the song and dance routines to go away anytime soon guys, the companies make just as much money through their sales, as the movie, if not more than the movie takes in!)

But credit where credit is due. As I am writing this post at an early 4:30 on the 8th sept, the intro screen for the Chalte Chalte DVD is on repeat.

Having just watched (which always seems to make me apprehensive as to what I might be letting myself in for while I put any Hindi movie on) Chalte Chalte, I was totally blown away!

I never thought I was one for Hindi movies (I have a collection of over 400 Hollywood movies) because I believed that they were just silly! but, I have been proved wrong! Shah Rukh Khan is, as usual, fabulous, the story touches on a subject that most Asian families would rather sweep under the mat and put on fake smiles to!

But this is exactly what makes Chalte Chalte a cut above the rest movie, and where, in my opinion, is beginning to show how everything within these movies are progressing to higher levels.

Rani Mukherji has also put in a great performance as the trying to get blood out of a stone wife of SRK.

I would recommend Chalte Chalte to anyone whether you are die hard Hindi fans or not! My perceptions towards Hindi movies have completely changed after watching a string of titles... give it a bit more time, and I'm sure even western movie fans will be singing their praise! :)

ShahRukh Khan has come a long way from the "Bazigar" mold, I mean the gory scenes with histrionics that him dying in his mothers lap. Here he is a Truck driver who stalks a rich Greek born Indian lassie played by the round faced and raspy voiced Rani Mukherjee who is fresh form the throngs of a similar themed movie "Saathiya"; when she replaced Ash Rai. So Rani is in her native domain so to speak and she is even getting good at these roles depicting a newly married with better expectations and duelling to get it. The fast dialog helps to forefront the couple that have time to fight over mundane things that hard working couple would not have time for. The truck driver character fits Sharukh like a Glove, he is more believable than a Lover caught between two women (Devdas). He has flair for few things like when he erupts unexpectedly like a volcano than the emotional pleadings. A good story could be told well without innately intrusive comics and foreign locations, which have become integral part of the Hindi Movies these days. Some of the best movies like "Mr&Mrs Iyer", "Guide", did not have foreign locations or innately intrusive comics. This paranoia that is prevailing among the Filmmakers that the audience is starved for a comedy interludes has to stop. Other than few flaws I enjoyed this movie and one of the few movies I sincerely feel that Sharukh Khan has given his true potential instead of his head shaking histrionics that makes his audience shriek but does nothing to the coffers in the box office nor the audience whose choice and aesthetics is changing and it is changing for the better.