Baabul

General Comment: It wasn't terrific because the storyline was average,the acting was not brilliant except for Amitabh Bhachan who was superb,the songs were crap.

Storyline: Balraj Kapoor (Amitabh Bhachan) is looking for happiness for his daughter in law Millie (Rani Mukherjee) after his son,Avinash (Salman Khan) who is madly in love with his wife Millie. What Millie does not know is that her best friend Rajat (John Abraham) is in love with her but he wants Rani Mukherjee to be happy so he does not say anything to her when she is getting married to Avinash. But when Avinash dies Amitabh Bhachan tries to get Millie married to Rajat. But as you know in the Indian religion a widow is not allowed to get married after her husbands death so Balrajs older brother (Balwant) does not want Millie to get married again but later he realises what Millie must be going through so lets her get married to Rajat.

A reviewer once said about Bollywood that "if it's a colour, use it" and Baabul is anything if not colourful. There are lots of what could be euphemistically described as vibrant colours on screen at any given time. The plot, such as it is, revolves around love found, love lost and love re-found. All clocking in at little under three hours, with the characters bursting into song at the slightest provocation. Some of the choreography for the song and dance sequences must have taken ages to put together. As usual in Indian films, kissing is taboo and the romantic sequences are remarkably chaste by western standards. All the actors should have life memberships of the academy of over-acting. Emotional nuance is not really the name of the game here. But the actors sure are good looking, even those with grandchildren. They seem to have discovered the fountain of youth. While all of this doesn't sound like a glowing review, points have to be granted for the sheer positive life-force of this film and its life affirming message.

This film has absolutely nothing new to offer. Not in terms of story or treatment or dialogs...The dialogs are pathetic and the romantic situations juvenile. I felt the actors were all okay except of course John Abraham who is simply terrible. The director, I believe, wanted to cash on the star power of Salman and hence had given him lot of screen time but the script was simply not up to the mark to justify his presence. The film has its moments but these come too abruptly and end too quickly. It is a pity that with reasonably good actors and a genuinely good concept, the director manages to make this mess . You can watch it once in a DVD, perhaps, but spending 10 dollars on this is way too much!

"Baabul" is an interesting movie...much like two entirely separate movies stuck together. The first portion is a very traditional Indian romance...with all the usual cliches, such as the singing montages, the normal meet cute and that she disliked him when they first met. While this was good...it was also incredibly familiar. However, the second portion, in its way, is anything but traditional...heck, it deliberately seeks to subvert traditions....and this is why I grew to eventually love this movie.

In the romantic portion, Avi (Salman Khan) is the beloved son of a rich man, Balraj (Amitabh Bachchan). Avi meets Mili (Rani Mukerji) and instantly is smitten with her. Not surprisingly, they eventually marry. During all this portion, there are hints to what is coming next (such as the aunt who is essentially kept a prisoner following her husband's death). Yes, Avi is killed in an accident and Mili is inconsolable. While she has a son to raise, she is barely functional. And, throughout this, Balraj's heart breaks. This is because although she is technically his daughter-in-law, he sees her like a daughter and would do anything to take away her pain. So, he formulates a plan...to find Rajat (John Abraham) and bring him back to court Mili and, hopefully, marry her and give her a reason to live.

While all this seems pretty reasonable for a non-Indian, there are Indian traditions that many follow that simply could not allow for Mili to remarry. For many, a widow is always a widow.....and her happiness should come from being a widow and staying at home and...well...existing. So how will Balraj deal with his family? His wife doesn't want Mili to marry, as she'll likely leave them...and take the grandchild with her. And, what about Balraj's older brother? He's extremely traditional and will not flex in the least. So what's next?

The final portion of the film deserves an 11 out of 10...it is that good. The giant climactic scene where Balraj is confronted by his family (when they object to Mili's remarriage) is simply brilliant and Bachchan is given a marvelous monolog...one that grips you by the heart and won't let go. Overall, a marvelous film...one you should see with a box of Kleenex nearby!

this movie had a great story line...the camera angle sucked...and i have to say the movie got boring whenever they spoke. i found my mind wandering while someone was saying something... for example Amhitabh Bachan talking to Rani about how she should find happiness and stuff out on the balcony at night after Salmaan Khan dies. boring! i had to painfully watch the movie again because i was too busy dozing off and lost some of the main parts. in a way the story is good..its just the acting. this is one of the worst movies i have ever seen. and i don't like this ten lines for a comment thing either! if u have anything more to add please do..i hope someone will read this and for future reference not make a movie so boring.i feel like a good storyline was just thrown out the window.