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HEART'S DESIRE (DIL CHAHTA HAI)
Screened at the Sydney Asia Pacific Film
Festival 2002
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Bollywood is now the only film culture in the world to
resist Hollywood, and if Heart's Desire (aka Dil Chahta Hai)
is anything to go by, it will resist it for some time yet. This was
2001's biggest Bollywood film, and its easy mix of appealing
characters and lightweight melodrama will appeal to anyone with any
sense of fun.
Watching it I was reminded of the Hollywood of the 1940s, where
movies simply aimed to please. The major difference is that it's in
Hindi, and the music is a whole lot funkier.
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It's a story about three friends with different views on love. Akash says
there is no such thing, and never keeps a girlfriend longer than two weeks.
Sameer falls in love deeply, but frequently. Sid keeps his feelings inside,
but so far that no-one can guess who he is loving, least of all the object of
his desire. At the film's start, the three friends are estranged; through
flashbacks we learn about the strong bond between them, and the event that
tore them apart. All via some wacky romantic situations and plenty of catchy
songs!
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Within this structure director Farhan Akhtar spins an enjoyable tale that
trips buoyantly along for three hours plus. I usually run a mile from long
films, but this is so pleasantly paced that I barely noticed the time
passing. It's all eye and ear candy, and not hard to see why it was such a
hit in India - these boys want for nothing, living in fabulous apartments
and driving off to Goa in their Merc. And of course we have those famous
tunes and dance routines - banish that preconception you have of sitars
twanging away, the music for 2001 Bollywood is up-to-the-minute and mighty
danceable. It's a crime to watch these things sitting down! Standout
routines include the boys' impromptu disco graduation party, and a hilarious
sequence where Sameer takes his date to the movies and sees himself crooning
away on screen. To hear some of the tunes, check out the official
website.
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Of especial note to Australian audiences is the fact that part of the story
is filmed in Sydney, hence its inclusion at SAPFF. The film is enjoyable
enough as it is, but watching Akash and Shalini trade musical barbs about
the existence of love while strolling through Hyde Park would put a smile on
anyone's face!
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Rating: 8 Sydney Harbour Bridge Views out of 10
Reviewed by Mark Morrison
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H E R O I C * C I N E M A
http://www.heroic-cinema.com
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