First things first, Suderman is out hibernating.
Time for a new personality.
The superhero has changed his avatar.
Enter Pyaare a.k.a. PyaareMan.
The Pyaara Superhero No.1 with a dose of the desi, has just returned after watching Jedi No.1 David Dhawan’s work of commerical art.
Irreverence. Timepass. Pop Corn with extra Corn.
No one does it better than David Dhawan, one of the most under-rated directors of Indian cinema.
I loved Aankhen, but didn’t think he was great shakes then.
Nor did I think he was any better till Hero No.1.
I was even disappointed with Bade Miyaan Chottey Miyaan (but for the climax of course, which was a blast! I still crack up everytime I watch it!).
And then I saw Deewana Mastana. And before I knew it, my respect for this man shot up. Here was a director who took us to a forgotten era of Hindi cinema with his repeated references (or tributes) to scenes from the cinema of the sixties, seventies and the eighties. And sometimes, even the nineties. I loved the way he catered to a mass as he made them believe he was paying tributes and the way he made the classes believe he was merely spoofing or making fun of some great movies.
It’s that fine line he walks between a tribute and a spoof that makes David Dhawan one of the finest filmmakers we have, one who specialises in a rare kind of cinema: the irreverent.
Check out Jodi No.1 which has to be the best tribute film any filmmaker has made in honour of Sholay, at one level. At another level, it works as a laugh-your-ass-off spoof, with a climax set in a location you wouldn’t even dream of. No filmmaker has ever dared to set his climax atop a commode inside a toilet, in a big-budget movie with Govinda and Sanjay Dutt in the lead.
It has to be one of the most inventive, funniest and riotous finales ever in a David Dhawan film. So much that Jai Paaji and Veeru Paaji had to be brought back for a sequel in spirit. ‘Ek aur Ek Gyarah’ wasn’t as funny but ended up as a mast-watch for all fans of the David Dhawan cult.
With ‘Mujhse Shaadi Karogi,’ something significant happened.
Suddenly, a filmmaker seemed to have found the right colours and bright backdrops for his sketchy fun tales — an appropriately colourful tone, thanks to Sharmishto Roy.
He already had irreverence, comic characters (like Pappu Pager, PyaareMohan, Bunnu), timing-based humour, slapstick comedy, zany situations and ‘Bad Boys’ for heroes (sometimes cops, sometimes crooks and sometimes, just liars) and incredibly casual titles and funky song lyrics with jhatack steps (Who can even forget ‘Kissi Disco Main Jaaye’?) and a tendency to spoof or pay tributes of old films, for a signature. With art direction falling into place, the David Dhawan film had finally evolved.
Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya is therefore one of the most evolved films from the David Dhawan cult. It has everything you’ve loved about David Dhawan films.
The way David Dhawan treats even the soppiest scene with convincing irreverence and casualness has to be seen to be believed.
Like the end after Salman gives the girl the corniest lines ever… and in vain. After she walks away, leaving him, he cries: “Yeh Bhi chali gayi!” And his buddy Arshad cooly says: “Aur koi hai to dekh!” (Is there anyone else around?) And they both instantly scan the airport for another hawt chick with convincing casual air! That, gentlemen, is the classic David Dhawan we know, from his ‘Deewana Mastana’ days.
He’s come a long way from ‘Biwi No.1’ days when he still used to take his sentimental scenes too seriously. Today, David Dhawan does even the most tragic scenes with comic flair that it touches you at an entirely different plane. His films have the ‘Take it easy’ policy written all over them.
Watch Salman reacting to Katrina after she’s attempted suicide. It touches you and it’s funny at the same time. Sweet corn at its best.
Or when she goes off to kill herself again saying: “I hate you. Tum bhi baaki saare mard jaisey nikle” (I hate you. You’re just like other men). And Salman left behind, mutters: “Hate tho theek hai… lekin yeh baaki saare mard kaun hai… ” and yells: “Yeh Baaki Mard kaun hai?” (Who are the other men?”)
David Dhawan is not the most original scriptwriter, but he has to be the most spontaneous and the coolest of our filmmakers who tells us stories he heard from others with absolutely convincing honesty in a way which is more original than most filmmakers we have. All he needs is a good scriptwriter and he can create comedy films which can be compared to the best in the world.
On second thoughts, let him not. We love the fact that he entertains us with the story being just an excuse.
In Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya, he gets the best comic talents out of Salman and even Sohail Khan, an absolutely adorable Pyaare, the guy next door to Katrina with a flair for saving her life and making Salman’s miserable.
I won’t review the film as such. Read Sukanya Verma’s take, it’s the most accurate review I’ve read on the film and can’t do better.
Hence, just a post devoted to Demi-god David Dhawan: The Baap er… Pop of Corn!
Pyaare Mohan is one of David Dhawan’s favourite screen-names. And as a tribute to the guru, Suderman turns PyaareMan and announces that his next film ‘Watcha Gonna Do’ will be in the genre of David Dhawan cinema: Only that it will be in English!
Quick update about my first film:
I’m starting edit for the third time in three months, after the first two attempts were rendered unsuccessful due to software hassles. So we’re shifting to a proper studio to edit, after abandoning plans to edit the film at Vijay’s place. Vijay Prabakaran is a filmmaker himself, who went to a film school in Vancouver and he made the city’s first full-length no-budget film called ‘I Just Don’t Get It.’ He was inspiration for me to get on with my film, without waiting for sponsors. Thanks nanba!
MADRAS INK. 