Time Travel: Finding That Girl- Neelanjana Gupta
When Dil Chahta Hai released in 2001, the movie brought with it modern ideas into the industry- whether it be fashion or location. It was truly seen as coming of a new age. Given that it was the beginning of a new century around this time, the song Woh Ladki Hai Kahan showed that in Bollywood the idea of falling in love is purely conventional: One would think that he or she is too ‘cool’ or ‘stylish’ to fall in love, but the truth is that Bollywood characters are not alien to any conventions. Sameer and Pooja ‘fall in love’ and find ‘the one’. An extra diagetic song turns into an intra diagetic sequence when at the end of the song they confess their love to each other in the theater.
The story of the movie that they go to watch at the theater begins with a 1950s version of Sameer and Pooja. Sameer is wondering where the girl of his dreams is. Pooja comes around and they embark on the journey together to find his true love. This part of the song is black and white and recreates the magic of Raj Kapoor and Nargis in Pyaar Hua Ikraar Hua (Shree 420, 1955). It is the epitome of immortal love. The next part of the song takes us twenty years ahead of time, to the 1970s. There is more color in the lives of the characters now- their way of interaction and their sense of style is very different, definitely not as conservative as the yesteryears. Even the idea conveyed in this sequence is more progressive as Sameer tells Pooja that what if she was the girl for him. And finally, in the 1990s, the characters come very close. Sameer feels confident telling Pooja that she is the girl of his dreams. There are no other people around them in this scene, and hence it is more intimate and private than others. Again, their clothing is very different and can be compared to that seen in Dil Toh Pagal Hai, may be. Sameer and Pooja’s proximity displayed in the 90s might have been considered insulting if show in the 50s.
This chronological sequence tells the audience how over the years people have observed ideas from the West and incorporated them in the normal scheme of things. Globalization has not only benefited in terms of goods, services, or jobs, but Bollywood has also borrowed and accepted several Hollywood, and more generally, the foreign way of thinking.
Filed by Neelanjana Gupta at March 29th, 2013 under Uncategorized