MovieChat Forums > Namastey London (2007) Discussion > An Improbable Film.

An Improbable Film.

posted 17 years ago by amitaishwaryajogi
7 replies | jump to latest

Namaste London is a tedious film: it seeks to readapt Manoj Kumar’s “Purab aur Paschim” [East and West] to our times but the outcome is a yarn based on highly improbable and unbelievable premises.

For one thing, no first-generation NRI-Londoner [Rishi Kapoor] can possibly trick his remarkably liberated and fiercely independent adult-daughter [Katrina Kaif] into marrying a desi Punjabi [Akshay Kumar] while ostensibly “taking a journey across India to see the Taj Mahal”. Moreover, no self-respecting hot-blooded desi Punjabi is going to hang around London watching his ‘wife’ paint the town red with her fiancé- a spoilt and thrice-divorced heir of a British tycoon- in the hope that she will eventually come running back into his arms. As things turn out, that is exactly what happens.

Only two sequences stand out: first, the family’s hilarious interviewing of suitable matches for their daughter, including a lap-top yielding software-analyst from Hyderabad who demands to have a premarital ‘physical compatibility’ test with the prospective bride-to-be, and another loony from Delhi who thinks he is a character in an Ekta Kapoor soap-opera; secondly, a family scene at the dinner table, which stands out for Rishi Kapoor’s efforts at suppressing his laughter. Apart from this, there is nothing else to the film.

Watch it only if you haven’t got anything better to do. Or, as in the case of Mohit Singhania, if your world begins and ends with Ms. Kaif!

AJ

[–] duaatul 17 years ago

Well, its not supposed to be a probable movie. May be from now on every Bollywood movie should come with 'an improbable' disclaimer.
Dood, we like movies like Rang De Basanti not expecting it to be probable. So whats wrong with this movie?

I liked the movie because being under the limitations of a masala bollywood movie, its a pretty smart and funny movie with some good performances. Only if there was no Himesh Reshmiya butting in after every five minutes with his I-dont-know-how-people-like-it kind off a voice.

[–] rohit4165 17 years ago

I second duaatul in each and every word of his (including the Reshamiya stuff, lol, too good man). It was a nice and light hearted movie and needed to be looked that way. Maybe if you were in a different mood at that time, you would have liked it. And two more things, neither did Rishi trick Katrina into marriage (she owned him later), and nor does the general perception about any group of people fits to each and every one of them. It differs from person to person.

Bande me tha Damm
Vande Mataram

[–] simian_ninja 17 years ago

"Dood, we like movies like Rang De Basanti not expecting it to be probable. So whats wrong with this movie?"

RDB sought to inspire a generation of people who have forgotten their roots and who are sick and tired of the way the political system is run in India. And the idea that people get fed up to the point that they pick up guns and wage war is not something that is not probable, it happens.

This is just a popcorn film and a terrible one at that. Though the leads did alright.

[–] bnagri 17 years ago

You are right simian455. One cannot seriously compare a sincere film like RDB with this modernized Purab Aur Paschim.It was an ok film if one could ignore the thrusting jingoism[reminicent of Pardes, another 'Indians are the best' entertainer] and the average songs. But it was good and funny in parts[especially that dinner table scene where Rishi and Akshay try to stifle their laughter]. And Kat looked lovely.

[–] MrsFarhanAkhtar 15 years ago

oh c'mon...it's a movie guys! ever heard of 'willing suspension of disbelief'...you need that when watching nonsensical family entertainers like this one...it's just for good fun!

[–] Lala_RK 15 years ago

the guy that lived in a soap opera was HILARIOUS!! i loved the triple head shakes he did , soo funny!!

the movie was entertaining, and quite good.

the most touching scene was Akshay Kumar's dialogue about how its written for people with broken hearts to console them. that line just broke my heart! very moving and emotional :)
i watched it like 4 times!!
---

but you know what bugs me about bollywood movies though
how within a split second the hero looks at the heroine and falls madly in love
its so stupid
how can you be madly in love by just looking at the girl for a second

its always the guy that falls madly in love with the girl at first sight. but rarely do you ever see it the other way around!

ok fair enough the girls are beautiful. but still
what message is that sending out to young girls that guys are basically superficial creatures, and it all just depends on looks.

i know i know, its a movie.
suspend disbelief and all that. but it just annoys me how the hero falls madly in love just by looking at the girl. you see it time and time again. but rarely the other way around.

[–] MrsFarhanAkhtar 14 years ago

It could happen. I'll admit it doesn't happen often..like maybe 1 in 60 cases, but it happens that one time.
I have this friend who saw this girl in our college in the corridor and as we were walking together, told me that he's fallen in love with her.
First we laughed it off and then we he insisted, we told him he's stupid and only attracted to her physical beauty. He asked her out nonetheless....they've been dating for a year and a half. Thought of marriage plans and baby names.
Even though I find this entire process highly idiotic and icky...others find it romantic, much like our Indian audience.
Also, you can't rule out this element of fantasy that the audience is fascinated by. How romantic is the traditional concept of love at first sight and how they would love it if it happens to them. Add some comedy or some kick-a$$ background music to it, and they're hooked. "Aww! it's so cute" kind of lame stuff.
So if it sells, bank on it right?

About the 'other way round' thing...it may be because we're still slightly conservative about that stuff. How many movies show the girl saying, 'oh, he's so hot' on seeing the guy or asking him out. This happens in real life...I know it. I'm a girl. But they can't show it on screen. Otherwise the Shiv Sena might object :D