Jersey – It’s never too late to dream

Almost all the greatest athletes in the world have a story to tell, a story of how they became the stars that they are today. These stories are often so inspiring that they inspire us to dream big and follow our dreams, even though we know that for each successful athlete, there are ninety-nine other equally talented individuals who failed, chasing the exact same dream. Jersey is the story of one such individual.

It has been three days since I have watched Jersey, and  I still can’t get the film or Arjun out of my head. I’ve been trying to write this blog ever since, but whatever I write does not do justice to the brilliance that this film really is. All I want to do is talk about every scene in the film, but that would only give away the spoilers. However, not writing about the film, will be a bigger crime, so I just decided to do my best, and hopefully it will make you want to go watch the film, if you haven’t already done so.

Arjun is a first class cricket player, who is known among his circles as one of the best player the country has ever seen. Flamboyant is the word that comes to mind when you see this twenty-six year old Arjun. He knows he is good, and he does not shy away from letting everyone around him know it. He is arrogant, confident, passionate, short-tempered, and impulsive. You just cannot take your eyes off him when he is on the field. However, when he fails to make it to the national team during selections, he decides to quit cricket forever. No amount of pleading by his coach and friends, can convince him to change his decision. With a family to support, and frustrated with the system, Arjun decides he does not want to have anything to do with cricket ever again.

It isn’t until ten years later that Arjun realizes (or rather acknowledges) something that everyone around him knows, and that is the fact that cricket is his life, and the only thing he is good at. At thirty-six, Arjun is not even a shadow of his former self. Gone is the flamboyant Arjun. The thirty-six year old Arjun is subdued and broken. He does not talk back to his wife when she criticizes him for being irresponsible, or put his foot down when his friends force themselves into his house to drink and smoke. He is the picture of a man that is simply existing, and not living. The only time we see him happy and alive is when he is with his seven year old son, Nani. Arjun can be himself with Nani because he is the only one that does not judge him. Nani could care less if his father is a success or a failure, for him Arjun is his dad and that is good enough for him to love unconditionally. It isn’t until Nani asks his father to buy him the Indian Cricket Team’s official jersey as a birthday gift, does Arjun realize his limitations. While trying to obtain the money needed to purchase the jersey, Arjun is forced to reflect on his life, and what he has become. What convinces Arjun to pick up the bat again, and chase a dream he left behind ten years ago, and if he is ever able to buy the jersey that Nani asked him, is what the rest of the movie is all about.

When Coach Gowda recollects the famous dialogue “Babu Moshai zindagi badi honi chahiye, lambi nahin”, from Rajesh Khanna’s “Anand”, we do not realize the significance of these words in relation to Jersey, until we have witnessed Arjun’s journey. Gowtham Tinnanuri’s Jersey is story-telling at its best. There are no cliches, and no obvious surprises that we have come to expect from sports dramas and films in general. Jersey is about an individual’s journey of rediscovering himself, and that is exactly what we see. What I loved most about the film is how easy it was to connect to Arjun. Every scene in the film is heart-touching. I have lost count of the number of times I broke into goosebumps or tears. When Arjun hugged his coach I cried, when Arjun slapped Nani I cried, when Nani bowed to his father I cried, when Arjun was caught stealing I cried, when Arjun sees his name in the selection list I cried, when Arjun screamed on the railway platform I cried, I was crying so much that by the time the film reached the end and Nani says, “My father tried in spite of …..” the floodgates just opened. Never have I cried so much while cheering for a character in a film. This is what Jersey does. It takes you on this extremely beautiful emotional roller coaster ride that you do not want to get off of, while inspiring you to chase those dreams that you might have left midway for some reason or the other.

Last but not the least, Jersey would not have been the film that it is without Nani. Just when you think he cannot get any more better at his craft than he already is, he surprises us with his portrayal of Arjun. To say that he nailed the performance would be an understatement. Honestly, I feel odd writing about what a fabulous job Nani did in the film, because the only person stuck in my mind when I think of Jersey is Arjun. Not once did I feel like Arjun is a character being played by an actor. Nani was Arjun, through and through. He was beyond brilliant. Almost every scene with him is a masterpiece. Whether he is alone reflecting, watching a game from the stands, or venting his emotions on a railway platform, he makes you feel every emotion that Arjun is going through. Of course, for a movie to work, it is not enough to be great on your own. In that aspect Nani was lucky enough to have Shraddha Srinath as his wife Sarah, Sathyaraj as Coach Murthy, Ronit Kamra as his young son Nani, and Praveen as his friend, to make Arjun the unforgettable character that he is.

Besides brilliant performances, Jersey also has great music by Anirudh that elevates the film at all the right moments, and plenty of cricket for all the sports loving viewers. So, if you want to watch an unforgettable sports drama, witness the brilliance that is Nani, enjoy some great storytelling, or just watch one of the best films ever made in the Telugu Film Industry, then definitely check out Jersey. It is one film you will not regret watching.

My First First Love

From good friends to challenges of growing up, Netflix’s latest Korean drama, My First First Love, has everything you would ever expect in a feel-good romantic comedy. Tae-oh is the son of a rich real-estate owner, who cannot wait to get out of his house and live on his own. However, being used to a life of luxury, he is not one to just walk out and start roughing it up for the sake of his freedom. Instead, he waits till his twentieth birthday to finally convince his father into letting him move into his grandfather’s house, by offering to be its caretaker. When Tae-Oh moves into his new house, the only thing on his mind is freedom and girls. While living alone gives him the freedom he craves, finding a girl takes a lot longer than expected. It isn’t until he turns twenty-three does he realize that he needs help in the dating department. So, instead of struggling to find a girl for himself, he agrees to go on a blind-date.

While Tae-oh is unlucky with girls, he is very lucky in terms of having great friends. He has not one but four very good friends that love him. Han Song-Yi is his best friend since childhood. She is probably the reason why no other girl approaches him, because everyone wonders if they are more than just friends. Seo Do-Hyun is his best-friend from college, and his polar opposite. While Tae-oh likes to live in the moment, Do-Hyun who values stability over everything else, likes to plan ahead. Choi Hoon is his friend from school, who dreams of making it big in the field of entertainment. He crashes at Tae-oh’s house every time he gets into a fight with his academically inclined parents. Oh Ga-Rin is his friend from after school classes, and a rich heiress. Having led a very over-protective and sheltered life, she dreams of leading a simple life like normal people at least once. As luck should have it, three of his four friends find themselves homeless on the same night as his first blind-date, and decide to move in with him. How these friends deal with the challenges of living together, falling in love, and getting used to new relations that redefine their existing relationships is what the show is all about.

What I loved about the show is how it deals with very real issues plaguing the youth of today, while still managing to keep the show light-hearted. From homelessness to child abuse / abandon, and attempted suicide, it touches on almost every topic. I especially loved the episode where Song-Yi almost commits suicide. That fleeting moment, when she feels so lost and helpless, and the realization afterwards that even though she is abandoned there are others who will be there for her no matter what, is probably one of the most beautiful moments in the show. My favorite part of the show is of course Tae-Oh and Song-Yi’s friendship. While romance is never a part of their equation, I love how they feel threatened every time one of them falls for someone else. Having been used to being the most important person in each other’s lives for the past twenty years, letting go will not be easy for either of them.

Season one establishes this first stage in their transition to adulthood. It will be interesting to see how each of them deal with this change in equation in their respective relationships, in future seasons. While the show is best suited for young adults, it is still entertaining enough for any age.  So, if you are looking for something light-hearted to watch, then you can give My First First Love a try.

Majili

Having loved Ninnu Kori very much, I was really looking forward to Shiv Nirvana’s second film Majili. The fact that Naga Chaitanya and Samantha were in the film together was another reason I was really excited about watching it. Going by the promos, I was all set to experience the emotional high I felt, when watching Ninnu Kori. Sadly, what I saw was a film that had potential but missed its opportunity. While Ninnu Kori was an emotional roller-coaster that has you hooked from the very beginning, Majili takes so long to establish itself, that by the time you get to the heart-touching emotional part, it is too little, too late.

When Poorna (Naga Chaitanya), an aspiring cricketer with exceptional talent, gets an opportunity to play in a railway cricket selections game, he knows that his dream of becoming a professional cricketer is not far behind. With a chance of a lifetime and a beautiful girlfriend, Anshu (Divyansha Kaushik), life is as good as it gets for Poorna, that is, until an evil politician and a jealous teammate play spoilsport. Unable to cope with  the disappearance of Anshu, and missing his chance of playing professional cricket, Poorna goes on a self-destructive downward spiral. The alcoholic, bitter, callous Poorna, is a far cry from the happy-go-lucky ambitious guy we see in the beginning of the film. No amount of love and support from his extremely loving and patient wife, Shravani (Samantha Akkineni), and concerned family and friends can get him out of his current state.

Besides the many inconsistencies in the script, like what happened the day after Poorna is asked to hide in the hotel room, one of the film’s major drawback is relatability. As much as I loved Samantha in the film, and the chemistry between Naga Chaitanya and Samantha, I know for a fact that Poorna and Shravani are the type of characters, I will neither like nor respect in real life. Shravani with her unconditional love and blind dedication to a husband who does nothing but disrespect her and her family, makes you wonder what kind of a person can be so void of self-respect. Equally frustrating is Poorna, who is pathetic and too selfish, to see how much he is hurting those around him.

Of course, the main reason why Majili fails to impress is because the film wastes a lot of time with the Poorna-Anshu story, which honestly deserves a max of 15 minutes screen time, and not enough time on the film’s strength, the Poorna-Shravani love story. The first half is such a drag that by the time we get to the second half of the story we are already bored. Majili had the content and cast needed for a good film, but it was not presented effectively. A better narration would have been, if we were introduced to Poorna and Shravani in the very beginning of the film, and then told about Anshu in a brief flashback, and then went back to working on how the Poorna-Shravani relationship evolves. That might have helped us connect to the film emotionally. The fact that the film wraps up so quickly after Poorna’s realization left me a bit dissatisfied. Looking at what all he put Shravani through, he should have been made to work a little harder to win back her affection. I still cannot understand why the filmmakers did not try to cash in on the real life couple, who everyone loves and adores, when they were appearing together for the first time after getting married. Majili would have definitely been a much better film, had the writers concentrated a little bit more on this arc. So, as much as I loved parts of the film, especially the last few minutes, it wasn’t enough to root for either the film or its characters.

My Dream Concert of Kim Hyun-Joong

When I recently heard that Kim Hyun-Joong is considering doing a concert in the United States, it got me super-excited. One of the items on my bucket list is to watch him perform live. While I love anything and everything he does, it is KHJ the singer and dancer that I admire the most, and to watch him perform live will be a dream come true. He is without a doubt a terrific performer and I really love how he comes alive every time he is on stage. Though I am ready to go to South Korea some day to  check this off my list, attending a concert in the United States will be a much more memorable one, because then not only will I get to share the experience with my friends, but since it will be his first time touring the country, the probability of him singing some of my favorite songs will be much higher. My dream concert of KHJ would be one in which he performed all ten of the following songs.

Because I’m Stupid – This is one song that I will never get tired of listening to. It is the one that made me a fan of KHJ, the singer. Thanks to his portrayal of Yoon Ji-hoo, this song will always be special, and to watch KHJ perform it live will be a memory that I will cherish forever.

Gentleman – This is such a cute song, and the way he sings and dances to this one is just perfect. If he performs this one, then I would want him to wear the exact same costume (or at least something similar) he is wearing in the video below, because it is the costume that makes this song even more adorable than it already is.

Break Down – I really love the energy in this song. It is hands down my favorite dance number of KHJ, and watching him perform those moves live will be quite a treat.

Kiss Kiss – Besides being one of my favorite KHJ songs to sing, it is also one with some of my favorite KHJ moves. I really want to watch him dance to this number, especially his signature step when he sings “Kiss Kiss”.

Unbreakable – He literally sets the stage on fire every time he performs this number, and I would really love to see it live at least once.

Please – Have you seen him perform live for this number? Need I say more?! 😍

Please Be Nice To Me – This is one song I never get tired of watching KHJ perform. From the way he makes an entrance, to the way he sings and dances, his performance is perfect every single time.

Your Story – Its the passion and intensity with which he sings this one, that gets me.

One More Time – This one reminds me of Playful Kiss, and anything related to Playful Kiss just makes me very happy. 😊

New Way – Honestly I am fine as long as he performs any of the songs from the NEWWAY collection, but if I had to choose just one song, then this would be the one. There is something about this song that touches my heart.

That is my wish list for a KHJ dream concert.  What about you? Do you have a list of songs that you would really love to watch Kim Hyun-Joong perform, if he ever tours the United States?

25 years of Andaz Apna Apna

Aamir, when being interviewed by the Hindustan Times to celebrate 20 years of Andaz Apna Apna said, “It was a big disaster. Kisi ne dekhi hi nahi film. It’s only later that people discovered it on TV and realised that it’s very good”. These were the exact same words that Salman said when Priety Zinta asked him about the film, on her show Up Close & Personal (check out the video from minute 11:10 to hear his words regarding AAA).

I was very surprised when I heard this, because my memory of Andaz Apna Apna was very different. I was one of those people that watched the film in the theater. As someone who loved both Aamir and Salman, there was no way I was going to miss it when it released in theaters. I still remember how hard it was for us to get tickets for the film. It was back when there were no multiplexes. People were jumping from one line to another, as the higher priced tickets kept getting sold out. Tickets were sold out within minutes of opening the counters. The theater which was mostly filled with young school and college going kids, was filled with laughter for the entire duration of the film. It was the first time that I had watched an out and out comedy in a theater, and I will never forget how hard I laughed that day.

What many people do not know is that Andaz Apna Apna is inspired by a Telugu film called Allullosthunnaru. In the Telugu film, a rich guy named Gopi (Chiranjeevi) and his poor orphaned friend Chandram (Chandra Mohan), switch places when Gopi’s father, fed up of his wayward ways, ships him off to his friend, Mangapati’s house in Madras. In Andaz Apna Apna the people switching places are Raveena and Karishma, who come to India looking for a prospective groom. Amar (Aamir) and Prem (Salman) are two good-for-nothing guys, whose only aim in life is to become rich by marrying the rich heiress, Raveena. What follows is a laugh riot with Amar and Prem outsmarting and backstabbing each other to win over Raveena. With a hilarious screenplay, great performances, memorable dialogues, and beautiful music, Andaz Apna Apna is hands down one of the most loved films in Hindi cinema.

Another thing I found surprising about the film is the fact that the music of the film was not a hit. As someone who owned the audio cassette for this film, and loved the songs very much, I was of the assumption that the songs of the film were a super hit.  In fact, it is one of those films whose songs I still know by heart. Since many of my friends and family also watched the film in the theater, and loved the music of the film, we were oblivious to the fact that Andaz Apna Apna had fared poorly at the box-office, and that its music was not a hit.

While people may not have watched the film in the theater, I am glad that Andaz Apna Apna got the love it deserved. The fact that even after twenty-five years, Andaz Apna Apna is one of the most preferred film for a good laugh, goes to prove that sometimes box-office numbers are irrelevant when measuring a success of a film. Here’s hoping that this cult classic will keep on entertaining people for generations. If you haven’t watched the film, or want to revisit it, it is available for online streamlining on Netflix and YouTube.