I recently watched Chennai Express and throughout the entire duration of the movie I could not figure out why this movie is the biggest ever grosser in bollywood. It frustrated me so much that I felt like jumping into the well sized plot holes. I slept over this thought and in the morning I was woken up with fresh stream of ideas. Considering the movie is a blockbuster imagine many years from now if someone watches this movie he would watch it with the assumption that it is a great movie and they will try to justify the greatness. What would that person write about Chennai Express is what this post is all about.
'Get on the train, baby!' wow! what a catchy line. This line sets up the tone of the movie and is played every time the lead couple is on the run, which they are many times in the movie. By the end of the movie I found myself saying this phrase every time it played and it is still playing in my head. Simply amazing. The movie is neither about the train Chennai Express nor it is set up in Chennai but a forced journey in Chennai Express turns out to be the turning point in the life of our hero. Also I feel that Chennai is used as a metaphor to address entire Tamil community. What thought process on account of the legendary director Rohit Shetty; which wikipedia tells me makes only blockbusters with only exception to some movie called Zameen. However wikipedia blames the failure of that movie on Abhishek Bacchan who seems to have the power of turning anything he touches into dust. I hear that in later years of his life he was forced to wear gloves all the time.
'He is so old. No... I don't want to run.'
Anyway, I digress. Shifting our focus back to Chennai Express. The hero is a 40 year old man played by Shahrukh Khan who is suffering from a medical condition that restricted his mental growth somewhere during his teens. So while he looks 40, he still behaves with the maturity level of a 16 year old. I am sure this is some rare medical condition, which director wanted to bring to our attention. I think such movies highlighting rare medical conditions were big during that time. I remember watching a movie called 'My Name is Khan'; which was a big hit; however there was another movie during that time 'Paa' that was not as big a hit but thanks to recently gained above mentioned knowledge from wikipedia, I now know the movie must have failed to make it big because of Mi-dust touch of Abhishek Bacchan. I hear he even managed to turn his wife, who used to be a global icon, into worthless after marriage. Such was the legendary Mi-dust touch of his and I think it was she who forced him into wearing gloves to save the entire family. I wonder if someone wants to make a movie on that. I would be happy to write a script on that.
I digress again. So our hero Rahul gets into the Chennai Express only to get down at next station to go to Goa but fate has some other plans for him. While getting out he sees a girl running on the platform to catch the train and somehow he gets nostalgic, probably remembering his younger days and instead of getting off he helps pull her up. Then he sees four dudes running to catch the train and again gets nostalgic, probably remembering Karan Johar and pulls them up too; only to later realize that those 4 big dudes have kidnapped Mina-something-I-cannot-pronounce and she was running from them. So she was running from her family near Chennai and she catches a train, which takes her back to same place. I am sure director wanted to show us the power of fate otherwise under her circumstances this would have been the last train anyone else would have taken. Anyway they communicate in funniest possible way and land in her village. She convinces her father that she loves Rahul and wants to marry him and entire village seems to be okay about it until a huge guy comes along and challenges Rahul for a fight in Tamil. Since Rahul does not understand Tamil and has the maturity level of a 16 year old, he nods. Then he runs away and is brought back by the Sri Lankan police, which I think is director's way of showing global collaboration and neighbor solidarity. Then they run away and are brought back again. Then they run away again and come back on their own this time. Why? Because Rahul has a mental disorder. Director has so beautifully presented this disorder by his action without actually mentioning it even once.
He...
...beats him. Such is the power of love.
Anyway, in the end due to power of love a 40 year old defeats some 20 goons who are all much fitter and bigger than him. This power of love transform all the bad guys and they live happily ever after and how. By singing and dancing to the tunes of legendary Yo Yo Honey Singh. He is so cool, as in, 'Yo'. His voice is sweet like 'Honey' and he roars like a 'Singh' when someone finds any vulgarity in his songs. Everyone is dancing in front of pictures of Tamil contemporary God Rajni. Such meaningful are the lyrics of the song and what use of 'lungi'. Lets pause for a moment to sing 'lungi' prayer to Rajni.
This was the biggest blockbuster of its time so it must be a good movie so what if I cannot find the good part. Gems are usually hidden and difficult to find. So many people collectively cannot be wrong so there must be something lacking in my movie watching process that I may have missed these carefully hidden gems. I am sure regular 'lungi' dance in front of Rajni God will give me necessary skills to appreciate such movies.
Attire for 'lungi' prayer.
