Veer-Zaara (2004)

Star Power: Shahrukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Rani Mukerji, Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini

Overall Rating: 7 out of 7 chilies

Music: 7 out of 7 chilies

Choreography: 7 out of 7 chilies

Synopsis:

When aspiring lawyer Saamiya Siddiqui (Rani Mukerji) visits Indian prisoner 786 (whose real name is Squadron Leader Veer Pratap Singh (Shahrukh Khan)) in a Pakistani jail to offer to fight his case, at first he turns her down, but gradually he opens up and begins to relate the strange series of events that led up to his imprisonment. 22 years earlier, a young Pakistani girl called Zaara Haayat Khan (Preity Zinta) is traveling to India to fulfill her governess' dying wish to have her ashes scattered in her native country when her bus overturns. Veer is part of the Indian Air Force team that saves her and later accompanies her in scattering her governess' ashes. In return he asks to take her on a trip to his home village. Veer gradually falls in love with her, unaware that she is already engaged...

Comments:

A really great modern movie and a good starting place for anyone looking for an intro to Bollywood. A cast full of big-name stars and a list of songs which are almost all very catchy and sweet. This is one of Amitabh Bachchan's better later performances, in my opinion, as Veer's quirky loveable father and his onscreen moments with Hema Malini, especially in the song "Lodi", steal the show. Good chemistry between Shahrukh and Preity as well, and the ending will leave you smiling and crying all at the same time.

Seeta aur Geeta (1972)

Star Power: Hema Malini (in a double role), Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar

Overall Rating: 6 out of 7 chilies

Music: 5 out of 7 chilies

Choreography: 5 out of 7 chilies

Synopsis:

When a rich man and his pregnant wife are stranded, they stay the night in the village cottage of another couple. The wife gives birth to a girl and they leave in the morning, but unbenownst to them, she actually gave birth to twins and the village wife stole one of her daughters to raise as her own. Many years later, the girls, called Seeta and Geeta (both played by Hema Malini), have grown up, each unaware of the other's existence. Seeta's rich parents have died and she lives under the thumb of her obnoxious aunt and uncle while trying to take care of her aging grandmother. Geeta, on the other hand, is a fiesty street performer working with a friend who lives nearby (Dharmendra). The trouble starts when Seeta runs away from home after nearly being raped and accused of stealing by her aunt's brother and the police bring home Geeta instead...

Comments:

A great classic Bollywood film and a stellar performance by Hema Malini, which won her a Filmfare Award for Best Actress. You can really believe she's two completely different people and you can root for both as they try to sort out the mistakes, each falling in love in the process. Dharmendra, a huge classic Bollywood star, (and later Hema Malini's husband) has a somewhat smaller role in this film, but both he and the other male lead, Sanjeev Kumar, come off as sweet and likeable. No real standout song for this film, in my opinion, but some fun active musical numbers, including one with some impressive balancing for Geeta's street performance and another on rollerskates down a mountain. An enjoyable romp with real 60s-70s style.