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I thought it was a curious coincidence watching 'Delhi-6' and 'Jodhaa Akbar' back to back last night. Both are about fundamentally the same thing - religious suspicions leading to intolerance, and the struggles of one man whose radical vision of a peaceful coexistence gets him into lots of trouble. In the end, they obviously win in their immediate environments/time periods, and make us forget about the bigger picture. 

I enjoyed both the films, though I think I liked 'Jodhaa Akbar' better. Maybe that's because of my ignorance of the history of the Mughal dynasty in India. I remember there were many controversies related to this film, but personally I couldn't care less. Also, the film starts with a disclaimer saying this is just one version of history. My preference for this film could also be because I was in the mood for a perfect love story. I liked the sub-plot of Jodhaa's warrior cousin, and their relationship. After a long time, or maybe for the first time, I liked Hrithik Roshan and didn't skip over the fight scenes involving him (when he is bare-chested, and also with the cool frock-like costume). It is terribly long, and I still got a feeling that a lot had been left out from the story. The songs I did skip over, except my favorite "Khwaaja".

'Delhi-6' was okay. I can't really say actually. I keep imagining what it would be like if I saw it in a theatre (I obviously watch it online) - if it would be better or worse. It was good and bad to see Delhi - old Delhi - a part of Delhi that I don't frequent but had been there on my last trip in December. One thing that did strike a chord was the dream sequence when Chandni chowk comes alive in Times Square. It was surreal. Rickshaws on the street, with street food vendors, and a cow giving birth on the crowded pavement. Anyway, so the business with the kaala bandar seemed quite unnecessary until the very end. It seems like they didn't have anything else to keep the story alive, so they kept going back to the monkey man. I love the music. Overall, I think it was a disappointment coming after Mehra's 'Rang De Basanti', which had many layers, and strong characters. 

I still haven't seen Dev D. The print online is horrible - I can hear people talking and laughing in the theatre even before the credits begin. Billu was horrible. Horrible. Really horrible. Don't even think about watching it. I hate Shahrukh Khan more than ever. It's very much like Himesh Reshamiya's film where he is supposed to be a huge star. I hate actors playing characters that are even bigger than themselves - feels like they are trying to propagate a fake rock star image of themselves through the film. How can they agree to do something like this?

Anyway, so here is my latest obsession...