Thursday, June 20, 2013

Raanjhanaa: Some musings on love lost, found & some just lost forever


Disclaimer: This isn't a review as such, but some musings caused by some old scars that started hurting all over again. To save you time, let me just quickly say, if Aanand L Rai's 'Tanu Weds Manu' brought tears in your eyes, 'Raanjhanaa' will make your heart bleed.

'Raanjhanaa' is for those who believe in eternal old-school-love, longing, tears, slit wrists, sleepless nights, the unsaid and the unspoken, the truth and lies and how true love never ever dies. People die, the love doesn't. Or may be it does these days. Not in the good ol' days when guys would buy musical greeting cards, write poetry or even write love letters with their own blood. I heard recently that a couple broke off their '7 weeks long' relationship on Twitter. Too bad, 'Raanjhanaa' might not work for those bunch of kids.

Coming back to my thoughts, my memories and scars, triggered by this well-told story... 

It was a rainy night. A young guy, punch drunk, had set off on his final journey. Or so he thought. At about 120kmph on the highway all he could see was the smile that made him freeze when he first saw it. A smile that detached him from his entire universe. Everything that he had, family or friends had ceased to exist at that  moment. Call it what you will, but he saw that moment when Kundan sees Zoya for the first time when they were tiny kids with no idea of the world around them.

This happened a month even before our guy had professed undying love to this girl he fell for.

Our guy was having a bad day. A very bad one. He had quit his job, just because his boss wouldn't give him a day off to be there on the birthday of that girl who he loved more than anything or anyone in this world. He re-lived that moment when Kundan forgets about his OWN marriage, just to be there for that girl who left him for somebody who he didn't even know existed.

Friends are forever, love perhaps comes with an expiry date

Things were beginning to get sad and the relationship didn't seem to be heading anywhere. Our guy was at a shady dance bar, being wooed by some random whores for a quick buck. He was almost about to give in to the temptation and that's when his one-time best friend storms into that place, slaps our guy and takes him back home. Our guy expresses his gratitude by slapping his best friend back after being got back home safe minus any sexually transmitted diseases. The character played by Zeeshan (Kundan's best friend) drowned me in the memories of so many such things my best friends did for me (and still continue to do so), despite me being such an a**h**e friend.

Little did our guy know that the magik of love & the love of magik wears off too...

A few years later their relationship was over. The guy was heartbroken and his soul was bruised. He incidentally bumped into the girl he refused to call his 'ex' yet. She was still wearing an earring that he had gifted her, when they were still together. Our guy relived the moment when Kundan was trying to touch Zoya's anklet while she was in the hospital. 

True love comes back, even if it is in the form of another person...

After many years, a decade almost, our guy gets lucky enough to meet a girl as mad as he is; perhaps more. But he was still stuck to the memories of the girl he loved and still refused to call his 'ex'. This time it seemed like the guy was destined for a long relationship. But he still wouldn't open up. The girl kept trying, with the patience of a monk. She kept trying till he finally realized that he was ruining his life for nothing. He thought about this when he saw Bindiya, the character played by Swara Bhaskar, just wouldn't give up on Kundan, despite him being such an idiot.

There is a God up there somewhere, whatever name we give him, he is doing a damn good job.

Today when I watched Raanjhanaa, it was again a rainy night, like the beginning of this post. Thanks to Aanand L Rai's labour of love, I have relived countless memories of the guy I was, guy I knew, the guy I have become and the guy I know that I will be tomorrow. I will stop writing now, as I am feeling emotionally stripped after putting down these thoughts here. The girl who waited patiently for me to get over my ex, is still patiently waiting for me to finish this post, so that we can chat about 'Raanjhanaa' for the rest of the night... or is it day already?

One last question to the director -  

Why did you not let Krsna & Rajshekhar to do the music of Raanjhanaa? Wish you had given them a chance. I was pining for that 'Rangrez mere' moment when I stormed out of the theatre, not being able to control my tears at all. Full respect to ARR sir & the gems he created for your film, but the 'Rangrez mere' moment is still missing... Perhaps in your next film... I hope... I wait...

The rest of y'all in Ramgarh, if you do watch the film, please write in the comments of what you feel about this film. All my love & wishes for Dhanush, Sonam, Zeeshan & Swara, I am sure they will go places once Raanjhanaa finds its real audience & its own space in the universe of eternal love...

Amen.

Love, Magik. 

29 comments:

  1. jhakaas!! dhil khol ke likh liya dhosth!!
    padthe mujhe mazaa aagayaa.

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  2. I dint watch this movie yet. but after reading this awesome article i feel that i watch this movie & increase curiosity to watch it..
    Thanks Keyrun for lovely narration of RANJHAAN

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  4. Bro, thought you had lost your mind when I started reading the first few paras after the intro, but then something struck my ding-dong bell and I knew exactly what you are talking about. Gonna watch the movie soon.

    I have a feeling that watching Ranjhana will be like watching your life over the last 12 years - interesting but hopefully not that long!:D Cheers to love and cheers to authentic lovegiri! And finally, cheers to the girl who is waiting for you while you finish reading this comment! ;)

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  5. hmmm havent even planned....but now I guess I must watch :)

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  6. Gosh Magik, !!! Trust you to dissect this film so painstakingly... Man, you bring my heart to the throat.... Many will find your review cheesy and even more will find my comment cheesier... They can act practical but truth is nothing goes or moves ahead without love..Nothing, be it your workm your business, your life... We all want it, we all get it only to lose it and get it back sometimes and not most of the times. Bottom line is no matter how much we try to act pragmatic or superficial or strong we all crave or at least long for it deep within..

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  7. This sounds too familiar... as if it was my own story!! The only difference being, I haven't yet reached "True love comes back" stage. But an eternal optimist that I am, I believe that yes, there is something like true love... that magical, almost unearthly feeling that surpasses and wins over all odds.
    Need I say that I'm already crying reading this?! Am going to watch this movie, because I belong to that old school. :)

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    1. I havent seen the movie, but I will now. I am of the opinion that True love always comes back. We just have to understand the limitations and challenges involved in such situations. Also, it is very important to keep an open mind to welcome the True Love when it comes back and not shun away from it.

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  8. Viva old school romance. Wish you get to the next stage soon! Lots of love & thanks for commenting! All the best! :)

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  9. had seen the movie so i can relate to it more

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  10. Beautiful .. cud not relate as much to the movie but a lot to this post.

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  11. Love exists... Love never dies.. People do..Love finds a way if you believe in it...I have been super uber blessed to feel true love in my life..Love that was never limited just to my physical being. Love that was not bothered by geographical distance and is still not bothered by distance.Love that is love even when hatred. Yes,that intensity of love...I have seen in him. And this post ripped my heart apart and now I want to watch this movie only with him. The one who always stood by through all my ups and down:The one who restored my belief in myself;The one who told me if i desired for the sky he would make sure its mine. His love for me is "na bhuto,na bhavishyati"kind... Gosh!! I did not realize I have rendered down so much.. Sorry Laadul and Thanks a ton for this one... And thank God for bestowing our hearts with love..Love you loads!

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  12. Respect you sir. The article (though not entirely) resembles my story, not the movie. Feeling great
    (i) knowing that this kind of people still exist (other than me)
    (ii) after seeing the film as its shows the 'true' and 'to be happened once' eternal love. The love I experienced from a very long time, since my early school-days, but couldn't get. Still I am what I was but that doesn't make any difference. And an other girl is waiting for me, but I know I won't be able to make up to her as its impossible to love someone other than her.

    You are a true writer. #Respect

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    1. You made my day, bro! Would love to meet you over some drinks whenever you are in Bombay! Truck loads of love!

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  13. Awaiting your movie partner.......cant wait anymore after reading this article

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  14. Good one!!!Yet to watch the movie but you have written it nicely. Keep it up!!!

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  15. Can't believe another guy connected so deeply with the film. Had exactly similar thoughts after watching the movie all penned down here http://www.madaboutmoviez.com/2013/06/raanjhanaa-teaches-men-women-love-india/

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  16. u watched u shared the link over twitter.. i usually read ur stuffs on day 1 .. but waited ... i waited to watch the movie and read... and yes bro.. in twitter world its easy u have links.. here on google took a while to reach here... searched Raanjhanaa Keyrun and landed to ur blog... To start with this movie is magic.. yeah reason why i still belief in movies of India... after all the masala stuffs. movies like this. brings magic back to celluloid... and Dhanush .. wat brilliance ... abhay short effective.. Bindiya and muraaaaaaaaaaaari... damm u fu#$$#s dost ho tum jaise saalo... even abhays sister role was good .... dam it was a journey frm the chotu kundan till the last scene... and mind blown ..came out with teared eye... and my friend ur version of Ranjhaaanaaa don let Muraaari and Bindiyaa of ur sight ever.... dhadkan tho waapis aajaati... lekin ab saala mood nahi rahaa.....

    below was my fb status
    "RaanJhanaa One Word AWESOME>. Dhanush Brilliant ... Muraari and Bindiya... dost saale..
    "Main Khoon bahau tum aansu ... saala aashiqui na hui lathi charge hogayi"
    "Saala sade saath saal mein ho shanichar bhi peecha chod deta hain.. ab tho aath nau hogaye"
    Climax... Ulti ./ saala uth tho jaaye maut se ... Lekin ab mood nahi hain !!!! RaanJhanaa !!!!!" btw this is @oyenimsi from twitter ... :)

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