Jaan-E-Mann

So I went to see a Hindi movie in the theater today-the new Salman Khan movie, Jaan-E-Mann(Sweetheart): Let's Fall In Love...Again. I feel that I should state right here that I am not a Salman Khan fan. I think this is due, in a large part, to the opinion of one of my friends who had a large influence on my Hindi movie-watching experiences. ["What's this movie?" "Chori Chori Chupke Chupke."* "Who's in this movie?" "Salman Khan. *disgustedly* I wonder if he'll take his shirt off in this movie too?"**] But, from my own personal opinion, if you look at his eyes in many of his movies he looks like he's on some sort of drugs.

Anyway, despite the fact that it was a Salman Khan movie, one of my friends convinced me to see it. He adores Salman Khan, and he's already seen the movie like 4 times, so I didn't feel too bad about asking him to translate it all for me. It was a typical Hindi movie-love triangle, family interference in true love, lots of singing & dancing (though no wet saree scene). And, it was a typical Salman Khan movie because not even a half hour into the movie, he rips his shirt off.

However, the part I found most interesting was the Indian movie representation of New York City and of New Yorkers. (I think that having the characters visit NYC is the new trend in Indian movies-see also Vettaiyadu Vilaiyadu). In this movie, the two heroes get out of a cab in NYC to find the address of the heroine. They meet a guy (an American) coming out of her apartment building and they ask him if they are at the right address and he starts giving out all sorts of personal details about her: "Oh, you must mean the sweet and pretty girl that lives right next to me" etc to these two strangers! And she lives alone! Plus, the dialogue for all the Americans was rather stilted, not the way we speak at all! Then, there is a fight scene where Salman Khan single-handedly trounces six tough guys...in the middle of Times Square! I mean, come on, do people really think it's like India where you can pay everyone to look the other way while you beat someone in public?

I don't mean to sound negative, though, because I really did enjoy the experience altogether. I do have a certain love for Hindi movies, no matter how bad they are!

*Secretly, Quietly
**Of course he does.