Movie Review: Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi

I think this is my first full-fledged movie review. I would have liked to review a few other movies I loved(I have mentioned some of them in this review), but as usual I felt lazy about blogging and typing and...oh, whatever, let's get to Rab ne Bana Di Jodi. The story isn't quite( to quote a part of its catch-line)"extraordinary", we know what is going to happen before we are halfway through, but the treatment, the approach make sit special.The best part of this movie is its extreme feel good spirit that allows you to come out of the hall thinking that the world is not so terrible a place after all, and that a movie can work wonderfully without any violence or vulgarity or twisted issues, depending on simple, basic human emotions instead. Another good thing is what SRK has said in an interview is that the songs do not stop the movie- and that is the way songs should be picturised in movies and in recent times, I have seen movies where the songs are used to push the story forward, like certain songs in JodhaAkbar(mindblowing songs, those, by the way), songs in Taare Zameen Par(what a movie) and a couple of songs in Jab We Met(another simple lovestory). The acting is superb, not just the trio of Khan, Sharma and Pathak but also the sideline people like Sahni's office colleagues, the Sumo wrestler and the Punjabi man hosting the contest with a Japanese fan in his hand, the owner of the garage etc. etc. Vinay Pathak is superb and Anushka Sharma is so fresh she never seems to be acting. I find her prettier and more expressive than SRK's last debutante leading lady, namely Deepika Padukone. I hope she will do many more good roles in the years to come. As for Shahrukh, people are saying that Sahni was a better avataar than Raj and that the latter is too loud, but I think Sharukh has done both roles wonderfully without remotely appearing the Superstar in either case. Sahni of course is very endearing, the way he says "love ho gaya" or "lighting up your lives ji", the way he places a rose and then replaces it, the way he gazes adoringly at the yellow tiffin-carrier... but Raj is great too- he is loud because he is meant to be loud because he does not really fit into the role he is trying to put on. His sigining of dialogue-"Hum hai rahi..." and the way he says it absolutely rocks. The comedy is great yet not overdone, and the song with the five girls is a great tribute to Hindi film music. But more than any of the songs, I loved the Haule Hauel music at different moments of the movie. A friend told me that the moment of Taani's realization at the Golden temple was stupid, because had she gone there with her dance-partner instead of her husband, she would have seen God, and by default her love, in Raj. I don't think the scene is that literal, though. Taani did not pray to be physically shown the person she loves, she prayed so that God would make her realize the love that was already in her heart, she wanted direction to understand who she really loved. Sahni walking forward after she opens her eyes was more for the audience's benefit than for her own, and well, it makes the scene more filmy that way. Aditya Chopra has done a good job. I like this movie better than Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.