Two Films

24 April 2005: Saw Black at home. If it doesn’t get an Oscar for the best foreign film this year, then you can be sure there is some problem with the Academy awards. Black is cinema at its best, and in all departments. I thought Ayesha Kapoor as the young Michelle brilliantly essayed a difficult role, and Rani Mukherjee, who with this has emerged as the best actress in Bollywood, was made for the part. It is Big B, however, who clearly was at his towering best in a performance that is the crowning glory of his illustrious career. I am too overwhelmed to write. My senses are numbed by what I saw. All I can say is this: Sanjay Leela Bhansali, thank you for giving us this film and showing us what truly elevating cinema can be.

23 April 2005: Wrote in search of a poem. Saw Veer-Zaara at home. A tearjerker from the stable of the King of Romance, Yash Chopra, with lyrical cinematography by Anil Mehta and panoramic lyrics by Javed Akhtar. Both SRK and Rani Mukherjee were superb in the film. Though kitschy, I thoroughly enjoyed the fare. Somehow the India-Pak love story always touches a chord.