Archive

Off the Fantastic

Yuvvraaj

Subhash GHAI

India2008 159 min 35mm C Korean Premiere

Synopsis

An attempt to categorize a film or to compare it with its original is quite meaningless when it comes to Bollywood. There, a project typically embraces almost all known film genres maintaining a harmony with one another, and the remnants of the original inevitably fade away amid recurring song and dance numbers. The same principle applies to the ‘sibling rivalry’ theme which has been around since Year 1. Yuvvraa reminds us of Rain Man in that an ugly, stupid sibling inherits everything and the other sibling who is left out is plotting to steal away the money. But the film adds another contingency that he must become a millionaire in 40 days in order to marry his fiancée. With this, the film completes its transformation. What offers a clue into the long-standing conflict between the siblings is none other than music, which is fully incorporated into the film at each critical moment of narration. The true beauty of Bollywood films is their caliber to make a fascinating and exciting entertainment out of a seemingly predictable, too familiar plot. It you can get that, you may be OK with the killing-two-birds-with-one-stone sort of happy ending. Added spectacles are the international locations such as Prague, London, and Australia a new attempt to help expand the fun. (OAK Mina)

Diretor

Subhash GHAI

Spent over 3 decades in Bollywood, his most notable films include Karz (1980),Karma (1986), Pardes (1997) and Taal (1999). He launched ‘Mukta Arts", a film production company in 1982, and is known as the ‘showman’ of Bollywood, for making epic films that portray grandeur and a very rich theme.