Film: Break Ke Baad

Despite being a Bollywood fan I think it's fair to say that I always watch a film of the genre from the "outside in". I see it for what it is - a guilty pleasure or classic form of escapism that has no real relevance to my life. But that was before I watched Break Ke Baad, a film that I personally related to so much that it's going to be difficult writing a review about it without making it personal. For that reason I'm going to split it into two.

As a film, I thought it was great. The plot was sensible and made sense, and there wasn't even any of the usual post-interval chaos we usually get. It was well paced and balanced, and at no point did I feel I was watching filler. I can't remember any silliness or scenes added purely for the sake of it.

The acting was standard fare, although the cast were hot - Deepika of course goes without saying, but I even really liked Imran Khan for once too. They had some wonderful support and ancillary characters too. The soundtrack wasn't all that as a soundtrack, but seemed to fit film perfectly as commentary or background music. The script was funny yet down to earth and charming, choosing not to ride on any cheap gags or gimmicks. I did scratch my head over the depiction of the Gold Coast, but that could have just been since I have such vivid memories of the place myself.

Overall the film was very well produced. From the embedded credits to the digital projection, the whole thing was very easy on the eye, smooth and lacking of any of the rough edges we've become accustomed to. So yes, even if you have no interest in the subject matter I'd say that this is still a film worth watching.

But of course I also had my personal interest and connection to what the film was asking and talking about: the whole independence versus co-dependence debate, whether a relationship should be an aside to ambition and if love and happiness really are such separate concerns. Take away Deepika's character Aaliyah (granted, a pivotal part of the film) and you're pretty much left with my story - I am Abhay Gulati. Or something. To be honest I don't think much is answered in the Bollywood world where everyone does manage to get their cake and eat it, but it was still nice to see Bollywood's take on the issue.

Overall I found Break Ke Baad a pleasure to watch and maybe even one of the best Bollywood flicks I've seen over the last twelve months. Much recommended.