Two Lovely Movies In One Day

That may not be unusual to many....actually it's not like it's my first either.

But to catch two real nice movies, that too by chance on TV, that was amazing. 'Dil Chahtha Hai' and 'Julie and Julia', both reruns for me, but such wonderful reruns.

And as I sat down wondering which to pick first, I saw they had a common thread that ran through them....all about relationships....and relationships of a different kind...so, just doing both together, short versions (hopefully :)

Dil Chahtha Hai

About a deep bond between three friends, and a nice was that it's on male camaraderie with an openness that's not just refreshing, but pretty unusual in the real world. Men seem to have an issue opening up and talking about themselves, the male ego, conditioning, whatever. If women have issues in recognizing and expressing anger, men do in recognizing and expressing other feelings.... it's no wonder women are considered emotionally stronger. 

Back to the movie....while they each progress into their own love interests, the heart of the film is the bond between the three guys. It's clean and non complicated....unusual was the relationship between Sid (Akshaye Khanna) and Tara (Dimple Kapadia); she is not just fifteen years older, but also a divorcee and alcoholic...but deep, intense and nicely kept in non labeled and non judgmental space. And of course Dimple looks ravishing (I'm a big fan :). It's great music too. A sincere and intelligent movie that can tug at the heart strings. 

Julie and Julia:



An absolute delight.

It's based on a book that's an autobiography, so a true story too. Julie Powell (Amy Adams), unhappy with her job, decides to do something that gives her joy, and starts off on this project..... a blog that will document her cooking of 524 recipes in 365 days, of Julia Child's cookbook.

The movie cuts back and forth between the lives of Julie and Julia, separated by about thirty years, and the single mindedness that drives both the women through their passion with food, with cooking and their discovering purpose..... and themselves in the process. 

Julie spends the year almost in a constant conversation with Julia, a Julia who lives just in her head, an imaginary friend. And the love she feels for her is surreal and touched deep. 

A moment which also stayed was when Julia is sending off her book to the publisher and says something like 'I want to savor this moment..the moment when anything is possible...when it's about what I've done.....when I can think that millions could like it'. It's the moment of possibility which contains it all....the creativity, the imagination, the effort, the struggle, the joy of the writing...before it's out for judgement by the other. A moment you can own forever.

I think its one of Meryl Streeps best....in fact saw more Julia than Meryl Streep there.

I also loved how Julie starts to blog, the doubts, the fear, the uncertainty......and how her mother just doesn't get it....... her thrill on the first comment.....how the flow and faith grow....how it becomes larger than most other things.... how it slowly grows into a conduit to herself. Well.....it's surely what it does best :)