Sunday, September 1, 2024

Hulchul (2004)

IMDb plot summary: A man and woman from feuding families each pretend to fall in love, as part of a revenge plot. Chaos ensues when their fake romance becomes a reality.
Directed by Priyardashan. Starring Akshaye Khanna, Kareena Kapoor, and Amrish Puri.

Hulchul is a Bollywood take on Romeo and Juliet... if Romeo and Juliet began by faking a relationship to try and undermine the other's family by luring them into their own. The two young people find that their pretend feelings are actually becoming something real, and they work to find a way to be a together. After watching a series of mediocre romances, I was very pleased to have a good time with this one. There's a particularly delightful early song in which the two leads haven't actually fallen in love with and sing about their infatuation, while their body language portrays the exact opposite every time their partner isn't looking at them. It's the first time in a while I've really been drawn into one of the frequent Bollywood musical performances, and it was great fun. It runs a little long in the final third -- there's a lot of side stuff with the male lead's brothers that feels like a tangent to the more interesting sections -- but it's a fun rom-com with a lot to like.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Hulchul > Le voyage au Groenland
Hulchul < Kuroneko
Hulchul > Kajaki
Hulchul < Time Bandits
Hulchul > Loins of Punjab Presents
Hulchul > The Pirate Movie
Hulchul < Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey
Hulchul < Summer Stock
Hulchul < The Hustler
Hulchul > Everybody's Talking About Jamie
Hulchul > M
Hulchul < Trick 'r Treat
Final spot: #1290 out of 3954, or 67%.

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