Chalte Chalte (2003)

There is nothing like watching an old childhood favourite, and still loving it after alllll these years. I know SRK plays an insufferable man-child and I know it's a typical "unrealistic" Bollywood romance; but get this: 2 of the most gorgeous people to ever exist have the best damn chemistry, romance each other in Greece and a tiny little Mumbai apartment, there's lots of banter involved, and in the end, love triumphs over everything else (the "joote jagah par rakha karo" line is one of the most iconic things ever).

The soundtrack is so beautiful, especially the lyrics- Javed Akhtar really set the standards for romance really high for 7/8 years old me. "Main bhi hun tanha, tum bhi tanha hooooo" asjhdsalcs. Also, the video for "Tauba Tumhare Yeh Ishaare" literally defines my entire raging sexuality. "Raaz yeh kaise khol rahi ho" INDEED. This movie contained another revelation for me- Priya (Rani) and Raj (SRK) do an impromptu role-play bit in the movie, which made me go "ummmm, that's totally familiar and..." Well, well, well. Also, I finally understood an "adult" joke in the movie, and wow. I'm definitely going to start rewatching this more frequently now, because this is what I need (man, sometimes I really miss the era of TV in my house). 2020 is really the year when I fully reclaim my Bolly trash self (and other Indian cinema trash self too, to be fair) and restart this journey with (hopefully) a little more wisdom.

Also, can I just say that I loved Sameer's (Jas Arora) character? He could have easily been the quintessential "jilted lover" but it was so mature. One of the rare instances when Bollywood got a male-female friendship right. Another thing that is top-notch about this movie is the fashion. My Priya favourites were the "Suno Na Suno Na" outfit, and the pink saree she wears when she comes to Raj's house the first time. Actually, all her sarees were amazing- I WANT. My Raj favourites have to be this multi-coloured shirt he wears somewhere in the middle of the movie, and this white kurti-ish top that he wears in the "Tauba Tumhare Yeh Ishaare" video. *drools*

In conclusion, Chalte Chalte is an underrated classic, and I will defend it till my last breath. Now, if you'll excuse me, it's time for me to zone out into the soundtrack yet again. 

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