Aaina (1993)

It is very rare that a 90s Hindi movie fits so well into the well-defined structures of a conventional melodrama, and yet, has enough subversive potential for you to really sit down and think about it. Just to give you an idea about the conventional stuff- one of the major reasons for the vamp character being evil is that she finds the idea of marriage boring and wants to have a career for herself; in contrast, the heroine character is content with being a wife and having a "home". The subversion here is that even when the heroine gets her "home" with the man she has been smitten with for a long time, she does not immediately transform into a "wife". She lays down boundaries very clearly (bonus points for being a communication queen) and tells her husband that she will need some time before she can accept the marriage. To which the husband agrees- this is another vent of subversion I want to go down. There are very few examples of a couple being friends prior to being romantically involved, and more importantly, being comfortable in their friendship. Last-minute marriages to save reputations might have been commonplace in cinema of the last century, but a man being mature enough to handle rejection (even if it is temporary) where he was certain of success (and had previously succeeded, to an extent)? Unprecedented. 

Another thing that worked in the movie's favour for me was how visually appealing it was- like a subtle Yash Chopra movie, if you will (I must have my little joke, this is a YRF product only). Special mention to Juhi Chawla's styling, which was A1 from the first frame to the last. I also loved the songs and the background music- both did a good job in moving the story forward, as well as keeping my interest solely on what was happening on screen (yes, despite Jackie Shroff's presence). 

Now, coming to the topic I have most interest in talking about: the significance of the title. I think it might take a dedicated rewatch and another essay to do full justice to its scope, but I shall try here nevertheless. Not that there's anything subtle about the symbolism- one could make a good drinking game out of all the aaina references in this movie, but it is so poetically done on some levels that I really didn't mind. This can be best illustrated by the "Aaina Hai Mera Chehra" song, which also serves as the climax. The first thing I noticed about the song was how much Roma's (Amrita Singh) outfit and look resembled that of Reema's (Juhi Chawla) in an earlier song. Mind you, it's not an exact copy- just the overall vibes feel so similar that even Reema might get confused if she's looking at her sister or her past self. Here's where the subversion kicks in again, although more psychological than sociological- at this point in the narrative, Reema is finally coming out of her shell. She is no longer the easily dominated pushover she once was; she has even warned her sister of consequences if she tries to snatch her man away from her. This is quite un-Reema behaviour- one might even say she is turning into Roma, the bossier of the two sisters (to put it lightly). But if Reema is showing Roma's characteristics (albeit unconsciously), where does Roma go? Will she try to mirror her sister's previous self, to show that she too can become docile and loving? It's not just a physical transformation either- just a few scenes ago she had refused to work in a film because it might hurt her lover's feelings. In fact, if you watch the music video without context, it would be easy to believe that Juhi Chawla's character is the villain and Amrita Singh's the protagonist. That's how deep the mirroring is here. 

Another scene that I would like to briefly touch upon is the one near the end where Jackie Shroff's character Ravi destroys all the mirrors in the room he had specially built for Roma. Let's deconstruct this statement, from the last part: even in the peak of his infatuation/love for Roma, he knew that there was no one she admired like herself. And hence, there could be no end more fitting to this affair than him breaking all the mirrors right in front of her, as if he is breaking her own hold over herself. Which he does- the next time we see Roma, she is so subdued as to be unrecognisable. A rather convenient and unrealistic transformation of Roma, in my opinion, but I have often noticed that endings are not the strong suit of many 80s and 90s Hindi movies- they are abrupt, leaving one with a sense of wanting more. Anyway, point being that even though throughout the movie Roma could be found appreciating herself in the mirror, it took someone to break those same mirrors for her to really take a look at herself. It's stuff like this that really gets to me for some reason, making me look at the movie in a completely different way.

This "review" would not be complete without mentioning my favourite character, Vinay (Deepak Tijori). He was such a good support to Reema, and I loved how he stood up for her while still being his usual funny self. A true MVP, as they say.

In conclusion, this cannot be missed if you're a 90s lover. It has its flaws (including the mandatory Hindustani Patni discourse) but it is still quite an interesting and engaging film. If nothing else, watch it for Juhi Chawla being an adorable and relatable nerd. And for fashion inspiration. And to theorise that there is a huge probability that Sara Ali Khan watched all of her mother's movies and is now copying every single expression in her movies. Okay, I'm going to end this before I give more controversial hot takes, bye.