Mann (1999)

Mann starts off in the strongest way possible: a fun song featuring 90s Rani Mukerji and Aamir Khan. Everything else that follows is also good enough, but man, what a beginning.

I really don't know how else to describe this movie apart from "romantic melodrama with no dull moments, but lots of weirdly problematic ones". At first I thought I wouldn't enjoy this movie at all and wondered how I would survive the next 2 hours 45 minutes, but it somehow grew on me? Aamir Khan was fully obnoxious in the beginning, but Manisha Koirala had my heart from the very first moment. Of course. When have I ever resisted the charms of a talented and beautiful actress? Anyway, like I said, there was nothing boring about the movie, and since I live for the drama, I even managed to sit it in one sitting. Also, there is nothing quite as infectious as Anil Kapoor's energy in the whole world.

What was going on with Sharmila Tagore's make-up though?? I couldn't even believe it was her. And those kids were so unnecessarily mean to poor Manisha. There was absolutely no need for that!!

To end with the ending: it was as lovely (in a polar opposite way) as the beginning, and despite all odds, I realised that I had actually enjoyed myself a lot. That 'Chaha Hai Tujhko' song was copied from 'Edo Oka Raagam' from Venkatesh's Raja though, which made me look up the album, and apparently all the songs are plagiarised?? And the music directors were Shravan's (from Nadeem-Shravan) sons?? I don't know about you, but it was a wild discovery for me. Especially because I really liked the album, but now I gotta listen to all the OGs and then formulate an opinion. Yes, that is the level of deranged I am. And I'm valid. 

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