Did anyone else notice, that romance has gone out of Bollywood movies? Oh, there are little love stories happening alright, and the mandatory song and dance in snowy climes. People are kissing, and err, going to bed, and celebrating Valentine's day-too but what was the last heart-going-dhak-dhak moment you remember?
From movies, say, in the last three years?
The latest ode to love, Salaam-E-Ishq didn't have a single one! John Abraham selling his bike to buy Vidya Balan a diamond pendant-sure, but a gent called O'Henry wrote a better one over a century ago.
Considering that Yash Chopra did a big Valentine number in Dil To Pagal Hai, which everybody now copies, does the older generation have a line on love that the young 'uns don't? Karan Johar, who last did the sweet confection Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, grew up and had people falling out of love in his Kabhie Alvida Na Kehna. Even the otherwise tepid Paheli had that Valentine sequence when the ghosty Shah Rukh Khan magically strews a carpet of rose petals at Rani Mukerji's feet.
And the tear-wringing scene in Black, when Rani Mukerji kisses her teacher (Amitabh Bachchan), because she wants to experience one moment of love.
Such flashes are few and far between, so when it's Valentine time to list favourite romantic scenes, everybody harks back to the feather scene in Mughal-e-Azam. Or Rajesh Khanna singing Mere Sapnon Ki Rani from a car chasing a blushing Shamila Tagore's train.
Or the writing-lover's-name-on-wall scene from Ek Duuje Ke Liye.
It may no more be the age of Mere Mehboob and Pakeezah where men fell in love with women's eyes or feet. But an sms can never substitute for a scented love letter, just like a walk in the rain under a single umbrella (Pyar hua, ikraar hua) still beats a Mallika Sherawat-Emraan Hashmi roll under satin sheets.
In Bobby Rishi Kapoor-Dimple Kapadia just sang the naughty Hum Tum Ek Kamre Mein Band Hon, today when the kamra is wide open, there is no mystery left.
The movies have grown up and in some aspects changed for the better- young lovers are no longer separated by sword-wielding Thakur clans and snotty rich dads, but by new age commitment phobia (Salaam Namaste, Pyar Se Side Effects ). No more Laila-Majnu style tragedies, but bitter tales of marital infidelity.
No wonder the old-fashioned, touch-me-not innocence of Vivah still appeals to Indian audiences much more than the in-your-face sexuality of Neal 'n' Nikki.
As for love and romance, it seems to gave crept out of the movies into real life-the audience, finding nothing to set hearts aflutter in films, find vicarious pleasure in the very open love lives of Abhishek-Aishwarya, Shahid-Kareena, John-Bipasha, and for a Valentine moment to remember it's the mms clip of the Kareena-Shahid 'Kiss'.
Not the same thing at all, as waiting with bated breath so see if Bobby has a have a happy ending.
Of if Simran will catch the train taking Raj away in DDLJ. It's Valentine's Day again, and here's a prayer to the patron saint of love to bring back romance into the movies. Yashji, sir, please make a film soon!
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