The credits get their business done right off the bat. As we see the nicely
done (but not too expensive) credits go by, we are told that we are in Montreal,
Canada. There are some nice shots of the city and countryside, and each one
takes us in closer to a single house. As we go inside, we see an older couple
sitting cross-legged in front of a small shrine while the man chants. (These are
the parents, and I don't think they are ever addressed by name. So, for the
purposes of this article, I will use their real names, Kabir and Nafisa.) After
the prayer, Kabir turns to his wife and asks her what all of this means. She
explains the prayer and what she interprets it to mean, and he nods knowingly.
He tells her that she should go wake up their daughter, Anjali.
Nafisa
trots into the room and starts opening up the windows and calling for Anjali to
get out of bed. Anjali does the "five more minutes, Mom" routine, but Nafisa
doesn't leave her alone. She chastises Anjali for using English to talk, since
she knows that Kabir likes to hear them speaking Hindi in the house. Anjali
corrects herself and asks (in Hindi) what time it is. When she hears it's 9:30,
Anjali sits upright and begins rushing around the room and declaring herself
late. She begins to run a bath and dialing her cell phone. Nafisa wonders what
she's late for, since her college classes don't start until late in the
afternoon.
Anjali
gets an odd look on her face, and tells Nafisa that since it is Friday, she is
going to meet with her friends for the morning showing of a new Bollywood movie
in town. Nafisa brightens up and says that she'd like to come too, but Anjali
tells her that if she were to come, her friend would act reserved, and not be
any fun. Anjali tells someone on the phone that she will meet them in an hour,
then rushes Nafisa out of the room so she can get ready.
After she's alone, Anjali exposits a bit and speaks to God, apologizing for
telling a lie so early in the day. (I didn't know that as time passed it became
more acceptable to lie... hrmm...) Instead of going to meet with her friends to
go to the movies, she is actually going to a really lively party that is already
underway on a riverboat to meet with her rock 'n' roll boyfriend.
We
are introduced to Raja as he pounds out a drum solo that impresses everyone.
This leads to a small music performance by his band which does sound pretty
good. They have a bit of a blend of traditional Indian rhythms and some Western
sounds, such as a wailing electric guitar solo and some saxophones. As the group
winds up the first number, Raja notices that Anjali has arrived, and is giving
him some coy looks from across the room. As the crowd disperses a little, she
saunters over to him and addresses him as "Indian Raja, Pop Star of Tomorrow."
I've just decided that I need a title to introduce myself with. If you've
got any that you are comfortable saying in front of your mother,
send
them in.
She flirts with him a bit, and he teases her for having to sneak around to
see him. She tells him that's just the kind of girl he writes his songs for. He
asks her what she would do if her secrets were one day exposed? She says that
she'll claim she doesn't know him, and continue to meet with him in secret. Raja
asks her what song she would like to hear, and she tells him to sing her a love
song in Hindi. This he proceeds to do, and we enjoy "Mera Dil Jis Dil." This is
a pretty cool song (as are most of them in this movie) and is another mix of
Indian beats with other types of instruments not usually associated with them.
As the song progresses the daylight gradually shifts to dusk, meaning this is
one long song. The kids seem to be very happy with each other though, so it's
not a problem.
