The
movie starts with a musical number while the credits play, and immediately
attempts to confuse the audience. We see a rather abstract modern dance
performance with lots of black leotards and ski masks while a lovely young lady
dances about to the beat of some interesting percussion. This is all framed with
a blue border, giving us the impression that we are seeing this scene as if it
were being projected onto a screen. Eventually the credits end and we see Mansi,
our heroine, sit up in bed as if she were awakening from a dream in which she
was dancing around with a lot of people in black leotards and ski masks, which
seems fitting now that I think about it. The picture slowly pushes in and the
blue "screen" border recedes past us so we are in full-frame now.
Mansi looks out the window as she hears music coming from outside. She goes
out to do her morning yoga exercises. The music she hears is the first official
song of the movie, "Kariye Na," being performed by her father and some of his
students. Tara is a well known folk music teacher in the area, and he is giving
a performance for some special guests as well as being broadcast on the radio.
As the song progresses the setting changes a bit to just the family and close
friends singing together in the yard of Mansi's home.
As the song winds down we see Tara discussing some business matters with a
colleague, who helpfully provides us with some exposition. We learn that the
school is funded by a grant from the government, and that Tara does not make any
money for his music. He does it for the love of the art. He refuses to take
bribes or use his social contacts to his advantage, and would rather earn what
little he does based purely off his music. This is not the reply the colleague
was looking for but Tara quiets him down and tells him to eat a carrot.
We cut to a helicopter landing at an airstrip. Jagmohan Mehta the Important
Businessman gets out and is welcomed by a group of business partners. They get
into their cars and begin filling us in on what they have been up to. Apparently
they have had a contract on a large piece of land in the Chamba area, but five
years have passed and nothing has been done with it. If they don't move ahead
with their project soon, their international partners will pull out and they'll
lose a ton of money.
With
that little bit of plot taken care of, they arrive at the swanky house on the
hill. The rest of the family is there and they have a warm welcome. We get a few
comments from the snooty sister-in-law that they don't like it in Chamba, and
would rather be back in Scotland. Jagmo asks where Manav is, and we learn that
he did not come with the rest of the group. He wanted to take a more
conventional route and really see India instead of traveling like a tourist.
We cut to a train passing through some mountainous areas. Manav is seen standing
in one of the doorways of the train admiring the landscape as it passes. A nice
montage of his trip is shown, giving us the idea that he is really enjoying what
he's experiencing. We see the train car filled with people all happily singing
and playing instruments, Manav riding on top of a bus with lots of people, and
then Manav walking through the streets of the town as he gets nearer to the
house.
As
Manav passes by, he notices Tara's school. He slides down a hill to get a better
look at the ladies in the yard when he is accosted by some men in a Jeep that
were sent out to look for him. Manav is brought into the house where Jagmo's
business guys berate him for wasting time when they have such an important
project to work on. Jagmo is a little more forgiving, and the two of them
welcome each other fondly. Jagmo gives Manav a new digital camera so that he can
record his first trip to India, and tells him that Brownie has missed him
terribly. Manav decides to make it up to Brownie by taking him for a walk.
