Happy Valentine's Day!

This is the 1ooth post on Made In India, since we began in September last year- not bad huh!

Tune in to Taraana on Wednesday night 7pm, 89.1FM for a special Valentine's Day edition.

So happy Valentine's day folks!

How about looking for romance amidst the hundreds of films being churned out from Bollywood each year? That's certainly the easiest thing I have ever done- however coming up with the best of romantic hits for a 2 hr radio show is the challenging part! We take a peek at Rekha T.P.'s article on sify.com 3 years back and create our own list today to feature on the next Taraana.

Bollywood (the Indian film industry in Mumbai) : A valentine's paradise
Can you imagine a Bollywood flick devoid of romance? Nah! Bollywood always relied on the tried and tested formula of soft, breezy romance.

With showmen like Yash Chopra and the immortal Raj Kapoor around, Bollywood managed to churn out the best of romance. Simple stories, enchanting music, and talented stars, those films had them all in abundance. Here, we take a look at some of the romantic films that have stood out in Bollywood.

Devdas (a servant of the Lord- here name of the protagonist):
Bengali author Sarat Chandra’s novel on the 'defeated lover' was adapted into the silver screen thrice. The name Devdas has become synonymous with the 'bearded disenchanted lover'. In the film, Devdas turns into an alcoholic wreck after his childhood love Paro ties the knot with someone else. Pundits say Indian audience would still watch the film if made again. That's the impact the love saga leaves on us.

Aradhana (Worship):
Bollywood saw the birth of a soft romantic hero with 'Aradhana'. The movie was a remarkable feel-good romance, and had melodious music.

Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (Apocalypse to apocalypse):
This tale of star-crossed adolescent lovers defying a blood vendetta between their princely clans became a hit.

Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin (The heart does not understand):
'It happened one night' in Bollywood! A remake of the Hollywood classic was cute and sweet, to put it simple.

Hum Aapke Hai Kaun(Who am I to you?):
The biggest hit of 1994 ran for 52 weeks. On the whole, this movie was a trend-setter in Indian cinema.

Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge(The brave heart will carry the bride away):
This film narrated the story of two NRIs (Non Resident Indians). The movie emphasized on Indian family values rich in beautiful locations and soulful songs, this movie would still be a crowd puller if screened in the theatres! The movie is a complete family entertainer and a very memorable one at that.

Pardes (Foreign land):
Similar to the dual nation setting of 1995's Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Pardes takes a serious look at the lives of Westernized Non-Resident South Asians in North America. Of course, the director Subhash Ghai has wisely packaged this message in a very entertaining and thoroughly engrossing film. To what degree is it acceptable to try to fit into a Western Society? Should we encourage our children to be more Westernized or South East Asian? And at what point do we lose the Indian/Pakistani identiity?

Kaho Na Pyar Hai (Tell me- you love me):
The film has everything, romance, action, and, most importantly, a bit of suspense. A struggling singer and a rich and spoilt brat fall in love through a variety of interesting situations.

Murder:
This is an engrossing entertainer. It is a story of a sexy woman who’s also a bored and neglected wife of a rich man. She bumps into an old flame eventually and after a bit of dithering they heat up the screen with their passion.
Bheegein Honth Tere (Your Wet Lips)- This sensuous song from the movie Murder was one of hits last year and I remember being on the request list on this show on the last Valentine’s Day.

Parineeta (Betrothed):
This is an adaptation of a famous 1914 Bengali novel by Sharat Chandra, the same author as the story we featured earlier in this show- Devdas, updated here to 1960s Calcutta. This is about the story of rich boy Shekhar, defying society and family to fall in love with a lower class girl Lolita. The film is devoid of the usual excesses of the formula, with a focus on characterization, mood and period detail to convey fragile relationships.

Time is changing fast, and new breed of films are being born. The list above wasn’t an exhaustive one by any standards- 2hrs won’t be enough for that. But the verdict is clear....romance rules in Bollywood!

Tune in to Taraana on Wednesday night 7pm, 89.1FM for a special Valentine's Day edition.
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Credits: partially adapted from 'Romance Rules in Bollywood' by Rekha in http://sify.com/