Desi Train

Sirjee, I just watched the promos of Apoorva Lakhia’s Ek Ajnabee and I’m pumped up. My blood’s boiling, my hands are shaking, my body shivering from the intense nervous anticipation that Bollywood has done it…achieved the goal of making an engrossing thriller. But there is this nagging thought disturbing me…

Betelal, you do look like a choosela (sucked up) mango. Show me the promos of Ek Ajnabee and I will free you from the shivering, shaking, nagging and whatever else is going on in your mind and body.

(12.34 minutes later)

Indeed Betelal. It does leave a nagging thought. But this usually happens when Bollywood “lifts” a basic story idea from Hollywood and infuses it with its own cooked up ideas. This deep and complex procedure is called “Indianizing a Foreign movie” in Bollywood.

So does that mean Sirjee, we will have to bear this agony until the movie is released to find the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

No Betelal. Sirjee has the answer to all your problems. You won’t have to wait for a month to go through this agony. Sirjee, that is me, and you, Betelal, will embark on a journey of SPECULATION.

How do we go about doing this Sirjee?

Firstly, we will search for the Hollywood movie where Ek Ajnabee is lifted from. Based on this we will speculate what could happen in Ek Ajnabee. So, to begin, go and watch the Hollywood Movie Man on Fire

(134 minutes later)

Sirjee – I still don’t get it. Pray help me understand the link between “Ek Ajnabee” and “Man on Fire”

Betelal, let me begin with predicting a sure thing. Lakhiajee has “lifted” the story of “Man on Fire” to make “Ek Ajnabee”

How Sirjee, how? How? How? (echo)

Relax Betelal. First the premise of “Man on Fire”: Denzel Washington is a former assassin adept at covert operations, but has fallen on hard times, struggling within himself, and with the devil of memories which haunt him day and night. He is then offered a contract to protect a girl in Mexico City. The family hiring him is rich and of high repute in Mexico. Denzel initially struggles but then develops a bond with the little girl (Dakota Fanning). But soon the girl is kidnapped and then starts Denzel’s mission to locate the kidnappers and recover the girl. Mayhem follows, Denzel gets girl but in the process discovers the girl’s father had played him all the time. The girl’s father had her daughter kidnapped for all stupid or f-ed up financial reasons. Denzel in the end loses his life in the movie.

Sirjee. I now am beginning to see a connection. According to the preview on IndiaFM.com

Suryaveer Singh (Amitabh Bachchan) was a former black commando in the army…Shekhar (Arjun Rampal) gives Suryaveer a job as a bodyguard. Suryaveer accepts only to find out that it is to protect an 8 year old girl Anamika (Baby Rucha Vaidya)…. But his life takes a traumatic turn once again when Anamika is kidnapped….With his commando expertise and war experience he tries to find out where the little girl is only to unleash another shocking and horrifying secret.

Yes, Betelal…now tell me what SPECULATIONS you can make here…

Sirjee, to begin with Amitabh Bachchan plays the role of Denzel Washington and Baby Rucha Vaidya is Dakota Fanning from the original. Since Arjun Rampal is mentioned to be AB’s pal who runs a security firm in Bangkok, AB will be hired by Rampal to come to Bangkok to protect the little girl. Kidnapping will take place, ditto original and Mayham by AB, ditto original, and the secret uncovered by AB - MAY - be ditto original. But with Lakhiya-jee as the director one can expect changes in the original screenplay and introduction of many extra characters.

Very good Betelal. That will surely happen in the movie. Now speculate on what you think MAY happen… Continue…

Since the trailers don’t show too much I can speculate this – Perizaad Zorabiaan may be the mother of the little girl. Perhaps Raj Zutshi may be one of the local mafia in Bangkok. One cannot say where Lakhiya-jee will turn the movie towards the end. The “secret” which AB uncovers may be twisted from what was in the original. Perhaps Arjun Rampal himself may have had the girl kidnapped or if Lakhiya-jee sticks to the original it could be the girl’s father. AB may be shown being bumped off by the mafia in the end - of course after the girl is freed, as in the original. Or Lakhiya-jee will choose either of these two options…

Option A) AB fights the mafia, gets hit by bullets, saves the girl, kills all the goons, and just before dying places the girl in the arms of her mom, camera pans on AB’s face, he will be shown with half his eyes closed, painfully smiling bloodied face, breathing heavily…girl cries “Don’t go, don’t leave me”….Camera moves through the rest of the goodie characters standing all around…all of them having glycerine, sorry tears, rolling down their cheeks. AB dies in the movie.

Option B) AB fights mafia, uncovers secret, shoots all bad Bangkok guys, delivers girl to mother. In doing so he not only has solved the crime but also killed all the demons in his life…remember where this movie starts from where he will be shown all drunk, lost in life, depressed individual. He has cured himself too. Scene: Bangkok Airport. AB shaking hands with Rampal, cutie words with girl who is crying asking AB not to leave, more dialogues, AB turns his back and walks towards the his departure gate at the airport…Plane takes off…Credits rolling.

Excellent speculation Betelal. I will choose Option A. But that reduces the chances of the movie becoming a hit. Many, like me, don’t digest a depressed ending quite well. But Lakhiya-jee may choose Option A.

Sirjee…you are right on depressed endings and their impact on movie ticket sales. That is why I think Lakhiya-jee will choose Option B.

So be it. Now let’s wait till December and see what Lakhiya-jee actually does.

Yes Sirjee. But I must say I liked the song in the second video, Sanjay Dutt singing and the English words used in the song. But why is every third song from Bollywood now stuffed with English lyrics Sirjee?

Betelal…pretty soon all the lyrics in Bollywood will be in English and all the songs from Hollywood will be Bhangra. It is a cycle every industry goes through. Now don’t tell anyone what you have discovered about “Ek Ajnabee”

Yes Sirjee, I won’t. But may I blog about this in my online personal journal?

Yes Betelal you may.

Thank you Sirjee. And thank you once again for clearing all those nagging thoughts I had after watching Ek Ajnabee.

Ha ha. Betelal, always remember that, when Sirjee appears all troubles disappear.

I thought I heard that appear – disappear dialogue in some Hollywood movie.

Shut up Betelal. It is an “inspired from” dialogue.

This entry was posted on Sunday, November 13th, 2005 at 8:48 am and is filed under Bollywood, Superhit Posts.
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