29/12/2023
Maine Pyar (Kyun) Kiya
Before getting into the plot intricacies, let me say that Maine Pyar Kiya (MPK) is single-handedly responsible for ruining the romantic lives of a generation of (Hindi following) Indians and driving them to utter frustration that has led to the rise of far-right sentiments. I have no evidence to support that, but I am almost 97% sure that MPK’s advice, “no sorry, no thank you in friendship,” has ruined most friendships and all relationships.
Now, coming to the plot intricacies, there is none. MPK is a simple story of how “love” ruined a girl’s life but not before enough unnecessary drama. In other words, MPK is like an Indian wedding video.
The movie opens in the vast backyard of a very big rural house of a “car mechanic.” The car mechanic’s daughter, who “has come first in Inter” (12th boards), runs a small village school for kids. Her father (Alok Nath) is also her student. Alok Nath sneaks into the class BEFORE she arrives and gets beaten up because he was “late.” If you are/were an Indian student, this may be the only time in your life that you will empathize with Alok Nath.
Then the father has to go to the city, and naturally, like any other ordinary accomplished girl in our country, she has to be sent off to her father’s best friend’s house where she can double as a servant. Because why would any Indian girl, or her father, think attending a college and getting a standard education is a natural course for an overachiever like Suman? Any sanskari Indian daughter knows that ruining their career to get married at 18 is the right thing to do. Haven’t you heard the saying “Dunie mange apni murade mein to angu sajan"?
So, over the next two minutes, Alok Nath tells Suman the entire trajectory of his friendship with the BFF. Suman’s expression shows that this is the first time she has heard about the man. Naturally, Suman is thrilled to go to the strangers’ house, because there’s no one else they know in the village they have lived their entire lives. Within 5 minutes of arriving, Suman starts cutting vegetables, because India. (See image)
Even though Alok Nath appears to have not met his BFF for 15 years, he storms into the office, against everyone’s advice, while BFF is holding a crucial meeting. Alok Nath gets embarrassed as the BFF is not thrilled to see him, as expected. Alok Nath then says to the friend, "tu kaam kar, mein baad main ata hu”. Umm, yes, that’s what they have been saying to you!! Please leave it to Alok Nath to pass impropriety as tradition.
Next, the most unlikely of relationships buds between Suman and Prem. The film wants you to believe that their class difference makes the jodi unlikely, but it’s doomed because of the abuse and disrespect that Suman has to experience at the hands of Prem. In one scene, Prem says to Suman, “Jao mere liye khana leke aao". Prem and Manohar (BFF 2) are playing TT in another scene. When Suman wants to join them, Prem says, “This game requires brains and stamina, which girls lack.” Naturally, Suman falls in love with this gentleman. Then they play TT to the most heterosexual Bollywood song ever: “You are a girl, I am a boy…'tis the season of ‘dosti’ 😉”. Then Suman beats Prem, naturally sending him into a fit of rage because it shook Prem’s beliefs that women have neither brains nor stamina. But it’s all good because Suman apologizes to Prem. Also, Suman seems to fall to Prem’s feet every chance she gets and appears to or**sm when Prem punches a punching bag, which can be a metaphor for many things…I will leave this to your imagination.
The film has four female characters. One mother, one Suman, one vamp (Seema), and one milkmaid (Gulabiya) whom every man lusts after. In one scene, one of the servants seems to be dancing behind Gulabia with two balls. (See image) I mean, two extra balls in both hands. The mother is seen either ordering the servants or cutting vegetables. Suman is the good girl who gives up studies, puts up with Prem’s tantrums, doesn’t object to insults, cries a lot, and is loved by all the good characters. Seema, on the other hand, has no seema. She smokes (all the negative characters smoke, a frequent trope in Bollywood), she tries to marry Prem for money, she openly seduces Prem, and if you have any doubt in your mind that she is a “bad girl,” her screen appearance is accompanied by the “Nagin music.” So, the other female characters are meant to make Suman’s character more desirable as the pretty, young, good-natured, high-class/caste girl. The movie makes it extremely clear that a girl who does household chores, peels peas, respects elders, adores kids, has long hair, and doesn't wear short skirts is ideal bahu material.
Throughout the movie, Suman is put in multiple dangerous situations only to be saved by Prem. In one scene, Jeevan (Mohnish Bahl) is about to r**e Suman when Prem enters the room. Prem channels Bruce Lee and throws lots of kicks that don’t land on anyone, and the fight ends with them, wait for it, shaking hands. Then, Jeevan lectures Pren on how his relationship with Suman is wrong. Suman and Prem buy it and forget about the whole r**e thing.
This is the end of the review because I can't anymore.
