If it’s Friday, it’s time for another tiresome Bollywood movie!
Such has been my miserable kismet for several years now.
And 2 States did not turn out to be markedly different from the usual wretched Bollywood tripe except for a few amusing moments here and there before the de rigueur happy ending.
North-South Conflict
Based on the third rate hack Chetan Bhagat’s eponymous book, 2 States is a romance wrapped in the cliched conflict between North Indians and South Indians (collectively derided in yesteryears as Madrasis ).
Punjabi lad Krish Malhotra (Arjun Kapoor) and Tamil gal Ananya Swaminathan (Alia Bhatt) are students of the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad when love inexplicably blossoms between the two.
With hormones in overdrive, the twenty-somethings kiss, fuck, argue and say sorry to each other!
But after their graduation from IIM the core of the movie pivots from romance to opposition between parents of Krish and Ananya to their respective offsprings’ romance on cultural and regional grounds.
Now how exciting do you suppose a cultural/regional conflict between parents of two young lovers can be in 2014?
Z E R O!
India is in the ferment of deep change and millennium-old notions of caste, religion, community and regionalism are swiftly falling by the wayside.
Pre-marital sex is fine and dandy but parental opposition over cultural differences is like the Great Wall of China, an insuperable barrier!
What drivel!
To make a movie around tension and confrontations between North Indian parents and South Indian parents in 2014 is to make a mountain out of the proverbial molehill.
Fine as actors like Amrita Singh and Revathy are (they play the Punjabi and Madrasi mothers respectively), I found the entire litany of regional cultural conflict in 2014 utterly unconvincing, hopelessly cliched and distressingly painful to endure for two plus hours.
Although Amrita Singh is eight years older than Revathy, the ravages of age have taken a heavier, uglier toll on the South Indian actress Revathy.
Someone, please introduce Revathy to Botox anon!
Arjun Kapoor – Convincing
Bollywood producer Boney Kapoor’s son Arjun Kapoor, hero of 2 States, is turning out to be an above average actor, infinitely better than the Khans, Bachchans and Kumars.
Although I didn’t find Arjun’s performance as the gangster Bala convincing in Gunday, I liked the lad in Ishaqzaade.
And in 2 States, he delivers a fairly compelling portrayal of a besotted lover in a calm, understated manner.
Alia Bhatt – Pathetic
Alia Bhatt is 100% unconvincing as the Tamil girl Ananya from Mylapore, Chennai.
She doesn’t look, quack or behave like a Tamil. Not even if you put a Saree on her.
Not for a nano-second!
Even the stray Tamil words that drop from her mouth sounded terribly weird (worse than Deepika Padukone’s Tamil in Chennai Express).
I’d have forgiven everything if this creature exhibited even a semblance of grace.
But these old eyes haven’t seen a more graceless, classless thing like Alia in a long time!
Alia Bhatt is turning out to be Bollywood’s female equivalent of Salman Khan – An emetic!
Bottom Line – Not Worth It
Except for some rare comical moments, there’s not much to savor in 2 States.
The less said about the forgettable music the better!
SearchIndia.com does not recommend this drivel.
2 States Review – Mildly Amusing Nonsense added by SearchIndia.com on
View all posts by SearchIndia.com →
Are you bashing Alia’s acting talent or just her (unTamil) looks? I thought you were convinced, when you watched Highway, that she was a decent actress.
Are you one person or are you a group of different people handling this website? Sorry, too much to chew on, but I am confused 🙁
SearchIndia.com Responds:
1. Alia was hopelessly unconvincing as the Tamil girl in this film.
I’ve seen a gazillion Tamil girls and, by God, this gal certainly ain’t one in any sense.
2. You write: I thought you were convinced, when you watched Highway, that she was a decent actress.
I was for Alia before I was against Alia (like my Secretary of State John Kerry….Do you remember his infamous declaration: I was for the war before I was against it).
What happened was this – http://www.searchindia.com/2014/02/23/highway-highway-robbery-of-the-chase/
@SI – “India is in the ferment of deep change and millennium-old notions of caste, religion, community and regionalism are swiftly falling by the wayside.
Pre-marital sex is fine and dandy but parental opposition over cultural differences is like the Great Wall of China, an insuperable barrier!
What drivel!”
The change you’re talking about is in the younger generation and NOT in the oldies still existing.
The older generation people are still sticking to the millennium old notions of caste, religion etc.
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Today’s youngsters have moved far away from the obedient “Yes Appa, No Appa” generation.
Youngsters these days are far more independent (even ‘rebellious’) than we ever were. And that’s apparent in the movie itself where the two are shown fucking/smooching/showering and on one occasion Krish slaps his father hard.
And unlike as portrayed in the movie, I don’t see today’s youngsters patiently waiting for approval and reconciliation (after the parents use expressions like “uncultured” and “Madrasis are darker than Punjabis” etc against the other side).
Bottom line, I found the movie’s foundation of parental opposition and conflict to a marriage to be a stale affair.
I saw this over the weekend.
It was utterly boring.
A happier version of Ek Duje Ke Liye from the early 80s.
Alia Bhatt as a south Indian was not at all convincing.
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Ah, at last someone who thinks along similar lines.
Bravo, sweetie! 🙂
The movie seems to be doing well in India. Well, mongrels will jump over any piece of bone flung at ’em. 🙁
http://www.boxofficeindia.com/Details/art_detail/2statesemergesbiggesthitof2014