Indian Babu (2003) User Reviews

Very Interesting Movie - but Puzzling to this western mind.

[jsmith1066 · 7/10 · 17 August 2006]

I thought much of the acting was bad (cheesy), but the story was interesting and entertaining. Lots of nice music and colorful dancing ala Bollywood. The scene with the sister dancing in the rain was very sexy. Long movie that tried all the formulas: comic detective, chase scenes, extravagant song and dance scenes, etc. didn't know if I was watching an Indian film or a Kung Fu movie some of the time, but great action. Mostly I didn't get the end - it sure didn't follow the "Code of the West" ala Hollywood. I grew up on B or C grade westerns. I think the subtitles sometimes were not completely accurate or were too literal. Someone please explain!!!

I'm sorry this rambles so much - I was forced by the 10 line rule to break with my normally terse and straightforward writing style = it was better at 7 lines.

Nice and very diverse but quite dated for the time it was made!

[Sherazade · 7/10 · 30 August 2006]

Before I start detracting from this very entertaining and quite underestimated film, let me first applaud the person or people responsible for the stellar choreography showcased throughout the excellent song and dance numbers in the film. The film began in India, but for the most part, it was shot in London and boasts an extensive cast of Non-Indian extras and co-stars, and even I have to admit that whomever got all those non-Indian people to master the Bollywood dance steps did a very good job.

I also applaud the wardrobe department for their use of colours and styling of the attires worn throughout the film especially the clothes displayed on the main female character, Dil. Okay, that's out of the way, on to the script (which was very weak and very copied), the story deals with a young beautiful girl with a hole in her heart, appropriately she is named Dil and one day she becomes engaged to the nephew of a tyrant (the tyrant is played by none other than Mohan Joshi). During her engagement, she experiences a panic attack and is flown to the UK where she is to undergo surgery to repair her heart, but while staying with her cousin, she meets a young man named Jeet with whom she immediately falls in love. Jeet is a friend of her cousins and also the lead singer of an up and coming local band and so naturally the two get acquainted easily and soon become very close friends.

Time goes by as does the much fun and liveness of the NRI London scene. On the eve of Dil's cousin's engagement, Abhay (Dil's fiancé) mysteriously appears to put a damper on things, just as Jeet was about to propose to the woman of his dreams and within a week, Abhay takes Dil (who has by this time undergone her surgery successfully) back to India. Now it's up to Jeet (who in a very 'Diwale Dulhani Le Jayenge' manner) goes to India to claim his sweetheart, which he does.

All in all, it's a tired copy of many films (DDLJ, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, etc.) but it's quite entertaining and has some really catchy songs. Blink and you'll miss Johnny Lever's wasted cameo as a school principal.