Dr. Mala Chakravorty

After having seen countless youthful love stories, a mature love story like Pyaar Mein Twist comes like a breath of fresh air. The basic theme of this simple movie is that older people have lives beyond their children and social networks that need to be recognized and respected. The connection between Yash and Sheetal is not of passion, infatuation or obsession, but of compatibility and companionship. The last time such a story was attempted was in Basu Chatterjee's Khatta Meetha (1978) that was loosely based on the 1968 Hollywood film, Yours, Mine and Ours. But whereas Khatta Meetha and the similar Hamare Tumhare (1979) focused on the conflicts within the blended family, the main focus of Pyar Mein Twist is on the romance between the older couple. In the recent past there have been a few films centered on the older generation -- Joggers Park (2003) and Baghban (2003). But neither film explores the natural outcome of two single people discovering each other in the autumn of their lives the way Pyar Mein Twist does. The fact that the director has taken up a challenge to make a film with a theme this bold is praiseworthy. 

Unfortunately, the treatment is not as sensitive or in-depth as the subject deserves. The film skims through unchartered territory but fails to delve into the complexities of mature relationships. We can sense the chemistry between Yash and Sheetal through a few glimpses that shine through the exaggerated and melodramatic soap opera like family settings. The director tries to appeal to the younger generation and the NRI audience by modeling his film on Yash-Chopra-Karan Johar’s staple cinema of wealthy fashionably dressed people singing and dancing at weddings. This effort is reinforced by the urban affluent lifestyle – fancy cars, wine cellars at home, exotic restaurants, pubs, golf courses, beach homes, Tai Chi in the park, walking dogs, bike-rides, motor-bikes, youthful clothes of the older people. The focus stays on the surface, we never really get to know Yash or Sheetal from within. All we get are glimpses of their loneliness and inner conflicts and cannot really share their joys or sorrows. With the raw material he had, Shetty could have taken this autumnal relationship into the gray zones Hindi cinema is usually afraid to delve into á la Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood in The Bridges of Madison County (1995) or Katharine Hepburn and Henry Fonda in On Golden Pond (1981). Shetty’s approach is tentatively bold, and I feel that his intention is not to shock as much as to create awareness of an older generation with needs outside their designated social and familial roles. Watching this as an NRI in the 21st century, this theme may appear to be totally passé in the Western context, where remarriages are the order of the day irrespective of age. But no matter how liberal we are and how much exposure we have had to alternate lifestyles, it is difficult for most of us to imagine our parents with anyone but each other. Do we ever think of our elders as people with needs and desires outside the family realm? If we were in the same situation as Yash and Sheetal’s children, how would we react? Even in the movie, would the liberal son-in-law have been as liberal had it involved his own parents? Would the sister-in-law have been so supportive if she had not been single and lonely herself? Something to think about!

What makes the film work is the charisma of the lead couple, and the nostalgic value for those who are familiar with Bollywood culture of the 1970s. To most young people today, Rishi Kapoor is just an overweight aged actor who plays avuncular roles. Dimple is Akshay Kumar’s glamorous mother-in-law who sometimes acts. But for many of us, Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia are the ultimate love pair. In his heydays, Rishi, pink cheeks and curly locks notwithstanding, was the ideal romantic hero to one whole generation of young girls. He was also a sensitive and mature actor who got sidelined in the Amitabh era playing second fiddle to the Big B. But when it came to serenading his leading ladies with flowers and poetry, dancing on the snowy slopes of the Alps, showering rose-petals from a helicopter, Rishi was unparalleled. We even loved his bulky sweaters. Unfortunately he gained a lot of weight and didn’t look good romancing young girls and soon graduated to inane father roles. Dimple -- what can one say about the Dimple? The 16-year-old sex goddess of Bobby, the sensuous beauty emerging from the ocean of Saagar! She was also one of the few truly beautiful actresses whose looks did not hold her captive to inconsequential glamorous roles, she did roles of substance and was known as much for her acting prowess as for her beauty. Together Rishi and Dimple spelled magic to their generation. The film tries to capitalize on this magic, and gleefully panders to its nostalgic value whenever possible. 

"Dabba!" Sheetal exclaims on her first encounter with Yash, reminding us of Bobby’s first encounter with Raj. For more nostalgia there is also an elopement, this time to defy children not parents. The motorbike ride is the ultimate in Bobby reminiscing! The presence of the incomparable Farida Jalal, who played a cameo in Bobby adds to the nostalgia. And then there is Yash’s announcement Tumne Kabhi Kisise Pyaar Kiya Hai (from Karz, 1980) followed by his dancing to Khullam Khulla Pyar Karenge Hum Dono (from Khel Khel Mein, 1975). It’s vintage Rishi at his best! Some memorable romantic moments: their first date in the Moroccan restaurant where they dine and slow dance, Sheetal focusing on Yash’s buttons, eating pani-puri on Juhu beach, walking on the beach, Sheetal pillion-riding on Yash’s bike, warm moments of shared laughter and sorrows. In comparison, some of their early encounters and fights are a bit too loud and kitschy. The anti-climax to their romantic encounters is a humorous clash with reality -- after his public philmy-style declaration of love, a tipsy Yash propositions his lady-love on a moonlit beach and immediately starts snoring!

Rishi Kapoor gives a marvelous performance. Always a fine actor, his youthfulness and joie de vivre exude panache and sensitivity defying his overweight and prematurely aged physique. Dimple Kapadia is equally good, though her character is more restrained and some of her buoyancy seems forced. Unlike Rishi, she still looks stunning, though to be brutally honest, she should consider a visit to the orthodontist. 

Of the supporting cast, Farida Jalal stands out as the compassionate sister-in-law, who encourages her widowed brother’s wife to go ahead and grab at the second chance fate has brought her way. There could have been an interesting sub-plot in her life that was not even touched on. Of the younger generation, Soha Ali Khan as the youngest daughter and Samir Dattani, playing her fiancé who is supportive of Sheetal and Yash’s relationship, are okay. Vikas Bhalla, Deepshikha, Kishori Shahane, Dolly Minhas and Delnaz Paul are adequate.

One weakness of the film is its sub-plots. The love story of Samir-Soha, Samir’s mother’s vampy mien, the chasm between Yash and his arrogant son, the story of Yash’s sacrifices in the past, add nothing to the narrative. The younger characters are flat and one-dimensional and remain props in the plot. The generational conflict soon turns hackneyed and contrived, with the youngsters emerging as selfish and insensitive, and the older generation sacrificing and forgiving. Music is passable, some of the song sequences are redundant and have been grafted on to fit into the formula. Cinematography is good.

Despite flaws, on the whole, Pyaar Mein Twist is a heartwarming film that takes on a real-life issue and presents it with wit and empathy. This is a small-budgeted film that has not received much publicity and may be passed by the average viewer, but it is definitely worth a watch! What I liked best about the movie was the fact that Shetty has avoided the clichéd portrayal of elders as helpless senior citizens who are exploited and abused by their children. There is no twist in their love for each other – it comes to them naturally and they have the courage to accept it for what it is. I wish he had made the younger generation a little less clichéd too!