high on the list of unfortunate film titles: Love 86



I'll give the movie this: it helped with my occasional investigation into the all-important question, "What is with Govinda?" Here's what I learned. When he was younger, here not even 30, he was cute and spry and a spirited dancer. In any of the songs in which all four leads were dancing, he's the one to watch.


Look how bad Neelam's got it for Govinda! Dang!


But the rest of the time...zzzzz. I suppose the frequent mentions of the year the movie was set (1986, of course) are meant to emphasize modernity or youthfulness or generational identity, but the movie is dull enough that it's hard to imagine it did much to bond people to any ideas or feelings. We don't get to know our leads very well. They're depicted only superficially, and the little bit of interest I had in their story was owed to them being the focus of the story rather than me being grabbed by any kind of meaningful conflict or emotions. The various plot elements feel perfunctory, especially the completely predictable romances; the good cheer of the lead actors gives this movie whatever sparkle it has. It tries to be dramatic, with Tanuja as a cartoonily stern and protective mother and the boys learning a few things about life from a mysterious stranger, and at the end there is a barrage of "We're young and free and you can't keep us down!" exclamations hurled at a priest and a government official. It tries to be funny here and there, with Johny Lever offering his standard eye-bulging side character, the girls trying to out-maneuver the boys, and the boys pulling tricks on some bumbling cops (Satish Shah and Ravi Baswani).

This movie doesn't really do anything for me one way or the other. Maybe it was aiming for masala goodness, but it missed that, too, because none of the components of comedy, family, romance, and social commentary was substantial on its own, and the collection never cohered. It's just not an interesting movie, with the the exception of some of the songs, and Govinda gets most of the credit for that. His entrance scene (featured in the previous post) combines Michael Jackson moves, breakdancing, and West Side Story with a bar brawl, in the kind of scene that makes even your non-Bollywood-watching friends clap their hands in delight. Said friends might like the title song, too, which features leg warmers, studded arm bands, and robot costumes.



The 80s nostalgia works in the movie’s favor now, and several people have emailed me to say “Oh my gosh, I watched that all the time as a kid, you’ve got to see it!” I can imagine that if I had grown up with this movie I’d be happy to encounter it on cable, flipping channels back and forth hoping to catch a few of the songs.


I don't know if "to eighty-six" is an expression in Indian English, but for those of us for who already have a meaning associated with that number...well, this movie had a lot working against it from the get-go, let’s just say that.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I do hope that robot screencap is going into your banner collection.
Anonymous said…
Thanks for bringing this movie back up. I had totally forgotten about this movie, this was back in the day when there were VHS cassettes and we used to all sit around this one TV and watch the movie. There is no concept of 86ing in Hindi but though I do not remember the time the movie was released (I was too young), I remember that it did cause a sensation.

I posted a link to this story at http://www.filmideewane.com/story.php?title=Love-86-Ok-its-not-86ixing

Look forward to remembering reviews of bhule-bisere movies. You are welcome to post them on FilmiDeewane.
Ashley said…
Ha! I didn't know Govinda was so cute back in the day....
Anonymous said…
Hi Beth

I wonder who recommended this movie to you.

I think there are socres of other interestimg movies to watch

I am sure your TBS pilie is quite high.

cheers
Anonymous said…
sorry about the typing mistakes in the last post


It was supposed to be "Scores of movies" and "TBS pile"
AD said…
I've never watched a Govinda movie although I've seen scores of songs and scenes. And although he had a hot pairing with Neelam in the eighties there was just something about Neelam that creeped me out. Perhaps it was the little girl cuteness she was trying to channel.

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