Beth aur Babli

Aspi has just written a post about what movie character he would like to play, and now Amrita has written a post about why none of the female role types are worthwhile and she'd rather play the hero, thank you very much. It's pointed and thoughtful and sharp and bang on.

So let's hear it. What movie character would you like to play? I had to think about that question very hard for about ten minutes, and then it came to me in a flash of brilliance: Vimmi/Babli from Bunty aur Babli.

She's smart. She's funny. She schemes, she laughs, she loves. She enjoys life. She knows when to let her emotions show and isn't afraid to be herself. Despite running away, acting out all sorts of brassy and bold roles, and being a criminal, Vimmi/Babli escapes the typical melodramatic horrors, punishments, and subjugations Amrita outlines. And in the very end, she doesn't have to sacrifice her individual talents and interests for husband, child, parents, or home. In my ideal script, there never would have been a baby, and Babli and Bunty could have just continued their work, either with or without the police. But given the massive amounts of crap female characters in Hindi films often have to burden, a baby that is eventually integrated into the character's life and personality as they have been developed throughout the film is no small feat.

Comments

AD said…
The only other character I wouldn't mind playing is Yunus Parvez - who is an obscure enough character actor that probably no one knows about him.

But any movie in which he gets the living daylights kicked out of him by Amitabh Bachchan would work for me. I would love an opportunity to first smirk at the Big B and then get beaten up by him. Fun!
Hear, hear on the fact that female characters in Hindi cinema are pretty much uniformly awful! Damn patriarchal society.

The PPCC representative would like to play Rita in Awaara, because she's the smartest, most empowered lady we've seen on the Hindi screen, and she gets to bonk a very young and very handsome Raj Kapoor.
Finally remembered the pics I wanted to give you for Bollywood Fugly!

Arghhh. If you've forgotten, Shashi reached all-time lows in Chor Sipahee (as well as all-time highs, it must be said, it was a very variable Shashi).

First, there was THIS. Agrghhh.

Which naturally provoked this reaction from Vinod.

This one's worse.

And here it just looks like they're both going to laugh.
Raka said…
Oh the irony-- I am watching BnB as I am writing this (but I imagine my love for Babli is an overflowing of my love for Rani M). Anyway, I agree, it's good to see a heroine who isn't a baby producing machine and for once overshadows the hero.
Aspi - and wouldn't you know it, he's in B&B!

PPCC - hear hear! I haven't seen Awaara yet but my appetite is whetted.

Raka - That's some good irony! I love Rani too (though not enough to want to be her in, say, Chori Chori Chupke Chupke. And excellent point about her overshadowing the hero! She does! I hadn't even thought of that!

Babli zindabad!
Anonymous said…
Hey Beth! Thanks for putting some comments on my blog! Yay-I'm so stoked to have my first blogger friend!!And I'm so glad its you...

But anyways, I would have to go with Geet from Jab We Met. She was funny, caring, thoughtful, lively and incredibly optimistic. Yet you wouldn't want to mess with her, either! I was never a Kareena fan-until now.
bird's eye view said…
Good choice, Beth. babli was a great character - and what i love is that she is unapologetic about who she is or what she's doing unlike most female characters from the movies.

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