Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008) [Blu-ray] (Bollywood Movie / Indian Cinema / Hindi Film) [NTSC]

Ranbir Kapoor proves himself worthy of the Kapoor name in this charming film. Told as a series of three vignettes, Ranbir Kapoor's charactor (Raj) learns about life and grown-up relationships. The three actresses who play his girlfriends all do a fantastic job - with Bipasha Basu as the real stand-out - and the music is also top notch.

While "Bachna ae Haseeno" is by no means a deep meaningful film, it is a fun and well made one. I highly recommend it.

"Beware, O Beautiful Ones," the title tells us--beware, indeed, because Ranbir Kapoor is already scorching his way to the top in this, his second film, and setting hearts on fire along the way. Kapoor--the grandson of the granddaddy of Indian film, actor Raj Kapoor, and the cousin of actress Kareena Kapoor--has the talent to match his pedigree and it shows even in this predictable, albeit entertaining movie about a commitment-phobe who gets a comeuppance.

But the real star of the show is Bipasha Basu, in a role she was born to play--that of a driven superstar who might be hurt by heartache, but can't be stopped by anything. Although she doesn't share screen time with the other two female leads--Deepika Padukone and Minissha Lamba--they pale in comparison to her. She even comes close to overshadowing the very engaging Kapoor, with whom she's extremely mismatched--it stretches believability that a bombshell like her would even be interested in a boy-man like him, however adorable he might be, or that he'd do anything less than worship her. Instead, he dumps her. Right.

We meet Kapoor's character, Raj, as a teenager, when he breaks the heart of Mahi (Lamba), a sweet girl with whom he shares a kiss and promises of forever while vacationing in Switzerland. She catches him bragging to his friends--and thoroughly exaggerating--about their time alone together and he leaves her, crushed, at the airport. Six years later, he's a software developer in Mumbai living with his girlfriend Radhika (Basu), an aspiring model. Once again, Raj is cavalier about the relationship, and when his company wants to transfer him to Australia, he sees it as an easy way out of his domestic arrangement. But Radhika doesn't make it easy--she assumes they're going to get married and move there together. Instead of breaking up with her, he skips out on the wedding. Five years later, he's loving bachelorhood--and all the blonds--in Australia, until he meets Gayatri (Padukone), a knockout MBA student who works as a cab driver to pay the bills. Her hard-to-get act works, and he's smitten. But this time, it's his turn to get hurt. Wounded and wiser, he realizes how much pain he caused in the past and he sets out to find Mahi and Radhika and apologize to them. His guilt is worsened when he discovers what's become of them--Mahi is in a perfunctory marriage and Radhika is a cold and cruel world-famous model. Of course, neither is eager to give him the forgiveness he badly craves and he must work to earn it.

All in all, it's a cute story about an improbably lucky and likable rogue with a lot of growing up to do.

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The cover picture put me off a little. Combined with the description it looked like a jerk with a superficial life. Now that may have ended up being so if this was Holywood but Indian movies have a way of going ddeper and looking at what people are learning about life and ethics.
So the plot ended up being very satisfying. He really gets a chance to learn about his effects on other and how they respond to his dumping them from their diffferent personalities and ways of coping.
While the way he does it is fantasy the effect is of someone really examining their responsibily and growing. Iliked the feel of that.
The location shots are really beautiful and the acting good.
I personally found the hero a bit bland and bewildered at times but he ends up being quite likeable.
The standout thing about this movie for me too is the music. There are quite a few catchy tunes that were with me well after. You rarely get so many on the one soundtrack that I ended up buying the soundtrack.
Well worth the journey particualarly if you like catchy modern Indian music.