A twisted story of love & relationships

If you ever thought that you already have that perfect love story that you`ve always dreamed of, think again. Everything in this world is not what it seems to be. Love is not always hunky dory all the time, there are certain times in life when a marriage can have its flaws, but it’s up to you and your partner to sort everything out. Something on a similar basis can be seen in the film ‘Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna’ which is a twisted story of love & relationships.

Dev (Shah Rukh Khan) lives in the United States of America and is a foot ball player. He is married to Rhea (Preity Zinta), who works and models for a fashion magazine. Dev fractures his leg, becomes handicapped and dependent on Rhea. He stays at home all the time and broods on his ill-luck. This causes a lot of heated arguments between the two and Rhea accuses Dev of being jealous of her success and what a bad example he is setting for their son. Rishi on the other hand is very frustrated as he is unable to express his love towards Maya and also resents the fact that Maya is infertile. Due to this Maya is unable to reciprocate his love because of the lack of feelings towards him, as she believes he is very selfish. This causes a drift in their relationship.

The film focuses on how the two couples have an imperfect relationship, and how they try to avoid the issues by having an extra-marital affair. They believe that taking this step will sort out all their problems. However, this distraction just turns out to be a temporary solution, which makes it even worse as it results in raising doubts in their partners’ minds. They say that no relationship is perfect.

A marriage always has its ups and downs, and true love doesn’t always come your way the way you imagined. It is something that becomes stronger when a couple has a give and take relationship, when they understand each other’s difficulties and work towards a common solution and when they have absolute faith in each other’s lives whether it is at home or outside at work.

Watch the film to find out what happens when Rhea and Rishi find out about their respective partners’ infidelity.

#DharmaStyleFiles

Dharma movies have been a plethora of various festivals, styles and fashion statements. Every character of their movies has a distinct flair for fashion to flaunt of.

This festive season, we chose to give tips on what’s hot with #DharmaStyleFiles. Take a look at what some of our very own trendsetters chose to wear during this Diwali.

1. Remember how Abhi & Rohan were seen donning sports or casual wear most of the time while competing for the ‘Student of The Year’?But we see them rock the festive look in their own style in the song ‘Radha’. We loved how the nude tone works contrary to Rohan’s personality & the Dark blue works for Abhimanyu.

2. Ananya from ‘2 states’ portrayed the role of a south Indian girl with finesse and that showed in her dressing as well. She was seen dressed in Indo-western clothing, opting majorly for jeans and kurtas teamed with silver jewellery . But we loved the typical Tam-Brahm avatar of hers in this Red and orange saree , where Ananya is decked up in a quintessential half and half sari, the 'kamarband' and 'mangtikka' are just the perfect icing on top of the cake.

3. Then we have Poo flaunting a peach sharara with silver embellishments that make quite a style statement that is still in vogue. While she declares her love publically with ‘bole chudiyan’ , she is definitely dressed to kill.

4. And finally we have Shah Rukh sporting an elegant off-white Sherwani in ‘Kabhi Kushi Kabhie Gham’. “Lucknow da kurta... pathani salwar... tab lagey mard, warna lagey bekaar".

Tell us which is your favorite #DiwaliStyleFile in the comments below

An ordinary man’s extraordinary journey

There are only two kinds of people in the world. Good people who do good things and bad people who do bad things. In a world where the definitions of good and bad are changing everyday by those who are in power and those who want to achieve power, most of us tend to go with the flow and believe in values which are most convenient for us.

But there are some people who are gifted (or cursed, depends on your point of view) with the ability to see things as they are, without their interests hindering their perspective. One such soul with such unbiased views is the protagonist in ‘My Name Is Khan’.

The movie depicts the adventures of an ordinary man embarking on an extraordinary journey to seek justice. Rizwan Khan (Shah Rukh Khan), a Muslim from the Borivali section of Mumbai, suffers from Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism that complicates social interaction. As an adult, Rizwan marries a Hindu single mother, Mandira, in San Francisco. After 9/11, Rizwan is detained by authorities at LAX who mistake his disability for suspicious behavior. Following his arrest, he meets Radha, a therapist who helps him deal with his situation and his affliction. Rizwan then begins a journey to meet US President George W. Bush to clear his name.

On his journey, he comes across some extraordinary people and has an adventure of a lifetime. His journey across multiple states in USA to prove his innocence was one of epic proportions. The fact that a man with autism goes against all odds to stand up for justice should be an inspiration to us all. Watch the movie again to relive the extraordinary journey this ordinary man embarks on in this ground breaking film!

'Dance Basanti' out now!

The wait is over!

Here is presenting the much awaited first song from the upcoming movie ‘Ungli’.

Shraddha Kapoor burns the dance floor in her glamorous avatar in ‘Dance Basanti’ with Emraan Hashmi. Watch the new age ‘Basanti’ blow your mind off with her thumkas & jhumkas

The Sibling Love

Bhaidooj, traditionally celebrated on the fifth day of Diwali is a mark of love and respect between brother and sister. It is a sign of the unending love that they feel for each other. Typically, the sister prays on the second day of the bright fortnight – ‘Shukla Paksha’ in the month of Kartika for the lives of their brothers to be long, prosperous and happy.

On this festive occasion, brothers are invited by their sisters who prepare a wholesome meal comprising of their favorite dishes. They then perform an ‘Aarti’ for the brother and apply a red ‘Tika’, a sign that their most sincere prayers are for their brother. In return, the brother usually gives his sister gifts and commits to protect her from harm whenever required.

In ‘Agneepath’, the relationship between Vijay Deenanath Chauhan and his sister Shiksha is just as special. Vijay, having seen his father framed and murdered in cold blood decides to turn to a life of crime, slowly building his way into the dark, murky underbelly of organised crime in Mumbai. When things begin to look down for Vijay, and when the life of his sister hangs in the balance because of Rauf Lala and Kancha, Vijay rises to the occasion and goes about on a killing spree, with little fear of repercussion. With support from Commissioner Gaitonde, he begins his journey to rescue Shiksha from harm. What happens in the end though? Is Vijay able to uphold the tradition of Bhaidooj? Does he save Shiksha from harm and exact his revenge on those who persecuted his family? Why don’t you watch the film once again today and go through the emotions just like Vijay Deenanath Chauhan?

Family comes first

You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them. The love of family and the admiration of friends are much more important than wealth and privilege. A perfect example of this is the film ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham’ directed by Karan Johar and produced by his father Yash Johar. The movie was made to evoke nostalgia among those who have left their families to start a life elsewhere.

The film revolves around the affluent Raichand family. A family that faces trials and tribulations, but at the end of the day still have the heart to forgive each other’s mistakes, no matter how grave the problem is. Amitabh Bachchan plays the role of Yash Raichand who is a prosperous businessman in New Delhi. He is portrayed as fiercely dominating, and controls the lives of his wife and his 2 sons. However amidst his dominating nature his wife Nandi Raichand played by Jaya Bachchan and his 2 sons ignore this controlling side of his, and love him unconditionally for the person that he is.

Yash Raichand has 2 sons Rahul and Rohan, the earlier is elder and the latter is younger. Rahul falls in love with a Punjabi girl belonging to a lower socio-economic background than the Raichand family. Yash is outraged by Rahul’s decision to marry someone from a lower background. Being the adopted son of the family, Yash disowns Rahul and asks him to leave the house after marrying Anjali Sharma (Kajol). Rohan the youngest brother and son of the Raichand family takes it upon himself to bring his brother back home, and solve their disputes and differences together as a family.

This film teaches you the importance of family, and how important it is to value your parents and siblings. The one thing that people should always remember is that no matter how bad the situation or how serious the problem is, your family will always be by your side. After all the saying goes, ‘Family will always stick with you through thick or thin.’

Bridging the gap in love

Love can motivate people to cross unimaginable boundaries and break barriers to reach their loved ones. One such example of exemplary love can be seen in ‘Gori Tere Pyaar Mein’.

In the film, we see Sriram (Imran Khan) narrating his story to his fiance, about the time he fell in love with Dia Sharma (Kareena Kapoor). Dia is a social worker and hence always busy running about, helping children and the people in her locality. On the other hand, Sriram is the shallowest chap on earth who doesn't value relationships, family, friends or his country. But after he meets Dia, his outlook on life begins to slowly change. He finds himself doing things he wouldn’t have done on a normal day.

Initially we see him as a materialistic guy, who buys a plot of land for his dad, which Dia had plans of building an orphanage on. He does this only to win over his dad, so he would be gifted an Audi in return. Dia soon breaks up with him after a relationship of more than one year. At Sriram’s wedding his soon to be fiancé, Vasudha, makes him realise that he still loves Dia and that he won’t be able to handle their wedding. Sriram runs away from his wedding and goes to Dia’s house. There he finds out that Dia is living in a village in Gujarat, Jhumli.

Sriram reaches the village and promises Dia that he won’t leave the village until Dia comes back with him. Dia still angry with Sriram tells him, that if he could help build a bridge in the village she may consider coming back. After a few hurdles, and getting beaten up by the village-head’s men, he gets the task completed. Dia gets to know all about this and forgives Sriram for his earlier misdeeds. They finally reunite on the newly built bridge and share a tender moment together.

We come across times in life, when compromise is necessary to make a relationship work. ‘Gori Tere Pyaar Mein’ paints a clear picture of how far people are willing to go for love. And in the end it’s all worthwhile, because getting to spend time with that special someone is reward in itself. The next time you find yourself in a situation where compromise is necessary to make things work in your love life, stop and take a look at Sriram & Dia and how they ultimately achieved their fairytale ending.

Student Of The Year 2nd anniversary

The road from youth to adulthood is paved with myriad emotions and ‘Student Of The Year’ celebrates this colorful coming of age. It is the story of Abhimanyu Singh (Sidharth Malhotra) and Rohan Nanda (Varun Dhawan) who traverse the path of competition, envy, triumph, failure, manipulation and heartbreak in their mini-universe of St. Teresa’s High School, Dehradun.

Abhimanyu Singh A.K.A Abhi comes from a middle-class family and wants to achieve great heights of success and prosperity, the first step to which will be the Student Of The Year trophy while Rohan Nanda A.K.A Ro, is the son of a business tycoon who grapples with a complex relationship with his father and knows that winning the Student Of the Year trophy will bag him the approval that he subconsciously craves for. When the two protagonists with distinct backgrounds and clear goals clash with each other in the locker room, football field and the canteen, there is no question in anyone’s mind that the preset equations of the St. Teresa’s campus were about to change.

When Abhi and Rohan’s rivalry takes an unexpected turn to friendship, neither of them pre-empts the complications that would brew. Things get further knotted up when Shanaya Singhania (Alia Bhatt), the most popular girl on the campus enters the equation. While Shanaya and Rohan are childhood sweethearts, Abhi’s attraction for his best friend’s girlfriend and Shanaya’s quiet reciprocation causes a rift in their friendship that would have a long lasting impact. Looming large over the various friendships in the campus is the Student Of The Year trophy and Dean Yogendra Vasisht’s (Rishi Kapoor) emphasis on success and victory.

Towards the end of the term, the foes-turned-friends-turned foes, Abhi and Rohan, get ready for a face-off and battle lines are drawn through the length and breadth of the campus, with only one goal in everyone’s eyes - Student Of The Year Trophy. As new ambitions are born and old loyalties fall by the wayside, each segment of the Student Of The Year competition manages to tear apart both, the participants and the spectators, to redefine the choices of the three protagonists.

The film is a fresh breath of air for Bollywood cinema as we see the debut of Alia, Varun & Siddharth as a bunch of amazingly talented actors. This was also the last film Karan Johar directed with Dharma Productions. On its second year anniversary, we would like to know how much you liked the film and what are your favorite moments from the movie. Do leave your thoughts about ‘Student Of The Year’ in the comments below.

16 years of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai!

16 years ago, Karan Johar first burst onto the Bollywood scene as a director with 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai'. The film, that starred Kajol, Rani Mukerji and Shah Rukh Khan was a spectacular box office hit and paved the way for him to direct more movies like 'Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna', ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham' and 'Student Of The Year'. Karan Johar was 25 when he made his directorial debut.

'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' makes Bollywood look cool again. The Riverdale School look, complete with the hip clothes and sets, makes even the staunchest of snobs sit up and take notice of the film. After all here is a film where even the extras look as hot as the heroines.

Shah Rukh Khan as Rahul is the undisputed star and crowd-puller of the movie, also Salman Khan’s cameo takes the film to a whole different level. Kuch Kuch Hota Hai is one of those films, where Salman Khan displays his acting chops and gives a showcase of what he is

truly is capable of. 

The chartbusting soundtrack for 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' remains one of Bollywood cinema’s finest albums ever. It is a 90s classic that continues to resonate in the hearts of many a music lover. Be it the title song or Ladki Badi Anjani, or that theme tune that has become part of the Dharma Productions logo clip; romance has seldom sounded so melodious.

In a movie that starred two Khans, Kajol manages to overshadow them with her career-best act in an author-backed role that does complete justice to her range as an actress. As the sporty Anjali who goes from looking like a tomboy, to becoming the perfect dulhania, Kajol scores a three-pointer in every sense of the word.

Among the many awards the film garnered for its makers and cast, 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' also went on to win the National Award for providing wholesome entertainment in 1999. On its 16th anniversary, come join us in celebrating a film that has taken us through a range of emotions! Do tell us your favorite moments from the film in the comments below.

Happy Birthday Amitabh Bachchan

Having starred in over 180 films in a career spanning more than four decades, Amitabh Bachchan continues to hold sway over millions of his fans with his rich baritone on the big screen. The megastar was born to Hindi poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Teji Bachchan in Allahabad on October 11, 1942. Bachchan is one of the busiest actors in Bollywood thanks to his knack for adapting and reinventing himself to the demands of showbiz.

Big B’s versatility as an actor has given us many memorable moments through his films with Dharma Productions. We see him play the role of Police Officer Vijay in the 1980 ‘Dostana’. We then see him play the role of Vijay Chauhan, a Man seeking revenge for his father’s death in ‘Agneepath’. His pivotal role as a rich businessman who is a father to two sons in ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...’ was one of the key elements in making the film such great success.

Finally we see him play the role of a fun-loving father, Samarjeet in ‘Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna’. Amitabh nails it with a performance that carefully treads the fine line between old perv and naughty senior. It is to his credit as an actor, that he can switch from playful to prophetic, as he offers those words of wisdom that eventually become the direction that the cheating couple take in the film.

Amitabh is an actor that wishes to continue his innings in acting with the same enthusiasm that he started with. "The wish is that something challenging comes up everyday... I will continue working till there is strength in my body," says Big B.We would like to wish Amitabh Bachchan a very Happy Birthday with many years of splendid films ahead! Do share some of your favourite Amitabh Bachchan scenes from our Dharma films in the comments below.

Naina & Bunny – True love always comes back

The problem with trying to “find” love in our dating lives is that too often we don't realize the person who we truly love has been by our side all along. They may be a friend that we overlooked, or an acquaintance that we just didn’t get to know well enough. But the saying “Love conquers all” holds true in such situations, as our true love always finds a way of coming back into our lives.

In ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’ we see how Naina & Bunny find true love through their friendship, when they embark on a magical trip into the Himalayas with a few of their friends. Naina is a shy and nerdy medical student in college and probably why Bunny doesn’t fall for her at first. On their journey to Manali with friends, the two begin to open up and share their experiences with each other. Naina, for the first time drinks with Bunny, as he tells her of his dream to roam around the world. They share a special moment and he expresses how he never wants to settle down, or have anything to hold him back from living his life the way he wants it. Naina begins to fall in love with Bunny but never expresses her feelings to him. Towards the end of the trip she is heartbroken to find out that Bunny has taken admission in the Northwestern University in Chicago, and that she may never see him again.

8 years down the line, Naina and Bunny meet each other at their friend, Aditi’s wedding, in Udaipur. Bunny and Naina rekindle the bond they had, and go on a tour of Udaipur together. During the tour they share a moment watching the sunset together where Naina tells Bunny about how she believes that instead of doing everything in a rush, it's better to enjoy something while you can. During one of the evening parties, Bunny finally realizes his love for Naina as he was listening to Aditi speak about her love for her husband, Taran. He searches for her at the party and they end up confessing their love for each other.

The one thing we can pick up from this very amicable film is that your true love will always come back to you if it was meant to be! So if you are a hopeless romantic like these two, stop searching for the girl or boy of your dreams. They will come to you eventually if destiny has it written, and you will thoroughly enjoy every moment of being in love with your true love!

Why men fall for the ‘Desi Girl’

What is it that makes Desi girls so attractive, that men all over the world fall for them at first sight? Is it their glowing sun tanned skin? Could it be that adorable Indian accent? Or is it their simply delicious home cooked meals that drive men crazy?

In ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...’ we see one such Desi girl, Anjali Sharma (Kajol), living in Chandani Chowk with her dad and younger sister. Despite growing up in one of the most renowned families and being brought up in London, Rahul Raichand (ShahRukh) falls for this ‘Desi girl’ the very first time he sees her. We see Anjali celebrating India’s win against Pakistan and showing her love for Sachin Tendulkar. And which blue-blooded Indian man doesn’t love watching Cricket? We also see her as a very independent woman, who takes care of her Bauji and also their family business ‘Bharat Sweets’. Every man loves a lady who is responsible, and can someday take care of their business if they were to fall ill.

Another quality in a Desi girl that men find very attractive is the ability to have good cultural values, and at the same time be liberal enough to fit in with the modern world. Anjali proves to be a very traditional yet modern nari as she adjusts to the cultural differences and takes care of her family in London. And finally, the best quality in Desi girls that men adore is the fact that she will accept you for who you are, and she always takes the initiative to adjust to your family values. She also passes on these same values to your kids in the future, and teaches them how to respect and love unconditionally.

When a Desi girl is capable of providing so much love and commitment, why would a man look any further? Having someone to come home to and knowing she will always be there to support you is just the icing on the cake. Oh and did we mention that Desi girls look super cute too? ;-) 

34 years of Dostana (1980) Anniversary

It’s now been an incredible 34 years since ‘Dostana’ hit the big screen and we are still enthused by the compelling performance by Amitabh Bachchan and Shatrughan Sinha in the film. The duo set new standards for friendship & love in this film. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and relive the film which put a new spin on camaraderie.

Vijay (Amitabh Bachchan) and Ravi (Shatrughan Sinha) are childhood friends who grew into rival careers. Vijay is a dedicated police inspector and Ravi is the town's best lawyer; while the former catches criminals, the latter bails those criminals out. Both swear not to question each other about their careers and thus their friendship continues to blossom.

Their lives take a turn when both meet a woman named Sheetal Sahni (Zeenat Aman) at different places and time respectively. Both begin to fall in love with her but refrain from telling each other. Ah, the love triangle is formed! Later, Ravi admits his love for Sheetal to Vijay who is devastated but decides to sacrifice his love for Ravi's sake.

However, there is a misunderstanding when Daaga (Prem Chopra), a smuggler who had a few run-ins with Vijay, decides to stir up their friendship by showing Ravi a photo of Vijay and Sheetal together. Vijay and Ravi become rivals for the first time. The rest of the movie looks at the conflict between the trio, which we wouldn’t want to spoil for you if you haven’t seen the film.

Do join us in celebrating this timeless film on its 34th anniversary and tell us your favorite dialogues and moments from the film in the comments below.

5 Reasons why opposites attract

Since decades we have nonchalantly believed in the concept of ‘Opposites attract’. And why shouldn't we, haven’t we all at least once been drawn to someone who is so different from us?

So what causes this inexplicable love between two people who are polar opposites? May be the exciting differences between the opposites leads to the attraction and subsequently a natural thirst for completion.

Here are 5 reasons that explain why opposites attract.

1. Coming out of the comfort Zone
Initially being with someone who has the same likes and dislikes may seem an easy thing to do but someone who pushes you out of your comfort zone is bound keep you interested. Remember the straight-laced architect Rahul Kapoor and the free-spirited hairdresser Riana Braganza from ‘Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu’?

2. Different personalities
Relationships should be fun. In ‘Hasee Toh Phasee’ we see Nikhil Bhardwaj (Sidharth Malhotra) a struggling businessman, fall in love with the quirky Dr. Meeta Solanki (Parineeti Chopra).

3. Curiosity: 

Sometimes it’s simply because we want to know how “the other half” lives. In ‘I Hate Luv Storys’, we witness the phenomenon of ‘opposites attract’ again when Jay Dhingra (Imran Khan) falls for Simran Kaur (Sonam Kapoor) despite their obvious differences. One hates bollywood love stories and the other swears by it, but the initial clashes slowly turn into a friendship which later leads to lasting romance.

4. They complement each other: 

A partner who is different from us can complement the person that we are. In other words, their differences enhance us and our lives. If you are shy, having an outgoing partner can compensate for that and even make social occasions easier for you. How else would not Meeta not only manage to come back to her sister’s wedding but also enjoy it!

5. New Experiences: 

Their different hobbies, interests and attitudes can expose us to a variety of new experiences. This can enhance our lives by taking us out of familiar territory, and also show us how to see things differently. We’ve seen this happening with all the Dharma couples mentioned above & that’s what makes their story interesting.

So if you find yourself falling for someone completely opposite to you don’t be perplexed, just follow your heart & it may turn out to be the best relationship you've had till date!

Wake Up Sid Anniversary - Follow your Dreams’

“One day your dreams will flash before your eyes. Make sure it’s worth watching.” – Unknown

Do you have a dream, a wish or a desire? Have you ever stopped to wonder, what it would be like to live life to its fullest? People tell you to follow your dreams, but is anyone really doing it for themselves? Life interjects, bills pile up, and sometimes we have to do jobs we don’t want to do just to make it through the day. It is difficult to follow our dreams with all these obstacles lying in our path, but if we really want to see our lives change for the better it is important to break free of these barriers and do whatever it takes to follow our dreams.

Mumbai is indeed a city of dreams. People from across the country come to Mumbai with hopes to fulfill their dreams and aspirations. In ‘Wake Up Sid’ we see Aisha Banerjee (Konkona Sen Sharma), an aspiring writer coming to the city and landing a job with Bombay Beat. She meets Sid Mehra a typical Mumbaikar by nature, who’s only interest is to live life king size and spend his dad’s money recklessly. His father tempts him with a new Porsche if Sid joins the office. But our fun-loving chap Sid can’t spend a week at office and it disgusts him to see people who come at the same time, leave at the same time and heck, they even dress the same! Professional ambitions remain immaterial to him.

After getting kicked out by his family for scoring bad grades, he takes refuge with Aisha and considering Sid’s penchant in photography she gets him a job as an intern at Bombay Beat. Out of the blue, the boy who didn’t even know how to cook was now becoming completely independent. As Sid begins working, he finds meaning in life. After he is hired as a part of the full-time staff and receives his first paycheck, he meets his father. They reconcile and Sid's father asks him to come home.

‘Wake Up Sid’ induces a very inspiring feeling in all of us, that we all have that hidden talent which only needs to be taken out and nourished. No person is an underachiever. We just need to keep a little faith in our potentials and tap into our unknown abilities. So the next time you feel down in the dumps or uninspired, watch ‘Wake Up Sid’ to awaken your senses and motivate you to follow your dreams! On its 5th year anniversary, tell us how much you loved the movie by leaving your thoughts and favorite scenes in the comments below.