Welcoming New Year Dharma Style!

If there’s one thing that Dharma films are known for in Bollywood, it is the musical brilliance we bring into every film. Can you imagine a Dharma film without song and dance? We certainly can’t. The essence of Dharma movies transpires through the film’s music and dance sequences and flows right from the characters in the film to the audience watching.

The year 2014 has brought us many awesome rocking dance party numbers. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and see what 2014 had in store for us on the dance floor. Remember Hasee Toh Phasee’s ‘Drama Queen’ starring the vivacious Parineeti Chopra and the dashing Sidharth Malhotra as they have the time of their life? A song was so lively, it made the audience want to jump off their seats and join in the celebration.

The sizzling chemistry between Arjun Kapoor and Alia Bhatt in 2 States simply flows out of the screen and the audience gets to be a part of their celebration of love!

Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania’s ‘Saturday Saturday’ featuring Varun Dhawan & Alia Bhatt is a Party song to end all other Party Songs! After a tiring week who wouldn’t want to bring on the Saturday madness with Humpty and Kavya in one of the craziest Party anthems of this year?

Ungli’s Dance Basanti, featuring Shraddha Kapoor as Basanti alongside the very charming Emraan Hashmi will make you want to put on your dancing shoes and practice the Basanti moves right in the theatre itself!

Here’s how we party at Dharma as we end the year on an all time high with some of the grooviest dance numbers of 2014! How will you be partying this New Years eve? Make your New Year’s party as rocking as ours by adding some of these party anthems to your celebration’s playlist and have a very happy New Year filled with lots of love, happiness and prosperity!

bit.ly/Flashback2014

#DialogueFlashback

Since we are doing a flashback, how about looking at some of the memorable dialogues of 2014 that stayed with us long after the films we saw. Classic lines from Dharma films which we will never forget and which will go down in our memory as some of the best scenes.

                                                   

Here’s a recap: Remember that scene in Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania where Kavya tells Humpty “Main Paida hi hot hui thi” when he looks at her. That’s a classic Alia Bhatt moment. Kavya steals the scene from Humpty with her class act response and sparkles the scene with her quick wit.

And if that was not enough, here’s what Kavya says later, “Shaadi karungi to Kareena wale designer lehenge mein hi, warna dulhe ko tata bye bye kardo” – which is a direct reference to Kareena’s sassy style and how Kavya’s character is influenced by her role model. This laugh out loud moment in the film highlights Kavya’s attitude and spunk.
                                           

Another of our favourite dialogues this year was in 2 States. "Punjabi mother-in-law se khatarnak kuch bhi nahi hota iss duniya mein!" Krish warns Ananya about his fiery mother who Ananya has no clue about, and is about to meet. This funny moment totally makes it to one of the best scenes of the year.
In 2 States, the lovers Krish and Ananya discuss the ‘pyar ka bomb’ that needs to be exploded in their respective families before the match is made. This becomes the highpoint of their discussion in a dialogue that stays with us. The ‘pyar ka bomb’ is a killer phrase to use. Like drop the love on any unsuspecting person you like!

The too funny scenes between Humpty and Kavya in Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania are worth watching again. Their little quibbles/tiffs about dating rules and social media etiquette will make you want to rewind all those scenes. Why not start now! Happy Flashbacking!

#SongFlashback

The year is coming to an end. But that’s when the party begins, isn't it? Time to put on your dancing shoes and hit the dance floor! This year was a bumper year for Dharma songs as many dance numbers from Dharma films were chartbusters and kept the party going all year round. There were other memorable songs too. So let’s #SongFlashback Dharma style!

Who can forget the biggest party anthem of the year? Saturday from Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania. The song that caught on like a rage with party-holics and was a big hit at all the discotheques. Not only that, its catchy beat, and the repeat ‘Saturday’ hook has become a mantra for most young people. Saturday, sung by Indeep Bakshi, Badshah, Akriti Kakkar, music composed by Sharib-Toshi and pictured on the gorgeous Alia Bhatt and the super-cool Humpty – Varun Dhawan.
                                                     
The other immensely popular song from HSKD is Samjhawan. The song sung by Alia Bhatt evoked the journey of love, pain, and longing and beautifully summed up all the emotions in a soulful rendition. Samjhawan is the perfect antidote for love and yet, it tells us that the remedy to love, is to love more!
                                                 

                                                       

Earlier in the year, 2 States had some soulful songs too. The melodious Chaandaniya shows how lovers can be separated by distance and are still inseparable in love. The feeling is best summed in these lines, ‘Tere bina.. O mahiya…Din dariya, rain jazeere lagde ne’. Written by lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya and sung by Mohan Kanan, Yashita Sharma, music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy, Chaandaniya is one of the most loved tracks of the year. 

                                       
Speaking of soulful tracks, Zehnaseeb from Hasee Toh Phasee is also a great song. It is a  emotional love track composed by the talented duo- Vishal-Shekhar, and evocatively written by Amitabh Bhattacharya. Shekhar Ravjiani and Chinmayi Sripaada sung the song with a lilt that stays with you forever. The opening lines of the song are enough to make anyway forget their woes and fall in love. ‘Zehnaseeb, Zehanaseeb…Tujhe chaahun betahasha zehnaseeb…Mere kareeb, mere habeeb…Tujhe chaahun betahasha zehnaseeb…”
                                         

The year ends with a catchy number from Ungli. ‘Unchi wali heel pehen ke…’ dancing comes ‘Basanti’ Shraddha Kapoor in the Emran Hashmi starrer. The Dance Basanti song is sung by Vishal Dadlani & Anushka Manchanda and composed by Sachin-Jigar and you can see from the video that the mood of the song is party-manic and when the lyrics goes ‘Basanti visphotak bas ek smile hai…Tu sar se paaon tak poori missile hai…’ who can stop?

So then what are you waiting for? Start the party with #SongFlashback! Tell the DJ to play your fave number!

#Flashback2014 - Ungli

Ungli, which released in November 2014, was one of those rare films that set itself apart from the rest. The film focuses on the rampant corruption in society and how a team of four friends join forces to form a team of vigilantes out for revenge. They are later accompanied by Nikhil (Emraan Hashmi), an ex-police officer who got suspended because off his irresponsible behavior during duty.

Director Rensil D’silva has in a very unique way brought forth a social message through the quirkiness of this film. The film’s underlying motto simply focuses on fighting corruption and going against the system to achieve justice. It is an intelligently written, tightly constructed film which is fun, witty and relevant, all at the same time. As the film was written by the same writer of Rang De Basanti, it shares a similar spark of brilliance. Rensil has done a phenomenal job of keeping the story moving at a steady pace with a fantastic climax towards the end. His work on this film is nothing short of a genius!

The camaraderie between its actors is palpable as Emraan Hashmi and Sanjay Dutt dished out a truly power packed performance. And not to mention the Ungli gang’s witty dialoguebaazi. Ungli might not offer a solution to our day to day problems but does an outstanding job at tapping the right chords and sentiments and translating it on screen and met out a hard befitting answer to the culprits. And lastly, the best thing about Ungli is it doesn't get preachy; it asks you to rise up for your rights without hammering your head to it.

Being the fourth and final release of the year from Dharma Productions, Ungli was an important film as it took on the social evils in society. The ungli team, with their dialoguebaazi, went out of their way to put an end to corruption.

#Flashback2014 - Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania

‘Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania’ is akin to some nostalgic films we relished in 1980s and 1990s. The time-tested template of boy meets girl, love blossoms, boy/girl's authoritarian parent act as a roadblock, worked very well as the theme of the film. However, Shashank Khaitan took it one step further by making sure to prettify it with dollops of entertainment, light-hearted drama, heartfelt emotions and of course, harmonious songs that linger in your memory for days to come. Most importantly, the chemistry between its lead pair -- Varun and Alia -- is simply the icing on the cake.

‘Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania’ is an exemplary Bollywood rom-com and ticks all the boxes that make a love story work. At the same time, Shashank Khaitan makes sure his screenwriting incorporates several amusing and captivating scenes that steer clear of clichéd formulas which we are used to witnessing in films of this genre. Shashank also manages to keep clear of full-scale melodrama, loud and familiar masala and earsplitting background score, which usually seep in naturally, given this film’s genre. He manages to keep things subtle, but at the same time lively enough to make sure the film wins you over.

The sequences between Varun and Ashutosh Rana are the high point of the film. Who can forget the scene at the railway station? Simply incredible! Of course, let’s not forget the ones between Varun and Alia who are the soul of the entire film, and the chemistry between them makes it all the more interesting.

As a storyteller, Shashank knows his fundamentals and he gives the protagonists a strong, consistent screenplay to base their acting skills on. Additionally, the film is filled with several solemn episodes, besides plastering the sequences with witty one-liners. When it comes down to the music of the film, the soundtrack compliments it delightfully. 'Saturday' has caught on big time, while 'Samjhawan' is hugely popular too. 

Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, was the third dhamakedar film released by Dharma Productions this year. This film was a huge success owing to Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt playing the lead roles; and what a sensational job they did! They will undoubtedly win you over with their honest, unbridled performances. This film is an excellent tribute to Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, and a film that the youngsters of this generation can completely relate to.

#Flashback2014 - 2 States

North Indians and South Indians have always been poles apart. Especially since the two communities are geographically located far apart from each other. In Abhishek Verma’s ‘2 States’, we see one such instance of North meets South when the Malhotras meet the Swaminathans.

The film portrays a young couple from two completely different cultural backgrounds falling in love and all the quirky situations that take place between the two families. ‘2 States’ has a very strong on-screen presence owing to the simple narrative style coupled with the fact that the film was an adaptation of well renowned author Chetan Bhagat's best-selling work. The film is a magical north indian-south indian love story you wish would never end. It creates a world where characters don’t shout to be heard. They just belong to a world where being proper, politically or otherwise, is not always a pre-condition.

In India, one doesn't simply marry the boy/girl; you marry their entire family. 2 States documents Ananya Swaminathan and Krish Malhotra's trials as they try their best to convince their families of their love towards each other. Unfortunately their effort of bringing their families together threatens to tear them apart.

‘2 States’ has more than its fair share of Madrasi-Punjabi jokes. Throughout the beginning of the film, Krish uses his Punjabi-ness as an excuse for everything. Sample this, "Punjabi hoon. Khoon garam hota hai humara." The song-and-dance sequence at Krish's cousin's wedding undermines the seriousness of the culture clash but provides a good enough opportunity for 2 States to take a strong, unapologetic and rather hilarious stand on dowry -- something that North Indians have normalised a little too much.

Alia Bhatt comes off as a complete surprise. She leaves behind her earlier films, and gets into a whole different character; she is easy, fresh and natural. Alia really grows into her character and makes you believe that she's a career-oriented IIM-A grad. She has simply done a phenomenal job of acting in this film.

All in all, there's nothing in this world that should hold you back from watching 2 States. If you're as desi as the next person, you’ll definitely want to run home after watching this film and give your parents a big hug.

#Flashback 2014

2014 has been quite a big year for Dharma Productions as it has seen the premiere of four amazing films i.e. Hasee to Phasee, 2 states, Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania and Ungli. These films were big hits at the box-office. People who watched Hasee to Phasee had fallen head over heels in love with the protagonists; Sidharth Malhotra and Parineeti Chopra. The film touched the hearts of many people as they could easily relate to the whole opposites attract scenario. This romantic comedy mirrors the quirks in human nature subtly, and provides humor in everyday situations; in the family and amongst friends. If you're looking to rediscover the magic of goofy love, give this movie a shot.

The second epic Dharma film of 2014, 2 States, was another great hit amongst the audience. The film portrays two people from two completely different cultural backgrounds falling in love and all the quirks in between. What makes 2 states work was the simple narrative coupled with the fact that the film was an adaptation of well renowned author Chetan Bhagat's best-selling work. The film is a magical north Indian-south Indian love story you wish would never end. It creates a world where characters don’t shout to be heard. They just belong to a world where being proper, politically or otherwise, is not always a pre-condition.

Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, which released in July 2014, was the third dhamakedar Dharma film of this year. This film was a great success as Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt played the lead roles and did a sensational job at that. They win you over with their honest, unbridled performances. It was an excellent spin off on Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, and the youngsters of this generation could totally relate to this film.

Finally, the fourth and final release of the year, Ungli was an important film as it took on the social evils in society. The ungli team, with their dialoguebaazi, went out of their way to put an end to corruption. All in all, 2014 was an amazing year for Karan Johar and the whole of Dharma productions. Karan Johar is most excited as he is already working on ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ and a bevy of interesting forthcoming projects that Dharma has recently announced for a 2015 release. Here’s wishing that 2015 will bring all the love and success that 2014 has brought us.

Passion never fails

“Kisi aur se pyar karne se pehle, khud se pyar karna seekho... Long term mein yahi kaam aayega” This quote from ‘Gori Tere Pyaar Mein’ holds deep meaning and there’s a lot we can learn from this. Only by loving ourselves and fulfilling our own passions can we be ready to share our happiness with others. Following your dreams and doing something you are truly passionate about can only lead you to a bright future.

A great example of following your dreams and living out your passion is Bunny in ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’. He strongly believed in doing a job that he was passionate about rather than settling for a monotonous office job. His dream was to wander and travel the world, and he did just that when he set off to become a videographer for a travel show. The best part about Bunny was that throughout the film we see how he is deeply in touch with his inner self. He knows what he wants and always follows his heart to achieve what’s best for him.

                                          

In ‘Wake Up Sid’, we see Aisha Banerjee an aspiring writer determined to live her dreams. She follows her passion, comes to the city and lands a job with Bombay Beat, a hip magazine. Also, she makes Sid realize his passion for photography and helps him become a photography intern for the magazine she works for. After he gets hired as full-time staff and receives his first pay check, he proudly meets his father and the two reconcile. By listening to Aisha’s advice and working in a field that he is passionate about, Sid transforms from a childish boy with no ambitions in life, into a respectable and independent man.
                                         

And finally, one of the finest examples of how passion never fails can be seen in ‘Gori Tere Pyaar Mein’. Kareena Kapoor Khan plays the role of ‘Dia Sharma’, a social worker who strives hard to having her dream of building an orphanage realised. Come hail or shine, Dia is adamant to stay true to her passion of helping people and does whatever it takes to fight for the people’s rights. She even sacrifices her love when she feels Sriram Venkat (Imran Khan) isn’t supportive of her towards her cause.

In a country where our parents often have their own ideology of our future career, it can be difficult to do something we are passionate about. But the truth be told, we can only truly be content if we follow our dreams and take up a career we are passionate about. After all, passion never fails.

The Competition Of Life

School competitions are one of the most important phases in a child’s life, may it be a simple running race or a football match or even a treasure hunt. Everyone always wants to go for the gold, nobody will ever settle for second best. Sometimes people feel that no one will remember the person who came in second. Like in the film ‘Student Of The Year’, when Abhi and Rohan become each other’s arch nemesis just because they want to prove that one is above the other by winning the Student of the Year trophy. After all, like Ashok Nanda tells his son Rohan, “Teachers sirf rules sikhate hai ... lekin winners, winners rules banate hai.”

Many schools also have student elections every year, wherein one student is chosen by the students or the school faculty to become the Head Girl/Boy of the school. One can see a lot of competitiveness in these elections; this is because students want to wield that power as they feel they can install their rule on all the students. But this is not the way it should be; a student that has won the election should always be righteous and fair in his/her decisions. In a film like Gippi, Gippi (Riya Vij) overweight and awkward and doesn't know how to handle the physical, emotional and social changes adolescence brings. In school she is a backbencher and is constantly bullied by the popular queen-bee Shamira.

Despite all this chaos she manages to pick herself up from nothing and fight Shamira in the elections, which she eventually goes on to win. The lesson that we can learn from this is no matter how ugly or beautiful you look, one has to learn to love yourself for exactly who you are. This film also teaches us never to give up on ourselves no matter how bad the situation is. As the saying goes, “Try try till you succeed.” At the end of all this even an underdog will emerge victorious.

Do you remember those days when you ran your first race in school and you thought you were going to win, but things just did not go your way? But at the end of it all you realised how much fun you had participating in the competition and want to relive those memories again, then watch ‘Student Of The Year’ & ‘Gippi’ and reminisce your childhood memories.

10 reasons why you can never get bored of watching YJHD

‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’ is a film that focuses on some of the finer things in life, i.e. adventure, friendship and love. Who can watch a film with so much adventure and fun just once? So if you’re sitting around on a couch wondering which movie to watch again, we present you with 10 reasons why ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’ should be your go-to film of choice!

1. Here’s a movie everyone can relate to. It covers everything from adventure to romance, to friendships and is full of fresh youthfulness.

2. The songs are so catchy you’ll be singing them for weeks after you watch the film. There is a sing for every mood.Could you really choose between Badtameez Dil or Balam Pichkari?

3. It is one of those films that inspire us to get off our seat and go on an adventure of our own! Didn’t you want to pack up and head for Manali the first time you watched the film?

4. Romance Never Dies: Never have romance and romantic movies faded from Bollywood. ‘Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani’ has those moments in abundance.

5. Pritam’s Badtameez Music: An album that has a song that can fit into any playlist. ‘Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani’ is truly a celebration of life.

6. Who could forget, Ayan Mukherjee’s ‘Wake up Sid’? ‘Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani’ can be seen as an extended version with Ranbir Kapoor doing an encore of his class act.

7. Star Studded cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Aditya Roy Kapoor and Kalki Koechlin. Now who wouldn’t want to watch a film starring 4 of the most dhamakedar actors in Bollywood?

8. The characters will make you laugh like crazy and at the same time make you cry like a baby!

9. Madhuri Dixit's item song with Ranbir Kapoor is something you wouldn’t want to miss, why go to Delhi via Agra when you can watch the film and jhoomon to ‘Ghagra’?

10. The reel life comeback of Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone. Sizzling chemistry guaranteed!

10 things we can learn from Kal Ho Naa Ho

Kal Ho Naa Ho’ is a timeless film that brings back warm memories of love and family life to one’s heart.

Here are 10 awesome things we can all learn from ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’

1) “Haso, Jiyo, Muskurao... kya pata kal ho na ho” – How you should live life to the fullest
Like Naina’s neighbour Aman tells her, life is full of surprises and no one knows what tomorrow holds. We should always live life to the fullest and cherish every moment and make the most of it.

2) Your best friend at the end of the day is the one who becomes your life partner
Naina and Rohit were not just best friends; they were more like soul mates. They knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses. They knew what made each other happy and what was troubling them. Although they were total opposites they got along with each better than anyone else. Like they say, “Opposites always attract.”

3) Your mother can also be your best friend
Jenny is not portrayed as any ordinary mother but more like someone’s best friend. Whenever Naina is tied down with any problem in her life, Jenny would always make sure that she is there for her daughter to comfort her in that moment of grief and also give her valuable advice.

4) Neighbors are like your extended family/Guardian Angels
When Aman notices the family praying, he decides to make their problems his own. He becomes more like the family’s guardian angel sent to answer their prayers.

5) Bros for Life
Even though Aman and Rohit haven’t known each other for a very long time they still become the best of friends. They always take life one step at a time and they know how to enjoy all the finest things in life to the fullest.

6) Best friends are forever

Naina and Sweetu go through various ups and downs in their lives, but they are always there for each other. 

7) To sacrifice your love is one of the hardest things in the world
If you truly love someone, you need to be ready to let them go for the sake of their happiness. We see how Aman decides to sacrifice being with Naina on account of his terminal condition. He realises she would be happier with a partner like Rohit that could be there for her throughout her life.

8) Problems don't end by hiding them
Naina being a little pessimistic and cynical person never believed in sharing her problems with anyone. But it is better to sometimes share your problems with friends and family; they may be able to offer you a solution or at least console you.

9) The burden of the world does not lie on your shoulders
Naina always felt that she had to carry the burdens of the entire family on her shoulder alone just because she was the eldest sibling in the family. We should all learn to lighten up and stop falling prey to this notion.

10) Mistakes are a part of life and a learning experience
We don't commit mistakes knowingly. But we must learn to deal with their consequences. We need to learn from our mistakes and move on.

Big announcement- Karan Johar's next!

Great news for all the diehard Dharma fans! Karan Johar has just announced his next big film ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’. The film stars the very charismatic Aishwarya Rai Bachchan , bollywood’s heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor and the angelic Anushka Sharma.

Karan Johar’s idea for the film’s screenplay came to him when he was in New York. The idea for ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ came to him as he was speaking to his friend Apoorva Mehta over the phone. Karan usually does not make notes because he has an excellent memory, but he decided to put it down anyways since he didn’t wish to lose out on such a great storyline.

Karan Johar is extremely excited to have Aishwarya Rai Bachchan on board for this film. He has always wanted to work with Aishwarya but it has always been a hit-and-miss scenario with her. Now that he finally gets to work with the enchanting Aishwarya, he is overjoyed. Karan says that this will possibly be her most unusual and contemporary character and that he can’t wait to work with her.

The theme of the movie is love, and Karan is a guru when it comes to directing films on love. He says he decided to choose Ranbir and Anushka after he noticed an undeniable chemistry between them. It is too early to say much about the film, but Karan assures us that it is not a conventional love story or a love triangle. It is a film deeply focused on heartbreaks, relationships and how love completes you.

‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ will have a good amount of music and Karan has chosen well renowned music director Pritam Chakraborty to compose the music for the film. The film will be shot across parts of New York, Paris, London and some parts of Delhi. Karan has locked the film’s release date - 3rd of June, 2016.