The long gap made everybody wish for a good movie to watch. Unfortunately, the line-up didn’t quite meet people’s expectations resulting in unimpressive box-office collections. Strangely, it was a Hollywood film that created a buzz ; Warner, that had dismal outing, beginning this year with its India experiment Chandni Chowk To China, lived it up with Hangover! The film’s five-week run and the subsequent rush to obtain the remake rights was the big surprise of the season.

Bollywood, meanwhile, failed to make people sit up and take notice. New York raked in Rs 55 crore and Kambakkht Ishq claimed numbers that didn’t quite add up. The lean period seems to have ended with Imtiaz Ali’s Love Aaj Kal that released last week. It has, to use businessspeak, captured the eyeballs. Shows are pretty much packed right through the week. Another indicator is the curiosity and debate a film generates and Love Aaj Kal is pretty high on the aforementioned. Those who have seen it are busy expressing their opinion on the virtues and vices of the film while those who haven’t, are trying to figure out if it’s worth a trudge to a theatre, far or near you.

As is wont with good love stories, LAK has its moments – our film critic, Deepa Karmalkar, said it had brought back a flood of memories from the past. Most critics concurred. Good movies can stir up feelings. In a recent episode of Sex And The City, the girls after a disastrous day get talking of an old romantic movie and before they know it, they are reciting lines from the film! Soon after, Carrie, on her way home walks into Mr Big engaged to a young model – it’s a crushing moment and Carrie’s only weapon of defence is a line from the film the girls had been talking about.

“Your girl is lovely, Hubble,” she husks before walking away from the man who broke her heart.

Personal favourites include Roman Holiday, Gone With The Wind, Wuthering Heights, Love Story, My Fair Lady, Pretty Woman, Thorn Birds, Mughal-E- Azam, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai–the list is quite an extensive one! However, Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) saying, “Frankly speaking my dear, I don’t give a damn,” remains vivid memory.

Money & matrimony

Matters of the heart, meanwhile, took a different turn on the small screen. Rakhi Sawant after boldly declaring that it would be a walk down the altar if she found a suitable boy on Rakhi Ka Swayamvar abandoned the idea. Turns out it was just a smart television hoax. Either that or the uninhibited Rakhi developed cold feet. More likely that with the success of the show, the enterprising programming heads have a Season 2 in the pipeline! The grapevine has it that Elesh Parujanwala, the chosen one in all likelihood will part ways amicably after choosing money over matrimony. No harm done. In the quick-fix world of reality television, rules can change at will. In this case, a Season 2 is the perfect way out.