This is the second movie on my “Netflix and Chill” series. These are movies you can watch on Netflix when you’re just chilling out on the couch by yourself on Valentine’s Day. Contrary to the vernacular, this isn’t an invitation for casual sex. 😂
Per Google, “Jab We Met” means “When We Met” in Hindi. It shouldn’t come as a spoiler that the two lead characters wound up together. The romcom wouldn’t tout their “meet-cute” if they were to split up at sunset.
What’s the story about?
Here’s the background story. The hero, Aditya Kashyap, had a triple whammy. His rich father died leaving him with the overwhelming burden of managing the family business. His mother scandalized society by running away with another man. And the girl he loved was marrying somebody else.
So he lost it. Literally and metaphorically, he lost “it.”
He slowly divested himself of his phone and car key. He left his car behind. Next, he removed his tie and unbuttoned his shirt. He dropped his cufflinks on the ground. In slow and deliberate moves, the director was showing that Aditya was losing his mind as he was losing the trappings of his wealthy life.
The next thing Aditya knew, he’d traveled across town and arrived at the train station. The loud train whistle jolted him temporarily out of his trance (this is important). A train bound for Delhi was about to depart. Wordlessly, he boarded the train. He seemed to be on auto-pilot.
But, as the train began to leave the station, one last passenger was chasing after it. Viewers HEARD her noisy chattering before they saw her. She was ordering men to haul her bags, stuffed toys (I see a crocodile and a tiger) and a framed picture aboard the train. To me, this scene was most stressful and disorderly. But to our heroine, this was a casual occurrence. The whole experience didn’t faze her a bit. Her chatter didn’t stop for a second. Once she got on board, she continued talking in rhythm with the clickety-clack of the wheels.
Her name was Geet and she was leaving Mumbai to return to her family in Bhatinda. She went to look for her seat but Aditya occupied it. It took her several tries to get his attention because he was still lost in his own world. Finally, he was roused from his state of stupor by her voluble stream-of-consciousness.
That’s the story of “Jab We Met” (or “When We Met”) right there. It’s a fateful encounter of two strangers aboard a train. Their personalities couldn’t have been any more mismatched. He carried none of his worldly possessions; she lugged all of hers. He moved quietly; she gabbled nonstop. He was disoriented; she had a clear destination in mind. He didn’t want company; she was eager to make friends.
Their romance was a mad caper (mad or maddening?) across India that began and ended with the train.
Now, any avid fan “Crash Landing on You” should easily recognize the train metaphor here and get its significance. After all, didn’t Seri talk to Captain Ri about taking the wrong train in life? She mentioned an Indian proverb about trains. 😂
Here’s the refresher —
Seri: There is an Indian proverb that goes, “Sometimes the wrong train takes you to the right station.” It was like that for me, too. Throughout my life, I always felt like I was on the wrong train. One time, I wanted to give up. I didn’t want to go anywhere. So I thought about jumping off the train. Look where I am now. I took the wrong train again, and a very wrong one at that. It even got me across the 38th parallel. Nevertheless, you should think about the future even if things don’t always go as you wish. I wish you could be happy even after I leave, Jung Hyuk. I want you to arrive at the right station no matter which train you took.
In this movie “Jab We Met,” Aditya and Seri are kindred spirits. He, too, found himself aboard the wrong train. Like Seri, he met the right person in the most extraordinary set of circumstances.
On her part, Geet was aboard the right train but she was pursuing the wrong guy. She nearly missed getting on the right train because of the excess luggage she was carrying. THAT was actually a foreshadowing. She was again about to miss the right train if she didn’t unload her excess EMOTIONAL baggage that came in the form of her old love.
She told Aditya that she felt confused about getting back together with her ex, Anshuman. “I was feeling a strange kind of fear. Restlessness. As if I was on the wrong train. As if I’m about to miss the train.”
Then, as she spoke to Anshuman, a train passed by and blew its loud whistle. The whistle drowned out his voice, and — just like with Aditya in the beginning — the sound roused her from her trance. It was in this moment that she realized that she must jump off the wrong train and go after the right one.
Lol. At this point, the director didn’t display any subtleties. The agrarian setting was converted into one Grand Central Station.
Geet jumped off — not a train — but a farm truck to run after Aditya. Instead of the usual dramatic chase scene through tunnels of a train station, she sped through a country lane in a rice field. When she found Aditya again, their reunion was…well… like any other reunions between lovers at a train station. It ended with a kiss.
So, in the end, the Indian proverb was proven correct. “Sometimes the wrong train takes you to the right station.”
Moving on….
Somebody commented that this movie looked like a travelogue because different parts of India are highlighted as the couple traveled to Geet’s home, and searched for her boyfriend in Manali.
If you’re obsessive like I am, here’s a map. Whoa! This was one long road trip.
Personally, I think the movie would have been better if the director had:
a. filmed fewer locations,
b. shown the couple talking to each other,
c. removed those song-and-dance routines.
I know these dance scenes are a staple in Bollywood movies, but they seem anachronistic. They don’t advance the plot, and they waste airtime. How would you like it if you’re watching “Space Sweepers” and suddenly seeing Fred Astaire and Ginger Roger floating in spacesuits dancing cheek-to-cheek?
These dance scenes distract the audience from the story. To me, once was enough. But they’re really annoying as a commercial break interrupting an intense moment in a drama.
Take for instance the scene in the countryside when Geet suggested that they jump into the lake. I was almost expecting mermaids and mermen to suddenly come out of the water, boogy-ing to the Bhangra beat. (That’s how traumatized I’ve become with the weird timing of these dances.)
To my great relief, no such idiotic fanfare occurred, and the story could flow naturally. One minute, Aditya was telling Geet that she badly needed to see a psychiatrist. And the next minute, it became obvious that it was him who actually needed to see a psychiatrist for his anger issues.
Aditya: If someone’s mother can be so cheap and stoop so low…
Geet: Mr. Kashyap! You shouldn’t talk so disrespectfully about her.
Aditya: Why? That woman destroyed my entire family. Because of her, I will be ashamed in front of everybody all my life. So why shouldn’t I talk disrespectfully?
Geet: Because she was in love!
Aditya: Love? Are you serious?
Geet: Look. She’s your mother. So, it’s difficult to understand this about her. But in love, there’s no right or wrong.
Aditya: Who told you all of this? In which stupid novel did you read all these lines?
Geet: Everybody says, “All is fair in love.”
Aditya: Everybody lies! It’s all bullshit. Got it?
Geet: Yes, I got it. Listen. You are so rich. Elope with my sister, please! Our lives will prosper.
Aditya: (laughing) You are insane. Do you know that? There’s no other girl like you.
To me, this moment was screaming for karma. He was so adamant that his mother did wrong that he couldn’t see himself in his mother’s predicament. As it turned out, he too ran away with the girl who was pledged to marry somebody else. “All is fair in love.”
I also found Geet’s extended family overwhelming. They didn’t seem to have any concept of boundaries and privacy. They were shockingly loud and excitable. I pitied Aditya when they swarmed around him like bees. But I realized that his calm and measured personality made him a splendid addition to the family. Not only did he take their idiosyncrasies in stride, but he also understood that Geet and her large extended family came as a package deal. That is, you buy one, you take one, two, three, no, the whole village.
Boyfriend: Enough! Where is Geet? I will talk to her right now.
Aditya: Wait! Right now, she is surrounded by many people.
Boyfriend: I will call her aside and talk to her.
Aditya: (calmly) Anshuman, everybody thinks that you are my friend. It’ll look odd if you call her aside.
Boyfriend: If it seems odd to them, then let it be. Isn’t it the truth that she and I are a couple? And we have to tell them that.
Aditya: Yes, but let her handle it. Look, it is very important to explain it properly. Otherwise, it can bring dishonor to the family. They are so many guests.
I think the charm of this movie lies in the interaction (I avoid the word “chemistry”) between the two main characters. If the writer had focused more on their conversations and their engagements with each other or even Geet’s family, I wouldn’t have fast-forwarded so much through the dance sequences. lol. But overall, this is another good movie to watch on Valentine’s Day if you want to immerse in another culture other than our Korean and Chinese staples.
Thanks to the posters who recommended this movie to me. 🙂
It’s my favorite. It does have a lot of dancing. And singing. Ahm. 🙈
Thanks @pkml3. Sounds so sweet, oddly timed dancing aside. 😉
🙂 I’m trying to look for clean romcoms we can watch on Netflix for Valentine’s Day. I didn’t expect it to be a struggle though. 😂😂
@pkml3 you may need to look further back in time. There really are few outside of Asian dramas meant for airing during the family viewing time.
@packmule3 I remember fangirling over the strong and silent Aditya in my when I was still young and impressionable😛, though Geet’s loudness kind of got on my nerves sometimes🙄.
The only songs I liked were the ones playing in the background (like they have in Korean dramas), which do not interrupt the on screen action. One of my all time favorite songs is the Indian classical song which plays in the background when Geet realizes the boyfriend she has been chasing does not really want her.
I like the train analogy that you have quoted – about how a wrong train or path can lead one to the right station or destination. I think that describes this movie perfectly – how the seemingly right love in life often turns out to be the wrong one, while a random stranger met entirely by accident turns out to be the right one.
*in my college days when I was young and impressionable…sorry my phone at up part of the sentence somehow 🙈🙈
Off topic, @packmule3, but my all time romantic movie to watch on V day is Chocolat, though I don’t think it’s on Netflix. There’s just something so romantic about that movie – may or may not have to do with chocolates and Johnny Depp😜😜😜
Ah this is when I fell for Shahid Kapoor, @pkml3 if I was looking for aValentines Day movie I’d be watching Bride and Prejudice a Bollywood take on Jane Austin it’s my go to happy place.
I was bummed out when I couldn’t find “Bride and Prejudice” on Netflix. It’s on Amazon Prime but it isn’t included as a freebie.
But that’s okay. I’ll see if I get different movies from different countries for our BOD’s “Netflix and Chill” Valentine’s Day series. 😂
If you find something worthwhile on Netflix, please tell me.
The dance interruption of the plot is the reason why I never watch Indian movies. It’s an attention puller. Or it turns the film into a burlesque comedy.
But conversely, I like to watch only the dance scenes without the film, because they have great choreography.
My schedule now is full for many many day, because I
(oops, web break error)
My schedule is full because I am finally watching this legendary drama: Jewel in the Palace. 54 episodes, nonetheless.
@packmule3, I love getting your film recommendations, especially because they’re international content. I think American rom coms don’t have the punch that they used to have. They’re either edgy or treacley like much of what is on the Hallmark channel. I know the formula is usually, couple meets cute, couple “breaks up”, couple finds each other again, walk off into the sunset/live happily ever after. It’s the detail in between that makes good. So looking forward to both. My new favorite is Mood movies. Mood of the Day with the wonderful Moon Chae-won and Yoo Yeon-seok is a favorite of mine. These two are great scene partners. I fell for them and I also liked the sports/business context. This movie is free for Amazon Prime members.
Also, I have a piece of trivia for you related to trains. We think it’s Grand Central Station, but it’s actually, Grand Central Terminal. The difference is that a terminal is the end of the line and, iriginally itvwas thevendbofvthenline for all of the New York Central Railroads routes, including the Twentieth Century Limited.It’s not not a through stop. At the moment, it is a terminal. There are plans to make it a station if tbe Long Island Railroad and Metro North continue on to Pennsylvania Station. And, Grand Central Terminal is the largest terminal in the US because it’s geography actually runs underground all the way up Park Avenue to Harlem. Thanks to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, it has been preseved for the joy of all of us. And there’s lots more to know about it. I love trains from subways, metros, long distance railroads and freight, terminals and stations. Please forgive me this indulgence.
One of my older favourite films is ‘Moonstruck’ from 1988.
@Fern, They filmed Moonstruck in my old neighborhood, Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens.When I lived there it was still affordable. And it was the worldwide headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The JW’s sold their headquarters(for billions) and moved to upstate NY. The neighborhood is very historic and in commemoration if Black History Month it was an important Station on the Underground Railway where Henry Beecher Stowe, the abolitionist was pastor at Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims (still there) and was also home to his sister, Harriet Beecher Stowe of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Walt Whitman lived there too and in the twentieth century, it was home to Truman Capote, Arthur Miller and Norman Mailer. It’s mostly 19th century brownstones. And it has wonderful views of Manhattan from the Promenade and Brooklyn Bridge Park. I highly recommend a visit if you come to NY and want to have a change of scenery and be transported to a quieter time.
@packmule3 Inspired by your “Netflix and Chill” recommendations, I tried to broaden my romantic movie viewing spectrum too to diverse cultures, and am currently checking out a Turkish and a Filipino romance movies. Will let you know as soon as I finish both today how they go, okay?😊
Bollywood movies without singing and dancing? Is that even possible?
I have seen Jab We Met and enjoyed it.
@welmaris: There are many more slice-of-life Bollywood movies without song and dance, especially the modern movies which are targeted towards multiplex audiences in big cities. But the more mainstream movies for the masses do have the regular song-and-dance routine, and most of the songs and song artists become very popular.
@packmule3: Here is a recommendation from me of a Turkish romantic movie I just finished watching on Netfix. It’s cute and I liked it. It’s a Netflix original called “One-way to Tomorrow” about two people who accidentally meet on a train and the entire move takes place on the train. It goes with our theme of unexpected life changing encounters on trains😊😊 You can try it out if you want to see another foreign language romantic movie – it’s short and with happy vibes (I liked the ML, needless to say😛)
@packmule3 You can also check out “The Lunchbox” and “Qarib Qarib Single” (More or Less Single) – Hindi movies with no song or dance, available on Netflix- both are short and romantic 💕
Old American Lady>I love Mood of the Day too! It was funny and lovely 🙂
For Korean romantic movies, I really liked Finding Mr. Destiny.
For American movies, I loved Penelope and Princess Bride, it’s kinda the movies I can watch and rewatch without feeling guilty :p
@Old American Lady, I’ll be back to New York one day. ❤️ I’ve always had a great time visiting and would love to properly visit Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill area. Once, when the girls were little, we stopped in a hotel in Brooklyn to recover from jet lag before joining my family up in CT. There was a zoo only a short (freezing) walk away – a surprise something to do that afternoon. Nowadays, it would be all about shopping and eating.
If you see a good one, give me a shout out. I was watching a Filipino movie, “Four Sisters and a Wedding” but I think it was more about sisterhood than romance. It was wacky, though.
I don’t get the joke about the s’mores. I’ve to ask somebody from the Philippines here. Was there a superstition about rubbing the chocolate on faces or something?
I’ve seen the movie and liked it BUT I can’t remember the s’more scene and what it means. I’ll have to watch it again. 😁
Agree, the movie was more about sisterhood than romance.
😂 Don’t tell me you can do the Bhangra, WEnchanteur.
The dance sequence is fine in moderation (like once? Lol). But three, four times? Too much. And those routines surely wouldn’t come cheap to produce. How much do they pay those dancers? I say just invest in a good dialogue in a restaurant or outdoor park somewhere. 😂 That’s the reason kdramas have spawned tourism to Seoul too. They make ordinary places like a coffee shop or a library look like a top-tier tourist destination. The viewers associate them with a romantic scene in a kdrama.
@packmule3 I did see one: I think I responded on the other thread, sorry 🙁 It’s a Turkish Netflix original movie called “One-way to Tomorrow”. about two people meeting on a train and finding things in common, it’s quirky and the dialogs were fun (and I liked the ML 🙂 ).
I haven’t watched “Four Sisters and a Wedding”, may try it. Currently watching “Barcelona: An Untold Story”. Liking it so far. As per @agdr03, the on screen leads are actually a real life famous couple. They do look cute together, and the movie has great Barcelona locales as backdrop.
Yes. Just saw your recs. Thanks. Will watch One Way while Jab We Met is still fresh on my mind.
Good points, Old American Lady.
The Christmas-themed romance offerings on Netflix were so saccharine, I couldn’t watch them. I miss old films like “Sabrina” (no, not the Harrison Ford version) and “Love in the Afternoon.”
And don’t you just love the architecture of the old train stations? I love the soaring ceilings, the wrought-iron and glass structures, the domes, the marble staircases, the big clocks, the Art Deco….
People don’t realize this. Kings and queens have palaces. But the masses who take public transportation everyday also have these equally majestic train centrals and terminals. To me, they’re the palaces for the public. They’re just as spacious and grand, but more utilitarian, functional, accessible and egalitarian. You don’t need royal blood to walk through the corridors, platforms and central hall.
Metaphorically, too, palaces stand for the status quo. They’re for people who are entrenched, so to speak. But train stations? They’re for people who have places to go, and things to do. 😂
They should be preserved and maintained for posterity, the way we preserve and maintain historic homes.
@packmule3 and @Old American Lady, I couldn’t agree more about the old train stations. I was so glad when the Musée d’Orsay opened in Paris – what a fantastic use of a beautiful building!
I join those who enjoy trains either in films or in real life. I just wish they weren’t as expensive to ride as they’ve become here in the U.K. and miss the days of the Eurail pass. 😂 Film trains also remind me of North by Northwest’s closing frames. 😈
Hello everyone,
I’m bouncing off your @Packmule3 and @Old American Lady remarks about stations and telling you about a sumptuous Russian film called “Station for Two”.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Station_for_Two
Here with English subtitles https://russianfilmhub.com/movies/station-for-two-1982/.
Other Indian romantic films with happy ending could be (synthesis of Wikipedia) :
Kabir Singh “is a 2019 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film […]. A remake of Vanga’s own Telugu film Arjun Reddy (2017), it stars Shahid Kapoor in the titular role as a surgeon who spirals into self-destruction when his girlfriend, Preeti, played by Kiara Advani, marries someone else. […] The film […] received mixed reviews, with criticism directed at it for glamorising misogyny and toxic masculinity, though Kapoor’s performance was praised. Grossing over ₹379 crore, it became the third highest grossing Bollywood film of 2019, and Kapoor’s highest grossing solo-lead release.”
I liked it a lot, though. It’s a Romeo and Juliet with a happy ending. The songs are amazing and in reasonable numbers. I don’t remember seeing any dancing.
As an anecdote, Shahid Kapoor plays in Jab we Met.
“During the filming of Fida in 2004, he began dating Kareena Kapoor and they both publicly spoke of the relationship. They were involved in a well-publicised scandal when Mid Day published a set of pictures of them kissing in public. Despite claims by the couple that the pictures were fabricated, the newspaper denied any wrongdoing. The couple separated in 2007 during the filming of Jab We Met”
Jodhaa Akbar “is a 2008 Indian historical romance film co-written, produced and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. It stars Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan […]. Set in the 16th century, the film centers on the romance between the Mughal Emperor Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar (Roshan), and the Rajput Princess Jodhaa Bai (Bachchan) who becomes his wife, on a marriage of convenience. A. R. Rahman composed the musical score”.
Namastey London “(transl. Greetings London) is a 2007 Indian romantic comedy-drama film directed by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, starring Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif. It also stars Rishi Kapoor, Javed Sheikh, Upen Patel and Clive Standen in supporting roles. The movie is originally based on a true life story of Akshay Kumar’s friend”.
Khoobsurat “(transl. Beautiful) is a 2014 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy-drama film. The film is directed by Shashanka Ghosh and produced by Rhea Kapoor, Anil Kapoor and Siddharth Roy Kapur. It stars Sonam Kapoor, Fawad Khan […]. The film is loosely based on the 1980 film of the same name”
As for the songs in Indian films, I read a long time ago an article – that I find more – concerning the essential role of songs in Indian films:
1/ In India more than 1000 languages are spoked. A majority of viewers do not speak Hindi. The songs are the condensed version of the film. In the same way, the actors make big movements (unbearable for the eye of a Westerner) to make themselves understandable to an Indian who does not speak Hindi (they are a kind of speaking mime).
2/ The verses of the song and the dance are the thoughts of the heroes, they reflect what cannot be said with words. That’s why they are less modest/chaste.
3/ In a country big as a continent where more movies are produced than in Hollywood and the competition is tough, the song is the best publicity because it comes out before the movie and brings the audience back to the theater. If it is a hit, there is a good chance that the film will be a hit too.
Lately, Packmule3, I would like to thank you for the quality of your site. I read it with great joy. I apologize for my English that I don’t speak.
WEnchanteur, I like your interventions very much, don’t disappear for so long.
Thank you @lululatortue for giving us more insight into the songs (and dances) in Indian films. I found it very interesting and most probable. There would have had to be a compelling reason for the inclusion of song and dance so often in a film, and your research does it justice!
@Sayaris, I liked all of those movies. Penelope was really quirky and I lived her piggy face. And I’ll watch almost anything with Peter Dinklage.
I also liked Whatja Wearing with Ji Sung. It was very funny from the miscalled phone sex to the romantic ending.Ji Sung is another actor whom I’ll watch in anything. I’d love to see him in a movie with his wife, Lee Bo Young She was very funny in her cameo in Start Up.
@Fern, The epicenter of food now is the borough of Queensm Ait’s the most diverse county in the nation. And you don’t have to mortgage your house to eat well. I hope you get back here. And it’s real.
@Old American Lady, yes to a Ji Sung+Lee Bo Young film or drama. 😍
As to travel, the Transport Secretary said not to make travel plans – not even for domestic travel. We’ll consider ourselves lucky to do a road trip in the summer.
@Fern, The pandemic is causing pent up demand. Here’s hoping that the world wide infection rate goes way down and that travel opens up. At leadt we do have world cinemavand K Dramas to take us to new worlds.
And if you want to travel vicariously, there are all these YouTubers like ActionKid in New York,Seoul Walker in Korea, Watched Walker in London, Bald and Bankrupt in Russia and England, and Itchy Boots (a thepirty something woman on motorcycle from the Netherlands who travelled throughout India) and a host of others who give up to date walking tours of places around the world.
I loved Jab We Met. A force of nature stops a falling rock. And later the roles are reversed. I really liked when Aditya told Geet that ‘I am alive today because of you. You fool. This is my second life which you have given me…whenever I am stuck in some problem I think, what would Geet do?’ Very dramatic, but somehow, these two leads manage to make it so natural. @Phoenix and @Noela Farley, I get it. 😍
@Fern @Welmaris: Glad you liked ‘Jab We Met” – true case of opposites attract in this one.
“A force of natire stops a falling rock” – loved that summarization from @Fern 👏👏👏 Yes, the ML pulls off that calm and steadfast in love persona to the T. So often in Bollywood movies, we used to see the extrovert ML or playboy getting the FL (after reformimg in many cases), but I think this is one movie which stood out at the time on how a quiet and unassuming ML (even wearing glasses!) can win the show!
@Packmule3, hi!
Sorry, I don’t know what bhangra is, I didn’t get the joke.
Bhangra are the dances?
I like to see people dancing, but what bothers me is the mix of the two genres. If it’s a story about a dancer and we see her dancing in the film because it’s a scene from the film, I’m delighted. But if the dance is not part of the story, and just serves as an illustration, no.
Besides I don’t like musicals in general, and I don’t like Walt Disney cartoons either, interspersed with lots of songs and dancing characters. But seeing that in South Park, it’s often funny!
@lululatortue : Thanks for your explanation, I often wondered why there were always dances in Indian movies, without taking the time to look for it.
According to your nickname, you seem to be French or Quebecois, am I wrong ?
It’s difficult for me to post regularly, it requires several things:
– a period when I watch dramas,
– a drama identical to the one commented by Packmule3,
– something to say on the subject,
– time to spend on discussions on the internet,
– so not a time when my work is intrusive,
– no creative project in progress, or I practice a bit of procrastination. My main project is scary. At least two intensive weeks to make the photo montage of a 20-minute script, without doing anything else (except my normal work). Even though the whole script has already been finished for more than a year, but needing some corrections.
Yes, @ WEnchanteur, I live in France, for the moment, but I’m not French …
I understood that you wrote the script for a kdrama and I often think it’s really amazing and I wish you a lot, but really a lot of luck for it to be accepted and it turns into a kdrama. Give us some (good) news from time to time!
I cannot add photos to your blog.
Concerning Geet’s reply: Everybody says « All is fair in love ».
What is funny is that Kareena Kapoor, who became Pia in 3 Idiots (another must see movie but with little romance) says almost the same sentence : “Everything’s fair in Love and War”.
@pkml3
I’ve watched Ep 16 of Lovestruck in the City and was thinking, pity that show does not meet the guideline of not being a kdrama and ‘clean’ ie clean enough for 14 year olds and under because of ‘sex’, because for a Valentine’s Day show, this has all the elements of being a fun romantic watch. In fact Netflix probably planned for Valentine’s Day.
This show does without the trope of the love triangle and really focuses on the OTP, singly or together, in a mockumentary interview style. It has great couple scenes and pretty swoony kisses (and lots of them), plus a boyfriend that I’d say is a keeper. The dialogue is fast paced and the frequent appeal directly to us, the viewers, draws us in to want to give our opinions as if we were on social media with the OTP. Funnily enough, the protagonists reply to ‘us’ as if they read our minds.
We get to watch/listen to and compare the various opinions the other interviewees have and journey with them through their friendships and chatter. I’d say it’s a nice binge-able drama, with 17 short half hour episodes.
@GB, I watched Lovestruck first thing this morning. It left me very happy. I think I read that there’ll be other seasons. They seem to be setting up cliff hangers for the other two couples, with the Rini couple first. Will comment more on the Lovestruck thread, but think it’s an easy binge if you wang that.
@Old American Lady, I know right? The feeling was ‘all there’, so right. I was smiling like a loon. If one concentrates on the main couple, one will be on cloud nine.
I have in my notes, stuff on the other individuals/couples and was wondering if it’s because it’s a Netflix show, that Rin I is written to be so different from the traditional Korean young woman. It’s refreshing in a SK show, but she reminds me of what a more Westernised character would be like, if you know what I mean.
However that Rin I couple and even SY couple deserve more attention. And if there was another season (similarly nice and short and preferably on 2 consecutive days rather than 3 or 4 days apart!!!) it would be good that it could focus more on them, for the greater teasing out of their growth.
@GB, I totally agree with you. Would also love to see it on consecutive days like other dramas. Hope it happens.
It was wonderful reading your analysis. I loved the train analysis. How apt and true it turned out to be. I wish everyone’s life is that way too. But in reality, we all don’t take the right trains and have to experience the sorrows or joys of the journey until we get to the destination. Sometimes we even get lost.
I am glad you enjoyed the movie (minus the song / dance sequence). Song dance sequences are pretty common in Indian Movies. Jab we Met does not have many. Masses go to these movies just for that. Not for the movie itself.
When you talked about Geet’s family, – their family is from Punjab. There is a saying that goes on in Indian circles – when we invite one punjabi to a wedding we have to count all of his family (parents , grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, nephews, nieces) as guests. That is how it usually is. And most of them live together. Multiple generations live together. So, it is pretty common that we have to invite all. It is that way with punjabis.
It was eye opening when you discussed that, but when I watched it I did not find it odd at all, since we knew about it. But when we attend functions here, we are all well aware of it.
I’m satisfying my juvenile movie craving by watching (with my daughter) “To all the boys I loved before” with its 3rd movie installment. It’s a high school rom-com, the FL is a Korean American and 3rd movie started with a vacation in Seoul, OST includes Kpop songs too. 😊😉
ahaha, happy Valentine day, dear PM3! Can’t believe I am reading a review of ‘jab we met’ on your blog hahaha. But I loved reading about it, totally agree with you on the dance sequence part. I hope the writer read your review lol. As you mentioned, the dance scenes really do not add anything to the movie, rather it is so distracting, and kind of hampers the flow of the movie. And yes, I think I loved the movie so much, because of the dialogues between the two main characters. They just suit each other so well, and I was also left wanting more of their conversations. But anyways, still an old favorite.
A tip for you while watching Indian movies, just fast forward those song scenes haha.
I wish the writer read your review. *
Lol. Hi Nearsea,
Weren’t you one of those who recommended this to me back in December?
There was another funny trick that Geet did when she wanted to escape first her childhood friend, and then Anshuman. She would run up to Aditya, ask if the guy was behind her looking at them, then kiss Aditya. She wasn’t worried that the jealous guy would come over and beat up the poor clueless Aditya in rage. 😂
It was also funny to me because both times, Aditya was teaching her nephew how to shoot a target (first with a slingshot and the second time with a BB gun). The impression here was Aditya looked like a “hunter” or a poacher, that is, somebody who would POACH somebody else’s girl. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Aditya always behaved like a gentleman and didn’t want to steal her from the other men.
Geet chose him.
Yes, poor Aditya! And the other two were quite large guys, too. It wasn’t fair.
I didn’t think of poaching. Maybe he just had Geet in his sights. 😉 He behaved like a gentleman, but he also didn’t try too hard to set things right quickly. Aditya seemed very relaxed about all of it by that point. Perhaps he was relying on karma to work. After all, he seemed to know that he had arrived at the right station.
I watched this on Valentine’s Day and hubby stayed for about 20minutes then he left me. 😆
Anyway I enjoyed it, yes, even with the singing and dancing. ☺️ I think I can say that I have a crush on Shahid Kapoor. ☺️ I liked that he took Geet all the way home and even with all her talking, he listened to her advice and in the end he was able to give that advice back to her.
Geet’s family were overwhelming and to get him to over eat was too much but they got the right man for Geet in the end so that’s fine. 😂
I thought it was funny too when Geet asked Aditya if Anshuman was behind and looking, poor Aditya, he was used twice. 😂
It’s my first Indian movie and I thought this pairing was well matched. I was hooked as soon as they met on the train, it’s not thanks to Geet’s talkative manner though. 😂
I totally crushed over Aditya, girlfriend, when I first watched the movie..there’s just something so calm and dependable about him😍😍
@Phoenix, that’s probably the word to describe him, calm. 😍 I mean I would have walked away when Geet first came on the train. 😂
I think Aditya was completely out of it when he met Geet that he probably tuned out her nonstop chattering.
Her excess luggage would have driven me nuts. I dislike it when passengers overload on flights and end up hogging the overhead bins with their stuff. But then I blame the engineers for poorly designed aircrafts. They know people bring in stuff so why are they making the bins smaller?
But Aditya is really an understanding guy.
“I dislike it when passengers overload on flights and end up hogging the overhead bins with their stuff” – @packmule3, this is so me! I always carry cabin baggage only and glare at anyone who has jammed the overhead compartment above my seating area😛😛
@agdr03 I too would have just walked away from Geet and her incessant chatter and baggage. All points to Aditya for putting up with her and her family. He’s the perfect husband material, I remember thinking that even all those years back – though one may like the bad boys on screen, this is the kind of man one wants to marry in real life😍
True, Aditya was still out of it. I’ll give it to Geet’s non stop chattering then in breaking down Aditya’s walls.
I’ll agree with you @Phoenix that Aditya would be the perfect husband material mainly because he is a very patient man. 😊
And rich.
Btw, how did you get your ashes yesterday? Mine was sprinkled on top of my head.
Yes, girlfriend 🙌 Glad you watched this movie and liked it😊
Same Queen, sprinkled on top of my head. My sister though went to the city mass and they still put the cross on her forehead. She said to me, did they not get the memo? 😬
Girlfriend @Phoenix, tell me incase there’s another Indian movie that you’d think I’d like ok please. Thanks 😊
🤨 Their parish priest should have asked others how they were distributing ashes. Sprinkling it on top of the head in a shape of the cross had no difference to marking the forehead.
Although I must admit, the nursery rhyme “Hot cross bun” crossed my mind when I saw a bald man with ashes.
Girlfriend, you can try out “Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani” (roughly translated as ‘The madness of youth’). It’s on Netflix amd my go-to romantic movie💗. As we are drama twins, I think you will like it too🙌. There are a couple of songs and dances, but if you don’t mind them (or fast forward them), I would recommend this movie..do let me know what you think if you see it, okay?😊
Lol @packmule3, hot cross buns🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 That made my day😝😝😝
Geez! I was going to say something about a few bald men with ashes on their head but I’m glad you said it. 😂
Ok girlfriend! Thanks! I’ll watch it tonight. ☺️ I’m sure I’ll like it too because we’re twinnies. 🥰 I’ll get back to you. 😉
@packmule3, hot cross bun. Pfffft! I can’t unsee that now. I’ll be choking behind my mask in the supermarket the next time I go.
@Phoenix, thank you for the recommendation. If you and your twin @agdr03 like it, chances are I will as well.
I feel like I’m in a drama rut. I watch a drama from one country and think the storyline is innovative, then find an earlier one from somewhere else that has the same elements. Harrumph and all that.
@,Fern You are welcome. Drama rut..hmmm..think of it this way – all stories of humankind are based on the same emotions, and hence we find the same elements in dramas and movies of cultures across the world..and hence we are all here, hailing from different countries but still able to appreciate Korean dramas and relate so well to one another😀 Isn’t that just so exciting in terms of how many dramas we can watch and understand?
@Fern Also, lots of drama stories are inspired from one another or remakes of movies from another culture, so I’m not surprised when you find similar plotlines🤣🤣 I watched a spoof comedy show once where they showed a comedy actor playing a director whose script writer watched international movies all day to get “inspired”🤣🤣No wonder viewers may get deja vu watching some movies, thinking: “Wait..but where have I watched this before?”😝😝
@Phoenix, you are correct, of course. I’ve looked at a Chinese drama just now that has the some of the same elements as True Beauty. Ideas swirl around. It’s curious that music is very sensitive to copyrights, but it seems to me that dramas are less so.
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani isn’t available on UK Netflix, so I’ll have to look for it elsewhere. I tried the English title as well. Harrumph. 😕
@Fern: It seems @agdr03 can’t find it in her region too 😔 You can try out Khoobsurat (Beautiful), which is another cute romantic movie. Hope that one is available in UK Netflix.
Thank you, @Phoenix. I was surprised that it didn’t show up here – we have such a large Indian diaspora. I will try Khoobsurat and will be patient for YJHD.
@Fern, Hollywood continues to remake movies for each new generation. Look at Disney-animated movies to live action. And live action movies like Mary Poppins has bern done twice. How many, A Star IsBornmibies have been made. An old mivue, The Shop Around the Corner became In the Good Old Summertime and You Got Mail.
TV programsvlike The Masked Singrr and The Good Doctor originated in Korea. Shameless is a copynof a British Show. A failed show The Beauty and the Baker was acopynof an Israeli show of the same name. All in the Family also copies a British Show. And Korea has remade The Good Wife, Sits and Designated Survibor.And eveyone copies Shakespeare.
I find it fun to know show and movie origins. with some international content, much can be lostin translation.
@Phoenix, I’ve learned a lotabout cultural differences wstching foreign programming from norms to etiquette to hierarchys to food preferences. Marriage, policing, law, funereal customs, dress codes-I ckuldvgo on and on-are downright fascinating. I also find it interestingbto watch how people live. In the contemporary Korean programs, you see people eating and slerping on the floor. Even in ruch homes, people do dishes by hand and I don’t see clothes dryers. And babies sleep in the same bed as their parents. Ine thing that fascinates me given my professional history working in criminal justice is the use if settlements at the timebif arrest-a variation of restorative justice. another is that prosecutors wear specificribes in court. So I find a never ending supply of colorbin K dramas. And I haven’t touched upon the shows based on business life, part timevwork, and the historicals (where the hanboks, hats, hair styles, decorations, head dresses are fascinating because they denote hierarchys. Some things that I find jarring are the bully culture, the drinking cultue, some child rearing issues like corporal punishment that wouldvrdquire mandated reporting in the west.
For me, these examples and more keep me watching these dramas.
@Old American Lady: I agree with you. Korean dramas have helped me understand so much about Korean culture too.
I like the way emotions are presented in kdramas – not too loud but subtle, and I especially like the romantic relationships (and the restraint with which they are shown on screen). I like the importance placed on family and friends, and I like the dresses and of course the MLs😜. But I too don’t like the drinking culture, the obsession with physical beauty, focus on marriage, over-interference from society and need to adhere to strict social norms, and the dependent status of women. As in all cultures, there is bound to be some things which are good, and some which are not so good.
But I am thankful to kdramas for widening my perspective. Before I chanced upon my first kdrama back in 2016, I had only watched a lot of American dramas (like Buffy, Friends, Grey’s Anatomy etc.) and BBC dramas (like Pride and Prejudice). Kdramas opened a different world to me of languages I didn’t know but emotions and scenarios I could relate to. I started exploring Chinese, Japanese, Taiwanese, Turkish, Filipino and Thai dramas which I never would have if I hadn’t liked kdramas so much. I started picking up languages and I think this made me more inclusive. And I still continue to like kdramas even after 5 years and get to discuss them here – so I’m happy I discovered Korean dramas and this blog😊
I just finished watching the movie Namaste Wahala on Netflix. It’s only 1 hour, 46 minutes, so not a big commitment. It’s not great, but I found it engaging because it was set in Lagos, Nigeria and portrayed some of Nigerian culture. The plot centers around the culture clash between the families of an interracial couple, Nigerian-Indian. The story line is simplistic, but I wasn’t in the mood for anything complicated so that was okay as far as I was concerned. I loved seeing the beautiful, colorful clothing. And I almost went into a foodgasm when the camera panned over all the dishes at the buffet in the final scene.
Thanks for the tip, @ welmaris. Lol. I wonder who’ll win there? The Nigerian or Indian in-laws? The couple’s home should fly a Swiss flag when relatives visit. But the silver lining is they don’t have to argue which family to celebrate the holidays with as holidays won’t be the same.
Maybe we should designate a weekend for Bollywood films? Like a BoD Bollywood film festival? 🙂
@ Phoenix also recommended a couple of films that look interesting. I need to compile them but for now this is a good thread to leave recs.
@Welmaris Thanks for the recommendation🙂 That movie showed up on my Netflix too. I’m going to watch it then.
@packmule3 You can definitely check out “Khoobsurat” or Beautiful. It’s cute and fun and clean (it qas produced by Walf Disney movies😝). I will let @agdr03 comment on the ML and his dreamy eyes😜😜
Girlfriend @Phoenix, this is all your fault! 😜 After watching Jab We Met, you recommended Khoobsurat so I watched it twice, you just had to recommend a couple more and so I will watch those too. 😂
Khoobsurat is cute and very wholesome even though the one kiss was not even shown as it is. But I didn’t mind at all because Vikrum and Mili are 😍. Yes, Vikrum’s eyes is just expressive and the kind that can melt you. ☺️
I liked the story and the way the family came together. I especially liked the voiceovers though in the movie, it made it funny. There’s 4 songs but only the one dancing and singing, the rest are a thinking/reflection song for the pair. ☺️
I’m so happy you liked it, girlfriend🤝 Yes, it is a light and mood-uplifting movie which one can breeze through and enjoy! I like their internal monologs too and the songs are mostly in the background except one song and the end credits. Let me know if you see the others I’ve recommended😊. I wanted to recommend more but those are on Amazon Prime Video and not on Netflix in your region😔
Don’t worry girlfriend, I’ll make sure to watch it and let you know. Thank you! 😘
I’ll second the recommendation for Khoobsurat. A good story and what a gorgeous couple! Unfair for men to have eyelashes like that. 😍
@Fern Glad you liled the movie😊 Yes..those eyes😍
@Phoenix, yes, very shallow of me, right?
I am inspired to eat Indian food tonight in honour of these excellent Bollywood films recommendations. Well it doesn’t take much to persuade me: twist my rubber arm.
Haha, @Fern, we are all together on Shallow Island❤❤
Enjoy your Indian dinner😋😋
@Fern: If you want another recommendation, you can check out “Wake up, Sid”. It’s short amd sweet, with zero dances! Hope that’s on Netflix UK.
Thank you, @Phoenix, I am rewatching bits of Khoobsurat while waiting for the delivery. Haha. I liked the dances in this one because they made sense in the context of celebrations. The train dance words were funny.
I will check out ‘Wake up, Sid.’
@packmule3, did you see this?
Netflix Pairs Up Sato Takeru and Mitsushima Hikari in J-dorama First Love Based on the Songs of Utada Hikaru
I couldn’t see a date.
Thanks @Fern, oooh interesting. Might this be my 2nd Japanese drama!!!
I just wanted to say that I watched Khoobsurat during the weekend and it was light hearted rom-com with the right amount of song/dance. The family was teasing me that I’m now moving into I-drama! The 2 leads are such eye candy! The movie title describes both of them.
@Janey: Great that you liked the movie 🙂 Yes, it is light and funny, and the leads are both cute!
Yey number three for Sato Takeru and Mitsushima Hikari in J-Dorama First Love Base on the Songs of Utada Hikaru. 🙂
I’m definitely going to watch it too!
Oh I had missed that post – count me in too for First Love on Netflix in 2022😊 I liked Sato Takeru in Love Lasts Forever❤ This will be my 3rd dorama, I also watched Hapi Mari or Happy Marriage which I liked.
What a shame to have to wait until next year, but something to look forward to, right?
True, @Fern, it’s always good to have dramas lined up for watching in the near future..ensures that life will never be boring! 😄