Just wanted to share some of my observations about male bonding in Bollywood flicks. After watching hundreds of good and not so good flicks some obervations;

1) Friendship between hero and his side kicks oops the second male lead is carved out of iron nothing will come between them,they live and die for each other expect when they fall in love with the same chick (Raj kapoor & Rajendra Kumar in Sangam fall for Vyjanthimala,Amitabh and Shatrughan in Dostana fall for Zeenat and so on) and then all that dialougebazi Tum mera Dost nahin,tu kamina hai,aaj se teri meri kutti and on and on and on.

2) when the buddies make up they offer the chick even without asking her, don't these guys know about women's lib and women's rights. Poor heroine is ready to sacrfice her lajja for the sake of her love but wait she has a bottle of poison just in case she has to sleep with the sidekick. I want her to sleep with the side kick and take the poison but it rarely happens.

3) Buddies sing their hearts out,hold hands,give hugs to each other and cry their eyes out if buddy is missing or in trouble. Take on the world for the sake of friendship,no one will do us part not even that pretty heroine.

4) They often die in each other's arm while the poor heroine is just there killing viewers with her overacting (Ab dies in Dharmendra arms,Rajendra kumar dies in Raj Kapor's arm and so on).

5) More movies about male bonding than female bonding. Anyway who wants to see two pretty girls riding bikes,holding hand like Dharm & Ab in Sholay. Do you don't wanna see two chicks armwrestle to win a guy?

I don't want to offend any one but doesn't some of this behavior seems very, oh how should I put it nicely without calling it gay,well lets say macho behavior with some Gay undertones, all that hand holding,hugging,singing all those songs,ready to give up every thing even that fat ugly girl for sake of friendship. If all this stuff comes from a Hollywood studio it will be called A Bi love affair to remember or I love you Girl but I love him more and so on. So post some of your own observation's on Male bonding in Bollywood. Please be kind no name calling.

lakeshore



Edited By lakeshore on Dec. 27 2001 at 19:29

Intresting observations. recently watched Sholay (again) one observation Dharm & Amitabh had more chemisty bewteen than Dharm or hema and Amitabh or Jaya. I must say bollywood guys don't hold back expressing emotions for their best buddy. Can Hollywood guys match bollywood guys in expressing those emotions on screen?

This may sound stupid - but the closest I've seen male bonding Hindi film style on the American screen is Joey and Chandler in Friends. They hug each other and pine for each other. Never seen this in real life!

LAKE INTERESTING TOPIC BUT DON'T EXPECT A LOT OF RESPONSES. THERE'S LOT OF MALE BONDING IN INDO/PAK & MIDDLE EASTREN CULTURES BUT THE MOMENT THEY SEE OR HEAR THE TERM "GAY" ASSOCIATED WITH MALE BONDING THEY WILL BE TURNED OFF. I DO AGREE SOME OF THE MALE BONDING BEHAVIORS PORTRAYED ON SCREEN SEEMS TOO FAR FETCHED AND CORNY. AT TIMES EVEN THE VERY TALENTED STARS APPEARS LIKE FOOLS WHEN SINGING PRAISES OF THEIR BEST BUDDY OR SHEDDING TEARS BY BUCKETS. SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO TELL WHO'S CRYING MORE THE HERO OR THE HEROINE?

Stormy I'm not here to win a popularity contest,just to share my view's and observations. Probably the very mention of the term gay will turn off many so be it. The point I'm trying to make is portrayal of male bonding in Bollywood films. How many of us get on the stage and sing praises of our buddies i.e AB & Shatrughan in Dostana,or ready to sacrifice our girl for the sake of our friendship or sing dost dost na raha.

A while ago some user was seeking some info about this old flick called Dosti which is friendship between a blind and a disabled guy and these two sing songs to each other and shed tears for each other. I don't think indo-pak guys who consider themselves so macho will be going around engaging in such behaviors.

I don't know why Bollywood continue to project male bonding on screen in such a sissy way, it's okay to cry over a buddy but when hero cry's more than his heroine it's time to do a re-write. And yes dosti songs are okay as long as it's two dames
singing and giving each other longing looks.

Just remember the following scences;

1) Anand - AB's reaction when RK dies.
2) Sangam- Raj Kapoor's in a crying freanzy when rajendra dies.
3) Sholay- Dharm's reaction when AB dies.
4) Dostana - AB & shatrughan's duet & the audiences said wah wah.
5) Dhan Daulat - Pran & Premnath's dosti in the film they live together,cry together and raise a son together.

just some silly obersvations.

lakeshore

You forgot to add Qurbani, the theme of which was to sacrifice one's own life for a friend.

Just remembered Dharmveer,haven't seen it in a while. What about Dharm & Jeetandra on horseback,holding hands and singing Dharveer ki jodi. I think they played bros but still when I think of that image I burst out laughing. Funniest malebonding on screen.