Aiyyaa
2012 · Directed by Sachin Kundalkar
Original language: Hindi
- romance
- comedy
The story
Meenakshi, a Marathi gal with an ultra-sensitive sense of smell, lives her life in her dreams, dancing and enacting her favourite actresses Sridevi, Madhuri and Juhi. Not believing in arranged marriages, Meenakshi awaits her prince when she comes across Tamil artist Surya, to whom she is strangely attracted to.
What it’s like
Bright, saturated colour and big, theatrical framing give this romantic comedy the feel of a lavish musical sketch, with song-and-dance numbers that spill out of ordinary rooms into dreamlike set pieces. The heroine's fantasies lean into cheerfully over-the-top homage, so the mood shifts from brightly kitsch to tender whenever the story pulls back to everyday life in its Marathi and Tamil households. The score is buoyant and melodic, full of playful pop and classic-style film songs, and the pace is brisk and bouncy with a steady run of comic beats. The emotional register is warm, silly and affectionate, a light romance about wanting love to arrive exactly as imagined. Violence is absent, and any intensity is limited to mild comic embarrassment and gentle teasing rather than fear or cruelty. It suits a lazy weekend afternoon, a comfort rewatch, or an easy evening when you want something cheerful and musical. It is for viewers who enjoy Bollywood romance with a playful, self-aware streak and a big, colourful heart.
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