Veer - Zaara

His best movie yet. I realise that I say that every time I see a new Shahrukh movie…but anyway
This movie was so cute! Hindustani squadron leader Veer Pratap Singh (played by Shahrukh Khan) falls in love with Pakistani Zaara (played by Preity Zinta)! But of course – like any other Hindi film – Zaara is getting married to someone else! (Ji haan! Is kahani mein twist bhi hai!) Zaara’s marriage however, is very important for her father’s political career. So Zaara’s fiancé blackmails Veer by saying as long as Veer stays in jail, he will keep Zaara happy, but the moment he steps out of jail, Zaara’s life will become hell. So he signs the document pretending to be someone else, while to rest of the world, Veer Pratap Singh is dead.
Now, Rani Mukherjee is Shahrukh’s lawyer. And she hears the story about their love and fights in court for justice.

You have to go watch to movie to find out how it ends. It’s adorable. The end was a bit much; the whole happiness of being reunited a bit too long drawn…but it was cute. Romantic-patriotic-tragedy I’d say!

But the thing that struck me the most about the movie was its diverse star cast! I mean, just look at it: A Muslim (Shahrukh), playing a Hindu…Hindus (Preity and Kirron Kher) playing Muslims…there was even a Parsi (Boman Irani) playing a Muslim (Priety’s father)! I can’t understand the fact that even with the kind of film industry that we have, we still have religious problems in this country! The biggest names in the film industry are Muslims…Shahrukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Nasauddin Shah, Farookh Sheik…and interestingly, they all have (or had) Hindu wives! Almost every part of our society watches Hindi films. If Hindi films have such an influence on us as a country, why is it that despite the amount India has gained from Muslims, some sections of Hindu’s are still hostile towards them?!

I’ve been in arguments with people before, about how the communal problems in India would easily solved by (redefining our constitution) making India a Hindu country! I don’t get that logic! I just think that doing that is taking a step backwards!
By giving up secularism, we are also giving up everything in our culture that is non-Hindu. The Taj Mahal, anything remotely Mughal, sufi music, AR Rehman, Adnan Sami, SHAHRUKH! I don’t get it!
Maybe there is something to this I am missing...