Movie Review: BREAK KE BAAD (2010) – An Unusual Bollywood Love Story

So remember the time when the typical love story was revamped and unexpected things started happening in the conventional Bollywood fare? The couple was married from the onset of the movie, no longer was the bulk of the film dedicated to the boy meets girl, chases girl, marries girl during the end credits, or the story dealt with the ongoing issues in a marriage or relationship. However, those hatke (different) movies have been done to death so much, that we’re now at a point where those types of unconventional films, have now become formulaic and cliche. Such is BREAK KE BAAD.

Rating: 2 Out Of 5 Stars

yes… we get it, you’re different!

First of all, is it me, or does Deepika Padukone seem VERY cradle robber-ish with the Justin Bieber of Bollywood, Imran Khan? Granted, Deepika’s performance as an immature and reckless girl, along with Imran’s portrayal of a too mature for his age boy, balances out the creepiness in their superficial youth difference. I digress…

BREAK KE BAAD is exactly how the title suggests, in the contexts of relationships. The movie starts with the couple together and all happy go lucky, however a crucial turning point in one of their lives brings out their severe differences to the surface, almost to a breaking point. The couple perseveres and decides to continue the relationship long distance, however those differences rear their head again and eventually the relationship is too strained to continue. The story becomes about this couple who have, for all intents and purposes broken up, but how despite their breakup, they remain friends (through the determination of Imran’s character) and in the end, love blooms anew.

Instead, I was left with the feeling that Imran’s character should just kick her ass to the curb and hook up with some other hotty, more appreciative of his new-age whiny befriending style than this bitch. Regardless of the  inevitable ‘revelation’ her character has, after seeing her ex prosper without her, (which makes her want him back now…) it’s still forced and unbelievable. The set up for Deepika’s cruel and inconsiderate character during the first half of the film, prevents any sort of sympathy for her in the second half.

Imran’s character definitely grows throughout the length of the movie, however Deepika’s deteriorates from one archetype of an immature superficial girl, to yet another archetype; one that falls on her face once she realizes that’s she’s alone in the world causing her to run back to the people she’s been hurting for years on end.

Now, I realize a lot of you who liked the film, (or haven’t bothered to see it) will bitch at me with the standard phrase applied to contrived Indian films: “It’s Bollywood man, what more do you expect?!” Well, regardless of the commercial elements within an Indian film, I expected the makers to not assume I’m an idiot. There is such a thing as respecting the audience’s intelligence. Many may not see it, however there are films that pander and talk down the audience. BREAK KE BAAD is such a film, that tries to squeeze the emotions from you by creating vibes of torment, sympathy and joy. The ending is such an example of a cliche’d ‘twist’.

I’m not against the commercial popcorn, college romantic comedy film…quite the opposite, I enjoyed JAANE TU…YA JAANE NA.

Overall, BREAK KE BAAD is a ridiculous entertainer that, like major Bollywood films, can be enjoyed with the family due to the fun filled moments and catchy songs and all that superficial crap. The movie itself is yet another unsuccessful attempt at trying to modify the ‘love story’ genre within the Indian Film Industry, the type which was at first going against the formula of sequential events in a love story… but unfortunately have become its own formula for creating a crap movie.