Lovable rogues

Thats the how I'd describe characters in movies who are always up to some tricks, always getting themselves in trouble, always doing things wrongly and yet eventually getting it right that you just can't help falling in love with them.

Sanjay Dutt's Munnabhai MBBS definitely belongs to this category. He is the Bhai whose job is kidnapping, making men cough up money (that is hafta vasooli in hindi) and breaking people's bones. Not wanting his parents to know the truth he leads the fake life of a doctor whenever they come visiting. Obviously the parents end up very hurt when they learn that Munna is actually a gunda. Yet it is this rogue who ends up saving many lives where real doctors had given up and Munnabhai goes on to become Munnabhai MBBS. He rightfully deserves thousands of jaadu ki jhappis.

Another of my favourites is the character of Sunil played by Shahrukh Khan in Kabhi Haan Kabhi Na. The story of the film is very simple Sunil loves Anna but Chris is also in love with Anna. In order to dissuade Chris from confessing his feelings Sunil ends up telling him false tales about Anna. How she is a flirt. How because of her some boy became mad and was sent to New York. How she was even trying to lay her trap on Sunil. No wonder Anna gives him a tight slap when finds out all this. Sunil ends up telling Father (Naseeruddin Shah) of the church "maine toh aise hi bol diya". In between Sunil fails for third time in his college exams and to save face ends up taking a nakli (false) marksheet to his parents so that they'll allow him to continue his career in music. Unfortunately for him this marksheet has been made by a Don who is his fan and so all the marks are on the higher side. Sample this... a 95% in Economics!! Worse still his parents throw him a surprise party. Feeling terrible Sunil confesses everything then and there. Ofcourse he gets first thrown out of the house but as Father makes people realise ki Sunil ka dil kitna saaf hai (his heart is so pure) everyone forgives him. Towards the end of the film Sunil's marriage is fixed with Anna. He is filled with joy when he happens to chance upon a conversation from which he learns that Anna is still in love with Chris. The next scene takes place in a church where Anna is in the bride's gown and everyone is waiting for Sunil to come. But he is not the groom. He stands there behind Chris putting up a brave face. As the ring falls from Chris's hands and when even after knowing where the ring is Sunil says he hasn't found it your heart just melts.

Another actor who has perfected being a lovable rogue is Aamir Khan. There are two films in which I absolutely adore him. The first one is Dil Chahta Hai. As Akash Khanna he is constantly upto something and a master at troubling people around him. His habit of making fun lands him in a fight with friend Sid. More problems await him as he falls in love with Shalini who is obligated to marry Rohit. A memorable scene from the movie is when Akash is talking to his father on the phone. He is trying to control is tears but his voice gives away. It reminded me of the way I had talked to Daddy over the phone on my first day at IIT Bombay.

The role of Aamir Khan's that I love is Sanjay Lal Sharma, Sanju in short, of Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar. Sanju does everything wrong. He tries to change his exam answer sheet, hides his report card under the bed, picks up fights with boys, lies about being the son of a rich businessman in order to get himself a girlfriend, squanders father's money to buy his girlfriend an expensive gift instead of depositing it in the bank and ends up being the reason behind his elder brother Ratan getting beaten up by his enemies rendering Ratan unfit to participate in the intercollege cycle race. Until the last incident Sanju was without an aim, without a care in the world and considered himself pretty much outside the family. But seeing his brother bleeding on the hospital bed and his father helplessly crying Sanju changes. He becomes responsible. He starts taking care of his father. He decides to take Ratan's place in the cycle race. He goes into the race fully prepared with the goal of beating his arch enemy who was also the winner of the previous two races and because of whom Ratan had come second. Even today when I watch JJWS the final minutes of the competition get me all excited and I just end up applauding as Sanju comes up trumps.

Among the "real" characters that I've come across if there was someone whom I could call a lovable rogue then it will have to be my friend Lalitha. She isn't really a Lallu which her pet name might wrongly suggest. She is always making fun and cooking up stories some times. Once we were planning to see a film at my place and she ended up inviting everyone. When some of the guys took the invitation seriously and from being just two we became some 6 people she realised she'd got me into trouble. We finally ended up having a nice times as the film Chup Chup Ke was pretty funny and we also ordered pizzas for company. Ofcourse she hasn't thankfully reached the extremes of the Sanjus, Akashs, Sunils and Munnabhais of the film world and I am keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't ever happen either. :p