Audience Member
Break Ke Baad is a romantic comedy movie that is about two long-term friends and lovers who have contrasting aspirations and it is focused on the challenges of trying to maintain a relationship while pursuing one's dreams. Deepika Padukone, who acts as Aaliya Khan, and Imran Khan, who acts as Abhay Gulati, both spend most of their life as close friends with a romantic relationship. However, Aaliya is willing it risk her committing relationship with Abhay to pursue her dream of being an actress in Australia, while Abhay worries that their relationship will be a permanent end to their hopes of having a future together.
While the majority of the film revolves around the banter between the two lovers and their constant struggle with compromising and maintaining their commitment towards each other while having Aaliyah pursue her dream, the reversal of the gender stereotypes in the film is a major motif throughout the movie. Normally in many Bollywood movies prior to the recent contemporary releases, the setting that the protagonists resided in were very patriarchal and provided the actresses with a minor role or a role that did not consist of any assertion. For example, Abhay was ready to submit to his father and work at his company even though he despised the working environment and wanted to pursue his own passions. Additionally, he actively creates an effort to always comfort Aaliya and support her whenever she is spontaneous and daring. On the other hand, Aaliyah refuses to sacrifice her passions for anyone and embraces her independence and ventures to Australia to be a part of a one year study abroad course for acting. Even in the beginning of the movie. Aaliya takes on a rebellious persona to further remove the gender stereotype given to women in the bollywood industry by smoking and drinking, underscoring her ability to be perceived as a protagonist while doing such acts that are normally viewed as immoral in the Bollywood lense. Break Ke Baad underscores the modern indian traditions that are still included in Bollywood moral universe as stated by Rosie thomas, since even though Aaliya does not comply to the traditional female stereotypes, she still is considered to be under the moral universe standards, due to India creating an effort to transform into a modern "Indian traditionalism".
Overall, while the movie was thoroughly enjoyable to watch, due to its more realistic model of what a relationship entail (such as banter, arguments and less trite romantic interactions), The film is limited in its plot, since it has an abundant amount of banter and drama that leads to nowhere except simply entertainment. Additionally, the movie contrasts Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, since in Break Ke baad, the extended family is less involved in their love story and even encouraged their relationship while in QSQT, the demise of the lovers was solely due to the families rather than their own personal obstacles as a couple. However, the film could have been much shorter and more significant in its plot if there was less continuous banter and more progression of the drama occuring between the two lovers.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/06/23
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Audience Member
Break Ke Baad is a 2010 film directed by Danish Aslam starring Imran Khan (Abhay J. Gulati), Deepika Padukone (Aaliya Khan), with a minor role filled by Sharmila Tagore (Ayesha Khan). The film centers around the story of two lovers, Abhay and Aaliya, and their story of parting and reuniting once more. The transcendent nature of their love, one that has survived a relationship of nearly 10 years, makes it obvious that the two will reunite by the end of the film, the only question the audience is left with is how.
Rosie Thomas, a widely known Bollywood film critic, has discussed the way in which the philosophy of Bollywood differs from that of Hollywood, mainly in its construction of a set list of "Indian" conventions and creation of a moral universe (Rosie Thomas, "Melodrama and the Negotiation of Morality"). It can be interesting to consider Break Ke Baad in this context because in many ways, this film acts very similar to a Hollywood movie. Although there is some mention of traditional Bollywood values, respecting your family for example, it is not a main focus of the movie at all. However, these values still hold significance as they are eventually what causes a reform in the film and prompt change. In this way, even though Break Ke Baad resembles a Hollywood movie more than a classic Bollywood movie, it still contains the values that have driven Bollywood cinema for so long. Break Ke Baad seems similar to Main Hoon Na in this way as they are both more modern versions of Bollywood movies, especially as the love interest complications are created by the characters who are in love, not by the families of those characters.
In general, the rather Hollywood nature of Break Ke Baad makes it a less compelling movie. The complications that arise within Aaliya and Abhay's relationship are completely self created and are frustrating to watch. Aaliya is a rather unlikable character because of her impulsive, and destructive characteristics, and because she is not given enough interiority, she is not a character that one is able to sympathize with. Break Ke Baad also straddles the line of Bollywood and Hollywood with its editing. Much of the editing is rather normal, with close ups and tight focus on the characters in question, but there are also several moments of very specific filmic choices, like a swinging screen transition, split screen, and incredibly shaky camera movements, that seemingly indicate a want for a more varied and dynamic filming approach. However, the infrequency of these different choices makes them irritating and distracting. The entire ending of the movie is frustrating because of its extreme lack of realism and, although this lack of realism is in many ways consistent with Bollywood as a cinema of the melodramatic, the suddenness of the ending, and its seeming regression on the development of the characters, makes it in many ways an unsatisfactory conclusion to a wholly mediocre film.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
02/19/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Break ke Baad, starring Imran Khan and Deepika padukone is a fresh, yet still cliche, romantic movie about two childhood lovers. Imran Khan plays Abhay, a romantic, thoughtful and adorable boyfriend. Deepika Padukone plays Aaliya, a rebellious girl who wants to be an actress and explore the world. Abhay and Aaliya have been dating for 10 years but their relationship takes a turn when she decides to go to Australia to enroll at a university and tells him she wants a break.
Although the film is a cliche romantic comedy, I feel that it breaks the traditional gender stereotypes of women in bollywood movies because Aaliya is not our traditional sanskari girl. She smokes, she drinks and she isnâ(TM)t afraid to show it. This isnâ(TM)t to say smoking is good but the fact that she is a woman in India who does these things and is still the character we root for is very significant and refreshing. She is very strong willed and independent and refuses to sacrifice her dreams and ambitions for anyone, even her lover Abhay.
Like Main Hoon Na, the parents in Break Ke Baad do not play a huge part in the romantic lives of their children besides supporting them. This adds to the modern aesthetic to the movie and makes it relatable to newer generations. As Rosie Thomas, a film scholar, wrote, â.. mainstream Hindi cinema is a central arena for the definition and celebration of a modern Indian identity, working to negotiate notions of traditional and modern India.â? We can see these negotiations of traditional and modern India in these newer films like Break ke Baad which are slowly trying to change the âmoralityâ? in Bollywood.
Overall I would definitely recommend watching this movie! The great actors, catchy songs and a cheesy ending will definitely make you smile.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/05/23
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Audience Member
Fairly enjoyable for the first 3 quarters, so much so that I paused it frequently, feeling quite unhurried :) Good to see Deepika in a different type of role - that of a modern independent gal following her passion and dreams. The middle part had scenes that resonated with me, when Aaliya is seen to have been too independent, ie realizing her dreams without engaging her loved ones. The movie has some simple but profound lines and well-chosen songs, and while Imran and Deepika don't exactly sizzle with chemistry, both do well.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
02/13/23
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Audience Member
I really hope people can give this movie a chance, THEN rate it. it has been out for 2 years and seems to have not received any acknowledgement. This film is funny, heartfelt, clean, heartbreaking, relatable, strong, great messages....I mean, I never really watched any Bollywood movies because I never heard of one that was interesting enough, but this movie blew me away. It has WAY more substance than A LOT of mainstream romantic comedies that are the same boring comedians, recycled over and over. This was fresh, young, romantic and great for any audience. I really really enjoyed it and I think it is my new favorite romantic comedy. I had kind of given up hope on this genre, since I haven't really seen anything worth seeing in YEARS. I am 31 by the way if that helps. I would say watch it, give it a chance. It is a great movie about growing up, finding independence, moving away from your childish dreams and expectations, living your life for the wrong reasons, then finding yourself and being able to hold onto what mattered the whole time. I enjoyed it, I think you will as well!
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/22/23
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Audience Member
charming couple and very nice story and very odd one.
good one
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/11/23
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