Why I love Off the Cuff Movies?

I am slowly becoming a fan off the cuff movies. They are not a commercial success, they are not popular, people don’t write reviews about them and certainly no reality show calls them for promotions. In short, they just come and go and you don’t even realize they exist. I have to admit that I started watching such movies only because I started flipping through the channels on the odd afternoons or evenings that I get time. Sometimes less is more and having too many channels and choices is a pain. Keep flipping, look at the title, read the synopsis and you don’t feel interested. And more often than not, I started landing on Star Gold Select HD as well as Star Movies Select HD. Instead of doing plain time pass these channels have given me some wonderful moments through many movies.

Here are a few that I have watched and I felt like sharing:

Nil Battey Sannatta: A beautifully woven story about Chanda, a maid and her daughter Apeksha. Chanda slogs it out only because she wants to educate her daughter and make sure that she makes it good in life and doesn’t end up as a maid. But Apeksha has her own issues with studies and is more interested in the TV serials and a good life with friends. Chanda discussed her daughter’s struggles with Maths with Dr. Diwan, the lady at whose house she works. She suggests Chanda to put Apeksha for a tution and provides a reference. The concerned person offers to provide Chanda a  50 % discount if Apeksha passes her pre-board exam. Chanda is struggling to put the money together while Apeksha wonders what all the fuss is about. Her aim in life was to become a maid. After all if a doctor’s kid is a doctor, and engineer’s kid an engineer, maid’s kid should be maid, isn’t it?

How does Chanda’s aspirations for her daughter turn out, to what lengths will she go to get her daughter educated and change her mind? You will be pleasantly surprised at the twists and turns in this story that so captures the lives of two ordinary people so beautifully. Watch it for sure, and you will realize the value of the opportunities that you have and why it’s important to dream.

Hindi Medium: Don’t all of us have this hang-up about English Mediums? This is a thought provoking story of a Delhi based couple Raj and Mita. They are rich due to a successful business, but both were educated in Hindi Medium schools and hence felt left out of the elite rich group since they cannot talk English fluently. Now their only aim is get their little daughter admitted into a Hi-Fi English medium school. The best part is they find a consultant who prepares them for the “Interview”.  Makes for a few hilarious scenes, especially since the character of Raj is done by none other than Irfan Khan, an effortless natural who kind of makes you fall in love with the movie.

Few English Medium schools don’t admit children of business men while a few others are not impressed with the English of the parents. Finally at wit’s end, they are told to take the RTE route by faking documents to show that they are poor. They do it, but, unfortunately just after they file the application, some TV channel does a sting operation and reveals the particular school is entertaining parents who are misusing RTE. So, the principal and the administration decide to do a thorough check on each applicant to ensure that they are poor. Where does this leave Raj and his wife? Can they prove they are poor, if yes how? And finally where does all this land them? A fascinating story told so simply that shows the dark side of school admissions and the societal pressures that drive us. Don’t miss it.

My Brother Nikhil: This is a heart rending story of Nikhil, as told by his sister, Anu, enacted by the lovely Juhi Chawla. I cried buckets watching this. Nikhil a state swimming champion, the darling of people around, especially the girls is diagnosed to be HIV+. His world falls apart, the world shuns him, and even his own parents throw him out of the house. The matter is complicated because they also realize that Nikhil was in a relationship with Nigel (A GUY) all the while.

The true story begins with Anu, his sister who staunchly stands by him to fight for his right to live a dignified life, along with his partner Nigel. They are supported in this endeavour by Sam, Anu’s partner. Can they create an awareness about HIV+? Will people around understand that it is a contagious disease? Does Nikhil get to live his last few years in dignity and peace? Sanjay Suri impresses as Nikhil while the charming Juhi just wins your heart over by the way she stands by her brother.  Do the parents turn around in their attitude and stand by their son, finally? Watch it to know the answers, definitely worth it.