Till death do us part (Yeh Vaada Raha)

As a teenager, I suddenly got gripped by Danielle Steel romances. It was then that her Promise impressed me. Fate construing against two lovers, only to have the tables turned back against it by the sheer power of their love-- this theme really touched my heart. Then one day, I saw a film called Yeh Vaada Raha, Kapil Kapoor's adaptation of this romance, and I realised how perfectly the story turned out in reel life. Here the love between the young souls appears even more sweeter, the mishap is much more unfortunate than it looks in the book and the incidents that count up to the halcyon ending is so well stitched together. Yes, this 1982 romance is one film I'd recommend to any hard-core mush lover.

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Clash of ideals (Saath Saath)

Once you've made it to the 40th minute of Raman Kumar's Saath Saath you can rest assured that there will be no boring moment from here on. The journey of Gita and Avinash get extremely engaging. The couple's daily chores throw light on the very routine lives that most of us spend today. They try to make ends meet, maintain a budget for their expenditures, take up jobs to meet the rising costs of food and living and share with us all and sundry experiences. In fact, these nuggets make the film so next-door and enhance its appeal.

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Bachelor party (Chashme Buddoor)

Whenever I happen to mention Sai Paranjpye's Chashme Buddoor during any conversation, there is a change in my mood. Almost instantly, I feel light and happy. My jaw stretches into a broad smile and my mind drifts into the lazy crazy life of Siddharth, Omi, Jomo and of course, Miss Chamko. That's why I call this 1981 romantic comedy, a moodlifter...
When my friends are in agony, I recommend Chashme Buddoor to them (provided the depression can be handled with a frothy film)! They turn up next day to thank me! That's the magic of this laugh riot. I love the way Delhi is caught on camera. Languid afternoons, verdant lawns, near empty roads, the capital looks extremely enticing. And, of course, there's Kali ghodi dwar khadi and Kahaan se aye badra. Yesudas and Haimanti Shukla create beautiful harmony!!

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