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VIEWER REVIEWS
Suresh Oleti February 23, 2002 thanks for the tape. i screened the movie at my dinner party (there were abt 20 people).
they all liked it uniformly.. they didnt even get up when the titles came on.. so i told them that the outtakes came on next - and they just l-o-v-e-d it.
lot of compliments on the slick editing.. and the smart dialogues. the elevator scene in the end was definitely a highlight.. and of course, everybody applauded at the end of the movie.
Raghu Chandra February 23, 2002 Finally got to see ur movie at Suresh's place. I should say the movie was very good and hilarious too. We were a group of about 30 people who watched the movie and there was a good reception to the movie. My wife enjoyed the movie like anything and she looks forward to the next one. of course, the last scene in the elevator is well directed... looking forward to ur next production.
Harshika Naidu November 5, 2001 I LOVED the movie! Aarti (the main actress) was so well suited. She really does have a screen presence. I was laughing n smiling all the way in the movie. Very lighthearted and warm, I shd say. I felt tears in my eyes during the very last scene. The music at that time was perfect to help the audience feel the happiness and emotions. It was enacted pretty well too.
Everything looked bright and welcoming in the movie which I liked. Indians in India would get a good picture I would say of working Indians in America
Kavita Surya August
10, 2001 Looking
for Love in All the Wrong Places
Elements of humor, desperation, and a splash of romantic intrigue thread through the storyline of shaadi.com, the third offering from Raj Nidimoru and Krishna “DK” Desarakothapalli’s Dreams2reality Films. The polished result indicates that it might as well be their hundredth. These part-time filmmakers and full-time computer professionals manage to explore a relevant issue, the modern-day Indian immigrant’s conflict between arranged marriage and western dating methods, without taking their subject matter too seriously. However, the subtle brand of humor present in shaadi.com rarely lapses into irreverence.
Perhaps
some of the filmmakers’ success results from sticking close to home.
Ajay and Raghu, the film’s male protagonists, also happen to be single
men in their late twenties who work at a computer company straight out of Officespace. Yet Raghu really isn’t single, since he engages in constant
phone banter with a mysterious girl whom he claims is “just a friend,”
although his flirtatious behavior indicates otherwise. That leaves Ajay to
ponder the possibilities of finding the right girl for himself. Nidimoru
and Desarakothapalli illustrate how difficult Ajay’s task is by using an
amusing, computer-animated sequence to eliminate less-than-likely
candidates for marriage. Eventually, at Raghu’s suggestion, Ajay decides
to place an ad on, you guessed it, a website dedicated to single desis.
Meanwhile, Ajay and Raghu’s female equivalents, Aarti and Divya, exist
in a parallel universe in another city. Aarti has tired of her mother’s
efforts to set her up with scarily unsuitable men, and with Divya’s
help, she attempts to find her own mate on shaadi.com.
Believe
it or not, I haven’t just told you the entire story. shaadi.com
manages, for the most part, to steer clear of formulaic plot devices, even
throwing us a curveball or two towards the end of the film. But the
filmmakers live up to the promises of their website to keep the film and
its performers as realistic as possible. Good casting creates likeable
characters that interact well with each other. Ajay and Raghu’s
conversations are filled with not just wit, but surprising sensitivity as
well, while anyone could relate to Aarti and Divya’s concerns about
their physical appearances and their desires for independence.
Unfortunately,
the movie lasts just under an hour, and I was left with more questions
than answers when the credits rolled. At the beginning of the film, the
characters mention how their parents, through a network of transatlantic
alliances, manage to arrange marriages for their children. I wanted to
know how the parents of these particular characters would react to their
children’s ultimate decision to use alternative approaches, such as the
Internet or the western-style love affair, to find their life partners.
Also, shaadi.com attempts to present a balanced and thorough
view of Internet dating, but its lighthearted tone actually backfires in
this area. Without giving away too much of the ending, the filmmakers
could have delved further into the subject matter, despite the time
constraints. Instead
of being turned off by shaadi.com’s inconclusive and
unbalanced ending, I found myself wanting more. And the film has fine
production values, from appealing shots of downtown Detroit to the nearly
flawless mix of vocal dubbing and natural sound. The superb technical
elements and entertaining storyline make shaadi.com worth
watching and definitely worth a sequel.
Manan Katohora (scriptwriter from NJ http://www.geocities.com/manan7/ ) July 11, 2001
"First time directors [Raj and Krishna] I call them d2r guys - 's 'shaadi.com' is an amusing romantic comedy. I watched it twice... its a short 50 minute film - well scripted, cool editing, real performances, natural dialogues, something we all desis can relate to... Finally, a film that has a realistic portrayal of single desis in USA... The 4 main characters - 2 guys in Detroit and the 2 girls in Chicago... make u smile and make u wonder - "is it that difficult to find the right person in today's world?" the part that most people can relate to is - this one of the 2 main characters - who is always on phone with some girl - and thats been the case for more than a year... but repeatedly corrects everyone [who calls her, his GF] as "we r just good friends"... the most common statement uttered in Indian colleges... However, the most fascinating aspect of the movie, for which the writers/directors must be given their dues, is how they managed to pick out the quirky details of the life of a Single Desi in North America. And it is these moments that stand out in movie. The opening shot, for example, was classic: the guy near the phone booth singing "ishq bina kya jeena" to his sweetheart on the phone... The
movie is about having fun, having a good time, and sitting through a
comedic story that a lot of people can relate to." shaadi.com is, without question, an entertaining film; but it is also an
important effort by a talented group of artists within our community, and
thus deserves our encouragement and support." Sudha & Pras May 22, 2001 Great
Job by the directors in depicting reality with a nice touch of humor. The
movie gets funnier by the number of times it is viewed, with not a dull
minute to kill.
Ramesh Kaika
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Ganesh K April 02, 2001 The first time I saw the movie, the things that struck a very positive note were the music, the camera work and the nice script. And not to leave behind, the cameo in the form of some INTERESTING "suitors", especially the funny?guy and the sober guy.
The
second time I saw, which was like 2 hours after the first screening
(screening in my home TV), I was already humming the cute little tune
which had a "jaltarang" tinge to it and I loved Gaurang's
I
was beginning to like Ajay, as I realized that he is a poor chap longing
for the eternal love. And Yes, I could relate to each and every scene in
the movie, including the stone-throwing at the lake :-)). When I saw it the third time with some of our friends, and seeing them enjoy the movie so much, I was so thrilled that I knew you guys as my friends and I had a little air..:-)) Congrats guys, you seem to have, what the heck.., you have a winner here.. and like Rehman's tunes, it has taken some time, for me, to sink in. |
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Vyas May 5, 2001 I
saw the film with about 15 other ppl. everybody totally loved it.
They think all the actors have done an excellent job. One of my
cousin said that this film was made better than other NRI films not only from the performance perspective but more from the editing and
overall presentation. They also liked the ending of the movie. You
should try to market this thru eros entertainment or videocon or b4u or
some big name. i think this is perfectly made movie...
for me. i liked the way you guys have edited the movie and the
multimedia thing that you have done..is awesome. i
want to see this film score big or atleast gain some recognitions we do have a winner |
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Vinod V Nair May 21, 2001 "shaadi.com"
is a funny name for a movie or does it remind you little more than that?
The feelings of AJAY which you don't want to share? |
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Bala May
23, 2001 When I saw your movie first time, I was so thrilled to see such a good movie directed by a close friend of mine. Later when I saw it again and again ( 3 to 4 times ), I tried not to be influenced by 'my friend's movie' feeling and observed each scene extremely closely. After all these, I still feel that it is a great movie. Congratulations! Few
of my comments: 1.
No doubt this is a very classy movie 2.
Though you are first timers into so many technical aspects of the movie,
the result is awesome! DK and Rajesh should be very proud of this. 3.
Light Comedy, but very sensible comedy! 5.
Background music is very good. Sai May
23, 2001 The
waiting was over and finally I watched the movie 'shaadi.com'. I was
surprised that DK and Rajesh can make such a nice movie. Not that I have
any doubts about their talents, it's just that somebody like us, can make
such a good movie. Unlike
most of the movies, I never felt bored while watching this movie. Everyone
did their part well. The samosa scene was awesome. Dialogs are good and
some camera shots are excellent. I don't know how difficult it is to shoot
some of the scenes but as a viewer I enjoyed the scenes. The
movie's ending was the best. I can't think of any better ending than this
and I'm confident that no other ending could have made such a nice
impression on this movie.
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