Dhadkan

Dhadkan/Heartbeat (2000)
Directed by: Dharmesh Darshan
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Shilpa Shetty, Sunil Shetty, Mahima Chaudhry, Sharmila Tagore

Filmfare Awards
• Best Female Playback
• Best Villain

An action/romance complete with class struggles, love triangles, and even evil step-siblings! Dhadkan tells the tale of Anjali (Shilpa Shetty), a wealthy woman in love with a man of modest means, Dev (Sunil Shetty). Forced into an arranged marriage by her protective parents, Anjali weds Ram (Akshay Kumar), but being the feisty female that she is, refuses to consummate the marriage! Ram surprises Anjali with his patience and his kindness in the face of family obstacles, brought about both by her and his step-siblings and step-mother. Believing that only love can overcome hatred, Ram wins Anjali over and she soon falls head over heels in love with him. Her love for Ram is challenged when Dev comes back into her life with a vengeance. Dev refuses to let Anjali forget him and he will do anything to get her back. Entering into intrigue with Ram’s step-siblings, Dev, now a wealthy man, conspires to buy back the life and the happiness he feels Ram has taken from him. Anjali is forced to make a choice between her feelings for her former flame and the happiness she has found with her husband. -Jessica Willingham

Namastey London

Directed by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, Starring Akshay Kumar (Arjun Singh) and Katrina Kaif (Jasmeet Malhotra)
Jasmeet, or Jazz, as she prefers, has a job at a fancy British magazine, dresses in very stylish clothes, and pines for her British playboys boss, Charles Brown. She openly defies her parents regularly- scaring away Indian Suitors Charles Brown proposes marriage to Jazz while her father is planning a trip to India, which Jazz agrees to go on. While this trip seems innocent, her father a placed an ad for Jazz on a dating website for Indian suitors.
On the trip to India, Jazz meets s series of incorrigible suitors. Then an ill-fated cab ride leaves Jazz and her parents stranded in the Punjab countryside, but also introduced her to the handsome, motorcycle riding stranger that fixes the car. The family makes it to their relatives house, where Jazz is clearly thrown by her intensely traditional relatives. Jazz is shocked when the handsome stranger from earlier in the day drunkenly climbs the terrace to find her. His name is Arjun. Arjun meets Jazz’s father, who immediately decides that he would like the two to marry. Everybody seems thrilled with the union except Jasmeet. The engagement celebrations commence, and the couple agrees to marry in India but leave for London that night.There is a wedding ceremony, but shortly after, the mischievous Jazz announces that since there are no legal documents proving a marriage and it absolutely wont be recognized in London, she is still single. Her parents are understandably furious.
Jazz returns to London and immediately accepts Charles Brown’s proposal- Arjun and Jazz’s parents are completely distraught. Arjun stays in London with Jazz’s family, swearing to fight for her, and creating some awkward tension in the house. Jazz is dismayed upon meeting Charles’ somewhat racist friends, and in her sadness Arjun befriends her and defends Indian culture to these friends—while seemingly simple, it forge a bond between the two and displays Jazz’s pride in her Indian heritage. Charles’ vices come out abruptly in the next several scenes, he is petulant, childish, controlling, and jealous, while Arjun takes dance lessons with her and befriends here male counterpart Irman, fixing his relationships with his girlfriend and father. Jazz is clearly torn, and all this comes to a head on Jazz and Charles’ wedding day. -Laura Gamble

Singh is Kinng

Singh is King, or S.I.K., is a 2008 film directed by Anees Bazmee and stars Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif. It has gone on to gross over Rs.600 million worldwide and it is still grossing more. It has had considerable success in North America, grossing over $1.1 million dollars in its first weekend ("Mega Hit Singh Is Kinng : Record Breaking Box office thread." Naachgaana 16 Aug 2008 4 Dec 2008 ). The music of the film received attention in the States because of rapper Snoop Dogg’s involvement; he as a small cameo and performs the title track. This was a worldwide success because of its enticing plot, comedic aspects, and great song and dance sequences.
Lucky Singh, played by, Sonu Sood, is the king of the Australian underworld. Back in a small village in India, Happy Singh, played by Akshay Kumar promises to bring Lucky back to his village. In his attempt to fly to Australia, his boarding pass gets mixed up with someone else’s and he ends up in Egypt. While he is there he meets Sonia, played by Katrina Kaif, and falls deeply in love with her.
Happy eventually flies to Australia and finds Lucky’s house, but Lucky does not want to go back to India and kicks Happy out on the street. Happy is taken in by an elderly woman, played by Kirron Kher. Although she has very little, this woman provides food and shelter for Happy, and he sees her as a mother figure.
In an attack, Happy risks his life to save Lucky’s. They both survive, but Lucky becomes paralyzed and can no longer be king. So, Happy takes his place and tries to get the underworld gang to change there ways and become good. Soon, elderly women that provided for Happy when he needed it most came back to Happy. She was upset because her daughter was coming back to Australia and as no idea of the poor financial situation that she is in. Happy allowed her to use the gang’s mansion and the gang pretended to be the servants. But, he soon finds out that the elderly women’s daughter is Sonia, the women he fell in love with in Egypt, and that she is engaged to sneaky Puneet, played by Ranvir Shorey!
The plot twists and turns and is incredibly funny. It is a great modern film that keeps the same traditional values and morals of Bollywood. -Allison Connolly