Turning 30 (2010 Gul Panag, Purab Kohli,Sid Makkar)

[dustdevil]

They showed the trailer for this before Raajneeti. I'm probably just a sucker for anything with Gul Panag, but it looked sort of cute, and I liked that it did seem like she was the main character, and that the romantic interests were secondary.

A few tidbits I found online:
Description on Sawfnews:

The film is about the trials and tribulations of a woman turning 30, says Purab Kohli.

Gul Panag plays the protagonist in the film.

"I think it is india's first chick flick! I could be wrong though., Turning 30" Panag tweeted on June 3.

Siddharth and Suhas, the music duo play cameos in the film. Their take on the film:

"It’s a young urban love story and women centric film and for the first time a non-political story by Prakash Jha,"

Trailer on  youtube.

[amit]

^ Yeah, I saw the trailer before Raajneeti, and what struck me was that the idea, story and dialogs seemed to be American/American culture, whereas the stars were Indian. That pretty much killed my interest in it, though I can see the appeal for women (to see it).

[Dil Bert]

I'm probably just a sucker for anything with Gul Panag [...]

Seconded.  Even if they're just going through the motions of a Hollywood rom-com, it's Gul Panag going through the motions.  Kind of like it was fun to watch Zhang Ziyi do something similar in Sophie's Revenge.

[hrithikzgirl83]

What's with all the cursing?! 

[Prem Rogue]

^ Yeah, I saw the trailer before Raajneeti, and what struck me was that the idea, story and dialogs seemed to be American/American culture, whereas the stars were Indian. That pretty much killed my interest in it, though I can see the appeal for women (to see it).

Yep, it looks like it could be a movie starring Amy Adams set in Chicago.  

In the US its more common for people to marry later in life, but in India there's still the notion that a woman who doesn't get married before 30 is going to end up a spinster, which clashes with Westernized ideas about romance and building a career.  I hope the film explores that.  A lot of HW rom-coms also subscribe to the notion that a woman can't be happy without a man, and I hope the film doesn't fall into that trap, i.e., she meets Mr. Right, then they live happily ever after.

[amit]

What's with all the cursing?! 

Because it's what cool women/people do.

[corbie]

The trailer just made it look awful. Just can't relate to angst over age. And it didn't even look like a good film. And it looked like American films anyway.

[purplecowmoo]

Hmm I don't know how I feel about it! It's very conciously trying to be all US romcom (opening shots was SUCH a more than nod to sex and the city - music ripoff, cosmopolitan), but at the same time I'm wondering if it might have something to say about Indian women and age rather than just using 'turning 30' as a theme - the massage woman and her mum are pretty funny, and the pressure to get married seems to be covered. Wonder what the darkness about her brother basically carrying her out of the room was...

A lot of HW rom-coms also subscribe to the notion that a woman can't be happy without a man, and I hope the film doesn't fall into that trap, i.e., she meets Mr. Right, then they live happily ever after.

Yes, this really annoys me in movies and TV. Of my mum's single friends, the only ones unhappy without a man are the ones who convince themselves they can't be happy if they're not in a relationship, and I dislike seeing women going down that weird self-hating route onscreen. After the trailer I think the end will result in her not marrying the guy, but I could be wrong.

I kind of want to see this, but white friends a bit written off BW, Indian friends and my mum don't like Indian movies 'trying to be hollywood' (fair point) so I'll wait until someone puts it on youtube. Interested to see how it does, though. I just saw sex and the city 2 the other day and found it really, really appalling - I hope this does better!

[Dil Bert]

gulpanag Gul Panag
FYI #turning30 - English is the original and intended version. Hindi version is a dub of the former. Given a choice please watch English ver

[Darshana]

Is it in theatres or something?  I like Gul and I really like Purab Kohli onscreen so I'd give it a chance.

[Spencer]

Turning 30 releases on Jan. 14th.
 
Reviews:

2.0/5 - Taran - http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/review/14387/index.html

3.5/5 - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/hindi/Turning-30/moviereview/7275397.cms

2.0/5 - Anupama - http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_review.aspx?id=589&albumname=Review: Turning 30

1.0/5 - http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/review_review-turning-30-not-a-great-idea_1494061

[Pardesi]

I know this is really random but I was sort of annoyed at Taran Adarsh's review:
http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/review/14387/index.html

"So is TURNING 30!!! India's answer to BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY? Or is it 13 GOING ON 30? Or SEX & THE CITY?"

Dude, you're just throwing movie names around. Has he even watched 13 going on 30? I don't think so, because I have, several times. It's a very Big-like story, nothing to do with Turning 30 from what I've read about it!

It's fine (arguably) to be extremely, subjectively, opinionated about movies, which he obviously is, but I just don't like these sloppy attempts at sounding cute/witty/knowledgeable in reviewers. You should know your stuff.

[Prem Rogue]

I know this is really random but I was sort of annoyed at Taran Adarsh's review:
http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/review/14387/index.html

"So is TURNING 30!!! India's answer to BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY? Or is it 13 GOING ON 30? Or SEX & THE CITY?"

Dude, you're just throwing movie names around. Has he even watched 13 going on 30? I don't think so, because I have, several times. It's a very Big-like story, nothing to do with Turning 30 from what I've read about it!

It's fine (arguably) to be extremely, subjectively, opinionated about movies, which he obviously is, but I just don't like these sloppy attempts at sounding cute/witty/knowledgeable in reviewers. You should know your stuff.

What about 30 Rock?  Or Thirtysomething?  Or 40 Days and 40 Nights?  That's only 10 more than 30.

[Simran_Singh]

I find it a funny coincidence that I watched this on the weekend, and right after Gul Panag got married IRL!

This movie is a bit rough around the edges. The plot and dialogue perhaps don't flow as well as they should. But it's still interesting to watch a Hindi film written and directed by a woman, and in which a woman is the main character.

While watching this movie I thought about a criticism of current Bollywood that Dil Bert has expressed elsewhere on the forum, namely that it has "started making weak imitations of Western films" that "could have been altered a little bit and made by any film industry anywhere."

Turning 30 certainly suffers from some Sex and the City hangover, with scenes of Gul sitting in front of her laptop while her voiceover muses about the trials and tribulations of love and work. However, the film has several elements that take the standard "chick flick" and give it a uniquely Indian flavour (mild spoilers follow):

- when her boyfriend breaks up with her to have an arranged marriage out of a feeling of responsibility to his parents
- when she wants to sue her former workplace for copyright infringement and is told that copyright law is relatively new in India and she would be better off going after them for corporate malpractice and harassment
- the way a homosexual subplot is handled, as well as a subplot about marital infidelity
- the fact that Purab Kohli's character reappears in her life after being gone for four years, asks her to marry him right away, and everyone encourages her to say yes to him immediately: I feel like this would never happen in a Western chick flick, and it reflects a very Indian approach to marriage, which is no doubt a result of the tradition of arranged marriages, namely that you get married first, and get to know each other later

(mild spoilers end)

I think the movie is a good showcase for Gul Panag. It also has a good supporting cast, with frequent character actress Jeneva Talwar and Monsoon Wedding's Tillotama Shome as Gul's friends, and a pretty damn charming Purab Kohli as her college sweetheart.

[rubicon]

Thanks for the lovely review, Simran_Singh. You've made me want to watch the film.

[leaf]

I find it a funny coincidence that I watched this on the weekend, and right after Gul Panag got married IRL!

This movie is a bit rough around the edges. The plot and dialogue perhaps don't flow as well as they should. But it's still interesting to watch a Hindi film written and directed by a woman, and in which a woman is the main character.

You should try Aisha. The direction and script are both by women. Putting aside my Austen sentimentality, I would rate Turning 30 on par with it. And Ira Dubey (Yamini) has a fabulous role.

Turning 30 certainly suffers from some Sex and the City hangover, with scenes of Gul sitting in front of her laptop while her voiceover muses about the trials and tribulations of love and work. However, the film has several elements that take the standard "chick flick" and give it a uniquely Indian flavour (mild spoilers follow):

- when her boyfriend breaks up with her to have an arranged marriage out of a feeling of responsibility to his parents
- when she wants to sue her former workplace for copyright infringement and is told that copyright law is relatively new in India and she would be better off going after them for corporate malpractice and harassment
- the way a homosexual subplot is handled, as well as a subplot about marital infidelity
- the fact that Purab Kohli's character reappears in her life after being gone for four years, asks her to marry him right away, and everyone encourages her to say yes to him immediately: I feel like this would never happen in a Western chick flick, and it reflects a very Indian approach to marriage, which is no doubt a result of the tradition of arranged marriages, namely that you get married first, and get to know each other later

(mild spoilers end)

I also want to add the item boys at bachelorette party as a uniquely Indian idea. I hope this actually is something that is available as party entertainment in Bombay. I watched it on youtube, btw.

[Simran_Singh]

You should try Aisha. The direction and script are both by women. Putting aside my Austen sentimentality, I would rate Turning 30 on par with it. And Ira Dubey (Yamini) has a fabulous role.

I've seen Aisha. I thought it was pretty terrible. I was going to mention Ira Dubey's small role when I wrote about Turning 30's supporting cast, but I forgot.

[Plava]

This film made my day
You know those days when you feel all cr*ppy and not creative? When you have a lot of work and you just dunno where to start, what to sort out first..? I'd been having that kind of a day and this film made me stronger Tons of ideas what should, could and would do in my life came into my mind after this film. Its not all "classic" bolly film but it had enough of indian flavour.