A couple of evenings back, I sat in my living room on a dull Bangalore evening flipping channels, when I noticed 'As Good As It Gets' had just started on HBO (or Star Movies, I can't recall).
Knowing it to be a classic romantic drama, I stayed put. Eventually, I got to the scene where Melvin Udall, the cranky, tough-to-have-a-decent-conversation-with writer finally goes out to dinner with Carol Connelly, and when she forces him to give her a compliment, he manages to say, "You make me want to be a better man".
And suddenly I remembered this to be one of the most-loved movie lines ever! Bang! There was a flourish of lines that came into my head; from some of the favourite movies I have watched over the years.
I have got a lot of complaints that I don't mention instances from Bollywood flicks; so I just wanted to reiterate, I love Bollywood, and this post will be a chance for some respite.
So here are some of my favourite movie one-liners ever.
"May the force be with you"
Who can forget this Star Wars classic line? If you have watched any of the Stars Wars double trilogy movies, this line is probably repeated millions of times through the course of the narrative.
"Tumhara naam kya hai Basanti?"
This line ALWAYS cracks me up. And the best part is the visual that comes along with it. Amitabh's character Jai sitting at the back of Basanti's rickety horse tanga, looking bored, uninterested; while Dharmendra's character Veeru is trying his best to woo the village belle. Hilarious! I know there are some classic lines in Sholay that are worth mentioning, but somehow, this one has always been my favourite. Let me know what is your favourite Sholay line.
"The name is Bond, James Bond"
Now, if you can't tell what line this is, then what have you seen? (A very poor translation of the Hindi saying 'Yeh nahi dekha toh kya dekha?') A must-have line for every single Agent 007 film that was ever made, this line is, for sure, a classic in the one-liner hall of fame.
"Mere paas maa hai"
… And that's how Shashi Kapoor made Amitabh Bachchan shut up in the classic Bollywood movie Deewar; and not to mention, delivered arguably the best one-liner there is in Bollywood cinema.
"You complete me/You had me at hello"
Boyfriends beware! When Tom Cruise said this line to his silver screen girlfriend Rene Zellweger in Jerry Maguire, he made a benchmark that not many can better. And although I find this line one of the most cheesiest there ever was, well, what can one say about love?
"Yeh jo dhaai kilo ka haath…"
I can't help but remember a friend of mine imitating this classic Sunny Deol line from Damini. My friend's take of that line is of course exaggerated and hilarious; but then again, think about it. The line actually means, 'This two and half kilo hand…"!!! Oh and don't miss the end of the dialogue, "…kissi pe padta hai na, woh admi uthta nahi, uth jata hai."
"This isn't personal. This is business/I'll make him an offer he can't refuse"
I have to admit, honestly, I am no fan of The Godfather trilogy. I find it a whole and soul 'guy-movie', and will leave it for the guys to watch. But consider this: How many times have you heard these lines? Whether in TV soaps or in other movies, these lines from Godfather made it what it is today. A special mention has to be made about Al Pacino and veteran Marlon Brando. I don't think anyone else would have done justice to these lines.
"I love you K-k-k-Kiran!"
Watching SRK, the king of romance, take a psychotic U-turn in the movie Darr, was spine-chilling to say the least. His stammer, his extreme fixation for Juhi's character and his eventual death, were all new to his fans; and boy, did they lap it up. In a non-comparative way, SRK's role in Darr reminds me of Norman Bates from the Hollywood thriller Psycho. Brrrr!
"I'll be back"
And again, we have a bad boy role. Arnold Schwarzenegger, playing the bad guy in Terminator, delivers this line to give fans and movie-goers a sneak peek to what they could expect in the movie.
"Khamosh!"
Bollywood veteran Shatrugan Sinha used this line so liberally in his film Naram Garam, that it became synonymous with his personality! Recently, when he defeated Congress party's Shekhar Suman in Bihar Parliamentary elections, he is reported to have said, "I'd just like to tell him, 'Khamosh!'." A true artist, true to his filmi personality.
I know I had space for 10 only. But I have to mention 'Mogambo khush hua!' as a favourite too. One of the late Amrish Puri's most classic lines from Mr. India, this line is a sure shot favourite among people of all ages, just as the film in its entirety is a classic.
Are these your favourites? Do you have your own list? Let me know about it.
Tags:
Celebrity