Besharam Full Movies

[Basa Benejan]

Itwould be nice if this were an aberration. It's not always possible to get everything exactly right when making a movie. But it is possible to get at least one or two things right, and "Besharam" can barely meet that threshold.

To be perfectly clear, the problem is not Ranbir Kapoor, who gives a committed lead performance as Babli, a car thief. The character is built up in typical "He's the best there is!" action movie terms before his proper introduction, whereupon he's revealed as a bumbler who very nearly gets caught during the film's first theft, then wrecks the vehicle and has to get a new, non-destroyed one to appease Jaffrey's gangster. Unfortunately, this is a pattern throughout "Besharam," a film that keeps promising things it can't or won't deliver.

The title translates to "shameless," and Babli is called "shameless" by nearly everyone he encounters, including bumbling, corrupt cops Chubul Chautala (Rishi Kapoor) and Bulbul Chautala (Neetu Kapoor), and the presumptive love interest Tara (Pallavi Sharda, with whom the hero has as little romantic chemistry as has ever been seen in a film). Despite the endless repetition of the word, there isn't a whole lot of actual shamelessness on display. Babli steals cars for a living and donates all the proceeds to the orphanage where he grew up and still lives, fairly shamelessly, but the moment he lays eyes on Tara, he suddenly is overcome with a desire to reform. It could be that the movie itself is what's shameless, in its substitution of urination and defecation for actual jokes, and references to other movies and movie stars in the place of an actual movie.

Most of the blame has to fall to writer-director Abhinav Kashyap. The story is barely a story. The love interest (who is never anything more than that, despite lame attempts to play her up as a modern businesswoman) falls in love with the hero when it's expedient for the plot, then morphs into a submissive, helpless, sighing clich. Endangering children to jack up a film's tension is just as much of a clich, and even more distasteful.

All of this bad storytelling is accompanied by listless, perfunctory filmmaking. "Besharam" has some of the worst editing of any professionally-released movie in years, with everything from pacing to visual legibility suffering terribly. It is very difficult to reconcile this as the work of the man who made 2010's smash hit "Dabangg," which, while far from perfect, still had nifty action sequences and the great item number "Munni Badnaam." The title song is the closest "Besharam" comes to recapturing that glory; but even then, the serviceable if not terribly original "have Ranbir dance around in a faux leather suit with a few dozens models fawning over him" template gives way to terribly shot and badly matted images of Ranbir Kapoor flying around with a lime rind on his head. What can you say about a film that carries every idea it has to the most uninteresting conclusion imaginable?

Kavya's parents and most of the other adults in the book are overwhelmingly understanding, accepting, and encouraging of the teens' personalities, identities, and interests. Kavya and her three best friends value and support one another. When there's a rift in their group, they find a way to heal it collectively. Kavya and her sister Simran also work hard to understand, trust, and support each other again after growing apart. Ian is open with Kavya about the challenges of his anxiety.

There's diversity in ethnicity, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Kavya is Indian American, and Ian is Korean American. Their close friends include teens who are Indian American, Mexican American, and Lebanese. Two of Kayva's female friends are dating each other, and her sister becomes involved with another woman. Ian's friend Rio is a trans boy who has two dads.

There are brief kisses among various couples and a few more passionate, extended kissing scenes between Kavya and Ian. There's an implied sexual encounter between two teens discovered putting their shirts back on at a party. Kavya mentions that her ex-boyfriend wanted her to perform oral sex. Teens use sexual innuendo to joke or tease. Kavya's sister Simran is considering different identifies and briefly discusses various types of romantic and sexual relationships with Kavya.

There are many pop culture references, including movie franchises (Disney, Marvel, Lord of the Rings, Twilight), TV shows (Schitt's Creek, Sailor Moon, Vampire Diaries ) and musicians (Harry Styles, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, Lil Nas, Imagine Dragons). A few specific books or authors are named, including Rick Riordan and Eoin Colfer. Characters frequently refer to devices and apps -- iPhone, iPad Pro, PlayStation, Instagram, Facebook, Whatsapp, Etsy, Pinterest, and more. Clothing, makeup, and scents are often referenced with name brands, including Ambercrombie & Fitch, Betsy Johnson, Chapstick, Sephora, MAC, Glossier, and more. Everything from cars (Toyota, Nissan, Honda) to home decor (Pottery Barn, Ikea) is described with brands.

A few kids are caught drinking at a high school party and are kicked out. There are references to beer, tequila, and "Listerine strips to mask your breath when you've been drinking something you shouldn't."

Parents need to know that Beauty and the Besharam, by Lillie Vale, is a rivals-to-romance story that follows the adventures of Kayva Joshi. Seventeen-year-old Indian American Kavya is considered by some to be besharam: "Bossy. Audacious. Rude. Mouthy. Boastful. Shameless. Bold." Luckily for her, she's surrounded by loving and supportive family and friends who appreciate her personality and encourage her strengths. But she's still trying to figure out where she stands with Ian Jun, her Korean American childhood friend and biggest rival. Kayva's friends and family are diverse in ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity. They're very accepting and supportive of one another. Ian's younger sister dies prior to the action of the story, presumably from a terminal illness after a long hospitalization. This is a romance, and there's hand-holding and kissing among opposite and same sex couples. There's also an implied sexual encounter between two teens at a party. At the same party, a few kids are caught drinking and are kicked out. There's lots of swearing, including :ass," "bitch," "damn," "f--k," and "s--t." The story is full of pop culture and name-brand product references.

In BEAUTY AND THE BESHARAM, we meet Kavya and Ian, childhood friends turned competitive rivals. They try to outdo each other in everything, from grades to extracurriculars to the summer reading program. Their friends decide to nudge Kavya and Ian toward each other, and maybe settle their rivalry, with three mystery challenges. Ian also ends up working with Kavya at her summer job where they dress up as Disney-inspired fairy tale characters and entertain children at birthday parties. As the pair spend more time together, Kavya discovers how Ian truly sees her and feels about her, and it's not what she expected. At the same time, Kavya gets closer to her sister and navigates a rift among her friends. Ian struggles with his own challenges, including anxiety. Throughout the summer, Kavya and Ian continue to grow in friendship. And maybe more?

Kayva is a charming protagonist who stands up for others, reads voraciously, and has an amazing group of friends. Beauty and the Besharam is a fun, lighthearted romcom that celebrates self-acceptance and highlights diversity in ethnicity, gender identity, and sexual orientation. This is a character-driven story focused on relationships. It will resonate most with teens who enjoy reading about friendships, family, and romance.

Given the title's play on Beauty and the Beast, there are many Disney references and lots of other pop culture references too. At times, the narrative and pace of the story is bogged down or sidetracked by numerous pop culture references, frequent naming of product brands, and extensive backstories on certain characters.

Families can talk about how Kavya is perceived by others in Beauty and the Besharam. Some classmates and Indian aunties criticize her for being "besharam," or too much. But her family and friends appreciate her personality. In what ways does Kavya's bold and outspoken personality help her and help others?

In Beauty and the Besharam, Kavya and her best friends Blaire, Catey, and Val have an argument that puts a rift into their friendship. They are able to fix it by being honest and listening to one another's points of view. Why are openness and honesty so important in friendships and other relationships?

Beauty and the Besharam plays on the themes from Disney's Beauty and the Beast, and there are many Disney references throughout. Kavya says she identifies with Belle. And she and Ian entertain children by acting as Disney-inspired characters. If you could chose to be a Disney character, who would you be? Why?

As seen in this essay, Pathaan is not the first SRK film in which many of these complexities are shown, he has done it through his filmography. Moving away from the friendship-love-marriage formula in his Johar/Chopra brand of movies, he has experimented with intimacy, passion, and love in Jab Harry Met Sejal (2017) and Dear Zindagi.

I would like to thank Dr Gita Chadha for thinking of making me part of a team, jinke niyat mein Shahrukh Khan hai. As someone who has been very articulate in expressing fandom for Imran Khan or Martina Navratilova (as a school/college girl) Shahrukh while always present, the love and admiration have been more silent and more sociological. This piece enabled me to reflect on sociological pedagogy with/through SRK films. Thanks to the Doing Sociology team for creating a space such as this one.

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