She's back!

Last night I drove down to Little India to see the much anticipated Fanaa, with Aamir Khan and Kajol, starring in her first film in five years.

I really enjoyed the movie. It's incredibly flawed, and there were serious moments which actually had me laughing out loud, but it was an amazing way to spend a few hours. And this is what I love about Bollywood--it's ability to manipulate me and allow me to enjoy the fantasy of it all. I usually don't allow myself to be that vulnerable. But when I watch Bollywood, I am.

Kajol is brilliant as Zooni, a blind Kashmiri girl, moving effortlessly from an innocent and opaque young woman to a confident but enigmatically wise woman. It's a role, as Aamir has admitted, that no other actress could pull off. You watch Zooni, and your heart is entranced. When she hurts, you do to. When she's angry, so are you. When she's elated, you can't help but be too. She handles the role with such an inexplicable mixture of delicacy, fierceness, and honesty, you forget you're watching an actress performing a role.

Aamir is equally outstanding as the conflicted Rehan. But this is what we've come to expect from the obsessively anal megastar. His ability to move between comedy, romance, and serious drama is greater than any actor I know. It's easy to understand why Zooni falls for him and continues to love him in spite of the things he's done.

I can't say much more without spoiling the film--not that any of you will actually see the movie. But Fanaa moved me. I had to take a deep breath after the intensity of the first act, and I left the theater teary-eyed, but feeling incredibly happy too.

As for Kajol and Aamir's chemistry...