There was a time when Hollywood peddled its happily-ever-afters with flair and fervour. One could perhaps say that it was ushered in 1989, with the release of the rom-com blockbuster, When Harry Met Sally, written by Nora Ephron and Rob Reiner. Its wisdom was undisputed and its dialogues, uncorked wit. One might argue that no one really says things like, “When you realise you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.” But a girl can hope, can’t she? A generation of girls started hoping. Ephron, their fairy godmother, waved her wand, and hey presto, the golden age of Hollywood rom-coms dawned. Ephron herself wrote two more iconic ones—Sleepless in Seattle (1993) and You’ve Got Mail (1998)—and they, in turn, birthed one of Hollywood’s beloved pairings: Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. There were others too—Julia Roberts and Richard Gere (Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride), Drew Barrymore and Michael Vartan (Never Been Kissed), Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman (While You Were Sleeping), Michelle Pfeiffer and George Clooney (One Fine Day). They existed in the endless continuum of a forever love that never grew jaded.
But forever love is a myth, and Hollywood had to find out the hard way. Our brave Romeos were soon vanquished by the caped crusaders. Marvel came up with its big-budget, superhero franchises, and studios started toeing its line. In the post-Avatar world, the rom-com became collateral damage.
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.
