Koreahh!

One of the most recent trends amongst youngsters tdoay is to watch Korean movies. One does not exactly know how this fever came about but most of the talks revolve around, “Have you seen this movie? It’s so nice" or “Have you seen that movie? It’s so sad”. Gone are the days when one would eagerly wait for a new English or Hindi film release. Korean actors have a bigger fan following. Earlier on youngsters would wait for their friends or contacts to get them more Korean movies from any source they could lay their hands on, this has been somewhat eased with pirated DVDs and VCDs making their way to the local market. How did this trend begin in the first place, you ask? There is no definite answer to that but it is my personal belief that it all started from the North Eastern states like Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram who share an international border with Burma, making it easy to gain access to foreign goods. Korean movies have become such a rage in these states that nowadays singers do not need to make a video for their songs. All they have to do is ensure a decent recording of their songs with a video of a Korean drama or movie and they sell like hot cakes. As the rage continued in these states, some students started taking these cds to show it to their friends in college and just like that the whole process began.

As we grow up, we are taught about the history of the country and told to be proud that we are Indians but when we venture outside familiar boundaries mass Indians make us feel like 'the other'. This makes it even more complex. Also, Han cinema (the Korean movie industry) appeals more so because of the similarity with regard to our oriental features, the food we eat and the type of clothes we wear. I think if ever we were to travel to Korea, we would be more comfortable there than in any of the country's metros.

Korean movie makers have mastered the art of emotions, or rather sentiments. A movie wouldn’t be complete without a beach scene, the hero carrying the heroine on his back, a karaoke session and of course the girl dying from leukemia (Koreans absolutely love cancer). Also, food is an eternal part of their cinema. If you have seen a drama or two then you’ll know what I mean. Young girls do not think twice before wrapping up an entire series in one go. There you go- a single drama completed in some 30–40 non-stop hours of tear jerking, laughing and relating. 

If one is writing about Korean movies, then it would be incomplete if there is no mention of Kwon Sang Woo- The most famous actor in the industry right now. You simply cannot call yourself a Korean movie buff unless you have been through the “KS Woo phase”. Unfortunately he may never know of this fan club that exists in this small Himalayan state. There is still so much that needs to be written about this industry but I still happen to be a novice. There will be more to write after I’m done with the two Korean cds lying on my table, sent to be by my Manipuri friend. Until then, if you are really interested then you may like to watch some of these movies I liked: Stairway to heaven (drama), Wind struck, My sassy girl (sequel of Wind struck), The classic, A moment to remember, My tutor friend, Autumn in my heart (drama), Full house (drama).