Befikre is the first Indian film to be shot entirely in France. Reason enough for me and some of my colleagues to go watch the movie last Sunday. 

I had seen the trailer so I had some idea about what to expect. The film confirmed my expectations: Paris has been showcased beautifully. 

I grew up in Paris and spent many years of my working life there. Befikre reflects the atmosphere of Paris as I know it — beautiful landscapes, iconic monuments, the spirit of romance.…

You could see the Champs-Elysees, the Arc de Triomphe, the French avenues, the Notre Dame church.... And of course, you get to see a lot of the Eiffel Tower in the film.

 I was so much in love with Paris that I had pushed back my departure for foreign assignments till I had to take up my first overseas posting in 2012. By then, I used to live in an apartment from where one can see the top one-third of the tower.

When it comes alight at night, it is an amazing sight. One sees that in the film.

The last song where the credits roll was shot at the pristine white Sacre-Coeur Basilica which is on the hilltop of Montmartre, a famous district in Paris housing art studios. 

Two famous bridges have been used as location. One is the Pont des Arts, which links the central square of the Louvre Palace to the Academie Francaise, founded in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu, the Prime Minister of Louis XIII. The other is the Pont Alexandre III. 

PLEASE GO TO PARIS BUT DON’T SLAP THE POLICEMEN!

The party by the Seine where Ranveer Singh and Vaani Kapoor meet is at the bottom of Pont Alexandre III. The bridge has on one side the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs where I worked for several years and the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais on the other side, where the Universal Exposition of 1900 took place. Right next to the Ministry is the French National Assembly. In fact, I used to have lunch quite often right where the two characters (Ranveer’s Dharam and Vaani’s Shyra) met.

Couples used to put up padlocks on the railings at a side of the Pont des Arts and throw away the key in the river to symbolise eternal love. I know some friends who have done that. But the municipality has prohibited that now.

But the couple in the film did it as they are insouciant, befikre. They do not care about the rules. That was too clear when they went to slap the policeman. In India, they might be less carefree!

My plea to Indian audiences watching Befikre would be: Please go to Paris but don’t slap the policemen! They have enough to do anyway! 

Last year, 5 lakh Indians visited France. I hope Befikre boosts our tourism by increasing the desire of Indians to discover not just Paris, but the whole of France, as was shown in the film — the French Riviera, the Cote d’Azur, the countryside....The place where the marriage took place seemed to be Picardy, in the north of France. 

WE SAY “MAKE LOVE”, NOT “HAVE SEX”

If the couple were shown breaking a rule or two perhaps it was done to show their carefree nature. It is true that we cherish our individual freedom. In Paris, you can be with the one you love without bothering about whether it is good or bad. At the start of the film, you have people of all age, ethnicity and gender kissing.

Paris embodies freedom. We may not be the only custodians of freedom. But since the French Revolution, it is embedded in our history and we have to defend it strongly. 

That includes the freedom to love also. We say “make love” (“faire l’amour”), not “have sex”, like perhaps people of some other countries would say. It reflects the idea that love is a process to be built. 

Paris is also full of energy. Each neighbourhood district has its own ambience. In some sequences of the film, the gastronomy and high fashion too are also satisfactorily displayed. 

There is a hectic, intense rhythm in the film. The story is funny and the characters are dynamic and full of energy. You never got bored. In addition to capturing the beautiful scenery, it portrays a faithful image of Paris. I was told it’s a long film. Still I sat till the end because of the charisma of the actors. 

BEFIKRE IS A WONDERFUL POSTCARD OF PARIS

Vaani Kapoor’s French accent is an Indian one. She is a new learner. But it was understandable and it was grammatically correct. Anyway, we have plenty of accents in France. The Parisian accent is hardly the gold standard. I hope it encourages more Indians to learn French.

Of course, one can visit France even without knowing French but some knowledge of the language would improve the quality of the visit and help students prolong their stay. It’s an advantage, not a compulsion.

We are grateful that a filmmaker as famous as Mr (Aditya) Chopra had the will to go to France to shoot his project. He received support from the administration for his efforts.

The Ambassador hosted a reception last month in Delhi where the lead actors were present. The mayor of Paris also unveiled the film trailer in October at the Eiffel Tower. That shows France is a welcoming destination for Indian cinema. 
I was also touched to see that an Indian filmmaker has managed to touch the soul of Paris. I read Ranveer saying somewhere that Paris is the third character in the film. It is very true. Paris is omnipresent in it. 

Befikre is a wonderful postcard of Paris. Living in India, I don’t feel homesick but after watching Paris on screen like that I am feeling the need to go back soon... and I will in two weeks! I hope to find this special atmosphere when I return home. 

The film also gave me the scope to test my understanding of Hindi. I learned this beautiful language a long time ago to join the diplomatic corps. How much did I understand? Badi mehnat thi. Lekin samajhne ki koshish karta tha. Bahut achchha abhyas tha mere liye. My verdict in Hindi? Befikre ek sundar pyaar ki kahaani.... Chamatkar!

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MY VERDICT IN HINDI? BEFIKRE EK SUNDAR PYAAR KI KAHAANI.... CHAMATKAR!

As told to Sudeshna Banerjee