Hindi · Upper intermediate (B2) · Chapter 3 of 12
Film, books and media
फ़िल्म की कहानीfilm kee kahaanee
Review a film in Hindi: tell the plot in the present, use -ते हुए (while) and -ने वाला (about to), and give opinions with nuance.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Summarise the plot of a film or a book
- Say “while doing” and “about to” with -ते हुए and -ने वाला
- Describe things in progress: a moving train
- Give a nuanced opinion: so-so, worth seeing, far better
Listen
In Kolkata, friends Ananya and Rohit come out of a Hindi film about an old stationmaster and don't quite agree about it. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Rohit
तो? कैसी लगी फ़िल्म? मुझे तो बहुत पसंद आई।
To? Kaisee lagee film? Mujhe to bahut pasand aaee.
So? How did you find the film? I loved it.
Ananya
ठीक-ठाक थी। कहानी तो अच्छी थी, लेकिन दूसरा हिस्सा बहुत धीमा था।
Theek-thaak thee. Kahaanee to achchhee thee, lekin doosraa hissaa bahut dheemaa thaa.
It was OK. The story was good, but the second half was very slow.
Rohit
धीमा? मुझे तो दूसरा हिस्सा ही सबसे अच्छा लगा। जब बूढ़ा स्टेशन मास्टर अकेले प्लेटफ़ॉर्म पर बैठकर पुरानी ट्रेनों को याद करता है…
Dheemaa? Mujhe to doosraa hissaa hee sabse achchhaa lagaa. Jab boodhaa steshan maastar akele pletform par baithkar puraanee trenon ko yaad kartaa hai…
Slow? The second half is exactly what I liked best. When the old stationmaster sits alone on the platform, remembering the old trains…
Ananya
हाँ, वह सीन सुंदर था, और उनकी एक्टिंग भी कमाल की थी। लेकिन कहीं-कहीं फ़िल्म बहुत लंबी लगी।
Haan, vah seen sundar thaa, aur unkee ekting bhee kamaal kee thee. Lekin kaheen-kaheen film bahut lambee lagee.
Yes, that scene was beautiful, and his acting was brilliant too. But in places the film felt far too long.
Rohit
चलो, हर किसी की अपनी राय है। अच्छा, तुम्हारी माँ भी तो यह फ़िल्म देखना चाहती थीं न?
Chalo, har kisee kee apnee raay hai. Achchhaa, tumhaaree maan bhee to yah film dekhnaa chaahtee theen na?
Well, everyone has their own opinion. So, your mum wanted to see this film too, didn't she?
Ananya
हाँ, और उन्होंने पूछा था कि फ़िल्म किस बारे में है। तुम दो लाइनों में कहानी बता सकते हो?
Haan, aur unhonne poochhaa thaa ki film kis baare men hai. Tum do laainon men kahaanee bataa sakte ho?
Yes, and she asked me what the film is about. Can you tell the story in two lines?
Rohit
कोशिश करता हूँ। कहानी एक बूढ़े स्टेशन मास्टर की है, जो एक छोटे-से गाँव में अकेला रहता है। एक दिन उसे पता चलता है कि उसका स्टेशन बंद होने वाला है।
Koshish kartaa hoon. Kahaanee ek boodhe steshan maastar kee hai, jo ek chhote-se gaanv men akelaa rahtaa hai. Ek din use pataa chaltaa hai ki uskaa steshan band hone vaalaa hai.
I'll try. It's the story of an old stationmaster who lives alone in a tiny village. One day he finds out that his station is about to close.
Ananya
और उसका बेटा, जो सालों से मुंबई में है, स्टेशन बचाने के लिए गाँव वापस आता है। बस, इतना काफ़ी है। अंत मत बताना, माँ ख़ुद देखना चाहती हैं।
Aur uskaa betaa, jo saalon se Mumbaee men hai, steshan bachaane ke liye gaanv vaapas aataa hai. Bas, itnaa kaafee hai. Ant mat bataanaa, maan khud dekhnaa chaahtee hain.
And his son, who's been in Mumbai for years, comes back to the village to save the station. Right, that's enough. Don't give away the ending: Mum wants to see it for herself.
Rohit
ठीक है। पर अंत वाला सीन तो तुम्हें भी अच्छा लगा होगा? जब बेटा चलती हुई ट्रेन से हाथ हिलाते हुए…
Theek hai. Par ant vaalaa seen to tumhen bhee achchhaa lagaa hogaa? Jab betaa chaltee huee tren se haath hilaate huye…
All right. But you must have liked the final scene, surely? When the son, waving from the moving train…
Ananya
हाँ, हाँ! सच कहूँ तो उस सीन में मेरी आँखों में आँसू आ गए। फिर भी, मेरे हिसाब से यह एक बार देखने लायक फ़िल्म है, दो बार नहीं।
Haan, haan! Sach kahoon to us seen men meree aankhon men aansoo aa gaye. Phir bhee, mere hisaab se yah ek baar dekhne laayak film hai, do baar naheen.
Yes, yes! To be honest, I had tears in my eyes in that scene. Even so, to my mind it's a film worth seeing once, not twice.
Rohit
और किताब? मैंने सुना है कि फ़िल्म एक उपन्यास पर बनी है।
Aur kitaab? Mainne sunaa hai ki film ek upanyaas par banee hai.
And the book? I've heard the film is based on a novel.
Ananya
हाँ, और किताब फ़िल्म से कहीं बेहतर है। पढ़ते हुए लगता है कि आप ख़ुद उस गाँव में हैं। मैं तुम्हें अपनी किताब दे दूँगी, पढ़कर बताना।
Haan, aur kitaab film se kaheen behtar hai. Padhte huye lagtaa hai ki aap khud us gaanv men hain. Main tumhen apnee kitaab de doongee, padhkar bataanaa.
Yes, and the book is far better than the film. While you're reading, you feel as if you're in that village yourself. I'll lend you my copy; tell me what you think once you've read it.
Understand
Telling the story
When Hindi speakers tell the plot of a film or a book, they use the present tense, just as English does: (kahaanee ek boodhe steshan maastar kee hai, jo akelaa rahtaa hai), it's the story of an old stationmaster who lives alone; … (ek din use pataa chaltaa hai ki …), one day he finds out that …
The -ने (-ne) form + (vaalaa) means “about to”: (steshan band hone vaalaa hai), the station is about to close. Before a noun it means “the one who does”: (gaane vaalee larkee), the girl who sings. agrees like an adjective.
In casual speech the infinitive is a friendly request for later: (ant mat bataanaa), don't give away the ending; (padhkar bataanaa), tell me once you've read it.
| Hindi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| … (kahaanee … kee hai.) | It's the story of … |
| … (film … ke baare men hai.) | The film is about … |
| … (ek din use pataa chaltaa hai ki …) | One day he / she finds out that … |
| (film ek upanyaas par banee hai.) | The film is based on a novel. |
| (tren chalne vaalee hai.) | The train is about to leave. |
While doing: -ते हुए and -ता हुआ
The stem + -ते हुए (-te huye) means “while doing”, for something going on at the same time as the main action: … (padhte huye lagtaa hai ki …), while you're reading, you feel that …; (haath hilaate huye), waving. In this use it doesn't change.
Before a noun, the -ता (-taa) form + (huaa) describes something in progress, and both parts agree like an adjective: (chaltee huee tren), a moving train; (rotaa huaa bachchaa), a crying child. Compare (tootaa huaa), broken, from B1, which describes a finished state.
- वह रोते हुए घर आई।Vah rote huye ghar aaee.She came home in tears.
- मैं गाने सुनते हुए खाना बनाता हूँ।Main gaane sunte huye khaanaa banaataa hoon.I cook while listening to songs. (a man speaking)
- चलती हुई गाड़ी में फ़ोन मत देखो।Chaltee huee gaaree men fon mat dekho.Don't look at your phone in a moving car.
Opinions with nuance
Reviews are rarely just “good” or “bad”. (mujhe film pasand aaee), I liked the film, is used for something you have just seen, eaten or tried, and it agrees with the thing. (mere hisaab se), to my mind, is a more casual (mere khayaal se).
(kaheen) before a comparison means “far, much”: (kitaab film se kaheen behtar hai), the book is far better than the film.
| Hindi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| / (kamaal kaa / kee) | brilliant, amazing |
| (theek-thaak) | OK, so-so |
| (kuchh khaas naheen) | nothing special |
| (kaheen-kaheen) | in places, here and there |
| (dekhne laayak, padhne laayak) | worth seeing, worth reading |
| (bilkul bekaar) | a complete waste of time |
More in the grammar: Commands and requests: आ, आओ, आइए · Joining actions: -कर, -आ हुआ, -ते ही · Probably: the presumptive (होगा)
New words
- धीमाdheemaaslow · / / (dheemaa / dheemee / dheeme)
- बूढ़ाboodhaaold (of a person); old man · / / (boodhaa / boodhee / boodhe); for things, use (puraanaa)
- अकेलाakelaaalone, lonely · / / (akelaa / akelee / akele); (akele) also means “on your own”
- याद करनाyaad karnaato remember, to think back to; to miss · (puraanee trenon ko yaad kartaa hai), he thinks back to the old trains
- कोशिश करनाkoshish karnaato try · (koshish), attempt, is feminine; (koshish kartaa hoon), I'll try
- गाँवgaanvvillage · masculine
- पता चलनाpataa chalnaato find out · … (use pataa chaltaa hai ki …), he finds out that …
- बंद होने वालाband hone vaalaaabout to close · the -ने (-ne) form + (vaalaa): about to …
- काफ़ीkaafeeenough; quite · never changes; (itnaa kaafee hai), that's enough
- अंतantend, ending · masculine; (ant vaalaa seen), the final scene
- हिलानाhilaanaato move, to shake · (haath hilaanaa), to wave
- आँसूaansootear, tears · masculine; (aankhon men aansoo aa gaye), tears came to my eyes
- किताबkitaabbook · feminine; plural (kitaaben)
- उपन्यासupanyaasnovel · masculine
Practise
1.Which sentence means “The train is about to leave”?
2.How do you say “a moving train”?
3.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.The station is about to close.
4.Match the Hindi with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
5.Ananya says (kaheen-kaheen film bahut lambee lagee). What does she mean?
6.What does (padhte huye) mean?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
यह एक छोटे-से गाँव की कहानी है।
Yah ek chhote-se gaanv kee kahaanee hai.
It's the story of a small village.
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.