Horrible news out of Calcutta today. I can’t really do anything to make it better, but at least I can put up a post in honor of the city today.
In Honor of Calcutta: My Favorite Calcutta Songs
Reply
Monthly Archives: March 2016
Prem Ratan Dhan Payo: 3 and 1/2th Watch! Still Good!
I saw Prem Ratan Dhan Payo in theaters twice and bought it on DVD the day it came out, but I’ve only watched it 1 and a half times since it left theaters (the half is because my sister already watched the first half while I was at work, and then we watched the end together). But you know, I think I may like it even more on DVD than I did on the big screen.
News Round-Up part 2: SO MUCH DRAMA!!!
I know I already did a round-up today, but then I checked the Times of India, and there was all this new good stuff that I just had to talk about.
National Awards: Do I Even Have Anything To Say?
One of the commentators (I would call you out by name, but you posted anonymously) challenged me to come up with something to say about the National Awards that were just announced. I never really know what to say about National Awards, but I can say why I don’t have anything to say, at least. And what my small, barely understanding it, reaction is.
News Round-Up: Babies, the Pope, and SRK
The news today ranges from exciting to wacky to happy, so it is a good day! Let me see if I can accurately describe it all.
The Royals are Coming! The Royals are Coming! (Kate and Wills India Trip Details Announced)
Official detailed announcement of the itinerary for their India trip is here. Very exciting! I immediately read it over for guesses as to what famous film figures they might get to meet.
(yes, that is Prince Charles, Camilla, and Kajol and Ajay in the top photos)
Weekend Global Box Office: Kapoor and Sons Loses Its Audience
Bollywoodhungama has the global figures for the weekend again. Yay! It’s my favorite part of the week! Well, not my favorite part (new release Friday beats it easily), but it’s up there!
Vishal-Shekhar in Concert: Way Better Than it Should Have Been!!!
I was very dubious about going to this concert, and I wouldn’t have done it if it weren’t for the convenience and curiosity factor of the location. But, I am so glad I did! It was awesome! Well, at first, kind of boring. But then awesome!
Happy Easter! A Day Late
Happy Easter! And of course, there is only one appropriate way to celebrate.
100 Days of Love: A Lot Less Complicated to Find a Way to Watch, but Also a Lot Less Complicated to Understand
This is one of those recent movies that was recommended in a sort of “well, it’s kind of interesting, you might as well” sort of way. Instead of the “You MUST watch this movie!!!” kind of way. And that was basically my reaction too, it’s okay, it was enjoyable, but it didn’t blow my mind.
Rocky Handsome Full Summary!!! There’s Not Much to It (SPOILERS)
I posted a quick review without spoilers yesterday, I usually post another with spoilers discussing the plot in detail. But in this case, there is so little plot, I might as well combine the spoiler-y review with the summary and get them both out of the way.
Rocky Handsome Review: Short and to the Point (ha! Knife pun!) Just Like the Movie (No SPOILERS)
After going back and forth, I finally decided to see Rocky Handsome opening night. It was good! Well, it was okay. It was confused, is what it was. It was a really good East Asian style action movie, but with a couple of songs grafted onto it. And John Abraham. And Shruti Haasan who, thankfully, only had one line of dialogue.
News Round-Up: Sushant Singh Rajput is Single! Woot Woot! Also, other stuff about Aamir, Sanjay, and Emraan
Sushant Singh Rajput is single again! I am sure many many people care about this news, but I am probably the only person who cares about it exclusively because of Byomkesh Bakshy! I just really liked that movie.
Varsham: See, in America, a Movie in the Rain Would be Sad. But here, Not So Much!
I saw Varsham! The same day as Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa, which was weird since they are very different movies who share an actress playing two very different heroines. But I think I liked Varsham better. At least, “liked” as in “willing to rewatch it multiple times and happy while viewing it.” Not so much “liked” as in “thought it was actual a deep and rewarding film with multiple layers and messages.” Continue reading
Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa: It’s That Movie With the Soundtrack I Love!!!
Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa was one of the few non-Ratman Tamil movies recommended to me and, more importantly, was available through my library, so I watched it last weekend. And then the first song started and I went “Hey! I know this soundtrack!” Ever since Ekk Deewana Tha started being promoted 4 years ago, I have listened to the Ekk Deewana Tha/Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya/Ye Maaye Chaseve at least once a week, if not once a day. It is really really good. So that was an odd point of familiarity/unfamiliarity from which to start.
Rocky Handsome, New John Abraham Movie This Friday: What the Heck is It?
Somehow, this film slipped completely under my radar. Not as much as Jai Gangaajal, there has been some promotion at least, comments and twitter and so forth, but probably because I was so Kapoor and Sons focused, I didn’t even realize it was coming out this week. But then I saw the really super cool poster (above), and decided it is worth investigating.
Traffic: I Finally Got My DVD! Appropriately, It Was Late Because It Got Stuck in Traffic
Well, sort of stuck in traffic, sort of got lost on the way and took a detour. Either way, appropriate! The point is, I got it two days late because someone at the mail center in India messed up and put in the wrong digit for my zip code, which meant it went to Dunkerton, Idaho, before it made its way to me. Actually, kind of remarkably it was only 2 days late, since that’s several hundred miles away from me. Also, remarkably, the funky Indian website where I ordered it was not at fault! I checked the original packaging and packing slip, and they had everything right, it was only when it was handed over to the private shipping company that it got messed up.
But, All’s Well that End’s Well, I finally got my DVD, and I was able to watch it in bits last night and while getting ready for work this morning.
(update: Moviemavingal just posted her take on it, including why it is and isn’t like the American style hyperlinks)
Global Box Office: As expected, Kapoor and Sons Does Well
Kapoor and Sons opened in Pakistan! What the heck? A movie with a gay main character is allowed to play, but Neerja isn’t? I guess it really is about patriotism, not religion. Or else Karan’s clever avoidance of actually using the word “gay” (or boyfriend or homosexual or anything else specific) paid off.
Kapoor and Sons Summary Part 2: All the Drama Comes Out at once! (Spoilers, as you would expect)
I already posted a very long post which covers about the first two thirds/three fourths of the film. And then I stopped so I could do the last twenty minutes in which everything EXPLODES all at once.
Kapoor and Sons: Full Summary Part 1 (SPOILERS, of course)
I’ve already put up to reviews, one short spoiler-less one and one that goes into detail about the character development and so on with loads of spoilers. And now I am going to see if I can manage my usual extremely detailed scene by scene breakdown. Not sure how it will go with this film, because it is so loose and experimentally structured.
(Final part of summary, with ending, here)
Kapoor and Son Review: Spoilers!!!
Kapoor and Sons Review (No Spoilers!)
I saw Kapoor and Sons last night, and it was definitely different. Not-Indian in a lot of ways, mostly stylistic, and very Indian in other ways, mostly family structure. Although, at some point, this family stuff turns into just basic realities of human nature, it’s just that Indian film is the only industry that really highlights these kinds of things.
(if you want another perspective, check out the review by moviemavengal)
Bajrangi Bhaijaan: Does it Hold Up on the 5th Viewing?
Yes it does! I watched it again last night with friends for my weekly movie night. I’d already seen it twice in theaters, once at another movie night, and once with my sister while we cooked Thanksgiving dinner. It’s an extremely re-watchable film, especially with a group. Which probably explains why it sold so many tickets.
More News: Kangana-Hrithik gets weirder, Amitji and Jayaji’s roles in Ki and Ka revealed, and Jagga Jassoos May Actually Be Released
I am so enjoying this Kangana-Hrithik story. It’s the perfect kind of celebrity scandal where it crosses the line from “they’re just like us! Oh, now I feel bad about their problems” to “This is something that would never ever happen to a regular person and I feel no guilt about watching it.” Oh, and there is some minor industrial non-gossipy news happening as well.
(Another favorite part of the Kangana-Hrithik story, thanks to Krrish 3 there are a plethora of really odd looking pictures of the two of them)
Munna: A Telugu Film to Cheer Me Up!!!
As a reward for letting Mani Ratnam make me cry again, I picked out a Telugu film that was recommended to me, and was available for free on youtube with subtitles. It did NOT make me cry, but it did make me go “wait, what’s happening now?” a lot.
dontcallitbollywood 