Yay! First looks at other movies! It’s like they are already preparing us for a post-Fan world! Although, hopefully, we won’t have to really face it until at least a month from now (a Shahrukh release has to stay in theaters at least 4 weeks, right?).
First, Salman released his Sultan first look on twitter this morning, and Shahrukh immediately re-tweeted it. So I guess they are continuing to fight the “Sultan vs. Raees” rumors that the media keep pushing. I never really bought them, and I buy them even less now. Raees is so clearly going to be a low budget realistic crime film, and Sultan is so clearly not. Baring a huge Chak De, India like upset, Raees is going to make a solid profit but not set the box office on fire, and Sultan is going to “win” the weekend. Especially because this teaser looks really interesting. Even I, a die-hard SRK fan, am kind of excited for it! And may actually see it 5 weeks after Eid, when Raees leaves theaters!
It’s also super reminiscent, specifically of the 42 trailer from Hollywood:
Which in turn inspired the Bhaag Milkha Bhaag teaser trailer:
But, see, I get it with 42 and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. They were both about a solitary athlete dealing with prejudice and drama and so on, and a famous real person, so it made sense to show them walking through the hallway in anonymous silhouette as the cheers came through from outside, culminating in the slow reveal of who they are. It makes the audience go “ah, of course, he walked alone while surrounded by the cheers of thousands. Oh, and it’s [famous person I have heard of]! What a twist!”
But I am pretty sure Sultan is not based on a famous person? So they are using the same powerful opening, but just for a random character that Salman plays. I mean, I guess they are also introducing Salman himself, who does deserve a big cheer and all. But it’s not exactly a surprise to see him, we all knew who this movie was going to star. It’s not like going “Oh wow, Milkha Singh! I didn’t even know they were making a movie on him!”
Unless, of course, this is all actually a Dara Singh biopic and that’s why we are getting the biopic-esque intro, in which case I will DIE OF HAPPINESS!!!! Especially if they include a scene giving the backstory that lead to this photo:
And secondly, we have Shahid. He is working HARD, isn’t he? He’s filming Rangoon right now, and the first look for Udta Punjabi just came out. Oh, and apparently, the rumors were right and he is going to be a father! And, according to various reports, one of the first people to know was Kareena! Because I guess Saif is in Rangoon too and they have become friends while filming? This is so weird! Don’t make me work in an industry where you can never escape your ex!
Udta Punjab looks kind of interesting, but I have been burned so many times by Shahid (why can’t he pick good scripts? WHY?!?!?) that I am trying not to get my hopes up. Apparently, it is about drugs in the Punjab (no duh, you can get that from the tagline). It’s also produced by Ekta Kapoor and directed by Abhishek Choubry who made both Ishqiyas, and assistant directed on Kaminey. Which might explain why Shahid in this poster kind of reminds me of him in Kaminey. Which is great, because I looooooooooooove Kaminey!
dontcallitbollywood 
Do you think Salman looks better in speedos than Jackie Shroff? Ha ha.
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EVERYONE LOOKS BETTER!
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Apparently SRK is doing a cameo in Sultan.They shot some scenes randomly while SRK was at the sets visiting Salman Shahid’s look in Rangoon is the talk of the town especially after the Samsung ad.If Ranbir and Deepika can work together after all that hullabaloo I don’t see why Shahid,Kareena and Saif can’t.And they are well aware that the curiosity about this situation will bring in more viewers.The last movies of all the three parties haven’t done so well.
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Well, it’s working for me! I’ll be seeing Udta Punjabi primarily for the potential scenes with awkward real life parallels.
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I am SO excited for Udta Punjab!!!!
It better be good.
I’m looking forward to the four leads – omg Diljit in a Bollywood movie?! Hahaha
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Oh wow, I didn’t even see he was in it! I watched the first half hour of Jatt and Juliet years ago, but that’s the closest I’ve come to seeing him in a movie. Is he any good?
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Diljit is a good actor but Punjabi films aren’t funny if you’re not familiar with a whole lot of things. So I won’t recommend a lot of them because the subtitles don’t do them justice at all. Jatt and Juliet I loved though. Angrej was also great – Amrinder Gill, Neha Sharma (I think – she was the Muslim girl in Ladies vs Ricky Bahl), and Sargun (Hindi TV actress).
However, you could watch Ardaas. That’s a pretty good movie – story of a traveller fixing things in the village he temporarily settles in. The lead is an actor that has forever played the comic role in Punjabi movies (he also used to do stand up). So that was refreshing.
Anyway, I’ll stop blabbing.
Yeah so Diljit is paired with Kareena Kapoor. And a few photos that were released a while back of them two – they’re dressed like a very middle-class couple. Very desi. So I’m curious.
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I think I missed my Ardaas window, at least until it comes to one of the streaming services. I think Jatt and Juliet is already pretty available by streaming, maybe I will give it another try before Udta Punjab comes out.
I am really interested in the choice to use an actual Punjabi actor, and an actor who seems to proudly identify with the region and be beloved there, as one of the stars of this film. If I am understanding the promotion right, it is going to look at the real life drug problem that is taking over the Punjab right now. Casting Diljit makes it sound like they are trying to avoid being exploitative and coming in as outsiders, but rather actually want to reach out to the community they are representing. Unlike, say, Chennai Express. I mean, I LOOOOOOOVE Chennai Express, but it could definitely have been a little better about integrating the actual Southern perspective.
Of course, the other part of this is that Kareena and Shahid both have a Punjabi background as well, but their families have been in Bombay so long, and part of the national film industry, that they don’t necessarily feel like they identify with the region any more. I’ll be curious if the promotions dig into that at all, if they talk about visiting their ancestral areas or hearing stories from their grandparents, or using an accent they picked up from a relative.
And then there’s Alia, who apparently can play anything from a Tamilian in 2 States to a Punjabi in Humpty Sharma and in this!
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