I went from “women fighting” to “women with phallic symbols” to “women with swords” to “well, that’s not fair, I’ll throw in some men too!” And now here we are.
TGIF: Men and Women Emoting With Swords!!!!
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Monthly Archives: March 2017
March Meets April Today, So Let’s Celebrate the Magic of When a Couple Meets
I’ve been watching City of God basically on a loop for the past 3 days, just sort of in the background while I do other things. And the one moment I have to stop and watch every time is the “Kaalangal” song. At first because it is sooooooo sexy, but on repeat viewing because it is just so pretty. In a way that felt really unique, until I started to remember the other song sequences I had seen like it before. There is something about that really sweet moment when two people figure out for the first time that they love each other.
For Akshaye’s Birthday Week, Taal! Not a Very Progressive Film
I think this might be the film where I first heard the “An Indian woman loves only once” truism. Which has now been unpacked and questioned and turned upside down and all sorts of interesting things done to in other films. Heck, interesting things were already done to it by the time this film came out! But not in this movie. Nope, in this movie, your lifetime singular devotion goes along with your virginity and whatever man gets one, gets the other.
Hindi Film 101: Nargis Dutt, Part 3, the Congress Party, Death, and the Black Sheep Son
New Karan Column! Thank Goodness He Has a Platform Ready To Give Explanations!
Probably not a coincidence, right? Not like “ugh, another big controversy I am caught in! Hey look, I have a longform writing platform to discuss it. What a coinky-dink!” Probably more like “should I take this column offer from NDTV? I probably should, because it will be useful the next time I am inevitably caught in a controversy.”
Happy Birthday Akshaye Khanna! Better Late Than Never
If I say it’s been crazy busy at work lately, will that excuse me missing Akshaye’s birthday? Or is that a weak excuse? I was tempted to just ignore it entirely, but then I found the time and I thought “better late than never”. So, here are 12 reasons I love him, plus one extra to make up for being late! And they are mostly performances, because he is a very private person.
Wednesday Watching Post: What are You Reading and Watching and Thinking About This Week?
Happy Wednesday! Halfway through the work week, yay!!!! And it’s the day we all get to start a fresh discussion about what we have been watching lately.
Tuesday Telugu: Aarya Asks Which is Worse, Stalking or Partner Abuse?
This is one of those movies where I am watching it thinking “is the message I am seeing on purpose or an accident? Or an purposeful accident? Is it just where the characters ended up or was this the goal all along? Or did the writer start thinking of it as a statement on film relationships and not realize it was a statement on real ones too?” I think it is probably the last, because I started thinking about it in terms of film too, and then realized that it works just as well for real life. And, in fact, hits exactly my issues with the way culture treats female safety.
Fathom Events and Devdas: Indian Film Moves Into the High Art Realm
Here’s an interesting little announcement! Fathom Events in America is planning a “Bollywood” series. Which early reports say will feature Devdas and Veer-Zaara and maybe others. So, this means the Indian film audience is officially being split into “high” and “low”. America’s version of multiplex and single-screen.
Hindi Film 101: Nargis Dutt Part 2, The Greatest Love Triangle of All Time (M+M+W Version)
I was going to just leave it at Greatest Love Triangle of all time, but then I remembered Rekha and Jaya and Amitabh, so I am modifying it to be Greatest Love Triangle of All Time Between Two Men and One Women. (Nargis part 1 here)
Monday Malayalam: Udayananu Tharam Asks Does the Film Create the Star or the Star Create the Film?
What a fascinating movie! Oh my goodness, SO INTERESTING!!!!! Starting from the opening shot, which sent me down a whole mental wormhole of film history. But mostly, I am SO GLAD I watched this film the same week I saw Angamaly Diaries! Because this film makes the hypothetical argument that Angamaly Diaries proved in reality.
Monday Morning Questions Post! March Goes Out Like a Lamb!
I always get confused, is that saying a prediction? Like, “if March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb”. Or is it just a statement of fact, “March always comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb”? Anyway, it’s kind of true this year! Icky weather at the start of the month complete with snowstorm. And now kind of calm and warming up.
Silly Sunday Speculative Post: Rani Week Edition! What Would My Ideal Rani Comeback Film Look Like?
Someone asked on one of my Rani posts if I thought she would ever act again opposite one of her 90s costars in a rom-com. And I think she might, but only if it was a really really good script. And to help the scriptwriters along, here are some suggestions! (of course, she could always just do my K3G sequel idea with Abhishek, or my Taming of the Shrew idea with Aamir)
Dulha Mil Gaya: I Watched It So You Don’t Have To!
Thank goodness for Netflix! I can get this movie on DVD and watch it at double-speed and finally check it off my Shahrukh list. Without all the pain of actually paying for it, even as an individual rental.
Phillauri Podcast-Carcast is Up!
Continuing my experimenting, Dina and drove home from Phillauri last night and discussed the movie the whole way. Feel free to listen in! (as always with these, we are assuming you have already seen the movie, so if you don’t want to be lost and haven’t seen it yourself, hop over here to read my SPOILER review)
Phillauri Review (SPOILERS): The Whole Thing Builds to the Final Reveal
If you are considering whether or not to watch this film and you don’t want SPOILERS, my first review is here. But if you can’t see the movie and want to know what happened, or if you’ve already seen it and want my opinion, read on! (oh, and if you’ve seen it and want to hear a conversation about it, I just posted my podcast on soundcloud)
Phillauri Review (NO SPOILERS): A Simple Story With a Message to Remember at the End
Well that was a short movie! Strolled out of the theater a few minutes after 10, with a 7:45 start time and a 10 minute intermission. But a nice movie. A nice concise small movie. It felt kind of like a fairy tale, or a fable. A story for children, nice and simple and easy to remember and understand.
TGIF: For the End of Flu Season, a Vitamin C Filled Post!
I don’t know what was up this winter, but everyone I know got sick! I got sick twice, and like really really sick, not just “a little tickle in the throat” sick. And among my friends I heard everything from bronchitis to walking pneumonia. But it is supposed to be over now! Right? Because it is officially Spring? And to celebrate, lets have one last orgy of Vitamin C!
Happy Birthday Emraan! My Favorite of the Imran/Emraans!
(This is an updated and reposted post from last year) If you’d asked me 9 years ago when Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na came out, I never would have said that Emraan would be my favorite Imraan/Emraan. But today, oh my goodness! He has beaten his homonym by a mile! And today he is 38 and still going strong! Here are 38 separate reasons I love him (yes, most of them are videos).
(Also, that photo up top makes me crack up)
New Podcast! On Angamaly Diaries, With MovieMavenGal!
As you know if you regularly read the blog, moviemavengal who comments here and has her own blog, is my friend “real” life as well as online. We saw Angamaly Diaries together (her review is here), and last night we got together over Skype to talk about it and recorded our conversation.
Watch a Movie With Me on Twitter! Maine Pyar Kiya, Evening of April 8/Morning of April 9 (depending on where you are)
I put up a post a week ago asking for votes on dates and films, and the winner is April 8/9 and Maine Pyar Kiya! Well, the qualified winner. There were a lot of split votes, Mann kind of tied with Maine Pyar Kiya. But Mann is apparently completely unavailable in Australia, so Maine Pyar Kiya it is!
Hindi Film 101: Nargis Dutt Part 1, Nargis Before Raj
Nargis Dutt! Finally! After teasing her for the past several weeks. And also, yet another actress after Rekha and Meena. Why is it that actresses have so much more interesting personal lives than actors? Or is it just that I find their lives more interesting? Or is it that the media plays up their lives a little more than with actors? It’s probably the last.
Angamaly Diaries Review (SPOILERS): An Old Story Made New
If you want to know why this film is just breathtaking, then you should read my no spoilers review. Because the amazing part of the film isn’t in the story it is telling and what happens, it is in how the story is told. But if you want to read a little more in depth discussion about the film and every aspect of it, not just the breathtaking parts, you can read on.
Guide The Book: Dev Anand Gave Us a Stronger Rosie
I finished Guide-the-Book! It was a good book in general, and an easy read, I recommend it. But it was really really really interesting to read it in partnership with the film. There were so many things that had to be changed to make a film version work, and they all revolved around Waheeda’s character.
Wednesday Watching Post! What Are You Reading and Watching and Thinking About This Week?
Hello all! Time to chat about what we have been doing for the past few days. And the next few days too, since you are welcome to come back and keep commenting every time you see something new that you like. Until next Wednesday, when you can come comment on next Wednesday’s post!
dontcallitbollywood 