Chennai Update! I have put in some of your suggestions, plus added a few books. If something you suggested isn’t included, it’s not because I hate you, it’s because I explored and I can find a copy without needing to go all the way to Chennai for it. And I want to save luggage space for the really really hard stuff!
Here’s what I’ve got so far:
Hindi
- Tamanna (1997, Pooja Bhatt film about a girl raised by a Hijra)
- Arth (surprisingly hard to find!)
- Shahrukh Bole Khoobsurat Hai Tu (possibly never even released on DVD)
- Ittefaq (Not that hard to find, but probably cheaper in India)
Malayalam
- City of God
- Amen
- Angamaly Diaries ALL THE COPIES IN THE WORLD!!!! I may start just handing it out to random strangers at film festivals until it gets appreciated. And probably cheaper to get all those giveaway copies from India
- Nayakan (Malayalam Lijo Jose Pellissery version)
- Double Barrel
- Chenkol (by golly I’m going to find out what happens after Kireedam!)
- Manichitrathazhu
- Spadikam
- Whole CBI series
- Kamattipadam
- Kali
- Jacobinte Swarigam
- Kilukkam
- Summer in Bethlehem
- Guru (Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi)
- No. 20 Madras Mail
- Manjadikuru
- Thoovanathumbikal
- Moonnam Pakkam
- Sandhesham
- Nadodikkattu
- Vadakkunokkiyantram
- Ozhivudivasathe Kali
- Namukku Parkkan Munthiri Thoppukal
- Desatanakkili Karayarilla
- Njan Gandharvan
- Vadakkunokkiyantram (1989)
- Chinthavishtayaya Shyamala (1998)
- Sandhesam
- Thalayanamanthram (1990)
- Veendum Chila Veettukaryangal
- Shubhayatra
- Mukhachitram
- Perumthachan
- Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha
Tamil
- Nayakan (the Ratnam one)
- Every Mani Ratnam film available including Roja because I only have the Hindi dubbed version. But not Geetanjali because I just bought that from a 99 cent bin.
- Moodru Mudichu
- Kabali
- Every K. Balanchander movie that the guy behind the counter at the store recommends? Is that safe? Or will he rip us off?
- Aval Appadithaan
- Aaranya Kaandam
Telugu
- Siva, original Telugu version not the remake
- Kshana Kshanam
- Eega
- 1: Nenokkadine
- Oopiri (not available with subtitles anywhere online!)
- Sagara Sangamam
- Swarna Kamalam
- Srutilayalu
- Swati Mutyam
Books
- SRK: 25 Years of a Life
- ACK Famous Sikh Gurus
- ACK Poets and Thinkers
- ACK Tales of Revolutionaries
- Prem Naam Hai Mere, Prem Chopra
- Anusual: Memoir of a Girl Who Came Back From the Dead
- Bonding: A Memoir by Vyjantimala
- The Rise of Sivagami
- Women in Malayalam Cinema
-
Megastar: Chiranjeevi and Telugu Cinema After N.T. Rama Rao
-
The Eye of the Serpent: An Introduction to Tamil Cinema
-
The Image Trap: M.G. Ramachandran in Film and Politics
-
Madras Studios: Narrative, Genre and Ideology in Tamil Cinema
dontcallitbollywood 
Are you going to buy me a new suitcase to carry all this in?
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But suitcases are so much cheaper in India, wouldn’t you rather just buy if yourself while you are there?
Also, just want to point out, the statement “I’m going to Chennai! Start working on your shopping list” did not have an monetary or mass restrictions.
On Sun, Apr 9, 2017 at 9:47 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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By any chance did you mean the CBI series? Or am I completely wrong? Just thought so because I have read your Jagratha CBI review, and felt you are referring to that…..and I don’t know if there is CID series in Malayalam.
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Shoot, I do mean the CBI series! Thanks, I’ll correct it. This is exactly the kind of things I was hoping for by posting the list on the website.
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I want to suggest a couple of other books, I think they should still be available:
1. Autobiography of Sivaji Ganesan — written by someone else (it’s an “as told to” kind of book, written in first person, but the author is not Ganesan. I had it once and it was fascinating, as far as I got)
2 Biography of Rajnikanth — this again was released a few years ago, and was an authorized biography, but again I can’t remember the author’s name.
3. No books by Chetan Bhagat?
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Chetan Bhagat books are too easy to find! Not worth getting from India. I can get them for free on kindle.
But those bios sound great! Exactly the kind of thing I want. Thank you!
On Sun, Apr 9, 2017 at 6:17 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Book: Conversations with Mani Ratnam.
Movie: Andha Naal(1954) starring Sivaji Ganesan. I was a bit surprised when I saw it but not sure if you’d find it interesting.
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Thank you!
On Mon, Apr 10, 2017 at 3:05 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Try these two also
1. Kerala Cafe – A movie with 10 short stories syarring Mammootty, Prithviraj, Jayasuriya, Fahadh Faasil, Suresh Gopi, Sreenivasan, Dileep, Jagathy Sreekumar
2. 5 Sundarikal – A movie with 5 short stories starring Nivin Pauly, Dulquer, Fahadh Faasil, Biju Menon and a special cameo by Jayasuriya.
Both are good but i liked Kerala Cafe better.
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Thanks! I’ll do my usual check to see if they are available online, and if they aren’t, I will add them to the Chennai list!
On Fri, Apr 14, 2017 at 10:18 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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You need NOT go all the way to India for this.Found a copy of Aparan (Doppelganger) with English subtitles. I had recommended it earlier because it is one of the best films directed (and written) by Padmarajan who’s more famous for Innale and Thoovanathumbikal. This is Jayaram’s first film and it shows how fragile one’s identity is.Plus there is young Shobana who’s just tapping into her potential.The doppelganger is never shown till the end – last 15 minutes.The scene just before the credits is chilling. The film leaves you with a lot of questions.
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Ooo, thanks!
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