Happy Wednesday! Again, your comment doesn’t have to be SRK related, that’s just a catchy headline. My reading/watching/thinking choices are in fact entirely non-SRK. Well, almost entirely. I’m still thinking about him.
Reading: I finished the new Anne Perry, now I am considering whether I can squeeze in Dracula before Halloween. I love it sooooooooooooo much, but it just doesn’t feel seasonal to read it after October 31st.
Watching: Finished Dr. Blake, at least what is available streaming on Netflix, moved on to Father Brown. So soothing! Yes, it is filled with murder, but that’s just life in the British countryside, nothing to get excited about. And I love the pretty period costumes and eccentric returning characters and constant discussion of scones. And it is very good for blogging, I can look down for 40 minutes, and then look up for the last ten to find out who did the murder and what the happy ending is for everyone else involved.
Thinking: thinking about baking! My maintenance guy promised me that he is going to give me a new stove tomorrow. Thus ending this epic 4 month journey of trying to get my current stove fixed. So, once I have an oven again, I am going to bake and bake and bake. Pumpkins mostly. I have all of these repressed pumpkin urges since I’ve been oven-less for a while and this is my pumpkin season. I want pumpkin stew, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, and of course pumpkin pies. And maybe I’ll also make plain non-pumpkin white bread if I get a chance. And of course I have to start planning for next week’s cake. Although, do you think Shahrukh would be okay if I did a pie instead this year? He would look good in whipped cream on top of pumpkin, wouldn’t he?
dontcallitbollywood 
Looks like it’s pumpkin season all over! I’ve gone on a long pumpkin making spree too -tangy pumpkin curry and pumpkin halwa here.Unfortunately all the recipes for pumpkin pie seem to need pumpkin puree.We don’t get them canned here and it seems too hard to prepare it on my own.
I didn’t watch a single movie this week what with cooking with all the pumpkins before they went rotten.But I’ve been making my way through Dirk Collier’s Great Mughals and their India.It’s so interesting to see how much the movies Jodha Akbar and Mughal e azam got it right.Akbar was a whiz at training wild elephants.And we get the full story on why he threw his foster brother from the terrace.Maham Anga was more ruthless in real life.But she didn’t meddle in the emperor’s love life.Akbar first got married at 14.From the age of 14 to 23 none of his wives or concubines gave birth to a child.No wonder Akbar from Mughal e azam walked all the way to Ajmer on foot.I do want to watch both movies again after finishing the book.
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First and most importantly: pumpkin pie advice! My system is to cut the small pie pumpkin in half, put oil in the center, and bake it for like 2 and a half hours. By the time it is done, it is so soft that you can just peel the outer layer off, and it’s practically pureed already. I always make pies with real pumpkin, and it works fine.
In America, there is this odd thing where even cooking pumpkins aren’t readily available once Halloween is over, but they are everywhere in October. So usually I just go on a pumpkin spree and buy a ton while they are available and then cook them and freeze what I can’t use right away. But with my oven agony, I only have the one weekend of pumpkin season to get all my pumpkinning in. I may just cook them all and worry about what I will actually do with them later.
Now you are making me want to read this book! I remember after I saw Jodha-Akbar, I thought the “killing him by throwing him off the building” thing was ridiculous. And then I came home and wiki’d it and by golly it was true! I don’t know why I am surprised that the other stuff that seemed unbelievable was true too.
On Wed, Oct 25, 2017 at 9:17 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Not related — The attack of the blog ads has resumed! This time the “RTA High Quality Cabinets” ad took over your site and when I tried to stop it, it opened about ten tabs linking to the RTA Store. It eventually runs through the video, but it is annoying.
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Same here. Ads pop up and can’t shut them down. What to do?
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I’m swamped at my “real” job right now, but once I get home I will send in another error report to wordpress. Can you tell me specifically what ad is giving you problems?
On Wed, Oct 25, 2017 at 5:07 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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We don’t have canned pumpkin in Italy either and I make it by myself. I just cut it in pieces, steam it and when ready (aprox 30 minutes) blend it. Pumpkin baked in the owen may be more tasty, but it last way too long for me.
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I like baking it in the oven because it makes the apartment all toasty, plus I can feel like I am being productive while I am really just sitting there watching a movie and the oven is doing all the work.
On Wed, Oct 25, 2017 at 2:36 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Hello!
I watched Mersal last night with my non-Tamil movie loving family, and IT WAS AMAZING!!!! My family loved it! Vijay was simply superb!!, and his performance will leave you in tears! Nitya Menon was amazing. It is truly a must-see!!
Reading: All sorts of Organic Chemistry for Dummies. I am not getting this subject. For the first time I am failing a class, I have truly studied hard for.
Thinking: Thanksgiving and Christmas
Have a nice day 🙂
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Okay, now I really have to see it! Maybe a Saturday matinee.
My only connection to Organic Chemistry is that my roommate used to study using tinker toy looking things to build molecules, which always seemed super fun to me, but made her frowny face.
I am trying very hard not to think about Thanksgiving and Christmas! It’s still early fall, I should enjoy the time I am in!
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Watching: Last weekend I checked Chennai Express and Happy New Year off my list, and since then I watched Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega (eh) and Dolly Ki Dolly, which I really enjoyed. So filmwise, it was a pretty silly week. I may keep the theme going by watching Golmaal Again tomorrow. I also watched The Human Factor, an interesting documentary about the Lord family’s role in Hindi film music.
https://parsikhabar.net/new-york/the-lord-family-parsi-musicians-in-hindi-movies/5924/
Reading? I am working on the The Girl in the Spider’s Web for a book club I am trying out next week. Not my favorite genre, but I am giving is a try and trying not to retch too often.
Thinking about: writing, writing writing. I am trying to put in 2-3 hours a days on SOMETHING, ANYTHING. Feeling very undisciplined…
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I’ve been curious about Dolly Ki Doli, I wanted to see Rajkummar in another rom-com and I was curious to see Sonam in another Sonam-focused star role. So glad to hear it is good! Maybe it will be a Friday post one of these weeks.
Maybe I should watch that documentary. I am very weak on music in Indian film, and it’s hard to figure out what would be a good source to get me a better sense of things.
I thought for a second you meant that book clubs in general are not your favorite genre. Which is true for me, as soon as someone tells me what to read, I immediately lose all interest in it. This is also why I find myself always rebelliously knitting at my quilting group and quilting at my knitting group.
I was going to be all impressed about you forcing yourself to write 2-3 hours a day, and then I remembered that blogging also counts as writing, so yeah, I am doing that and more already. But it’s so fun!
On Wed, Oct 25, 2017 at 2:34 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Yeah, you are. You are my inspiration when I face an empty page or screen.
I am going to this book club because I decided I need to make some new friends — three of my best buddies have moved away our about to move. And I already know a few of these folks, so it was worth a try.
I will be interested in your take on Dolly Ki Dolly. And that’s all I’ll say. It also has the advantage of running way under two hours.
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I also vote for you watching Dolly Ki Dolli and giving us your review. I liked it and it has a great cameo. Another really “smart” choice for Sonam. Not sure it maid a lot of money but it continued your track record of picking films that suit her best and that are true leads. Also, it didn’t end the way I expected it to and that’s a good thing. I own it and need to rewatch soon…I wonder how it will be on the second watch…
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Well, I’ve already got the next few Fridays planned out, but maybe the one after that!
On Wed, Oct 25, 2017 at 7:40 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I was enjoying the whole thing, and then the ending sealed the deal for me. I am definitely rewatching it!
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Last days were full of movies: First I rewatched Koyla, and it was fun. Than Patiala House, Mili and Bhaskar the Rascal. In the meantime I have seen Sagara Sangamam on youtube. Unfortunately there are no subtitles available, but I was desperate and so I watched it anyway. Now I wanna see more movies about dance/music. I think next will be Swarna Kamalam with Venkatesh, but before I must finish Bareilly ki Barfi I’m watching now.
What else about dancing should I watch?
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Hmm, dance/music movies? Devasuram from Malayalam, Guide might be good too. Taal might be a little interesting. Bharatham and His Highness Abdullah are other good ones from Kalayalam. Wow, Malayalam films do a lot with music!
I am sure there are more, but I will leave it to others to fill that in. Oh! there is a movie on Netflix, Amarpali, which is a classic for its dancing.
Glad someone besides me has seen Bhaskar the Rascal! Do you agree that it would be the perfect SRKajol remake movie?
On Wed, Oct 25, 2017 at 2:59 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I watched Bhaskar because of your review 🙂
And yes, idea of the movie is not bad, but some things should be improved like this all intrigue with father of the girl and the friend from Pune. I had the feeling that this story served only to prolong the movie. It was too early to put our couple together so they came with: let’s bring some random people, guns and bad fights. Insteed there should be more romantic scenes, moments when Nayantara starts liking Mammooty etc. And then when they are more tied girl’s father should appear.
Thank you for recommendations, will check those movies except Taal, because I’ve already seen it and it’s on my very short “movies I regret watching” list. I don’t know why but I absolutely hate it and since the day I’ve seen it I can’t bear poor Akshaye Khanna too. It’s strange because I’ve seen many bad movies, but none of them made me so angry like Taal.
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Exactly! In my Bhaskar Hindi remake, I would pump up the romance and just have one big action finale, none of the needless complications leading up to it. But keep the idea of an older parent who is a tough self-made man, rescuing a single mother who is struggling, and falling in love with her spunky daughter too.
Taal is a pretty terrible movie. But I think all the others I recommended are good! Oh, and if you can get past your Akshaye mental block, there’s Aaja Nachle too.
On Wed, Oct 25, 2017 at 4:00 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I have watched Aaja Nachle years ago, but the only thing I really loved was “O Re Piya” song and choreography.
I always loved dance movies but now I realized that I enjoy much more “raw” performances that the elaborated and perfect ones with costumes and stuff. Sagara Sangamam was great because there were a lot of those “raw” scenes – Kamal Hassan was dancing in his poor salwar and was much more interesting than the dancer on the stage with her gold dress and make-up. I really wish I could find this movie with subtitles.
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Reading and Watching and Thinking 8 Days before SRK Day?
Readin: Starting Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari.
Watched Telegu film Oopiri; Hindi: A Gentleman, Qaidi Band, Lipstick Under My Burka; (yesterday and today)
Thinking: How can I make more time to read these blogs and watch all the films recommended.
So enjoy all the comments.
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Where did you see Lipstick Under My Burka?
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Took me awhile to find it. Bareilly ki Barfi comes first under Hindi films then Lipstick EINTHUSAN.com
https://einthusan.tv/movie/browse/?lang=hindi
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Jealous of Oopiri! Off to see if I can find it, I couldn’t last I looked. Have you seen Manam? It’s by the same team, and I loved it, which is why I am so eager to see Oopiri.
On Wed, Oct 25, 2017 at 5:39 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I just need to clarify that Oopiri isn’t made by the same team that made Manam. The only thing similar between the two is that both movies have Nagarjuna in them and that they are of the same genre.
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Oops! Thank you!
On Wed, Oct 25, 2017 at 6:34 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I am not as well versed as you all are as to the films I watch. I use EINTHUSAN, EROS, and now HOTSTAR to watch films. Being Hindi challenged, I do need subtitles.
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Oopiri is on the TELEGU tab on EINTHUSAN.
Just picked it bc it reminded me of Me Before You which I would love to see SRK do.
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Watched mersal(tamil) this week and i didnt like it. Will be watching villain mohanlal film this weekend but no big hopes On that too.it has a mediocre director and trailer was underwhelming
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Hmm. Well, if you are right about Mersal, that means I can do laundry this Saturday instead of rushing to a matinee,
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But i would love to see ur review. Really enjoyed reading baradwaj rangans review on it.
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On Sunday, I saw Andhhagadu which is a movie starring Raj Tarun. It was a a pretty fun comedy/revenge thriller about what happens when a blind guy finally gets eyes. Raj Tarun is one of those upcoming actors in Telugu cinema right now. After watching Andhhagadu, I realized that another one of his movies that came out this year, Kittu Unnadu Jagratha, was on youtube as well. So I ended up watching that next, and once again this movie was also a pretty fun rom-com. I then felt like I couldn’t get enough of Raj Tarun because I kept watching the scenes from these movies.
So then I rewatched Uyyala Jampala which was Raj Tarun’s debut movie. This is a really cute village love story that I would definitely recommend to you. It was actually co-produced by Nagarjuna and he promoted it a lot when the movie came out. The movie is actually on youtube with subtitles:
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I just looked up Raj Tarun to see if he’s cute, and he is! Thus my interest was peaked and I might check this films out. Also, I love how you know that the best way to interest me in a film is to mention that Nagarjun is involved in some way.
On Wed, Oct 25, 2017 at 11:56 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Yup! That’s the only reason I mentioned Nagarjuna 🙂
But seriously, I remember Nagarjuna promoting this movie a lot when it was first coming out. He came on to various tv shows and talked about how this was a nice movie with newcomers. Ads like this were often on tv during that time:
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Watch Solo last weekend, didnt like first story and liked the other 3. Will be Watching Mohanlal movie villain this weekend. Heard from Melanie that Nivin’s last film Njandukalude Naattil oru Eduvela finally releases there this weekend, do watch that.
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Yes, I am trying to figure out how I can see it, since I also have to see Mersal this weekend.
On Thu, Oct 26, 2017 at 12:02 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Saw Villain. Was avg for me. Story somewhat simiilar to Prithviraj’s blockbuster Memories. Memories is the superior movie. Mohanlal was great as usual in this.
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I still haven’t seen Memories, and it is on Hotstar, so maybe I will watch that instead.
On Fri, Oct 27, 2017 at 9:47 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I’ve been swamped with my studies…. catching up on reading your blog. I also watched half of Simran, kinda liked it.
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Doesn’t sound like a rousing endorsement of Simran, I won’t go out of my way to track it down.
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Haha! It’s not exactly gripping, but can be a lazy Sunday afternoon watch. I know you watch movies on hotstar, but maybe you can try Amazon prime video? I’m not exactly sure if it’s available for you, but I totally recommend it. Has a great collection of movies including the latest ones and ALL of them come with subtitles.
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Unfortunately, Amazon has a different structure in the US. I do have Amazon Prime, but a lot of the Indian videos are only available if a pay for a second subscription service, Heera, which I’m not willing to do. Or if I buy them one by one. And there is a different release structure, Simran (I think that’s the one you are talking about) isn’t available here yet.
On Thu, Oct 26, 2017 at 9:44 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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