Happy Monday! Another week with a good discussion question (I hope!) for you all to answer! Along with, of course, asking me any questions you may have for me.
As always, you can ask me anything you like from the personal (“are you seeing Padman or Aiyaary this Friday?”) to the specific (“what are the two movies coming out this Friday?”) to the general discussion (“which movie this Friday will be the better film?”)
The only rule is, you have to let me answer first! Even if you have a good answer for something someone else asks. Wait for me to say my thing, and then jump in. It just goes better that way.
Now, question for you!!! A two parter!
Is there an actor/actress you just cannot see the appeal of? Like, you try and try but you don’t understand what people see in them?
Or, is there in actor/actress that you actually can see the appeal, and yet they still don’t appeal to you personally?
Or is there someone that you did not see the appeal for years, and then it finally snapped into place?
For me, for the first one, it’s Pawan Kalyan. And it’s not a handsome-not handsome thing or anything as superficial as that. I truly do not see anything special about him, anything that would make me interested in watching him on film. The fact that he is a major star (which I know is a true fact) is a total puzzle to me!
For the second, it’s Vijay. Again, I know intellectually that he is a huge star. And I can look at him and see why, there is a kind of fresh-faced charm and a clever way of dialogue delivery and even unusual acting choices. But it just is not something that I personally find appealing.
And for the third, it’s essentially every actor in Hindi cinema!!!! Because I have now seen soooooooooooooooooooooooo many Hindi films that, eventually, I will find the one film for each particular actor that makes it all fall into place for me. Like, John Abraham in Jhoothi Hai Sahi, or Akshay Kumar in Yeh Dillagi, or Ajay Devgan in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Huh! All of those roles are really similar! So maybe it’s more that I have to see them playing an underdog where they really need to charm the audience, instead of the usual rock’em sock’em action hero perfect sort of roles. And this also means there is hope for Pawan and Vijay, I just have to keep watching movies until I find the one that really works for me.
dontcallitbollywood 
You do realize this just means I’m going to keep recommending Vijay films till you change your mind right?!
I’ve realized all of my ‘I just don’t like him/her’ stem from personal, irrational reasons. Case in point, my older cousin would constantly tease and annoy his sister and I because we liked Vijay and he liked Ajith. As a result, I’ve never gotten into Ajith. Not the actor’s fault but there you have it. Trisha reminds me of a girl I went to school with and disliked. Usually, once I figure out the connection, I can move past it and learn to appreciate them.
My question for you is do you watch This is us?
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How can you not like Ajith?!?!?!? I love Ajith! I know what you mean about petty reasons though. I realized years later that part of the reason I disliked Rani’s onscreen persona is that she reminded me of my college roommate.
I did watch This Is Us, for the first half of the first season. And then somehow I never came back after the break. I suspect that, at some point, I will be sick or stuck inside because of weather, or for some other reason have the time to catch up and I will come back to it. The same thing happened with Jane the Virgin, I watched the first 2 and a half seasons and then forgot about it.
On Mon, Feb 5, 2018 at 7:42 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I have so many shows like that where I trail off from watching. Not because I didn’t like the show but just general life stuff comes up.
Re the actors: It’s like how I prefer 80 Masala movies starring Rajini over Kamal 9 times out of 10. I like Kamal and I think he’s a good actor but when it comes to the kind of mass films, Rajini wins because he commits to it and pulls no punches so to speak. It may just be that the distinction is only in my head but I always see it. Similarly, I don’t mind Ajith when he’s playing normal guy roles but his larger than life roles don’t really work for me.
I’ll also throw in 2 recommendations. Kaththi which has Vijay and is directed by A.R. Muragadas and Thullatha Manamum Thullum which is very 90s and all about the melodrama and my dark horse recommendation.
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That’s the problem with TV dramas for me, if it is a sitcom, I can stop and then start up again in the middle of a season, and catch up on the episodes I missed whenever. But if it’s a drama, it feels like I have to watch everything in order and it makes it that much harder to get back to it if life stuff happens and I drop off.
I’ve been trying to track down Kaththi! It’s on Hotstar, the Malayalam dub version, but without subtitles for some reason.
On Mon, Feb 5, 2018 at 10:48 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I seem to remember seeing it on Tentkotta but I can’t find it there anymore. I also no longer have a subscription to it so it may not be letting me search everything in the general page.
Dramas are a commitment. And there’s so many new things to watch nowadays! Everyone has some suggestion and I’ve got a huge backlog of things I need to catch up on.
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What a fun questions 🙂
Sorry in advance because I’m going to include the actors some of commentators love.
1. I don’t understand why people love Aamir Khan so much. I watched his movies in the past but none of them made me say “WOW Aamir”, even in Rang De Basanti I was “WOW everybody else, but I wish Aamir wasn’t in this movie”, and after Fanaa I quit watching his movies. And yes, I haven’t seen 3 Idiots yet. I know, maybe I have seen too little of him, and you are all free to tell me: you should watch this or that and then decide.
The same with Salman.
2. Mahesh – good actor, handsome man, I understand why pople love him , but I’m immune to his charm.
3. A lot of people, when I see that they indeed have the talent.
And now, my question: Which Nani movie I should watch?
I rewatched first half of MCA and love it even more. I skipped all second part about villain and sister-in-law and pretended it was only romantic-comedy. Nani and Sai Pallavi were so hilarious. And now I want more Nani in my life. So what should I watch now? (already seen: Eega and Ninnu Kori)
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+1 on Aamir and Salman.
Mahesh is the opposite of question 3 to me. (Margaret may be you should add that too) He’s just brilliant in good movies – Okkadu, Athadu, Pokiri, Dookudu etc. (His bad movies are just unwatchable though) My dislike probably started from watching his interviews. Guy can not give a straight answer to the simplest of questions without being unnecessarily diplomatic.
I’m so glad somebody else enjoyed MCA for for Nani and Sai Pallavi. I just adored those two, while the rest of the movie was meh. I’ll recommend Pilla Zamindar – the jokes could be outdated and the message too heavy handed, but it is a good Nani movie. You should definitely watch Ashta Chamma – his debut. A well made adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s “The importance of being Earnest”. Nani tends to be overshadowed in it though, the rest of the movie is brilliant.
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Thank you for recommandations Spandana, will check Ashta Chamma and Pilla Zamindar. And what do you think about Ala Modalaindi?
Nani and Sai scenes in MCA are delightful. I was too focused on subtitles when I saw it first time (btw terrible subtitles) and I couldn’t appreciate body language and facial expressions , but now I watched it attentively and it was too funny (especially the scene when Nani sees Sai in his house)
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I love Ala Modalaindi. Can’t believe I forgot it. You should watch that too.
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1. I was lucky with Aamir, I started with Lagaan, then Rangeela, then Dil Chahta Hai. Which are maybe his peak charming-interesting-charisma kind of roles. After that, I was able to follow him anywhere. But definitely in many other films I have missed the level of charm and excitement he brought to those first 3 films I saw.
2. It took me a long time to understand Salman too! I think my first Salman film was Kuch Kuch, where of course he was over-shadowed by Shahrukh because I was so Shahrukh-focused at the time. It wasn’t until I saw Maine Pyar Kiya that I really “got” him, and then I started to like him in a whole new way after Dabangg when he was so sort of boyish and joyful that I couldn’t help loving him.
3. Mahesh is kind of the same for me. Depending on the role. I really liked him in 1:Nenokaddine, in Spyder I appreciated the ambition of hte concept and that he as the star had picked hte script and made it happen, but I didn’t particularly like him in the film.
And I can’t answer the Nani question! The only Nani movie I have seen that you have not is Bale Bale Magadivoy. So I can recommend that one, but that’s all I’ve got for you.
On Mon, Feb 5, 2018 at 8:03 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Other than the Nani movies that Spandana already recommended, other Nani movies I really like are Bhale Bhale Magadivoy (a rom-com), Yevade Subramanyam (a coming of age story and Vijay Devarakonda plays a supporting role), Gentleman (a romantic thriller), and Krishnagadi Veera Prema Gaadha (a more massy rom-com). I also really like Yeto Vellipoyindi Manasu (a romantic drama) but that’s almost impossible to find online. I feel like a lot of Nani’s movies are movies that are fun to watch at least once so it doesn’t really hurt to randomly pick out a movie from his filmography. The only two movies I would definitely avoid would be Ride and Snehituda.
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You can find Yeto Vellipoyindi Manasu with sub titles on The Cine Bay
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Thank you Niki and yjbasu 🙂
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Nani has that vibe for me that makes that I can at least sit through most of his movies, if not enjoy. Ashta Chamma and Ala Modalaindi are my favourites. I wasn’t sure if I’d like Ninnu Kori, but the lead pair was so good in the first half the rest of the movie didn’t bother me too much. I guess that’s the case with Gentlemen and MCA as well. Even Nani couldn’t save Snehituda though. What a drag!
Funny you should mention Yeto Vellipoyini Manasu. I saw a recent interview where Nani was asked when it would be released online. He said he himself doesn’t know. It’s up to the producers. He is confident that it would be received much better online than it did during its theatrical release.
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I’ll put both Pavan Kalyan and Vijay for me in the first category.
I don’t see anything special in PK. What makes it worse to me is his fanbase and his stint in politics. (Please don’t attack me, internet!) I will recommend a couple of his good movies though – Thammudu (remake of Jo Jeeta Wahi Sikander. The Telugu version is lighter and funnier) and Tholi Prema (one of his biggest hits). That is the closest I’ve come to appreciate his films.
Vijay – I haven’t seen many of his films, but he doesn’t seem as interesting of an actor when compared to Suriya or Prithviraj (Haven’t seem much of their movies either. So I hope that’s a fair comparison.)
I don’t get Arjun Kapoor either. Unlike say Fahaad who rustic looks I find intriguing, Arjun just seems creepy to me. (Sorry dude!) He’s not even that good of an actor.
I find most actresses under-appreciated even when they shine in the few opportunities they get. But I somehow can not stand Shriya at all. She was doing okay initially – not too good, not bad either. And then she started over-acting.
Second one – SRK. I can see his charm, appeal, talent and hard work. But I don’t particularly look forward to his work or anything.
Last one is tricky for me. It has been a while since an established actor surprised me in a good way. I’ll partly go with SRK again because I went from indifferent to “Yeah! I kinda see what it is in him”. Otherwise my pick is Ileana. Like I said, people tend to not notice her ‘acting’. I loved her in Barfi and Jalsa (another PK film where Ileana was a lot funnier and more interesting than PK) I think she should be doing something like what Tapsee does. Pick up small interesting scripts where she can shine.
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I had the same journey with Ileana! I saw her in Main Tera Hero and my reaction was “not as good as Karisma” since she was so clearly doing a Karisma style bubbly heroine role. But then she impressed me in Rustom, and I’ve been impressed with her in everything ever since. She is doing solidly mainstream stuff, but is putting a little more effort and a little more interest in it than the other solidly mainstream actresses.
On Mon, Feb 5, 2018 at 8:45 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Definitely Aamir for me. I actively disliked his performances in Dhoom 3 and PK. And his off-screen schtick is arrogant and patronizing. I will say I like some films despite him like Dangal, Talaash, Dil Chata Hai, and 3 Idiots.
And I guess Varun Dhawan at this point of the newer guys…otherwise I see redeeming qualities in most of the current generation. Obviously, I often like his films anyway and will probably grow to like him better as time goes on.
Sanjay Dutt, though, he’s the one I just don’t get the appeal, especially in any romantic role.
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Sanjay Dutt, I was lucky, first movie I saw was Munna Bhai which just perfectly conveys his appeal. Although still not his romantic appeal. He is a tricky one to see in the sort of matinee idol way. Khalnayak was one of my other early Sanjay movies, and it works well there, because he is opposite Jackie who is just incredibly boring in that movie, and Sanjay is so aggressively weird that I ended up being fascinated by him and way more interested in his romance with Madhuri than Jackie’s. But Sadak was the film that really put me over the top to “Getting” Sanjay.
On Mon, Feb 5, 2018 at 8:46 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Oh yes! Varun, I forgot mention him. He is ok, he doesn’t ruin the movies with lack-of-talent like Siddhart Malhotra, but I don’t know why he is so big, or better I think he wouldn’t be even half as big if not because of his father.
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For me it’s SRK (please don’t throw me out of the blog). I get why other people like him but he doesn’t do it for me at all. There are few films of his I like him in but they are either ensemble movies (K3G) or he’s playing against type (Chak De India) or he’s actively subverting his image (Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi). Just straight ahead SRK lover boy? Nope.
I am a big Aamir fan and given the folks above who actively dislike him I wonder if there’s some inverse relationship between liking Aamir or SRK.
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Maybe! I think as fans we’re kind of forced to pick a Khan! I like movies starring all of them and I would rank them SRK, Salman, Aamir in that order. However, my actual favorite Khan is Saif Ali Khan who I like better than all of them!
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Saif is great! I also enjoy Salman (as an actor, not so much his personal life). Not his straight action roles but I loved Ek Tha Tiger and Bajrangi Bhaijan.
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Banished! You are BANISHED!!!! Nah, I don’t care. You aren’t the only regular commentator who isn’t all in on SRK.
I do think there is a reason people like one over the other. My personal theory is that is why the 3 Khans have lasted so long. There is very little overlap in their appeal, but between the 3 of them, they manage to appeal to everybody. The same was true of Dev Anand, Dilip Kumar, and Raj Kapoor back in the 50s and 60s. They’ve each said a variation of that in interviews, that without the other two, they would be nothing. It’s only so long as all three keep working at a high level that balance can be maintained and they can continue ruling the industry. If one drops off, they will all drop.
On Mon, Feb 5, 2018 at 9:13 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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1. Govinda.I can’t stand him despite watching him in so many movies.Garish clothes,loud acting and always dancing with his mouth open.He’s tolerable(in small doses) if Karisma is onscreen.Aamir would have landed on this spot if it weren’t for his excellent performance in Talaash.
2. Sidharth Malhotra. He’s supposed to be the perfect package -on paper.Good looking, has excellent taste in clothes and roles and comes across very interesting in interviews.I know that he’s popular with a lot of people here.But I personally don’t find him appealing.His lack of acting skills isn’t certainly helping.After 5 or 6 films he isn’t improving either.
3.Kumar Gaurav. I’ve seen him in Begaana when I was a child and was impressed-secret identity ,smugglers- typical masala stuff.And promptly forgot about him.I’ve seen snippets of Love Story and its songs throughout the years and remained unimpressed.No wonder.It was his first performance and very very raw.However he blew me away in his Mahesh Bhatt trilogy.Very understated and sensitive which was not in the requirements for an 80s hero.
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Yes Govinda! I like him in movies where he is the humble every man making fun of himself, but those are unfortunately few compared to the “smarter than everyone else in the room” kind of roles. So I guess I really like him in Salaam-E-Ishq and nothing else.
Sidharth is in a special category for me of “I always see the appeal, but don’t always feel it”. SOTY and A Gentleman, love him. Kapoor & Sons, hate him. Ittefaq, I’m not supposed to love him so it is perfect casting. It’s not that he is doing anything different, so much as the character he is playing and the film he is in either work or don’t work.
Of course Kumar Gaurav! I must have been subconsciously thinking of you when I put in option 3, because I’ve been following your Kumar journey over the past few weeks, and that is exactly what I was thinking of. To go from not exactly hate, but more like disinterest, to love.
On Mon, Feb 5, 2018 at 10:41 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Can’t see the appeal of: SRK today. I understood it way back when but I just don’t get it anymore. I have to actually look at him through the eyes of his fans to see the appeal but I don’t personally see it anymore.
Ditto with Amir. I don’t think I’ve ever had a crush on him. Or Salman.
From the south, I find Mahesh Babu unwatchable. I tried to watch his best scenes in telugu but that made it worse. His eyes are so dead. It freaks me out.
Amongst the girls, Aishwarya Rai. I actually don’t remember any real life guys growing up who ever gushed over her or who even mentioned her in their lists. Not even after ishq kamina. I think everyone accepted her as the best thing since sliced bread because fashion mags and the entertainment media told us she was it.
The second kinds you mention- a whole lot of southern male actors. I guess it’s a language thing. Most massy films rely a lot on dialogue and if that’s dubbed, you’d miss the appeal. I was having a huge moment of doubt about Prabhas and then I watched Chatrapati in the original telugu and the interval scene blew me away! I GOT Prabhas’ legend in that exact moment.
The last kinds- Pawan Kalyan. I didn’t get what the fuss was about till I watched Katmaraidu. And even with that film, there was a moment of honesty in his eyes where I got the exact emotion that scene was supposed to make me feel. In Hindi films, it was Ajay Devgn in Kaal. He started looking actually sexy to me after Kaal.
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I’ve never found Aish appealing either. Except in some dances, Ishq Kameena and “Kajre Re”, she is real fun. I’ve found her an okay watch in two movies, Guru and Kuch Na Kaho (part of the reason I am happy with her real life marriage, I like her best onscreen opposite Abhishek). But generally in terms of her being a major movie star, I just don’t see anything. But like you said, the nice thing is, no one else seems to see it either. So I don’t feel like I am alone out there missing out on something everyone else sees.
On Mon, Feb 5, 2018 at 11:14 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Are you familiar with the “drawing in air with your pout” thing that a lot of actresses do when they’re trying to do supermodel sexy?? Urmila did that a lot and so did later stage Rekha.
That’s the face I remember from Aishwarya in ishq kameena. Her face and body just don’t match in that song. I don’t think she can dance.
Although in Kajrare, she perfectly captured what a modern day, talentless, tawaif would look like. I absolutely hate her chemistry with Amitabh in that song. It’s very casting couch-y. Yikes!!
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Now after reading your news post I thought about other actor who doesn’t appeal to me – Ranvir Singh.
And I have a question regarding Padman. What do you think about all this “pad challenge” campaign?
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I kind of like the pad challenge! It is both a clever publicity tool (very similar to what Akshay did with Rustom, using social media in a lowkey way that is directly related to the film), and a really good way of addressing the social issue.
Normally I hate “awareness” campaigns, but in this case “awareness” is a major barrier. To have men holding and talking about feminine hygiene products, making them something that is okay to talk about in the public sphere is the first step to actually having a debate around them.
Ranveer I go back and forth. He doesn’t appeal to me as, like, a crush. But I do enjoy watching him. And I have hope that someday he will be given a role that makes him calm enough and mature enough that I actually find him appealing.
On Mon, Feb 5, 2018 at 3:58 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Ranvir is calm in Lootera, in fact all this movie is so calm that I almost fell asleep 😉 but I’m glad I didn’t because it’s beautiful once finished. BTW it’s separate category of movies : those hard to finish but very rewarding if you will succeed.
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I, on the other hand, found the whole campaign gimmicky. And I can’t stand Akshay now because of all these so called socially relevant patriotic movies like this or Toilet. Heck, I’d rather watch Garam Masala or Singh is King any day over his recent movies.
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I don’t like Akshay’s newest films that much either. It seems like he has three modes, all out funny entertainer, legitimately brilliant actor digging deep into a character, and “noble face #1, #2, and #3”. I would always prefer the all out entertainer to the “noble face” acting. But then he occasionally surprises me with a legitimately brilliant performance, when the film is more than simple propoganda, so I conscientiously keep going to the movies in hopes that I will get to see that Akshay.
Padman, however, will almost certainly be the “noble face” kind of performances, interspersed with inappropriate comedy. But I have hopes that his Reema Kagti movie will bring out the brilliant actor Akshay!
On Mon, Feb 5, 2018 at 9:43 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Yeah, I’m looking forward to Gold too! Enough of the social dramas.
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And my Gold teaser/trailer post just went up! Perfect timing, we can take this discussion over there.
On Tue, Feb 6, 2018 at 11:04 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Hands down, Pawan Kalyan. Don’t tell the fan boys who follow me on Youtube, but after subjecting myself to two of his films in one week, I will never watch one again. Agnyathavasi had no appeal for me at all. He’s another one where I guess the appeal is in his dialogue delivery, but it does nothing for me in subtitles. Zero sex appeal for me.
One that I can see his appeal and talent, but he doesn’t float my boat is Akshay Kumar. Meh. I appreciate very much that he’s doing films like Padman and Toilet, and raising awareness, and I can admire his comedy chops, but bleh. He doesn’t send me.
Ranbir I also admire his talent, but don’t find his lost little boy who can’t grow up shtick very sexy. But he can make me teary eyed — like that amazing close up song in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. That film I would have watched if a potato had been cast as the hero, because it’s Karan Johar directing — I wasn’t running for Ranbir.
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Akshay was one that took me a long time to appreciate! Partly it was just attrition. After seeing a lot a lot a lot of his films, I was finally able to kind of put them all together and figure out what was special about him. But for a long time, he was just “eh” to me.
Ranbir, I’m like you, very hit and miss depending on the director. Wake Up Sid and Yeh JAwaani Hai Deewani, yes, find him charming all around. ADHM, find him a good interesting actor and character. But pretty much everything else, eh.
On Mon, Feb 5, 2018 at 5:55 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I was going to say Akshay also, although he seems like a really nice guy, doing the Padman challenge like a mensch. I just don’t get his acting. I’m hoping a film will come along to change my mind.
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For me it was Jaanwar and Patiala House where I remember finally sitting up and taking notice. Two very different movies! But there was a kind of restrained pain he brought to his performance that was really unique.
Airlift is the other one where he just blew me away, but part of that was being kind of tuned in to how what he was doing there was similar to but slightly different from his other roles, so I probably wouldn’t have appreciated it unless I already appreciated him, if you see what I mean.
On Tue, Feb 6, 2018 at 6:39 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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You will get to number three with Pawan Kalyan if you see his early movies. The thing about Pawan Kalyan is that he has two types of fans. One set of fans are fans of Chiranjeevi who tend to support Pawan Kalyan since he’s Chiranjeevi’s brother. The other set of fans are primarily fans because of his movies in the beginning of his career. Pawan Kalyan became an actor since he didn’t know what else to do and Chiranjeevi encouraged him to take up acting. After his first two movies didn’t do well, Pawan Kalyan wanted to quit acting. He then came across scripts that he could relate to and he started enjoying acting. This is when he acted in movies with underdog roles such as Suswagatham, Tholi Prema, and Thammudu. These roles led to Pawan Kalyan gaining a cult following because he often played relatable underdog characters. He had a five movie hit streak from Suswagatham to Kushi where he made love stories that attracted youngsters who ended up becoming life-long fans. After Kushi, Pawan Kalyan slowly started moving towards making more action-oriented movies that reached more of the masses and made him a bigger star. I personally would say that Thammudu and Tholi Prema are my two favorite Pawan Kalyan movies. Tholi Prema was such a cult success that Varun Tej’s new movie was named the same thing as a marketing tool of sorts. I think you would like these two though Thammudu is a freemake of Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander.
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Thank you! I knew there had to be something I was missing that would make Pawan a star, it couldn’t be just his family name.
On Mon, Feb 5, 2018 at 7:06 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Also another thing I forgot to mention earlier was that Pawan Kalyan had a lot of fans in the beginning for his style and fashion sense. Though a lot of it doesn’t really make sense to me. Like this type of pants became popular when this movie came out:
By the way, Pawan Kalyan has really good taste in music. Almost all his movies have really good songs.
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I used to not get the appeal of Salman but I get it now that I’ve seen more of his movies. I feel like that’s the case with all actors and actresses. You won’t understand their appeal unless you watch a good majority of their popular movies and look at them in context.
I guess I would say that I don’t really get the appeal of Prabhas in terms of why Telugu people are so impressed with him. I mean he was great as both Amarendra and Mahendra Baahubali but I’m talking about before Baahubali. He was just another action star who seemed to only make action movies. He never seemed to really experiment with his scripts or anything before Baahubali. I honestly can think of only 1 movie that wouldn’t be primarily considered an action movie that Prabhas has made in his career.
When it comes to Vijay vs Ajith, I would say both are about equal, and that they’re overrated. Vijay seems to be slightly more popular than Ajith because of his dancing skills though. Suriya isn’t as popular as Vijay or Ajith anymore but I still like him so much better. Even in terms of massy action movies, Suriya’s are so much better than the stuff that Vijay and Ajith put out every year.
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It’s hard to judge Prabhas in isolation, he so perfectly embodies Bahubali for those of us who saw him as that first. And that gloss no doubt carried over to his other roles as well. I guess like those poor confused white people who only know John Abraham as the sensitive intellectual period drama guy from Water.
On Mon, Feb 5, 2018 at 7:22 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Lol! I guess that makes sense. That’s why I mean Prabhas’s appeal to Telugu people instead of people who discovered Telugu movies through Baahubali.
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I have watched Prabhas before Baahubali. When I started out on Telugu movies, friends recommended movies of Mahesh, Pawan Kalyan, Venkatesh etc. No one ever recommended any Prabhas movies. I watched Billa in Telugu just to see how it compares with the Hindi, Tamil versions. I came of thinking that they got at least the ‘sexy’ aspect right for Billa & Maya. And his comic timing as the simpleton was better than Ajith’s. Then Mirchi where again I was swooning over his looks. I think his pre-Baahubali appeal was most definitely in his looks & his offscreen persona of being a simple guy-unlike the other Telugu heroes who are larger than life with a demigod air offscreen also.
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Oh and he is a good actor-can emote well-unlike John Abraham.
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a) Just can’t see the appeal of Ranbir Kapoor. I’m tired of watching him play clueless fun loving guy or the madly in love guy. The only film in which I could hear him was Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahaani, he was just silly and goofy.
b) I get that Anushka Shetty is tall and has screen presence and all, but I don’t think she can act as much. In fact, I liked her in her earlier days where she was the typical heroine than now.
c) Vijay. Never thought much about him, but it’s a joy watching him dance. It’s not just about the movements, but his expressions which keep me invested in the song. Very few actors IMO emote while dancing. For eg, Hrithik is a technically good dancer, but he cannot emote to save his life. On the other hand, Vijay looks like he’s having a good time dancing.
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a) I think Ranbir might retroactively lose his appeal for me? I really liked him in Wake Up Sid and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. But now that it appears that is the ONLY kind of role and performance he can do, I don’t like him as much even in those films. He has really got to try something new, and I am worried that Brahmastra will not be it.
b) Totally legitimate. You are not the only one here who finds her performances repetitive and unimaginative. It’s hard with actresses, because so much of their performance is crafted around a certain look they might have, you need to struggle to decide if it is a good performance, or just the look of the actress selling it.
c) Hmm. I’ll have to look for that if/when I see another Vijay movie!
On Mon, Feb 5, 2018 at 9:52 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Ranbir in the Dutt biopic might also be repetitive and similar to Rockstar. And I do want you to see the appeal of Vijay! Just look out for his songs.
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The Ranbir role I am curious about is the superhero movie. Which you would think would be a chance to break out and do something totally different. However, since it is an Ayan Mukherjee/Dharma film, I suspect it will be more sort of navel gazing and personal trauma instead of fun bright action sequences and macho posturing.
On Tue, Feb 6, 2018 at 11:01 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Yeah, I can’t imagine Ayan Mukherjee making a superhero movie. Maybe Karan would bring his Baahubali experience ( though it’s not exactly the same) Im not even sure it will work. The last Bollywood superhero movie which was a hit was Krish 3. Says a lot about Bollywood’s ability ( or the lack thereof) in making a superhero flick.
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I am expecting/dreading that it will follow the path of the Andrew Garfield Spider-man movies. Sensitive introspective guy gets super powers. and it’s more about his emotional journey than it is about actual superhero stuff.
For Indian superheroes, I go back to Mr. India and Shaktiman and accept no others.
On Tue, Feb 6, 2018 at 11:06 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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1. Jr NTR. Raajamouli mentions him as his favourite actor, made two movies with him & has cast him for his next movie. Jr NTR also has a huge fan following. I watched several of his movies & I just don’t get him. He dances superbly, but so does most south actors. A friend mentioned that his dialogue delivery & energy levels as his main draws-didn’t see anything unique-probably because I don’t get the language fully.
2. Mahesh Babu, SRK.
3. Nazriya-Had seen her as a child artist & then in ‘Neram’ as a heroine.Thought she has grown up to be a cute one. Saw some of her Tamil movies too. Then while watching Om Shanti Oshana, I suddenly got what people loved about her. The naughty, neighbourhood girl who we want to cherish & see smiling always.
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1. I really liked him in Yamadonga, which was before he had his mini-make over. I find him charming and funny and all. But in Jagathy Garage, I don’t know, some of the sparkle was gone and I just didn’t see anything special any more.
2. I will forgive you for not liking SRK 🙂
3. I went the other way around, saw her in Om Shanti Oshaana and loved her, and then watched Neram and went “what happened to my interesting naughty spunky girl?” I think she is definitely an actress who doesn’t shine in the regular heroine parts, she needs something a little more interesting to bring out her unique talents.
On Mon, Feb 5, 2018 at 11:08 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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And I will forgive you for calling Anushka Shetty repetitive😃Do check out her performances in Thandavam(Tamil), Size Zero(Telugu), Vedam(Telugu). Are you planning on watching Bhaagamathie?
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Oh shoot, I meant Sharma! Sharma! Your example! Sorry, haven’t had my coffee yet.
And I am planning to watch Bhaagamathie, I was going to see it last night and make it today’s Telugu review, but then we got a massive snowstorm so I couldn’t drive to the theater. But I have hopes of seeing it Friday if it is still playing and boycotting Padman.
On Tue, Feb 6, 2018 at 7:59 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Please check you reply to niviblog’s comment that she doesn’t get the appeal of Anushka Shetty.
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I think it is clear that I should just not type anything before coffee.
On Tue, Feb 6, 2018 at 8:15 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Question for you Margret- why is it that Ranveer Singh can do diverse roles like in Band Baaja, Lootere, Dil Dhadakne Do, Bajirao(his upcoming movies also look interesting)while Ranbir Kapoor seem to be stuck in a rut & has doom written all over. To me both seem talented enough. Then what is it that is taking them on such different paths?luck, attitude , choices or Deepika?
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I think Ranbir is possibly cursed by good luck. While Ranveer has had to struggle and try in order to make his mark, Ranbir was literally born into stardom. He has had chance after chance, from everyone, producers and directors and the audience and the media. He literally cannot fail, because when he does, everyone refuses to accept it as failure.
And so he has been allowed to drift into the roles and performances that feel most natural and easy to him, instead of trying to break out of that mold. Which isn’t to say he hasn’t given great performances. Rockstar, Wake Up Sid, YJHD, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, all very emotional and “real” and effecting and so on. But all variations on the same very limited range. With another actor, he would have been forced to break out of that or quit working, you can look at even someone like Arjun Kapoor who has strong family behind him and lots of opportunities, he was still forced to go from action star to comedy to romance. But Ranbir, the Golden Boy, is given his choice of projects and always gravitates towards the same ones.
I also think he is to some degree protected from the reality of his career. Ranveer, Varun, Arjun, Sidharth they all have some degree of family connection and industry backing. But they also seem hungry to keep working, and aware of how their own fortunes rise and fall with their films. And I just don’t feel that hunger from Ranbir. Not like he doesn’t care, but like he doesn’t know enough to care, doesn’t realize that the artistic fulfillment he enjoys is because of things that happen outside of the film. His father, his directors, his own name, they are all smoothing his way so that he doesn’t see the signs that, someday very soon, the audience and media will turn on him and he won’t be able to enjoy the perk of being able to pick his own projects and take as long as he wants to make them and so on and so on.
It’s funny, there’s all this occasional talk about “nepotism”, but I don’t really see Ranbir mentioned. It’s like he benefits from nepotism to such an extreme degree, he is even able to avoid the discussion around it. And he is also the one where I see the most damage done all around. Jagga Jasoos, that is a huge studio ruining nightmare that only happened because we all had faith in the Kapoor name, as a star and as a producer. Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, he did a brilliant job with that role, but someone else could have been equally brilliant and missed out on their chance (Rajkummar Rao, Ranveer Singh, Ayushmann even). We saw that in Dil Dhadakne Do, that role was written with Ranbir in mind but he turned it down, and it let Ranveer Singh delivery a brilliant performance, as good or better than Ranbir would have done. And the nepotism is even hurting Ranbir himself, he should be having the career Rajkummar Rao has/had, or Jim Sarbh. Small roles focused on getting deeply into the character, not these huge films and huge expectations built around him.
On Mon, Feb 5, 2018 at 11:48 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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So he’s the embodiment of clueless & entitled. When I saw Rockstar & Barfi, couldn’t believe this was a Hindi mainstream actor-that too barely few films old. Had so much hope for him & it all seems to be going in the dump. Years later someone may make a movie titled ‘Ranbir’-played by Taimur.
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It seems to me that he doesn’t believe in himself anymore…
I think he is talented, very talented…however, talent doesn’t help in his situation…imo.
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I think you may be on to something, I think he might be so afraid that he doesn’t even realize he is afraid. That he thinks it is normal to keep picking the same scripts over and over again and only do a few films every couple of years, and doesn’t realize that he is hiding from challenging himself because he is afraid of what would happen.
On Tue, Feb 6, 2018 at 8:40 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Oh man, now I want to see Taimur in a Ranbir biopic, like, now!!!! Can you imagine him dressed up in a tiny rockstar outfit with a tiny guitar? Or having a mini-crying/sulking fit over the Kat break-up? Or doing a love scene opposite Deepika?
On Tue, Feb 6, 2018 at 8:10 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Varun Dhawan, he plays aggressive characters over and over again. He was ok in Badlapur- but otherwise sorta annoying.
While we’re on Ranbir, I think the problem with him is he isn’t getting a chance to grow into roles. There is this expectation that he will be the main lead in whatever he does (sometimes in his own head), and that hurts him. Ranveer got a chance to explore in smaller movies like Gunday, DDD even where you just try and have fun. I think it really adds to your performance and you’ll end up drawing on that in a different movie. Ranbir thinks he needs to be front and center of whatever he does.
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I think you are absolutely right. I can’t think of a movie Ranbir did where he was allowed to just experiment. Maybe he came close in Besheram, which was a terrible terrible movie, but at least it was a goofy little movie. And Wake Up Sid, but that turned out to just be a stepping stone to bigger similar roles instead of doing more art films.
There must be such a sense of responsibility as “the last Kapoor”. I feel like he would probably be a lot happier if he could do theater and art films and otherwise just stay home and play with his dogs or whatever. And it’s also frustrating, becuase it is a false responsibility. Kareena and Karisma are perfectly capable of carrying the Kapoor heritage forward, but they are discounted or not allowed because they are women. Which brings me back to Dil Dhadakne Do again! Perhaps the reason he turned down the part is because Soya cut a little too close to the bone, wanting to cast him and Kareena as a big sister and little brother, the little brother being forced into a role he couldn’t handle and the big sister being overlooked although she was the more naturally talented.
On Tue, Feb 6, 2018 at 1:38 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Ranbir does have a penchant for playing those perpetual Peter Pan characters that Imran Khan specialized in earlier.But consider what happened when he chose to experiment with Rocket Singh and Rajneeti? Critical appreciation and little else.So he might decide to play it safe.Would Varun Dhawan do another Badlapur? Or Ranveer Singh do a Lootera again? A pity but there’s it.
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I don’t know, I think Varun and Ranveer might be more likely to try these experiments again. Or if not a Badlapur and a Lootera, at least something a little different. Ranveer’s Bajirao versus his Dil Dhadakne Do and Befikre characters, those performances and the films around them show a range that I don’t think Ranbir has even attempted. Yes he did Rocket Singh, but that was only a few steps separated from his Wake Up Sid, which is only a few steps separated from the same Peter Pan type roles he always tries. Haven’t seen Raajneeti, so can’t speak to it, but wasn’t it another loosely coming of age kind of story?
Versus Ranveer playing a noble mature husband and father and warrior in Bajirao right before playing a carefree adolescent type playboy in Befikre. Or Varun doing silly silly Judwaa and following it up with a tiny 38 day shoot for an arty love story (I assume, October hasn’t come out yet). Whereas Ranbir seems to do these very long shoots on high profile “different” kind of movies, always playing a variation on a damaged young man who hasn’t grown up.
On Tue, Feb 6, 2018 at 2:29 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Is there an actor/actress you just cannot see the appeal of? Like, you try and try but you don’t understand what people see in them?
Hema Malini in the 70s
I don’t get the dream girl appeal. At all. I don’t see anything special there. Almost every other 70s heroine appeals to me more than she does.
She looks great now, though, and has a singular presence.
Every 90s male actor during the 90s
Before the ’90s, men looked like men. Suddenly in the 90s they started looking like boys. Only Jackie and Nana and maybe Sanju looked like adults in this decade.
Every 90s movie
Sorry, for me, ’90s movies are just ’80s movies with better production values. I can respect the transitions that were taking place that decade, but 95% of these films are unwatchable for me.
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Or, is there in actor/actress that you actually can see the appeal, and yet they still don’t appeal to you personally?
Madhuri Dixit
I can respect the talent and the beauty, but she bores me, there’s nothing raw or imperfect or vulnerable there, which therefore makes her unmenorable for me. Almost every ’90s heroine appeals to me more than she does.
Varun Dhawan
I respect his desire to speak to the “masses” through his movies and not leave them behind. But he’s just ’80s-’90s hero redux for me.
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Or is there someone that you did not see the appeal for years, and then it finally snapped into place?
Ajay Devgan
OMG I used to have the irrational hatred for him from last week’s question, until… Ajay in Yuva? OMG so hott, in that passionate student political protest leader kind of way. I just wish he went to my college and lead a protest when I was a student, I would have gone to every rally just to imbue the passion haha!
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It would be fun if you could do the opposite questions for next week. I.e. someone you always found appealing but who no one else gets. Might be a fun way for us to learn about some hidden gems or diamonds in the rough from each other.
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Fascinating that you can see something special in Hema now, but not then! And I have this urge to ask “have you seen….” I can’t resist! Even though I know it’s stupid! You’ve seen Sholay, right?
Every 90s male actor-let me introduce you to my Chocolate Heroes youtube video! which argues that the return to the chocolate hero was an effort to show the coming of age experience over and over again through the lens of romance. So, yes, I agree, all the 90s heroes looked like little boys, because that was the only way for the story to work, the little boy who falls in love and becomes a man. Oh, and would you include Ajay in this? Because I wouldn’t even, in his very earliest films Ajay was all man.
But I love 90s movies!!!!!! Okay, I will forgive this. You are right, there wasn’t that much new added, it was just so very much of what was already there. Romance films exploding every where.
Can’t resist urge to ask if you’ve seen something again! Parinda? Specifically, this song? It’s the time I found Madhuri most “normal” seeming, and fragile.
Oh yeah, can totally see that with Varun. I think that’s even part of his appeal for some people, that he feels like a familiar 90s throwback.
Yep, same with Ajay! Except not Yuva, it was Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam for me. And then Once Upon a Time in Mumbaii.
I like that question suggestion! Especially because it will allow me to discuss my strange love for Mohnish Behl and Dia Mirza.
On Tue, Feb 6, 2018 at 4:54 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I also love Mohnish Behl! How can you not love someone who was once murdered by a bird?
I am actually more upset over someone disliking Madhuri than Aamir! I can understand why Aamir annoys some people but Madhuri is a goddess.
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I love Mohnish Behl too! He was the only good thing in Sirf Tum and Hum Saath Saath Hain (without him this movie would be indigestible). And his few scenes in Koyla- perfection 😛
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2. Rajinikanth. I remember singing his songs in my childhood but never really got gia charm. But once I ‘feel’ his persona there is no going back. I guess this happens with all actors out there. Especially indian actors where, you already ‘feel’ the person more than the role before you even watch the film (like it happens with you and other fanboys around the world) that you simply cant see the film from layman’s perspective. E.g. My first SRK movie was Dil Se because of manirathnam. Now I refuse to see him macho or action hero roles or any role where he is tiny bit crazy. I am sorry to say this, but I hate all his roles that involve romantic-charming thing, including DDLJ. I loved his Fan movie after a long time. I think Aamir occupies that place of all smiling all charming hero of heart right from my first film of his, which is also his first film.
3. Like everyone here i just don’t get the appeal for PK, and a whole bunch of other actors from the south. I guess I don’t watch so many movies often. Movies aren’t my favourite pass time, video games are.
1. For years i didn’t understand what’s so special about salman until it dawned on me just like it did for you with Dabang. I guess people like his swag and i liked him so much after bodyguard.
People i can’t stand on screen are saif ali khan, katrina kaif ( especially after tees mar khan), and a few south actors.
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