Monday Morning Questions: Rani’s Birthday Week!

Posted on by

Happy Monday!  And Happy Rani Week!  Her birthday tomorrow, and her new movie on Friday.  Very exciting!

As always, you can ask me any question from the personal (“what was your first Rani movie?”) to the specific and factual (“what was Rani’s first movie?”) to the general discussion (“what is Rani’s best movie?”)

The only rule is, you have to let me answer first!  Once I do, you can jump in and join the discussion.  But it just works better if I start it off.

 

Now, two questions for you!

What is your favorite Rani movie?

I’m going with Aiyyaa.  Rani was in other movies I like, but Aiyyaa is entirely her movie, and she is brilliant in it, and it is also a super wonderful film.

 

Now that Rani is back to acting, what roles should she take next?

Lawyer!  I want her in Veer-Zaara, but the focus on the film.  Crusading feminist lawyer would be awesome for her.

78 thoughts on “Monday Morning Questions: Rani’s Birthday Week!”

  1. I know which was Rani’s first hindi film, so I’ll ask: have you seen it? The plot looks bad, bad, bad.

    And what do you think about how Rani got the role in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai? I was surprised when I read in Karan’s book, that it was Aditya and Shah Rukh who recommended her. It’s strange, because I thought that or they already known her, or it was Kajol who helped her.

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • I haven’t seen it, but I have a friend who has and says that it is not only bad, but incredibly explicit. She started her career with all kinds of sexual drama.

      The Karan story kind of made sense to me when I thought about it. Rani was already being thought of for Ghulam, she had that one bad movie over with, and she was part of a film family. I’m guessing her name was just sort of in the air for things, and her role wasn’t supposed to be that big, just a pretty girl and a newish face, so you might as well go through your mental rolladex of new actors and see who pops up. Probably if the first meeting with Karan had gone terribly, they would have moved on to some other name that was floating around.

      On Mon, Mar 19, 2018 at 6:34 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:

      >

      Like

      Reply ↓

  2. I have Rani favorites in 2 categories: the first is tough but human professional woman–for those I love Mardaani, No One Killed Jessica, and Bombay Talkies. The second is romantic lead with Shah Rukh–for those Chalte Chalte is my fave, but Paheli is close behind.

    I haven’t seen a Rani movie which I haven’t enjoyed (except for KKHH), but I haven’t seen all of her movies by a long shot.

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • You might want to check out her other first movie, Ghulam. Her dialogue was dubbed (because of her “ugly” low voice) but she still makes an impact. And interestingly, there is a prominent female character of the “tough but human professional woman” type, not played by Rani, but exactly like what she would later play.

      On Mon, Mar 19, 2018 at 8:29 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:

      >

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply ↓

        • I can’t remember if we’ve talked about this before, but it’s not uncommon in Indian film for heroine’s to be dubbed. In the south it’s almost the standard, part of the reason actresses can so easily move between industries without worrying about language. Katrina Kaif was dubbed in at least her first few films (I think) because she couldn’t speak Hindi yet. It’s still very strange that Rani was dubbed not for a language issue but for the sound of her voice! But I guess they figured she was just some pretty face that wasn’t going to make an impression, they might as well use a regular experienced dubber and not worry about training her.

          Rani’s reactions are also so perfect in”Aye! Kya Bolti Tu”. Aamir gets a lot of focus for that song, but all his goofing around wouldn’t have worked nearly as well without her amused and happy responses.

          On Mon, Mar 19, 2018 at 9:59 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:

          >

          Like

          Reply ↓

  4. I haven’t seen enough Rani movies to have a fave but I think she brings a lot to every role she’s in, even when they are smaller parts. For example, she’s a standout in K3G even though she’s rejected by SRK.

    Question for you: Worth it to purchase a subscription to Einthusan? Been thinking of dropping the money but I’m a bit worried about giving them my credit card. They seem to have fixed whatever problem they had that made it impossible for me to watch films on my Chromebook.

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • I gave up and paid for it. They are definitely illegal, but then there is just no other source for a lot of what they offer. And the pay version did solve a lot of problems I was having (mostly by removing ads and letting me download) but they still aren’t great in terms of quality, I’ve run into difficulties if I try to do anything besides watch a movie straight through, pausing or skipping back or forward all cause problems.

      And for small Rani parts, have you seen Mann yet? She’s just there for one song, but she is so fun!

      On Mon, Mar 19, 2018 at 10:03 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:

      >

      Like

      Reply ↓

  5. A whole Rani week for her new release/birthday is the kinda promotional write up YRF will aim for😉. I have a question-what will be the questions that the professional critic Margret will ask SRK if she got a chance.

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • I know! It took me an embarrassingly long time to see through the “we moved the release to take advantage of the end of exams” smokescreen and realize what was happening. I did the same thing last year when she DIDN’T have a movie coming out, and I am sure many other more important websites (silly, what website could be more important than mine?) did the same. So if we are all going to do a Rani-themed week for her birthday anyway, why shouldn’t Yash Raj try to capitalize on it and release her new movie in the middle of all that good feeling?

      Hmm. I have the advantage of having done a ton of research and seen all his movies and most of his important interviews. Which means I can start with an open question and when he gives the usual pat answer, I can actually challenge him. Maybe something like “As one of the most important figures in India, what responsibilities do you feel you have to help the country?” And then he says something about how he loves people and he isn’t that important and he wants to raise the conversation and technology will tie us all together blah blah blah. And that’s when I can follow up with something about how he has made public statements about political issues and he must be aware of the power of his individual voice and is he consciously choosing when to speak up and when to be silent and why?

      Really, I can do that with anything, something like “tell me what you think about women?” and then he gives his usual blah blah about how they are better than him and work harder and we should strive for equality, and I can follow it up with “How exactly do you think the film industry in India can become safer and more equal for women and what are you doing to make that happen?”

      It’s irritating, because it seems like the reporters who are willing to confront him don’t have the knowledge to see past his smokescreen, and the ones who do have the knowledge aren’t willing to push. But it’s right there! He always says the same thing, it’s super easy to anticipate it and prepare a challenging follow-up question.

      On Mon, Mar 19, 2018 at 10:36 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:

      >

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply ↓

      • aren’t all these questions kind of peripheral in that they touch upon films but are not really about films & acting. As a professional critic wouldn’t you want to know how he chooses films(the usual one), how he prepares,films/actors/directors that he liked recently,why he thinks some of his recent films don’t work as they used to? I’m sure there will be many more which is for the actor SRK,not the celebrity SRK.

        Also with respect to your first set of questions related to helping the country & women, can we have a discussion on the social responsibility expectations from actors & where the line should be drawn between expecting them to be the champions of change that we want to see v/s accepting them as just professional actors whose field of action is not social service. Sure they have a wide spectrum of reach but is it really necessary for them to have a say about everything happening. It’s great if they are socially responsible & vocal about the causes but if someone chooses to not to -no time/no interest-that’s okay too rt? It’s a free country.

        Like

        Reply ↓

        • Ah, see, I’m a professional critic from the academic media studies side of things. Which argues that media is important related to it’s political/social message, and the textual content is only a part of it. I really have minimal interest in the craft of acting and stuff like that. I am interested in the result, definitely, but not the process so much except as it relates to the result. So something like “what was the meaning of the way you shook your shoulders in Anjaam?” would be interesting to me, something like “what was the process by which you came up with that shoulder shake?”, no interest. I am sure it is fascinating for aspiring actors or people interested in getting into the industry, but the actor’s studio type questions are just not my thing, and I wouldn’t ask them right or know how to follow them up.

          Your second part is the EXACT conversation I would love to have with Shahrukh! So often in interviews he avoids even engaging with the question, brushing past the idea that he ever takes a moment and considers whether or not he has a responsibility to society as he lives his life. But he clearly must make that consideration, people want him to engage in social issues, they are asking him the questions, and he is making a decision whether or not he will answer. How does he make that decision? When will he choose to speak up and when will he avoid it? And why?

          For myself, I land on the side of “every person in the world has a responsibility to speak out against injustice, whether they are a celebrity or not”. But then it is a personal choice on the part of the person what they consider “injustice” and “speaking out”. For some people, any news story that comes up they feel the need to tweet a response. For other people, if they are directly asked a question in a public forum they will respond honestly, but otherwise not feel they have a responsibility to speak up. Most people seem to make a judgement call of “this relates to me or my position in some way and therefore I will comment on it”. I mean, it’s what I do! I’m not going to write about big political issues and so on here, but if there is something like Jeetendra accused of rape, then I feel like I do have a responsibility to speak out about it and how I feel about the issues related to it.

          So, if I were to confront Shahrukh for saying or not saying something, it would not be because he is SHAHRUKH KHAN-MOVIE STAR, but because he is a person and every person has a responsibility to society. I just happen to know what he said (or didn’t say) because he is so famous, rather than if he just said it at a dinner party to his friends and then I would never find out.

          On Mon, Mar 19, 2018 at 11:12 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:

          >

          Like

          Reply ↓

          • I think you blanketed all my first set of questions under ‘process of acting’ questions.Are you saying that trying to know what/who he excites him in the film world,how he chooses films(considering he seems to struggle with picking good scripts), what his future goals are for his career are things that won’t interest you?
            Also if you are trying to assess the socio/political message his films, wouldn’t you have to give some examples of problematic messages in his movies & drive the discussion around that? Devdas & alcoholism, Raj & harassment etc?
            With regard to the social responsibility, what I gather is that celebrities should be socially responsible(or at least pretend to be)because their fame requires them to. SRK, the man can get away but SRK the star cannot-the star is answerable to media & society.

            Like

          • I think, were I to have this imaginary chance to interview him, I would be more interested in philosophical discussion than specifics. So I don’t want to know the exact process by which he picks scripts, but I would want to know if he feels like film has a responsibility to represent society, to teach society, or merely to entertain and how that effects his own decisions as an actor and a producer. And I would be more interested in where he sees the future of the whole industry with his career as a small part of that.

            And similarly with problematic messages in his films. Unless I was given a never-ending series of interviews and could dig into each film in turn, my preference would be more for a general question of “do you think seeing your character do something bad onscreen has a direct effect on the audience? If so, how? Why? What is your responsibility in stopping it?” And then if he were to give examples related to a film, I could dig into it, but I’d hate to start by limiting my one and only interview to one and only film. Especially because I’ve seen how he works in interviews, if you give him a chance to limit it down to one film, he will, and maybe throw in a few anecdotes and examples and skate past the big questions.

            For me, the responsibility of society question goes back to if you are saying something that other people can hear. In his public statements, I see Shahrukh as having no substantially greater responsibility than I do on my blog. A heck of a lot more people are listening to him, but it is the same function, “is this something I can say and stand behind because it is in the world forever?” That’s different of course from what you say to your wife or your best friend in private. But in terms of Shahrukh’s situation in particular, it is interesting how he gets in trouble for stuff like smoking in public. That might not be the kind of thing I want to dig into in my one and only SRK interview, but it is interesting and if I were doing that never-ending series of interviews, I might ask him about it.

            On Mon, Mar 19, 2018 at 12:51 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:

            >

            Like

          • So in an ideal 1 hour interview, the questions would be on entertaining v/s setting bad role models(onscreen& offscreen) & the hurdles in taking a public stand. The first one though will bring in artistic freedom also into discussion(how can he ever do a character with grey shades if he’s scared of people getting influenced). Thank you for answering everything. Now I will stop annoying you & go to bed!

            Like

          • Go to bed!

            And when you wake up, one more thought which I think is the big problem with every SRK interview I have seen. He is very very good at running out the clock, so if you go in with “these are the 3 topics I want to cover”, he will just skate through until he can sense you need to move on to the next topic. So in my ideal interview, if I wasn’t satisfied with his answers on the first topic, I would just stick with it until he gave me a real answer even if it meant I lost time for the other topics. Or else it would be open ended and I could go for an hour or 6 hours until I felt like I got the answers I wanted. That’s what his (rare) really good interviews read like to me, it is the reporter and he just sitting and talking with no time limit until the conversation reaches a natural conclusion. That’s what made his early Anupama interviews so good, because she would just sit and talk with him until she got what she needed. Now, with her youtube video system, that is lost and they are depressingly superficial even if they go for an hour, because she is trying to move on topic to topic and stay in her time limit.

            On Mon, Mar 19, 2018 at 1:23 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:

            >

            Liked by 1 person

          • Now I really want to see you beat an answer out of him-at least for one question. Also wonder why doesn’t he really want to answer a legitimate question? Why create this smokescreen at the risk of appearing fake?

            Like

          • I’m working on a post about that right now! Short answer is, I think he just gives too many interviews. He does have those rare introspective interviews that are completely honest and fascinating. But he is talking to reporters constantly and it feels like he just gets in the zone of using charm and wit to get by without giving real answers because it is easier for him. Or falls into stuff that sounds more like a press release than anything, “This movie is an old-fashioned love story”, like that. What I’d like to see is if he cut down on his interviews and press conferences and public appearances dramatically and only accepted people and places where he really wants to be honest and can be honest. Like the other big stars have done, only one or two major interviews a year, but they are gooooooooooood.

            On Mon, Mar 19, 2018 at 1:41 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:

            >

            Like

  6. Sorry to be so predictable, but my fantasy next Rani role would be as middle-aged Priya in a sequel to Chalte Chalte, directed by Zoya Akhtar (co-scripted and with on set consulting by Aziz Mirza). I’d like every one of the main characters to reprise their roles. Where are Raj and Priya now? How did couples’ counseling help them work through their early issues as a married couple? 😉

    Did their mutual dream of children come true? How old are the kids now, and what’s up with them? Is Priya running a fashion empire and still enjoying it, or wanting to step back and trying to identify a successor to carry on her vision and legacy? I’d love it if some issues with the kids (sexuality? education/career choices?) would make some unresolved issues surface between Raj and Priya. I’d love it if the ending would leave me feeling as ambivalent as the first Chalte Chalte, because life and relationships aren’t cut and dry.

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • Oh, I LIKE this! Especially the idea of kids bringing up issues rather than solving them. Because the relationship stuff they were working through in the first film was so real, and the kind of thing that never really goes away but is just part of the give and take of relationships. Something as simple if they accept money from Rani’s family to send the kids to a better school, or keep them in the more regular school like the one Shahrukh went to and can afford.

      I would imagine their “happiest” life being what it was when things were going good in the original movie, Rani picks up contract work that fulfills her, but Shahrukh is established as the primary breadwinner for the family, Rani’s money is “extra” (although Shahrukh is willing to borrow from her for his company without ego issues). But all of that, even if they are happy and used to the way money works, could still go wrong. If Shahrukh’s business goes under again and they have to live off Rani for a while, if they need extra money for the kids and have to borrow somewhere, anything.

      One thing I really liked about the original movie is that when things were good, money really wasn’t an issue. Rani wasn’t a spoiled rich girl who didn’t like Shahrukh’s middle-class apartment, and Shahrukh wasn’t a reverse snob who couldn’t stand his wife working. He just didn’t want his wife to HAVE to work, and Rani didn’t want Shahrukh to worry about money when she could get lots of it just by asking.

      On Mon, Mar 19, 2018 at 11:08 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:

      >

      Like

      Reply ↓

      • That’s funny, because I don’t see it the same way at all. I see Priya as a rising star/entrepreneur, and Raj being very happy with that and pleased with/for her. I didn’t interpret him as being the main breadwinner at all. Just that her business hadn’t yet taken off when the money crunch came for his business. I think they can be quite happy with both of their careers taking off.

        Like

        Reply ↓

        • Clearly, this has to be a writing prompt for Sunday! Rani Mukherjee movies that deserve sequels? I wouldn’t mind checking in with her and Prithviraj from Aiyyaa a few years down the line or her and Aamir from Talaash or even her and Hrithik from Mujshe Dosti Karoge (did his forehead vein ever stop throbbing?)

          Feel free to nominate other films we need to follow up on! Oh OH! Laage Chunari Main Daag!

          On Mon, Mar 19, 2018 at 12:04 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:

          >

          Like

          Reply ↓

          • OMG I have to watch Talaash and the end of Mujhse Dosti Karoge (could NOT handle the Hrithik and Kareena-ness when I tried it a couple years ago) before Sunday! 🙂

            Like

          • I am pretty sure you will like Talaash. It revolves around the Bombay red light district without sugarcoating what prostitution is like and what it does to people. And Rani is magnificent. And Aamir has a mustache. And Rajkummar Rao is there in one of his last small supporting roles before he reached the level he is at now. And you will finish it and really really want to know how Aamir and Rani are doing in the present day!

            On Mon, Mar 19, 2018 at 12:27 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:

            >

            Liked by 1 person

          • Yes! And like Rajkummar, it was one of his last roles before he got too big for an ensemble.

            On Mon, Mar 19, 2018 at 2:13 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:

            >

            Like

  8. My fav Rani movies were Hum Tum and Bunty Aur Babli. In HT, she was the perfect foil to Saif. Except for the hideous wig in the first 20 mins, she was great! She did silly and mature all so well. And BaB, she just carried the whole movie in IMO, and had great chemistry with Abhishek. She’s really good at comedy and a great dancer too.
    Btw Madhuri just stepped in for Sridevi in a Dharma movie! Will always wonder how it’d have been if SriDevi had done it though 😦

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • A second vote for BnB! And I am glad to hear I am not the only person with a softspot for Hum Tum. It was one of my favorite movies when it came out, but it seems to have dropped out of the conversation recently.

      I think I saw the Sridevi-Madhuri news. Smart to pick Madhuri, she is essentially the only actress (maybe Kajol or Juhi or Rekha too) who it wouldn’t be downright insulting to suggest as a Sridevi replacement.

      On Mon, Mar 19, 2018 at 1:01 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:

      >

      Like

      Reply ↓

    • She does indeed! Without seeming unreal, you know? You can believe her as a very very pretty young woman from a village, not like Aish in Devdas who had this untouchable quality.

      On Mon, Mar 19, 2018 at 1:14 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:

      >

      Like

      Reply ↓

  10. Rani is one of my favorites, so it’s hard to choose my favorite film of hers. I really love Mujhse Dosti Karoge and Chori Chori for her earlier rom-coms and those are the ones that I go back to the most often. It’s not that they are great performances necessarily they are just sentimental favorites. There are just too many great performances in a variety of genres to choose from otherwise.

    Here’s my question: do you think Hichki is going to be a success? And when do you think Rani’s next film will come out? I think she’s going toward a Kajol pace of films.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

    • I think Hichki will be a qualified success. Another Yash Raj non-hit profit maker. It looks like a quality film with an interesting plot concept, but I’m not seeing anything that will get people excited or feel like they “have” to see it. But I am also guessing that it will be released in just the right amount of theaters with just the right amount of publicity and so on and so forth to make it profitable for the studio.

      I think she’s going towards a Kajol pace as well. One big question mark for me is how much she is involved with the administrative aspect of YRF. I know Pam Aunty was very involved in Yashji’s films and there were rumors of Rani bossing people around at YRF even before marriage. If she is helping to run the studio in some way, that might cut down on her acting time, and her need for a professional outlet.

      On Mon, Mar 19, 2018 at 1:51 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:

      >

      Like

      Reply ↓

      • I feel she should work outside of Yrf. She’ll do well in the Indie movies, but most of them aren’t coming from Yrf. But she probably doesn’t feel like she needs to slog it out for others now.

        Like

        Reply ↓

        • It would also be hard to do in a non-insulting way. If Rani isn’t working with her husband’s studio, when his studio is SO LARGE that any film she wants he could produce, then it kind of looks bad, like Rani isn’t satisfied at home. And if Yash Raj changes the “Yash Raj” brand, or even opts to partner with another smaller studio, then it makes the studio look bad, like it is bending for Rani.

          You are right though, I would still love to see it happen. It would just need to be handled very carefully so it doesn’t look like Rani is insulting her husband’s studio in any way by choosing to go outside of it. I wonder if people are even bringing her scripts any more or just assuming it all has to be funneled through Yash Raj?

          On Mon, Mar 19, 2018 at 2:58 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:

          >

          Like

          Reply ↓

        • I really agree with this. During the parallel cinema era of the early 80s, most of the parallel actors and actresses jumped back and forth between parallel and commercial. Even Jaya did some parallel work.
          I could really see Rani in an Aaje Naachle type of ensemble cast of today’s parallel actors and her (or yesteryear’s, for that matter). Somehow I think she’d fit right in. I’m sure YRF could make this happen.

          Like

          Reply ↓

          • You know what YRF should do? Just like their “Y Films” division, they really need to set up branding for parallel cinema. It’s a growing market, and it would also be a great way for them to develop talent, the same way the “Y Films” brings in all those youtube series and young actors and artists. And Rani could be both the head and the star of the parallel cinema wing. It would let them do things on a smaller scale without all the pressure of it being a Yash Raj film while still keeping a finger in the pie.

            Aditya!!!! Listen to us and do this!!!!

            On Mon, Mar 19, 2018 at 4:20 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:

            >

            Liked by 1 person

          • Yes Aditya… With films like DLKH in your till, this is a no brainer.

            Naming suggestions
            Y-Indie
            Y-Not
            YLF (Y Little Films)

            Like

          • YY (“y” parallel to “y”)

            On Mon, Mar 19, 2018 at 11:26 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:

            >

            Like

    • Really interesting! Related, this is the kind of thing that it feels like Shahrukh’s “white people” fans are more likely to do than desis too.

      On Mon, Mar 19, 2018 at 4:09 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:

      >

      Like

      Reply ↓

        • I hadn’t thought about it that way, but I bet you are right. There was a story a few years back of a fan who bicycled across India to set outside Aamir’s house until he could meet with him. And not like an urban young person fan, but an older rural type. That kind of devotion is foreign to me, but on the other hand, colorful fan art is probably foreign to him.

          On Mon, Mar 19, 2018 at 4:21 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:

          >

          Like

          Reply ↓

  12. This is touch because I like Rani in everything I’ve seen her in. I’ll throw in a vote for Rani in Yuva. It was my first time seeing her in a salt of the earth type of role (though she had had some before then, which I had not seen yet). I was astounded at how well she threw off all traces of star persona to really inhabit the Mani Raman cinematic universe. I’d like to see her do more everywoman or working class roles like this. Plus such roles are somewhat ageless – you don’t have to be 25 to play them.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

      • Now I am picturing Rani eating stringy noodles (tough raman). And she is indeed doing it very well! She truly can play anything!

        On Mon, Mar 19, 2018 at 4:47 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:

        >

        Like

        Reply ↓

        • Or the Desi equivalent =
          Maggi Noodles
          (like America’s Top Ramen Noodles), in the back of the pantry, years past the expiration date. 😦

          Like

          Reply ↓

          • Oh oh! I can tell my IIT story! Last time I went to India, a family friend who went to IIT Bombay took us to tour the campus. And we were walking around and he was saying “that is the such and such building, and tht is the blah-de-blah building” and suddenly there was this distinctive smell everywhere and just as I was thinking “what IS that?” he pointed out the enormous all male dorm we were walking by and I realized “Maggi noodles!!!! The very air is filled with the smell!” Because 20 stories of male IIT students packed together, is essentially a Maggi noodle making factory.

            On Mon, Mar 19, 2018 at 11:21 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:

            >

            Like

    • Aiyyaa was a great role for her, not quite working class, but realistically middle class, a small house filled with family and all the rest of it. Little glamour. And she inhabited that world beautifully, almost seemed more comfortable there than in the super filmi roles.

      On Mon, Mar 19, 2018 at 4:46 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:

      >

      Like

      Reply ↓

  14. My favorite Rani movies are probably Hum Tum and KANK.

    Speaking of actresses getting dubbed, one of the things I really liked when I first got into Hindi movies is how real the heroines sounded. After a point, a lot of the heroines in Telugu cinema end up sounding similar because there’s only a handful of people dubbing for them. So I ended up appreciating the fact that Rani sounds totally different from Kajol who sounds different from Preity.

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • Thank goodness, it is becoming clear that I am not the only person who remembers and appreciates Hum-Tum. the last few people I have recommended it to have not enjoyed it at all, which was making me doubt my judgement.

      Now that you mention it, I think that part of the “earthy” and “real” quality of Rani is her distinctive voice, slightly deeper than most heroines with the occasional kind of break to it.

      On Mon, Mar 19, 2018 at 8:46 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:

      >

      Like

      Reply ↓

      • To be honest, I didn’t enjoy Hum Tum the last time I saw it as much as I did when I saw it for the first time five years ago. It was still fun and it had some cute moments and great songs, but I also felt like it was too long and cliche. Maybe it doesn’t really age that well?

        Rani’s voice is quite distinctive and real. I also find Shraddha Kapoor’s voice to be really distinctive but I’ve seen people trashing her dialogue delivery so I guess her diction isn’t good?

        Like

        Reply ↓

  15. Black.
    One of rain’s and amitabh’s best movies.
    I am surprised it is not mentioned in folklore in their best movies as the acting was top notch.
    The story if gritty was engaging and the struggles were real.
    Maybe it didn’t succeed in test od time, but it was a success in its time.

    Like

    Reply ↓

  16. Hi this is completely off topic and I know your view on this topic but don’t you think it’s wrong that kjo is launching Sara Khan?

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • As you say, you know my view 🙂 Karan is an independent business man who runs a private company, he can make whatever decision he wants, if he thinks there is enough buzz around Sara Khan to make launching her profitable for him, and that she has the basic ability to carry a movie, why not?

      Like

      Reply ↓

      • But lets say someone else is more qualified for the job, the only reason they did not get it is because their not in anyway related to the owners of the company, do you still think its fair knowing that they have more skills? That the reality of the industry now.

        Like

        Reply ↓

  17. Injurious Ali just released a short film a few hours ago called The Other Way. I haven’t watched it yet, but his last short film acted out by dogs was sublime.

    Like

    Reply ↓

      • Fooled me! I am so out of the short film world, I assumed it was some super artsy guy who had renamed himself like the rappers do and if I were really hip, I would know him.

        On Tue, Mar 20, 2018 at 12:05 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:

        >

        Like

        Reply ↓

        • Injurious Ali sounds like a Sacha Baron Cohen character 🙂

          OMG if you haven’t seen his doggie film Bruno & Juliet yet, I highly recommend you take 10 min 49 sec out of your life to watch it. Really it is one of his better works of art. Plus, the state of dogs is really an issue in India, where stray dogs run rampant in many tier 2 and 3 cities and towns.

          Like

          Reply ↓

          • You may have missed this post, but at one point I had the option of adopting, here in Chicago, a Delhi street dog. There’s an organization that flies dogs from India and other countries to America in order to help them find adoptive homes, because it is so impossible in their home countries. Which I think is RIDICULOUS, in terms of resource use and so on, but on the other hand, how cool would it have been to have a street dog from India as my pet?

            On Tue, Mar 20, 2018 at 12:16 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:

            >

            Like

    • And you join the ranks of commentators who make me feel very very old! My most active commentators all seem to be people either half or double my age, so it evens out, you make me feel old and others make me feel young.

      I saw Thoda Pyar Thoda magic in India the first time I visited, a year after I graduated college.

      Like

      Reply ↓

      • Haha well I’m 20 now if that makes you feel any better. and how was your trip to India? I went there once and visited the Taj Mahal which was beautiful! Did you major in Indian media studies? That sounds so much fun I wish my university offered courses like that xD

        Like

        Reply ↓

        • No that doesn’t make me feel better! I am almost 33 but I like to feel like I am still 20, until someone reminds me how old I really am.

          My undergrad degree is in modern history, with a minor in “moving image arts” (film appreciation, basically). And then I went to grad school for media studies with a focus on India. And neither my undergrad or grad school offered classes in Indian media! Super frustrating. So I had to design my own study program to learn things.

          I’ve been to India twice, and both times went the same way. I arrive and my adrenaline gets me through the first couple of days, and then I am so sick and weak I can’t stand up for another couple days, and then I am able to be up for short periods another few days, and then I get on the plane and go home. It’s not India’s fault, I just really don’t travel well! The same thing happened when I went to Europe, everything is just too different and my body shuts down. Someday I will be able to be in India past that initial horrible week and a half and actually enjoy the place. Oh, and both times I landed in Bombay, and was too sick to go far beyond there. So I’ve been to Pune and Bombay and that’s it.

          Like

          Reply ↓

          • LOL I’m older than you, next month I’ll be 35 but in my head time stopped when I was 27 and I feel and think like 27 y/o and I’m shocked everytime I see the big number on my birthday cake.

            Like

  20. Hi Margaret can I have a request from you?
    Can you have a article about pros/cons of nepotism /star kids analysing from all the different angles like star parents/strugglers/media/role of kjo etc.
    If you have already done it please provide the link.

    Like

    Reply ↓

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.