I gave into my secret horrible unhealthy addiction yesterday and read a book. Which is why I only got 6 hours of sleep, forgot to eat dinner, and still haven’t written my Koffee post. Books are VERY BAD for me!!!! Movies are much healthier, reading is dumb. Anyway, sorry for the lack of posts, at least I managed to get this one up on time somehow.
As always, you can ask me anything from the personal (“what book did you read?”) to the specific and factual (“why are there so few Hindi movies based on books?”) to the general discussion (“what books should be made into movies?”).
The only rule is, you have to let me answer first! Once I answer, feel free to join the discussion, but it just goes better if I start it off.
Now, question for you! Inspired by Filmilibrarian’s comment about JHMS yesterday:
What is the sexiest scene for you (not romantic, sexy) in Indian film?
I’m torn between the kiss at the end of JHMS, and this classic:
dontcallitbollywood 
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OK, what book DID you read that kept you up all night?
(and, I think there may be one or two other addictions that are more horrible than reading . . .)
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A Civil Campaign, the Bujold book that is inspired heavily by Heyer. It’s delightful and I just kept reading it until I finished (very bad!)
On Mon, Nov 5, 2018 at 6:32 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Sexiest scene: Akshay and Kajol dancing in the rain in Yeh Dillagi.
Twitter verdict seems to be that Aamir was a boring KwK guest but you’d kind of expect that, right?
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Oh yeah, I’ve watched it now (writing post currently) and he is super super boring. He was great the last two times, I don’t know if his energy was down or if he just needs a co-guest to bounce off of or what.
On Mon, Nov 5, 2018 at 8:24 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I want to know what book it was, too? Was it Thugs? I stayed up until 1 AM myself finishing a Sarah MacLean novel (very good historical romance that actually slipped in a subtle reference to the Women’s March and pussy hats!). Also, I want your opinion about what books would should be made into Hindi films? I think I know why historically they haven’t been (but there are of course several Tagore and other important literary adaptations like Devdas out there), but I think it’s changing slowly with the Chetan Bhagat and now the Anuja Chauhan adaptations. Never underestimate the power of producer Sonam Kapoor and her love of reading;) Seriously, she acts like she invented reading for pleasure, but I kind of love how she’s always talking about it in interviews.
There are so many titles in both South Asian diaspora fiction and romance/chick list that I would love to see adapted for the screen. The one I would most like to see is Monica Pradhan’s Hindi Bindi Club. It’s essentially Joy Luck Club with Indian-Americans. Also would love to see Sonali Dev’s first two romances on screen, because they have a great Indian/Indian-American crossover plots. All of Anuja Chauhan’s books would make great films, too, and if the Zoya Factor works I think Battle for Bittora will be next.
For sexiest scene…despite my admitted prurient interest in seeing more of this in Hindi films…I don’t know if I can pick the best….I do think the moment after the sword fight in Jodhaa Akhbar where they almost kiss is pretty hot (as is the sword practice scene), the gazebo scene in KKHH is pretty sexy, but more romantic in the end, and I also like that scene in Aradhana. The scene where Amitabh’s cop character looks Zeenat Aman up and down in the police station in Dostana and flirts with her is pretty much peak sexiness for Amitabh for me (I really don’t know why because it’s so sexist and slut-shaming). There’s a motel room scene with Priyanka and Ranbir in Anjaana Anjaani that I’ve always thought had great sexual tension. Parts of Inkaar, for sure. Arjun Rampal and Chitandra Singh are so perfectly matched in the sexiness department. Arjun and Shruti’s first scene in D-Day. Sid tying Parineeti’s choli in Hasee Toh Phasee is surprisingly hot. The bathtub scene in Sanam Teri Kasam. So I guess I can think of a few!
But then there are the scenes that the filmmakers want you to think are sexy that are more campy…like Ranveer’s posing in the scenes before the kiss in Ram-Leela or Hrithik taking off his shirt in Bang Bang.
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No, A Civil Campaign by Bujold. Which I highly recommend! She has a long fun sci-fi series that someone here (maybe Datablue?) turned me on to. And this is the one where her hero falls in love, and it is a conscious imitation of Heyer and Austen and those fun folks. There’s the central love story, plus about 5 others around the edges and it all takes place around the time of a royal marriage. I don’t know if you would like the rest of the series, but this one book is right up your alley, far more a rom-com romance than anything else.
Thugs is what I SHOULD have been reading, but I am sure I will get to it at some point before Thursday. Or if not, I’ll read it over the weekend and do a late post. I still want to talk about the book related to the movie, but since it isn’t going to be close at all, I don’t think I necessarily have to cover it first, right?
For books into Hindi films, I don’t necessarily want the new books to be translated, I am actually kind of anti book-to-movie adaptation in general. I think it leads to a movie that is just a filmed version of the book in most cases instead of being worth while on its own. Not always, but it’s usually just easier to do it that way instead of actually working hard and making a good movie. The exception being, for me, stories that have stood the test of time and have sort of filtered down to their essential components. Devdas and Parineeti, definitely are that. But I’d also love to see some more classics moved to India. Jane Eyre would be great, more Austen, even Sherlock Holmes. Just the basics of the plot ideas and then twisted and turned to make them cinematic.
I still haven’t seen the Amitabh Dostana and now I want to!
On Mon, Nov 5, 2018 at 8:42 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I’ve heard of that Bujold book before on the romance blogs I read. I don’t read sci-fi romance generally, but I should try that one!
Since TOH is only very loosely based on the book, you really don’t have to read it, I agree.
I see what you mean about most book to film adaptations but there are some good possibilities out there.
The Amitabh Dostana is on my keeper shelf for some reason. Mostly for the chemistry between him and Zeenat. Here’s the scene I’m talking about with no subtitles (which is good since he’s basically telling her that if she dresses like she does, of course, she’s going to get harassed..it’s just awful), BUT the look he gives her at between 2:00 and 2:10. She does challenge him right back which helps!
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Abhishek looks so much like his dad!!
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Agree on Roop Tera Mastana. Anushka and Ranveer in BBB (You might not like the context, but the scene in isolation) is damn sexy!
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BBB when they get to the actual sex is a bit much for me, but the lead up is perfect!
On Mon, Nov 5, 2018 at 9:07 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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The sexiest scenes to me in Indian film (and one Mira Nair film, so Indian-adjacent) are:
5. Juhi flirting with SRK in the morning, fresh from the bath, wearing just a sheer cotton nightie, with morning light streaming through, in One 2 Ka 4;
4. Ranbir and Aish in Bulleya from ADHM (can’t believe I’m naming Aish but they did have good chemistry);
3. Madhuri and SRK in the “let it spill” scene from Devdas. Him lying down passively waiting for her to do with him as she will. OMG. Curse Dharamdas for showing up just then to tell him his pop died.
2. Irrfan and Tabu in the “first night” scene from The Namesake. A reference to actual foreplay for the woman’s pleasure. Much too rare in Indian or Western cinema.
1. Shah Rukh and Manisha alone together at night in the desert in Dil Se. The sexiest non-kiss in the history of movies.
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OMG, I need to rewatch that Juhi-SRK scene. And also rethink whether Juhi could be cast in my “ten years later” version of JHMS after all. She could be awkward and unsexy while trying to seduce him, and then actual seduce him just by walking around in a bathrobe looking soft and vulnerable.
Anyway, all excellent choices and I appreciate the effort and seriousness you put into this decision 🙂
On Mon, Nov 5, 2018 at 9:48 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Shah Rukh and Juhi had super-hot chemistry in addition to their famous “cuteness”. 🙂 I didn’t have to put much effort into this list at all, which I’m sure says a lot about me.
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I think it says that you spend your life in a balanced and reasonable manner that allows for the right amount of joy to be let in.
Also, you’ve convinced me, I want Juhi now as the overworked and ignored mother of two who is awakened to her sexuality by sexy tour guide Harry in my Harry-Sejal ten years later version.
On Mon, Nov 5, 2018 at 10:16 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Yay me, on both counts!
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Great list! I almost said the Ranbir and Aish stuff in Bulleya, too. Ranbir in the right scene can really sell sexual longing/infatuation, but I can barely think of some beyond ADHM. I’ve never thought that he and Deepika had much of that chemistry, for instance, it’s believable true love but not believable true lust Now that I look at his filmography, I don’t really see true sexiness (beyond a teen girl’s idealized dream in the towel scene) in many places at all, AA is the major exception for me! His man-child persona very rarely lets him tap into an adult sexiness. His pairing with Alia, despite their off-screen relationship, doesn’t really seem promising in that area either but we’ll see.
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The KANK scenes with Rani (on the bed, at the ballett, the whole sequence around the hotel-scene), the JHMS scenes (Sejal’s room in Amsterdam, on the bridge Amsterdam, just after the Katja-episode, at the exit of the strip club Prague, Lisbon beach, Lisbon hotel room)…I found that, basically, the whole romance was sexy-drenched. I also vote vehemently for the DilSe desert-night scene. And there is that banter in KKHH, the basketball challenge in the summer camp
Well, you see, I’m VERY ShahRukh-movie focussed (there are even more scenes I found sexy), but I’m sure, there also were sexy scenes in some of the many, many other Hindi movies I watched, only I forgot them…
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Ooo, I forgot about the basketball scene in KKHH.
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Do rain songs count? Because if yes, I must mention Aaja Jaane Jaa from Anth
Or Sridevi and Anil on the hay in Kate Nahin Kat Te song from Mr. India (I don’t know but the fact he is invisible makes this scene even sexier).
And Gazebo scene, filmilibranian already said.
And Aiyyaa is all sexy but I love the scene when Rani imagines being with Prithviraj durning her wedding shopping.
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Oooo, Aaiyya is a good one! Especially since the whole plot dances around the idea that Rani’s fiance is a perfectly nice guy but there is just no spark there, while with Prithviraj they barely speak to each other and yet there are all kinds of sparks.
On Mon, Nov 5, 2018 at 12:47 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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So many good ones! Aaiyya has such great sexy scenes.
Speaking of rain songs, Prabhas and Trisha in this sexy one from Varsham!
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I want to ask you: why Rishi in the background? I didn’t mind seeing shirtless ShahRukh there 😉
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I wanted to be classy. Not worth it?
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You know who is classy – Shashi Kapoor.
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Ooo, good point! Also, he has those eyelashes. I may have to look for a Shashiji picture.
On Mon, Nov 5, 2018 at 4:16 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I saw Sunidhi Chauhan with Badshah and Aastha Gill perform on Sunday night. They have a good band of rock musicians performing with them, adding guitar licks and drum kicks to so many wrk known songs. Highly recommend, if they are coming to your metro. SC is a powerhouse vocalist, her voice fills the music hall. Badshah isn’t as impressive, but Aastha sounds better live than recorded imo.
Looks like Andhadun is playing for 2 more days locally so I might try to see it tonight for discount Tuesdays.
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Shoot, no Sunidhi in Chicago. Looks like they are hitting Texas and NJ but not Chicago. Sometimes I think these tours are partly put together based on where the performers happen to have relatives they want to visit.
I encourage you to see Andhadhun! It’s still playing here too, and I am tempted to try to watch it again, but there is no way if I want to catch Thugs and Sarkar this week.
On Tue, Nov 6, 2018 at 11:57 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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