Monday Morning Questions Post: What Do You Want to Ask Me the Day after PC Got Married?

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Well, the new Mr. and Mrs. Jonas have now complete their first night of wedding bliss.  There’s an image to wake you up in the morning!  Maybe with a strange sense of mystery and confusion, maybe with a shudder of horror, but certainly with a little boost of energy to get you going.

As always, you can ask me anything from the personal (“what are your exact feelings about Nick and Priyanka?”) to the factual (“who are Nick Jonas and Priyanka again?”) to the general discussion (“Nick and PC-fake or not fake?”).

 

Now, question for you!  This Sunday I put up a review of one of those movies only I like (Jaan-E-Mann) and next Sunday I am putting up a review of a movie only I and Angie like (Mirzya).  What are the movies only you like?  The weird choices that somehow work for you and no one else?

I already gave my picks, Jaan-E-Mann and Mirzya.  Oh, and also Raabta!  I’m just going to use this as an excuse to put up another Mirzya song because they are so amazing.

59 thoughts on “Monday Morning Questions Post: What Do You Want to Ask Me the Day after PC Got Married?”

  1. Apart of Mirzya and Hamari Adhuri Kahani I really liked Unni Mukundan’s Oru Murai Vanthu Parthaya. Never met somebody who likes this one too. It’s odd, and the plot doesn’t have much sense if you start thinking about it (if you plan watch it don’t read plot on wikipedia!), but in my opinion it has a heart , and that’s why I liked it. And do you remember what I think is the peak hotness in men? So this movie agree with me and has this:

    + long gazes, and Unni shirtless as a wrestler. Really who made it, must read in my mind 😉

    And the other movie is, always with Unni Mukundan – Style. So nice and funny. Tovino as a villain, ridiculous fights, romantic scenes. And a twist about cliched “boy sees a girl playing with kids in the rain, falls in love” scene. Here the girl is the one who sees the boy playing, and she is the stronger one. Why people don’t love this film, I don’t know. I loved it.

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    • I should have known if you liked Mirzya and Humari Adhuri Kahaani, your other choices would be equally unusual!!!!! I mean, Unni Mukundan alone, not the top actor for anyone else!

      On Mon, Dec 3, 2018 at 8:18 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:

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      • True. When I wrote on twiter that I enjoyed Mallu Singh and how badass Unni was in it, random people asked me if I was joking because nobody can seriously appreciate Unni Mukundan and this movie so much.
        Other films – I really liked Tum Bin 2. Not many have seen it, and even less liked it I think, but it’s nice, and worth watching.

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  2. I have three. One western: My Dinner With Andre, which is my litmus test for bonding with the weirdest of my friends. The two Indian ones are both SRK, of course. I love Maya Memsahb because it is such an interesting take on Madame Bovary, which helps me think about cultural differences. And I bought Oh Darling Yeh Hai India! after watching it once because I adore Brecht and Dr. Strangelove, and this has elements of both.

    For what it’s worth, I also dislike KKHH, which I know is heresy.

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  3. I agree with you on Mirzya and Raabta, but definitely not Jaan-E-Mann! A Salman film really has to be the full package for me to like it and this was too off the wall. Bombay Velvet, Rangoon, and Baar Baar Dekho are other films that I thought were much better than most people give them credit for…

    I have discovered that I’m a pretty easy grader in the end. Overall strong production values, a coherent script and a couple of attractive or talented actors/actresses and I’m happy enough. That’s why I have trouble with the HIndi films from the 80s and 90s. The production values are so distractingly poor, the scripts are incoherent, and the hair styles/costumes rarely flattered anyone.

    (Random PZ thought though: I’ve been watching old Simi Garewal interviews on YouTube (it’s like they are having a conversation in heaven…that set is bonkers). PZ’s was so sad…I didn’t know about her father’s tragic death and this explains a lot about her. She also looked so pretty in the interview and it made me miss her old face. Sad where her career has gone. I also watched the KWK with her and Saif after KHNH and that was weird.)

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    • I love that you describe yourself as an easy grader, and then admit that requiring a “coherent script” and “strong production values” excludes great swaths of Hindi film history. Because that was my first thought when you said it! I love Jaan-E-Mann, but that script is WEIRD and definitely not coherent. And the production values are a bit shakey too.

      I didn’t realize how tragic PZ’s life was either until someone mentioned it in a comment here. It explains (to me) why she has always seemed like such a strong together person. Not everyone reacts that way, but sometimes when the worst happens and your life falls apart at a young age, you learn to be completely self-reliant and sufficient within yourself. I hope she is happy with where her career is now, and certainly Mr. Goodenough seems like a great partner for her and lets her have a nice solid normal life in LA close to her brother.

      On Mon, Dec 3, 2018 at 9:31 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:

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      • I think I’m an easy grader mostly because I tend to like most things I watch, but I guess I also know what to stay away from as well. I’m still able to suspend my “rules” if something breaks through in other ways. I had major problems with Aamir and Madhuri’s Dil but I still liked it overall.

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        • But Dil so completely breaks the “cohesive script” requirement! Although I like it too, so who am I to judge?

          On Mon, Dec 3, 2018 at 1:16 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:

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          • Thus the suspension of rules if the film is *important* in some way in Hindi film history. I mean I also really like Andaz Apna Apna and Disco Dancer but I definitely think they are bonkers movies. But that also proves that I like just about anything.

            The last movies I truly disliked after watching the full movie were Kabil, Badrinath Ki Dulhania, and Tanu Weds Manu Returns.

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          • You make me so happy, I managed to avoid watching Kaabil and TWM entirely. And I am content that I have done right! Badrinath I didn’t mind, but I don’t find myself ever really willing to rewatch.

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  4. Hmmm. Most western movies that come to mind are critically recognized as good movies, but older or a bit niche. Harold and Maude is my all time favorite movie, in part because of the lovely soundtrack by Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam. I haven’t found too many others who like it. Anatomy of a Murder is also wonderful, and also has an amazing score by Duke Ellington.

    My Hindi ones are also SRK–no big shock. I love Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani and One 2 Ka 4. They both have some pretty big flaws, mostly huge unevenness of tone, veering between deadly serious topics and violence and light-hearted family rom-coms. I think, more than the usual masala formula.

    I don’t want to stress you out, but how are the Christmas prezzies coming? Best of luck for getting them done without too much sweat and tears!

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    • I should say my Hindi ones are SRK and Juhi, because she is as big a part of why I love them as he is. In both movies her characters are so smart and confident, and she has great comedy, romance, and action scenes.

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    • I am now 5% done with present 1 of 9. So, that’s fine, right???? I only have 995% left to go and I’ve got a while 17 days to do it. Or, I just buy something on Etsy and pretend I made it. But that would be WRONG.

      I also have not purchased any presents for the 3 people who are lucky enough to get purchased special gifts from me (instead of my one-size fits all craft projects). And I am going to a White Elephant Exchange/Pot Luck on Wednesday, and I have no food or gift ready for that. Most stressful, I am visiting my sister this year for the holiday and I have to figure out a dog sitter for Dog Hazel because my parents will be out of town too.

      On the other hand, the advantage of leaving town for the holiday is that by December 20th, I will either have everything done or not and there is nothing more I can do about it. Usually I am working on stuff right up to Christmas Eve because they can be hand delivered. This year, I have 5 whole days when it’s too late to mail and I am out of town so I just have to let it go.

      Ha! I just responded to Filmilibrarians comment where she will like anything so long as it has a coherent plot and good production values. Your choices would DEFINITELY not pass her test. As you know, I like PBDHH, but 12K4 is too tonally odd even for me. I guess my “odd forgotten SRK movie with weird tone shifts” choice would be Koyla, love that movie even though it is very odd.

      On Mon, Dec 3, 2018 at 9:49 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:

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        • Hmm. Good question! I think it is the same as any other 90s action film, which is to say definitely not meeting Filmilibrarian’s requirements of cohesive script and solid production values. Definitely not a movie I would show as a first film. Or maybe not even as a 20th film.

          On Mon, Dec 3, 2018 at 10:46 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:

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  5. I LOVE One 2 Ka 4 but the one I like that I would never make anyone especially a newbie watch is Duplicate. Its a silly movie but a) Shah and Juhi who could ask for anything more b) Shah as two characters and switching back and forth..it a real run up to fan and Don and its fun.
    I have a soft spot for HumTum because it is the film that started all of this for me.
    As to American films…my husband laughs at how many times I can watch The Notebook. Its on TV constantly. Of course while making fun, he ends up standing there and watching huge bits!!!

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    • I’ve mentioned this before, but one of my closest friends LOVES Duplicate. For similar reasons, it’s just stupid and fun and over the top and happy. I also really like Hum Tum, back when I was first getting into the films (2004-2005) it was one everyone was talking about and liked, and somehow in the years since it has kind of faded away in a way that the other films fromt he same era (KHNH for instance) have not.

      On Mon, Dec 3, 2018 at 10:31 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:

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    • You know the first thing that occurs to me, seeing the two of them together, is that Vicky is really being pushed higher than he has proved himself. Ayushmann has been working for years now at a stable level, and had 2 solid films last year and 2 hits this year. Vicky had one hit this year (that was really Alia’s movie) and one flop (Manmarziyaan) and the Netflix film. Ayushmann and Rajkummar are the two that belong together on this cover.

      But it is a very cool photo, very relaxed and international and casual.

      On Mon, Dec 3, 2018 at 12:31 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:

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      • I somewhat disagree. I think Vicky has proven himself as much as Ayushmann (considering Ayushmann has had a couple of flops, too, and for a few years there he was kind of in the weeds after Vicky Donor despite doing interesting films…he didn’t get the same critical acclaim as Vicky has for his performances until the last two years). Vicky on the other hand started with a bang in Masaan which is an incredible performance and then he did Raman Raghav 2.0 (holding his own with Siddiqui) and Bombay Velvet in a small role. But this year remember he also is a good bet to win the Filmfare for supporting actor for Sanju. So this year he has had Raazi, Manmarziyaan, Lover Per Square Foot, Lust Stories (Karan’s short), and Sanju. It’s a stellar year for him with every single role being critically acclaimed. And, yes, he obviously has KJo in his corner now which helps. I would say Vicky has the brighter future even with Ayushmann’s great two years. He just seems like he’ll be more successful in the darker and action roles.

        That being said, I like them both so this cover is so cool!

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        • Oh right, Sanju! I think I blocked that out of my memory because I hate it too much.

          On Mon, Dec 3, 2018 at 1:08 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:

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          • Blocking that one is a good idea! Related to my last post, this was another one that I didn’t like despite the overall polish, but I knew that going in because I didn’t like PK or Sanjay Dutt either.

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          • I was thinking about that! For me it is one that proves that polish has a very low importance to me. Sanju is very well-made in a lot of ways, and yet I still feel “boooooo” about it.

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        • Vicky has been great in supporting roles but hasn’t headlined a movie on his own yet. Ayushmann has been doing that for years with his last two years being exceptionally good. I also don’t think taking umbrage under KJo is a smart a move. Smaller,low risk,high concept films are safer bets than glitzy,vapid big films whose failure can seriously impact the leading man. Ayushmann has had many failures but nothing that put him on the spotlight as a failed hero. My hope is he & Rajkumar continues the way they are while Vicky can go the Parineeti career route or the Anushka Sharma route if he can balance big and small films smartly.

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    • It is a cool cover, but I’m distracted by the way Ayushmann is sitting, and not in a good way. Not only is his crotch oddly centered with his hands are framing it, it just looks like an uncomfortable, unnatural pose. Now if his left foot were casually perched on the back of the front seat, or on the back seat beside him, that might have worked ok.

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  8. Interesting question! I saw a post where you mentioned hating this movie, but Ta Ra Rum Pum really has a soft spot in my heart and I honestly love it so much. I’m not sure why but I’m pretty sure its a memory association thing: I went to Pakistan with my mum and sister when I was…9 or 10 and my sister went to stay a couple days with a paternal relation and came back with some DVDs (The Simpsons movie, Ta Ra Rum Pum and Bunty aur Babli). I just remember the two of us sitting down in the TV room at my uncles and watching it on this 16 inch tv, sometimes having to wait a couple hours when the electricity would go out until we could watch it again and slowly more and more people came in to watch until it was all of us girls watching the end race and cheering it on lol (plus the last time she’d watched a bollywood movie she locked the door and stayed in there all day to watch it haha so i liked feeling included). And then we came home and watched it with my other cousins so it has very positive associations. Plus I just like the message of positivity so i watch it when i’m feeling down. And Saif/Rani are such a good pairing imho.

    (I will admit, the CGI bear song was and is to this day seriously terrifying)

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    • Pretty good! Not to mention Ranveer and Arjun choosing each other over her is the plot of Gunday.

      On Mon, Dec 3, 2018 at 4:40 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:

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  10. I think that picture of Priyanka looking like a classic bride and Nick looking like an American frat boy is so sad. She should have married an industrialist or a business man like Sonam did. Or a doctor like Madhuri did. This seems so forced, so artificial. She has acted more convincingly in other “films”.

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    • To be fair, we should all hope to marry someone as wonderful as Dr. Nene. The way he is so happy to just follow Madhuri around in her career makes me love him.

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  11. I’m going to need your hot take on the Simmba trailer? Kathy Gibson posted a tweet saying she wasn’t interested because of the rape plot, but I think I’lll be able to stomach this so much better than I did Kaabil because judging from the trailer, women in the community have agency and are pushing the cops to do the right thing. Kaabil had the problematic rape=shame=dishonor plotline that I had major issues with, but this one hopefully doesn’t and maybe a masala film with a moral message, however heavy handed is better than that. Just my quick take on it. Ranveer does seem to be overacting, but it fits the type of role and how else could he do the masala hero but in peak Ranveer-style. I suspect the goofiness in the trailer is offset by the second half’s dramatic turn and the low-key parts of the romance. And wow, he does look very beefed up, not sure what I like better the no body fat Ram Leela look or this. We’ll see how he looks in a uniform. Sara Ali Khan looks like she’s playing a typical feisty love interest in the style of Sonakshi Sinha/Kajal Aggarwal and they look to be having fun in the brief song clips. Sonu Sood looks to be the same villain he was in Dabangg and that’s fine. The comparisons to Singham and Dabangg will be rampant but who cares…it looks like mindless fun (with hopefully some fun moments and a social message). I had major discomfort with the extra-judiciary killings in Singham but it worked in the overall feel of the film and the intensity of Ajay’s character. I was one of those people who got the goosebumps when he arrives at the end. Damn it, Ajay, you are the definition of a problematic fav.

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    • Just posted my posty post! I was going to wait until tomorrow and combine it with the new Zero song, but they really each deserve their own.

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  12. Hmm. This is a tough question, because I seem to be more likely to hate something everyone else likes. A western one that I liked and everyone hated was Ishtar, an overhyped movie from the early 90s with Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty. It was a huge flop and sank like a stone but was released in Japan where I saw it and loved it. It’s completely hilarious and unique. For Indian films, this was a critical success (I think) but most people I know personally don’t like it because the premise is totally ridiculous: 1970 Khamoshi. OK, any psychologist who assigns a nurse to pretend to be in love with a patient would be drummed out of the profession, and I was prepared to laugh at it, but I think it is perfect. It’s a beautiful slow meditation about the risk and sacrifice of falling in love, gorgeously shot with gorgeous music. It really spoke to me on an emotional level.

    Yesterday was Konkona’s birthday! Or maybe today still in the states! Do you have a favorite role of hers? If not, it also seems to have been Dev Anand’s death anniversary! How about him?

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    • Khamoshi! On my list of “someday” films.

      Hmm, favorite Konkona film. I think my favorite-film-that-Konkona-is-in is probably Aaje Nachle. But my favorite-role-for-Konkona is definitely her cop in Akira.

      For Dev, CID because he is heartstopping handsome, and Jewel Thief because he has such a great time in it.

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      • Love Akira, but I think I’ll go with Luck By Chance. Although I really like to see her with Rahul Bose, so also Mr. and Mrs. Iyer and Dil Kabaddi would be on the list also. Maybe my favorite film that she’s in would be all of the above, plus Life in a Metro and Wake Up Sid. Oh, and I really like Laaga Chunari mein Daag also, although more for Rani (and Abhishek!) than her. I might just haul off and celebrate Konkona this weekend.

        Jewel Thief! I have not seen this! I also loved him in CID.

        You should really see Khamoshi; it’s so unusual, especially for the period. No real plot, just basically atmosphere. I was never really attracted to it because, as I mentioned, it sounds pretty stupid, but I noticed so many of my favorite songs were from the movie, and then it has Dharmendra and Waheeda and Rajesh Khanna.

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        • Oh wow, I forgot so many of her films! But I think I am sticking with my original answer, Aaje Nachle and her Akira role. the Akira part isn’t as hard as the Luck By Chance one, but it’s a more unusual role.

          Check out Jewel Thief! It’s got Vyjantimala and Tanuja and Ashok Kumar being suave and awesome.

          On Tue, Dec 4, 2018 at 1:13 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:

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  13. What are your thoughts on the racism due to the drama of T-Series versus Pewdiepie just look at the comments under recent videos from t series

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  15. Jodi Breakers.
    Not many people like it but it is honestly my guilty pleasure. Madhavan is super cute and Bipasha is so charming. Plus the songs are so good 🙂

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    • I haven’t seen it, but I remember really liking the publicity campaign around it. Maddy and Bips looked good together in the posters, and had nice chemistry in the interviews.

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  16. I’m in the middle of rewatching Luck by Chance. It is so so good. I watched it early on in my “career” and now it makes even more sense.

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    • It’s such a dense movie. I wish I could rewatch it with a brain wipe so I could appreciate it as just an interesting character drama instead of catching all the complicated allusions and statements about film and so on.

      On Wed, Dec 5, 2018 at 12:49 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:

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