Happy Wednesday! Everyone at work was feeling sick yesterday, but I have hope that they will all be better now. Or at least I will be, went to bed super early last night.
Reading: Check out this super cute twitter exchange between Big B and Shahrukh! I’ve just been reading that over and over again.
Watching: Kim’s Convenience! Season 3 just hit Netflix! I’m so happy! It’s really just the best show, light family humor and happy good people doing good things, plus two slow burning romantic drams. Someone else has to start watching it because I NEED to know if you think Raj is good or evil! I think mostly evil, but I’m still not sure.
Thinking: I took Albie Dog to the dog park after work yesterday and he loved it, and I was very stressed. He plays so rough! Not like the nice ladylike dogs I am used to. Also, he had to have a bath once he got home because he was sooooo dirty. So overall, a mixed bag. Is his happiness worth my stress? And his misery in the bath later?
Listening: I’m still on that floaty magical spring feeling phase, and I’ve mixed in one new song. Totally silly song from a lightweight movie, but I really really like the way it sounds.
Now, Wednesday question for you! An easy one, inspired by the new Kalank song yesterday: What is your favorite Madhuri dance number?
Oh dear, I said it was easy and now I am not sure myself. What to pick, what to pick? I think I have to go classic, “Choli Ke Peeche”
dontcallitbollywood 
Sooooo little time to read…just bits & pieces in between and a crime novel before falling asleep (or on the loo)
Not much thinking either because work-work-work (it’s okay, though)
listening…to the kids and to audio-books
watching…ha ha ha 🙂 (well, yes, movies of my childhood with the kids…fun!)
Madhuri…still the Devdas one, when he finally comes
Albie…well, he’s a male *big grin*
otherwise…still enjoy to read you (and the others) but have to skip a lot and often toooo tired to get my thoughts together to join the conversation…sorry
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This song!!!
And I hope you are having fun with the kids at least, even if they are exhausting.
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Yep! Maar Dala 🙂
It’s definitely fun to be with (the) kids and yes, I’m sometimes exhausted but it’s okay…it’s a kind of healthy fatigue 🙂
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Your kids and my Dog should get together and wear each other out.
On Wed, Apr 10, 2019 at 12:28 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Watching – only Annmariya Kalippilannu – loved it.
Reading – I ask my sister to buy me a book about Lech Wałęsa for my birthday, and now I’m reading it. Will tell more when I finish.
Listening – still Joseph soundtrack
Thinking – Is it true that SRK will be doing Mersal remake? I hope not. It’s a bad idea for so many reasons.
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I don’t believe any SRK film rumors are “true” until he officially confirms them himself. I mean, they could be true that he is considering something, or that Red Chillies bought the rights to something, but it’s not definitely going to happen until he announces it himself. I don’t think an SRK Mersal remake is a good idea either (partly because it did well in crossover territories so there may not be a Hindi market for it any more).
So glad you liked Annmariya!
On Wed, Apr 10, 2019 at 8:34 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Read a trashy James Ellroy novel which I enjoyed. Listening to Winners Take All by Anand Giridharadas. Otherwise–work stuff and politics as usual. And this blog!
Thinking–if Tr*mp is not removed for office and doesn’t resign, and actually runs for a second term, we really might have to move. No country is free from greed, racist, xenophobic, corrupt people, but it makes a difference when a country is as rich and powerful as the US. Can’t keep feeding into this death machine. One problem is, the easiest place to go and still be close to family is Canada, but hubby hates the cold. So, happy thoughts!
I am glad Spring is finally here. Sun, friendly temperatures, flowers, and green make a big difference in quality of life.
Watching–the third season of Santa Clarita Diet, and Life in a Metro. I wanted to re-watch Made in Heaven before commenting on your posts, but then I haven’t been in the mood. More in the mood for thrillers or black comedies. Or Shah Rukh content. Never not in the mood for that. Oh, and I’m watching some of Lilly Singh’s, aka Superwoman’s recent videos. I watched her a few years back then kind of forgot about her. Love the way she blends cultures and genres in her comedy, music, etc.Here’s a video that she released while in India for the YouTube Fan Fest recently, If Bollywood Songs Were Rap:
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I am so glad I have the freedom to ignore all news if I need to, I could never work for something that is politically related, too depressing and stressful. I was complaining a few months back about not having a job in the field that interests me, but then that’s also a blessing, I care about my job in a general way, but that’s all. It’s where I can go to escape emotional stuff and just think about boring things like making the bank account balance.
You don’t have to give me Made in Heaven comments, but I just desperately need your opinion on one thing: Is Kabir or Secret Garage Lover better for Jazz? I can’t decide! Well, I know what I think, but I can’t decide what the show thinks I should think.
On Wed, Apr 10, 2019 at 10:05 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Haha, secret garage lover for me all the way. Would love if the show flipped the script on the “she loved him before he was rich and famous” trope. As our Jazz does better and better, he’s excited for her, scared to lose her, stretched out of his comfort zone, but they end up growing into the new situation together. And, of course, she can support him to achieve his dreams, whether its a bigger fancier garage, a chain of garages, or another field all together.
I think the show leans toward Kabir, just because there’s been so much time with them together, and more swoony stuff. But I hope it stretches the story over Season 2. There will be a Season 2, right? 🙂
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I think season 2 is confirmed, I know it was a big big hit (bigger than expected) so I assume Prime wants a season 2.
And I want that too! I want the ending shot to imply that Jazz has learned she can be with the man who makes her happy and follow her dreams through her career, instead of making the man into her career. Heck, give Secret Garage Lover a job as part of the production team for the wedding crew (they must need a lot of trucks, right?), and eventually he can be Jazz’s support when she goes off and makes her own wedding planning business.
On Wed, Apr 10, 2019 at 10:24 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Talking about Maar dala and Madhuri, have you seen the Hulk meme with the Maar dala tag? “Hum pe ye kisne hara rang dala”.It’s election time and everybody agrees that this one will be one for the history books.
Saw J.P Dutta’s Batwara from back before he started making war movies.I’m marvelling at how the caste dynamics fit the present day even though the film takes place in newly independent India. Batwara means partition.But the film should rightly have been named Pride and Prejudice. Everybody, from the lordly zamindar down to the poor farmer has ample quantity of both.Even Dimple Kapadia, Dharmendra’s wife is not free from it.She doesn’t like his friendship with the zamindar’s son,Vinod Khanna.”Don’t trust him.He’s a snake just like all of them.It’s in his nature to bite.”
It all starts when the farmers smuggle the grain they owe to the zaminder outside his terrain.Vinod Khanna the indolent carefree son of the zaminder does something foolish and irredeemable once he learns that the farmers have lynched his brother.He goes on a rampage and kills every man he could catch.Dharmendra,his lower caste friend repudiates his friendship with Vinod and takes up with the farmers and loot Vinod’s family home.Third parties such as dacoits make use of their vendetta even as they pretend to stick up for the duo.Everybody loses.Shammi Kapoor the zaminder loses his happy joint family with one son dead,the other an exile and the third son a police officer leaving home, the farmers their home and livelihood.It is left to the women namely Dharmendra’s wife Dimple Kapadia and Vinod’s wife Amrita Singh to be sensible, to overcome the past and come to a compromise.What’s remarkable is that the film is so true to the time in depicting the arrogance of the Thakurs, the rebelliousness of the villagers.Amrish Puri, a sadistic policeman is so proud that he belongs to the same caste as the zaminder.What he fails to realise is that he has more in common with his fellow police man Dharmendra, (a low caste whom he considers beneath him) than with the zamindar who considers him beneath him.
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This sounds fascinating! And such a different angle for JP Dutta, but still the same. The complexities of the historical battles he usually recreates are no less than the complexities of a village feud during Partition.
On Wed, Apr 10, 2019 at 10:09 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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This is a lot less wearying than his war films.No one walks away a winner from a war.It’s the pride of the men which starts the feud/war whatever. The women are more willing to forgive and forget and get on with the business of living.I like how J.P Dutta is not picking sides.It’s not good vs evil.It doesn’t matter who started it.It’s a lot more complex. Both sides commit atrocities. And it’s always the middle men who benefit.But for all the proletyzing, I wouldn’t have watched if it weren’t for Vinod Khanna as a dacoit. Dutta knows his women audience too well.
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When I watch LOC Kargil, I tend to watch it as much for “beefcake in uniform” as anything else. Those are very nice uniforms.
On Wed, Apr 10, 2019 at 11:49 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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This is my favorite Madhuri number. She just shines, and I like the idea that she is dancing for the man she loves and her loved ones who have come to celebrate her engagement/marriage with her.
And I like the title song from Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam–not for the dancing, just for the romance and general prettiness. One of the few YashRaj style songs they’ve done together. I’m still holding out hope there will be more.
If anyone would be so kind as to translate the Twitter exchange between Shah Rukh and Amitabh, I’d appreciate it so much. Google Translate sucks now.
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All I can give you is the general sense of the exchange, that Amitabh was cheekily saying that no one was paying attention to their success, not even the producers. Shahrukh responded, “Sir, we were waiting for you to have a party! We are outside your house every night!” Amitabh replied “promotions are yours, film is yours, why do I need to have the party?” And Shahrukh responded “film is yours, acting is yours, hit is yours, shouldn’t the party be yours also?” The one Hindi subtleness I am catching is that Shahrukh is using formal Hindi to Amitabh, “Aap” and stuff. Which he always does in their twitter exchanges, very formal like a little boy in the principal’s office.
On Wed, Apr 10, 2019 at 10:11 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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A slight change – Bachchan said he did ‘selfless promotions’ for SRK’s film. He was irritated that the producers were not giving enough credit to Badla’s success.
This is his usual grumpy grandpa routine and he wants to be acknowledged. It’s tiresome but SRK gave him what he wanted and massaged his ego. I wonder if he’s going to have to throw a success bash now after basically being railroaded into it.
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“Grumpy Grandpa”! That’s perfect, that’s exactly what it is. Probably why I have a soft spot for Amitabh, because I love my own Grumpy Grandpas.
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Since you asked for the translation…here you go. It’s pretty much the same as what you picked up.
AB: —Complaining that the producer (SRK) did not acknowledge Badla’s success–
SRK in hindi: “Sir we were just waiting and wondering when you were going to give us a party. We’re waiting outside Jalsa (AB’s house) every night.”
AB: Hey! I worked in the film, you produced it, I promoted it selflessly, now I should give the party too? Nobody comes outside Jalsa every night!
SRK: Sir, the film is yours… the acting is yours… it became a hit because of you.. without you, the film wouldn’t exist… so then the party also??
AB seemed like he was truly grumpy and seeking some attention but SRK’s goofiness turned it around quickly. He is charming. It seems as if AB lightened up after the initial tweet. I wouldn’t be surprised if SRK does end up having to throw a party now since AB seems to want it so badly!
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Chane Ke Khet is my fav Madhuri dance too. This and the other song from Anjaam – Barson ke baad. I feel like I should choose Devdas or some other famous dance but I prefer those two.
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Barson Ke Baad is a gem, it’s the one I just used to show the endurance she used to have as a young woman.
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This was the week I finally saw Bajrangi Bhaijaan in the theater! It was pretty popular, and everyone thought the funny parts were funny, although they probably missed some of the Hindu/Muslim stuff. Man, is this ever a Salman film, but it was perfect for a busy week when I didn’t want to ponder the meaning of anything too much. I haven’t seen too many films with a bright happy Nawazuddin (most recently saw him in Sacred Games) so this was a nice change. I wanted more Kareena.
Then for something completely different: I am giving up my Hoichoi (Bengali streaming) subscription so that I can sign up for Zee5, because I can’t really justify four Indian streaming services, and Hoichoi has basically nothing with subtitles, including stuff that I know has extant subtitles like most Ray movies. So, I am very quickly running through everything on my Hoichoi list before I bid it goodbye. This week was Swapner Din, with the usual suspects Prosenjit and Raima Sen and unusual suspect Rimi Sen, who was very good but whose career seems to have tanked soon after this. (Apparently no relation to Raima Sen? Or Reema Sen. Or Riya Sen. It’s a stage name, so I’m not really sure why she chose one that’s so close to every other actress named Sen). Man, you would hate this movie. Very loose plotting and an ambiguous but probably sad ending. Also takes the prize for Hoichoi’s most misleading plot synopsis: “The movie depicts the modest dreams of Paresh, who wants to educate and enlighten the people of rural Bengal. Can he do it?” It’s actually about a government employee who shows movies about things like condom use to rural Bengalis, a job he seems to dislike. He and his driver lose their projector and meet a Bangladeshi refugee widow who wants to get back across the border. These three rootless people wander around the towns on a metaphorical search for the projector. No one finds anything, No one educates the rural people of Bengal and no one cares. Raima drifts in and out as Prosenjit’s dream girl, but there’s not enough Raima.
Madhuri favorite: Another vote for Maar Dala!
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Yaaaay! Bajrangi Bhaijaan! So glad you got to see it. And you are inspiring me, I really need to go through and clear out all the subscriptions I don’t even remember I have. I should strip it down to just HotStar, and Zee5 if it ever arrives.
On Wed, Apr 10, 2019 at 10:35 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Strange that I read Big B’s tweet as churlish rather than funny. Guess my view of him is not as generous as yours.
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The trailer of Nani’s next came out and it looks interesting. But I felt like someone else such as Vijay Deverakonda could have suited the role better.
https://youtu.be/AjAe_Q1WZ_8
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I like it. I thought it will be some boring movie about sport, but it is so much more.
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