Happy Monday! I had a lovely weekend, and now I am back at work all refreshed and rested and ready to chat online with you all.
This is the place to ask me anything you want any time you want for the rest of the week! If I liked a movie or didn’t like it, what the history is of a particular actor, whatever you want! Just keep coming back over here.
Oh, and I have a question for you! What is a movie you loved on the first watch and then just don’t like as much on rewatches?
Hmm. I think Dear Zindagi is the first one that comes to me? It’s a good movie, still, but on rewatches I noticed more and more little cracks and flaws and times when it pushes too hard to make it’s point. I am sure there are more, but that’s the only one I can think of right now!
dontcallitbollywood 
Good Morning. I’m missing my friends at DCIB, the posts, the comments, the doggie pix. Still watching the films but can’t keep up with everything at the moment. Will dip in from time to time and jump back soon as possible. Please don’t forget me.
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I would never 🙂
That’s the beauty of an internet community, it just keeps chugging along and you can come and go as needed.
On Mon, Jul 8, 2019 at 7:31 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Ok qn-do you what is Kangana’s Telugu connection?I know she acted in a Telugu movie long back with Prabhas.These days most of her directors are from Telugu.Her sister praised Samantha for Oh Baby and sided with the Arjun Reddy director,saying Telugu folks should take over Bollywood.There is some background to this?or noone in Hindi wants t direct her?
Oh also,did you see the new song from Sahoo,im not liking it a lot,a typical T-Series party song.
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Boy, that’s interesting about Kangana. I don’t know of any Telugu connection, I know she did that one southern movie in her early years but that is hardly unusual. And then I thought Krrish was hired for Manikarnika on the recommendation of the scriptwriter, who works in both Hindi and Telugu. You are right though, this is weird.
And I only saw the teaser for the Saaho song! Didn’t know the whole trailer was out yet.
On Mon, Jul 8, 2019 at 8:08 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Kangana and her sister are so odd, I stopped searching for any logic in all they say. Have they forgotten Krrish? Now they are saying Bollywood needs southern filmakers and only few months ago they used and abused a very good telugu director thanks to northerners’s ignorance.
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Ah, so glad someone opened with a Kangana question so mine won’t seem so obsessive. She fascinates me in a ‘can’t look away from the poisonous snake” kind of way. WHAT on earth was that press conference? Who is that journalist she attacked? She claims he did all sorts of things he said ( in a very rational way) that he said he did not do. Is she mistaking him for someone else? Was she bored and wanted to mix it up? What HAPPENED there?
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It feels to me the same as her other behavior. She hallucinates (and I literally mean hallucinates) things that did not happen and then attacks people for them. And every time she positions herself as the wronged party and therefore having a “right” to speak out about it, when in fact she is bullying the other person. I would hope the power dynamic between a reporter and a movie star and the lack of motivation for him to lie about what happened while make it clear what she is doing and how this is part of her pattern, but I doubt it. The poor reporter will be shown as the big bad villain, and Kangana as brave for confronting him.
Obviously Kangana is mentally ill and is not responsible for all her actions. But I think she is still responsible for some of her actions, if she hallucinates a thing happening, she can still choose how she reacts to that thing which (in her mind) happened. As always, I am most angry with the people who enable her, she has left a string of victims in her wake at this point and the media and some parts of the public are still lining up to be her weapons, and producers and others are still lining up to use her as their weapon.
On Mon, Jul 8, 2019 at 9:55 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Well her co stars and director certainly looked really uncomfortable.
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Poor Rajkumar.
On Mon, Jul 8, 2019 at 10:51 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Hope this makes more and more people never want to work with her. That is the only consequence that will matter.
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As much as people want it, Kangana is never going to lose out on roles. I’ve accepted it. There are always smaller filmmakers or newer ones that need a star name but cannot get anyone else. They would take the risk that comes with Kangana if it means they can get their movie off the group. People make compromises in their career all the time.
Nowadays there is Netflix, Amazon, and various Indian streaming sites too. The Southern industries also love being able to land a BW actress for their films. She has a lot of options open no matter how many people she angers.
She has also insulated herself by becoming a fake bhakt. She tweets against Muslims, sucks up to Modi, keeps pretending Hindus are vulnerable and the BJP IT cell supports her for her antics. Earlier, she used to suck up to Barkha Dutt and the Congress liberals before Modi came to power in 2014. There is nothing consistent about her because she has no integrity or principles. She’s the trashier and crasser version of Priyanka.
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Speaking of people enabling Kangana, did you see Ekta Kapoor’s reaction? She seemed amused and like she was enjoying the drama and the headlines it was going to generate.
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Yeah, this film at least seems calculated to benefit from whatever Kangana does. Unlike Manikarnika where the stink of the controversy went against the film story of the noble wise Queen.
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It was reported that she looked really uncomfortable; I couldn’t tell in the clip I saw.
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I feel you. It’s the same way I feel about Priyanka. I can’t stand her but I’m always fascinated by what she’s up to.
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What movies are you most excited about the rest of this year, including your number one most anticipated?
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Well, I am completely sick of the action movie and the serious dramas, which knocks out almost all upcoming films. So I guess I am left with Jabariya Jodi, Arjun Patiala, and Good News.
On Mon, Jul 8, 2019 at 10:22 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I agree, adding Judgmental Hai Kya to those three most promising lighter films (despite the issues around it). Adding The Zoya Factor and Ayushmann’s Dream Girl to that list, too. Maybe Bala, too.
I’m also kind of curious about Laal Kaptaan. Could be another interesting entry in Saif’s new cooler career. And I haven’t given up completely on Arjun and because it’s Gowarikar, I’m excited about Panipat. All the rest I could take it or leave it.
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I’m nervous about Dream Girl. It looks really weird, so far. Could be they are just releasing the strangest images, but I really don’t want it to be Ayushmann’s magical realism experiment type film.
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One movie which I cannot absolutely get myself to watch now is Happy Days. When it released, 2008 or so, I watched it and enjoyed the movie. I was in college that time and could relate to some happenings in the movie and liked it. A year later when I watched it, I felt it was not a great movie
I still was in college but just could not relate to it. After that when ever I tried watching the movie, I couldn’t complete it.
What do you think about pairing of male actors with much much younger female actors? If you have written about this else where, a link would be great.
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That actually makes me happy, I’ve had Happy Days on my long time “I should watch that someday” list, now I don’t feel so bad about not having watched it.
I have written some things on pairing male actors with younger female actors, but it was related to the specific situation of the Hindi industry, I don’t know if it translates to other industries. Here you go: https://dontcallitbollywood.com/2017/08/03/hindi-film-101-why-do-we-keep-seeing-the-same-thing-over-and-over-again-risk-reward-in-hindi-film/
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Thanks for sharing the link. What you say makes sense considering that care of children in India is almost completely the mother’s responsibility, I suppose what you mentioned about the age of movie goers along with the gender skew affects who is chosen as the female lead too. Trisha and Tamannah, for example, are/were not getting “good” roles with top male actors. 96 did change this for Trisha but for others it is what it is?
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Yeah, really the same reason we don’t see as many older actresses is the same reason you don’t see as many older women in demanding jobs in any industry in India. The “mommy track” derails them and younger singler actresses are left to pick up their chances.
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I did not really love Dear Zindagi even the first time I saw it. The only reason to see it is for SRK but even with him, they gave him such terrible lines at certain points. “Don’t let the past blackmail your present to ruin a beautiful future.” It sounds like a cheesy motivational poster or a dumb whatsapp forward your uncles keep sending.
It was a big disappointment from Gauri Shinde after English Vinglish. I care about Alia and her annoying boyfriends less and less each time I see it. What an utterly boring first half.
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What are your thoughts on Dhakaad’s poster? I have stopped watching Kangana movies because I literally can’t take her and her sister’s nonsense anymore. But the Dhakaad poster looked so interesting and I am such a sucker for Lara Croft-esq films.
Also, on an equally controversial topic, did you Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s interview with Anupama Chopra? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIRLo6kpuHI. Thoughts?
To answer your question about movie I enjoyed on the first watch and then just didn’t like as much on rewatches was Kabhi Kabhi. Also, on a random note, have you seen Insaaf ki Awaaz? Rekha is so good in it!
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I’m am more curious if Dhakaad will manage to get made. With Kangana alone, no strong co-star or producer to reign her in, will the film survive?
For the SRV interview, I just don’t know. Really, much of it relates to things that are outside of my area and I can’t intelligently comment on, so I just won’t. I do wonder if it was his first interview, my memory for when Kabir Singh was being planned and there was a question related to film rights is that someone at BH just called him up on his home phone and he gave a surprisingly detailed and honest answer, like he would have to a friend. It felt like someone who wasn’t media savvy. But that was a long time ago, and maybe I was interpreting it wrong.
Have not seen Insaaf Ki Awaaz, I am really not as good as I should be with older movies. Kabhi Kabhi I always enjoy less on rewatches, until the last ten minutes and then I enjoy it more. That last ten minutes is so freaking INSANE that I can never grow tired of it.
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Have to say I lost all appetite to defend Kabir Singh after watching that interview, after initially enjoying the film in the theater. Can’t get past the comment about not understanding what it’s really like to be in love unless you can smack your partner.
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I said this on Twitter but all of these men talking about smacking as a sign of true love need to be married to a member of the wrestling or badminton team because I’m sure they’d change their tune very quickly against someone who is as strong or stronger than them.
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Right? Or a lovely boxing champ.
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I am loving these suggestions. May I add a hockey player to the list? I just rewatched Chak De, so girl’s hockey is on my mind!
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Dear Zindagi is it for me too. Nowadays, I only watch the good parts and skip the rest. So, I get about 30 minutes of Shahrukh and that’s it. (I do the same with Tubelight. I only watch the Shahrukh as magician part. Shahrukh as a gorgeous, empathetic magician? Seems like typecasting.)
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Stree for me. Was good the first time around, but the second time when I watched it with my husband – I couldn’t even watch it completely. Also the climax felt too “woke” and trying to make a point. On the contrary, I rewatched Deewana due to your post a few weeks ago and that held up well!
On the Kangana note, can somebody shut her up please??!? Would be great if people all over would just mute her twitter handle as well (I don’t buy that its her sister tweeting from it)
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There was a tweet from her about Hrithik that a bunch of people said should make her account be suspended since it violated the twitter usage rules. Seems like she’s done enough tweeting to justify twitter canceling her account, but I guess they must like getting all that traffic.
You are making me afraid to rewatch Stree! I only saw it once in theaters and really liked it and haven’t seen it again since.
On Mon, Jul 8, 2019 at 1:13 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I saw Stree again and really enjoyed it so 🤷 I think it holds up. I laughed again even though I remembered a lot of the funny lines.
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3 Idiots. Child me loved it when I first saw it but 10 years later after all of the hype I’m just completely done with it
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I was thinking about making that my example too!
On Mon, Jul 8, 2019 at 4:10 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Goofy question for a stressful work week: how many of SRK’s characters – mostly early career – could be fairly described as Manic Pixie Dream Boys?
Manic Pixie Dream Girls are characters who exist “solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life and its infinite mysteries and adventures.” They have no particular motivation or character arc of their own and are often unrealistically perfect and selfless. This is considered a problem trope created by male screenwriters who are bad at writing complex female characters.
However! Seems to me if you switch the gender, could also describe SRK in, for example, Kal Ho Na Ho, and a number of his other hyperactive early roles. Thoughts?
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Yes! Absolutely! Shahrukh took/takes many roles that serve to support the journey of the heroine and have no development or depth of their own. Only it isn’t the “manic pixie” character, because boys are slightly different, it is more the “noble supporter and happy ending” character. Or something like that. Anyway, Dil Aashna Hai leaps to mind for me, his very first film role. Deewana a little bit too, both of them were really Divya Dutta’s movies, Shahrukh was just there to move her journey along.
Ooo, this might be another discussion question!
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This is a really good interview with Hrithik. He discusses Kangana but there’s a lot more to it than that.
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Thanks! It’s hard to get Hrithik to give a good interview, those are real finds.
I like his openness about Kangana, he hasn’t really changed his story all along, he is being stalked and there is nothing he can do legally about it.
And his poor sister! His nod towards the medical infrastructure makes me assume some kind of illness, mental or addiction or something. I wonder, in his telling of the Kangana story, he said that he talked to her sister and said she needed help, and wanted to reach out to her family again after it escalated but the police told him not to. Could that have been from his own experience of the other side? Getting calls from people saying “your sister is in danger” and being grateful for the warning and reacting with love and assistance towards her? If so, it sounds like the Roshan family has a much more warm and supportive and non-enabling relationship with mental illness than the Ranaut family. It was also generally whispered that his closeness with his family (they had an apartment one floor up) was part of the reason he and Suzanne split up. I wonder if part of that closeness was dealing with his sister’s issues? Mental illness (or addiction or whatever else it is) can be so draining on a family, I can see Suzanne just not having the energy for that to be a daily part of her life.
On Mon, Jul 8, 2019 at 7:06 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I’m glad he made such a strong statement about not discriminating on the basis of religion. I think that’s very important as a refutation of his sister but also just a good thing to say in general in today’s climate.
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It’s also important to say for his boys. Hating people of other religions means hating half of who they are. That’s a terrible thing to hear people saying about your father.
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The Tamil Nadu Film Producers Council had threatened legal action against those who review a movie negatively. The PRO Union had come out with something similar. Latest is they have withdrawn the circular.
https://www.news18.com/news/movies/after-backlash-tamil-nadu-film-producers-council-withdraws-circular-against-film-critics-2223867.html
Has any reviewer faced legal action because they reviewed a movie negatively?
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I am sure someone has been sued at some point for a bad review. It’s hard to know from this article what kind of restrictions they were trying to enforce. By “negative”, do they mean the kind of bad reviews that Film Companion does, or do the mean the bad reviews that are clearly paid off by rival stars or producers and serve just to tear down a star or a film.
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The document (
https://images.in.com/uploads/2019/07/TFPC.jpg) says anyone who in the name of a review crosses limits and disrespects the movie, actor, actress, director, and producer will not be invited to any Tamil film related events. Legal action will be initiated against those who do so. So its not clear what they are defining as negative or crosses limits.
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