It’s rainy and tired and bleh here today, so I am going to use my energies wisely and create a post of every single rain song in Shahrukh’s entire career. For The Good of Humanity.
Huh! There really aren’t as many as I would have expected! I wonder why? Is it because his body does not look that great with clothing sticking to it?
Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman “Seene Mein Dil Hai”, cute little baby Shahruks and Juhi wandering around the city.
“Ab Hai Neend Kise” with Shahrukh and Raveena who are going to DIE if they do not have sex.
“Daddy Se Pooch Lena” with Shahrukh and Manisha who are a little less desperate than Raveena and Shahrukh, but not by much.
“Koi Ladki Hai” A totally non-sexy kid friendly rain song!
“Main Yahaan Hoon” and we are back to sexiness.
“Jag Soona Soona Lage” our first sad rain song!
“Janam Janam” somehow both sexy and sad and sweet all at once. Oh SRKajol! Why are you so wonderful?
I was going to ask which is your favorite, but there are so few that I think we can just straight up rank them!
Here’s my ranking:
“Janam Janam” (nothing like SRKajol)
“Koi Ladki” (the kids are cute and the dance is fun)
“Seene Mein Dil Hai” (love the wandering around the city feeling)
“Neend Kisi” (sexiest SRK song ever)
“Daddy Se Pooch Lena” (so nice to see SRK and Manisha being happy)
“Main Yahaan Hoon” (not enough sexiness or rain to be higher on the list)
“Jag Soona Soona Lage” (so sad! I don’t like it)
dontcallitbollywood 
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I always enjoy the fact that no one ever minds getting wet in South Asian films. I suppose when the temperature is 100f/38c, you don’t mind a little rain on your back.
(But with snow, the umbrellas go up — which I never understand.)
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Some real SRK content for SRK summer. Netflix has released two promos.
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Yaaaaaay! Thank you!
I am usually wrong about this kind of thing, but to me it feels like maybe promos for that Bobby Deol movie about the academy? Am I remembering the details correctly?
Or, possibly, Letterman. Or I suppose possibly an actual SRK Netflix film, but it feels like if he was playing a real role in the film, he wouldn’t leave himself open to be made fun of so much? Or maybe not?
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I have no clue what has happened to the Letterman interview. Are they just waiting for season 3? Or are they going to release it on a special day like his birthday or something? It’s been more than 3 months since the interview.
This must be related to Bard of Blood. It starts streaming in September so they must be starting the publicity. These pics leaked out last month with SRK and Emraan Hashmi.
The only thing I’m wondering is if maybe SRK has a small role in it? Maybe he appears in the first episode? Otherwise, why would they do all this just to promote a promo? That would be so weird.
If he’s not in the show at all, I would hate for them to use his name and image just to bring eyeballs. He should not let his brand name go to waste in that way and only use it when he actually stars in something.
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I could see it teasing an ultimate full promo with him in character opposite Emraan, not as a role in the series, but as kind of a one off character bit to introduce the show.
I’m kind of okay with him using his Brand this way. He has control over it and he is benefiting far more than he does for all the ad campaigns and promos for stuff he isn’t producing. He did the same kind of thing for Badla, and it worked great.
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Speaking of Badla, maybe it’s an interview like that but done as an interrogation of the character, not Emraan as an actor? That might actually be good.
I would hope it’s not a 30 second promo they’re promoting with all these extra pre-promos before it. That would make me roll my eyes. A handful of SRK promos to lead to another 30 second promo but this time with Emraan? That would suck. Who would even be waiting for that?!
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Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. Shahrukh being interrogated by Emraan in character could be a fun 5-20 minute bonus thing, worth the 30 second promos but not actually part of the film. And a savvy move, if people watch for Shahrukh and end up interested in Emraan’s character.
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It’s not a SRK film because he told Masand in that interview that he has not gotten any streaming offers. Masand said he’s too big for that medium but SRK said he would do it if something interesting came to him. But it seems like it has not. Though realistically if SRK was actually interested, he would just have to make it known and it would come to him. It’s hard to know what exactly he means because he’s always gentle and diplomatic in how he states things. For instance, he mentioned that he was going to do a movie (Salute) but it “fell through” when everyone knows he dumped it and the writer even made comments about SRK leaving the film being a heartbreaking thing and how it’s still a painful and sensitive area for him.
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It’s interesting how as a producer Shahrukh is getting more and more and more savvy about putting together packages (recognizing Ittefaq and Badla when he read the script and bringing in the perfect cast), but as an actor he still seems to be looking for someone else to have the grand vision. As a producer, I can imagine him reading a book and liking it, finding the right director to take it forward, suggesting cast, and so on. But I think as an actor, he is still not able to do all of that for his own project. He needs someone to come to him first. Like, his artistic technique needs that collaborator if he is going to act.
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I wonder if SRK is putting it together though. I think it’s actually Gaurav Verma and other staff that handle the RCE productions that don’t star SRK. They can do it in a businesslike manner, get the appropriate cast, keep budgets smaller and so on. SRK said in the same Masand interview that they have several writing rooms now at RCE working on projects but that you can’t do it for films because in that case, it’s usually the director that writes it. Though I honestly don’t know why?! Why can’t an idea be worked on for a film by a team of writers? I’m not an expert so I’m genuinely wondering why he thinks it can work for streaming but not for a theatrical movie?
RCE is actually chugging along quite well now. It’s what SRK stars in himself that’s not done in a businesslike fashion. He chooses the flights of fancy, the crazy stuff where the budgets don’t make any sense, what he wants to do from the heart… and as the owner I don’t think the RCE CEO can stop him. The other projects seem just better put together, y’know? There must be a reason for it.
Oh he also told Masand that it’s a misconception that he’s taking a break because he’s working really really hard, just not on a movie for himself.
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I am baffled by these teasers. He is so tongue in cheek and Bard of Blood is so NOT tongue in cheek. We know he is a really good actor; he was less hammy and silly in the DDecor adds for Gods sake. What IS this. When he says “no one has offered” it is a totally him, diplomatic thing…many people would come running. When we read Bard, it was SOOOOO abundantly clear that the character had been written for Shah Rukh, down to the fact it opens with him playing hocky or soccer or some such. Why did he choose not to do it himself? Oh, Shah,WHAT IS GOING ON????
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He seems to be going for a friendly “I’m nice, I’m non-threatening, nothing to see here” vibe in some of his staged public appearances as himself. Combined with far more serious and intelligent and mature rare interviews. Maybe this is what he is doing instead of those light weight silly interviews? Maybe a clear distinction between when he is “playing” Shahrukh and when he is being himself?
On Wed, Aug 21, 2019 at 12:39 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Its sillier I think than just “nothing to see here” and why would that persona promote an action spy thriller with violence and torture and drama? Carol disagrees with me, but I think he is trying on some new persona’s one being “the grand old man of Hindi cinema” replacing Amitabh in that role. Course these teasers do NOT speak to that at all. So, I’m back to being baffled.
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Grand old man of cinema while wearing Off-White, downplaying himself as a romantic hero with a gentle soul and acting like a scared teen while making bad jokes? This type of promotion especially for Bard of Blood does not make any sense. It sets up the wrong type of goofy expectations for the series too when it’s actually darker and more straight-laced.
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That’s exactly what I mentioned in the other topic. Bard of Blood is a thriller and he’s playing it like a joker! And he’s playing himself except this is the fakest version of himself that can ever be. Can you imagine SRK actually behaving this way in the real world? What on earth?
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Also why use his manager’s real name but put in someone else as her in the video then? They could have just made the real Pooja walk in the scene.
If it’s meant to be a fake version of SRK, then why not just use another name for the manager?
This is SRK except not. So weird.
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Maybe tomorrow’s preview or teaser or whatever it is will explain.
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Thanks so much for these. I hadn’t seen most of these yet. I’m a new fan. Accidentally stumbled upon him here on German TV. I was infected instantly. That’s less than two months ago and now I’m trying to “catch up”, as it were. No easy task but I’m enjoying every minute!
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Welcome! I’m so glad you found me. I think we have 2 Germans here? at least, that are commenting regularly.
I have SO MUCH SRK content! Lots for you to dig through and enjoy.
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Hi, and thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the hard work you’ve put into it so that people like me can divulge in the way I certainly will be doing for the next days, weeks, months, and hopefully years to come!
I really appreciate it.
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How cool! What did you see him in first that you got addicted? A lot of his old fans keep complaining about his newer work but I’ve found that the newer fans actually found him through his newer work and still got addicted. That was surprising.
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I have seen more of his newer movies. I stumbled upon him by chance. I didn’t even know we had a Bollywood / Indian movies dedicated channel.
I will be very blunt: He literally saved my life. I had just lost the love of my life (my mom) to the same issues as he did (I didn’t know that then though) which was and is a disaster.
Being ill because of it allowed me to not do anything but focus on myself. So I was just zapping mindlessly, looking for something lighthearted and found the ZeeOne channel that exclusively broadcasts Indian movies, series, and shows, all professionally dubbed.
I first saw two movies with Salman Khan (he must have been super young then, probably some of his first movies). I liked them. Then saw some with Saif Ali Khan. Liked those even better. Then saw the last ten minutes of KHNH. I guess it was the eyes in that final scene. I cannot tell you what happened even though this isn’t even two months ago. I just know that something truly intense happened to me. I instantly got out of my bed and hurried to the computer for the first time in months l, frantically looking up this actor and his films. Signed up for Netflix, searched YouTube for information and the like, bought some dvds.
I still have a long, long way to go. I have watched all movie trailers and I have watched more than 70% of all his songs (I think).
Oh, the first full movie I saw was JHMS. I love this movie. It felt more like a classic novel to me, somehow, the ring being a literary device / metaphor as has often been used in classic literature.
I’ve now seen quite a few movies (Devdas, MNiK, KHNH, Darr, OSO, KANK, Dil Se, Don 2006, Dear Zindagi, JTHJ, and Chalte, Chalte). Still have over 60 to go and I’m getting there!
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Thank you for this story. I hope you’re feeling better. And you aren’t the only one whose first full film was JHMS, which is ironically really hated by people in India. I’ve been a fan for long but wandered off for a loooong time and came back because of JHMS. That’s just something about that movie.
(It’s definitely the eyes! )
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The eyes are insane. I’ve honestly never seen anything like it. Is it really that it isn’t “Indian” enough that it fell flat? I feel this movie has so much depth, if one really wanted to look for it. I don’t know. It may not be the movie I consider the best of what I’ve seen so far but it definitely is my most viewed. I watch it almost daily.
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I don’t know myself why it failed. I think it is Indian, in that it is kind of Sufi-like in the spiritualism and meditative feel of it. And yes, you have to open yourself up to the film and really pay close attention to the little things to see what is happening. But I wouldn’t think that would stop people from loving it. I really don’t know.
Also, I assume you have read my 27 part series discussing it scene by scene and moment by moment?
On Sat, Aug 24, 2019 at 5:28 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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No, not yet! I did see it yesterday and read three parts, I think but then had to stop as I wanted to get at last one of sleep in. I will read all of the chapters, however. I love your approach and eye for depth. I feel extremely fortunate to have found this place. It definitely makes me not feel as alone, that much I can assure you.
Also, I read in some blog entry that you or this community is doing live watching of a SRK movie? Is that a thing? Because I try to do that with my best friend and he likes SRK but he doesn’t really understand me in that respect. Not sure if you’re doing these anymore, but if you do and if strangers can join somehow, I’d love to apply / sign-up.
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At least one hour of sleep* (I should proof read what I write, sorry)
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Yep, I do an occasional live tweet of a film. With the time zone differences, I like to do it mid-morning Chicago time so that it is evening in Europe and India. Which means I have to wait until I have a day off work to do it, so it’s not that often. If you keep following the blog, you will see an announcement over few months maybe when I am doing one.
On Sat, Aug 24, 2019 at 5:48 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Thank you for the story.
I don’t know if this interests you or not, but when I was researching my master’s thesis on non-Indian Indian film fans, I ran into similar stories over and over again. Not the situation you were in, but that sudden shock of emotion in reaction. I had that experience myself, tears literally streaming down my face in a movie theater, but I didn’t realize it was a common reaction until I started talking to other people. Of the fans I spoke with, some of them had a casual interest and a casual introduction, but I was surprised by how many of them had that same kind of overwhelming life changing almost spiritual reaction.
On Fri, Aug 23, 2019 at 4:08 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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You did? This is really interesting to me (re sudden shock).
I wanted to say I’m sorry that you had the same reaction, but then, that’s not bad, is it? I don’t see it as something negative at all; quite on the contrary. It’s quite spooky to read what you describe because it’s exactly (to the T) what I am experiencing.
It feels quite lonely to feel these things, to go through a rollercoaster of intense emotions and not being able to talk to anyone about it and when you do, they’ll think you’re either nuts or delusional or both. When people tell me, oh yeah, it’s merely an illusion, you don’t know the guy, how he is IRL, blah blah blah, then all I can respond with is that if you think that you know anyone, be it IRL or otherwise, then you’re being sorely delusional yourself. You can’t ever know anyone, heck, it’s hard enough to know yourself and I don’t think most of us know ourselves, either. So yeah, weak argument, moot point. It doesn’t matter. Not everything needs to be tangible, not everything needs to be rationalized and logically explained. Some things just are. And that’s it.
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Yeah, I’m not sorry it happened to me either. It was a tough time in my life, nothing close to what you are/were going through, but I had just started college and I was lonely and trying to figure out who I was in the world, and then I went to the movie theater and saw Shahrukh and everything changed. I don’t know who I would have been if that hadn’t happened, it’s kind of defined my life since that moment.
And I agree about what you say of “how does it matter?” Even if the Shahrukh we think we know is an illusion, it’s an illusion that is important to us and that’s what matters.
Also, I wouldn’t normally plug my book, but buy my book! More for the sections where I talk about my relationship to Shahrukh than anything else, although there’s also good stuff in there to just give you a grounding in understanding the films.
On Sat, Aug 24, 2019 at 5:33 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Well, I think it’s great that he helped you make important decisions in life. That’s quite profound, I’d say. And if he has such an impact on people’s lives, then, yes, that’s what matters. And he’s only able to do that because he is such a versatile and hyper intense actor. And he is hyper smart on top. The interviews I’ve seen are more than proof of that.
So yeah, I’m shook but at the same time, upon reflecting, I’m not as surprised that something intrinsically steered me into his direction instead of someone else’s.
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Okay, my ranking for today (might change my mind by tomorrow, haha)
1. „ Ab Hai Neend Kise“
2. „Daddy Se Poochh Lena“
3. „Koi Ladki Hai“
4. “Daddy Se Pooch Lena”
5. “Janam Janam”
6. „Koi Ladki Hai“
7. „Tu Mere Saanme“ (from Darr, has a tiny rain sequence)
8. „ Main Yahaan Hoon“
9. „Seene Mein Dil Hai”
10. „Jag Soona Soona Lage“
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Wait wait, Daddy Se Pooche Lana is listed twice! I have to know, did you mean to make it #2 or #4?
On Thu, Aug 22, 2019 at 11:05 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Oh, sorry! No, it’s #2!
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