Happy Monday! Somehow this week has become my busiest stretch of the holiday season (thus the Rani Mukherjee schedule), family in town Tuesday through Saturday plus two events I really want to go to on Monday and Sunday, and then next Monday is the annual white elephant quilting party and gift exchange (the biggest event of my holiday season for the past 8 years), so this ends up being 8 straight days of stuff. Anyway, ask me questions and distract me!
This is where you can ask me anything you want, any time all week. My opinion on a gossip story, backstory you wonder about an actor, question on religion or ethnicity or languages in India, or just if I’ve seen your favorite movie. Anything!
And to start off the week right, I have a question for you! Since it’s Rani Week, I’ll start with the big question: Do you like Rani Mukherjee? Why or Why not?
I didn’t like her at first. When I started watching movies in 2004, I ran through Chalte Chalte, Saathiya, and Hum-Tum and I got sick of her. She always seemed to play this irritating perfect “type A” kind of woman who didn’t grow or change over the course of the film because she was always perfect. But then I went back and saw her in Ghulam and Badal and saw that she started out as this cute little type. And Mujhse Dosti Karoge where she was quiet and less confident. And I saw her in Bunty Aur Babli where she was very much NOT the perfect type. And I started to realize that just because she was type cast, that didn’t mean she had a small range. But it was Aiyyaa, which I finally watched just a few years back, that made me really truly forever and ever in camp Rani.
And also, Badal! Really, she is so charming and young in that.
dontcallitbollywood 
I really like Rani’s evolution from Bunty Aur Babli to Mardaani. (I like her in both!)
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She has definitely aged as a performer in an interesting way.
On Mon, Dec 9, 2019 at 11:18 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I don’t really like Rani and I don’t know why. I thought she was fine in Paheli (which is the first movie I saw her in). I thought she was boring in Chalte Chalte and haven’t ever really finished the movie because of that. (Or maybe it is because I don’t like to watch people fighting.) I liked her in Talaash, but as part of the whole, she didn’t stand out to me. I view her as a solid actress, she is good, but I’m not going to watch a movie because she is in it. I bought Bunty Aur Babli, and I don’t really like her in it, and I don’t know why? Your comment about her being type cast as a type A perfect heroine is interesting because I know I am not drawn towards type A characters. Maybe I’ve seen her be type A so often when I see her play something else I don’t believe it? I think she is beautiful, stunning, and yet if she shares the screen with someone like Kajol I never look at her. I thought she was terrible in KANK, boring and unlikable, but that was better than SRK’s mean and unlikable character, so I should probably blame the director for that one. Why I don’t love her is a mystery to me, but I don’t.
My question for you is did you see Ishaqzaade and if so what was your reaction to it? I couldn’t stream the terrible Parineeti movies and Arjun had been discussed on your blog so I watched Ishaqzaade, and Arjun was so different from the other things I’ve seen him in. And the movie filled me with such a rage I couldn’t sleep for hours. But I searched and didn’t see it discussed on your blog.
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I’d be curious what your response would be to Aiyyaa and/or Mujhse Dosti Karoge, those were the two performances that really clicked for me and made me see Rani as someone who could play any role and just happened to be constantly cast in roles where I wouldn’t like her.
Have you read my book? I think I end with a quote from Ishaaqzaade. But also, I haven’t seen it 🙂 Because I knew it would make me just furious and I couldn’t take that. Such a stupid blind waste. And yes, this is why we find Arjun fascinating (well, I find Arjun fascinating and maybe a couple of other people do too). If you look at some of his roles, he is just so phenomenally talented and leaps off the screen. And then, NOTHING. And the only person I can think of with an equivalent spectacular to bland trajectory is Parineeti. Maybe it was something about this movie that cursed them? Pari and Arjun both followed it up with a few more really good performances, and then suddenly it all went away.
On Mon, Dec 9, 2019 at 11:47 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Can I ask you why so much rage? I haven’t seen the movie, but thought I should because I love Arjun, but if it’s going to ruin my mood I better skip it.
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It’s very Enne Ninte Moideen-y.
On Thu, Dec 12, 2019 at 2:41 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I run hot and cold on Rani. I like her voice. She has gorgeous eyes and an amazing smile. Her stature is well matched to all three Khans ;). She is charming and graceful and very good at connecting with scene partners, very good at acting love. Not as much a fan of the pouty thing she does or when she plays dumb. I haven’t been all that interested in her individual projects, she’s not someone I feel curious about for herself. And for some reason her interviews the past year have rubbed me the wrong way. The sunglasses-wearing, entitled star Rani puts my teeth on edge. I want to feel sympathetic because she’s a working mother back at her profession trying to act like a boss, but I’m just bored by most of what she has to say. It’s put me off her movies for the time being.
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Maybe Rani needs to be a co-star? As you say, she really signs in connecting with scene partners. Aiyyaa (Best Movie EVER) has her as the lead for the whole film, but she has two strong co-stars she is usually reacting to. But Hichki and Mardaani don’t really have that.
On Mon, Dec 9, 2019 at 10:11 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Before I saw Aiyyaa, I really liked her in Veer Zara and No One Killed Jessica. Maybe I like her in non-romantic roles? Now my favorites are Aiyyaa and Talaash.
Question: What movie is the new banner photograph from, with the man and the little girl with the Rubik’s cube? No one looks familiar, so I’m guessing it must be a Prithvirajless southern film.
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Photo is from Death in the Gunj! I can’t remember, have you seen that? It seems like a Miss Braganza kind of film.
For your Rani theory, have you seen Mardaani and/or Hichki? Two more non-romantic roles, but personally I didn’t much like her in them.
On Tue, Dec 10, 2019 at 10:56 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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You’re right, that is a me film, I’ve been putting it off (for like two years now, I think?) until I can handle something heavy.
I didn’t like Hichki as a movie but I did like her in it. I thought she did a good job of acting through the tics. I’m a teacher and I teach education and I eagerly await a movie about teaching that doesn’t hit every single cliche. I should make a bingo card. Mardaani I watched but don’t remember very well, so fair to say I didn’t super like it.
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All I have to say is DON’T WATCH SUPER 30!!!! There’s even a whole bit about how he teaches them to be confident so English doesn’t matter.
On Thu, Dec 12, 2019 at 4:49 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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What are our thoughts on that Street Dancer poster Varun just posted. I have low expectations for the movie itself, but I start sweating every time I think about that photo.
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He’s got nothing on HNY SRK!!! That is my strong feeling
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What’s going on with Varun? How do you get from Badlapur to Street Dancer 3D? (I don’t know. Maybe SD3D will be work of genius that speaks to our time, but I’m kind of doubting it).
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Imma drop this here since it’s the easiest way for me to share the pics. Is it just me or does Varun look seriously weird?
https://twitter.com/BollywoodNewbie/status/1205298224233205761
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Maybe it’s just bits and pieces of other people’s torsos smashed together into one image?
On Thu, Dec 12, 2019 at 7:28 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Forget that, Judwaa 2 to October? A lot of actors talk about doing something for money and then art, but it isn’t usually such an extreme and sudden shift.
On Thu, Dec 12, 2019 at 7:06 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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War or Band Baaja Baaraat? Which one is better for plane?
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War! So fun and stupid! And there’s a plane scene.
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Just to be sure: the plane in the movie doesn’t fall or explode, right?
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Yes, but in the most ridiculous unrelated to reality kind of way. And it’s not a passenger plane.
On Fri, Dec 13, 2019 at 8:02 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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