Happy Saturday! Not to brag, but I went to bed before 9pm last night. Yes, that is right, I am living the dream! And today I plan to get up and out the door super early in order to make the really cheap showing of Good Newwzzzzzzz. I’ll see it, but I don’t want to pay a lot for it.
Let’s see, what to talk about? Oh! Here’s a fun one! I am beginning to plan out my annual “best of” posts for 2019. I don’t like to do the usual blah “best song” and “best film” and “best actor” kind of choices. So far, here is what I have DON’T ANSWER THEM. THIS IS NOT THE TIME. But do give me ideas for other categories i could use:
Film That Most Challenges Traditional Masculinity of 2019
Worst Akshay Kumar Film of 2019
And of course, Gayest Movie of 2019
What other categories would you throw into the mix?
Another general discussion question, I have just returned to my DDLJ posts and I’m just zipping through them. In 3 months when I have (possibly) finished my DDLJ posts, what movie do you think could qualify for a similar intense look?
Oh and finally, if you were a good witch with a magic wand, what would you give Salman for his 54th birthday yesterday?
There, that should keep you all busy while I see my freakishly early and freakishly cheap movie.
Oh also, Happy 3 Days to Happy New Year!!!!
dontcallitbollywood 
Film That Most Challenges Traditional Masculinity of 2019
Dream Girl. It’s on Einthusan. I don’t want to go too much in to detail on story to explain as to why since you haven’t seen it, but for me it read that way.
For more financial part of things of it though I can. It was a BIG HIT here! Five (or seven) showings while most show only show a film two times in almost a week before its gone in the main city area. I went to watch it twice, laughed in all and it was a packed house in both. So, a certified hit here in Finland! More showings than any other Indian film that has come before.
Worst Akshay Kumar Film of 2019
Mission Mangal is the first that comes to mind. Thank you for your sacrifice in going to it. Honestly, don’t have anything else to add since I didn’t go watch it thanks to your review. Thank you for saving he price of a ticket and a miserable movie.
And of course, Gayest Movie of 2019
War. That’s not even up for argument at this point I think. #TigerHrithik4Ever and I’ll be all in on New Years Day since no party plans at all the previous night!
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WAIT WAIT! Now is not the time to answer these questions, shoot, i shouldn’t have even posted them. That’s not a small talk post. That’s special awards posts i need to put up separately so i can tally answers.
This is just examples so you can help me come up with other categories. DON’T PUT ANSWERS HERE!!!!
And yay, i can’t wait to see you virtually on new years day!
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Sorry my mistake! I will put them on the post when it comes then. Sorry, must have read it wrong!
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No worries, i wrote it confusing, i just rewrote it.
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Agree with all three. Also, I watched Dream Girl in the theater and twice on Einthusan. It is probably tied with War for my favorite movie of 2019. My father whose taste I can never predict, hated Dabangg 3 (which surprised me) but loved War and Dream Girl!
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Wow, really? I saw the trailer for Dream Girl and it looked like nothing special. Maybe i should check it out before i make my own 2019 picks.
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Huh, now I am also curious about Dream Girl. I’m kind of annoyed with Ayushmann at the moment but will put that aside for the film.
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I loved dream girl! It’s my fave of 2019, and is absolutely hilarious and not just the usual slapstick comedy, however I’m not sure if non-hindi speaking people will find it as funny cause of the dialect barrier and subtitles just doesn’t cut it. On a unrelated note, I love your hair is it naturally curly like that 😍
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I am now worried that I might have oversold Dream Girl as well. My sister and I have seen it multiple times and laugh out loud every time and quote dialogues from it on a daily basis. But we both speak Hindi and I agree that so much of it is dialect and the dialogue that I am not sure would be captured appropriately with subtitles.
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Okay, I’ll still watch it, but I won’t blame you if I don’t love it.
On Sat, Dec 28, 2019 at 2:38 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Aw thank you! Yes, my hair is naturally curly.
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Oh Alisa, I just watched Our Souls at Night on Netflix. It is also directed by Ritesh Batra and really enjoyed it. Have you seen it? If you watch it let me know what you think. I am now looking forward to watching Photograph.
Margaret – I am not sure what you’d think of it. I watched it very late at night and found the pace, dialogue, and story almost meditative but I can see others hating it because it is too slow and possibly boring for them. Also, I think it had a happy ending but it is not clearly wrapped up and I know you hate those.
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I think a nice old lady from my quilting group recommended that movie to me! Huh. Did not realize it was from the Lunchbox guy.
On Sat, Dec 28, 2019 at 3:20 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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It is definitely a film a nice old lady would recommend. Also it has Robert Redford and Jane Fonda and I adore them both. Is Lunchbox worth watching? I feel like all his movies have a similar theme and pace and I might enjoy it depending on the mood I’m in.
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I have’t seen it, thanks for the recommendation!
FWIW, I started watching Dream Girl and I’ve been laughing out loud through the first 20 minutes so that’s a good sign. In fact, I’m pausing the film so I can watch from the beginning with my husband.
Even though I can’t understand most of the dialogue I can hear that everyone has an accent. It’s funny what you pick up when you watch films in a different language for long enough.
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Oh yay! Looking forward to hearing your take on it.
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Well, this is all a very good sign! I’ll definitely put it on my “to watch” list.
On Sat, Dec 28, 2019 at 3:30 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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@filmikhudi, I saw The Lunchbox and really liked it but I think it was resting on Irrfan’s and Nawaz’s performances. Like had it been cast differently it wouldn’t have worked.
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Thanks for the input! Looking forward to seeing it.
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Alisa – I just checked out your twitter and did Ritesh Batra respond to you??!!!
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@filmikudhi, yes, Ritesh Batra did respond to me! One of the things I love about Indian film twitter is creators are a lot more willing to interact with fans than in Hollywood.
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Film That Most Challenges Traditional Masculinity of 2019
Gee, I wonder where you got that idea from? 🤔 😂
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Our discussion! And i am hoping for more genius ideas from this post. Thoughts?
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Most Regressive Film
Best Item Number
Best Feminist Role for a Woman
Best Film No One Saw
Most Undeserved Box Office Hit
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Most Egregious Abuse of Nationalism
Worst Example of Supposedly Sexy Scene That is Actually a Turnoff
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“least sex positive item number”?
On Sat, Dec 28, 2019 at 2:20 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Oh yes, please do Most Egregious Abuse of nationalism.
How about Biggest Surprise? Best Casting? Best Performance in an Underwritten Role?
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Biggest movie-I-thought-would-be-terrible-and-actually-wasn’t?
On Sun, Dec 29, 2019 at 11:28 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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How about “most quietly revolutionary role for a woman”? Or something like that? I want Kat in Bharat or Juhi EKLKDTAL kind of answers, not Kangana in Manikarnika.
Most sex positive item number?
On Sat, Dec 28, 2019 at 1:05 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I love all of these ideas!! On a side note, I watched the trailer of Panga and I really really want to watch it for two reasons: I love Ashwini Iyer Tiwari, and I am a sucker for sports movies about the underdog! I think I might have to carve out an exception on my boycott of Kangana just for this movie.
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Just saw it before Gooooood Newwwwwz and it was great. But did you find yourself wondering how another actress would have played it? Like, Bhumi for instance.
On Sat, Dec 28, 2019 at 2:44 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I absolutely did. I kept thinking of Tapsee in the role. I also kept hoping that Kangana doesn’t do something so obnoxious right before the movie that makes it impossible for me to watch it.
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Oh Taapsee would have been GREAT!
On Sat, Dec 28, 2019 at 3:08 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Oh let’s not allow Kangana to hijack the word feminism. Both Kat & Juhi qualify and deserve it far more than Kangana just based on quality of performance.
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Not just Kangana, there are the “woman empowerment” films that are now EVERYWHERE. Which is fine, but I want to recognize the feminist female characters that aren’t in “women empowerment” films, you know?
On Sat, Dec 28, 2019 at 3:45 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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-“The worst waste of time movie” or “I wish I hadn’t watched this movie”
-“Exactly my kind of movie” aka ” Somebody read my mind and made it for me”
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I like these! Although it might be too hard to do a poll for them, too personal. Maybe just a discussion post?
On Sat, Dec 28, 2019 at 1:02 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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This would be an excellent discussion post. Or even “Top 5 movies that you relate to the most”
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Oh yes, a good discussion post.
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I saw something trending on Twitter a few days ago that asked people for their “okayest” movies of the year. Not groundbreaking and incredible, but not unwatchable and awful either. Good, entertaining, “timepass” movies that aren’t anything to write home about. Maybe something like that?
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Sound good to me! Most “thing I will put on to watch again while folding laundry” movie?
On Sun, Dec 29, 2019 at 4:22 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I finished Dream Girl and while it started out really funny it all curdled for me in the end. It occurs to me that Ayushmann’s films don’t portray middle class guys with relatable problems, they portray ordinary, undeserving men behaving like utter selfish shits yet getting absolved of everything and winning the girl in the end. Meh.
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I’m not ready to make a sweeping judgement on Ayushmann like that, I think I would say more that his “flawed every man” characters and stories can easily shade into “undeserving guy gets happy ending”, but on a case by case basis it isn’t always true. Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, for instance, Bhumi calls him out on his passiveness and selfishness, and he changes his behavior after that. Badhai Ho I would say also has him being called out for his behavior and actively doing better before he gets his happy ending.
But definitely Bareilly Ki Barfi lets him off easy, and I just skimmed the summary of Dream Girl and it looks like the same thing. I think it’s a genre that not every filmmaker understands how careful they need to be to show that our “good enough” hero isn’t actually “good enough” and has to learn how to try.
On Mon, Dec 30, 2019 at 12:30 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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