Monday Morning Questions: What Do You Want to Ask Me on Madhuri Week?

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Happy Monday! And HAPPY MADHURI WEEK!!!! The greatest week in May, I think. I’ll have to figure out a lovely celebration for this year.

Here is where you get to ask me any question you want about anything, family structures in South Asia, what’s the name of that one movie you can’t remember, anything at all. And just keep swinging back to this post all week as you think of new questions.

Now, question for you! Big general question, how should we celebrate Madhuri week? Movies I should review, theme posts, anything you like, brainstorm with me! I did a photopost of all Madhuri’s FilmFare looks once, that was fun.

To get us in a festive mood, here is a fun 90s Madhuri song!

35 thoughts on “Monday Morning Questions: What Do You Want to Ask Me on Madhuri Week?”

  1. I finished Saaho and still understand nothing about it. I thought if I got the plot I would understand it, but I actually got the plot right. So I think I just don’t understand it because it makes no sense. Like, what was going on with the police? Why didn’t Shradda and the supercop get fired? Did they get fired? What did the police DO in the end? Why didn’t they arrest Prabhas since there were loads of witnesses to most of his 900 murders and the damages he caused (including civilians on the road etc)? What was I supposed to care about? Is Prabhas supposed to be sympathetic? Is Shradda? Where is the moral centre and what IS the moral centre? Why was everything grey-blue (with some tan)? WHAT was the editing and camerawork and why were the shots so often framed completely at random (especially in the first half)? Do they think Russians are also Vikings?

    At least it made me think, I guess.

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    • But, PRABHAS FLIES!!! TWICE!!! I want nothing else.

      As I understood it, in the end it is Jackie who is the moral center. I can get behind that, I do love me some Jackie. But if that is where they were ending, they really needed to start with it too. So Jackie is Good and Moral, but must make bargains with bad people to gain power. And then he is killed and his hidden son Prabhas decides to continue his morality, find his killers, and to do that he sets up a whole fake story of a Macguffet to draw them out, and pretends to be a cop and tricks the stupidest police officer he can find (Shraddha) to help him. Once he gets what he wants, he goes rogue but is still in love with Shraddha. She tracks him down and he partners with her for the next step of his plan, now that he knows who the killer is he is going to go home and pretend to partner with them but actually plan to take everything from them.

      The police are misguided and incompetent, but it is okay because the moral center is Jackie, the illegal cross all rules NRI businessman.

      On Mon, May 11, 2020 at 7:48 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:

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      • Yes, that makes sense, since Jackie is The Father. Even though you’re also right that they didn’t set that up. Who is the audience? Not Shradda, but not supercop either, and also not Prabhas’s sidekick.

        “She tracks him down and he partners with her for the next step of his plan” But WHY? What did the police contribute here? What even happened to supercop?

        I do have to give it credit for making me laugh a decent amount, especially at the flying and at Bad Boy. At the start I thought it had quite a charming oldschool masala vibe with the international crime and the mcguffin and the sinister boardroom, but then it started being clever and I THINK wanted me to think crime is cool, so.

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        • But, isn’t crime cool? He wears a leather suit! He has a fancy car!

          My theory on the plot is that they doubled the number of characters once it became an All India release. Mandira Bedi didn’t have to be there, or Neal. Make Shraddha the audience surrogate and police, and you have a nice tight storyline of falling in love when we think he is a hero cop, learning he isn’t a cop but still being a little in love with him even if we don’t trust him, and finally the reveal that it was all Father Vengeance (totally forgivable motive) with the goal of taking over the evil organization and doing good works.

          I think they also needed a little bit of clarity that the Evil Organization was actually good and Jackie was trying to do the right things. Maybe got a bit excited with the Crime is Cool intro scene and forgot to clarify “Crime is cool, especially when there is a moral center”.

          On Mon, May 11, 2020 at 9:15 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:

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          • I think you’re spot on with the adding characters angle. Films like this boggle me with how much money they have and how incompetent they are at things like setting up the story and, you know, filming, but I’m sure it’s input from different parties and different demands that derail things, at least partly.

            It made me laugh how this guy killed loads of bystanders and low level goons completely casually and then at the end the movie was like “he gave some people electricity so he’s a good guuuuyyy!” Apply to an NGO, they will give you electricity and NO murder, movie.

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          • Kalank! Kalank and Saaho, a match made in heaven. So much money, so much resources, and just the basics of script and character are not there.

            On Mon, May 11, 2020 at 3:20 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:

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          • Picture Saaho, but if it was a period drama and took itself seriously.

            On Mon, May 11, 2020 at 3:29 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:

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          • Not as fun as they could be. Varun and ARK look insanely good but their characters aren’t as fun as their costumes. Alia and Sonakshi and Madhuri look normal good.

            On Mon, May 11, 2020 at 3:35 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:

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          • ARK is a serious responsible guy who spends a lot of time wearing glasses and doing paperwork. So no eyeliner.

            On Mon, May 11, 2020 at 3:41 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:

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          • No no, ARK is great! That’s the problem with the movie, you are supposed to be all interested in eyeliner Varun from the streets and rebellious new bride Alia, but instead glasses wearing moral ARK and boring old bride Sonakshi are way way more interesting.

            On Mon, May 11, 2020 at 3:45 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:

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          • Completely agree. ARK is the reason to watch the movie (and Sonakshi). Other than that, go in like you did with Saaho, and expect a train wreck.

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    • And he’s TALL!

      Maybe we should watch HNY some Friday in his honor?

      On Mon, May 11, 2020 at 10:28 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:

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  3. Please review Aarzoo! It fits Madhuri Week so well. The movie is on einthusan, but if it’s somewhere else where you can easily see with subtitles then watch it.

    And maybe for themes like something like favourite dance (modern) and favourite dance (traditional)? Madhuri’s best looks, the best angle for her smile (it is ever so gorgeous), cutest moment or something like that???? Just throwing things out there.

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  4. Oh oh, please review Beta! Or if you want to get real weird with a gloriously insane historial fantasy, then please review Rajkumar (1996). Actually, this is making me want to re-watch Rajkumar this week in honor of Madhuri.

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  5. Madhuri hair through the years.

    Madhuri love interest roles – how were they different from today’s heroines?

    How do you transition to mother roles when you’re Madhuri Dixit?

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    • I think the answer to “how do you transition to mother roles” is NOT WELL! Bucket List is okay, but I had no interest in seeing her with her boring kids when instead I could watch her with her sexy husband. I just don’t want that in my Madhuri.

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  6. I have a question, and a suggestion for a film to review.

    Question: Do you ever watch a film “cold”, without reading anything about it (especially the plot summary), and just experiencing it without any preconceived ideas or expectations about it? So many times your reviews seem to be a clash between what you see on screen and what you expected to see. I think that’s actually unfair to the film.

    Movie suggestion: Dil Tera Aashiq. There’s no review of it in your archives, but that doesn’t mean you haven’t seen it. If you haven’t, I’d like for you to go into it with absolutely no preparation/knowledge, and just experience it. I will say it is a fun and moving film, has a challenging and fun role for Madhuri, and Anupam Kher in a slightly different role, too. For the many here who don’t watch Salman Khan’s films, it might be a good introduction to him. BTW, it is Madhuri’s story all the way.

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    • I watch the new releases “cold”, I try very hard not to read reviews or get any other impressions of them in advance, except for trailers which I consider an extension of the film itself. But older films, I am unlikely to go into truly not knowing anything. For one thing, if I am choosing to watch/review an older movie it is because I think there is a reason I should which means I heard about them somehow already. Now, with Dil Tera Aashiq for instance, I can’t go in cold because I know it is a movie you have recommended and I know your taste in films.

      On Tue, May 12, 2020 at 8:07 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:

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      • ” Now, with Dil Tera Aashiq for instance, I can’t go in cold because I know it is a movie you have recommended and I know your taste in films.”

        You intrigue me. Does this mean, you think you know my taste (because you don’t know all the tons of non-Hindi films I watch), and it doesn’t agree with yours, so you don’t want to watch, or, it doesn’t interest you? If neither of those is true, and you want to watch it, I think you should watch it “cold”, because there are several twists in the story, and they should be experienced without knowing about them. Any Wiki entry will for sure give them away.

        On another note, I just saw on Twitter that Rana Daggubati has announced his engagement, and suffice it to say, it’s not to Trisha. 🙂

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        • Oh, you just mean plot twists? I was thinking more generally, I know it is probably a Salman movie because you recommended it, and probably mid or early 90s since Madhuri is in it and I haven’t heard of it (since his output slowed down in the past 10 years, I’ve at least seen a poster for most Salman movies). Which means it slots into the general genre of 90s popular Masala. Now if I watch it and it turns out that Madhuri is a serial killer or something, I will say “this is not what I expected” because that would be an unusual plot for 90s popular Masala.

          On Tue, May 12, 2020 at 8:23 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:

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          • Well, it’s true I discovered DTA while working through Salman’s filmography, but as I said, it’s really Madhuri’s film. In fact, I read an interview of Salman’s where he said he doesn’t really care about how big his role is in a film if he likes the story, and he signed this film because he really liked the story. Early 90’s is too early for masala films — Salman was still primarily playing romantic heartthrobs then. So, while this does have a romance, it is more of a family movie, which is what gives it its heart. Madhuri and Salman acted in three movies together as the lead pair — HAHK, Saajan, and this one. I think you should see it to complete the trio.

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  7. I was reading about Madhuri’s movie Phool and was wondering what happened to Kumar Gaurav. Where is he now? What he is doing? Why his career ended so quickly? He was a famous actor’s son, so how it’s possible? Wasn’t he talented? I have so many questions! Does he deserve a 101 post?

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    • Datablue adored Kumar Guarav, so at least one person would care! Problem is, I’m not sure I even have enough data to make a post. Talented actor, very popular for a while there, great friend to Sanjay and his family, married Sanjay’s sister, and then just sort of faded away.

      On Wed, May 13, 2020 at 4:35 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:

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