Happy Wednesday! And happy day I have my last doctor’s appt and my last physical therapy appointment! Hopefully. Maybe.
I’ll start!
Reading: Oh shoot, I had a thing for this! Right, not Indian film related, just an insane human interest story my sister sent me: https://people.com/human-interest/distressed-kayaker-saved-by-priests-floating-tiki-bar/
Watching: Seder-Masochism! The same woman who did Sita Sings the Blues takes on the Old Testament. I’m only halfway in, and love it. Also, tonight I have a friend movie night and I am going to make them all watch Jab Harry Met Sejal and make them LOVE it. As all right thinking people should.
Thinking: Hair is complicated. I like my bangs now, we get along, but I can’t stop fiddling with them. Also, there is this whole thing where the first time you wash dyed hair the dye runs off and stains stuff? I don’t understand how it happens, and I really don’t understand how it happens the first time and then not again. Anyway, I washed it last night and had it rolled in a towel as long as possible, let’s see if I avoided stains.
Listening: It’s Lucky Ali’s birthday week! He’s not the biggest name out there, but he’s got some good stuff.
Now, question for you: we’ve been talking about Baazigar and Shilpa’s amazing transformation between that film and her later movies (which I honestly think was just growing up, losing the baby fat, getting her eyebrows professionally done, and better haircare). What other actor/actresses are there that have had amazing mid-career appearance transformations (with or without suspected plastic surgery)?
This is an odd choice, but I’m gonna say Ranveer! It’s subtle, but when he started out his face and body were sort of youthful and unformed looking. Now, he can still easily play in his early 20s, he doesn’t look obviously “older”, but his face has aged in some way I can’t even define.
dontcallitbollywood 
Karisma Kapoor. It maybe also because she started so young and had a similar transformation as Shilpa but young Karisma and mid-career Karisma took completely different to me.
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Yes! Her face got delicacy somehow, went from this happy silly comic childish look, to this sad woman. Partly the eyebrows and straightening the hair, but also something indefinable like Ranveer that just made her seem like an adult.
On Wed, Sep 16, 2020 at 9:27 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I think what you see on her face is unhappiness. Whatever happened to her marriage didn’t age her, just changed her in a subtle way.
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I saw it before her marriage too, and then after marriage even more so. A lot happened to her between her launch at 16 and now.
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Govinda, but that was a combination of 90s hair and fashion that didn’t suit him, attitude change/depression/personal tragedies, and suddenly getting fatter from some combination of car crash injuries/medication, steroids, and probably some addiction? in the early-mid 90s.
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Can I add on a third change in the 2010s? Suddenly he showed up way slimmed down and with his face enhanced somehow (face lift, heavy make-up, something)
On Wed, Sep 16, 2020 at 9:56 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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His weight fluctuated, but he never really was as fat as people think until his 40s, which makes sense. And then he slimmed way down like you said. lol let me tell you, it is both heavy make up and some sort of procedure, and MAYBE hair implants? I never succeed in figuring out if and when he had those, or if it’s still a wig. He also does wear more make up than a drag queen though, one of the many reasons I love him.
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I actually like Ranveer pre-perfecting. Alia looks so crazy different now, it always surprises me when I see her older stuff. And Saif. Can we discuss Saif???
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Yes! Alia went from looking just like her older sister Pooja, to increasingly like her mother Soni. Which I guess is just life, but it’s fascinating to watch.
Agree about Saif, skinny innocent young kid turned solid stocky older dude. I actually find him sexier now than when he was young, but it is very different.
On Wed, Sep 16, 2020 at 10:26 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Yes, Saif! When he first Started acting I just kept thinking it was Sharmila in drag. And then all of sudden it was the new millennium (2000) and Saif was HOT!
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And then it was 2015 and he was Dad Hot!
On Wed, Sep 16, 2020 at 11:46 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Well, yeah he’s different! I was all about the …um … guys of questionable sexuality back in the day. They make great besties! But crappy boyfriends. Saif is significant more manly now!
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Oh my sister’s long running observation, since I was a pre-teen, has been that if I have a crush on a celebrity then he must be gay. It has actually been spot on. Ricky Martin, Wentworth Miller, Anderson Cooper, Matt Bomer. It really never fails!
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Oh, and the hair … Yup. It’s really hard to keep color in hair. The best thing to do is was it as infrequently as possible. I know you can use vinegar to set color in fabric, I wonder if that works for hair, too?
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I already wash my hair infrequently, just because it is bad for long hair, I don’t think I can go lower! I think I will try to just not obsess over it.
On Wed, Sep 16, 2020 at 10:28 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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… Please keep us posted on your progress.
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Watched The Duchess on Nerflix. It is a Brtish show about a single mother, her daughter, ex-husband, and a dentist boyfriend. The daughter-mother track is really good while the others just so so. Season 1 has 6 episodes 30 minutes reach, so makes for a quick watch.
The girl who acted in Thaneermattan Dinangal posted a photo of her wearing shorts and it became a thing. So all other female actors in Malayalam film industry came in support of her, which is great. Read more – https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/women-have-legs-say-mollywood-heroines-to-express-support-for-anaswara-rajan/article32622488.ece
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Ooo, The Duchess sounds like it might be a good quick watch for me!
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It can play in the background and you won’t miss a thing because the dialogues say everything.
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I totally read this as “a photo of her wedding shorts” and was wondering if wedding shorts were becoming a thing in Kerala. Anyway, glad she’s getting support.
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Life has been good. Last week especially! Just to sum it up!
Peter “actual ray of sunshine” Johansson gave a casual and completely out of the blue on a live jam session with his musical partner Bruno (who has an amazing voice!) and then played a song he had promised me in a comment – I didn’t ask for it, that’s all him – in a response to a letter/e-mail I sent him to tell him how much I loved his music and what it meant for me (not going into details here). Wasn’t sure if I should tell you at first here in a comment, but it’s on the internet and I did kinda tell you of my love for this man and his music first.
Skip to 11:50 for the shoutout and 27:40 for the moment he sees my comment reminding him of his promise (basically he is saying “I promised you” in Swedish and telling Bruno about it, who didn’t know (either Peter forgot or didn’t tell him, it’s still delightful) and the song is EPIC. It’s on the internet forever and I love it because it was all a bit bizarre and unreal at the moment so I am sharing this very unreal thing with you all:
And the same week my writing was compared to Tolkien, so yeah, good times!
But because this is 2020 Finland is going to have a MAJOR (like stay at home orders and don’t go out unless necessary) storm tomorrow. Never happened before!
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This is so exciting! I am so happy for you! And close those windows tight and stay inside where it is cozy and warm and you can just read DCIB.
On Wed, Sep 16, 2020 at 11:17 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Yea, it sounds like it should be in a book or a movie, what I described with Peter. Thank goodness the internet is forever!!
Just saw the news reports on the storm and it it’s going to hit the West side of Finland more than the South (where I live) so not much to worry and my school is so nice that we were going to have an extra day at home writing tomorrow anyway. So no worries, staying home for sure! 😀
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Aditi Rao Hydari! I saw the trailer of one of her first movies London, Paris, New York (2012) recently and she looks so different. I spent entire trailer wondering if it’s really her and what she has changed in her face.
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Delhi 6 is the one that blows my mind, she is just “pretty enough character actress” in that, and a few years later she became “movie star beautiful”
On Wed, Sep 16, 2020 at 11:34 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Yes!!! And with Aditi Rao Hydari, I can’t figure out what happened. With most people you can point to something specific like eyebrows, weight loss/gain, nose job, hair plugs, or even make up. But with Aditi it’s like her face magically changed!
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She is such a good actress, I could believe that a director told her “stop looking like a character actress, look like a movie star” and she just made it happen.
On Wed, Sep 16, 2020 at 3:28 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I watched more movies this week then in the last month.
First Moothon, I had on my list for months but never watched because I was afraid it will be depressing. And yes, it is sad but I’m glad I’ve watched it because WOW Nivin Pauly. And also OMG Roshan Matthew. There is a scene in which he is too hot to handle. I didn’t know who the director is but later, when I read it’s a woman I was like: I could bet! The romance is so beautiful and subtle, only a woman could make it. Recommended, especially for Popka.
Then I saw Cargo on Netflix and I liked it very much. Such a interesting idea and scenography. Vikrant great as usuall. Shweta Tripathi also. I was shocked and angry when I saw the negative reviews. Like, what people want? Why they write those useless opinions?
After those two good and heavy movies I saw something opposite: Machine. A gif from the movie became viral this week, and as soon as I saw it I knew I must watch the movie. I wish I had watched it before I saw the gif, because it shows the biggest twist. The movie is absolutely ridiculous and over the top but man, Mustafa Burmawala was hot. And in my opinion he wasn’t bad. Why he doesn’t work? He has famous father, the look, the presence..I don’t understand.
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Would you rec Machine to me? I also saw the gif and want to know if it’s the kind of insane I will enjoy.
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Machine is like worse brother of Race.
I liked the gif scene and enjoyed the movie, but it’s not good.
One of Kiara’s suitors writes a love letter with his blood (A4 sheet written on both sides), he mentions in the letter that he wrote it with his blood and she is like: “Oh, how nice”. If you like this kind of content go ahead and watch. if no – avoid.
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lol oh my god. I guess this is not the kind of movie where he then passes out from bleeding steadily for 20 minutes.
Does the movie approve of misogyny? It sounds good but also like it doesn’t like women too much.
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Nothing happened to him; he only had a little patch on his finger. It’s this kind of movie 😉
I didn’t have problems with the portrait of the women. Really there is only Kiara. Other (3) women have very short scenes. But Kiara is smart, good, drives very well and does what she wants. The misogyny is the last problem of this script.
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Okay, thanks! I’ll give it a go, after Moothon, of course!
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BTW forgot to thank you for the Moothon rec! Looks great!
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You are so productive! I haven’t even seen V yet, although I did manage to finish all of Masaba Masaba so that is something.
On Wed, Sep 16, 2020 at 12:12 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I’m in the middle of V, would love to read your review.
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I have a movie night tonight, and tomorrow night, but maybe after our watchalong on Friday?
On Wed, Sep 16, 2020 at 2:42 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I love this regarding Shilpa – I honestly think was just growing up, losing the baby fat, getting her eyebrows professionally done, and better haircare – ha ha you forgot to add Nose Job to that list! 😂
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I will accept maybe nose job eventually, but just from Baazigar to Main Khiladi Tu Anari was an enormous change, and that was just growing up and stuff.
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agreed
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When I had blue hair I couldn’t use white towels for almost a month. When my niece stays with us I have to be sure to give her one of our two white pillow cases because her acne medicine bleaches the pillow cases. I mention that because using darker colored towels for a bit is easier than constant pillow case worries.
For the last two days I was watching Jane the Virgin. And I liked it, but 6 episodes in, I’ve think I’ve got it, and I don’t need to watch anymore. I looked up plot lines on wikipedia and I’m good. I have commitment issues.
I started watching a Marathi film on Netflix, but it was political, and politics is vivid enough in my daily life that I don’t need ANY of it in entertainment.
Yesterday I got an hour and a half away from children. It was too smokey to excercise so I read a book hidden by bushes near a canal. But instead of reading I was mostly thinking. Politics. I need to stop reading the news, but I can’t. It is like I am addicted to the hourly headlines.
I truly hope you made some more JHMS converts tonight!
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Luckily, I live alone, so I am just going to wildly stain pillows/towels as much as I want. Woo-hoo!
I have similar issues with Jane the Virgin. Except I got two-three seasons in, and then took a break, and somehow can’t seem to get back to it. Especially after spoiling myself on the ending so I feel like there is nothing more to wonder.
I’m not sure if I made JHMS converts or not! The chat comments stopped pretty quick and didn’t really pick up. Which either means they were so caught up they didn’t want to comment, or it means they all got bored and wandered away. It’s so much easier when we are in the same room and I can see people’s faces.
On Wed, Sep 16, 2020 at 9:28 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I have found I’m more chatty when I’ve already seen the film. Sometimes is is hard to read and watch at the same time.
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Still hanging in there with Lucifer. It does start getting repetitive about three seasons in, but it requires pretty much no brainpower, so it’s perfect for after a day of writing or something like that.
Also say Raat Akeli Hai last week and enjoyed it so much. Nawaz and Radhike make a really good pairing–they are sort of equally intense. I liked the funny moments like him putting on his Ajay Devgn sunglasses at the moment his mother mentions Ajay Devgn, and the surreptitious application of Fair and Lovely. Tigmanshu Dhulia was really interesting in his tiny role–at this point I think “infuriatingly laconic policeman” is kind of done to death, but he does something different with it which is right on the border of comedy but fits with the movie. And I liked the mom–she seems like she’s the traditional mom pushing marriage, but when you listen to her and Nawaz he’s the conservative one and she just wants him to find someone he likes and can spend time with.
Right now watching Kalank, which, indeed, is not good and I find myself wishing I could see another film about Sonakshi and Aditya. Maybe that will be later? I’m only about halfway in. I’ve seen the CGI bullfight and I’m sort of thinking I should quit while I’m ahead. On the other hand, I love the pretty music, pretty costumes, and pretty Varun’s pretty muscles and I’m willing to just enjoy those things.
Yay, Seder Masochism! I’ve got that on my list now. I really like her. I read an interview where she said that after Sita she was harshly criticized from the right (because of Hindutva) and the left (because of cultural appropriation) and her solution was to try to detach from both good and bad criticism. I think that’s a good lesson.
As a college professor, I can just tell you: people in their early 20s just change in some indefinable way, sometimes while you’re watching. Students will come back after summer holidays or something and just suddenly look like grown ups, and I can never tell why. While watching Kalank I was thinking that Varun had filled out quite a bit and wasn’t looking like a college boy any longer, but that might be specific to that role.
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So glad you saw Raat Akeli Hai! It felt like a Miss Braganza kind of movie. Yes, I love the way it throws in little bits of humor and humanity in the middle of all this misery. Nawaz’s secret vanity and fights with his mom are what make it a little bit better than usual.
I wrote another film about Sonakshi and Aditya! https://dontcallitbollywood.com/2019/04/21/silly-sunday-kalank-without-alia-and-other-script-fixes/ They were the best actors, and the best most sympathetic characters, and yet somehow we couldn’t spend time with them. Anyway, keep watching if you want to see an Aditya sex scene.
I should definitely watch Seder Masochism for Rosh Hashanah this Friday, right?
As a former dedicated Sunday School teacher, I can tell you the same thing happens about age 8. They come in little dumplings that you could just eat up, and then they get all gangly and kid like all of a sudden.
On Wed, Sep 16, 2020 at 10:51 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Season 4 of Lucifer throws out a great many of season three’s plot points, so as long as you see the last episode of season three you can skip right to season 4 (which is a better season, and you get to see his bum). Except on Netflix the last episode isn’t their last episode…You have to see episode 24, A Devil of My Word, before moving on.
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As it happens, I sort of unthinkingly seem to have plowed all the way through Season 3–yay for skipping the credits. So I’m all the way up to A Devil of My Word and I’m looking forward to a better season and his bum.
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Some film news:
Madhavan’s and Anushka Shetty’s Nishabd will be on Prime from October 2nd . I’m happy. Not as excited as I was last year, but still happy and will watch it.
Gamanam – I never heard about this project earlier, but today the poster with Nithiya Menen has been shown and seems that she plays a carnatic singer and for me it’s must watch. More, it’s maestro Ilaiyaraaja musical. I’ll definitely watch it.
Our favourite southern Sid returns to telugu cinema. Directs the same guy who did #RX100 (Oh oh it would be a perfect movie for friay watchalongs!), costars: Sharwanand. I like all the people involved.
The most important: Emraan’s look in his newest movie. I have no words really:
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You are so on top of things! Making me feel bad for not even watching V yet.
Agree about the Maddy-Anushka movie, I was so excited, and then it was a horror film and I was so NOT excited.
I can’t find anything about Gamanam, but it looks like it might be a female lead film? If they made a big deal about Nithya’s poster, and then Shriya Sanan as the lead.
I still haven’t seen RX100, so I will trust your judgement on whether I should get excited for this.
And finally, Emraan’s look! Yes, it is good. shaggy hair, and glasses, the best of everything.
On Fri, Sep 18, 2020 at 2:46 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I read something else today: there will be an official telugu remake of Andhadhun and guess who will play Ayushmann’s role?
Niithin! He ruins even simple romantic movies, I don’t know how he wants to play this role. Tammannah has Tabu role which also can be terrible.
It would be nice to read your V review but I feel I should warn you because it’s not good. I saw it and am disappointed.
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Oh, booooooooooooo! I only want good happy things. In that case, I may not watch it. But I may watch the Swara-Konkona movie that finally hit Netflix!
On Sat, Sep 19, 2020 at 7:16 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Oh, and also, Tammannah playing Tabu???? I like her, but that role needs an older actress, and there are so many great older southern actresses! Why not Ramya Krishnan?
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Niithin and Ramya Krishnan? You know only takes the roles in which he can mansplain and be superior. He can’t do this with Ramya. Besides this film doesn’t deserve her.
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Nani and Ramya Krishnan, that’s the cast we want
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Vijay Devarakonda would be good in this role too.
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Alia! Even from 2012 to like 2014, her face totally slimmed down. Unfortunately, it might be too sallow now, but she looked drastically different and amazing in a very short time.
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Yes! In Kalank, I remember thinking “she almost looks too old to play a young innocent bride”. And that was only a few years after I was thinking “she looks way too young to be in college” in 2 States.
On Sun, Sep 27, 2020 at 10:05 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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