Happy Saturday! I’m finally doing it! I’m watching Bollywood Wives! While making ten gabillion Christmas presents (I’d tell you what they are, but I’m worried one of my relatives/friends will read this and get spoiled! I’ll take pictures and show you after Christmas). Anyway, once I finish the show, I’ll put up a discussion post for y’all, so prepare your thoughts.
Things to talk about!!!!
What should I put on my Christmas list? My parents keep pushing, but I’m not sure what I want this year. I’ve got clothes, I’ve got books, I’ve got movies, all I can think of is a Panera gift card. And that’s a boring gift to ask for! What are you all putting on your lists? And what is on the lists people are giving you? Or, is my family the only one that does the mix-match of fun gifts you think of and surprise people and things you really really want that you ask for?
Bhaag Beanie Bhaag! Is anyone watching it? I keep seeing the trailer and it looks super fun. I’m not in the mood right now (I am still feeling like binging true crime more than anything else), but it is for sure something I would enjoy later.
It’s Manish Malhotra’s Birthday!!!! Which of these showstoppers from his past shows is your favorite?
dontcallitbollywood 
I like Katrina’s dress the best. One of your readers’ said to watch the last episode of Bollywood Wives, so I decided to watch the first and last (so I would know who the people I was watching are). And I was watching it, last night, when my five year old came in and heard the F-bomb for the first time. Whoops. I saw more than the first episode, I got lured by promises of Karan and fastforwarded to his crab dinner and then at one point saw the conversation with Chunky about never winning the filmfare award. That bit with Chunky was good. Also in the first episode the bit with the black-dyed haired woman’s servant was interesting. Let me know if there are anymore servant bits. I don’t want to have to watch the whole show if that was it. Also interesting was their children’s lack of Hindi. Can you imagine the resentment American’s would feel if their rich spoke a different language? Different country, different history, different languages – I can’t compare, and yet I can’t help comparing.
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I am slogging through, and my biggest reaction is that I am very worried about all these womens’ kids. There is one part in particular when all the women are sitting around talking about their plastic surgeries and how it is important to look young and stuff, and there is this little 6 year old daughter with big eyes absorbing the whole thing. NO!!!!! Get plastic surgery, but don’t talk about it like the most important thing around your little girl!!!! I just wanted to pull her aside and tell her she is smart and special and shouldn’t care how she looks and doesn’t have to inherit her mother’s obsessions.
Anyway, we will talk later.
On Sat, Dec 5, 2020 at 10:05 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I’m mostly asking for books (even though I’m still reading super slowly these days, but I’ve noticed some of the brain fog has dissipated a bit now that the future looks somewhat more hopeful) and kitchen stuff, because now that I’m cooking all the time the stuff I have that’s worn out bugs me more.
I liked this prompt on Twitter and I’d love to hear ideas from Indian film:
I don’t know much history, but something like the filming of the original Don, where the characters involved in making the film are interesting, the making itself is a story with some crazy filmic set pieces, and at the same time it’s telling a story about how the artists are having to navigate the power structures in society to make their art.
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Sholay! It’s gotta be Sholay. Sanjeev-Dharmendra-Hema love triangle, Jaya and Amitabh on their honeymoon, the big gap in filming while Jaya gave birth to Shweta that is a natural interval point, all excellent. Alternatively, Mother India and the epic Nargis-Sunil Dutt romance. Or Mughal-E-Azam and the falling apart of the Dilip-Madhubala romance. Or Awara and Nargis-Raj Kapoor falling in love and Raj directing his own father. Oh man, so many good options!!!! Or maybe I should just do a 101 on the best making of film stories?
Normally I ask for books, but I just got rid of so many books! And I swore from now on I am doing kindle as much as possible so I don’t get book-swamped again. And you can’t do kindle for presents. Or can you? Is there a way to do it?
On Sat, Dec 5, 2020 at 10:47 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Yes, you can totally get Kindle books as gifts. There’s your answer, something you would use that wouldn’t add to clutter.
A 101 making of would be great!
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Oooo, kindle book gifts! Okay, gotta go look for those now too.
On Sat, Dec 5, 2020 at 12:51 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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How can one abstain from the pleasure of holding, smelling, thumbing through a real book? The kindle kind of “books” are so soulless …
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It’s true, but on the other hand I have to choose between books and a couch at this point! TOO MANY BOOKS!!!!
On Sat, Dec 5, 2020 at 11:41 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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You told so. Did you try one of these hacks? https://www.bookbub.com/blog/bookshelf-hacks-for-storing-books-in-small-spaces
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I think I’ve tried all of those options except the built ins (renting, can’t build stuff) at one point or another. But you can’t get around them just taking up space after a certain point, and it makes no sense to hold on to stuff that I will never read again. Or can easily just get from a public library. Anyway, I’m happier with my stripped down collection.
On Sat, Dec 5, 2020 at 12:45 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Showsropper = Katrina (very, very beautiful ensemble – she and the robe)
Bollywood housewives = wasn’t interested at all, then read about Gauri giving a party on the terrace of her store with ShahRukh appearing in the last part. So i did like Genevieve. Watched the first part to get a feeling for the women and the (heavily scripted) show and then jumped (like a kangoroo) through the following 6 episodes and watched the last one (scripted, too, of course) with everybody very well aware of the cameras). Nevertheless, Ithere were moments, I liked as they seemed genuine.
I think it is mostly done with a lot of pleasure to play, to expose, to show relevance (which all those persons have simply because they a r e )…and for me, it was a pleasure to watch just those moments when there were spontaneous reactions.
Christmas = happy with whatever surprise :).
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Oh oh! If you have BW things to say, hop over to the post I just put up.
On Sat, Dec 5, 2020 at 12:26 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I am obsessed with Katrina’s dress. I love the plunging V neckline and the details of the lehenga!
I asked for some things that can help me relax and destress. Essential oil diffuser, nice smelling candles for the bath, stuff I can give myself a facial with. It is very unlike me and my husband said he would have never thought my Christmas list was drafted by me. But it’s been a weird year for everyone and anyone we can do to help ourselves feel better is great!
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Oh, I hadn’t thought about self-pampering things! That’s a good idea. I may need to start researching.
Katrina looks SO good. And it’s such a simple look, ultimately. Two colors, two pieces, just stands out on its own.
On Sat, Dec 5, 2020 at 12:47 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I don’t really like Manish as a designer. I think every outfit has major flaws but the red and gold one’s is the smallest (scarf is too dark/brown a colour of chiffon).
I managed to finally watch Amrapali! A fantastic movie, basically perfect.
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How did you get to watch Amrapali? what magical source did you discover?
On Sat, Dec 5, 2020 at 1:36 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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It’s on Netflix.
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I connived!
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…and I just added it to my growing “movies-to-watch” list (I even didn’t know that ShahRukh has the movie’s rights).
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I think he does because he wanted to use it in Om Shanti Om.
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There is a company Eagle Films which had the rights to Chamatkar and King Uncle and maybe one other. Shahrukh clearly bought their entire catelogue just to get his films. which means he owns a bunch of random films like Amrapalli and they were all included in the Netflix sale. Amrapalli is a historical film about a dancer and a king, if you are in the mood for something like that. Lots of very good classical dancing.
On Sun, Dec 6, 2020 at 7:37 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I just started watching Bhaag Beanie Bhaag tonight! I like it so far! I’m a fan of Ravi and for some reason I started it without realizing that Swara was starring in it! And I like that Ravi is trying to learn Hindi. I’ll keep you posted!
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Thanks!!!! If it is super light and fun and happy, it might be a good thing to bing while working. This is our lives now, “what is a good thing to have on in th background so I don’t go insane while working alone in a room?”
On Sun, Dec 6, 2020 at 1:44 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I legit binged it – stayed up to 3:30. It has some ‘big’ moments but not really. Even her parents’ disappointment with her life choices isn’t painful. It actually is light and happy and I enjoyed it. Yup this is our life now. Plus so much English (it might be 60/40) that you could actually have it on and not look up except for her stand up, which you’ll probably understand by context.
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In related news I also binged a bunch of chocolate while watching.
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6th of December is a special day…at least for the kids and for the kid’s memories in our family (Gemany)…the kids put out their cleaned shoes (the most spacious ones) hoping to get something else than just a couple of coals or a small rod from Nicholas (well, till now they never got this but some sweets, some fruits, some small toys, something practical).
Is it something you do, too???
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We have this tradition in Poland! But where I lived Saint Nicholas leaves the presents under the pillows.
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But I was just mentioning it to my coworker actually, because her kids are going crazy waiting for Christmas. I told her that she should do St. Nicholas Day so her kids get a little fun thing before Christmas just to make the wait less horrible.
My grandmother I think used to do it when she was little, and she sometimes did it for my Mom and uncle. It’s another one of those German Christmas traditions that my family did until peer pressure made us stop (friends at school saying it’s weird to do it, and then you come home and tell your parents not to do it any more).
I also have a family friend that does it for her granddaughters any time they visit. Her Grandma used to do it so now she does it as part of the special “visiting Grandma” treat. When you are at Grandma’s house, if you put your shoes outside the door at night, elves will fill them with candy in the morning.
Oh, and my mother’s name is actually “Myra”! So I think St. Nicholas is her patron saint or something like that? Anyway, it’s a cool little thing I think about every year.
On Sun, Dec 6, 2020 at 7:46 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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