Happy Monday! I realize this is an international blog, so my rainy Monday may be a sunny or snowy or all kinds of things Monday for everyone else. Just to clarify, you can still ask me questions even if it isn’t raining where you are.
This is where you get to ask me anything you want from “how was your weekend?” to “whose birthday is it today”. Just keep swinging back here all week as you think of new questions!
Now, question for you! Today is both “grilled cheese day” and “licorice day”. Which of these two things do you prefer?
I am 100% grilled cheese. Licorice is fun to eat, you can play with it and stuff, but ultimately there’s just not a lot of there-there. Where as grilled cheese has texture, taste, and calories!
dontcallitbollywood 
Not a question but something I must share – you know how I love those accidental marriages in Indian movies e.g sindoor falling from the shelf, guy ties a mangalsutra accidentaly etc Unfortunately there aren’t many movies with such plots nowadays. But I found one – bengali romantic drama Parineeta. The heroine is in love with her neighbor, who only likes her as a friend. On Holi she mixes the red Holi powder with sindoor and gives it to him. He smears her head with the powder not knowing he is marrying her. OMG I already love this film. What a pity it’s not on Einthusan 😦 I only found a bad, not subtitled copy on youtube and watched it on doubled speed.
Here’s the trailer:
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Yes! It’s Parineeta! Whats his face who wrote Devdas also wrote the novel Parineeta. Like Devdas, it’s been updated and changed a million times. But the essential idea is neighbor boy and girl who are friends, and then have a spontaneous marriage, and then the question is how serious is this marriage? Does she respect it for real? Does he respect it? Does his family?
The original novel had a lot of stuff about religious reform and class and blah blah too, but the basic idea is this sudden marriage and then what happens after.
Check out the Vidya-Saif version, in which she casually puts his button chain around his neck and then he says “wait! We are married!” and puts it around her neck:
On Mon, Apr 12, 2021 at 9:07 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I have seen Saif-Vidya Parineeta years ago and remember the story more or less, but this new version is different because
SPOILER there is no happy ending because the guy dies not long after the “wedding” and she, considering herself his wife, does everything to punish the people responsible for his death END OF THE SPOILER
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Okay, that SPOILER is so cool!
On Mon, Apr 12, 2021 at 10:29 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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It’s even more interesting IMO, because we discover in the end why he died and who was responsable for it and that all the things she did were planned.
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I finally caved and paid the $25 for premium Einthusian. Any recommendations? Don’t assume that I’ve already seen it, there are a lot of famous movies that I haven’t seen yet. And I have Netflix, but not Prime.
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Also, grilled cheese all the way, licorice is kind of nasty.
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A Gentleman! If you haven’t seen it. I LOVE that movie and it is primo Sid M. Also primo Sid M, Jabariya Jodi.
OK Kanmani in Tamil, Varsham in Telugu. And I am sure there are others, but that’s what leaps to mind.
Oh, if you are an SRKian, Chaahat and Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman.
On Mon, Apr 12, 2021 at 9:21 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I have absolutely seen A Gentleman! So good! I have also seen Jabariya Jodi, and while Sid looks extremely delicious, the movie itself was all over the place, which put me in a funk for days after I saw it because I was so excited for it and it let me down so much.
Of course I love SRK, I read this blog, don’t I?
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Ooo! Early semi-obscure but fun SRK movies, the two I already mentioned, plus Koyla, and Anjaam is weird and awesome.
Tum Mere Ho is the WORST Aamir movie I have ever seen and incredibly fun. Bobby from the 1970s is classic and super cute. I have a soft spot for Hrithik’s Aap Mujhe Aache Lagne Lage, and of course Koi Mil Gaya is a requirement.
On Mon, Apr 12, 2021 at 9:35 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Well, what do you want to see? There are some unsubtitled ones I’d watch if I got Prime einthusan, but they are most likely not what you’d want. The einthusan version of Ghungroo is the best cut, and their cut of Jab Jab Phool Khile is the second best one, so there’s that?
Anyway, thanks for making me look, because there’s a whole bunch of new Govinda movies AND even new Shashi ones!
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Wait, there are new Shashi movies on Einthusan? Which ones? I have to watch them!
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New to einthusan! They were all available elsewhere I think. Pyar ka Mausam, Doosra Aadmi, Sawaal, Aap Beati (badly want to see it but no subtitles), Vachan (same). I think another bunch was added along with Ilzaam that were all on youtube before but the Ilzaam is cut very badly, so I don’t know what the others are like.
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Doosra Aadmi!!!! You can finally watch it! You will love it soooooooooooo much. You will hate Rishi sooooooooooooooo much.
On Mon, Apr 12, 2021 at 3:25 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I KNOW! I’m like half an hour in and I already hate him! It’s going to be great!
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Disregard that, it was the new youtube version that was cut up, so the einthusan ones are probably fine. It’s a difference of 24 minutes!!!
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Food related – Did you react the same way people as the people in the YouTube videos where they try a new cuisine do when you ate Indian food for the first time?
Grilled cheese any day!! I am partial to grill cheese and tomato soup combo.
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Not sure how youtube people react, so can’t say for sure. I don’t really remember a first time having Indian? It was always sort of around as a possible food. Not an every day thing, but something I would eat. I do remember the first time I had Jalabis, I LOVED Jalabis!
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Don’t like fennel, anise biscuits, anything licorice-y. But grilled any-kind-of-cheese on rye, wheat, white, raisin bread; with tomatoes, ham, thin slices of apple, apricot jam. Heaven!
Halfway thru The Serpent and really spooked. It’s well done, great cast, creepy scenery, a little jumpy with the time stamps but I got used to it. My husband and I backpacked Kath with friends in the mid-70’s and I kept thinking it could have been us. Where but for the grace of God?
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It’s so spooky! You really get the vibe of dealing with someone who doesn’t play by normal rules. If he crosses your path, there is no way to protect yourself.
On Mon, Apr 12, 2021 at 12:42 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Exactly! We were in a totally alien environment and yet everybody there was just like us, wide-eyed, trusting, slightly stoned twenty-somethings who believed anyplace else was better than the violence, corruption and racism at home. My husband was a little more savvy and might have roughed off somebody like Sobraj. But I was an innocent tree-hugger who gave flowers to cops in combat gear.
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I have lots of opinions on your question. My husband loves licorice and I can’t stand it. Not just licorice but anything fennel and anise related. Just the smell makes me gag.
So, grilled cheese all the way. However, I am very picky with my grilled cheese. It needs to be on regular grocery store white bread – no wheat or rye, and definitely no bread with a thick fancy crust! The bread has to have a decent amount of butter on the outside for a good buttery toast flavor. The cheese has to be American or yellow cheddar if it is an American grilled cheese, Amul cheese for an Indian sandwich, and Irish white cheddar or Dubliner for an Irish toastie! The cheese needs to be properly melted. And keep it classic. American grilled cheese with tomato soup. Indian sandwich with green chutney, boiled potato mixture, and vegetables like cucumber, tomato, and onion. Irish toastie with ham and cheese!
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Wait, so do you not eat the handful of things after eating an Indian meal at a restaurant? Even the candied ones?
You do have grilled cheese opinions! And they contradict my opinions! You use MAYO on grilled cheese, you mad woman!!!!
On Mon, Apr 12, 2021 at 1:59 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I generally don’t eat saunf (fennel) and definitely can’t stand the pastel pink and green candied fennel. I will eat one particular type of mukhwas (mixture) which has lots of the salty flat yellow seeds, sesame seeds, and sweet tiny red balls in it. I usually know it by sight.
I am not against using Mayo to toast the bread but butter is still better. If you tell me you like grilled cheese on multigrain or rye though, that’s just wrong!
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I won’t say I prefer it, but I’ll still eat it. I only have multigrain bread on hand usually, and if I want grilled cheese, I’ll make it work.
On Mon, Apr 12, 2021 at 2:41 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I found a very bad trailer of a pakistani movie, perfect for drinking game. I’m sure I would be blind drunk in 2 minutes if I drank everytime they say India, Pakistan or Kashmir.
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Holy balls that’s great. I’d watch it if it wasn’t political. You know everything is IMPORTANT because they are always SHOUTING!
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I love how every single discussion (no matter if it’s between the lovers or between two very elegantly dressed women) is about Pakistan and India.
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Any idea why Shabana Azmi and Pablo Schreiber are thanking each other all over Twitter? Shabana mentioned “it’s a wrap for me” so definitely movie-related. I’m thinking whatever it is must be awesome, but I’m prepared for disappointment.
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I found it! And it looks maybe cool? There is a TV series based on the video game Halo in post-production. Pablo plays “Master Chief” and gets top billing, Shabana plays “Admiral” and comes right behind him. And apparently it filmed in Chicago and Hungary! I have been to both those places! I will watch this just for Shabana and street scenes!!!! But not for the plot which is about a 26th century war between Aliens and humans, at least that’s what the internet says the game is about.
Premiering on Paramount+ (weird) early next year.
On Tue, Apr 13, 2021 at 10:47 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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That does sound interesting, although, yeah, the plot doesn’t sound great. Unfortunately I don’t even know what Paramount+ is, so probably no way to see it.
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I think I see Paramount + as one of my add ons through Prime, so if I feel like it, I may add it so I can report back.
On Thu, Apr 15, 2021 at 7:00 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Searching for Sheela trailer! This would be interesting.
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I can’t decide if I want to watch it or not!!!! I got so FRUSTRATED with Wild Wild Country for the way the filmmakers got sucked into her charm, and I can feel the same thing happening here. She bussed in homeless people to steal an election. She destroyed lives in every way possible. She planned murders and forced people to carry them out. How does she keep getting the “cute little old lady” cut in documentaries?
On Wed, Apr 14, 2021 at 1:45 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Are you planning to see 99 songs in theatre?
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I haven’t decided. It is playing here, at the one very far away theater. Hmm.
On Fri, Apr 16, 2021 at 2:22 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Another question – Have you seen Naanum Rowdy Dhaan? I don’t know why, but I was 100% sure I have seen your review of this film long time ago, but now I’m searching it and there are no results and it’s not on tamil reviews list. So strange. I must have confused something.
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I have not, but I think someone on the blog was talking about it? Maybe that’s what you are thinking about?
On Fri, Apr 16, 2021 at 4:16 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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