Happy Saturday! I am at my parents, not my own place, and I overslept. And it is all because I saw a movie in theaters yesterday and it EXHAUSTED me.
Things to talk about!
First and most importantly, Shahrukh’s Eid message. Is he just always going to be wearing a weird wide headband now? I can’t think of a hair configuration that would improve, like, if he is going bald in front there are many better solutions. And if his hair is just dirty, WHY NOT WASH IT? So maybe he just loves wide headbands?
Next thing to talk about, more sort of a general wonderment, when you move would you rather sort and discard and organize BEFORE you pack, so you don’t pack anything unnecessary? Or AFTER you pack, because you don’t really know what is necessary until you get to the new place?
And final thing to talk about, I went to the movies FOR REAL yesterday! Have you yet?
dontcallitbollywood 
I waited forever to be able to go out but discovered it was not all that, just my same old life back again with all the pluses and minuses. Turned out that quarantine was the unusual and interesting time. I learned a lot about myself.
I know I should support my local theater but watching at home with my dog on my lap and a whole kitchen of free snacks at my disposal is much easier.
May I suggest you discard the really, REALLY unnecessary items before you move (those snowshoes you never use, that string of jalapeno lights that don’t work) and pack only what you’re undecided about? It’s not fail-proof; I should have never given away my wok, but cuts down on boxes.
And as always, a question. Why so many damn remakes? Why not just dub the Hindi film in Telugu or Bengali or whatever? I watched Pawan Kalyan in the remake of Pink last nite. (“A Boney Kapoor Film” ??) and it was frame for frame the same as the Amitabh/Tapsee film. They added a little rock ’em sock ’em stuff for Pawan which he is NOT good at, but the rest was rubber stamped. I don’t get it.
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Do you know what was super fun? Packing my bathroom! You know all that, like, weird discount shampoo you bought once because the store was out of your regular brand? And you only used it one time but it seemed wasteful to throw it away? I just threw it away! It was AMAZING! Shampoo, soap, moisterizer that makes me itchy, expired mascara, all gone! My bathroom supplies were cut down by a 3rd just throwing stuff away. Also, I cleared all the plastic containers from take out out of my kitchen, only good glass tupperware left. Ahhhh. So nice.
To answer your question, I think it is the Pawan factor. He has a ton of fans, they aren’t going to watch a dubbed Hindi movie with people they don’t know, they are going to watch a movie with an actor they like. Very rarely there are movies filmed in multiple languages simultaneously, and part of that is swapping out casts. The extras and stuff can stay the same, but the main roles get switched to actors known by the local language group.
On Sat, May 15, 2021 at 9:30 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Really Pawan Kalyan isn’t good in those over the top scenes? Those scenes were the only reason I wanted to see this film 😦
I also used to ask why there are so many remakes in India, but now I think that people just like to watch actors from their state in movies, and not some guys they hardly know.
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Sorry Angie, but I didn’t find Pawan graceful or commanding as a power star; not sexy either. He has a weird, off-balance body and a chunky (altho kind) face. I know he’s not exactly young (early 50s?) but neither is Salman or Hrithik, or John Abraham, or, or, or….
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The headband covers gray roots. You can’t expect a dye job for every instagram post. And organize before you pack. Or really, just throw out a bunch of stuff now, so much easier than throwing it out later. Don’t be like me and still have at least two boxes of things SIX YEARS LATER that are not unpacked, but not thrown away.
Everyone I know who has gone back to work in person after COVID isolation is EXHAUSTED their first week or so. Human interaction takes energy.
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OH! Grey roots! you are so smart. And that would go with his nice salt and pepper beard.
I went hardcore on throwing out bathroom supplies, and weird plastic containers from the kitchen. But I also packed a lot of Random Things From Shelves without bothering to sort them.
My little nephew quite enjoys the moving boxes. They are just part of his life now, he shoves them around and climbs on them and jumps on the stacks of broken down boxes. If you think of them as Magical Objects of Child Wonder, they aren’t really a problem.
On Sat, May 15, 2021 at 10:08 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Big cardboard boxes are perfect toys. We had one for our boy’s birthday bash, plus a big rectangle of just very sturdy cardboard. They became a stove and a store and a bench and a subway train all in the course of one afternoon. And they’re the one thing he’s just asked after.
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You should throw stuff before you pack everything.
I forgot to ask something the other day. There is a scene in this movie about Indian guy – white girl I saw recently: she confesses her love, he hugs her and kisses her forehead, and while she doesn’t see he unties and throws his kalava / red string he has on his wrist. I’m so curious why! I know nothing about hinduism, so at first I thought the string simbolizes chastity and as he is probably going to have sex he can’t wear it anymore. But now I read it’s symbol of being hindu and I’m confused. Being with non-Indian girl makes one non hindu?
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I thought that red string had something to do with brother-sister bonds. But if she wasn’t the one who gave it to him because he was “like a brother”, I’m not sure why he would get rid of it at that point.
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Brother-sister string is given during Raksha Bandhan ceremony, and it is a little different and has a different meaning from the simple red string the guy in the movie was wearing.
Oh, but it would be interesting to see a scene like the one you described. At least for me, but I’m sure some hindu people would feel offended and file a FIR.
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The red string usually represents some kind of vow or prayer. Without any other context (like, his mother tying the string around his wrist and saying “promise you will marry a Hindu girl”), I think we can assume it represented some kind of promise to be faithful to Indian Values.
On Sat, May 15, 2021 at 12:27 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Both of my local movie theaters have opened already, including the one I usually go to for Bollywood movies. Now that I’ve moved, I can walk to the theater if I really wanted to. But I’m purposefully waiting so my first movie back in theaters can be In the Heights, because it looks fantastic, I have been so excited for it since it was announced, and I know I will cry because the movie will be beautiful and also because summer and seeing movies in theaters again will make me emotional. (The last movie I saw in theaters before the pandemic was Street Dancer, so I need to start back up again on a high note.)
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Oooo! In the Heights!!!! My Mom was just saying that she wants to see a movie in tehaters, that would be a good one for us to go see together.
On Sat, May 15, 2021 at 12:57 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Radhe opened in theaters? Huh, so weird that in India it’s streaming only!
I watched a bunch of Paul Newman-Joanne Woodward movies. Hadn’t seen either of their movies before, and what a couple! I’m sure it’s been said before, but Paul has to be one of the most objectively beautiful man ever with the charm to go with it, while also being the cool ‘man’s man’. That’s a rare quality! And I fell in love with Joanne, such a good actress! What I loved most though is how committed they both were in doing the silliest physical comedy bits, I didn’t expect that from stars of their stature and just made me love them more! Now I just want to watch more!
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Oh oh! Did you see the one where she pretends to be a courtesan so she can entertain him, a reporter? That one is sooooooooo silly but also I kind of love it.
On Sun, May 16, 2021 at 7:49 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Yes, A New Kind of Love! That’s the first one I watched and enjoyed the ridiculousness of it all! They looked like they were having a blast, especially Joanne, playing the manly fashion buyer and the high-class escort. I feel like this kind of setup must have been done in Hindi film, but I can’t think of any rightaway!
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I could SWEAR I had written a fanfic based on that movie! It’s just so perfect. Some classic Tawaif type courtesan in old Lahore being played by a smart tough young actress. Perfect Dips-Ranveer movie, or Anushka-Ranveer.
On Mon, May 17, 2021 at 10:23 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Ooh I’d like to read it if you can find it! And courtesan in Lahore instantly makes me think of Fawad-Mahira, imagine the fun if they get to have a go at it after the sad Humsafar. Both working in another country but having to return to Lahore where they meet, followed by shenanigans. I don’t know why she would be mistaken for a courtesan, but I’m sure you have come up with something. Mahira as a tomboy though is tough to imagine!
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