Happy Friday! I have SUCH a busy day today, everything from getting a skin cancer full body check from a dermatologist (I’m just being pro-active, nothing to worry about. But be proud of me!), to buying boots, to returning a $10 item to Best Buy that is going to take me over an hour to drive there and back. But TEN DOLLARS! Anyway, wait for my “And Play” comment this week, just in case I am running a little late.
Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna! Yes, it is terribly flawed, we can spend the whole time talking about how we would fix it and admiring costumes. It’s on Netflix, at 3pm Chicago time I will say “And PLAY” and we will all watch along from there!
dontcallitbollywood 
Here : )
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And PLAY!
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Ugh, I got stuck behind a 3 car accident that happened right in front of me, and then a massive sudden downpour. So I am ready for happiness, and instead I have chosen a grumpy making movie. WHY DID I DO THAT???
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You did it for me. So I didn’t have to watch it again. Ever! The baby and I thank you!
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Baby Shahrukh! Right? Right?
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I’ve floated it by my husband. I still have time to convince him.
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Tell him it’s a Cultural Tradition and he has to Respect It. Otherwise, what’s the point of marrying cross-cultures?
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The guy who was our viola studio section leader in my undergrad orchestra was named Shokhrukh (Uzbek). He has a three- or four-year-old kid now who is named Amir. It causes a LOT of disbelief from desis.
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I love it!
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His wife is Quebecois, so they gave the baby a French middle name. My first thought on getting the birth announcement was that it would save them all a lot of teasing to just flip the names, French first and Uzbek second. A couple of years later, I mentioned this to Shokh and he said, “Dude! Why didn’t you warn me at the time???” LOL. Cute kid, though; he’ll survive all the teasing.
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Shelomit, if it is just you me, let’s make a pact to be as cheerful and silly and funny as humanly possible with this film 🙂
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Deal : )
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Well, you were not incorrect about the immediate fall vibes.
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Yes! Have you seen this movie before?
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No! My mother and I were going to see it when it first came out, but I got sick and stayed home. Never caught up with it till now.
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It’s all fall in New York and it’s BEAUTIFUL. The people kind of suck, but the city looks great.
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Here is where we say “HOW CAN PREITY BE IN FASHION SHE DRESSES TERRIBLY???”
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I really like Abhishek’s shirt, I hate EVERYTHING ELSE about that scene.
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Why is Rani cleaning mirrors on her wedding day?
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Yes: kill him, Maya.
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Gooooooooooooooooooooool
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I do NOT need Amit ji in fur handcuffs >.>
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What is creepiest about this plot point:
1. The casual use of sex workers
2. The sex jokes between father and son
3. The implication that Amitabh is a Master Lover
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And I’m almost certain that’s not what his wife meant by that promise. . .
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Ah, I like Priety’s jacket, though.
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Jinx!
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I like Preity’s coat, but I would like it more if it were the chair upholstery it was born to be.
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Ah, true! I was initially unconvinced by the jacket-shirt combination, but then noticed that the shirt already had lime-green details. I used to have a neighbor with a pickup truck in that same palette.
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You can earn 5 million dollars playing soccer in America???? REALLY???? I know we overpay our athlets, but soccer?
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Abhishek doesn’t shave on his wedding day?
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He was in a scramble to get out the door, as we saw.
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Ah! You are write, it is all a logical progression.
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Ah, Kirron! Seeing her makes me smile.
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Shelomit, there is a group on DCIB that believes this is Shahrukh’s Best Ever Hair. I don’t necessarily agree, but I feel hte need to put it out there as we get all these hair close ups.
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Huh. I am probably not as experienced an observer of Shahrukh’s hair as many of you, but offhand I feel as though he may have done better ca. 2000?
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HA! Hahahahahaha! That is MY ARGUMENT!!! I was trying to be all neutral and say “some people say”, and you supported me. the slightly short Main Hoon Na/Mohabbattein cut, that’s my sweet spot.
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Ah, yes. I have just Googled up some screencaps of those two and tend to agree. Here his hair seems a little sculptural, too much in one piece? But in those movies, it looks like it can get moved around, shaken loose, etc., which is a nice quality in movie star hair.
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HOWEVER: I have just rewatched a film that I think includes a strong contender for all-time best Shammi hair, if that’s something anybody else is interested in! “Singapore” (1960).
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Oooh! I have had Singapore on my list to watch but haven’t seen it yet. I will definitely watch it for Shammi’s hair!
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Ah, let me write you something more detailed after this movie’s over! There’s some weird stuff going on with the Netflix print, but I think I figured it out.
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Thank you!
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Okay, okay, so: I had seen “Singapore” once before, on VCD, perhaps twelve or fourteen years ago. Upon watching the Netflix version, I was CERTAIN that there was stuff missing from the beginning of the movie. (Well, what I initially thought was that I had misremembered which movie it was! As things carried along, I realized that the same elements were there–just not introduced in the way that I had remembered.) After watching it I looked for a detailed summary and found one at https://madhulikaliddle.com/.
That write-up mentioned elements that I remembered from the VCD version and that weren’t in the Netflix version, but also stated that the film seemed very choppy. I didn’t notice such “choppiness” in the Netflix one apart from the first nine minutes or so. I think what I originally saw was probably what is listed in various places as a 135-minute version. The Netflix one is longer, 158 minutes, but seemingly still misses parts of that first reel. When I first turned it on, I thought the image quality was going to be miserable, but after that first nine minutes it snapped perfectly into focus. So probably a case of a very damaged first reel, with the rest of the movie in good condition and more or less complete?
The only reason why this matters is that the longer version of the first few scenes in the movie–the one that I had seen in the VCD–immediately lays out who is responsible for the central mystery. If you particularly enjoy mystery/suspense elements, therefore, I would advise to watch the Netflix version without reading anything first. Honestly, though, I don’t think it works very effectively as a suspense movie anyway. And the first ten or so minutes of the Netflix version were kind of baffling in isolation. So if you are happy just to watch for a very pretty Shammi, a very pretty Padmini, and especially pretty Singaporean street scenes, probably best to read the first few paragraphs of Madhu’s summary before watching the Netflix version and spare yourself some confusion.
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Oh, I should have clarified: I think the Netflix version is full/correct starting partway through Shammi and Gautam’s phone conversation, with the airport sequence immediately after that as the first really complete scene. You will certainly notice when the image quality changes! It’s a dramatic difference.
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Sorry, marriage=death?
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WHOA
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This will teach you to complain about how long your maa is taking at weddings! Stay by her side, keep your legs.
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YES! Or, don’t be distracted by pretty brides you shouldn’t be thinking about.
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Here and in K3G, SRK’s characters seem very hasty to call children fat! KJo’s hangups?
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That’s my guess! Poor fat baby Karan.
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) :
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Apparently the costume person didn’t get the memo about her being all boring. That shirt is TIGHT
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To make Rani boring-looking, what an insurmountable task! Though she’s definitely wearing fewer colors/patterns at one time than our other heroines/heroes.
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Boss is a little handsy on Preity….
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“The whole world hasn’t had two heart attacks,” LOL.
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This is a very odd children’s soccer match
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JESUS. All the English-speaking characters so far have used very careful, neutral General American, and then here is this fluorescent-shirted woman, whom we are meant to believe is from NY???
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I’m kind of digging the silly music. And Arjun is soooooo cute.
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“If your hands are clean, I will protect you from the Black Beast. If not, you’re on your own, chickie.”
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One-woman Child Protective Services office!
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I’ll tell you now, since it’s your first time watching this movie, the Black Beast plot NEVER COMES UP AGAIN. It’s just a stupid pointless thing taht took way too long to establish.
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Did he just say “Don’t touch my hair”?
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YES! Maybe he thinks it is his best hair ever too?
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“SRK character most proud of hair” =/= “SRK character with best hair.”
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HA!!!!!
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Now, if I were fixing this movie, the first thing I would do is remove the whacky comedy sections.
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Why is everyone at this hospital so solicitous/angry?
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America has awesome healthcare!
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So far, I don’t think I would do an Adultery(TM) with any of these people, except mayyyybe Rani.
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And Rani is supposed to be the unsexy one!
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His sweater-jacket combo is PERECTION. Except, I would maybe do a hair darker green.
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So far, Abhishek is winning shirts.
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Oh yeah! Everyone else in the movie, men women and children, should be wearing hsi shirts.
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Abhishek is winning shirts, but Kirron is winning hair
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Yes!!! With henna, I think? It has a reddish glow in the light.
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Okay, I admit I am finding these stupid misunderstandings a little funny.
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So this woman just stands and sings about how hot she is whenever she is alone? I’m not doing being blonde right.
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That might mean that you’re safe from Sexy Sam–surely a good thing.
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TRUE
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Ha! This cracked me up!
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Boy he takes things wrong really quickly! Sucky husband,
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Once again, she is being described as “boring”, while wearing red silk robe and matching nightgown.
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“Oh, Maya, you’re so touchy”–said immediately after complaining that she is insufficiently touchy.
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Still a better husband than Shahrukh though!
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Ugh, agreed : P
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Kirron’s face saying “Saturday?”, OMG.
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They are doing ’60s theme with New Orleans jazz?
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And then Marilyn Monroe immitators, somehow
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Well, this is ugly and overly personal for couples who barely know each other!
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I do quite like Priety’s dress here.
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I do NOT like Shahrukh’s suit. He was right, he should have worn the other one.
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And why is Abhishek’s vest velvety/nappy?
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It’s fall in New York! Always be layering!
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Eh, this is actually catchy. I like the chord progression.
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Oh yeah, the soundtrack for this movie is great! I like all of them, and one of them is an all time favorite (I’ll tell you when it comes)
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KAJOL!!!!
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Uh, hi, Kajol? Bringing an indoor breeze with here, of course.
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But there. . . but there isn’t a dhol in this song. . .
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I always like it when things are happening in the picturization that don’t match the mood of the song.
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