Happy Monday! I had a wild weekend (thus missed Saturday Small Talk), and now I am at work, and running my dishwasher a million times (part of the wild weekend was doing a lot of cooking and using every dish).
Here is where you get to ask me anything from “How long have Rajkummar and Patralekhaa been together?” to “when will they have babies already and who do we want those babies to marry?” Just keep swinging back here all week as you think of new questions!
Now, question for you, do these wedding photos make you react:
a) Eh, whatever, why should I care?
b) OMG!!! Heart emoji heart emoji heart emoji
c) That’s nice
d) When do we get to see the full outfits?
dontcallitbollywood 
My response to these photos is C. That’s nice but not really exciting for me.
I really want to hear your thoughts on the new Zoya Akhtar-Netflix movie announcement. In case you haven’t heard. Zoya will direct a movie for Netflix – a musical based on the Archie comics. But here is the real kicker…it will star Suhana Khan (SRK’s daughter), Agastya Nanda (Shweta Bacchan-Nanda’s son), and Khushi Kapoor (Sridevi’s younger daughter).
I find this a little fascinating. Why would Zoya direct something so cliched? Pretty much every Hindi movie is already a love triangle musical about teenagers…so what’s the point of this one? More importantly, why is Suhana making her debut on Netflix? Does she not want to be a pan-India megastar drawing people to the theatre? Or is OTT the future even for India now? Also, it’s interesting that she is debuting with Zoya and not Dharma/YRF as one would have expected…
What’s going on here?? Please explain!
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My thoughts are: “this is fake news so I am ignoring it”. My further thoughts would be “these are three kids whose parents have stated their children will NOT be acting, so good on who ever created the fake news by picking them. Their parents will protect their privacy and therefore not acknowledge this story even to deny it”. Oh, and additional thought, “part of the reason I know this is fake, beyond the fact that it’s not officially confirmed by any of the very social media active people involved, is that Zoya has a deal with Prime not Netflix”. So, yeah, it’s not true. I saw it pop up, went “wait, that makes no sense”, and then determined I could ignore it.
Interesting though that it spread so fast. I think it shows why nepotism works, people really WANT it to be true, they want to see these young people they have watched grow up onscreen. The same rumor involving Zoya launching three unknowns, or three TV actors, would have gotten no traction.
On Mon, Nov 15, 2021 at 10:30 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Thank You! Yes, it must be fake…it just doesn’t make any sense…
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Yep. Suhana is still finishing school, Khushi has never expressed interest in acting, and Agastya is clearly being groomed to take over his father’s factory. And Zoya has a Prime deal.
On Mon, Nov 15, 2021 at 10:57 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Zoya, Reema, and the Archie Comic CEO all announced it is on Netflix. I wonder if the deal with Prime is Tiger Baby+Excel since most of their stuff is co-producted vs. this is just a solo Tiger Baby production.
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So, the rumor is parcially true. Zoya and Reema are making a live-action musical based on Archie comics on Netflix.
Zoya and Reema both announced it on Instagram.
I won’t give credence to the rumored stars until I find more concrete evidence. I suspect the rumor was started because all three of them were seen coming in and out of Zoya’s residense in August during the planning stages. But they could have gone there randomly to have dinner for all we know.
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I am so afraid this is going to be another Riverdale!
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I have never seen Riverdale, and based on your comment, it seems like I should continue to avoid watching it. Hopefully Reema and Zoya have watched it (or at least read the criticism of it) and learn from Riverdale’s mistakes?
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Oooooo, this does sound fun! I wonder if it will turn into something weird and surreal like Honeymoon Travels and only DCIB will end up liking it? I hope so!
On Mon, Nov 15, 2021 at 11:08 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Oh, I hope so too! If Zoya and Reema direct/produce something, I am going to watch it and I am bound to like it. There is nothing they have created that I haven’t enjoyed. But I am impatient and I don’t want to wait forever to see it!
I am also curious now about who will star in it. Apparently, Khushi is going to debut shortly in something according to Boney.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/boney-kapoor-confirms-khushi-kapoor-to-make-acting-debut-soon-101611020676064.html
And Suhana is graduating shortly from Tisch with a degree in film studies. So, it’ll be interesting if these rumors do end up being true.
However, Zoya and Reema have never ended up with their first choice of actors and I think that’s why their movies have been even better than expected. Could you imagine Ranbir instead of Ranveer in DDD? I’m already invested in this project and it is going to be FOREVER before it comes out!
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Ranveer was AWESOME in DDD, but I still wish Kareena could have been cast instead of PC.
On Mon, Nov 15, 2021 at 7:00 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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They weren’t married already????
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This is my favorite kind of couple to get married! The ones where you say “wow, I thought they were already married” because they are so clearly perfect for each other. Nope, just living together and publicly in a relationship for like 10 years.
On Mon, Nov 15, 2021 at 10:35 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Please give the review of The Sopranos if you have watched it!!!
I am feeling nostalgic about it today.
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I wish I could help, but I haven’t watched it!
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Please watch it!
It is mind-blowing
RIP To JAMES GANDOLFINI 😥😥
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My reaction is B. I like them both, they are cute together and even more on those wedding photos. 💖 💖
My question: I know you’re not a fan of Dulquer but are you planning watching Kurup?
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Didn’t even know Kurup was a thing! What is it?
On Mon, Nov 15, 2021 at 12:27 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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It’s Dulquer new movie (Sobhita Dhulipala, Shine Tom Chacko and Indrajith are also in it), released few days ago in cinemas. I saw Melanie’s review and she said it plays in 3 different places in Chicago. The trailer looks good. It’s nice to see a “normal” malayalam movie again. I was tired of all those little ott films filmed in one room with 3 actors. They are good, but how many one can watch?
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Dulquer looks good with a mustache, but I can’t with another thriller/mystery film. give me a sunny romance! It’s WINTER!!!
On Tue, Nov 16, 2021 at 4:58 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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The reaction is B: I am all out joy when it comes to weddings. Also, they are ADORABLE!!!
Have you seen the movie ‘Last Christmas a British Christmas romantic drama-comedy? If you haven’t then I recommend it. It is very sweet, will make you cry and just warms the heart.
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But didn’t you feel like it started in the middle? Like the first half is missing?
I liked the ending, but I think there should be more story before (especially more backstory why the heroine is so annoying and difficult)
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Not really and in the movie they do tell why she is the way she is
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Yes they do but quite late in the movie when I already disliked her a lot. Thanks God Henry Golding is such a gem. I loved him.
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Well, it’s supposed to be a cynical woman and manix pixie dream guy, which is nice for a change. Yeah, Golding is so perfect for this role! Thank goodness he is more as a romantic lead now!
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Might also just be typical British humour with the lead being so cynical as well
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I haven’t!
On Mon, Nov 15, 2021 at 1:06 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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My reaction is probably c). They’ve been together for a long time, talking about marriage, etc. Why do the aesthetics remind me so much of the Ranveer-Deepika wedding?
Question – How do you feel about film noir? Do you have favorites? How would you define the term (I’ve come across a variety of definitions)? Are there Indian ones you like?
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Maybe it reminds you of the DeepVeer wedding because they both wore Sabyasachi for their wedding and the red colour scheme and jewellery is almost the same, except less ornate?
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Yeah, I think it’s the pink on the groom and the bridal red which are reminding me of DeepVeer! I just noticed Patralekha’s veil has inscription in Bengali which translates to ‘I offer my heart full of love to you’, very sweet!
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It’s adorable!
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Oh! I did a talk on this! At a conference years ago. I like film noir, I like how the gritty cheap genre lets people really explore and explode the boundaries. Detective Byomkesh Bakshy is my favorite modern Indian noir, and CID is my favorite classic. American side, Murder My Sweet and Laura and The Big Sleep are tied.
And this is the best definition I’ve found, a handy infographic I think from the BFI:
Anyway, when I gave a talk on Indian filmnoirs, I talked about how they flourished in the same era as they did in America (post-war) becuase, like America, India was going througha time of massive change, people were migrating to cities, gender roles were blurred, etc. etc. And they are having another little moment now because the internet revolution and the migration to cities for tech jobs and everything is bringing on another time of huge national disorder.
On Mon, Nov 15, 2021 at 1:34 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Oh I would have liked to hear your talk! I didn’t realize it, but DBB totally qualifies as noir, you’re right! Not seen Murder My Sweet, but Laura is great, and I tried to watch The Big Sleep for 2-3 days, but couldn’t get more than halfway through it, might give another try. Those ingredients are mostly what I too have come across as being requisites of noir, but then films like Gaslight, Sunset Boulevard or Shadow of a Doubt which are sometimes called noirs, do not tick all the boxes.
I do want to watch CID and other classic Hindi ones like Baazi, Howrah Bridge, etc. Are they having a moment now? What recent ones qualify?
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If you decide to watch Baazi/CID I will totally watch them also so we can discuss. I haven’t seen them in a LONG LONG time so I would have to rewatch them to remember them. I don’t think I have ever seen Howrah Bridge. Maybe Woh Kaun Thi? I think that is considered noir? I remember that one vividly.
Oh, and Ek Haseena Thi is probably one of my absolute favorites from the early 2000s.
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Cool, I’ll let you know! At the moment, I’ve been watching the classic Hollywood noirs, I’ll watch the Hindi ones after. I always find it tricky to apply a specific label like noir to foreign films, but I think Woh Kaun Thi is mostly referred to as a supernatural thriller?
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They were having a minor moment 5 years ago when I gave the talk, and I guess it is still going. Raat Akeli Hai just released. really, all those gritty Netflix films would quality. Guilty, the Delhi Police and Sacred Games serieses, and so on. It’s a cheap genre, the whole idea is just a few characters/actors and filmed in real locations not sets. Works great for OTT content. Plus, it lets you question society. The more restrictive society is (for instance, 1950s America), the more there is to question.
On Tue, Nov 16, 2021 at 11:23 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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What do you think of Andhadhun as noirish? Noir-adjacent?
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Oh, definitely a Noir! Twisted, morally ambiguous woman, urban setting, all that stuff.
On Tue, Nov 16, 2021 at 8:13 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Aww they look so cute! I was just looking them up a couple of weeks ago after watching Hum Do Humare Do because I was curious if they were still together.
Also have you seen this ad? It’s messing with me everytime I see it on tv because the music sounds like Dum Maaro Dum.
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Internet says, you are CORRECT!
https://www.whosampled.com/sample/310143/Footsie-Work-All-Day-Asha-Bhosle-Usha-Iyer-Dum-Maro-Dum/
On Mon, Nov 15, 2021 at 4:54 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Oh wow!
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Definitely B, so nice to wake up to happy wedding photos. Bring on all the happy.
Question inspired by your Film Noir response: if you could pick any existing film(s) that feel right for this moment now, what would it/they be? Have been thinking about how stuck in formula big films feel across industries, wondering where we go from here.
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Hmm. Badhai Ho is the last movie I can think of that perfectly captured the moment. But that was quite a few years ago now, and I can’t think of what would be similar. Right now it would be a streaming film I guess? Probably something with younger stars and a quick tight script more than a big budget big star excess. And of course, I can’t think of any examples.
On Mon, Nov 15, 2021 at 9:30 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Don’t have a question this time, just wanted to come and share the Rajkummar and Patralekhaa joy! My answer is B x one million. I love them and I’m glad they’re happy!
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YES! they are so CUTE! And I know this is bad and regressive, but I hope they finally got pushed to marriage because Patralekhaa is already pregnant.
On Tue, Nov 16, 2021 at 3:13 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Oh, WOW! I mean, bad and regressive, but yay!
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Full pictures of the wedding outfits
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Thank you for posting! I love these so much. I am so happy for them!
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Katrina and Vicky are apparently getting married in December in Jaipur – https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/celebrities/story/vicky-kaushal-ki-dulhan-katrina-kaif-has-started-her-wedding-outfit-trails-exclusive-1877259-2021-11-16
Do we believe this? Should I be excited? I feel Kat deserves better.
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