Happy Wednesday! And Happy Republic Day! Which is also, coincidentally, my Mom’s Mom’s birthday. If she weren’t dead, she would be 103 today. But, she would also probably be dead. 103 is very VERY old. She lived to 95 as it is. India, on the other hand, is only 72 years old.
I’ll start!
Watching: I’m almost done with Star Trek The Original Series! And then I get to watch TNG. My watching has been interrupted by also catching up on Queens of Mystery (if you have Acorn, and can handle twee-ness, I highly recommend it). And starting MacDonald and Dodds which I am not sure if a recommend yet or not. Anyway, it’s cold outside! It’s light silly happy British mystery show season!
Reading: Finished Laura! Because I got confused about dates! Oh well, it’s still a really really good book. And now I kind of want to read Stranger Than Truth by Caspary, my second favorite of her novels.
Thinking: It’s so COLD today!!! Which I only mind because it means I don’t get my really really long dog walk in the middle of the day. Or maybe I do? I can just layer up. Or maybe I do the long walk without the dog, because he can’t layer up (he hates coats and boots and stuff).
Listening: I watched Shyam Singha Roy last night! Review coming at some point. Anyway, I love the title song that is all about Heroic Writing.
Now, question for you!
Do you have song recommendations (Indian or American) for FilmiKudhi’s baby? Which can also be used for all the other DCIB babies of the year of course (Saira, Eva, other people who may not have commented).
This is my go to for babies,
dontcallitbollywood 
Watching: I Saw Shyam Singha Roy a while back, so good!! I love it! Can’t wait for the discussion on it with the review.
Rewatched The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) for the fifth time. A very Catholic movie. It is quite good, old school and I don’t mind the changes for the plot since the original plot is very plotty with so much going on. It would be best as a two or three series miniseries to get it all in. Also, watched Laura for the book discussion, since I could not get the book anywhere. Very romantic indeed. I need to watch it again.
Reading: Just non-fiction books.
Listening: Well, ‘Polladha Ulagam’ from Maaran just dropped. It is, in one word, AMAZING! The choreography, the music, the beat! Just see this beauty for yourself. 🙂
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LOL Some shots in Polladha Ulagam reminded me Dhoom Again 🙂
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It does have the same vibe, with the choreography and lighting especially.
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I’d love a version of The Count of Monte Cristo long enough to include Eugenie Danglars and her music teacher.
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Yea, the plot is WAY too plotty even for a 19th-century novel. And I’m saying this as someone who loves Victor Hugo, who is the most indulgent French author ever.
The closest series I can think of that included most of the story, but still changed some stuff was Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo, an anime. Even then they changed stuff up a bit for it to work.
And same, if the 19th-century book was gay then let it be gay! Which itself is rather radical for the day. There are enough hetero romances floating around in the plot already.
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When I first read the book it got me wondering just how radical that relationship would have seemed back then. Apparently, it never was the main selling point of the book, so maybe people were actually kind of relaxed about it.
Well, Hugo may have quite some plot, too, but I also vaguely remember some battlefield and a view of Paris that go on and on – so Dumas’ plot may actually be denser.
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Hugo goes on to so many sidetracks, from Parisian sewers to history of characters that are there only for a moment and really don’t matter to the plot. At least Dumas keeps to the point, even if the plot is very plotty.
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I watched Varudu Kaavalenu. One of the reviews said it’s “superficial but refreshing romcom” and I think it’s a perfect description. Some parts of the movie are hackneyed, but there is also a big speach “Why don’t we just leave the girls alone and make them marry when they want?” and beautiful saris and a very cute ending so I enjoyed it.
And because Netflix and Prime Italia decided to not add nothing interesting (still no sight of Chandigarh kare aashiqui, they only added a punjabi Shava Ni Girdhari Lal about a old creep who drools over every woman he sees – Terrible!), I rewatched Paagal. It has many elements I usually hate in films, but the good things are just too cute to resist. A sweet love story, many over the top twists, Vishvak, Nivetha..I smile everytime I see the poster. Really I love this film.
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I really enjoyed Varudu Kaavalenu as well! Superficial but refreshing romcom is the best way to describe the movie. Have you seen Choosi Chudangaane with Varsha Bollamma and Shiva Kandukuri? I feel like that’s another movie that is similar that I really enjoyed this past year.
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I have Choosi Chudangaane on my list. It looks like my cup of tea.
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Shiva Kandukuri isn’t that good but I loved Varsha Bollamma in it! Also the music was really good
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Thank you for the music recommendations! I’m adding Baby Ko Bass Pasand Hai to the mix. Also, Babu Samjho Ishare from Chalti Ka Naam Gadhi was a great recommendation. He’s always smiling when I am singing along to the Hindi songs so I’m hoping he likes them!
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Om Shanti Om has banger songs with all bright colours and fun music. They might be perfect for children!
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That’s a great idea! Thank you!
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I think he might just like you!
On Wed, Jan 26, 2022 at 10:43 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Nephew is a big Babu fan as well! He’s big enough to act it out too, gets out and runs in a circle when the actors do.
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It’s such a great song for kids! I bet Nephew looks adorable dancing to it!
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Yay, more people are seeing “Shyam Singha Roy”!
Nothing new in our cinema except “Hridayam,” in which I have no particular interest. I have started a silly project for the Keaton blogathon which involves watching “Maryada Ramanna” and all its various remakes. “Maryada Ramanna” itself, “Faande Poriya Boga Kaande Re,” and “Son of Sardaar” are down; Kannada, Tamil, and Malayalam versions remain to go. And I should probably actually rewatch “Our Hospitality” at some point (oops).
LOL re: “Baby Ko Bass Pasand Hai.” It is certainly important for babies to develop good taste in, erm, orchestration. My first thought was “Bachche Man Ke Sachche” from “Do Kaliyaan,” but that’s not so much a song for children as a song about children. How’s about this nice Geeta Dutt lullaby from “Sujata”?
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Thank you! I think you’d really appreciate my list. It’s got a lot of classics like Chanda Hai Tu Mera Suraj Hai Tu (Aaradhna), Re Mamma Re Mamma Re (Andaz), Sa Re Ke Sa Re Ga Ma Ko Le Kar (Parichay), and Ichak Dana Beechak Dana (Shree 420).
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Awww : D Now I want to rewatch “Parichay.”
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It was Australia Day as well as Indian Republic Day so I watched Chak De! India. It is traditional to eat lamb on Australia Day and I made Lamb Biryani using Urvashi Pitrie’s Instant Pot recipe.
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I started watching Lamhe this weekend. It’s my first foray back into Indian films after some time away and also my first Sridevi film?! Not sure how that’s possible, but I’m excited.
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I’m excited for you! Lamhe is a kick, and a GREAT Sridevi performance.
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Madhuri is in a new series on Netflix! This will be interesting.
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Agree!
On Thu, Jan 27, 2022 at 5:02 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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It was first called Finding Anamika when it was announced last year. The director is the one who did Taish, the actors are good, but I don’t know, I have a bad feeling about this series.
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Pics of Sara and Vicky in their new movie – no title yet. They look so good and so in love!! Ah, romance is back and Sara is leading the charge!!!!
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Kirre, I read this review of Atrangi Re recently and the author has completely different opinion about Vishnu than all of us.
She is like: “Once Vishnu finds out more about Rinku, he manipulates her into staying with him. His love for her apparently means it is OK to lie at every turn to make sure that she stays with him. It’s frustrating that the original sweet, slightly geeky doctor becomes a rather creepy, obsessive stalker,”
I can’t stop thinking about this review, because what was Vishnu supposed to do? Leave Rinku on the street with her boyfriend?
https://cinemachaat.com/2022/01/22/atrangi-re/
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Oh, that’s too bad, usually I like Heather’s reviews.
On Thu, Jan 27, 2022 at 8:33 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Ouch, that is harsh! And I agree with you, what is he supposed to do! He helps her, medicates and heals her with love and ultimately it is her choice to come back to him once she has exorcised her own demons. Vishu can be an idiot sometimes, though a cute one, but he is far from some master manipulator stalker – see Raanjhanaa for that. Also, the film is deep in the magical realism territory, so why take is so very seriously. Let us enjoy our romance when we finally have it!
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This is the point of criticism for most of the negative reviews I came across as well. I guess if you can’t dissociate real-world logic from movie-world, this aspect is hard to accept.
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I’ve been on a Telugu movie re-watching spree lately so I haven’t seen anything new lately. I did see Shyam Singha Roy in the theaters and enjoy it quite a bit!
I’ve also been in the mood for sitcoms lately, still going through Happy Endings. And started watching the how I met your mother spinoff (how i met your father) starring Hilary Duff. It’s not as good as himym but I’m curious to see where they go with it.
I loved the songs from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Chaiyya Chaiyya as a baby/toddler. Especially the first college song from KKHH probably since it was so colorful and playful!
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Oh right, did I ever respond to your Happy Endings comment? I missed HE while it was on TV and stumbled on it years later when it hit streaming. For me, I had to get into the rhythm of it before I enjoyed it, so it took almost the full first season to get the humor style. And then on rewatches, I enjoy it more and more and more. Also, CHICAGO! Always the way to my heart. Although they live in the fancy west loop/Wicker Park yuppie Chicago.
I am afraid to try How I Met Your Father because the end of HIMYM scarred me so much I haven’t been able to go back and watch it again let alone try something new. But, if you are in a sitcom mood, I have recommendations for you once you finish HE!!!! Try New Girl, if you haven’t already. And Wings from the 90s. And if you want something a little more old people and less young folks in the city, I always enjoy Hot in Cleveland.
On Thu, Jan 27, 2022 at 11:24 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Yeah, it took me some episodes to get into Happy Endings as well but I’m enjoying it. I only have 5 episodes left and am kind of sad to see it end. Oh yeah, I forgot about the Chicago connection 🙂
I’ll be honest and say that I binge watched HIMYM after it finished and I actually don’t mind the ending. But saying that, I totally get why people hated it and were so upset about it. So far they sort of made a couple of changes to the format for HIMYF that I did like. I’m curious as to where they will go with the show but I’m not loving the humor so far. But it’s only 3 episodes in and it takes time for sitcoms to really gel.
I love New Girl! Have you seen Single Parents? That one is also created by Liz Meriwether and I loved it too even though it sadly got canceled after 2 seasons.
Ooh, Hot in Cleveland looks interesting! I’ve actually never heard of it before but I might check it out next.
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Oh Jackie!!! I adore Jaggu Dada! Out of these movies, Saaho. But I would highly recommend Ram Lakhan!!! Jackie is just incredible in dual hero movies and Jackie-Anil movies are legendary. It’s available on Einthusan with subtitles.
I’m going to see if husband can take care of Baby SRK so I can join on Saturday morning. If husband needs to work, I should still be able to join around 8:30 CT since Baby SRK goes for a nap around then. Now, let’s hope Baby SRK doesn’t go on a nap strike.
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Oh oh! Another song for Baby SRK!!!
On Fri, Jan 28, 2022 at 6:16 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Good one!!!
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My friend’s niece is 2 and obsessed with Mundiyan To Bach Ke. So you can always go with a classic.
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