Happy Monday! It rained and rained and RAINED yesterday. My yard got nice and wet, and my new rain barrel got nice and full. Also, a tree went down and knocked into a neighbor’s house, but hey, it’s not my house! So that’s fine.
Here is where you get to ask me anything from “do you have photos of the house with the tree?” to “what are good rainy day movies to watch?” Just keep swinging back here all week as you think of new questions!
Now, question for you! It’s Ayushmann Khurrana’s birthday this week, what is your favorite Ayushmann movie?
Not many people watched it, but I think my favorite is Shubh Mangal Saavdhan. It has a great female character, a happy message, and is less “message” heavy than his other films.
Update:tree photos!
dontcallitbollywood 
I’ll ask it then, what is your favorite rainy day movie? I, of course, always go for comfort watches like rom-coms and Austen movies unless there’s something new I’m really excited to see. Speaking of something new I watched on a rainy day this weekend…Ek Villain Returns. Now that’s a movie that technically has a lot of rain in it in a pivotal scene. Also a total WTF kind of movie. I watched it for Arjun and Arjun only. He had a couple of moments that made me swoon, I’m not ashamed to admit, but the movie was a complete waste of time full of misogyny, bad acting, and stupid plot twists.
What is the next Indian film you think you’ll see in theaters? I might go see Vikram Vedha…not sure I can wait for streaming on that one.
My favorite Ayushmann movie…it’s surprisingly hard to pick…I have seen most of his films except for the real flops and there aren’t many. I think my three faves would be Article 15, Meri Pyaari Bindu, and Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, but I also really love Bareilly Ki Barfi and Badhaai Ho. The first three are all great because of his performance, the second two he is more of a supporting/ensemble (and unlikeable) character and is more overshadowed by his fellow actors. I also think those top 3 all show his versatility well (I especially love how he didn’t fall into problematic stereotypes in SMZS). Of those three I would probably pick Meri Pyaari Bindu because it surprised me with how much I liked it at the time, especially considering the ending and, of course, I do love Parineeti, too. Always willing to give his movies a look.
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Huh, someone else also picked MPB down below. Interesting that that is the film which lasted.
Rainy day movie, definitely something cheerful. Oooo, Chennai Express!
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I haven’t seen that one because I never find it. I think someone directed me to a version a while back though.
I guess my favourite is Bareilly ki Barfi? Although he’s kind of tertiary in that. Man I like him more than I should based on his movies, I guess.
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*can never find it
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Yes, show us the photos of the house with the tree.
My fav. Ayushmann movie – Dum Laga Ke Haisha
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A city tree? Or a private tree? If it was a city tree look around to be sure your house is safe, and if not, CALL NOW. I don’t live near you, but in my experiece in CA nothing happens unless you make noise. And while the city is liable for city tree damage to your house, prevention is so much easier.
As for questions I’m curious about the reaction to Ranveer’s other 2022 movie. The whole woman matter too film. I’ve only seen the first 3rd but I loved it, yet it seems the rest of the world hated it. And I’ve stopped mid chase because I can’t stand anxiety. But I do totally get reviewers comments that it is a movie about women’s rights centered around men. But dude the acting is SO GOOD, at least in the first 3rd.
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Now I really really want Margaret to watch an review it. I saw similar comments from others about Jayeshbhai Jordaar also. I think I would have liked the movie if it wasn’t for the ending. I really really hated the ending so I think that ruined it for me.
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I just called! Our tree in front of our house has been half dead all summer and I keep putting in city tickets and nothing happened. I called the Alderman’s office just now and escalated, so hopefully we will get action. Our street is all city trees, the yards are too small for trees so they grow on the parkway. It’s lovely, but they are WAY too big. The Alderman said the city is still working on a backlog of tree requests from 2021 right now.
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Set a reminder on your phone and call every week. Squeaky wheels get greased first. My son’s classroom airconditioner broke, a month ago. The contractor who fixes it wasn’t called until parents complained about their kids saying their classroom was hot (we had a two week heat wave where it was regularly 103 – 106 in the afternoons). And it wasn’t until parents (okay myself) came in with thermometers to see how hot it was that a custodian brought in a portable swamp cooler that had just been sittting around in storage. They had the means to fix this long ago, but didn’t until it got bad. And while the school system isn’t your city, administrations everywhere are often similar. Your calls are the means to make it bad, so call and call and call again.
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This is just good life advice, thank you.
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Oh, and contact your local councilmember too about the dangerous situation of the backlog of tree requests. Financially, contracting additional tree cutters is cheaper than repairing people’s housing.
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Oh yeah, I called the Alderperson’s office. In Chicago, Alderpeople are like little Squires, they control all and everything. Problem is, my Alderperson is the most progressive and active and awesome alderperson in the entire city. Do I really want to bug her office about tree trimming when they are in the middle of feeding and housing migrant workers bussed to Chicago from Texas? But on the other hand, MY TREE!!!!!
On Wed, Sep 14, 2022 at 8:03 AM dontcallitbollywood < comment-reply@wordpress.com> wrote:
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See I didn’t even know that Alderperson was the same as council person. Your city is so big it gets its own Australian vocabulary. Is there government office IN CHARGE of sending people out to see if trees need to come down? Does that fall under Parks and Rec? Call them. The custodian is the one who knew about and brought in the swamp cooler – most definitely NOT the person orginally contacted. Sometimes the messages get lost if they start high, even as going high can also help.
My father was a council member in Berkeley. So my perspective is a bit skewed. Feeding busses of people bussed in from Texas is the job of states and the nation. In CA churches take on much of the brunt of this. But making sure that local houses aren’t destroyed by old trees, is definitely the job of city government. I mean, if the city DOESN’T take care of the trees and they ALL blow down on houses, well then there are a lot more homeless mouths to feed with a lot less tax base.
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It’s Chicago, it’s a whole different world here. What you have forgotten is that the MOST important job of city government is for the Mayor and the Council to stay locked in a constant battle for control. The mayor hates my alderperson, and vice versa, so city services in my ward are a bit sketchy. But whatever, we have the moral high ground, my trees may not be trimmed but my alderperson argues to raise teachers’ salaries and questions police brutality.
Oh, and the migrant story is a whole crazy thing, blame Texas for landing random Chicago neighborhoods in this mess: https://blockclubchicago.org/2022/09/12/texas-governor-is-sowing-chaos-by-sending-migrants-to-chicago-without-helping-local-officials-pritzker-says/
On Wed, Sep 14, 2022 at 4:05 PM dontcallitbollywood < comment-reply@wordpress.com> wrote:
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Are you ever planning on watching Ponniyin Selvan when it comes? Just a suggestion that you might want to watch Raavanan (2010 Tamil by Mani Ratnam) where Vikram and Aishwarya are together (and surprisingly have amazing chemistry!) before it since both of their characters are going to be important in PS:1, and are technically love interests in the movie.
BTW you can find other translations of Ponniyin Selvan on Amazon. One that seems promising, and with citations is the one translated into English by Sumeetha Manikandan. Seems the best option from the translations, especially if you want it to be easily read, and also very cheap. Four of the five books have been translated thus far. I think the first movie compiles books 1-3 and then PS part 2 will be books 4-5.
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Definitely planning on watching it! I watch every Ratnam movie anyway, but super excited for an epic historical movie.
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I did a rewatch of Raavanan last week which got me really excited about seeing Vikram and Aishwarya together again in PS:1 🙂
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They have such amazing chemistry together! And because of Raavanan, I guess they have such good rapport or a close friendship going at least by the pictures I saw at the audio and trailer launch for PS:1. I could just watch Vikram being in love with Aishwarya all day, honestly!
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New Sid movie trailer! Looks interesting, and is such a unique idea that it will either be great or terrible. Very much gives Baar Baar Dekho vibes. But Sid doing comedy again!!
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And the full Vikram Vedha trailer was released! Hrithik is having so much fun with this role, and looking fiiine doing it.
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Oh no, I’m glad that your house is okay!
I think my favorite Ayushmann movie used to be either DLKH or Andhadhun but the first movie that came to my mind as I read your question was Meri Pyaari Bindu. I didn’t love it at first but it’s a movie that I’ve grown to love over the years.
I think my question for you is if you know what movie you want to see in theaters next?
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I think Vikram Vedha next? Mostly because I know my friend will love it, she loves shades of grey storylines. Less exciting for me myself since I saw the original and it looks pretty shot for shot. Not that that’s a bad thing, but the twists won’t be surprising me unfortunately.
On Tue, Sep 13, 2022 at 2:42 PM dontcallitbollywood < comment-reply@wordpress.com> wrote:
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Is the remake by the same director or by someone else?
I saw the original just a few weeks ago and was kinda underwhelmed by it. But looking at the trailer, the Hindi version does look like a good remake.
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Looks like the same director. I’m thinking probably like Arjun Reddy versus Kabir Singh? Almost shot for shot, but the actors do their own interpretation of the roles. I mean, I’d rewatch Vikram Vedha the original, why not rewatch it almost but with slightly different actors.
On Tue, Sep 13, 2022 at 2:54 PM dontcallitbollywood < comment-reply@wordpress.com> wrote:
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Ah gotcha, I now realized that kinda don’t like when the original director does the Hindi remake. Especially after watching the Hindi version of Jersey, it feels like the directors don’t want to really change anything and it’s just a waste of their time when they could be making another new movie.
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