Wednesday Watching Post: What Are You Reading and Watching and Thinking and Listening to Easter Week?

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Happy Wednesday! And Happy Short Work Week to ME! I’m taking Friday off because of my annual Easter tradition of flipping my house over to summer. And yes, it may snow next week, but I don’t care, I am putting all my sweaters in the cedar chest and getting out the sundresses! I will FORCE summer to come! And I have a whole three days to clean and re-organize and make it happen.

I’ll start!

Reading: I’ve been on a Terry Pratchett kick for a while. He’s just so funny and easy to read and SMART. Also, I keep thinking about Procrastinatrix’s suggestion that SRK should play Sam Vimes, and it’s perfect.

Watching: Watched Manoranjan, of course, that was great. Oh, and there’s a new season of The Dog House on Max! I don’t think I’ve ever managed to get any of you to watch it, but I will continue trying. Reality show about dog adoptions! What could be better! And I will be seeing Crew First Day First show, you better believe it!

Thinking: Flowers! I bought way too many plants again, and at least half of them will probably die. But I am choosing to think of it as temporary entertainment. I am paying for the anticipation and the joy of planting them and so on and so forth, and if they actually LIVE, that’s just a bonus. Anyway, I’m gonna plant rose buses by the gate, and a low flowering bush in the corner, and tulips around the sewer access panel (because it’s a big concrete circle so Tulips will make it look better).

Listening: Thanks to FilmiKudhi, I remembered Kuch Naa Kaho exists. And that is one of my FAVORITE soundtracks. Especially the title song:

Now, question for you! What is your favorite Holi song, since it just happened this week?

Alternative question, do you agree that the Purim story would be a GREAT Indian movie? Oh oh! It could be Alia and Neetu as real life mother-in-law/daughter-in-law!

23 thoughts on “Wednesday Watching Post: What Are You Reading and Watching and Thinking and Listening to Easter Week?”

  1. Watching – looking for a crime procedural. Seem to have run out of all of them. But I watched recently – leverage, leverage redemption, the librarians, almost paradise and In plain sight

    Reading – Joe Gunther series by archer mayor

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  2. So I’m one week 3, I think, of watching Salaar a bit at a time. I’m watching it of course because of Prabhas and Prithviraj in the same movie. It is dark both literally and figuratively and it has a bunch of flashbacks, one practically back to the Vedic period, and also the editing is weird. I know it must be hard to make an action movie seem exciting but this continuously chops back and forth between different scenes, which I’m afraid is a bit of trend nowadays in Indian action movies. Also, Shruti is in it. So, I mean, it’s OK and I’m sort of trusting that eventually I’ll figure out what’s going on. Prabhas and Prithviraj both look great.

    Other than that, and of course Manoranjan, I’ve been doing a rewatch of Little Things which is allowing me to see how they construct the characters so painstakingly throughout the seasons which allows things like the big fight to seem so organic. What a great show. I wish Dhruv Segal would write more stuff.

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    • Little Things is such a great show! But a hard sell to folks, trying to explain “yes, the first season is 15 minute nothing episodes, but it BUILDS”

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  4. I was undecided what to watch next after Woh 7 Din, and finally I chose Souten (Co-Wife) but from the very first minutes I knew it will be much much worse. My impressions:

    I watched it mainly for Padmini Kolhapure who I loved in Woh 7 Din, but it’s so strange because it’s the same actress and the same year, but she is so different. She plays this holier-then-thou girl who worships the man she loves. So boring. She falls in love with Rajesh Khanna (who don’t even botter to try to act here) but he marries another woman. The wife is one of the dumbest girls ever and also very casteist. She loves her husband but does everything her evil stepmother tells her to do (including getting vasectomy, yes, vasectomy on a woman, and later swimming for 8 hours after the “vasectomy”resulting in become infertile). In few months her marriage is destroyed and everybody is miserable. But of course they don’t divorce! Instead the wife and her stepmom destroy also Padmini’s life (who did nothing except praying for our couple’s happiness). Later they also throw Rajesh out, inpound all his posessions, ships and stuff. Few days after throwing her husband out, the wife still waits for him to come for dinner like nothing happened. I mean really, how stupid one person can be? I know it’s 80′ Hindi movie, but c’mon. I felt my brain cells dying, but kept watching to see if it will end as I thought. And of course who in the end finishes happy, with her husband back, and even a child? Of course The Wife! Poor Padmini commits suicide leaving her newborn daughter to reunite Rajesh with his wife he didn’t even wanted anymore. What a stupid script.

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      • We will never know. First they talk about abortion, but the subtititles say “operation”, and the next thing we know is they did “a vasectomy on her”. I even made a screen shot when I saw this scene:

        Still it wasn’t the worst thing in this film. I’m still thinking about legal stuff. So Rajesh’s father in law, gave him a loan to buy some ships. Before Rajesh could pay him back, the man dies leaving all his money to Rajesh and his wife. When she finds out Rajesh didn’t pay the loan she decides to confiscate his houses, ships and cars. But how could she do this if he is co-owner of all the fortune now? Isn’t the borrowed money his? Moreover she is the co-owner of the company that borrowed this money so..I have a headache thinking about this.

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      • Thanks! I’m not sure which one I should watch. The best would be to watch both but I don’t think I have patience for double dose of masculine cinema.

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  5. I watched 4 really good films this week.

    Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara was predictably good but Farhan’s story definitely hit a stronger cord with me this time around. But also I hated the whole Nuria angle and it distracts from the importance of him understanding his mother. However I was definitely more irritated with Abhay for not understanding Kalki’s concerns with the trip (considering her friend’s husband had slept with someone else during the trip). Hrithik and Katrina’s relationship also just being so delightfully fresh even though their beliefs seem to differ. I always feel that both of them are drawn to each other as they both see something in each other which they desire. My only gripe is that Katrina is shocked that Hrithik only gets 3 weeks off in a year like that’s a very workaholic thing – but honestly 3 weeks is a perfectly good amount of work leave.

    I also watched Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani for the 100th time (I’m not joking) and enjoyed it so so much. Interestingly when I watched the film for the first time – I thought it was ok but it was the second watch which made think this had something and around the 4th watch that I had fallen in love with it. I want to write an extended review on the film one day however one thing I definitely find interesting is how in the start of the film it is really Ranbir who brings Deepika into the group and helps her adjust but at the end it is Deepika who brings Ranbir back into the group. Similarly to ZNMD, Ranbir is the only one who can really help Avi in a way that the girls really can’t. He needs Ranbir but more than that he needs a man to understand his feelings. I think the reason feels so personal to me is probably because I resonate with Deepika’s feelings of introversion and Ranbir’s feelings of being out of place. Somehow those moments will always stick with me even if the glasses trope + Deepika’s mini skirts is silly and ending is slightly rushed. And as always Kalki and Kunaal Roy Kapur’s romance is delightful.

    I watched Anand (2004) by Sekhar Kammula. It is definitely a first film in all its goodness and badness. The acting is very awkward by everyone except Raja Abel and the whole staging+direction is slightly amateurish. However the writing is what really shines in the film. The way Kamalinee Mukherjee’s character is always allowed to have her own choices and the characterisation of her is superb. She and Raja have this romance which feels natural and never weres into stalker territory. Even her problems and flaws are so well written that it never comes across as caricaturish. Additionally I think Raja’s character is written well in the sense he has an immaturity and goodness to him. Yes, he makes mistakes but there is something so likeable you forgive him. He also has an inner sadness which I won’t ruin. I honestly think this would be a great film to discuss for DCIB Film Club as its on youtube with quite bad english subtitles but it is still understandable.

    The last film I watched is Madgaon Express by Kunal Khemu. This movie I wouldn’t recommend to everyone since I think you have to be a hindi speaker to completely enjoy the film. Even better if like me, you have roots in Bombay. However it is a very enjoyable film and I really hope it gets more traction in India. Its a comedy so I won’t write a lot on the film but I really feel that the whole film was staged so well. The comedy is so natural and there is so much genuine camaraderie between the actors. This movie also had a lonely male character who needed to reach out to his friends.

    Overall, I think this week was a lot of complex women and men who needed to reach out.

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    • Yaaaaaaaaaaay, I have seen 3 out of those 4 films so for once I can substantively respond!!!

      ZNMD and Farhan, it’s such an interesting story because the film takes us on a journey from being charmed but slightly put off, to understanding that he was grieving and being unpleasant and his character needed to grow. It’s very subtle, it would be easy to think the film is endorsing or forgiving his behavior, but then when he meets Naseerji you can see him suddenly reflecting on his own selfishness and trying to be better. And of course, I love Hrithik and Katrina. And I love that Kalki isn’t mindlessly evil like the usual “fiancee” character. And I get 3 weeks off a year and I’m grateful for it!!! But then, I also don’t work as obsessively as Hrithik, 9 to 5 with weekends is different from his crazy always on the phone lifestyle.

      YJHD, such a well-constructed film! My only gripe is that I wish we had a little more Deepika and a little less Ranbir. Like, we get so many of Ranbir’s family scenes and stuff, and only one scene like that for Deepika. It feels unbalanced. But only slightly, definitely the lesson is there that Ranbir and Dips are very different people who had to wait and grow up until they were ready to get together. If they’d gotten together at the start, Dips might have given up med school and Ranbir might have given up his overseas chance, just so they could be together. Much better this way.

      I love Anand!!!! The best part, for me, is the decision to break the engagement at the beginning. Really that whole journey, her very practical preparation for the wedding, in charge of her own life plans, and then refusing to bend and fit into the perfect bride role. It’s like a perfect short film or short story, all on its own. The rest of the film is pleasant as well, and of course the twist at the end is surprising, but it is the opening that really sticks in my mind.

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      • I think Farhan is supposed to be consistently insufferable as Hrithik mentions how everyone always allows Farhan to do what he wants as ‘he’s so funny’. However, I think the key point is that his father’s death and him learning the secret amplifies all of that. Ultimately he grows up and matures as do the rest of the characters from their childhood behaviours.

        I never thought about how their lives would’ve been if Deepika had confessed and you’re right. I don’t think they would have been miserable as both characters are sort of ‘go with the flow’ type of people rather than those filled with regret. Yet, their meeting was at the right time as they both need to explore their lives fully before choosing each other. I also would love to see Deepika’s life more but I think it is also due to feeling more kinship towards her than Ranbir. I would also love to see Deepika and Ranbir navigating their life after the proposal. I can imagine Deepika wanting a big wedding and Ranbir wanting a super small one. So they both compromise with a mid sized wedding (local wedding hall, functions at home). Additionally how would their relationship work – would ranbir work 6 months and spend 6 months in India. All these things are interesting to think about.

        I think the beginning is so different from the end Kamalinee as it shows how she’s changing herself to fit into this relationship. While the rest of the film we see a more immature girl who is more passionate. I enjoyed probably the open show off desire and their whole relationship starting from just being around each other. Kamalinee only really liking Raja when she starts desiring him is very interesting. Also how there’s a whole song where they play with the idea of them sleeping together before marriage was so shocking to me (seeing it in a 2000’s telugu film). Overall, really wonderful film!

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        • You’re making me want to rewatch Anand!!!! I remember that when they finally fall in love and are together, it’s very private and special and just involves the two of them. Very different from her first fiance, this time she and Anand choose each other and commit to each other, and THEN his family gets involved. It’s clear that even if his family had rejected her, they would still be togehter.

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          • I think we should do it for DCIB Film Club. It’s available on youtube with subtitles which are terrible but understandable – also in parts so you don’t have to watch the whole film in one go. I’m not sure about Einthusan though

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  6. Ooooh, love Pratchett! Which is your favorite? I mean, character wise, it’s obviously Death. Hogfather is a really great book (not only) for Christmas time. But I do love the witches, too. If SRK is Vimes, then maybe Hrithik would work for Carrot? He has the stature, and I think he could do the charisma that lets you forget to ask whether he really is that simple. Who else would you cast?

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