I thought about doing something for Salman and his court case, but I wasn’t in the mood to write about any movie with him, and besides that seems like kind of a downer. So instead, Prabhu’s birthday celebration! And a movie which is very good at the very specific thing it does.
Happy Friday! And also, Happy Good Friday!!! Easter this Sunday, which I will celebrate in my traditional style, by cleaning and eating a chocolate bunny. And by putting up this theme post. One of the best old classics, and also a very Easter-y plot.
I thought this was a movie so strange and unpopular that there was no reason for me to ever write about it, but then in the comments on my post on overlooked rom-coms, we got to talking, and turns out other people also like it, so I might as well talk about it.
This movie is just barely a classic. It’s not the best, it’s got quite a few massive flaws in fact, but it’s still really interesting and worthy of discussion. And the best part is how well it shows women rescuing themselves, very appropriate for today’s discussion.
Happy Saturday! I’m on vacation, so I missed yesterday’s Friday classic post. And posts will be a bit sparse for the next few days. But I’m gonna make up for it by doing a stone-cold classic, which is also holiday appropriate, for the random one-off Saturday Classics post.
It hurts my little alliteration loving heart, but I can’t do Tuesday Telugu this week. Because a big snow storm ruined my plan to drive out to the movie theater yesterday. So instead I am swapping in Friday Classics and, if the weather clears, I will do Telugu on Friday. Or something. Anyway, it still works because we get to have an Abhishek movie right by Abhi’s birthday!
Happy Friday! I think this can legitimately be considered a classic, don’t you? Not a perfect movie, but one that is also a little bit better and a little more interesting, and a little more memorable, than the run of the mill films. And anyway, it’s Preity’s birthday week.
I’ve been kind of thinking about writing about this movie, ever since the Padmavat thing started, and now it seems like the write time with Hrithik’s birthday this week and all. So here I go!
I am stunned that I am the only one who reacted to Rana’s tweet with the first look for the new Haathi Mere Saathi by going “oh no! My CHILDHOOD!” Especially because I didn’t even see the original as a child, only as an adult who was feeling childish. But there is something so magical about that original, the purity of it, I really don’t want it to be spoiled by any kind of new take. Although, on the other hand, the magical purity of the original is probably what will protect it, nothing new and dark and dangerous can ever break its power.
It’s been pointed out that I might appear to undervalue this film and that is why I haven’t spoken much about it. Truly, I don’t undervalue it! It’s just such an unusual film that it doesn’t fit easily with a discussion of anything else. Nothing else is really like it, and therefore available for comparison with it. And it didn’t start a particular trend in filmmaking (beyond the general “Family Films” trend), because it would be so hard to imitate. But yes, I do know about this movie, I know all sorts of things about it and I am aware of it’s place in film history.
Happy Friday! And Happy Dharmendra’s Birthday! I considered changing my plans in honor of Shashi, but I decided no, Shashi would want life to go on. And anyway, we should let Shashi serve as a reminder to cherish our legends while we have them (Dilip Sahib’s birthday is in 3 days, get ready for a blow out!)
We were just talking about this in the comments yesterday, how exciting it was to see Imraan when he was first launched. Which got me thinking about this movie in general, and how good it was, and how strange it is that no one involved in this promising first film really lived up to their promise. At least, not yet. There’s always hope!
My last review last week, that was the version I wrote for grad school, all about what it means for star studies and the higher level of meaning and blah de blah de blah. But I found the need to write a second review after talking with you in the comments, that is more in my blog style.
Get ready for me to be lazy! I just dug up a paper I wrote for grad school on this film/Shahrukh’s star persona and wildly slashed out bits and rearranged and then threw it up. But whatever, I haven’t done a Rab Ne post yet really, and it was time. The post I really wanted to write was on Lucky: No Time for Love, but I’m not going to let myself, because that should wait for Salman’s Birthday Celebration time.
Happy Ittefaq day! Seeing it tonight, the new one that is, and reviewing/spoiling the old one this morning. I’m spoiling on purpose, I suspect the remake will be in conversation as it were with people’s expectations from the original, so if you know the original plot, it might make you more curious to see the remake.
I hadn’t watched this movie in about 14 years, and by golly it is just as good as I remembered! Better actually, because back then I didn’t realize how unusual it was to have this kind of a plot.
Kind of related to Secret Superstar, right? Another movie about a female protegee of a successful musician. But completely different in every other way. Anyway, an interesting film to talk about!
My favorite Yashji and Amitji’s film! Not the best one, that I know, but my personal favorite.
Thanks to all this buzz about the remakes, I thought it would be a good time to stop and reflect on the original. Plus, counter-programming to the very male new releases this week, Spyder and Judwaa 2!
This is a bit of an odd duck for a “classics” post. It came out only 25 years ago, and isn’t as well remembered as some other films from the same era (Saajan, Khalnayak). I hadn’t even heard of it until it came up in an article on Sanjay. And then I watched it and went “wow! This is a brilliant movie!” So I am here to sing its praises, just in case you haven’t run across it before.
I know this is the film that invented the Angry Young Man. I know it is a Big Story about power and the state and so on and so forth. And that’s why I enjoy it and respect it the same way I enjoy any of the other Amitabh classics, Sholay or Deewar or Trishul or Agneepath. But the reason I love it just for me, is because Jaya and Amitabh are SO IN LOVE. Like, so in love that it is blinding. It’s not a surprise they got married as soon as they finished filming, it would have been a surprise if the DIDN’T get married.
Oh boy, I really do not want to write this post! But it was a special request, and it really feels like something I HAVE to do the Friday before Independence Day. But I refuse to watch this movie one more time (ha!) because it makes me way way too sad. So be aware, this will all be based on memories from like 4 years ago, the last time I felt masochistic enough to watch it. (I’ve written on this film before, and promised then that it wouldn’t be the last post. You can read it here)
This took an interesting turn! I wanted to talk about Sujata and caste in India, and I ended up spending a lot of time talking about race in America. Because, in the end, they are both about social illusions we have been trained to accept, which can be broken by something as simple as hearing a baby’s cry.
dontcallitbollywood 