Happy 2 days after Jaya’s birthday! I want to do something in her honor, but it’s been a bit of A Week, so I have to fall back on one of her more recent films that I have seen enough times to be able to write about it with no re-watching needed. And I also honestly think this is a fascinating character and performance to consider from Jaya.
Happy Birthday Preity! Can’t believe this is the first year I am giving you a post! Sorry for the past two years, oh well. To make up for it, many many things!
Yesterday I did a “serious” post, best films, so today I get to do another “silly” one! 29 songs of Shahrukh.
I am VERY EXCITED! Soon, I will be stunningly beautiful(er), and also have the eyesight of Superman. Or at least, I will look slightly different to myself when I look in the mirror every morning for a few weeks until I get used to it. Anyway, seemed as good a reason as any to do a songs post in honor of glasses and glasses wearers.
Happy Birthday Saif! Somehow old and young simultaneously. 47 years old, with a new baby, and a daughter who is old enough to be looking at a film launch.
Happy Doctor’s Day! Which I only know about from Amitabh’s twitter. Which is true of so many things, Amitabh really does tweet about everything. (this is an updated and reposted post from last year, and once again, I STILL only know about it from Amitabh’s twitter!)
I love Karan. Love love love. Both as an artist and a public figure. But I have to admit, he has a problem with endings. Every film either drags on too long or ends too soon. There’s always a feeling of “wait, that’s all there is?” at the end of it. And so, as my birthday gift in advance to him, I am going to fix all that! (real birthday post will go up in a couple days on the actual birthday)
Don’t worry, Farida Jalal is fine. So is Waheedaji. No, prepare yourself for a shock, Reema Lagoo has passed away. Very suddenly of heart attack, at age 59.
Happy Birthday Jaya!!!! I’m not doing a full 69 reasons I love you, because I am lazy, but I can’t just leave it at a dozen. So let’s say 15, for the age you were at your first big film role.
I know a lot of my readers are reading this, and I wanted a place for us all to discuss. I also know a lot of my readers don’t want to bother but might want a preview of what it says. And I think I have found a way to satisfy both of you! Without feeling like I am breaking some kind of plagiarism rule or skipping important parts.
My copy of An Unsuitable Boy is sloooooowly making it’s way to me from New York, but in the meantime, the Indian press is keeping me up to date on the most interesting excerpts. This time, one about Kareena.
Okay, favorite songs, favorite fanvids, favorite photos, saddest facts, happiest facts, time for a big one! Top 11 movies (was going to be 10, but I couldn’t decide what to drop, so I moved it up a day)!
I’m doing another live twitter watchalong! Just like I did for Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham a few months back (click here to see how that went)! This time, Kal Ho Na Ho! Which is available in American Netflix, as well as most streaming services. It will be at 10am Chicago time tomorrow, which is 8:30pm on Sunday the 18th India time, 1am Australia time (sorry Australia people), 11am New York time, and 8am California time. Join in by searching for the hashtags #KHNH (for Kal Ho Na Ho) or #DCIB (for my book, Don’t Call it Bollywood, which this is nominally promoting. And which you should all read! It’s really good!).
I’m not going to say “stolen”, because it comes so close to the line of theft, and then they slow it down and mix it up and it turns into something else entirely that is kind of original. So I’m going to go with “re-purposed” instead.
I may have mentioned this a few dozen times before, but Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy are my all time favorite composers. They have been since I first heard the Lakshya album when I was 19. And they have a new album out!!!! Mirzya full songs are available on Saavn, which presumably means they are available on itunes, spotify, and all the other websites the kids these days use.
A few months back, we did a twitter watch along for K3G, which was super fun! There were a couple of newbies who we got to introduce to the film, and some old hands who were super excited to share their favorite parts. (you can get a sense of what it was like here)
So, we’re now organizing another one! September 18th, 11am EDT. Kal Ho Na Ho this time (following the theory that it is available on Netflix and other streaming services, and pretty newbie friendly!).
Here is the link to more information on my publisher’s website (she is much more twitter adept than I am!). Hope to “see” a lot of you there!
And in case you forgot how fun Kal Ho Na Ho is to watch, here is a reminder!
I half considered doing a “serious” post for this day, people who taught me about Indian film, but then it just would have been a dozen SRK songs, and that’s not fair to the non-SRK people! So instead I’ll do teachers in general, and only half SRK songs.
And, as always, if there is a song you like that matches the theme, just mention it in the comments!
Happy Doctor’s Day! Which I only know about from Amitabh’s twitter. Which is true of so many things, Amitabh really does tweet about everything.
Happy Birthday Arjun! A day late! Sorry about that, I somehow missed it yesterday. But better late than never! And you deserve a birthday post, because you work so hard. According to reports, you were working yesterday as well. And, at age 31, you have already worked on 10 films, starting when you were only 18.
dontcallitbollywood 