All Izz Well!!!

3 Idiots, 2009
Directed by: Rajkumar Hirani

Can it really be less than 24 hours ago that I saw 3 Idiots?
Ah! Since my viewing I've had only 2 hours of sleep and have arrived in my all-time-favorite place in the world: Manhattan, NYC, NY!

I went to the film with my younger sister Kelsy who is a hop and a skip away from being a total B'wood die-hard... she just doesn't know it yet. She "looooooved" Dostana (err, well, at first she "looooooved" John Abraham [ick!]) and she "loooooved" Bunty aur Babli so I thought I would just let her continue on her comedy spree. I might add that she also had Indian food for the first time before this movie, and as you can imagine, "looooooooved" that too! :)

Anyway, 3 Idiots was totally dil-hugging wonderfulness. We laughed (a LOT), we cried, we squealed we were happy. Our fellow audience members also added a lot to the experience. When I'm in Indiana I have the luxury of an Indian Cinema just 15 minutes away so I indulge myself and actually pay for tickets (my other sister works at the local theatre near my house, so I always get in for free. Family perks!) and settle in with a handful (at most) of other people in the theatre. This time around the theatre was filled to capacity and then some. My poor blonde sister felt incredibly out of place and leaned over before the previews and whispered "I'm totally blowing your cover, aren't I?" There were actually some aunties behind us chattering about if we had wandered into the wrong theatre by accident. Answer: Nope!  (And I might add that the auntie sitting next to Kelsy was hysterical. She got up and danced at one point!) Having a full audience was great, especially such an animated one. I love feeling like everyone else in the theatre is having just as much fun from the event as you are, it just makes it all a million times better.

Now, on to the film!

Over all I thought it was really well done. The cinematography was clean, the colors were bright (especially the beach part at the end! I so wanted to go swimming in those blue, blue waters) and I cared about the story.

Our three leads Rancho (Aamir Khan), Raju (Sharman Joshi) and Farhan (R. Madhavan) were obviously great friends on and off screen and just looked like they were having so much fun being these characters that the energy was contagious.

They also win some of my most coveted superlatives: Aamir for "Sexiest Sweater vest & glasses combo". Oh my yum. Also, I had only ever seen him in Lagaan, and that's totally different. I really enjoyed watching him, he's so cute!

Sharman won the "Most adorably, heartbreakingly wonderful weeper" and he broke my heart numerous times with his concerns and depth of emotion and character.

Darling R. Madhavan wins "Best Harry Potter look-a-like" and by the end I was madly in love with him. I want to marry him today, but alas! He is already wed. Such is my life.

Kareena Kapoor, whom I adore, did a superb job as the feisty Miss Dr! I want to say that they day I can rock heavy eyeliner and thick-rimmed glasses will be the day Hell freezes over. (envy envy!) and the scene she appears sans make-up is just perfection. She's the epitome of gorgeous. The end, no further discussion. (Gee I'm sure glad I stopped hating her!)

Poor Boman Irani played another character I could not tolerate. Hmmm. Maybe one day he will catch a break in my book. Maybe...

I also loved the little jab about Raju's house being straight out of a 50's film and thus everyone a character went into the house the screen morphed into Black and White. Little touches like that are so good.

The suicide theme was a bit much for me, it's just not my cup-of-tea and it makes me really uncomfortable, but thankfully it's more like a jarring side note than a permanent fixture*.

I wanted to kiss Rancho when he was talking about his views on education reform. I am so with him! Memorization does not equal learning and the example of the botch speech was an acute and roll-in-the-isles laughing justification of that. (Especially from the perspective of someone who HAS to know what they are singing in a foreign language. All. the. time!)

Ah, the music was absolute crap**. The love song could have gone somewhere really good but it just didn't and stayed in a campy, annoying sort of place. Boo! Don't waste Kareena like that! Give her a good song! The theme song was by far the best, musically and picturization-wise; but otherwise there were no real stand outs or other full-blown songs. I hope that's not becoming a trend...that would be tragic.

Ohhh! And I would be remiss if I wasn't to mention the Masala-tastic child-bearing/team building/retribution/sticking-it-to-the-man/blackout moment. Truly the icing on the cake.

...A very sweet, delicious cake.

*If that sounds terribly insensitive/judgmental I apologize. It's just not something I handle very well...
**Since seeing the film I have fallen in love with the music, especially the ballads. They're lush and delicious. Zoobie Doobie also grew on me. I can't get it out of my head!

Barsaat ki Raat

For me, watching Madhubala is like watching a very finely and perfectly choreographed dance. Every movement, look and thing she does is so perfectly timed and planned that I always end up watching more of her rather than what is going on in the film.  

She's marvelous

Thankfully this film followed the classic and beloved Love Triangle story line, so apart from keeping faces in context I could sit back and enjoy Madhubala as much as I wanted to. And I did.

The story tells of a poet Aman (Bharat Bhushan) and his neighbors, the "singing girls" Shama (Shyama) and Shabab (Ratna). Shama is obviously in love with her crooning neighbor who moves to secure a post on the radio singing his poems, as he as only sold one copy of his collections and needs money.

 On the way to the city he meets with a terrifying* rainstorm and runs into a girl who seeks shelter under the same bridge that Aman is standing under. He does not get a good look at the girl, but falls in love with her.

The next night we see Shabnam (Madhubala) hugging a collection of poems by Aman and listening to him on the radio. He sings of a stormy night and a girl that he met that he will never be able to forget. It does not take her long to figure out that the girl is her and that some how she must be introduced to Aman. Conveniently her father needs a tutor for her little sister and who else would he hire BUT the new poet in town? No one, that is for certain.

Of course she's the only one with the copy of his poems! 

Of course!

I feel some love happening.....

Aman tries to tutor the little girl but gets distracted every three seconds when Shabnam walks by their schoolroom and they engage in passionate moments of silent staring.

Shabnam's father makes an announcement that she should be married and says he knows just the man (we know where this is going, don't we?). Her father invites Aman over for dinner and then accuses him of leading on his daughter and making a fool out of her. Aman is ordered from the house and Shabnam runs away with him to Lucknow.

The only option after being scorned in love.

There he tries to make a living out of singing but his voice on the radio gives away his identify.  Shabnam is taken back into her father's house and is engaged to Aftab (Peace Kanwal).

Shama and Shabab are in Lucknow for a qawali competition and after loosing a few rounds are in desperate need of a poet. Luckily they run into the distraught and scorned-in-love Aman who agrees to write poetry for their songs.

Back in the palatial mansion Shabnam has fallen ill of heartbreak and will not agree to the marriage her father has set-up between her and Aftab. In a twist Shama becomes her nurse and takes care of her. Shama says she knows how to console a broken heart, since hers was only just recently mended. Eventually Shama finds out that Shabnam is the woman that broke Aman's heart and Aman is the man for whom Shabnam pines.  Shama steps out of the picture and lets Aman and Shabnam reunite and rekindle their relationship. The two are allowed to wed only after Shabnam's father receives consent from Aftab, who says he would not want to destroy the "love-match".

Please notice the gun he is pointing at his wife. Class.

Once you get the permission from the fiancée, I guess you're good-to-go.

I really enjoyed this film, all of the characters (and the females especially) were strong, independent and motivated. There was some pitter-pattering about life not going on after Aman and Shabnam were split up but they both moved on and almost got on with other people but of course they were reunited.

The picture quality was a little fuzzy and blury, but I suppose that's just due to the age of the film. The sound was in excellent condition, thank goodness, since the music was fantastic!  Especially with the qawali scenes. The music is so integral to the plot and never distracts or takes away from the story line, but rather is built into the plot and is effective in the movement of the drama.

Now, some leftover Madhubala pretties:

*The scary "if you're alone in a hotel room in Jackson, WY" kind of scary.

I'm A Leo, You?

What's Your Raashee, 2009
Directed by: Ashutosh Gowariker

TWELVE Priyankas were a little creepy to look at. 

I'm really on the fence about whether I liked this film or if it was just "OK" and good for one of those brainless rainy days...
It's a definite RomCom, which is probably what is turning me off to it, but the music was cool, the filming was done prettily and I enjoyed watching Priyanka morphing into 12 different girls.
I have to admit the concept was interesting to me too, even if every once and a while it lagged.

AH! That's what bothered me! It just didn't move. Most of the time I was just wishing something would happen even if it was just like the ridiculous Don/Affair subplots.

The plot is pretty straight forward: Yogesh Patel (Harman Baweja) is forced to fly to India and get married in 10 days to save his brother who has gotten in deep with the Don. Yogesh is promised his grandfathers entire fortune when he marries, so he will be able to pay of the bad guys on behalf of his brother. He decides to meet one girl from every raashee (sun sign, all played by Priyanka) in order to find the right one.  He goes on 12 [presumably] 10 minute dates and notices that each one a) looks the same , and b) he really likes. In the end they bring one of the girls to his wedding but he doesn't know which one until she says her name (because they all look the same... remember?) The brother pays off the Don and there is shaadi happiness all over the place.

I should also mention that Yogesh got his MBA at the University of Chicago for two reasons... a) they mention it like 20 times, and b) when I'm not at home I live about 2 hours from Chicago and it was super exciting to see something familiar and home-esque! :)

This movie was also full of a lot of beautiful, beautiful, BEAUTIFUL saris and outfits....
I had mega jealousy. Let us take a look:

Tee-hee

Killer mustache, dude. 

I had severe "room envy" too...

I want the clasps on all of my bras to look like THAT from now on...

One of my favorite moments was the "We're reincarnated lovers sent to find each other again!" scene... complete with hand-painted portrait of the dead body that is supposed to be Yogesh's past life.

"Uhhhhh" is exactly the emotion appropriate for this moment.

And I would be remiss to not mention my superb calling of my own sign, Leo. All I wanted was for the girl to come out doing something diva-ish, with amazing hair and wearing sequins. I got it all, she was an actress in a sort of rock-opera/Moulin Rouge show, had the best hair of all the characters and WORE SEQUINS!!!

Opera-tastic "bleeding" via a red scarf!

I wouldn't be disappointed to see Priyanka doing more of the evil villain thing. She just killed it in the boots, leather, short bob and glasses when she was the domineering business executive.

A modern "Typewrite tip tip tip" so-to-say...

It was a fun movie, I kind of want the CD (but I'm going to have to watch it again to be sure...) and if I ever just want to not think I'll probably Instant Play it from Netflix. Maybe. Actually I'd watch it again just to look at all the delicious locations. They were just superb, like this pool/palace combo:

(I'm a little miffed that he didn't end up with the girl I wanted him to. That and the slow pace are probably the biggest turn-offs for me).

More from Kabhi Kabhie...

I was more than a little distracted in my Ethnomusicology lecture this morning, I had Shashi on the brain. (Really? Are you going to blame me? Nope, didn't think so!)

Also, I had spent the entire weekend (Kabhi Kabhie watching aside) working on a 70 page thesis paper, so as far as all things academic were concerned I was exhausted.  So here are some of the musings I wrote down instead of notes on the tradition of Gamelan

I put KK in last night as background noise while I was working and ended up watching it more than I was writing my paper (that's OK by me) and I noticed some things that I missed the first go-around:

- Holy cow* is that film colorful! My TV has a clearer picture than K's and I was SHOCKED by the beauty and the clarity of all the colors. Especially the wedding scene (and subsequent frames afterwards...if you know what I mean, and you do).

-I adored the music the second time around. I had mentioned that I didn't really notice it the first time (a difficult task for a Music Major, I assure you) but this time it was actually drew my attention from my paper. In fact, I just downloaded a few of the songs from iTunes and the theme has been stuck in my head since Saturday night. I love it!

-How, HOW did I miss Rishi Kapoor the first time around? I must have been amazingly distracted by Shashi not to even notice or care about Rishi.  He is an absolute doll! Preciousness abounding and oozing out of him! Love! Love! Love! Also, him and Neetu are just TOO much!

All together now: Awwwwwww!

-Speaking of Neetu I have to confess that she might be my new favorite. Sorry Rani... except... that's right, Rani was  Neetu in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi!!! Perfect!!! Ahh! I just thought she was wonderful! And, I had costume envy of her blouses... except for the tye-dye red one. She can just keep that.

-That insane chase scene/forest fire/instant acceptance of everyone's lover's lover scene is just all out absurd. And wonderful.

-What the heck is with the chair covers at Amitabh's pad? With the little cartoon faces and the name of each family member on them? Also, there were a few people that were cartooned but NEVER ate dinner with them. Hmmmmm.... sketchy.

-I'm sure to mention this again, especially since I think I have (finally) found an interest in vintage B'wood: Men should never wear anything but Bell-Bottoms. One word: Yummm!

(*"Holy Cow" was not intended to be an awkward pun)

Was There a Title, or was it Just the "Shashi is Uber Delicious" Show?

I don't know how to write this without coming across as a 14-year old fan girl Myspace-ing about the Jonas Brothers. I imagine it would sound something like this:

OMGGGGGG!!!!!!!!! I SAW MY FIRST SHASHI FILM AND IT WAS LIKE LIKE SUPER HOTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!HE IS SO WONDERFUL AND I WANT TO CRY AND HOLD HIM AND MARRY HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!NO ONE ELSE CAN HAVE HIM BECAUSE HE IS MINEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!SHASHI FAN NUMBER ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Except there would probably be a lot of typing that looks like that shorthand lazy texters use. You know, "gr8", "ur", "rofl" or whatever those are...

But yes, the short and short of it is that I saw (2 years after hearing about his "supposed" wonderfulness) my first Shashi Kapoor film: Kabhi Kabhie.

The film is delightfully full of everything YRF-ish that I just drool over: Divided lovers, mountains, seasons that change at the drop of a hat, love triangles x100, undercover identities, dramatic confrontations...

And it has somethings that I just love anyway: Sexy Amitabh is sexy sweaters, bad mustaches, extreme reactions to adoptions, sexy Amitabh's sexy hair, and lips, and hands... (I know, focus Erin!) silly actions scenes that are just somewhat out of place, and....my new super crush... Shashi Kapoor!

Now, I'm not saying that I'm ready for Shahrukh to step aside, but I am saying that it's probably a good thing that they never did a film together, otherwise I might die upon watching it from extreme bliss and asphyxiation, since I can't seems to pull myself together enough the breathe when SRK is smoldering away and Nose Acting; which is the same reaction I had to the wedding night scene in KK.


That scene made me agree to the idea of an arranged marriage.

And there is my now infamous Tweet (in my mind at least) reaction to Shashi that has been RT'ed on by Beth and mentioned in the comments of one of her Filmi Secret Santa blogs that I thought for good measure should just be added to my post:


"oh. my. god. I think I've been Shashified.I get IT!! I can't breathe when he's on screen! eeeee!"


It's amazing that I even had the mental capacity to type that, I had seriously lost it. I was almost in tears and I had the weird giggling of someone who was heavily drugged. 

I was very impressed with the movie, I'm not much of a 70s Bollywood fan, I like my 2000s and 90s (I know) but I really liked it. The pacing was good, which compared to the only other 70s film I've seen (and I can't remember what it was, but it was about 5 hours long... and boring) was a huge plus.  The plot, while sometimes convoluted, was interesting and even though Shashi is not on screen the entire time it didn't bother me because I was absorbed in everything else that was going on. Even the second plot of Shashi's son (Rishi Kapoor) didn't annoy me too much, because every time I was getting a little bored by them it would go back to the Amitabh/Shashi/Rakhee (who is another new favorite) story line.

The music wasn't all that impressive to me, I guess it works well on screen and in context but I wasn't really paying attention to it and it wasn't stuck in my head when I turned it off.  The song sung above (Kabhi Kabhie) I liked, but I'm not rushing out to buy this soundtrack (a highly a-typical move for me).

There was something I was bothered by and it's the same thing (permit me) that bothers me about the Twilight story line. Rakhee seemed genuinely happy  in her marriage to Shashi. He was upbeat, fun, nice, loving...etc. They laughed a lot, flirted and were just all-around a happy couple. However, whenever Amitabh is around (her ex-lover who told her to agree to her marriage) she acts like she's been living for him the entire time and all he is is cold, hurtful, needy and boring. Ugh. Hello Edward and Jacob. In the end the right choice is made and Rakhee realizes her pyaar for Shashi (I'm sorry, but who wouldn't?) but there was a moment where I thought it was going to go horribly wrong and she was going to run away with Edward, uh, I mean Amitabh.  And I'm sorry, but after 20 years of being without your ex-lover I really think it's time to give up that dream. (Eh, what do I know, I'm not the romantic.)
Why take the man who's always moping around and sucking life away when you can have the fun, realistic, happy one?

I watched this with K & L (of course) who didn't know they were getting a non-SRK movie. L really liked it and K did too, but K was not pulled into the den of Shashi goodness. Pity.

The Theme Song is Currently on "Repeat" in my head: Bunty aur Babli!

Bunty aur Babli, 2005
Directed by: Shaad Ali

If this DOES NOT get stuck in your head 
you might not have the power of hearing.

This movie has it all! Bright colors, awesome dancing, super catchy tunes, RANI!!!!, Amitabh AND Abhishek AND Aishwarya, clever and smart acts of crime, humor, pyaar, the Taj, comedy and all over goodness.

Rani (Vimmi/"Babli") and Abhishek (Rakesh/"Bunty") are small-town people with big-time dreams that continually run into each other on in their quest for fame. After Abhi's business deal gets stolen and Rani is refused for the Miss India competition they hook up and go on a crime spree becoming "Bunty" and "Babli" ripping off hotels, stores and even selling the Taj Mahal with ingenuity, charm and style.

They fall in love (how can you resist Abhi? Answer: You can't) and have a cute little shaadi at the Taj, a kiss(!), a super sweet love song ("Chup Chup Ke", complete with mountains and snow) and continue on their spree.


As they gain more and more publicity they attract the attention of super-sleuth DCP Dashrath Singh (Amitabh) who makes it his life's work to track down the thieving duo and lock them up. 
Of course the big show-down/chase happens when poor Babli is going into labor; and I think she receives the award for fastest labor-and-delivery in the history of all time. (Also if my husband had dragged my onto a bumpy train just minutes after giving birth he would have been so dead. SO DEAD.) 

They get caught and promise to give up their glamorous life of crime and move back to their little village. A few years later DCP Singh comes back and recruits the pair to work for the police as expert scammers to catch other criminals. They say "yes" without hardly even thinking, so bored and unchallenged they are by their mundane, respectable lives. (How awesome is it that Rani goes back to work after having a baby!? Kudos to the writer for that!)

I love this movie, it's just so fun and happy and sweet; the only bad part was that I started thinking "Is it really that easy to rip off whole hotels?!" and wanted to try it but my very real, very logical self caught up with me and forced me to acknowledge how wrong stealing and con artistry is. Very wrong. :)

There was also the funny interplay between Abhi, Amitabh and Ash; those made me giggle. All of the "you could be his father" nonsense and Ash's scorn of Abhi's affections in favor of Amitabh's (which is still funny, even if they weren't married yet)!

Whew! All those "A" names!

Also, "Kajra Re" is one of my new all-time-favorite songs! (even if the Bachchans squared leave something to be desired in their dancing...)

I'm Unlucky in my Chances to Make a Pun on the Title (that's terrible)

Luck by Chance, 2009

Directed by: Zoya Akhtar

I loved how this movie started out. The credits with all of the "behind the scenes" people was just my favorite. I appreciate and adore when you get to see the people behind the magic, as a performer myself I know that nothing, absolutely nothing could happen without those people, and I love them.

Saddly, it all just went downhil from there. And quickly.

I don't know if it was all the digs at the Indian Film industry but for most of the movie I felt like I should be ashamed of liking it. I don't know how you can pull off a movie that mocks and ridicules the people paying to watch your movies, but Akhtar tried. Perhaps it's all susposed to be done light heartedly and tongue-in-cheek but it just didn't come off that way to me, at the end I was left feeling unfulfilled, unhappy and like I should rethink my hobbies.

That being said, there are some moments that were redeeming. The look of the movie was very appealing on the eyes. Had I turned off the subtitles and just watched I think I might have enjoyed myself a lot more had I just looked at it. It was very lush.

I squeeled with delight when I saw my two B'Wood super crushes Shahrukh and Karan Johar acting as wise and learned sages to the new "it" boy Vikram (Farhan Akhtar). And I found Konkona Sen Sharma's perfomance truly worth praise. She had a very subtle and electric way of acting that I just enjoyed. Juhi Chawla was also fun to watch as the outlandish and very funny wife of a big-time but struggling director.

The whole moral of the film, not losing who you are in order to, or as you become what you aspire to be, is a theme that's nicely explored and at the end you are left a little more placiated by Sonam's decion to be happy in what she's doing rather than miserable because she can't fulfil her dream.

More than anything this film just left me greatly unsatisfied and if it wasn't the attack on the B'Wood industry it was something else that I can't quite place my finger on. I might give it another shot sometime, but for right now I'm moving on.

P.S. I must admit that I was under the influence of a very demanding muscle relaxer while watching this film which might have colored my view of it... though doubtful.

Devdas, there are a lot of mirrors. And glitter.

Devdas, 2002
Directed By: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

K & L wanted to watch Devdas after we finished K3G... by that point it was three a.m. and I managed to stay awake until my favorite words in film history ("Every-time I breathe") were said and then I passed out from exhaustion. They claim that they stayed awake to watch the whole thing, meaning that they went to bed somewhere around 7 or 8 a.m. Pagal!

This morning K (L was still asleep by the time I went home around noon) told me that she loved to look at it, but hated the movie. She's the soft hearted type and found the anti-hero, self-destruction and very unhappy ending a bit too rough for her.

Even when he's a dying alcoholic he's beautiful

Thats why I like it! The first time I saw it I kept thinking "Everyone is going to get redeemed from this hell-hole they're in, they just HAVE TO!" I was so shocked at the end and felt ill with the "closing the gates at the very last second" that I wanted to scream; but I still felt fulfilled by the movie.

Perhaps it's the extravagant, elaborate and costly sets, costumes, music and spectacle of the whole film. Maybe I dig a good anti-hero (and I do), maybe it's because Paro decided she wasn't going to waste her time with a guy who ran away from her, maybe it's the millions of glinting mirrors that adorn everything and make the film literally glitter, maybe it's Madhuri Dixit, and I'm going to reckon a lot of it is Madhuri Dixit.

Madhuri has so much feeling in her inflection and the way she delivers lines. I was watching, well listening to the movie while falling asleep so I could only concentrate on the voices and hers was beautiful, tragic and poignant.

I love the dancing and music in this film because it's so old-school. Indian classical all the way (with the exception of Dola re Dola, which still rocks). The preciseness of the dancing gives the film a very polished look while keeping the audience's attention because it just looks so different from other film dancing.

Ash and Shahrukh also make a beautiful, beautiful couple. I love seeing them paired together because it works so well, and I wish it happened more often. Kirron Kher gives one of my all-time favorite performances in this movie, how graceful and regal she is as she narrates the downfall of Dev and his family and stands up for her own daughter.

Second only to the Gazebo scene in KKHH, this is the best of SRK's Nose Acting.

Devdas is just one of those films where I like to turn off the subtitles, sit back and actually watch because it defines beauty.

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham

Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham, 2001
Directed by: Karan Johar

Literally, this is what ALL of my family pictures look like. No joke.

I love love love love love this movie! It's far too long, I despise Amitabh's character and all of the songs
that take place in London are absolute crap; but that never seems to stop me from putting it on from time to time and falling in love with it all over again.

Yes, there are numerous and overt nods to DDLJ, KKHH and even some KHNH (I don't know if it's legit, but there is what sounds like a rough draft of the theme song... but that's just me) and sometimes you think: "Really? Can't you just make a movie that stands alone KJo? Can't you?" but then you remember that you saw K3G before any of those and thought it was just too much fun to discover all of those little nods later on like a giant B'Wood Where's Waldo? So while I find it a little tiring, I also find it incredibly endearing. (It might have something to do with the super-crush I have on KJo, but that's not really important)

Two of the songs in this film, Bole Chudiyan and Yeh Ladki Hai Allah are ranked in my "Top 10 filmi songs of all time" and one of them, "You are my Sonia" is ranked in my "Top 10 Why didn't they cut that song?" category.

Yeh Ladki Hai Allah = yes!

"You are my Sonia"= No

The dancing is superb, and I love to see my Shahrukh dancing, so there is no complaint from me on that note. The dancing is just so intricate and demanding (and speaking as a girl who has learned all of the dances, I know); and I was surprised by my attention to Hrithik Roshan's dancing. He looks trained, and very well trained (K & L would also add "yummy").

My little students are still afraid to branch out from SRK movies, but I told them by the end they might very well be in love with Hrithik, and though they protested my prediction they proved themselves wrong by falling in love with him, and fast. At the point where he is slapped by Amitabh K was so appalled that she shouted "Don't hit the beauty!". The beauty... honestly. They are now willing to branch out to other actors... well, Hrithik movies at least.

Though I've never found the movie emotional (just "touching") L spent the entire time from interval to post-credits weeping like a faucet, and she kept telling us she came from a "happy, unbroken home" so I don't know what her emotions were all about...but I do know that they were better than the basket case she became during Veer-Zaara (she is going to hate me for writing this).

I love the relationship of SRK's Rahul and Hirthik's Roahn. I always wanted brothers growing up and my idea of brothers are what they portray. It's so cute and touching. (Though I've been informed that brothers RARELY act like that. Pity.)

Jaya Bachchan is the person who holds this whole movie together, in my mind at least. She's so beautiful, calm and loving and when the time is right FINALLY stands up to Amitabh and tells him what's what. Go Jaya!

This was the first Kareena Kapoor movie that I ever saw, and I think it was her character that caused me to really dislike her for a long time. Now that I've moved passed that stage it was fun to go back and watch her in an unbiased and loving way. Also, I do like Kajol in this, and I like her in most things but sometimes when she is screeching away in that high-pitched voice of hers I want to just turn off my DVD; but in this movie it works for her, because it is done with humor and heart.

Can someone PLEASE explain to me the relationship Rani's character has with Amitabh's? It's so odd and creepy.

Oh! I have to close with the bangle business at the fair. Oh.My. If anyone EVER looked at me the way Shahrukh looks at Kajol while slowly, painfully slowly sliding bangles onto my wrist I think I would drop dead with pleasure. What a lucky, luck girl.

Oh, I so love you.

Monsoon Wedding, proving first impressions are wrong.

Monsoon Wedding, 2001
Directed By: Mira Nair

I almost called it quits on this movie after watching half of it and I'm so glad I didn't! My mistake was trying to watch it after I got home from work at midnight... exhaustion and subtitle reading do not go hand-in-hand. At first I was turned off how by completely un-Bollywood it was, but I should have know to expect that, since I knew going into it that it was more like an Indie-film than a B'Wood extravaganza.

What saved it for me was the quiet, subtle romance of the wedding planner and the house servant. How precious are they! Especially when he is watching her (in a very voyeuristic type way) as she tries on her employer's jewelry and pouting in front of the mirror. It was just "choo chweet" and touching that you couldn't help but root for them.

The other story lines for me were a little banal, but that's just me craving for the main couple to start prancing about the Alps and speaking poetry to each other about their love. You can't have everything, but this movie was fulfilling in many other aspects.

Monsoon Wedding reminded me of my high school days (which have long since left me) and how I worked for a catering company that specialized in Indian Weddings (my answer to "how did you get hooked on B'wood?") and the shaadis we'd put together in days that would last for a week. The dancing, the singing, the music, the food, the family, the flowers and the rain. Oh yes, the rain! It made me smile to see bits and pieces of those days in this movie and be a part of it (if just vicariously and reminiscently) all over again.

I can't forget to mention that Lillete Dubey is in it and she does a fantastic job, she is just fun to watch and I enjoy that she looks like a real person, not over styled and over make-upped. Naseeruddin Shah was also very touching as the doting father figure (and I should have known he was in Main Hoon Na, except I couldn't place him).

Forcing Realism on a determined Escapist was tough at first, but the effect was brilliant. My dil was squished and happy and I had a smile on my face. A-One, Monsoon Wedding, A-One!

Veer-Zaara

Veer-Zaara, 2004
Directed by: Yash Chopra

I watched this last night with my two pupils (i.e. B'wood novices) K and L.  K in particular is an amazing success story, a year ago she couldn't understand my obsession with Indian Cinema and especially couldn't stand the music (she had an issue with the voice registration; we're all Opera singers, just ignore it) So what did I do to persuade my two pals that "east or west" Bollywood was "the best"? I sat them down and made them watch Dard-e-Disco. Conversion complete. I am, when necessary, an excellent sales-woman and champion for the Indian film industry. Since then they have been hounding me for daily installments in their educations. It's wonderful.

Anyway, back to VZ...

It took me years for me to finally see this. One of my best friends growing up was from Pakistan and she always told me "you HAVE to watch it. You just HAVE to!" So I did...

I don't want to discuss the plot, you can find that anywhere. There are so many wonderful moments in this film, and I want to talk about those.

-The music, oh! The music in this movie (weird jazzy-saxophone included) is just phenomenal. You can actually buy the soundtrack for this movie, a rarity in Indian films that I wish was practiced more often. It's poignant, dramatic and touching. Sure, a little romanticized and overtly emotional, but that's just Bollywood, and that's what you get. The filmi songs are just so so good too. The first one you see is so camp and so typical YRF that you want to gag, but you can't because it's just that good and precious to see SRK hoping around and being happy. And if you've never seen "Main Yahaan Hoon" then you've never seen something so inclined to induce me into a fever and heavy breathing. K and L made use re-watch that particular song at least 3 times.

...if only...

-The cinematography is breathtaking. There are so many shots that just make you think "Yash knew what he was doing". The settings, scenery, colors and little details scattered throughout provide lush surroundings for this "love legend". The post-production details are impressive too. So many times there are awkward "cut offs" in either music or feeling as the film moves from scene to scene, and it's one of my only peeves; but in VZ, there is only one of those moments, and you're so caught up in the story when it happens, that you don't even notice it (unless you've seen it a million times).

-Amitabh Bachchan! In this movie he's so fun and happy and smiling and funny. It's refreshing to see him like that, compared to his frowning, stern parenting roles. If I had to pick a grandfather, Chaudhary Sumer Singh would be my top choice. (Kirron Kher also gives a great Maa performance, if I could pick a filmi Maa, she'd be mine!)

-Preity and Shahrukh and Rani!!!... it took me a long time to get used to Preity Zinta and like her, and what finally hooked me was this movie. She gives a great performance and her character is simply lovable. How I like my Shahrukh is the way he appears in this movie. His face isn't the hard, chiseled thing he's sported since Om Shanti Om, nor is it the cutesy, baby face of DDLJ. In this movie he sizzles. His eyes, his hair, his eyebrows, his Adam's apple... yum! Rani also gives a good performance as Veer's lawyer who has heart, hope and compassion.

The short and short of it (and this movie and its review are neither short) is that I love Veer-Zaara, it's a good one to take down when you haven't seen it for a few years and just get caught in the "legend" of Veer and Zaara's love, and all of the sweet, short little moments in between the moments of grandeur that  are what make this movie touching and all around good.

*I wrote this during my ethnomusicology lecture so if it's disjunct or just plain poorly written it's because I was trying to look "engaged" in the lecture and my teacher would periodically call on me to pronounce the Indian names of musicians, instruments and songs...