To remind self I still do have other interests besides,
Farscape, here is a post on an upcoming movie I am quite giddy about.
It’s a Bollywood flick called
Salaam-e-Ishq (My scanty Hindi interprets it as ‘Hello to Love’ but let me know if that’s wrong). It is Bollywood’s take on ‘Love Actually.’ It’s not a remake, as such, as only one of the six stories is in any way similar to LA (it is the Emma Thompson-Alan Rickman’s sad tale of almost infidelity. But I wonder how Bollywood will put a spin on it). Mainly, the one thing it has in common is the exploration of various loves at various stages. And since it’s a Bollywood movie, it has the length and the pizazz to carry it off.
In addition to finding the concept appealing (something for everyone!), I am also excited because it’s directed by Nikhil Advani, the director of
Kal Ho Na Ho, a movie that had plenty of flair, and it has a hugely all-star cast, a rarity in Bollywood where the movie is usually built around 2 or 3 stars. And it does seem like it will have passion and sarcasm and tongue in cheek fun.
This run-down is actually going to be for a Bollywood newbie(s) on my list because it seems like an excellent start movie.
But without much ado:
The couples?
In order of my interest in them:
Salman Khan and Priyanka Chopra (in what is likely to be the most Bollywoody of the stories) play Rahul and Kkamini (yes, spelled with two ‘k.’ She is superstitious). Kkamini is an item girl (a very pretty, usually skimpily dressed girl who appears in Bollywood movies for a dance number as a bit of sex appeal) who wants to become a leading lady. She is attributing all sort of gossipy articles about her to her lack of success. So she has devised a ploy to get her finally, finally noticed. One thing she didn’t count on was Rahul (about whose background the synopsis is surprsisingly mum).
The whole thing just sounds funny and madcap and charming.
Priyanka, looking every inch the item girl:
Salman, the next Messiah. Honestly no idea who he plays, but I am so there :P
John Abraham (mad sigh) and Vidya Balan (my girl-crush) maek what is possibly the most gorgeous couple ever (well, Hrithik and Aishwarya in D2 would give them a run for their money). They play a young married couple, Tehzeeb and Ashutosh, who, if I can tell correctly, are going to be involved in some horrible tragedy which will require them both to angst, and hopefully for John to remove his shirt. YES. I see no bad in that.
Thud. Seriously.
More gorgeousness:
Oh John. Take your shirt off and it will get better!
Vidya. Is it possible to be more beautiful?
Akshaye Khanna and Ayesha Takia play Shiven and Gia, a young yuppie New Delhi couple that just gotten engaged, sending poor Shiven into a complete, must-break-it-off panic because he is not ready for commitment. Or is he? I adore Akshaye Khanna and wish he’d make movies more often, so I am mondo excited.
Eeee, Akshaye angst!
Gleeeee. Hotness!
Anil Kapoor and Juhi Chawla play the Emma Thomspon and Alan Rickman couple of Love Actually. In this version, they are called Vinay and Seema Malohtra and they live in a affluent suburb of London. Their marriage starts to unravel as Vinay is attacted to a much younger girl from work.
One of the reasons I am so excited for this movie is Juhi Chawla, who hasn’t been acting in mainstream movies for a bit. Both Anil and Juhi are respected (some might even say super-famous) Bollywood stalwarts (Juhi came to fame in 1989 in the huge hit
Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, a doomed love story opposite Aamir Khan, and Anil Kapoor has been acting for ages in a whole bunch of famous movies). I really do think they will fit the roles.
How would anyone want to cheat of someone that beautiful?
Let’s ask him…
Govinda plays Raju taxiwala, a Delhi taxidriver that is hoping to meet his dream-girl Shannon (Stephanie), and has been waiting for her for 15 years. But when he does, she is there looking for her boyfriend.
Awww, I might actually like Govinda in this one.
Is it wrong that I am finding the normal, not good-looking looks of them both kinda cute.
Get into it, girl!
Oh, and there are Sohail Khan and Periazad Zorabian who portray a newly married lower class Parsi couple, Rustom and Dolly Dastoor who just seem to be interrupted every time they try to have their wedding night.
My sympathies :P
Yeah, looking frustrated:
So yeah. Tongue-in-cheek humor, and charmingness, and angst, and everything. YAY!
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timeasmymeasure
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Date:2006-12-07 06:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date:2006-12-07 07:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date:2006-12-07 07:00 pm (UTC)I'm also loving the soundtrack right now majorly - I'm sure I'll love the picturizations.
Oh John. Take your shirt off and it will get better!
Dude, hedefinitely does (check 0:12)! ;)
And yes, how anyone could cheat on Juhi is a total puzzle.
PS. In related BW 07 news, Lajjo won't start shooting until August because Aamir starts a different movie in January.. Dammit!
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Date:2006-12-07 07:53 pm (UTC)Nothing beats Jodha-Akbar for me (Hrithik! Romancing Aishwarya with a sword! If the crazy people will let them make the movie, that is), but this comes pretty close.
Dude, he definitely does (check 0:12)! ;)
Heh. A John movie without shirtlessness is just as rare as a Salman movie without shirtlessness. Gasp! Shall both of them be disrobing in this one and dancing together? :P
Though my favorite JA movie is Karam and he keeps his clothes on throughout.
In related BW 07 news, Lajjo won't start shooting until August because Aamir starts a different movie in January.. Dammit!
On one hand, damn. On another, Aamir is making another movie???? YAY. What is is?
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Date:2006-12-07 08:13 pm (UTC)It's a Hindi remake of Ghajini, which is a Tamil film VERY loosely based on Memento (the whole memory loss thing in it). I'm cautious of inter-Indian language remakes but very curious because this may be a great performance for Aamir. I also wonder ifwe'll see his character freaky-looking and tattoo'ed.. But really my main question is: who's the female lead?! There are rumours that it's the same girl as in the Tamil version but surely that can't be true..
Then there are rumours that he's in fact shooting for a film he's both directing AND producing and which will launch his nephew or something. I really can't make sense of all these filmi rumours anymore! :D
Shall both of them be disrobing in this one and dancing together? :P
Perhaps not but I think the crossing of character storylines might be really cool in this movie..
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Date:2006-12-07 08:45 pm (UTC)Yeah, I am curious as to how it would happen.
Re: Aamir. I hope he is acting in whatever it is. I have NO interest in his nephew.
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Date:2006-12-07 07:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date:2006-12-07 07:50 pm (UTC)It's not that hard to find BW movies. If you live in a big city, there is likely a theater playing them nearby (go to http://www.nowrunning.com to find out). And Netflix carries them when they come out on DVD...
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Date:2006-12-07 07:05 pm (UTC)WITH JOHN ABRAHAM?
I might watch, just for the pretty alone!
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Date:2006-12-07 07:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date:2006-12-07 07:15 pm (UTC)It's actually Ishaa Koppikar opposite Sohail.
This is one movie I'm looking forward to as well. Music is great.
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Date:2006-12-07 07:49 pm (UTC)It's actually Ishaa Koppikar opposite Sohail.
I don't know why I thought it was PZ. Poor Isha, from SRK to Sohail. What a fall :P
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Date:2006-12-07 08:39 pm (UTC)Have you ever watched any Bolly movies? *curious*
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Date:2006-12-07 08:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date:2006-12-08 12:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date:2006-12-08 12:53 am (UTC)Btw, if you do have free time this weekend (though I don't think you do), want to go see Baabul on Sunday?
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Date:2006-12-08 02:39 am (UTC)I'm going to Taste of Norway with my dad on Sunday afternoon, but I can definately squeeze in a movie afterwards.
Nothing goes better with lutefisk than Bollywood!
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Date:2006-12-07 09:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date:2006-12-07 09:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date:2006-12-08 01:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date:2006-12-08 01:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date:2006-12-08 04:28 pm (UTC)Any more suggestions for a Bollywood newbie? :-)
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Date:2006-12-08 05:14 pm (UTC)Hmmmm, recs.
I did a gigantic Bolly rec post which I'll try to find, but it basically amounts to: what kind of stuff do you like.
If you like really really gorgeous visuals, I've never seen a movie more opulent than Devdas (2002 version) (but it's also a tragedy and some people view it as overdone and slow).
If you like star-crossed romances (something Bollywood does a lot of), movies like Veer-Zaara or Fanaa are excellent (but as in any Bolly love story, you have to suspend disbelief a bit).
Parineeta is an excellent excellent one to start with: it's a period movie (set in 60s), a love story, is gorgeous, and kinda fun.
If you want funny or tongue in cheek (which is probably better than going into a full blown Bolly love story right away unless that's what you like), I'd rec Bunty aur Babli. Or Munnabhai MBBS about a gangster studying to become a doctor (it was a scarily huge hit and will actually be remade into an American movie). I've laughed so hard I thought I'd die.
I'd rec starting with relatively toned-down Bolly movies though. Which are a bit westernized in mores (they increasingly are, but that's beside the point). Dil Chahta Hai was the one that started me on my path: it is about three recently college graduated friends and their friendship, love they encounter (there is something for everyone). There is Australia and an awesome crash-the-wedding scene and everything. Rang De Basanti is excellent and also has this realness vibe and deals with friendship and love and politics. It's India's official Oscar submission this year. Swades is very good (about an America who returns to India looking for his nanny) but also not very typical.
Yuva is also very good and political. But hmmm, I seem to be reccing more arthousy Bolly stuff.
I adore Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge more than most movies, but it's made in 1995 so the clothes are somewhat dated. If you don't mind it, it's delicious.
If you like action, you are rather out of luck as Bwood isn't very good about that stuff. I would rec 'Don' however (the 2006 version) which is slick and cold and 'Karam' which is very angsty with John Abraham and Priyanka Chopra (two of the leads in SeI) and is very beautiful.
Or you can go for delicious cracktastic cheese and watch 'Krrish,' India's first superhero movie. Or 'Dhoom 2' (you don't need to see the first one) for some amazingly beautiful people being hot international thieves (and the plot as thin as a wafer).
Actually, that's a good thing to point out. I hope you like cheese because Bolly movies have plenty. They do also have awesome visuals and cool characters and etc etc.
But anyway, this is a long-winded way of asking what kind of movie you like and I'll rec accordingly.
But yes, Parineeta or Dil Chahta Hai or Veer Zaara. Good ones to start with...
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Date:2006-12-08 06:18 pm (UTC)One incredibly sad (but good) movie I saw last year was Earth, but again I don't think that was typical Bollywood fare (as there was serious kissing & implied sex.)
I'm a huge fan of foreign language films, period! The last 5 or 6 I saw were Japanese, Korean & Chinese...so now I'll be moving west across Asia to get my fix. ;-D
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Date:2006-12-08 07:24 pm (UTC)I'd also rec Main Hoon Na and Jaan-e-Mann, two of my faves and very tongue in cheek delicious but I think they are a bit too in-joke for someone not familiar with BW already (MHN is a little of a salute to crazy 70s movies with insane fights and estranged brothers). Actually, MHN might appeal anyway :)
Ooooh, which Korean and Chinese? I love Korean and Chinese movies...
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Date:2006-12-09 01:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date:2006-12-10 05:01 pm (UTC)I love Hero and HofD (and RtRL). Have you seen 'The King and the Clown?' It's a recent Korean one and very beautiful.