Top 5 Thursday - Guilty Pleasures

Okay, so guilty pleasures. Everyone's got them. Things they love, but are afraid to admit for fear of supreme embarrassment and/or intense mocking . Well, this week's Top 5 assignment was to think of your top 5 guilty pleasures, in any category. Here's a list of mine: let the ridicule begin!

5. A twofer for you. Okay, so this one is not Bollywood related, but ever since I happened to see the totally fun High School Musical (gp#1), and yes I do believe that this is what high school should always be like!, I've had a crush on Zac Efron (#2). So 19 years to my 32 at the time, but what's a girl to do? Have you seen him? Totally adorable.


4. Ta Ra Rum Pum. I thought this movie was really very good when I watched it. I remember watching it early into my filmi adventures, a double header night with Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani (which I also really liked, btw). I thought the race car premise was fresh and an interesting departure from what I had seen thus far. Then I realized that almost everyone who'd seen it thought it was dreadful. Even so, I willingly own a copy and the tunes frequent my ipod often.


*note* as I'm writing this I'm reading Suzy's review at her blog, and the subsequent comments and I am truly ashamed that I like this film.

3. Another non-Bolly related item, but still international is my love affair with ABBA. No, not the Abba of the Bowman Irani type, but the original 1970's Swedish pop band. I think ABBA is something you either love or hate, and I have adored them as long as I can remember. I LOVED Mamma Mia, the musical movie event (even rehearsed the dance they do to Super Troopers for a party I was attending with my best friend), I own the PS2 singstar karaoke game, and I've scoured, yes scoured, the internet and costume shops trying to find knee high silver platform boots. For me, Abba has stood the test of time and I will probably be a Dancing Queen for a long time to come.


p.s I was Meryl!

2. My affinity for Dick shows. Now get your mind out of the gutter - I mean Private Detectives! Remington Steele and Magnum were early loves and I used to want to be Laura Holt. Oh the dresses, the adventure, the quirky situations. Aaaah. Nowadays, I can't get enough of totally funny and cute James Roday, who plays Shawn Spencer on the USA Network's Psych (which is not available any longer in Canada. Boo!!!!). They even did a Bollywood themed ep once! I think I even did some investigating of my own when I was younger as to how to become a P.I. Of course that didn't pan out, but my pyaar continues!





1. Uday Chopra - the piece de resistance I think on my cupcake of shame. Yes, poor Uday has been the topic of many a joke, especially in twitterverse, but I admit, I actually like the guy. I think he's kind of sweet, if a little thick, and even willingly bought Pyaar Impossible (thought I haven't watched yet). Nepotism aside, he is the true definition of an underdog, at least in films. And, just to clarify, this doesn't mean I want to lick ghee off his chest (Christy!), but my feelings for Uday are strictly the platonic "I hope he does well in life" kind of feelings. So there!


So that's my guilty pleasures. I dare you to share yours!

31 Response to "Top 5 Thursday - Guilty Pleasures"

  1. Unknown says:
    May 20, 2010 at 12:24 PM

    Great blog!

    My is:
    http://cinema-indiano-bollywood.blogspot.com/

  2. bollywooddeewana says:
    May 20, 2010 at 12:35 PM

    I've never believed in the idea of a guilty pleasure if i did i guess almost all the things i love ala Spice Girls etc. would be termed guilty pleasures, in my opinion one likes what one likes and there ain't no reason to feel guilty. But i understand how the term is used sometimes though and in that regard my all time guilty pleasure is this film

  3. dunkdaft says:
    May 20, 2010 at 12:42 PM

    Ooi Maa !! Uday Chopra??!!!!

  4. Anishok says:
    May 20, 2010 at 12:43 PM

    Noooo, not Ewwwwday! We have to stage an intervention. ASAP!

  5. Pitu says:
    May 20, 2010 at 12:45 PM

    LOL Shellie! I actually thought Zac Efron was really handsome and sweet in 'Me and Orson Welles' and I love ABBA too!! I even like their videos even though the 80s fashion can be blinding at times. As for EEEEWDAY, I have no words really, but as a Kishan Kumar closet fan, I cannot cast a stone at you ;-D

  6. Little Dark One says:
    May 20, 2010 at 12:46 PM

    Yay! I have that same warm, fuzzy, oh isn't that puppy so ugly it's cute, love for Uday. So good to know I'm not alone. People have actually asked me about this as if I were admitting an affection for cockroaches as pets! Uday is HOT like a samosa filled with wasabi! Just kidding...you know I'm kidding right?

  7. Rae says:
    May 20, 2010 at 12:50 PM

    I was with you re Zac (he gets more delish and I feel more pervy everyday). I was with you re Abba (the music, not the movie. I didn't think it did them justice. Prefer Muriel's Wedding). I was even with you re old school PI shows (esp. Moonlighting! What chemistry! Probably the source of my being manhandled kink) but UDAY??!!!!! Wow!
    You've got some balls to admit to that one. I suppose he's an example of someone who would have stayed higher in my esteem if he weren't on twitter. I used to feel as you do, a little sorry for him, thought he was kinda cute but his sad sack twitter routine finally killed every bit of pity-kindness I felt towards him.
    I think you win for pure shock value!

  8. Natty says:
    May 20, 2010 at 1:28 PM

    I can understand and love all your guilty pleasures except for Uday, no I cannot and I will not. But you shall always be my triplet. :D

  9. Cardamom Kisses says:
    May 20, 2010 at 1:39 PM

    Hehe, fun read!

    I like Uday a lot. It's not a guilty pleasure for me, just a pleasure :)

    And, being a Swede, I'm afraid I simply can't see why liking ABBA would be less than perfectly normal... ;)

  10. Ness says:
    May 20, 2010 at 1:41 PM

    HAHAHAH! Your number one made me GASP and then crack up laughing in JOY! I LOVE YOUR LIST! It is AWESOME!

    - A healthy love for Zac is NEVER anything to be guilty about. High School Musical - omg I own all three movies on dvd, and the soundtrack to HSM3. And one of the PS2 games. Ahem.

    - While I am not exactly FOND of Uday, I don't hate the guy - he is even quite likeable in a couple of films I've seen him in. I LOVE THAT HE'S ON YOUR LIST! LOVE IT!

  11. Shellie says:
    May 20, 2010 at 3:50 PM

    @Juze - Thanks and welcome to my little blogworld. I'll be sure to stop by and check yours out.

    @darshit - I know! The shame. However, I can't help how I feel! I think Uday was the bomb that dropped on T5T today!

    @anishok - Darling, I fear I need interventions for many many things! Uday is probably the least of my worries.

  12. Shellie says:
    May 20, 2010 at 3:57 PM

    @bollywooddeewana - I had a hard time coming up with some of mine because they didn't seem particularly quilt worthy to me. It's all subjective really.

    While I've never seen Phool Bane Angaray, I find it interesting that yours in the only comment on the youtube page. Also, Rekha certainly does kick some butt in the clip!

  13. Shellie says:
    May 20, 2010 at 4:27 PM

    @Pitu - ABBA's outfits in the 80s were so much worse than the 70s, I agree. I've never seen Me & Orson Welles, but might have to correct that soon.

    As for Kishan Kumar, I think we were the only two really brave enough to be truly honest!

  14. Reema says:
    May 20, 2010 at 4:46 PM

    I...have no words. Especially for #5 and #1.

    This is a whole new side to you. :P

  15. Beth Loves Bollywood says:
    May 20, 2010 at 8:52 PM

    CUPCAKE OF SHAME!!!! :) Uday is a big admission - you're a brave woman. I do know of at least one other Uday fan - met her at one of the German-language meetups and she's wonderful.

  16. Tady Rox! says:
    May 20, 2010 at 11:14 PM

    I Love Zac Efron..in fact I have a huge poster of his from Hairspray! ... I would say one of my bolly guilty pleasures is Harman Baweja... i know he's a horrible actor..but What's Your Raashee? is a movie i watch over and over again...i feel kinda dirty saying online...for shame..so that's why i can understand ur love for Eeeewday!...lol

  17. Pitu says:
    May 21, 2010 at 7:36 AM

    @Christy: I LOVE Moonlighting! Sizzle sizzle!

    @Tady: Errr I have to admit I found Harman kinda hot in What's Your Rashee?. Heehee!

  18. Shellie says:
    May 21, 2010 at 7:52 AM

    @Littledarkone - Uday is HOT like a samosa filled with wasabi! Just kidding...you know I'm kidding right?

    HA HA HA! I'd like to say I know you're kidding, but I don't think I know you (unless I do and you are under disguise - email me if I do). At least I'm not the only one who has a soft spot for the boy, which makes me feel a little better. BTW, welcome to the blog and thanks for stopping by! I can tell you'll fit in just fine here!!!

    @Christy - You feel more pervy as Zac gets older? You're supposed to feel more at east I think, unless you prefer them really young! ;)

    I've actually never seen Muriel's Wedding, which is weird because I really like Toni Collette, but I love Colin Firth and Pierce Brosnan, so Mamma Mia was a win for me just for them.

    I knew, just knew! that my Uday admission would be a shocker. Even though I follow him, I don't really read his tweets, so they haven't negatively affected my opinion either way.

    Loved this round of T5T! So much fun!

  19. Shellie says:
    May 21, 2010 at 8:06 AM

    @Natty - Thanks for not disowning me! Triplets forever!

    @Maya - Yay! Another Uday fan. I knew there was some of us out there. As for ABBA, I don't know how, with a country & western music loving single mother, I grew up knowing ABBA. But I remember sitting an the organ trying to play Fernando when I was probably only about 10 years old.

    @Ness - I'm actually enjoying the shock value that Uday has brought to this post, just a little bit. So much fun!

    I wonder if I've seen HSM3. For some reason I'm not sure if I have. Have you seen Zac in 17 Again. I thought he was super in it, and a fun fun film too.

    I've just realized that you are not on my blog roll, which is strange, so am putting you on now. We Shah Rukh fans need to stick together!

  20. Shellie says:
    May 21, 2010 at 8:17 AM

    @Reema - I am multilayered onion, my dear.

    @Beth - ha ha. you like that, hey?! Brave apparently is my middle name.

    @Tady - I loved him in Hairspray as well. Oh, Link!

    I haven't seen What's Your Rashee, in fact was going to avoid, but knowing me I'll eventually see it. I did catch a couple of minutes of Love Story 2050 and thought it wasn't that bad.

    @Pitu & Christy - I used to have a crush on Bruce Willis during his Moonlighting years. I thought he had a sexy voice.

  21. Anonymous Says:
    May 21, 2010 at 11:00 AM

    LOL,
    PLEASE, I command you to feel no shame for watching and liking TRRP, after all I only hours writing a blog post on it, na? Thanks for linking it in. There were a few catchy songs too. I enjoyed it a lot in a "so bad it's great" type of way, and how wacky the parenting techniques were. Poor kid eating glass at lunch. :(

    All the best!
    Sita-ji

  22. Anonymous Says:
    May 21, 2010 at 11:05 AM

    p.s. Shell, I'm thinking one reason you may have liked TRRP so much has to do with some of the images of Saif, where he's nearly looking like Zach Efron, in that he's shirtless here: http://bit.ly/bJga7H

    ;)
    All the best!
    Sita-ji

  23. Shellie says:
    May 21, 2010 at 4:25 PM

    OMG, the eating glass was so horrific! My god! Also I much prefer this shirtless Saif than the one in Race for some reason. I was trying to think of the worst movie I liked that people seemed to hate. It was a toss up between TRRP and Salaam Namaste.

  24. bollyviewer says:
    May 21, 2010 at 11:55 PM

    I protest! There is nothing wrong about liking Remington Steele!!! I have the entire DVD collection which has been watched and re-watched and re-re-watched and... And I cant say I feel even remotely guilty. I would feel guilty about not liking Mr. Steele or not wanting to be Laura, though! ;-)

    And its not right to like Abba?! Nobody told me! And now its too late 'coz I love them.

    Uday, eh? Now that right there is a guilty pleasure (of course, even here he isnt the best - Kishan Kumar beats him hollow)!

  25. Shellie says:
    May 22, 2010 at 7:38 AM

    Remington Steele and ABBA fans unite!!!! I thought it was a difficult task to come up with things I should feel guilty for liking. Really Uday is the only one I think I truly feel weird about. As for Kishan, having just been introduced for him, I surely don't understand the magnitude with which he belongs to this category. However I was witness to a youtube video which was, shall we say, interesting!

  26. Jules says:
    May 23, 2010 at 9:58 AM

    Ahhh!! Loved the Psych theme!! Why didn't you call me and tell me about that one!? I miss Psych.

    Let's see... guilty pleasure... I like to go to the department stores and stare at the men's underwear packages. I guess it looks funny, a woman spending that much time in the men's underwear section, but ahhh.. satisfying!

  27. Shellie says:
    May 23, 2010 at 4:21 PM

    I don't think I actually saw the Bollywood episode. I'm going to go online and see if I can watch full episodes. I miss it soooo much. If only they'd put the series out on dvd!

    You and your "packages"! So funny, yaar!

  28. ajnabi says:
    May 24, 2010 at 8:22 PM

    Ta Ra Rum Pum AND Uday?! You brave woman, you. It's all right. I love Yaadein, like TOTALLY love it. And it's so bad. But I don't even ironically love it, I just straight up adore the film. I'm a terrible person.

    Also: ZEFRON! I'm so glad he's legal now. At least I'm not, you know, TOO pervy for loving him, right? Right?

  29. Shellie says:
    May 25, 2010 at 12:39 PM

    I haven't seen Yaadein, but it's nice to know that we all have our own hidden treasures! I might have to watch it now just to see how bad it truly is!

    Between Zac and Taylor Lautner, I fear I may have a problem!

  30. Filmbuff Says:
    May 25, 2010 at 8:18 PM

    Absolutely love ABBA! Hear the songs countless times, enjoyed the old "ABBA The Movie" about their tour to Australia and even enjoyed the recent Mama Mia coz Meryl Streep is my fav actress apart from Pierce Bosnan and Colin Firth. Yep beats me how liking ABBA could be termed a guilty pleasure. Is it uncool in North America to liking ABBA songs? Wonder why?

    If some one can enlighten me "who is kishen kumar"?

    I am indifferent to Uday Chopra ie not bothered about any of his films. However must admit that he did a good job in Dhoom ie the role he played.

    TRRP was not bad for a one time watch on DVD.

  31. Shellie says:
    May 26, 2010 at 8:34 AM

    The ABBA admiration is quite selective over here I think. I would love to see the Broadway Mamma Mia. I imagine it would be fantastic.

    I don't know really anything about Kishen Kumar, but he was another guilty pleasure.