.

As the weekend beckons, I find myself pondering...

...What movies should I attempt? I thought I would take up Bollywooddeewana's suggestion and start tackling my films alphabetically, but that means I'm watching Anjaam, and I'm not sure I'm in the mood for villian SRK.

...Which of these tunics I should order. I need some casual wear in a bad way. How many places can you really wear a saree these days? Anyway, I can't decide and need help. Let me know which ones you like.







...What gives these men the right to be so damn gorgeaus?






Have a good weekend everyone!

Yash Raj Films, Aditya Chopra and Shah Rukh Khan. The stakes were definitely high when Rab ne Bana Di Jodi was announced, but I knew I would love it, even before I saw it. I think this is a movie that you either love or hate, without much room for middle ground. For me it will, without a doubt, always be special for the simple reason it was the first, and so far the only, Hindi film I've seen in a theatre (interesting side note: I was told by the ticket counter lady that the tickets were non-refundable as I purchased them. That was a first for me.) Even with all it's questionable theories and overacting, I love everything about this film.


For me, there's nothing better than to watch Shah Rukh work his cinematic magic. Surinder Sahni was a refreshing and sympathetic character. Even behind the glasses and moustache (which, let's be honest, what was the big deal really with the look? It's not like he hasn't changed his appearance for films before - Paheli, Hey Ram, Chak De!), there was a sincerity to Suri's character that appealed to even the most hard-hearted I'm sure. Raj, on the other hand, was a hilarious and spot on portrayal of someone who tries to be what he thinks is cool, resulting in a total over the top characterization. I loved Raj for his exaggerated facial expressions, his flashy and too tight clothes (which were also at times a little to small exposing a little bit of skin. Sigh!) and his melodramatic dialogues, because underneath it all was still our sweet Suri. I think Shah Rukh shows his seasoned talent by being able to portray two such very different characters, and when I watch Suri especially I don't see SRK at all. His mannerisms are distinctively and uniquely Surinder Sahni.


Anushka Sharma (Taaniji), gives an amazing debutante performance. I am blown away by the professionalism and artistry of recent first-time leading ladies. While she doesn't appear to possess someone like Deepika's megawatt glamor, she fills the girl-next-door requirements of this film admirably, while singing, dancing and emoting like a filmi veteran.


What to say about Vinay Pathak? His portrayal of the loud-mouthed and agreeable Bobby was believable. He had some great dialogues to boast of and was a good match for SRK's Suri - the two share great comic chemistry resulting in plenty of fantastic situational comedy.


Characterizations aside, what I truly loved about this film were the little moments. Be it the scene on the dining table with the rose, the Biryani meal and the consequent self-conversation afterwards, the changing room dialogue, the celebratory dance at the salon, each left a lasting impression on me. Ultimately, the core of this film is it's message: that there is nothing stronger in this world than unconditional love, and, for a die hard romantic like me, there's nothing better. No matter how many times I watch it, the ending gets me every single time!


Not to sound like a broken record, but I adored the music in Rab Ne. I remember hearing Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai on Saavn.com well before I even saw a promo and was instantly smitten. Salim and Sulaiman did a fantastic job with the songs, and they all played an important part in the progression of the story. Haule Haule is my favorite - the yellow tiffin box and the endearment with which Suri bestows upon it is sweety enchanting and the sequence where Suri experiments with several 'hero' looks is hilarious. Even Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte is enjoyable as it pays homage to Bollywood legendary actors Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Rajesh Khanna, Shammi Kapoor and Rishi Kapoor and actresses Nargis, Nutan, Helen, Sharmila Tagore and Neetu SinghSadly.



Despite it's most obvious flaw (how can Taani not recognize Suri?), I will do as Shah Rukh Khan suggests and take a leap of faith and enjoy it for what it is meant to be. My only real criticism is with post-production and the complete elimination of subtitles during the closing credits. Suri's narration of their honeymoon to Japan, which I've read was actually penned by SRK, is supposed to be hilarious (I know the theatre was full of chuckles). As my Hindi has yet to reach that level, I sure would like to find someone to translate for me.

So, there we were, my sis and I, she all decked out in her fabulous Hindi wear, me sporting a small and tasteful bindi, heading to get tickets to the Bhangra Competition. The first store had no idea what we were talking about, the second thought it was a kid's event and it was cancelled, the third confirmed for us that they had, indeed, cancelled it a month ago.



Our spirits were dropped, our hearts were heavy, but we forged on. We enjoyed a lovely lunch at Nirvana restaurant, picked up a whole new slough of movies (Fashion, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, Kismat Konnection, Black, Golmaal Returns - which should I watch first?), and had a terrific conversation with Shyrose, my favorite movie lady which resulted in the following conversation:

Shyrose: "Have you been to India?"
Me: "No, but I really want to go."
Shyrose: "I've never been either. We should go. There's a guy doing terrific tours there right now", followed by a quick story of some girl that just got back and an in-depth look at the poster advertising said tour on the door of her store.
Shyrose: "Okay, let's plan to go next year. We'll each need about $10,000, because it's $6000 for the tour and you need at last $4000 for shopping!"

I have since started contemplating how I could possibly take a month off of work, leave behind my husband and two small children, and come up with $10000! India here I come (well, in my dreams anyway!)

Happy Monday everyone!

I took in Zoya Akhtar's directorial debut this weekend, and what I witnessed was a film that delivered the very best in what every film promises: a remarkably well written script, wonderfully acted performances and brilliant direction all culminating into a movie which manages to strike the fine balance between art house cinema and commercial entertainment.



While it's not the first to take on the Hindi film industry as a subject, it is certainly the most authentic and modern adaptation we've seen in a while. The movie is part satirical and part realistic in it's depiction of the struggle to make it big in the movie industry. It is neither a movie showing the extreme dark side of the film industry nor is it a shiny bright fairy tale, but rather an honest portrayal of what the main characters Vikram and Sona go through and the means by which they achieve their goals.

There's something about Farhan Akhtar that I just can't get out of my head. It could be the charm that oozes out of every single pore from his oh-so-cute face, or it could be the talent that shines whether he's acting, directing, singing, or hosting his tv show. Whatever it is, I am hooked! As the struggling actor, Vikram Jaisingh, Farhan gives an excellent performance as the boy who innocently, then manipulatively, works the system to his selfish advantage, climbing the ladder of success, knowingly hurting those who care about him.




Konona Sen Sharma, whose majority of work is based primarily in Indian arthouse and independent films, plays Sona Mishra, the mistress of small-time producer Satish Chowdhury (Alyy Khan). Her struggle to leave behind all the two-bit parts and become an established first tier heroine is beautifully and genuinely played.



Though the subject is serious, the mood of the film is kept light at all times by the multitude of quirky characters and funny dialogues played by an all-star ensemble cast. Veteran film producer Romi Rolly (Rishi Kapoor) gives an enthralling and amazing performance putting a lasting impression to his character. Ranjit Rolly (Sanjay Kapoor), is the failed actor turned director, who is always making funny jokes and moves trying to convince himself and his crew about the next shot. Minty Rolly, (Juhi Chawla) is also a character to remember, as the superstitious wife. A lot of other small cameos by Anurag Kashyap, as the screenplay writer who plagiarizes Hollywood films from the DVDs, Isha Shravani as the superstar daughter, who is too dumb and too pretty. And lastly Dimple Kapadia as the ex-screen siren who is attempting to launch her daughter into super stardom.




In and amongst everything else, there are plenty of insider jokes spilt at every corner (Nikki Walia unable to seek Romi Rolly's blessing due to her tight dress) There's even an avenue for sight gags: did you catch the posters for 'A Fistful of Rupees' and 'The Good, the Bad and the Worst'!

The few number of songs in the movie, seems adequate and never forced. My favorites are the opening number 'Yeh Zindagi Bhi' which serves as dignified homage to the upline and downchain support functions of the entire film industry, and Pyaar Ki Dastaan, a beautifully melodious song picturized on Vikram and Nikki during filming of their movie.

And I can't forget to mention the multitude of small cameos that include the who's who of the industry, from Amir Khan to Karan Johar to Abhishek Bachchan to *gasp* Shahrukh Khan (what a nice little packaged treat for me!) Shah Rukh's is by far the most impactful cameo, and gives the most powerful and defining lines in the movie, lines which were perhaps not given to the dialogue writers but have been his own firm values that have made him the biggest superstar of this Industry.



The ending, though unconventional for a Bollywood movie, gives this film a certain gravitas in being unflinching in the messages it wants to make about the industry, where the tenacious succeed and there is not much room for sentimentalism.

I don't watch a lot of Hollywood films anymore, but caught Will Smith's Seven Pounds last night. I'm not going to do a full scale review on this, but I felt the need to mention it.



I don't think I knew what was going on for at least the first half of the movie, if not more. I found it perplexing, even though the performances seemed to be quite good (Will Smith played the confused, anguished man beautifully - even if I didn't understand why he was like that). I didn't understand what the story line was, or if there was even a story line, but all became clear during the last 20 minutes or so of the movie. Once I realized what was going on, all of his motives became clear and I couldn't help myself from bawling like a baby. Even in the confused state I was in for most of it, the ending made it all worthwhile and left me feeling a little in awe of how selfless some people can be (though I doubt you see that sort of thing very often, if at all really, in the real world).



On another topic: I have famiy coming over for dinner tonight, and am, of course, going to attempt to cook Indian again. Of course there's the butter chicken (which I feel I've mastered at this point), but tonight I'm going to tackle two new dishes - Vegies korma and Coconut Curry Shrimp. MMMMMMMMMMMMMM good.

Tomorrow is the Bhangra Cup Competition. We are heading in the city early to get tickets from our favorite saree shop 'Bhatia Cloth House' in Calgary, then probably a quick visit to my movie connection 'Bollywood Blockbuster', then off to the Jack Singer Concert Hall to check out this year's best in Punjabi music and dance. I CAN NOT wait!

Hope everyone has just as good a weekend!

Poll #1
Who is your favorite Bollywood actor
Shah Rukh Khan - 66%
Aamir Khan - 22%
Hrithik Roshan - 11%
Other - 11%

Hmmm. I wonder who 'other' is? I would like to make a special mention to director turned actor Farhan Aktar!


Poll #2
Which movie are you most looking forward to this year?
My Name is Khan - 50%
3 Idiots - 35%
Kites - 28%
Kambakth Ishq - 21%
New York - 14%
Delhi Belly - 7%


Poll #3
Who is your favorite Bollywood jodi?
Abhishek Bachchan/Rani Mukherjee - 31%
Shahid Kapoor/Kareena Kapoor - 5%
Shah Rukh Khan/Preity Zinta - 21%
Shah Rukh Khan/Kajol - 47%
Saif Ali Khan/Preity Zinta - 15%
Akshay Kumar/Katrina Kaif - 5%
Shah Rukh Khan/Rani Mukherjee - 26%
Hrithik Roshan/Preity Zinta - 5%

Interestingly enough, Abhiskek Bachchan & Aishwarya Rai, who is the list's only real-life couple scored 0%. Interesting.

Poll #4
What is your favorite soundtrack from 2008?
Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi - 27%
Yuvvraaj - 9%
Ghajini - 18%
Singh Is Kinng - 3%
Bachna Ae Haseeno - 15%
Dostana - 15%
Rock On!! - 9%
Jannat - 3%

Mine was Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi for sure, and I'd say the rest are fairly close to what I would have picked also.

Poll#5
Who is your favorite male playback singer?
Udit Nayaran - 9.5%
Vinod Rathod - 0%
Sukhwinder Singh - 14%
K.K. - 19%
Lucky Ali - 0%
A.R. Rahman - 5%
Sonu Nigam - 33%
Shaan -14%
Other - 5%

I'm quite surprised that niether A.R. or Udit scored very high on this. Sonu is my favorite also, plus he's totally current so that's not shocking at all. I'd like to know who "other" is.

Poll #6
What is your favorite Aamir Khan movie?
Lagaan - 15%
Fanaa - 15%
Ghajini - 15%
Rang De Basanti - 13%
Taare Zameen Par - 11%
Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak - 8%
Dil Chahta Hai - 8%
Other - 6%
Rangeela - 4%
Raja Hindustani - 2%

Looks like it was a pretty close race. I guess that's what you get when you put out quality everytime!

Poll #7
What was your favorite movie of the summer?
New York - 5%
Dil Bole Hadippa - 11%
Wanted - 17%
Kaminey / Love Aaj Kal - 22% each
Haven't see any - 22%

Clearly Bollywood did not produce last summer.

Poll #8
What is your favorite Shah Rukh Khan film? 65
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge - 12%
Chak De! India - 13%
Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi - 8%
Don - 5%
Om Shanti Om - 9%
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai- 9%
Kal Ho Naa Ho - 6%
Main Hoon Na - 12%
Devdas - 2%
Kabhi Kushi Kabhi Ghum - 6%
Swades - 12%
Veer Zaara - 5%
Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna - 2%
Dil Se - 2%
I like his early stuff - 2%
I don't like Shah Rukh - 3%
Other - 6%

Since this post, I would rank Duplicate as one of my favs, which didn't end up on the original list.

Poll #9 21
What movie are you most looking forward to this year so far?
My Name is Khan - 33%
Veer - 5%
Ishqiya - 14%
Prince - It's Showtime - 5%
Rann - 0%
Chance Pe Dance - 5%
Karthik Calling Karthik - 5%
Kites - 15%
Teen Patti - 5%

Produced by Aamir Khan and Mansoor Khan, Jaane Tu...Ya Jaane Na marks the spectacular debut of Imran Khan (Aamir Khan's nephew) as an actor, and Abbas Tyrewala as a director in a movie we've seen manufactured dozens of times. The plot is simply this: boy and girl meet, spend all their time together, deny being in love, only to realize they actually are in love nearly too late, but all prevails in the end. Several movies, too many to mention, have tackled this story, and we see bits and pieces directly taken from other films (Chalte Chalte, Love Actually). At least we see glimpses of a refreshing and new treatment to this over-used formula, even though it's not without its fair share of masala (I mean, what was really the point of the 3 point prophecy anyway?).

This is the launch pad of Imran Khan, and, for me, he was the star and the biggest bright spot of the movie. He gives a very natural and casual performance playing Jai - the "boy next door" with ease. He's not Mr. Popular nor does he want to be, yet he still is because he's just that charismatic. Genelia D'Souza, whose popularity stems from mostly Telugu films, plays Aditi, an unconventional heroin. She's loud, rude, obnoxious, not the type of girl you'd want to go for but yet grows on you and eventually makes you fall in love with her, because underneath it all is a sweet expressive and charming girl who you want to root for maybe.



What really works for Jaane Tu is its ensemble cast which is new, believable and likable. It has some sparkling performances by the seasoned and seemingly very hip Ratna Pathak Shah as Jai's mother and Prateek Babbar, who plays the loving but possessive brother to Genelia. Naaseruddin Shah gets to have a bit of fun as a ghost-on-the-wall and his interactions with Rathna (his wife in real life) are bound to produce giggles. Arbaaz and Sohail Khan deserve special mention for their comedic act as the hero's long-lost uncles.

There were two things I didn't especially care for in this film: the afore mentioned 'prophecy', which I can say was either only written to support Naaseruddin and Rethna's exchanges or so someone could fulfill a horse riding fantasy; and the dialogues between Rethna and so-called villian, Paresh Rawal. Maybe I missed something, but I didn't get the whole point of the legal friction between these two characters.



Though some would say it's his least memorable album, including myself, A.R. Rehman steps outside of the box with an unconventional score, including an interesting jazz flavor. I enjoyed the songs 'Kabhi Kabhi Aditi Zindagi' and 'Nazrein Milaana Nazrein Churaana' immensely.

Overall, even amongst the thousands of cliches, I found Jaane Tu an enjoyable film with a fun, reflective look on love and friendship. It is the little moments that show the relationships between the mother and son, the brother and sister among other such fine moments that make 'Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na' a refreshing experience.