.

If you look at my roster of movies watched, there's not a lot on there that pre-dates the early 90's, but I've been desperately wanting to watch something, ANYTHING, with Shashi Kapoor, so when Filmigirl recommended Shaan, I ordered it immediately. There is very little about this film that isn't totally absurd. With a bond-like opening complete with a gyrating woman flashing scenes from the movie on her spandex clothed body, I knew I was in for a treat! We get beautiful and smart women, fantastic heroes, the evil villain and his henchmen, man eating crocs, plenty of dishoom dishoom, a diamond heist, carnival sharp shooters, man eating beagle pups, a Helen dance number and a monkey! My goodness, could it get any better?

The force is strong with these two
Amitabh Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor are Vijay and Ravi, two conmen whose ambitious but good-natured antics are a constant frustration to their policeman brother Shiv (Sunil Dutt). When criminal mastermind Shakal launches a vendetta against their brother, Vijay and Ravi gather a colorful band of thieves to attack Shakal’s underground fortress. I started laughing the moment we see Vijay walk into the motel for the couple's first con and nearly died from laughter during Aaje Jaate Huye. This is the glory that is Bollywood filmmaking!



While I originally wanted to watch this for Shashi, the movie is really owned by a very dashing Amitabh Bachchan. Though the film, no doubt, tried to cash in on the partnership of the two, it is the Big B that owns this film. He gets the funniest bits, the meatiest romance (though romance in general isn't fully explored in this film), and the best parts in the climax. This is my very first pre-facial hair Amitabh movie and I can completely understand how he became such an icon. Cool drink of water that he is, Amitabh certainly had what it took to get the ladies' attention. Bahut handsome!

Amitabh does his very best Manoj Kumar impersonation
Dear Shashi, you are the only actor who's been able to make an impression on me before I even saw you act. It's too bad that this movie only gives you glimpses of what makes Shashi Kapoor so special. Though he still gets to flash that sigh worthy smile, it's almost like he just there to pretty up the quota. There were a few times, when the story focused on Ami (and it does that a lot), that you almost forgot Shashi is in the movie. I wish that the roles had been more equal.

"Come darling, we have LOTS of time to focus on us, since I'm only in 3/4 of the movie"
I have to admit that, though I haven't seen very much pre-Brosnan bond, even I know that Sippy's Shakaal is based on the infamous Bond villian, Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Because of this, however, all I could see was Dr. Evil in every frame. The lair, which was way more understated that I would have liked (with the exception of the giant gold eagle), even came equipped with rotating table and chairs that fling treasonous subordinates to their doom (much like I remember happening to Will Farrel). Kulbhushan Kharbanda plays Shakaal just right though with the right amount of criminal insanity that allows you to find loopholes in every plan he hatches. My favorite: the deadly gas that is released in the same room that he's in (sans gas mask), it lingers low to the ground at all times and is really only deadly if you suck on the canister it's escaping from. Genius!

"Yes, those are sharks behind me. Later you'll see rays and piranha too. Even I don't understand where my lair is"

A quick note about the supporting players. I've read that, at the height of his popularity, Amitabh didn't like to share the limelight so much in his films, and that's probably why the rest of the cast's roles were so limited. Sunil Dutt, gets a nice piece of the action for the first half of the movie and we get to see Shatrughan Sinha (Rakesh) flex his trigger finger throughout the majority of the film. No movie would be complete without a female counterpart, so we see the boy's love interests and kindred spirits in Parveen Babi (Sunita) and Bindiya Goswami (Renu) though Parveen totally overshadows Bindiya in almost every frame they're in together. Nevertheless, it's too bad that we don't get more of these sticky fingered ladies in all of their conning glory. Raakhee Gulzar gets the largest female role as Shiv's wife. It's too bad her character is so completely helpless and stupid (watch the scene where Rakesh is suppose to be protecting her and her daughter and see if you don't agree with me).

"We are so lucky to have such handsome smart men pursuing us, though they've just lost their brother"

"We don't have time to mourn, we are too busy showing off for you!"
Under no circumstances should this movie be taken seriously, but I sincerely doubt it was meant to be. I'm sure I read that the film was a flop in India. Whether Shippy was trying to manipulate the duo that made Sholay into such a hit or was just having fun doesn't really matter to me. Most of the time this movie exploded onto the TV screen in a series of unbelievable scenes, energetic songs, and classic dialogues.

I love this song. It's totally out of place in the film, totally hilarious in picturization yet completely darling. Mohd. Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle and Usha Mangeshkar do a wonderful job.



An absolutely fantastic gypsy style number sung by R.D.Burman and Mohammed Rafi and featuring the Helen, the one I've heard of and seen in so many blogposts. This is my first Helen song and I agree with all - she is one beautiful woman and a pleasure to watch dance!



For sure one thing is true: it has wet my appetite for more campy masala goodness. Can't wait for more!

Holi is upon us once again. I wish I could be a part of the celebrations and fun, but I guess I'll have to make due just observing from afar this year. So to all my friends, Happy Holi. May your day be filled with color and your friends by many!



The trees smile with their sprout
of tender leaves and blooming flowers,
Eternal nature with its transient expression.
Hails spring with ecstasy and joy!
Bewildering shades with so many tinge.
The land of beauty and greatness,
India, witnessing color of happiness and peace.
Nation come alive to enjoy the spirit
A celebration of color- Holi!
An experience of content, harmony and delight.

Holika burns amidst merriment and mirth.
Evil overpowered by love and devotion.
A festival to commemorate 'Ras Lila'-
an enduring love saga of Radha and Krishna.

Gulal - red, green, yellow and countless.
A day's canvas - a riot of colors.
Lively crowd running hither and thither,
Rainbow of colors, dashing from every nook and corner.
Disregarding their woe and despair fervent folks,
rejoicing at the marvel of colors.
A day filled with luster and gaiety,
A day to smear our dreams-
With a splash of vibrant frenzy colors.
Holi Hai! A spring of unbounded fun and frolic!!

contains spoilers throughout

I don't remember when I first heard about My Name is Khan. It feels like it was forever ago when Karan announced he was going to make another film with Shah Rukh and Kajol and it seemed as if the day of it's release was never going to get here. As it got closer, the internet, airwaves and television began it's usual marketing and the anticipation grew. Then the controversy between Shah Rukh and the Shiv Sena erupted and you almost couldn't go on the internet without being bombarded by articles and opinions. I don't think I've ever seen so much hooplah surrounding a film ever before it's release in my lifetime, and it's a difficult task to say the least to live up to all of that. However, I firmly go on the record to say that I think that My Name is Khan is one of the finest movies I have ever seen even after reading numerous mixed reviews, and I loved almost every single minute of it, even after seeing it twice.

I wasn't sure how I was going to review this, as I'm nearly the last one at the bat to do so. At first I thought I would talk just about how it made me feel, but after reading so many other reviews I also feel the need to defend it a little. First I have to give Karan credit for making a film that stands all alone from his other films. There's no hint of KKHH or DDLJ in sight, no music, no scenes paying homage, just My Name is Khan. There has been lots of debate whether or not Karan took on too much in this film, and perhaps it is a little heavy handed at times, but I think he did an admirable job at making a socially conscious movie and I left the theatre the first time shaken to the core.


I am a wife, a friend, a sister, a daughter, but one of the things that defines me the most is that I am a mother. I have two beautiful, if not somewhat frustrating, young boys that pretty much mean the world to me. Before I had kids I didn't know what real fear was, but now a little piece of it remains with me every day and I find myself praying more than ever for my children's safety. I didn't read any spoilers involving Sam's death, but just had a feeling that this was the real tragedy that Mandira and Rizwan would face, and the moment the attack started I knew what the outcome would be. The scene in the hospital where we hear her say "Time of death... 8:05 pm" was one of the most heartbreaking of the entire film with the exception of the scene where we see her cleaning up Sam at home. This part of the movie, more than any other, is what really got to me. You don't just see Mandira's grief, you feel it, and as a mother my empathy was at it's highest at this point in the film. Even now it brings tears to my eyes. Tragedies often see people either band together or get torn apart, so I found Mandira's reaction to Rizwan in the soccer field completely realistic, especially given the circumstances surrounding his attack. I thought Kajol did an amazing job in this scene, as did she through the whole movie.




Shah Rukh's depiction of a person dealing with autism was amazing to watch. My sister, bless her heart, has spent her entire adult life working with person's with disabilities and currently has a wonderful man living with her who she watches full time and has had a condition similar to autism since he was a boy. Even though Rizwan's autism was one that he was able to live a pretty normal life, there were moments that totally brought me home. Everything from his need for his personal space to remain intact to hearing him laugh when he was really happy to seeing him use rocks as a form of stimulus was all so familiar to me. My respect for Shah Rukh the actor has multiplied immensely with this character. For those who think that he just took pieces of Dustin Hoffman or Tom Hanks and created Rizwan, they couldn't be farther from the truth. The fact that he was able to take something so foreign to him and portray it with grace and, above all, honesty reminds us all that he isn't just a romantic hero, he is a true actor. He gave us moments in the film that were extremely touching and moments that were incredibly hilarious and endearing. I would honestly be surprised if Shah doesn't clean up awards ceremonies for this role.


There's been a lot of discussion about how the supporting characters in this movie have been portrayed, that America in general is being seen as a sea of ignorant racists, with the exception of the people of Wilhelmina who serve as a caricature of Black America. Yes, several Americans are shown to be very racist, there's no doubt about that, but no one can tell me that that kind of prejudice doesn't happen, especially since 9/11 and especially in the U.S. However, Karan counter balances this by giving us Reese, Mark and Sarah, as well as the lady who gives Mandira a job despite her Muslim surname, and the people from the Autism society, all which are white. As for the "zip-a-dee-doo-daa" folk from Georgia, I paid special attention to this during my second viewing. I still did not see what all the fuss is about. Mama Jenny and Funny Hair Joel live modestly in a small town, granted, but at no time did she sound like Prissy from Gone With The Wind. A friend said to me, when I asked him what he thought of these characters, that the portrayal was very positive and I agree. It's very rare that we see Black people in Indian films at all and those that I've seen thus far have been shown in a terrible light (Would we rather see people shown in roles like that of the nameless one night stand man in Fashion?). I have to also mention quickly that I thought Sonya Jehan and Zarina Wahab were terrific in the film as well as Rizwan's sister-in-law and mother. It is so nice to see so many wonderful female roles in a film.


I loved the messages of humanity, tolerance and acceptance in this film. I've often struggled with how I was going to teach my own children to judge people by who they are instead of their race, religion, sexual orientation, disabilities, etc, so when we see Rizwan's mother teaching him to see people simply as good or bad, it seems so easy. However you can't show the good in people without showing some bad, but that's par for the course. Moments that I especially enjoyed include when Rizwan leaves his hard earned money at the Christain fundraiser and the moment we see the group of people arrive at Wilhelmina to help the flood efforts.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention, at least once, about the chemistry between Shah Rukh and Kajol. Of course I am one of those who love seeing them together on screen, and I think they did a wonderful job together again for this film. There are so many moments between the two of them that are completely wonderful and funny, including the salon scene, which has evolved into the newly coined phrase "hair porn" (and boy am I onboard for that one), the wedding night (which is awkwardly adorable) and the subsequent "time for sex now" scene. Supper? Who cares! Let's go NOW!!! I am disappointed though that so much from the first half of the movie was cut. Though I thought the 2nd half of the film was inspiring, I am a romance junkie and would have gladly taken more of their courtship. I am very much hoping that the dvd release will have an uncut version!




There really isn't much that I didn't love about this film, but it isn't without it's flaws entirely. First of all, I didn't see the point at all with Rizwan's stabbing. I suppose it made way for the lovely hospital scene and time for Mandira to read his diary, but I found it totally unnecessary. Also it really bothered me at the end when the Obama lookalike says "You're Rizwan Khan". After all the emphasis the screenplay put on the pronunciation of Khan, the president manages to say his first and last name incorrectly. I would have liked to have seen Rizwan use his epiglottis explanation on the president. Would have make the perfect note to finish on.

One really quick note on the music. I think Shankar Eshaan Loy are quickly becoming my favorite musical team and the soundtrack for MNIK is outstanding on all accounts. The music is beautiful on it's own, but in context it's incredibly moving. There isn't a single song that I don't love, and so, this soundtrack, in it's entirety, lands firmly on the top of my favorites list. I have to concur with the masses though and say I wish that they had been subtitled in the film.

I don't think I have a favorite on the album, but the post feels incomplete without a music link, so here's one of my fav's Tere Naina



So now the countdown begins for the dvd release. The waiting begins again.

I'm sorry blog! I've kind of been ignoring you. Can we blame it on the super mega hype that surrounded the My Name is Khan release? Now that the dust is settling and I can breath again, let's take a look at some of the films I've seen lately. NOTE: I did see the aforementioned movie this past opening weekend, but am seeing it again with my sister this coming weekend and will post my thoughts after the 2nd viewing.

A very muscly masala flick chalk full of action, bad guys that make me want to vomit and Salman Khan wearing the most atrocious outfits. While I can say that the fight sequences were exactly the full throttle intense kind of action that one would expect in this type of film (and executed quite well I might add), it was one of those movies that I watched right until the end and then wondered why. I don't know why I keep putting on Sallu flicks. Obviously I don't care for him, but whether it's optimism or a sadistic curiosity, he keeps finding his way onto my dvd player. Production values are high, but the camera work left me dizzy and the music left me disappointed.


I liked Ayesha Takia in this though (it seems I see her everywhere I look these days), and the film houses a very noteworthy performance by Mahesh Manjrekar, who plays the despicable "make your skin crawl" inspector Talpade - you hate his character but love his acting. Wanted goes for broad humour and cheap thrills and is, at times, downright stupid and unapologetically excessive, but it is also a B-grade crowd-pleaser that knows exactly who its audience is, that audience just wasn't me. Watch it if you love extreme violence, juvenile comedy or just a dose of the always shirtless Salman Khan.


My favorite part of this 170 min movie is the first 30 minutes where we see Shah Rukh play the free spirited Hari Mayur, complete with gypsy style Indian garb and long hair. After that it's a long boring story about British India-loathing Vikram, who travels to India to retrieve his nephew Nandlal, who, incidentally was raised by his young aunt who was just 8 years old when she kidnapped him and is now grown beauty Bijuriya (Sonali Bendre). Nandlad refuses to go back with Vikram until his aunt is married and taken care of, and in true Bollywood fashion, Vikram slowly starts to fall for her.


The film has all the makings of a great movie, it's just too bad that it feels so drawn out. However it does have a few pluses. The costumes are fantastic, especially the ones worn by Bijuriya during her first dancing scenes. Shah Rukh is as adorable as ever. *mini spoiler* I don't think I'll ever forget Hari and Katariya's death scene. It's weird and slightly comical. *spoiler over* It was fun to watch Shah Rukh and Sonali together again, though I enjoyed them more in Duplicate (even though the interaction between them was less in that one). For the most part, the music is forgettable, although I liked Dhol Baje quite a lot.



As the movie played on I found that I cared less and less about how the story was going to end. I had to watch it though, just to cross it off the list. Mission accomplished.



Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Madhuri Dixit star is this atrociously bland story of jealousy and friendship. I tried watching this probably over a year ago and could hardly get past the opening sequence with Salman (a very famous musical performer) in concert. It hurt my eyes so I shut it off. Then my sister borrowed it and insisted it was worth a watch, so I tried it again. All it did was make me angry. Angry and sleepy (I think I fell asleep a good 5 or 6 times).

The relationship between Madhuri and Salman was so over-the-top obvious, I wanted to yell at Radha - how could she not see how her closeness to Suraj was eroding her relationship with Gopal? It is also very frustrating that Gopal doesn't speak frankly with Radha earlier in the movie about his jealousy. Add to the unrealistic story, some sub-par acting. Madhuri is gorgous as usual, as is Shah Rukh, but they left me all just feeling a little cold. Salman is his usual clueless baffoonish self. Aishwarya has a very small cameo towards the end as a blind girl who embodies the metaphor "love is blind" perhaps. I didn't see much point in her small role.

Probably the one and only part of this film I really enjoyed is Gale Mein Laal Taai, a comical look at Radha and Suraj's relationship through Gopal's eyes.



Sorry Julie, I just can't even like this film. I tried though, I really did.

*spoilers*
Probably the best of the bunch in my eyes. Starring Emraan Hashmi and Soha Ali Khan as live-in lovers torn apart by "male insecurity syndrome", hereunto called M.I.S., who are brought together again 6 years later by water.

I've never seen Emraan in anything before and very little of Soha, so my expectations were very low. I actually enjoyed them both and think that Emraan is kind of a hotty, that is until we are hit over the head over and over again by his M.I.S. Thankfully, he redeems his character during the present day story line. We see their love story evolve through a series of flashbacks, from first meeting to consequent break up and you wonder if or how their reconciliation will occur. Watching Akshaye sabotage their relationship was painful for me though, and I wondered why she kept trying with him. Perhaps this is what makes the relationship believable. Couples fight over things all the time, sometimes they work it out, sometimes they don't, but at least it's a realistic kind of relationship.

I was quite excited to see this because of the disaster element, which is based on the 2005 floods in Mumbai. I was disappointed at the execution of the flood sequences though, and this is purely based as a spectator of the film (had I been part of the floods surely I would have reacted differently to this part of the movie). We see water levels rise amazingly fast until people are stranded in streets following cables that seem to have come out of nowhere and are attached to nothing. That is until they discover a bus which I guess serves as better shelter than any of the street lined buildings. Though to be fair Director Kunal Deshmukh the bus does serve a purpose, giving us a heart pounding action sequence that has people frantically trying to escape said bus as it turns sloooooowly on its side in a manner which defies the laws of physics, just because a tree branch has punctured one of its windows. Then our protagonists decide to leave their group (and Akshaye's best friend) in the street for shelter (duh!), but inexplicably buildings are not safe either as we see the the two get trapped in some sort of large broom closet by a towering tidal wave that appears on at least the 3rd floor of their building which is much higher than the level of water on the streets. They escape and head back to the street, face a completely unnecessary "blink and you miss it" tragedy and then all of a sudden Mumbai streets have miraculously cleared. Maybe that was what it was like, but I have a feeling that some creative license was used. Plus I kept thinking, why don't they just head for higher ground!

Despite all of this (and people said they had to suspend their disbelief for MNIK), I didn't mind Tum Mile and I enjoyed the music, especially the title track. If you're thinking of seeing this, watch it as a romance, not a disaster film and you might come away with an appreciation for it.



99
I just thought I would mention that I only kind of watched this. My copy has no subs and I was plenty distracted when I was watching, so I think it deserves a rewatch with subs.

Now off to place a bet....

With My Name is Khan almost in theatres, the Internet has been inundated by promos, appearances, interviews, etc, etc of Karan's latest movie. While it' been heaven every which way you look for all Shah Rukh fangirls out there, it's been almost more interesting for me to watch Karan Johar in all of this. I have come to the conclusion that Karan, the cheeky monkey that he is, could possibly be the best friend any girl could ask for (and I'm sure Kajol agrees). Some love his movies, some hate them, I firmly land in the former category without any apologies, and KJo's films represent a good portion of what I love about Hindi cinema. While I get ready to take in his latest offering I thought I'd take a look at the cinematic journey that put our Karan where he is today.

Born May 25, 1972 to Hiroo and Yash Johar, film producer and founder of Dharma Productions, Karan made his entry into Hindi film as an assistant to Aditya Chopra in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge where he also had a small role playing Raj's best friend Robby. He has always maintained that he thought he would land firmly in the field of design, either fashion or interior, so it's interesting to learn that he's often responsible for choosing Shah's costumes. Of his own admission, Karan doesn't think that acting is his forte, though he continues to be involved in front of the camera as talk show host and has done several cameos as himself.


Karan debuted as a director for what is one of my favorite Hindi movies, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai which went on to win numerous awards including Lux Cee Awards, Sansui Viewers' Choice Awards, Aashirwad Awards among others. KKHH, at the time, was only the second film to win the 4 major Filmfare awards (best movie, best director, best actor and best actress). It was also the highest grossing film of the year.


Love triangles are a staple of romantic comedies, but what I find intriguing is that KKHH is the only movie I think I've seen where both of the girls win the boy (and not in a three-way sort of way). While I could scream at Rahul for not seeing Anjali's potential in college, at least she ends up getting her happy ending after all (and thank god because the alternative was unbearable!). Interestingly enough, the role of Tina was offered to several actresses before it reached Rani, including Twinkle Khanna, Tabu, Shilpa Shetty, Aishwarya, Karisma Kapoor, Urmila Matondkar and Raveena Tandon. Also, the role that went to Salman was first offered to Saif Ali Khan. Bollyviewer from Old is Gold had an interesting post at her blog that speculated on Anjali's missing years. Check it out - it's good fun!

One of my fav songs from the film:



On the top of a lot of people's "let's convert 'em" list is Karan's second film,
Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham in 2001. I have to admit that I've actually only seen this film once in it's entirety, though I've probably watched the songs on youtube over and over again. While some will argue that the film is manipulative and somewhat ridiculous in spots, I think it is the quintessential famly drama despite it's flaws. Not only does Karan give us numerous heart wrenching emotional moments, but the film also houses the very best acting, stunning choreography (by my absolutely favorite Farah Khan), outstanding music and opulent sets all wrapped up in a very contemporary package. Definitely K3G showed that Karan was not just a one hit wonder and the film went on to win numerous awards.

Shake your tail feather, Amitabh!



2006 saw Karan bring Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna to the big screen in a film that tackles many subjects, the most visible being infidelity. This movie, while not a favorite of many, will probably always be one of my favorites, as it was the first Bollywood movie I ever saw. After seeing close to 100 films, I have to applaud Karan for taking such a large risk as far as his subject matter goes. While the film didn't do well in India, it did manage to acquire the title "highest grossing overseas film of all time." Though he's not the first to make a movie based on sensitive material, I think he does it with maturity. Each of his characters are flawed, giving the film a sense of realism, but he manages to give the audience a good balance of serious and comical moments (one of my fav scenes is the one of the mattress store). Plus I love the music in KANK and I was so happy to finally get the soundtrack just the other day.



I have to add that one of the things I love about Karan's films is how he is able to cast Amitabh Bachchan in roles that allows us to see him not just as the stern family figure but gives him the opportunity to let his hair down. His Sexy Sam role in KANK is very charming and one of the highlights of the film.

Besides directing, Karan, through Dharma Productions, the company he inherited from his father, has written and produced several films. Though I haven't seen them all, some of my favorites include Duplicate, Dostana, Wake Up Sid and my #1 favorite movie Kal No Naa Ho. Not only did he host a fav talk show of mine, Koffee With Karan, but he made his television come back in January 2010 with the fan-centric show, Lift Kara De. Where do I sign up for that one Karan? In 2006 he became the first Indian filmmaker to be a jury member in the Miss World competition, in Warsaw, Poland (a gig I'm sure he was ecstatic to be a part of) and he was honored in 2007 when he was chosen as one of 250 Global Young Leaders by the Geneva-based World Economic Forum 2006. Most recently he ventured into the world of fashion with a show during India's Couture Week last year. Beware the Meghna Mathur syndrome Karan, beware!


Of course, the release of My Name Is Khan marks Karan's 5th directorial venture and the public waits with baited breath for what many anticipate will be his best and most successful movie to date. With the magic trio together again, I don't doubt this could mark a milestone in each of their careers.



Love him or hate him, Karan's sure to be around for many many years to come!

I love filmi music. I've said it before, but it's just amazing the range of styles of music that our beloved musical directors give us in our favorite films. Ask a lot of people what their favorite type of music is and you'll usually get one genre, but Hindi film music offers us so many different flavors, sometimes all in a single film.

I'm so glad that qawalli's continue to find their place in cinema, even if it's rare to find one that bares much resemblance to what a traditional qawallis are suppose to sound like nowadays. Because the majority of the films I've seen are from the last 20 years, the songs I know and enjoy are mostly techno-based with a ton of Western influence, but I figure you have to start somewhere!

In no particular order, here's my list.

Kajra Re - Bunty Aur Babli
One of the funnest films I've seen, I loved the interaction between Amitabh and Abhiskek in this one, plus Aishwaria just glams up the bar bucket loads. Pop queen Alisha Chinai does such a good job with Javed Ali and Shanker Mahadevan, that she won her one and only Filmfare award for best female playback.



Khwaja mere Khwaja - Jodhaa Akbar
The most traditional sounding qawwali on my list I think, Khwaja mere Khwaja is so beautiful and ARR does an amazing job. It's soulfull, it's inspirational, what else do you want. Plus it's against the wonderful backdrop of Akbar and Jodhaa's marriage ceremony. Just perfection.



Tumse Milke Dilka Jo Haal - Main Hoon Na
Immensely colorful, instantly catchy and it has Shah Rukh! What else do I need to say!? Sonu Nigam, Aftab Sabri and Hashim Sabri do a wonderful job with the vocals, but it's the chemistry of the couples that really grabs me. Zayed and Amrita; Sushmita and Shah all look fantastic. It's like an explosion of beauty in every sense of the word.



Al Maddath Maula - Mangal Pandey - The Rising
Set in a mosque, we see Pandey and his men exchanging glances that we know are going to culminate into something big. ARR, Kailash Kher, Murtaza and Kadir lend their voices to what is definitely the most devotional song on my list.



Maar Daala - Devdas
While I can't say that Devdas is one of my favorite films, one of the highlights for me is this mujra probably because it features the ever beautiful Madhuri Dixit. Sung by Kavita K. Subramanium and K.K. (who doesn't really show up until close to the end of the song), it has a very nice combination of Indian instruments to lend a classical touch to it.



Jhoom - JBJ
One of the best movie openings I've seen as far as setting the mood for the rest of the film is involved. I actually really dig Amitabh's look in this and I have practised and practised the moves to pretend I'm part of the group of dancers! Incidentally, I also absolutely love Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, which is a more Western sounding dancy extenstion of the title song.



Baawre - Luck By Chance
Definitely a fusion track, the team of S-E-L give us an instantly catchy song that encompasses both a rustic touch to a folk tune and then compliments it with a hint of Western flavor. Hrithik looks amazing dancing amongst the chaos that is a three ring circus. It's incredibly colorful and fun to watch. Best of the best!



Kyun Hota Hai Dil Deewana - Shortkut - The Con is On
I haven't seen this film yet (thought it patiently waits in the wings), but it kind of reminds me a little of Kajra Re. The picturization looks fun, Arshad and Amrita look like they are filming their own song for a movie within the movie. Am I right? Anyway, Amrita looks stunning as usual and it's interesting to see Arshad in the role of romantic hero (interesting yes, believable I'm not so sure). Shreya Ghoshal and Javed Ali are fantastic in it. Definitely one of the more fun and peppy songs. Makes me want to see a movie I haven't heard many good things about.



Aaya Tere Darr Par Deewana - Veer-Zaara
The last on my list of fav's, Ahmed and Mohammed Hussain give us a powerful song picturized at one of the film's more affecting scenes. Again, a pretty traditional sounding qawalli that provides us huge impact as we see Zaara emote dispair to relief as she sees her love has come for her, as futile as it is.



I hope I've understood what makes a qawalli, but, of course, I am still learning, so any corrections or additions are always welcome. What are some of your favorites?

I apologize for being so lazy on my blog of late. I have to admit that I've let Twitter kind of take over my life a little, well, a lot (thanks to @iamsrk and the #SRKAngels), and I'm very behind on my movies reviews so let's get to it shall we.

"Yeh tere pyaar ke chaar pal zindagani ke sau saal hain. " Seriously, who wouldn't fall right into the arms of someone who declares their love for you like this? Obviously not Kiran, whose poor decision to marry dependable Sunil drives Rahul a little nutty.

If you haven't seen Darr the basic story is this: Kiran, a college student is in love with and set to marry Naval Office Sunil Malhotra. Rahul, who attends the same college as Kiran and is the son of Sunil's Navy superior, is desparately in love with Kiran. Instead of going the traditional Bollywood romance route of trying to win Kiran from her fiance, he's determined she will just come to him if he starts to barrage her in the middle of the night with phone call hang ups (who has not done this really?). His attacks elevate until Sunil fears for Kiran's safety. Things get complicated even further when Sunil unknowingly invites Rahul into their lives. Who will win the girl in the end?

Shah Rukh is truly brilliant as the psychotic love obsessed Rahul. He is clearly bahut pagal, as we see him have heartfelt conversations with his dead mother, but there's still a sense of humanity left in him. It's been said before, but it's not very often where you actually want the villain of a film to have a happy ending. Plus it really doesn't help Sunny's cause that Shah Rukh possesses more charisma in his pinky finger than Sunny does in his whole body. Plus, Shah wins hands down in the looks category for sure.


I love Juhi Chawla. I can not say it enough. She is so stunningly beautiful in this film and she plays the role of Kiran with such innocence, charm, and authenticity that you can't blame Rahul for loving her too. I'm often surprised at how sweet she comes across in films like these though. When I think Juhi, I think funny and brassy, which generally does not a damsel in distress make. I suppose that's what makes her such an engaging actress, though it would have been nice to see Kiran show a little bit of moxy through the film.

Despite preferring Rahul's crazy to Sunny's bravado, I have to say that I loved his one man rescue team operation at the beginning of the film. He was definitely channeling his inner Steven Seagal! Also, I laughed my ass off at the Top Gun theme that played in the background. At any rate, while Sunil displays what we expect from any good husband, he remains a little bland. Dependable yes, protective yes, certainly loves her, but bland nonetheless.


There are only two songs in Darr I really like, Jaadu Teri Nazar and Tu Mere Saamne, both of which I'd heard long before I saw the film. It's interesting how we see Kiran running to find her serenader at the beginning of the film in Jaadu, if only she knew who she were running to, and I wonder what would have happened had she found him? Anyway, definitely classic tunes from Hariprasad Chaurasia and Shiv Kumar Sharma.




God, how I love the Betty Boop sweater!

Truly a classic film! Loved it! Recommend it! Can't wait to see Shah play villain again in Krrish 2.