Review: We Are Family *Spoilers*

We Are Family
Stars: Kajol, Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal
Directed by: Siddharth Malhotra
Released: 2010

We Are Family is a remake of the western/Hollywood film Step Mom starring Susan Sarandon and Julia Roberts. This is the first time I've seen a western film remade in Bollywood and actually thought that the Hollywood version was better. This isn't really my type of film, as I tend to stay away from those extra sappy films, but I was on a Kajol kick and was interested in seeing Kareena Kapoor.

So we have Maya (Devgan), a divorced mother of three spoiled brats named Aleya, Ankush and Anjali. Although these three kids live with their mother most of the time, they also visit their father, Aman (Rampal), often. However, what used to be a fun trip to daddy's house soon became a nightmare when Aman begins dating Shreya (Kapoor). Shreya makes a terrible first impression when she falls - literally - into Anjali's cake and the kids hate her right from the start. Maya shares their feelings and is not at all crazy about having her children around this stranger. That is, until she finds out that she has terminal cervical cancer. After which she begins on a quest to get her children to like Shreya, and to get Shreya ready for the motherhood she never thought she'd be asking for.

This movie was... well, terrible. The only thing that saved it for me was the acting. As my friend Ally says, Kajol is one of those actresses that can't be bad - this was no exception. But the person who really shone through for me was Kareena. I'd hear some good things and some... not so good things about her and was hesitant to see how she acted, but I was very pleasantly surprised. She was absolutely fantastic. Arjun really just annoyed me, as he usually does - I really can't stand him or his acting. However, the fabulous acting on the two heroine's parts couldn't save the movie. The lines were terrible and cliche (and not in the way I like..) and the music was terribly misplaced. Don't EVEN get me started on the Jail House Rock number they did, which wasn't too bad until Arjun came in and danced with the girls. It was all a colossal joke to me, and in the end I was surprised Maya wasn't ready to die in order to get away from her incredibly annoying and spoiled children.

Rating: 4/10

Review: I Hate Luv Storys *Spoilers*

I Hate Luv Storys
Stars: Imran Khan, Sonam Kapoor
Directed by: Punit Malhotra
Released: 2010

For a month or two now, I've been perusing the Bollywood section of Netflix Instant Watch and noticing I Hate Luv Storys. I'd heard about it a few times outside of that, and knew that I thought Imran Khan was the hottest thing since a summer in the desert. However, I'd heard that Sonam's acting was terrible and Imran reminds me of someone I'd much rather forget, so I was hesitant. Finally, after sucking it up, I decided to watch it. At first, like with most Bollywood movies I turn on, I was alarmed by the length of the film - 2 and a half hours - and I was sure that I would quickly get bored with it - I. Was. Wrong.

I was instantly captured by the beauty of a certain hero, humor, cliches and mentions of other films that I'd seen. I got a kick out of hearing mentions of Devdas and going "I understand that!" - But that's mainly because I'm just a spaz. There was a point where I began to wonder if perhaps it was going to get boring when Simran and Jay were doing their "I HATE YOU" act, but the movie quickly moved onto more interesting scenes and began to develop their friendship and then romance.

But like all romances in Bollywood, the hero and heroine can't just be together and be happy - noooo, Simran has to be with a man named Raj (Ha. Ha. Ha) since childhood and be completely dedicated to her Mr. Right, who doesn't even realize that she hates the color white although that's the only type of flowers he ever gets her. (Needless to say, Jay gets her red, which she loves). However, after a while, Simran realizes that she loves Mr. Wrong as well but when she confessed it to Jay, he is befuddled and turns her down - not understanding where her feelings had come from. But, again, as we often see in BW, he soon realizes (about half way through the film and too late of course) that he loves her as well and begins his quest to win her heart.

The acting was so/so. As much as I love Imran Khan, he does have a long way to go with his acting. He delivers comedy very well and made me laugh numerous times throughout the movie, but there were several times when I just got annoyed with him - such as when he was upset over his relationship with Simran and had the same look on his face in every. single. scene. However, my annoyance with him can't be at all compared with the large annoyance I had with Sonam Kapoor. She's a pretty face and had her moments, but she can hardly be called an actress. She needs to take lessons from Kareena. Funnily enough, I actually got a kick out of Bruna Abdullah. In the beginning of the movie, she is just a dumb girl with an annoying voice that Jay picks up at a night club, but later she comes back into the movie to help with his plan to get Simran and, although still annoying, she delivered some nice comedy. I just wish she didn't sound so out of place speaking Hindi..

The music was FABULOUS I think. I adored I Hate Luv Storys, Jab Mila Tu, and Sadka Kiya (Sonam and Imran's little number was super cute!) See for yourself:






Overall, a good movie I think. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and for the first time in a long time - was not bored with it at all! Check it out!

Rating:7/10

Review: Fanaa

Fanaa
Stars: Kajol, Aamir Khan, Rishi Kapoor, Tabu
Directed by: Kunal Kohli
Released: 2006

Okay so, there is a lot wrong with this film, let me just start by saying that so you're prepared. We start off with Zooni, a sweet young but blind girl who is looking for Mr. Right. She travels with her friends to Delhi to perform in a dance for independence day. And of course, if you're going to the capital of your country, you don't just dance right? And of course you're going to find someone to show you the sights, right? Right! So they hire sweet, handsome and poetic Rehan who seems to fall instantly in love with Zooni despite her blindness. Her friends do not take kindly to this, but that doesn't stop Zooni from going out to meet her charming tour guide so he can give her a private tour of Delhi.

Going against the odds, Zooni and Rehan slowly fall in love with each other. The night before Zooni is due to board the train and go back to her home in Kashmir (really shot in Poland with gorgeous scenery) Zooni and Rehan meet up at his house and find themselves in a not-so-innocent situation. After a night like that, the two lovers decide that they cannot be apart any more, and they decide to get married. But first, Zooni goes to the doctor the get her eyes examined and discovers that there is a surgery that will give her her eyesight back. She quickly agrees to it and prepares for the day of her surgery. Her parents come down from Kashmir to support their daughter and their future son-in-law, but disaster strikes and Rehan is presumed dead due to a terrorist bombing. Zooni finds it hard to move on, but goes back to Kashmir with her parents. Little does she know, Rehan is far from gone and has a huge secret - one she never saw coming.

The first hour or so of Fanaa when Zooni and Rehan are falling in love is my very favorite. I love watching them grow closer, and it was these scenes that made me start to like Aamir Khan and, more importantly, my very favorite actress Kajol. It was just about everything a Bollywood romance should be. With singing and dancing in the rain in Dekho Na and lighthearted flirty songs like Chand Sifarish. I felt that the plot twist in the middle was a little odd and definitely unexpected, but that can be good or bad depending on how you look at it. Fanaa is most definitely a movie that had not been seen before (although similar stories would come about ie: Kurbaan) and it was a chance to see one of the best jodis in Indian cinema shine.

The acting was a sheer and epic win on all the main actors' parts. Kajol very much deserved her best actress Filmfare award and made a very good choice picking Fanaa to be her comeback film after marriage and the birth of her daughter Nysa. Aamir Khan is an actor with a lot of charm and masculinity, but surprisingly enough, I always find that who he is paired with in a movie is very crucial to his performance and whether or not I will end up enjoying it. But, as I stated earlier, he and Kajol are amazing together and really should get doing some more movies soon. Perhaps the most surprising person was Rishi Kapoor. This was the first look I'd ever had of him and boy am I glad for that! I would soon come to realize that he spent a lot of time during his prime as a hero romancing girls that looked too young and innocent for him, but he is bloody fantastic as a father in a film. He was a sweet old man and very loving towards his little Zooni.

Besides the great acting and mindblowing scenery, Fanaa had great music to go along with it. There is not one song from that film that is not on my iPod. I love it all - from Chand Sifarish to Chanda Chamke to Mere Haath Mein. All were great and it was very nice to see the classic random Bollywood songs with the multiple costume changes that I adore more than any other.

Despite the half-ridiculously predictable/omg I didn't see that coming plot line, Fanaa has enough great assets to make it a good and enjoyable film. A win in my book and a must-see if you like true chemistry between a hero and heroine.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Gangster: A Love Story *Spoilers*

Gangster: A Love Story
Stars: Shiney Ahuja, Kangana Ranaut, Emraan Hashmi
Directed By: Anurag Basu
Released: 2006

Gangster: A Love Story is a unique tale about Simran (Ranaut), a girl who has no care for her life, Daya (Ahuja), the much feared gangster that she is in love with, and Akash (Hashmi), a sweet young singer that is in love with her and wants to make her forget about her troubled past. At the beginning of the film, one probably falls in love with Akash and believes that he is the big hero there to rescue to sweet, curly haired heroine. I promise you, that will change.

As the two get closer, Simran confides in Akash about her past in which she fell in love with, lived with, and ran with a powerful, wanted gangster named Daya. It provides some very interesting and fun flashbacks into Simran's life with Daya and what tore them apart (My favorite part of the movie). It is then that one begins to understand why this girl is so heartbroken and sad. Once Simi is able to open up to Akash, they begin to have a real relationship. However, their happiness is cut short when Mr. Gangster shows up and is not very happy to see Akash warming his girlfriend's bed. Simran is conflicted. The man she's been in love with for so long has finally returned to her and is vowing to change his ways, but she loves Akash as well. Then, when prompted by the police, she leaves with Daya. They find a place to hide out and he begins to work, finding that he actually quite enjoys doing an honest job. However, Simran still is not very happy as she misses Akash and then discovers that she has yet another problem to worry about. She calls her sweet singer and tells him what is going on, and he prompts her to turn Daya in. She does, and realizes much too late that her darling Akash had a very dark secret that shifts the hero label from him to the sexy, dangerous Daya. Want to know what that is? Watch and find out! ;)

Let me first say that this movie was amazing, mainly because of the story. I'd never heard of a tale like this before, and was very satisfied with it in the end. At the end of the movie, Daya and Simran both end up dead but until I watched this movie for the third time, I didn't even think of it in a sad way. They were finally together and able to be happy, which was something they weren't allowed to have when they were alive. At a first glance, that makes you happy, but when you look at the cracks you do begin to feel sad and wish that Daya hadn't been executed (Okay, maybe I'm a little biased..) and that the dirty dodgy Akash had gone in his place.

The acting was somewhat iffy, in my opinion. Kangana gained much praise for her role as Simran and even won the Filmfare award for Best Debut. Although she was impressive, especially since this was her very first role, there were several times when I thought she overacted and then there were times when she showed me nothing. As for Shiney, he was a bit better. He still overacted in some parts, but I always, always felt his emotions, whether it was anger, sadness and in rare moments, happiness. I find this especially impressive since he didn't have as many lines as his costars. It was all in his eyes and body language. He too won an award - the Stardust Superstar of Tomorrow (Male). Emraan? He was impressive, not amazing, but impressive. For what it's worth, until Daya came along (oh you know.. at 30 minutes..) I was falling for him (didn't last long, obviously..) He was very sweet and I now think that he is one of the better looking actors in Bollywood.

One more high point of the film was the music. Ya Ali, Mujhe Mat Roko, Bheegi Bheegi, and Tu Hi Meri Shab Hai were especially entertaining. I felt that the music went very well with the scenes it was paired with, and that came sometimes be an issue (We Are Family, anyone?) Altogether I found that this movie was quite enjoyable. I think it had a great story, but in some areas failed to deliver. However, being the huge huge huge Shiney, Kangana and Emraan fan that I am, I can watch it over and over and over again. I would especially recommend it for those who love those tragic romances that's a little rough around the edges. Who to watch it with? A sweetheart mainly. Maybe a friend. Not children though. It got violent at times (Hello, GANGSTER) and had some rough and vulgar dialogue. I hope you enjoy it :)

Rating: 8/10

Review: My Name Is Khan *Spoilers*

My Name Is Khan
Stars: Shahrukh Khan, Kajol
Directed by: Karan Johar
Released: 2010

Where do I start? I guess with saying this is not your average Karan Johar or SRK film for that matter. If you've seen Khabi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) you know that this very popular director doesn't shy away from song and dance and especially the cheesy love lines. So, assuming that you're familiar with his work, which also includes Kuch Kuch Hot Hai (1998), you would sit down to watch My Name Is Khan expecting a rather light hearted love story with some tears thrown in here and there. Well, you're partially right.

MNIK begins lighthearted and sweet, and tells the story of a young man, Rizwan Khan (Shahrukh Khan), who happens to have Asperger's Syndrome, a high functioning form of Autism. Rizwan is born and raised as a Indian Muslim and grows up with the strong idea that there are only two types of people in the world, good people who do good deeds, and bad people who do bad deeds. When he grows older and his mother dies, he moves to San Francisco to live with his brother Zakir, who has become quite successful in the business world selling beauty products. He quickly sends Rizwan to work selling them at local beauty parlors. His life changes when he walks into Karma, the workplace of single mom Mandira (Kajol). She sees past the his odd quirks - his intense hatred for yellow, his incredible intelligence, and his dislike for being touched - and becomes his friend while he falls in love with her. Because this is a Karan Johar movie, they get married and start to live happily ever after. Until the fateful day of 9/11.

Six years after the event, and after many incidents of hate against their family, the Khan's suffer the greatest loss of all - the death of Mandira's teenage son Sameer. Mandira blamed Rizwan for this and angrily tells him to go to the president and tell him that his name is Khan, and that he is not a terrorist, and that Sameer wasn't one either. So, determined to prove his love for his wife, Rizwan leaves and goes to find the president while Mandira searches for the boys who killed Sam.

That was a lot of spoilers! You're going to have to watch the movie now to see whether he does meet the president though :) Anyway, for me, this film did wonders. I laughed and cried, sometimes simultaneously. My Name Is Khan is a movie that teaches even the most closed minded individuals that people are not always what they appear. Just because someone happens to be a Muslim, does not mean that they're a terrorist, and just because someone isn't 'normal' does not mean they are inferior or do not have feelings. MNIK is a movie for everyone to watch, whether you're American, Indian, Catholic, Muslim, Hindu, black or white.

What made this film even better was the fantastic acting. The two main characters, Rizwan and Mandira are played by what might be the most popular jodi in Bollywood history - SRKajol. They give top-notch performances and even won the Filmfare awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role Male and Best Actor in a Leading Role Female respectively. SRK makes his portrayal of an Autistic man incredibly believable without overdoing it and making it a joke. Kajol effortlessly goes from the funny, kind, accepting mother and wife to a sad, heartbroken and vengeful woman in the blink of an eye. I also believe this movie would be no where without the spectacular music. Sajda, Tere Naina and Noor-E-Khuda are personal favorites and will not soon be forgotten, just like this film.

Rating: 10/10

Some Changes :)

Hello my dears! Well, now that my Bollywood song challenge is over, I've decided to make some changes to my blog.

As you can probably tell, it's for many many different things. I've written a movie review, posted about my favorite Tudor jewelry and even had some personal postings. I love having my blog for this purpose, but I'm also going to be making it a little more oriented around movies, Bollywood in particular. As she always does, my dear friend Ally has inspired me to write about the amazing world of Indian culture. So from now on, you can expect to see Bollywood, Bollywood, Bollywood :) Although I will be posting about the same things as always (as stated above, Hollywood, shows, personal etc.) it will mainly consist of BW. As much as I try to deny it to myself and to others, blogs really are best when they focus on a specific subject. For now, that subject I want to write about is.. what's the word? Bollywood! :) I hope you'll continue to enjoy my blog, though, and will find all my posts and reviews useful. <3

Top 10 Bollywood Songs: 1 - Dola Re Dola

Ah, the countdown comes to an end with my very favorite song, Dola Re Dola from the movie Devdas :D I wasn't a huge fan of this song from the beginning, but when I started going back through the BW music I'd heard, I fell in love with it. I also got my cousin hooked on it and she's always demanding I dancing with her to it! I love the choreography, the music, the lyrics and especially the dancers. How perfect is it to have two of the most popular Bolly dancers in one scene? :)