Review: Hameshaa

Hameshaa
Stars: Saif Ali Khan, Kajol, Aditya Pancholi
Directed by: Sanjay Gupta
Released: September 12, 1997

Childhood friends Raja (Ali Kha) and Yash (Pancholi) come from two very different back grounds. Yash is very wealthy, and Raja is poor. This, however, does not stop them from growing up thick as thieves and close as brothers. Hameshaa opens with them racing each other in what seems like a very dangerous setting. The friends, however, simply laugh it off and begin talking about who they would choose if they had to – each other, or the girl of their dreams. Enter Rani Sharma (Kajol), a beautiful young woman in a neela dupatta peela suit (arguably the best, most upbeat song from the movie despite the laughable choreography. But, hey, it was 90s Bollywood). Soon after, Yash too encounters Rani and is also completely in love with her beauty and charms and finds it impossible not to fall in love with her.

Both men are quick to find each other and express their hearts’ desires, neither of them realizing that they are in fact speaking about the same woman. When Yash, however, finds out that the woman he so desperately wants has given her heart to his best friend, he becomes… a tad bit unhinged. He poses to Raja the same question they discussed when we first saw them – friends or the perfect girl? Much to Rani’s horror, Yash pushes Raja over the edge of a cliff and she joins him despite earnest efforts from Yash.

Years later Yash is an older and bitter man living with his Dai Ma and as fate would have it, he stumbles upon Raju and Reshma – both bearing an uncanny resemblance to Raja and Rani respectively. Not about to lose what he considers to be the love of his life a second time, he begins working hard to keep the two of them apart. Does true love always prevail? Well, you’ll just have to find out!

I truly love how Kajol can look great with any – and I mean any – Khan. She and Shahrukh are one of if not the most popular and charismatic couple in the history of Indian cinema, their jodi bringing many fans young and old to the cinema to watch their magic unfold on screen. Then she acted with Salman Khan and proved to have chemistry with him as well in their small parts of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and the cute movie Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya. And of course who could possibly forget the tangible love that she and Aamir Khan portrayed during Fanaa. That covers the three major Khans, right? Well this film proves that she and Saif are pure pyaar, even more than her and Shahrukh in the majority of their films together, in my opinion.

            

As far as their acting goes, Kajol does what she is famous (or infamous, depending on who you ask) for and takes the emotion to the next level. Her expressions during songs are equally adorable and hilarious. The song Aisa Milan Kal Ho Na gives her a chance to prove just how sensual she can be. This film is nothing difficult and doesn’t require top notch acting and therefore natural talents such as Kajol and Saif Ali Khan pull it off with little effort on their parts. Aditya Pancholi is able to deliver a good performance as Yash, making you truly hate him and his villainous self increasingly throughout the film, while still making you feel somewhat bad for him as he too loved Rani and had her taken away from him. But in the end, I found it hard to root for anyone other than Raja and Rani, which of course is only right.

            

I would classify this film under my guilty pleasure category. It is not a perfect film, but it is decent. Classic 90s romance film and a good one time watch for most people. But because of the combination of beautiful settings, wonderful chemistry and a beautiful struggle for love, I enjoy this film much more than I probably should. Objectively, however, the rating really must be a simple:

Rating: 5/10

Song Of The Week: Tum Ho

Tum Ho
Rockstar

To say that 2011's Rockstar had great music is a sad understatement. It's been a long long time since a film has produced so many quality tracks. From Sadda Haq to Jo Bhi Mein, they all have their meaningful words and different effects on the soul. The most beautiful and moving, however, is Tum Ho. This song I adore with all my being, yet I have to avoid at certain times because it never fails to bring tears to my eyes. This song gives me romantic dreams and makes me wish I was in the most romantic of Bollywood films. It brings many emotions and is a song not to be missed.

Review: Barfi!

Barfi!
Stars: Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Ileana D'Cruz
Directed by: Anurag Basu
Released: September 13, 2012

Let's get down to business: Murphy, or Barfi (Kapoor) as he calls himself, is a deaf and mute man living in Darjeeling, India. His mother died shortly after his birth and so he depended heavily on his father throughout his life. He is street smart and cunning, but also has a habit of getting into some trouble. When he meets Shruti (D'Cruz) he falls head over heels in love with her beauty and her own charm. She, however, is already engaged (because it wouldn't be an Indian film if that wasn't the case, right?). Despite this fact, they become fast friends and spend their days getting into silly antics. Shruti enjoys being alive and carefree and Barfi enjoys making her happy and having her around. However, her engagement does not go away and therefore causes some issues for the two. In the middle of all this, we meet the young, sweet Autistic Jhilmil (Chopra). She is ostracized by most of her family, but have friends in her teachers, her nanny and her grandfather. Unfortunate events in both her and Barfi's lives cause them to cross paths, and create yet another eye-opening friendship.

Barfi was perhaps the most loved film of the year. It has comedy, romance, mystery and sadness. All enough to keep you happy and interested. The acting is top notch. Ileana - who has this credited as being her debut even though it is far from it - is gorgeous and holds her own next to Chopra and Kapoor. Priyanka impresses with her ability to play the Autistic but still lovable Jhilmil and Ranbir - of course - steals the show from the both of them. I often argue whether or not his contemporary Imran Khan is better and while Imran wins in most aspects in my opinion, Ranbir takes the cake in the acting arena. He cannot be beat when it comes to these roles. He amazed me when I watched Rockstar earlier this year and reinforced it with Barfi.

The music is another win with this film, Ala Barfi and Aashiyan being my two personal favorites although Main Kya Karoon is also a pure and epic win. However, like all good things, there is a fatal flaw and in Barfi, this flaw is their borrowed scenes. One that stuck out to me the most was when Shruti's mother drives her out to see her first love - the man she turned down to marry Shruti's father. It was taken right out of the Hollywood blockbuster The Notebook. Because of that and other stolen scenes, my rating was lessened. However, one cannot take away the mark this film leaves on your heart.

The biggest proof of this is what I just witnessed. I rented the film and had my brothers and sister watch it without subtitles. They are no strangers to Indian films as they have seen My Name Is Khan and parts of Devdas, but both of those were with subtitles to help them along. Even without this help, they were able to see the purity and sweetness that is Barfi and were even able to understand it. All four of them said that they loved the film when it was over and begged to watch it a second time. This was amazing to me as they often make fun of me for my interest in Indian films and music. "Why would you watch something or listen to something that you don't understand?" And now they see why.

I highly recommend this film. It's somewhat artsy and unconventional as far as Bollywood films go, but I think  it is one of the best I have ever seen. It's a shame the Academy Awards didn't see that as well.

Rating: 9/10

Song Of The Week: Disco Deewane

Disco Deewane
Student Of The Year

Because it is New Years Eve, which is a time for celebration, I've decided that this week's song should be one that inspires dance and happiness. While it may not be everyone's cup of tea, this song makes me happy everytime I hear it on my iPod, and I'm hoping it does the same for you. With a bumping beat and the revival of one of the India's most beautiful voices (Nazia Hassan), this is a treat to be tasted at the very least. It's also special in my heart because in the full video version, I get to see my very favorite actress Kajol dancing and stealing the spotlight. Enjoy this and have a very happy New Year!

No One Killed Jessica

No One Killed Jessica

Stars: Rani Mukherjee, Vidya Balan

Directed by: Rajkumar Gupta

Released: January 7, 2011

No One Killed Jessica was a film that I was greatly anticipating. I had heard of Jessica Lal’s murder long before I sat down to watch the film and was touched – and of course saddened – by her story. The trailer was top notch and promised meaningful quotes, powerful scenes and tears. Well, that isn’t exactly what happened.

On a late night in 1999, bar maid and aspiring model and actress Jessica Lal refuses to give a rowdy man a drink after she and her fellow bar tender have quite serving alcohol for the night. She swears that she will not give it to him, not even for 1000 rupees. Angry, the man pulls out a gun and shoots her dead on the spot. Jessica’s older sister Sabrina (Balan) is heartbroken, but is assured that there will be justice for her bubbly baby sis. There were over 300 people at the party, many of them witnesses to the crime itself. It seems like it would be an easy, open and shut case right? Wrong.

The key witness, Jessica’s bar tender friend, saw what happened first hand but eventually proves not to be very helpful in the prosecutions’ case. Sabrina is outraged when she finds out that the killer is the son of a powerful man in India, and that her sister’s murderer is getting away from justice because of the power of bribing. She does her best to fight for her sister – she talks to witnesses, spreads the word, but none of them prove to be fruitful. She and her family begin to fall apart under the pressure of their grief and their mission for justice.

Meera (Mukherjee), is a news reporter full of attitude. Don’t cross her, don’t make her angry – or you’ll pay. When she first hears of the story, she doesn’t think twice. As everyone else assumed, she thought it would be an open and shut murder case, hardly worth her time. But when she catches wind of how the trial was a bust, she becomes more interested in this case. With her help, she is able to shine light on the error of the courts and give Sabrina the relief and peace she had wanted for so long.

Despite the amazing trailer that I mentioned earlier, the film really lacked luster. It wasn’t as fast passed and meaningful as I had imagined and I soon found myself sticking with it for the entire time for Jessica’s memory and Rani’s performance. Rani, despite being shown to be second banana to Vidya, was the heart and soul of this film. She was playing a character that was different from any other avatar I’ve seen of hers before, and she was perfect at it. I now want her to be a brash bitch in more movies. Perhaps because this mirrors my personality in some ways, or at least the person I wish I could be, but for me, she was the true hero of the story. Vidya was a grey mouse, through and through. I went to this movie wanting to see how she was as an actress because at this time I was not her fan. This movie proved to me that I hated her (thankfully that would change when I watched Parineeta). She had nothing to do and when she did, it was awkward and boring.

No One Killed Jessica was easy enough to get through, but I think I would have liked it better had I not had such high expectations for a ground shaking, mind changing film. If you decide to skip the film, please at least take a look at Dilli, the fantastic song that was really responsible for the heart racing excitement of the trailer and promotions.

Rating: 6/10

Films I Didn't Finish: Dil To Pagal Hai

Dil To Pagal Hai

Stars: Shahrukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, Karisma Kapoor, Akshay Kumar

Directed by: Yash Chopra

Released: October 31, 1997

Dil To Pagal Hai is one of those films that I've been told to watch ever since I first started my journey in Bollywood. The person that urged me the most was my best friend and soul sister Ally (Bollywood-ish) who is Madhuri Dixit's biggest fan as well as the Madhuri/SRK jodi love slave. So when I sat down to watch this film I expected it to be fabulous. The visuals always seemed stunning and in fact - they were. However, I could not get past how dull it was. It moved too slow! I also was not at all enamored by Karisma who was awkward and strange in her role. Madhuri was past the point of having any chance of being bad by the time she made this film, but she looked far too mature for SRK and also, in my opinion, too mature to be playing the girl who skipped around trees and dreamed of teenage love. Which is my interpretation of it anyway. I may someday go back to this film and give it another try, but I wouldn't count on that happening anytime soon.

Time wasted: 52 minutes

Review: Lajja

Lajja
Stars: Manisha Koirala, Jackie Shroff, Anil Kapoor, Mahima Chaudhary, Madhuri Dixit, Rekha, Samir Soni, Ajay Devgan
Directed by: Rajkumar Santoshi
Released: September 19, 2001

Vaidehi (Koirala) runs away from a loveless marriage to Raghu (Shroff) and embarks on a journey that shows her more about life and womanhood than she ever anticipated. Raghu is not exactly the model husband, he's abusive and lecherous. When Vaidehi becomes pregnant, she decides that is enough is enough. As fate would have it, Raghu is involved in a terrible car accident which renders him unable to impregnate a woman. Upon realizing that the child Vaidehi made off with would be the only one he would ever have. This causes him to send his hired men after her to bring her back.

On her way she meets three strong, revolutionary women; starting with Maithili (Chaudhary). Maithili is a bride-to-be from a lovely middle class family. Her troubles stem from her groom's rich and greedy father who demands a large wedding and an even larger dowry; one that Maithili's father cannot afford.

Then there is Janki, my very favorite out of all the women. She is a theatre actress who is unwed and newly pregnant. She is not the submissive mouse that women are so often expected to be, but an outspoken beauty that wants to take control of her life and do what means the most to her. She is in love with a fellow acto and wants nothing more than to be with him.

On her way to her next adventure, she comes across Bulwa (Devgan),a Robin Hood type. He brings her to Ramdulari (Rekha). Her trouble stems from her son's forbidden relationship with the daughter of the head of her village. This struggle and the end result makes for a terrifying scene; one that will leave you shaken and disturbed for a while after you've seen it.

Manisha delivers a fine performance but is completely overshadowed by Madhuri and Rekha. This is my second favorite Madhuri character and performance ever, coming in only after Chandramukhi. It was my first full film with Rekha and Anil as well and I was impressed with both of them. Some of my friends insist that Anil cannot do comedy, but I disagree. Ding dong! Ajay Devgan's character was more or less... well, pointless, but I enjoyed seeing him on screen nonetheless. I believe that Jackie Shroff is one of those actors that cannot be bad and therefore he most definitely didn't disappoint. As for the music, the only song I walked away singing was Badi Muskil, which I still listen to regularly, almost a year after seeing this film.

Now... The movie itself was fantastic in that it showed the true hardships of women in India. Lajja itself means shame and you can see the 'shame' that these Indian women bring upon their family. The thing about this, however, is that the idea of shame is so incredibly backwards. Shame, honor and pride are all so trivial in life and I left this film wishing that the families of these women would have better understood their reasons for what they did instead of going home and crying about how much shame their daughters brought upon them. As for the main character Vaidehi, I was disappointed on her. Woman has husband, leaves husband, leans on thief, leans on bride, leans on actress, leans on Superman, leans on wise village woman, leans on... well, watch the film to discover that one. You get the point, though. She never really learned to stand on her own.

Watch this film, please, and the next time you consider putting a woman down, remember that in the end, they are the strong ones and that they are the ones that have the courage to make a needed change.

Rating: 7/10

Here's a bonus that I couldn't resist:

Chalo Manisha, let me show you how to dance to these steps so you can change your opinion on me completely.

Song Of The Week: The Kathak Dance

Kathak Dance
Dil To Pagal Hai

This weeks SOTW doesn’t focus as much on the music (although it its essential), but more so on the dancing that goes with it and the woman who brings it to life. As most people know, Madhuri Dixit is a trained Kathak dancer and she excels at it. It is something she enjoys immensely, and I would not be surprised if she loved Kathak and dancing in general more than acting. There are few times in her career where we have been able to see her true talents in this classical form of Indian dancing, but we get lucky enough in this film to get quite the treat. Madhuri makes her ghungroos sing with her every move as SRK accompanies her on the drums. Kathak with drums, the way it’s meant to be. There are a few different ideas as to where Kathak originated. In the myths, Shiva created the dance and when he did, I’m sure he had a woman like Madhuri in his mind. She is never more feminine and graceful in her dancing than when she does the dancing form that she has been trained to do since she was at such a young, precious age. So enjoy this Song Of The Week. Enjoy something a little more out of the box from the other 90s Indian masala films and songs. Enjoy beauty, in the best form possible.

Song Of The Week: Dreamum Wakeupum

Dreamum Wakeupum
Aiyyaa

The first song released from the upcoming movie Aiyyaa is catchy to be sure. It's different than most item numbers and the dance moves are something quite unlike anything Bollywood has ever seen. Rani impresses in the song. She's always been a good dancer and it's nice to see her be put in movie where she gets the chance to dance - even if it's some odd musical number. The words are catchy, the beat catchier. Because this film is due out rather soon, I thought it would be good for the first SOTW!

Review: The Dirty Picture

The Dirty Picture

Stars: Vidya Balan, Emraan Hashmi, Naseeruddin Shah, Tusshar

Directed by: Milan Luthria

Released: December 2, 2011

Entertainment, entertainment, entertainment. One of the main messages of this film is surely what it is. Some would say that this film was overhyped, that it was nothing groundbreaking and that Vidya Balan's performance was nothing special. Well, I would like to kindly disagree with them.

Reshma (Balan), a poor girl in India runs away from home the night before her wedding, forever damaging her relationship with her mother. She has big dreams to be in pictures and she falls into some luck. A dance director pulls her into a song with a whip and she uses it well. This is her big break into films and suddenly everyone wants to get a piece of Silk, as Reshma is now known. The actor Surya (Shah), which she has been in love with for years, gives her the time of day after some sexy convincing from Silk. Being in his movies only boosts her further into stardom. This, however, makes him a little upset since his thunder is being stolen away.

In the meantime, we run into Abraham (Hashmi) every once in a while who has a real chip on his shoulder and hates Silk. I feel like we never really got to understand why he hated her, though, and that bothered me. He hated her because she was vulgar? So what? That's no reason to hate someone. There seemed to be more there that was never really addressed or explained. As with many actresses, Silk hit her prime... and started to fall. She could no longer get roles as easily as she could before and this lead her to financial and emotional problems which led to her ultimate and final downfall.

There are things about this film that make me mad - but they're supposed to, I believe. For starters, The Dirty Picture does good at pointing out a serious flaw in people, which can easily be explained in this quote from Silk, "You make films about sex, you sell them, you watch them, you show them, you even present them with awards, but you're scared to aknowledge them." That's something I've noticed in my time of being a fan of Bollywood. It's alright for men to watch a woman dance around half naked but she is forever scarred and scorned for life. Then, those same men want to act as though they have done nothing wrong, like they are as pure and chaste as the day they were born. 

From the reviews I've read, it makes me laugh because so many people talk about how vulgar this film was. Did they not see the previews? The trailers? The title? It's The Dirty Picture, what do you expect? Of course this might be my American showing here, but nothing in this film shocked me that much. However I do understand that as far as Bollywood and Indian standards go, this was vulgar and dirty. Still, don't be surprised  by it and act like you had no idea what this film was going to be about.

Vidya deserved every single accolade and praise that she got from this film. Her acting was nothing short of spectacular. She became Silk. Watching her in Parineeta, No One Killed Jessica and now The Dirty Picture proves just how dedicated and versatile she is. She is one of the hardest working actresses today and I hope she continues to produce these fantastic films. And extra points to her for the curvy body she was sporting in the film. Her hips, thighs and larger stomach were all adorable to me and it was nice to see that she wasn't afraid to go there as well. Emraan was wood throughout his performance but that might be because he didn't really have much of one. Shah was fantastic and made me cringe, but for all the right reasons. Tusshar was cute, I thought. It was my first film with him and liked him well enough. The music is of course great. Ooh La La will forever be one of my favorite songs and there's no changing that.

The only reason I took a point off from it being perfect was because the second half dragged so much. Other than that, it was perfect to me, honestly. I enjoyed it so much and it lived up to its hype, me thinks. I will watch it again someday, for sure. 

Rating: 9/10

Review: Aaja Nachle

Aaja Nachle
Stars: Madhuri Dixit, Konkona Sen Sharma, Jugal Hansraj, Akshaye Khanna, Kunal Kapoor
Directed by: Anil Mehta
Released: November 30, 2007

Namaste aur salaam. Meet Dia (Dixit)! She is a beautiful young choreographer that lives in New York with her young daughter Radha. She is rather successful in New York and enjoying her time but must leave on short notice when she receives news that her old guru from India is on his death bed and fading fast. So fast, in fact, that she doesn't even reach the country until after he has passed away. Being back in her old town bring back many memories, some are down right painful for Dia because they remind her of the relationship that she had and lost with Radha's father. He was an American and in deciding to run off and marry him, she disgraces herself and her family, which is something that is hard to get away from. Her guru's reason for calling her back was to convince her to save the theatre (Ajanta) that they practiced and performed in, a task that he convinces her to do through a video he recorded before his death.

Now with a mission, Dia does the first thing she can think of and talks to the man who wants to destroy Ajanta, Raja Uday Singh (Khanna). Singh is reluctant to agree to her because of the good business he is sure he will get from building a business in the theatre's place, but Dia convinces him to give her a chance. Dia most come up with an amazing performance in two months time, using only local dancers and present it at Ajanta. If the audience loves it, the theatre is saved, if not, the wrecking balls come out. Dia accepts of course!

And of course, nothing can be done without bumps along the way. In this case, the hardest part is finding the right people to play in Laila-Majnu, an old Indian classic, Romeo and Juliet before Romeo and Juliet. Eventually, however, she does stumble upon the right people and is able to get rehearsals going. This is where we meet Imran (Kapoor) and Anokhi (Sen Sharma). Imran is a rugged, tough guy and Anokhi is a tomboy like Anjali in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (with one hell of a runny nose problem). At first she is shot down but later convinces Dia that she can do the job. Once in, she finds herself falling in love with Imran. After a makeover, he finds himself doing the same. This ultimately helps the play of Laila-Majnu become more real.

This was a decent time pass, but nothing extraordinary in my opinion. Ishq hua, O Re Piya, the ever popular Aaja Nachle and the play itself were all winning numbers that I listen to on a regular basis (ESPECIALLY the play. It makes me feel feelings). The acting was, again, decent. I came for Madhuri and stayed for Konkona and Kunal. Their chemistry was fantastic and I wouldn't mind seeing them together again soon! This film was to be Madhuri's major come back and she ended up not being as successful with her comeback from motherhood as Kajol was with Fanaa, but I wish her the best of luck with this next one she has coming up with Dedh Ishqiya and Gulab Gang.

Rating: 6/10

Review: Rang De Basanti

Rang De Basanti
Stars: Aamir Khan, R. Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Soha Ali Khan, Waheeda Rehman, Siddharth Narayan, Kunal Kapoor, Atul Kulkarni, Alice Patten
Directed by: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
Released: 2006

Koi desh perfect nahi hota. Use perfect banana padta hai.

Every once in a while, a film will come around that completely makes you stare at the screen with awe during the entire film. Rang De Basanti is one of those films. This is a film that shows the truth and does not sugar coat anything. It shows real characters all with different personalities. All with different positive and negative traits that all end up balancing each other out. You fall in love with these characters in the two hours, forty-six minutes they are on screen and they don't leave your mind or your heart anytime soon after the credits roll.

Sue McKinley (Patten) a cute, sweet little blonde from the UK with a video camera, lots of time on her hands and a big interest in the men mentioned in her grandfather's diary decides to go to India to shoot a film about the revolutionaries Chandrasekhar Azad, Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru, Ashfaqulla Khan, and Ram Prasad Bismil. Sue holds auditions with her friend Sonia (Soha Ali Khan) and has no luck finding the perfect actors to play her beloved freedom fighters. Later the same day, Sonia introduces Sue to her friends DJ (Aamir Khan), Karan (Narayan), Sukhi (Joshi) and Aslam (Kapoor), four friends who are all very different but have a strong relationship that would put brotherhood to shame.

It's not long before Sue sees in them the famed freedom fighters and proposes and idea to them... Why don't they star in her film? None of them are really all that excited about it, but in his quest to make Sue happy, DJ gets his friends to agree to it. Because of their lack of passion, it takes a while for the film to take off. It also doesn't help that Sue has also hired Laxman (Kulkarni), a man who has always had his difficulties with the group, to also star in the film as Ramprasad Bismil. But still wanting to make Sue happy and complete the film, the group gets more into it and starts to realize the importance of the men they are portraying.

During the filming of Sue's film, Sonia gets engaged to Ajay (Madhavan), an air force pilot who believes that there is nothing more honorable and special that fighting for your country. When his MiG mysteriously crashes and the government closes the investigation as quickly as it begins, the group is enraged and decide to follow the example of the men from their past and take matters into their own hands.

Many films have been made on these men, especially Bhagat Singh, but I believe there is something that sets Rang De Basanti apart from all the others... and that is simply the fact that Rang De Basanti connects the past with the present. Many times it can be hard to relate with the past, but the creators of this film carefully weave the stories from the past with events in the future and help today's youth see why it is important to learn about the actions of the past and, as the title says, the color of sacrifice.

I have absolutely no complaints whatsoever as far as the acting goes. But I must give Aamir Khan a huge honorable mention. His performance in this film has cemented his spot in my list of favorite actors. I don't see his spot being challenged again anytime soon. Also, Siddharth Narayan needs to do more Hindi films! He's terribly cute and very impressive with his acting. Joshi was amazing with his comedic timing and did a great job turning on the serious acting when it was time (I was also shocked to find out that he was the same young man from Lajja!). But perhaps the one that surprised me most of all (other than Aamir, of course) was Kunal Kapoor. I've heard of him, seen him around and never gave much thought to him. But once he was on screen he was there and not to be lost, which is hard to do when you're with Aamir Khan, but he held his own. And my, how nice it was seeing Waheeda Rehman on here! I went insane seeing such a legend!

The music was also a sheer and utter win, but that's something I've come to expect when watching a film done with music done by A.R. Rahman. Rang De Basanti and Paathshaala are personal favorites.

The story left me in tears, sorrowful and wishing that things had ended differently but also realizing that they couldn't possibly have or it would not have been as effective. Rang De Basanti is now on my favorite films list, and is definitely a film that cannot be missed by fans of Indian cinema.

Rating: 10/10

Kassy On Celebs - Katrina Kaif

Katrina Kaif



Why India? Why? Why?! WHY?! Of all the new actresses out there for you to fall completely in love with, why Katrina Kaif? It has made me lose faith in so many people and their ability to choose good actors and actresses. How could anyone possibly fall for someone who is in Hindi movies - and doesn't even speak it correctly? How could anyone possibly fall for someone who isn't even all that attractive? And even more so, and perhaps most importantly - How could anyone fall for someone with as little acting ability as Katrina Kaif has?

I've tried again and again to try to understand why so many people have gone pagal over Katrina, but I still can't figure it out. For whatever reason, unbeknown to me, she sells and she sells well. If there is any credit that this girl could get from me whatsoever, it is that she works hard and tries even though she continuously falls flat on her face in her roles. She's okay at playing herself, but if she has to go outside the box, she doesn't work. A true actress should be versatile, and Katrina is not. When in Bollywood, I personally believe that an actress should be able to dance reasonably well, but Katrina can't seem to do that either.

Katrina Kaif wouldn't bother me as much if it weren't for the fact that everyone and their brother is constantly raving about her and - what's worse - comparing her to actresses that actually KNOW what they're doing and can act any role you throw at them well.

As my friend Ally has said, in the future, modern actresses like Kareena Kapoor and Deepika Padukone will be remembered as good actresses. Katrina will be remembered as a pretty face, a cute personality... but not much more.

Star Rating: 3/10

Madhuri Dixit's Best Dances

For a very long time, I hated Madhuri Dixit with a burning seething passion. However, even when I did not like her at all, I could still always acknowledge that she was in fact an amazing and accomplished dancer. Now that she is in my top 5 favorite Bollywood actresses, I see it even more. Therefore, I've decided to put together a list of what I believe to be Madhuri's 10 best dances. Here we go:

10. Jungle Mein Sher - Prem Granth

Let's take a look at the first steps of the dance - this girl is jumping/hopping and it looks as if she's flying through the air briefly. The grace and expressions of this number is what gets it a spot on the list.

9. Mera Piya Ghar Aaya - Yaarana

The awesome hip movements in this dance are legend. Madhuri performs it live and you hear the crowd go louder. Why? Because it is perfectly executed with style and grace. Every single step is in time with the music and works perfectly. Hats off both to Mads and the choreographer.

8. Aaja Nachle - Aaja Nachle

When the queen of dance returns - you know she'll bring a great dance along with her. Aaja Nachle is that dance. I don't know whether it is the jingle of her bangles, the twirl of her skirt, her feet or her gorgeous back, but this is to me one of her most sensual songs.

7. Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai - Khalnayak

Where Aaja Nachle is sensual mainly in Madhuri's moves, Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai is sensual also in the lyrics as we become curious to find out what's under Madhuri's choli (blouse) only to find out it is her dil (heart)! Gotta love her sweet navel and graceful feet.

6. Dola Re Dola - Devdas

This is a very popular and famous song because it has two of Bollywood's biggest stars in it. Aishwarya is beautiful and knows the steps, but looks terribly awkward next to Madhuri.

5. Kathak Number - Dil To Pagal Hai

For many reasons, I almost like this more than Madhuri's other famous Kathak number Kaahe Chhed Mohe. It is a perfect display of Kathak dancing at its best. Since she was 3, Madhuri took dancing classes and studied Kathak carefully, which makes it very special whenever you get to see this dancing queen show off her special skills.

4. Dhak Dhak Karne Laga - Beta

What a VULGAR dance! Heaving her bossom like that! Just kidding. There's nothing vulgar about this dance when Madhuri does it. I feel that she's always been good at being sexy but also at keeping the sex appeal to a minimum so she doesn't look bad.

3. Kaahe Chhed Mohe - Devdas

The first song of Madhuri's I fell in love with. Chandramukhi is definitely her best character and this song shows her allure and charm like no other. Brownie points to Mads for being pregnant and dancing in a heavy dress and dupatta while singing about Lord Krishna and Radha!

2. Ek Do Teen - Tezaab

Let me just say that if it were not for my undying love for the classical dances of India, this song and dance would be my number one, especially since it has my favorite expressions. It's no wonder that this dance sequence shot Madhuri straight to stardom. Who knew watching a young Indian girl count to thirteen would be so enjoyable?

1. Maar Daala - Devdas

While Kaahe Chhed Mohe showed Chandramukhi's charm, this showed her spunk and firey spirit as she promptly tells Kali Babu to GTFO with a nod of her head. And of course it also helps that you can see the pain and love in her eyes as she sings the amazing lyrics to this song while looking at Devdas. Outstanding!

Review: Guzaarish

Guzaarish
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai
Directed By: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Released: 2010

Sanjay Leela Bhansali does it again! This time with his magical drama, Guzaarish.

Guzaarish tells the tale of a once great magician named Ethan (Roshan) who became paralyzed from the neck down in a terrible and mysterious accident during one of his most popular acts. He's lived in a large run-down mansion with his nurse Sofia (Rai) for twelve years - but now he's had enough. He summons his lawyer Devyani Dutta to help him with 'Ethanasia' a project in which he hoped would not only help him get the right to die, but would also help him make peace with his decision.

He travels along his journey with the ever-faithful Sofia, and the budding magician Omar who hopes to learn all of Ethan's secrets. It is a bumpy road full of set backs, second thoughts and revealing secrets that makes everyoen in this story question where they stand on this issue.

The reason I love Guzaarish so much is because of how it surprises you. It seems very straightforward, you think you know all the facts about the characters, stories and such but then SLB throws you for a spin and you discover that there's more to each and every character that you never would have suspected before. And what makes it even better is that each and every twist and turn helps weave the story and makes the characters more real to the viewer.

As for the acting - Hrithik was great as Ethan, but Aishwarya was undoubtedly the heart and soul of this entire film. She shone throughout the entire 109 minutes, in each and every scene she was in. She simply changed the entire atmosphere of the film to fit what hse was doing and what Sofia was feeling. For example, the movie was sad and gloomy... until Sofia danced to Udi (which, by the way is a favorite of mine) on stage. At that point, the entire movie lit up and was more alive than it had been previously.

Guzaarish means favor, so do me a guzaarish and watch this film! Just be warned - if you cry easily, you will quickly cry your weight in tears!

Rating: 9/10

Interview With A Bolly Fanatic: Lalita

So Lalita, what got you into Bollywood?
Aishwarya Rai. I had seen her before in a Non-bolly movie many years ago, and ever since she got my attention. So one day out of nowhere, I decided to search her on Youtube. I remember that the first video I saw of hers was Kajra Re, and I kept looking at videos. And like the 4th I watched was Dola Re Dola. I was just AMAZED... and while reading the comments I read that someone said that the movie Devdas was as good as The Notebook. one of my fave movies. So I googled it and read a bit from the plot. I loved it and decied to watch that movie as soon as possible. It's funny that that same day, when I decided to enter myself in the world of Devdas, I found while zapping channels, in Colombian TV, a Bollywood movie. I only wantched a bit from it, the last 30 minutes, but as it was so different from everything I had seen. I loved it. I came to know several months after that that the bit I watched was from Vivah. And anyways, that was around mid December. I didn't watch anything else till Christmas, since my parents gave me a laptop for a present. And the best use I could find for my new laptop, was of course watching the movie that had been obsessing me... I'd spent the whole day watching Dola Re, and then Maar Dala. So i watched it and changed my WHOLE life. I had never seen something as perfect, as soul touching as Devdas.

So I guess it's safe to say that Devdas is your favorite movie?
Yes it is, though I didn't fell it as my favourite until I watched it for the second time.

Why's that?
Not sure. I guess i cried so bad the first time that I missed details.

Understandable! So who else are you in love with besides Aishwarya?
Madhuri Dixit, Shahrukh Khan and Madhubala. Those four I adore with all my heart.

I can see why. What movies would you recommend to beginners who want to get into Bollywood?
devdas is perfect to begin with. It is the perfect movie. If I want to show Bollywood to someone who doesn't enjoy musicals, I would start with Black or My Name Is Khan. Guzaarish is a good option too. For someone who does enjoy musicals, DDLJ is perfect (smiles)

What do you do besides watch movies and listen to music to further your knowledge of Bollywood?
Well, I read on the net mostly. I visit very often a site called Aishwarya-Spice to find out about the latest news about her. Also, I'm part of a couple forums such as Filmifanatics, Madhuri Magic and Kajol Krazy, and they keep me updated too. There are groups on Facebook entirely dedicated to Bollywood as well. But most important, what has made my knowledge further is the fact that I do Bollywood dancing. You see, I'm taking classical Indian dance lessons with an Indian Guru, but as classic dancing takes so long to learn, we sometimes do shows dancing to Bollywood songs. So that has widened up the whole Bollywood universe for me.

It's really great that you've taken your interests in India and Bollywood farther than the average fanatic. What's your favorite kind of dancing? Why?
I adore classical dancing, and particularly Kathak. I love it because it's a delight to the eyes. It has such a complicated technique, such beautiful facial expressions, but most importantly, such a deep meaning. All forms of Indian classical dancing were born to worship the Gods. So when you dance to it, you feel such a powerful connection with God, that is very hard for me to explain. That's the beauty of it. Learning Kathak has helped me realise that when one dances, one does it for God first or for oneself, and then for others. And when you do it with your heart, that's when you do Magic happen. That's why I feel so passionate about Kathak, and why I decided to become a professional Kathak dancer, even when I'm not what you could call a good dancer.

I think you're a good dancer!
Aww thank you sweetie, the truth is that I've improved, but I have soooo much left to learn.

There's always room for improvement, I'm sure.
Yes. I'll keep learning for as long as I can. (smiles)

I'm glad to hear it. So, where else do your interests lie?
Well I'm a Law student, so it's pretty obvious I love law, and I love reading and I enjoy philosophical discussions and I love politics and economics... I can't help it, I just love studying, I wish I could do it my whole life. Apart from that, I'm a HUGE Harry Potter fan. Ever since childhood.

I think it's great that you're really into law. You seem like the kind of person that would be fair and just and that's definitely something we need!
Aww thank you. Yes I'm a bit of a d reamer. Sometimes I would like to be a superhero and fly to fight injustice. But since I'm only human, I'm guessing I'll do all what's on my hand to help those who need me. that's why I'd like to be a Human Rights lawyer someday. Though I'm still not sure about it.

I think that's a very honorable thing to be.
I think so too. we'll see what comes around. I'm so uncertain about my future.

Well I think one thing is for certain - you'll continue to enjoy Bollywood.
Oh totally. That's one of my biggest passions. (smiles)

One that you should never give up! Is there anything else you'd like to say before we go?
Oh well I just want to thank you, Kassy, for taking me into account for this interview, and I'd like to make a special mention to my didi, dearest Siham, because I wouldn't be the die hard Bollywood fan I am without her.

You're very welcome, and thank you for letting me interview you Lau!
No Kassy, thank you. (smiles)

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Thank you again to Lau for giving me such an amazing interview!

Lalita's sites:
Madhuri Magic: http://madhuridixit.freeforumlive.com/
Kajol Krazy: http://kajolkrazy.forumotion.com/
Filmifanatics: http://s8.zetaboards.com/filmifanatics/index/
Aishwarya-Spice: http://www.aishwarya-spice.com/
Lalita's Tumblr: http://lalitablack.tumblr.com/

Review: Devdas

Devdas
Stars: Shahrukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Madhuri Dixit, Jackie Shroff, Kirron Kher
Directed By: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Released: 2002

When a film weaves magic, when a film defines a movie industry, when a film touches every inch of your heart and soul, it's name is Devdas. This is the first Bollywood movie that I sat down to watch and I was captured by it immediately. It is a timeless story about love, loss and tragedy that is told in the proper Bollywood way: With Madhuri Dixit, fantastic sets and timeless music.

Devdas Mukherjee (Khan) is a young man returning from studying in England. He has been there for ten years, having reluctantly left his home and his best friend Parvati (Rai) in order to study law. His mother, Kaushalya is over joyed when she hears that her son is returning home to her. This happiness is stolen from her, however, when Devdas is more interested in meeting up with Paro than he is his own family. Paro and Devdas' friendship is stronger than ever and a romance erupts between the two. Paro's mother Sumitra (Kher) is very excited about this, as she believes that Devdas will be the perfect husband for her Paro. When she goes to Kaushalya's house for a party and to propose marriage, Kaushalya turns her down and insults her in the most terrible of ways. Sumitra swears to Devdas' mother that her daughter will marry someone richer and of higher status that the Mukherjees - and she succeeds. Devdas is heartbroken over his family's betrayal and his loss of Paro, and he goes to a brothel with his friend from London, Chunnilal (Shroff), or Chunni Babu. It is there that he meets the courtesan Chandramukhi (Dixit) - the woman who is as beautiful as the moon. With the urging of Chunni Babu, Devdas decides to take his first sip of alcohol - an action that sends him on the downward spiral towards his self-destruction.

Devdas is often Shahrukh Khan's most praised performance - and for good reason. He and Madhuri Dixit prove just how versatile they are all in this one film, which is a very rare thing to find. They both are able to pull off the different shades of their characters, be it happy, sad or angry - they were completely convincing throughout.

Yet another thing that makes Devdas so special is that it has two heroines. Many will try to tell you that Chandramukhi is nothing but a supporting character, but that is simply not true. She had just as much influence on Devdas and the movie as Paro and she is the true heart of the movie. Aishwarya Rai was fantastic as Parvati, but I could still think of better actresses. Madhuri was the true gem of the film. She gave life to my favorite character in all of Bollywood. She is the only role that I could not recast, no matter how hard I tried.

As fantastic as the story itself is, one cannot talk only about the story. They cannot talk about Devdas and not mention the amazing music. Personal favorites are Maar Daala, Dola Re Dola and Kahe Chhed Mohe - all of which, Madhuri Dixit shows off her top notch dancing skills in.

I could not have picked a better film to watch for my first Bollywood film. To me, it represents all the qualities that every single Bollywood film should have. And of course, part of what makes it so special is the fact that not every Bollywood movie is up to the standards of Devdas. I recommend this sensational film for first-time Bollywood watchers and anyone else who loves romance, music and beauty.

Rating: 10/10

Interview With A Bolly Fanatic: Ally

Hey Alenka, how's everything going today? Busy, I'm sure!
I´m quite well, though I could be better, which is always the case! I was busy the first three weeks of July, but now holiday finally starts.

Exactly how many websites do you run?
Let me count. I have one tumblr, two forums, two fan sites and two blogs. No, three blogs.

And how many more do you visit on a daily basis?
I think there are about 15 websites I pay visit to regularly.

You're the creator and administrator/moderator of Madhuri Magic, a forum celebrating everything about the radiant Madhuri Dixit. But there are already so many forums for her out there. What made you decide to make one yourself?
That´s just the thing. There are not many forums. In fact I know of only two – out of which one is in Russian and second is not maintained as well as I would wish. Madhuri usually has her own topic in any Bollywood-related forum, but I really wanted something nice, well-organized for her. And since nobody else seemed to feel the need, I made one myself.

About how much time did it take you to put it all together and then release it?
I think I spent about a month building it (creating the design, uploading info and pictures...), several hours every day.

Do you see yourself making any other forums or sites anytime soon?
No – because I don´t know what would it be about. But if I find someone/somehting interesting enough in the future, why not?

The dedication and love you have to and for Madhuri is truly amazing. But you know, when you think about it, you have a lot of love for many things like the Romanovs and other people from history. What exactly is it, do you think, that allows you to love so passionately?
I don´t really know. With my love for people long gone, like Romanovs, it is definitely bound with my love for stories. Their story is absolutely grand in every aspect, be it love, glamour, suffering. With Madhuri I think it is really about her giving me a lot through her performances. Watching her gives me unreasonable joy, she makes me realize how beautiful every woman is, she inspires me on so many levels. But in the end it´s the same as if you asked me why I like green colour. I just do.

Speaking of the Romanovs - You're the self-proclaimed dinosaur of coloring! How did that get started for you?
I may be a dinosaur, but everything came form the big BANG, which for me was finding the colourings of a Spanish lady named Isabel on Alexander Palace Time Machine forum. Many people say I inspired them to colour. That is what happened to me with Isabel. Till this day I have her colouring in my computer and watch them from time to time. She has been the biggest inspiration. I really found it fastinating that you can give life to old pictures, make them more real – or more unreal depending on your wish.

Do you feel that you're one of the best colorists out there? Why?
I used to. But for the past year I feel I´ve been „out-coloured“ by people like Justine, Magda, Becky, Olgasha.... When I look at their colourings I tend to go speechless. Looking at mine I´m usually disappointed with the result.

Pick five colorations you feel are your best:

http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/256/f/4/the_holiest__the_purest_family_by_velkokneznamaria-d2ymykm.jpg


http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/143/0/8/Madhuri_Dixit_by_VelkokneznaMaria.jpg


http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/284/2/1/russian_roses_by_velkokneznamaria-d30iy4u.jpg


http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2011/108/b/4/sunrise_over_the_empire_by_velkokneznamaria-d3eaelv.jpg


http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2011/102/b/7/judy_garland_by_velkokneznamaria-d3dtowf.jpg


What tips do you have for people who want to start coloring or want to make a forum like you?
Don´t give up when it´s not going well at first! As far as colouring goes – practice makes perfect. That´s all I can say!

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Thank you so much Ally for agreeing to do this interview with me. I wish you all the best and good luck on each and every one of your sites!

Ally's Sites:
Madhuri Dixit Forum: http://madhuridixit.freeforumlive.com/
Blog: http://bollywood-ish.blogspot.com/
deviantArt: http://velkokneznamaria.deviantart.com/
Tumblr: http://bollymusings.tumblr.com/

Are YOU Kajol Krazy?

I recently made a forum for Kajol called Kajol Krazy. I finally have it more up to par and am ready to show you all!

If you love Kajol, you must come join us:
http://kajolkrazy.forumotion.com/

Also, if you're a Madhuri Dixit fan, see our sister site:
http://madhuridixit.freeforumlive.com/

Review: Kurbaan

Kurbaan
Stars: Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Vivek Oberoi
Released: 2009
Directed by: Rensil D'Silva

So we start out with Avantika Ahuja (Kapoor), a young professor working in Indian while simultaneously taking care of her father who has had medical issues. On her way to work one morning, she comes upon Ehsaan Khan (Khan) who is able to trick her into giving him her cab and therefore starts things off on a not so good note. When Avantika finally arrives at work she realizes that Ehsaan is also a professor there. He is intrigued by her and asks her out for a coffee. She initially rejects his advances but ends up being charmed by him all the same. After a short time of courting, they go to Avantika's father and ask permission to marry each other. Although her father is reluctant because he wants Avantika to marry another Hindu, he agrees and gives them his blessing.

Avantika and Ehsaan move to New York to work in the same university that Avantika worked in before she had to move to India to care for her father. Ehsaan is able to get a job teaching a course about Islam and the western world that many people take interest in. When Avantika and Ehsaan find their perfect home in an Indian neighborhood, Avantika is happy and content - that is until she meets the neighbors. She and Ehsaan are invited over to a dinner gathering and Avantika begins to see just how oppressed the women are by their husbands.

She doesn't think too much of it, however, until one of the women, Salma comes to her in a very distressed state. Avantika finds out that Salma is under house arrest by her husband and now fears for her life. Salma asks Avantika to contact her friend, a news reporter, for help. Avantika does this and learns that the reporter, Rihana - who is involved with Riyaz (Oberoi) will be traveling to the Middle East to deal with business but says that she will go to see Salma when she returns.

After the meeting with Rihana, Avantika goes to the doctor and discovers that she is pregnant. Happy, she goes home to wait for Ehsaan to come home so that she can tell him the happy news. While waiting, she hears noises from the neighbors house and when she goes to check it out, discovers not only Salma's dead body but also the neighbor's plan to bomb the flight Rihana is supposed to get on. Avantika runs but is heard and chased by the neighbors. She reaches her home and is convinced that she will be safe once she sees that Ehsaan is home, but little does she know... he is very much aware of what is going on and is more involved in it that she could have ever imagined.

When I sat down to watch Kurbaan, I thought it was going to be something like Gangster. In a way, it was, but it was also a lot different. I knew from the start that Ehsaan was going to end up being involved in the terrorist organization, but I thought he would be forced into it, not in it willingly. There were several parts in the movie that were terribly predictable, but there were also many times where I didn't see it coming. But sadly, as an altogether story, it wasn't all that amazing.

The one thing that is definitely worth seeing is the scene where Riyaz goes to visit Ehsaan's class and gives his speech about American's being terrorists as well. It sums up my feelings about the entire situation completely and thought that it was very well done.

And thank god for the acting. Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Vivek Oberoi were all above average. I was mostly impressed with Kareena. Not even a half hour into the movie, I was no longer seeing Kareena playing Avantika, I just saw Avantika. One thing that turned me off, however, was that she and Saif didn't have very good chemistry, especially in the beginning. He seemed to be more of a father figure to her than anything else and it was a total turn off to me. They didn't even look like they were married, on screen or off screen.

All in all, I would recommend this movie if you wanted a good, somewhat action filled time pass, but don't sit down to watch it expecting much.

Rating: 6/10