Confession No. 4

 

 

Yes, I loved Fanaa. It blew me away. It was one of the very first Bollywood films I ever saw, and I had never heard of the Hindi film masala format where a light-hearted romp with a naïve(ish) blind girl on vacation with her friends and a scarf-wearing rascal(ish) tour guide could suddenly turn into an action drama of the type it turned into, namely

[SPOILER ALERT - highlight the blank space to see]

 

a terrorism action drama, with the romantic hero of the first half becoming the villain of the second half; or if not the villain, then at least a conflicted bomber-type person in love.

What? Who knew that was going to happen? Obviously not me.

[END SPOILER ALERT].

I saw the movie in the theatre, so there was a proper fifteen-minute intermission, and I can still remember how boggled I was at the turn it took right before the end of the first half (as well as how the intermission chai and samosas tasted, too, mmm. I can smell the cardamom now).  Maybe it's just me and I am an idiot about not paying attention to what's going to happen next; I can usually be easily surprised at plot twists in films because I like to let the movie happen without trying to think too far ahead about how it will come out. And maybe if I had seen other films like it before, I would have had some idea what was coming, but at any rate, I was not prepared.

Oddly enough, though, I was prepared in one tiny area: I had seen the website of the film, which was quite fancy and high-end (lots of Flash) in preparation for seeing the movie, and it drilled the soundtrack into my head. And I also somehow knew that this film was Kajol's big comeback after six years away from films to have children (even though I didn't have any previous knowledge of who Kajol really was)

and that the buzz was that Aamir Khan was thought to be a little too old to be playing that particular hero, or not as good-looking as he would have been several years earlier (I don't know, I didn't see any problem at the time, but now I can kind of see their point, sort of).

 

My experience with Bollywood/Indian films up to that point consisted of Monsoon Wedding, Bride and Prejudice, and a couple of Aishwarya films, neither of which had the clearly enormous budget that had been lavished on Fanaa. The fancy movie website! The "Des Rangeela" dance number in the outdoor amphitheatre with the packed audience! That huge beautiful cabin in the mountains! I was totally smitten. And boggled.   

I thought horoscopes were supposed to predict the FUTURE.

My TVGuide horoscope prediction for this week of Jan. 5, 2009--almost exactly one year too late:

Gemini: A new interest or hobby will seize your imagination and refuse to let go--and may become a central part of your life over the next year. Don't worry about colleagues and loved ones who think you're wasting your time. What do they know? Not much!

(I am not kidding; this is really what it said.)

Ever since I first saw Om Shanti Om on December 9, 2007, it's been all-India, all-Hindi films, all the time*.  What more could I possibly be obsessed with?

-----

 

*Well, except for the latest dvd seasons of Doctor Who, and Battlestar Galactica, and Smallville, and Chuck, and Dexter, and The Big Bang Theory, and Torchwood, and Heroes, and House, and Lost, and Ugly Betty and. . . .

Pay No Attention to the Girl Behind the Curtain

I just want to start a list of all the Hindi, Bollywood and other Indian-related films I've seen and I need a place to keep track of them so here it is (in rough order of when I saw them).

Key:

* * * * * =ratings system (out of five stars); keep in mind this rating system is for whether or not I liked the movie, not whether I thought it was well-made (well, except for that one There'll Always Be Stars in the Sky: The Indian Film Music Phenomenon--it was so strangely judgmental about its purported subject matter, I couldn't give it good marks)

2x = number of times seen

Own = I own it

OS = I own the soundtrack

Theatre = I saw it in the theatre

 

The Indian-related movies I've seen in the past eight or so years, pre-obsession:

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) 4x; Amrish Puri!!! and Roshan Seth

A Passage to India (1984)  * * * * Victor Banerjee, Judy Davis, Peggy Ashcroft, James Fox, Alec Guinness, Nigel Havers, Art Malik, Saeed Jaffrey, Roshan Seth

The Peacock Spring (1996) * * * * * Naveen Andrews, Hattie Morahan(PBS, please please please put this out on dvd!!!!)

The World of Apu (1959) Theatre; Soumitra Chatterjee, Sharmila Tagore

The Jewel in the Crown (1984) Art Malik; I didn't see all of it--only the first two episodes

Monsoon Wedding (2001) * * * *

East Is East (1999) * * * * Om Puri, Jimi Mistry,

Fanaa (2006) * * * * * Theatre, OS; Aamir Khan, Kajol, Rishi Kapoor, Tabu, Lara Dutta, Kirron Kher, Shiney Ahuja,

Don (2006) * * * * Theatre; Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Arjun Rampal, Boman Irani, Om Puri, Kareena Kapoor, Chunky Pandey,

Omkara (2006) 2x * * * * * Theatre; Ajay Devgan, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Konkona Sen Sharma, Vivek Oberoi, Bipasha Basu, Naseeruddin Shah

Hum Dil De Chuke Sanaam [Straight from the Heart] (1999)  2x        first half * * *, second half* * * * * Aishwarya Rai, Salman Khan, Ajay Devgan, Helen

Kandukondain Kandukondain [I Have Found It] (2000) 2x * * * * Aishwarya Rai, Tabu, Ajith, Mammootty

Bride and Prejudice (2004) 3x * * * * Own; Aishwarya Rai, Martin Henderson, Naveen Andrews, Indira Varma, Anupam Kher,

Partner (2007) * * * *  2x Salman Khan, Govinda, Lara Dutta, Katrina Kaif

Dhund (2003) * * Irfan Khan, Gulshan Grover, Tom Alter, (sorry, Irfan, but it was really bad)

________________________________

Om Shanti Om (2007; the movie that changed my life) 3x                * * * * * * * * * * Own, OS, Own Book; Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Shreyas Talpade, Arjun Rampal, Kirron Kher, and just about everyone else in Bollywood

_________________________________

Everything since Om Shanti Om from November 2007 on:

Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003) 4x * * * * * * * Own, OS; Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Saif Ali Khan, Jaya Bhaduri

Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) * * *

The Namesake (2007) * * * * * Kal Penn, Irfan Khan, Tabu

Mujhse Dosti Karoge! * * * Rani Mukherjee, Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor

Dhoom 2 (2006) * * * * * Abhishek Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai, Bipasha Basu and Uday Chopra

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) 2x * * * *  OS; Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Amrish Puri

Main Hoon Na (2004) 2x * * * * OS; Shah Rukh Khan,

Chupke Chupke (1975) * * * * * Dharmendra, Sharmila Tagore, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bhaduri

The Mistress of Spices (2005) * * * Aishwarya Rai, Dylan McDermott

Lagaan * * * * Aamir Khan,

Koy Mil Gaya (2003) * * *  Hrithik Roshan, Preity Zinta,

Sholay * * * * * Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Jaya Bhaduri

Rang De Basanti * * * Aamir Khan, Kunal Kapoor

Chak De! India (2007) 2x * * * * * Theatre, Own, OS; Shah Rukh Khan

Salaam Namaste (2005) 3x * * * * * Own, OS; Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, Arshad Warsi

Jhoom Barabar Jhoom (2007) * * * * * 3x, Own, OS; Abhishek Bachchan, Preity Zinta, Amitabh Bachchan

Earth * * * Aamir Khan

Krrish * * * Hrithik Roshan

Kabul Express * * * * Arshad Warsi, John Abraham

Disco Dancer * * * * Mithun

Asoka * * * * Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor

Gandhi (1982) * * * * * Ben Kingsley, Roshan Seth,

Karz * * * * Rishi Kapoor

Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon (    ) * Kareena Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan, Abhishek Bachchan

Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006) 2x * * * * OS; Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukherjee, Abhishek Bachchan, Preity Zinta, Amitabh Bachchan, Kirron Kher

Water * * * * * John Abraham, Seema Biswas

Fire * * *  Aamir Khan

Mississippi Masala (1991) * * * * Denzel Washington,

Maqbool (2003) * * * *

Don (1978) * * * * Amitabh Bachchan,

Guru (  ) * * * * * OS; Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Mithun

Kuch Naa Kaho (2003) 2x * * * * * Own, OS; Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai,

Bhool Bhulaiyaa * * * * Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Shiney Ahuja, Amisha Patel

Aaja Naachle first half: * * , second half:  * * * * ; Madhuri Dixit, Konkona Sen Sharma, Kunal Kapoor, Irfan Khan, Akshaye Khanna

Dil Chata Hai * * * * Akshaye Khanna, Saif Ali Khan, Aamir Khan

Baabul * * * Rani Mukherjee, Amitabh Bachchan, John Abraham, Hema Malini, Salman Khan, Om Puri

Veer-Zaara (2004) * * * * Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini

Devdas (2002) * * * * Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Madhuri Dixit

Bobby * * * * *  Rishi Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia,

Gumnaam (1965) * * * Manoj

Darr (1993) * * * * Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla, Sunny Deol

Main Pyar Kiya

Life...in a Metro * * * * Konkona Sen Sharma, Irfan Khan

Baadshah * * * * Shah Rukh Khan,

Mangal Pandey: The Rising * * * * Aamir Khan, Toby Stephens,

Kaho Naa...Pyaar Hai

Duplicate * * * Shah Rukh Khan,

Swades (2004) * * * * Shah Rukh Khan,

Deewana * * *  Shah Rukh Khan, Rishi Kapoor,

Paheli (2005)  * * * * Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukherjee,

Cheeni Kum (2007) * * * * Amitabh Bachchan, Tabu,

Chalte Chalte * * * *  OS; Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukherjee,

Bluffmaster (2005) * * * * * Own, OS; Abhishek Bachchan,

Seeta aur Geeta

The Killer * * * * Emraan Hashmi, Irfan Khan

Provoked * * * * Aishwarya Rai, Miranda Richardson, Naveen Andrews

There'll Always Be Stars in the Sky: The Indian Film Music Phenomenon *

Jab We Met * * * * * Kareena Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor

Discovering the Music of India * * * *

Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978) * * * * * Shashi Kapoor, Zeenat Aman

Devdas (1955) Dilip Kumar, Vyjayanthimala, Motilal, Suchitra Sen. I actually didn't finish this one. Devdas overload.

I See You (2006) * * * * Arjun Rampal, Vipasha Agarwal, Chunkey Pandey, Boman Irani, Sonali Kulkarni

Ram Jaane (1995) * * * * Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla, Pankaj Kapoor, Tinnu Anand, Gulshan Grover

Hameshaa (1997) * * * Saif Ali Khan, Kajol, Aditya Pancholi, Aruna Irani

Nanhe Jaisalmer (2007) * * * * Bobby Deol

Chaudhvin ka Chand (1960) * * * Rehman, Waaheeda Rehman, Guru Dutt, Johnny Walker, Mumtaz Begum

Ta Ra Rum Pum (2007) * * * Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukherjee

Laaga Chunari Mein Daag (2007) * * * * * Rani Mukherjee, Konkona Sen Sharma, Abhishek Bachchan, Kunal Kapoor

Welcome (2007) * * * * Akshay Kumar, Nana Patekar, Anil Kapoor, Mallika Sherawat, Katrina Kaif

Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) * * * * * Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna, Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Singh, Parveen Babi, Shabana Azmi

Mohabbatein (2000) * * * * Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Uday Chopra, Jugal Hansraj, Jimmy Shergill, Sharmita Shetty, Kim Sharma, Preeti Jhangiani, Aishwarya Rai, Anupam Kher, Amrish Puri, Helen

Doosra Aadmi (1977) * * * Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Singh, Rakhee

Yuva (2004) * * * * Abhhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukherjee, Ajay Devgan, Esha Deol, Vivek Oberoi, Kareena Kapoor, Om Puri

Sharmeelee (1971) * * * * Rakhee, Shashi Kapoor

Namastey London (2007) * * * * * Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Rishi Kapoor

Guide (1965) * * * *  Waheeda Rehman, Dev Anand

Dil Se (1998) * * * * Shah Rukh Khan, Manisha Koirala, Preity Zinta, Zorha Sehgal

Saaya (2003) * * * John Abraham, Tara Sharma, Mahima Chaudhry, Zorha Sehgal

Dream Girl (1977) * * * * Hema Malini, Dharmendra, Ashok Kumar, Prem Chopra

Jodhaa Akbar (2008) * * * * * Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Sonu Sood, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Amitabh Bachchan (narrator)

Jewel Thief (1967) Dev Anand, Ashok Kumar, Vyjaanthimala, Tanuja, Helen, Faryal, Anju Mahendru

Blackmail (1973) * * * * * Rakhee, Dharmendra, Shatrughan Sinha

Salaam-e-Ishq (2007) * * * * * Priyanka Chopra, Salman Khan, John Abraham, Vidya Balan, Juhi Chawla, Anil Kapoor, Akshaye Khanna, Ayesha Takia, Govinda, Shannon Esra [or Esrechowitz], Sohail Khan, Isha Koppikar

Hum Apke Hain Koun . . . ! (1994) * * * * * Madhuri Dixit, Salman Khan, Anupam Kher, Reema Lagoo

Tashan (2008) * * * * 1/2 Kareena Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, Anil Kapoor

Mother India (1957) * * * * Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar, Raaj Kumar, Kanhaiyalal

Chori Chori (2003) * * * * Rani Mukherjee, Ajay Devgan, Sonali Bendre, Kulbhushan Kharbanda

 Jaan-e-Mann (2006) * * * 1/2 Akshay Kumar, Preity Zinta, Salman Khan, Anupam Kher

Pestonjee (1988) * * * * Naseeruddin Shah, Anupam Kher, Shabana Azmi, Kirron Kher

Saawariya (2007) * * Ranbir Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Rani Mukherjee, Zohra Sehgal, Salman Khan, Begum Para

Kyun? Ho Gaya Na (2004) * * * *  Aishwarya Rai, Vivek Oberoi, Om Puri, Amitabh Bachchan, Tinnu Annand, Rati Agnihotri

Guddi (1971) * * * * Jaya Bhaduri [Bachchan], Dharmendra,

Thoda Pyaar, Thoda Magic (2008) * * * Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukherjee, Amisha Patel, Rishi Kapoor [as God]

Outsourced (2006?) * * * Josh Hamilton, Ayesha Dharkar, Asif Basra

 

First published 4/10/2008 1:45pm

Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna

Bollywood is like crack cocaine*.

When I first watched Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, I gave it four stars out of five because I thought it was very well made, very pretty and stylish, and it had all my favorite actors. But I didn’t really like it. I wanted to, but the characters were all unhappily married, the situation was uncomfortable, and the whole movie was full of mean and crabby people. I also thought the music was too similar to the music in Kal Ho Naa Ho, and not as good (both soundtracks were done by the same music directors, Shankar, Ehsaan, & Loy). After the movie was all over, I decided it had been worth watching—once.

*not that I would actually know.

I took it back to the library, and believed I would never need to watch it again. After all, I have only so much time and so many thousands of Bollywood movies to watch, and I had to get cracking on the rest of them. And yet…and yet…somehow I found myself still thinking of Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna.

Despite not liking the movie, I did have a favorite song video scene which kept popping up in my brain, but I didn’t realize it was from that particular movie right away. The scene is this: Shah Rukh Khan is shown standing by himself on the playing field of an empty soccer stadium, singing, with his arms outstretched and the camera swooping and swirling around him in a circle, showing off the green playing field in the background. (It sounds cheesy, yes, I know. It always does. But it was a great shot, really—trust me.) I had to do some research online to try to figure out if it was in fact from Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, or from Chak De India, which is a movie about the Indian National Women’s Hockey Team and also involves large green sports stadiums and Shah Rukh Khan. Once I figured it all out and found the right scene from the right movie, I realized I also really loved the song Mitwa, which is the song playing during the scene.

One weeklong, nonstop Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna soundtrack binge later, I thought I would just check out the dvd a second time from the library, to watch the one song in its entirety—just the one song, you know. But by this time, all of the other songs from the soundtrack had been burned into my brain, and I had to play the videos of all the rest of the movie’s songs on the dvd too. Had to!

You can see where this is going. I must own this dvd. I must watch it again. The whole movie, not just the songs. Why? Why?? I have no idea. Regular movies don’t have this effect on me. Yes, I do own a great many non-Bollywood films, and I will pull one out every once in a great while to watch it again if I haven’t seen it in a few years. But I am not compelled to watch them over and over again within a month of first seeing them. Why are the Bollywood ones any different? Okay, so I LOVED Kal Ho Naa Ho. I LOVED Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. I've watched them both at least three times each since November, squeezed in among all the other Bollywood films I’ve seen since then. One could say it would be sort of understandable to want to watch them more than once in such a short time period, although I don’t usually do that with movies, no matter how much I loved them the first time. But Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna? Why? I didn’t like it much in the first place. Why do I need to see it again? (And I really, really do.)