Musings of the Obsessive Kind

Yes, I have tons more thoughts on Saawariya. ( Spoilery ergo behind cut )

And speaking of Sanjay Leela Bhansali, here is one of my favorite moments in Bollywood ever, Sameer and Nandini's first meeting:



Oh God.

And here is one of my favorite songs from the movie, the very last one. Ajay is taking the torn Nandini to Salman, who is ecstatic.

( HDDCS song )

Oh SLB, never change. Never ever. Who do I have to kill for you to make Bajirao Mastani?

In non-Bollywood news, a question: which drama should I finish first: My Name is Kim Sam Soon or Hello Miss? I have approximately the same amount of episodes left. Or should I finish Sapuri instead?

Speaking of Sapuri, do the the Sapuri lovers on my flist realize that the manga this is based on, has just been released in the USA? (!!!!!!) I saw the first volume (entitled 'Suppli') in the local Barnes&Noble and couldn't believe my eyes. I didn't get it yet, but I did an omnibus of the first three volumes of Tsubasa. I started watching the Tsubasa anime last year and got sidetracked but what I've seen I loved...

Just got back from Saawariya. (see tag for summary and pics of this)

Oh. I have so much meta. The last time a Bollywood movie engaged me so much was Eklavya. Oh. The funny thing is, I can understand why some people loathed it. It just none of those reasons matter to me, whatsoever. Saawariya is pure, distilled Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Concentrated. If you don't like SLB you are going to loathe this movie. OTOH, if you are like me, and adore SLB (I will watch him film a phone book. He is literally my favorite working Indian director)...then you will love this.

It has all the usual SLB tropes: fantastical, highly stylized setting, fallen women, young love thwarted or transmuted, obsession with underpinning of darkness, loss, absent parental figures, wait and separation, a concentrated passion, and, above all, and the reason I love SLB so, moments of such transcendent (yes, I am not afraid to use this word) beauty, you want to hold them as still images inside your eyes.

Saawariya is really pure SLB, a movie that is part fevered dream, part expressionistic silent movie: dialogues are almost not needed in this movie: it's not about conversations, as it so rarely is with Bhansali. It is significant that two of his movies were largely set in a world of silence: Khamoshi, with the two mute parents, and Manisha Koirala mainly speaking to them through sign language. And Black, with Rani Mukehrji's character being deaf. And even in his movies without the handicap of muteness, what I remember are not words: Ajay Devgan's tortured eyes in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Madhuri's hair breaking a mirror in Devdas, or Ranbir and Sonam's sillouettes dancing a complicated dance around each other, ostensibly to avoid potholes but in reality something else entirely, dream-beatiful, dream-logical.

( Lengthy write-up, comparing this to the rest of SLB's movies, and with spoilers for Saawariya )

Just got back from Saawariya. (see tag for summary and pics of this)

Oh. I have so much meta. The last time a Bollywood movie engaged me so much was Eklavya. Oh. The funny thing is, I can understand why some people loathed it. It just none of those reasons matter to me, whatsoever. Saawariya is pure, distilled Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Concentrated. If you don't like SLB you are going to loathe this movie. OTOH, if you are like me, and adore SLB (I will watch him film a phone book. He is literally my favorite working Indian director)...then you will love this.

It has all the usual SLB tropes: fantastical, highly stylized setting, fallen women, young love thwarted or transmuted, obsession with underpinning of darkness, loss, absent parental figures, wait and separation, a concentrated passion, and, above all, and the reason I love SLB so, moments of such transcendent (yes, I am not afraid to use this word) beauty, you want to hold them as still images inside your eyes.

Saawariya is really pure SLB, a movie that is part fevered dream, part expressionistic silent movie: dialogues are almost not needed in this movie: it's not about conversations, as it so rarely is with Bhansali. It is significant that two of his movies were largely set in a world of silence: Khamoshi, with the two mute parents, and Manisha Koirala mainly speaking to them through sign language. And Black, with Rani Mukehrji's character being deaf. And even in his movies without the handicap of muteness, what I remember are not words: Ajay Devgan's tortured eyes in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Madhuri's hair breaking a mirror in Devdas, or Ranbir and Sonam's sillouettes dancing a complicated dance around each other, ostensibly to avoid potholes but in reality something else entirely, dream-beatiful, dream-logical.

( Lengthy write-up, comparing this to the rest of SLB's movies, and with spoilers for Saawariya )

I find Bollywood such an interesting and different beast. Not just because the movies themselves are different (most are musicals, with long run times and a bit of everything thrown in) but because in a way, the way it's run is entirely different: the crazy cult of stars (think old-time Hollywood times 100), the informality of a lot of business arrangements, the fact that a lor of actors/actresses film movies simultaneously, sync sound is rare, etc etc. Oh, and Bollywood is run by families. Most current actors/actresses are either children of previous stars, or former models or beauty contest winners. Very very different to me. Sometimes you luck out and get Kajol (duahgter of Tanuja) and sometimes you don't and get Esha Deol (daughter of Dharmendra and Hema Malini, but IMO the worst actress ever). There are very few exceptions. Interestingly both the biggest male star, Shahrukh Khan, and the biggest until she retired female star, Madhuri Dixit, are exceptions. I wonder if it's a hint to Bollywood to take in new blood. If it's a hint, they are happily ignoring it.

So because of it, and because Saawariya is opening this week, with tons of fanfare, and it's the debut movie of Ranbir Kapoor, the fourth (!!!) generation of the Kapoor family to be a movie star, here is a bit of a look at the most famous family of Bollywood: the Kapoors. More stars per capita than anywhere else :)

( Kapoors, Kapoors, Kapoors )

This video makes me grin and grin and grin.

This is Ranibir and Sonam Kapoor performing on some TV program one of the numbers from upcoming Saawariya (in which they star).



OMG. Adorableness. Sheer adorableness. I really hope the movie does well and they both become stars (SLB is kinda insane having two unknowns as leads, even if they are Rishi's son and Anil's daughter, and then pitting it against Om Shanti Om which was born to be a psycho blockbuster). I think Sonam is gorgeous and Ranbir should be a star because I want a new leading man who is a good dancer. The last time we had a new Bolly star who was a great dancer was with Hrithik and he debuted in what, 2001? Plus, he reminds me of Rishi when he was young, so big plus.

This video makes me grin and grin and grin.

This is Ranibir and Sonam Kapoor performing on some TV program one of the numbers from upcoming Saawariya (in which they star).



OMG. Adorableness. Sheer adorableness. I really hope the movie does well and they both become stars (SLB is kinda insane having two unknowns as leads, even if they are Rishi's son and Anil's daughter, and then pitting it against Om Shanti Om which was born to be a psycho blockbuster). I think Sonam is gorgeous and Ranbir should be a star because I want a new leading man who is a good dancer. The last time we had a new Bolly star who was a great dancer was with Hrithik and he debuted in what, 2001? Plus, he reminds me of Rishi when he was young, so big plus.

OK, this is still not the greatest quality, but this is the best quality version on line of the Jodhaa-Akbar trailer. Heck, you can actually see faces in this one :P

Can I die a little now?

( Pic in question )

Yup, that’s SRK from the upcoming Om Shanti Om. *dies*

The best part? Prior to reincarnation, he is a struggling extra, but after, he is an utterly talentless superstar. LOL. Love him.

( Here are more OSO pics )

And in addition, here are the pictures from Saawariya, my other most anticipated Bollywood movie of the year. It looks so dream-like.

( Pics here )


And to finish it off, pics from Laga Chunari Mein Dag, opening october 12, with Rani and Abhishek.

( Pics here )

Can I die a little now?

( Pic in question )

Yup, that’s SRK from the upcoming Om Shanti Om. *dies*

The best part? Prior to reincarnation, he is a struggling extra, but after, he is an utterly talentless superstar. LOL. Love him.

( Here are more OSO pics )

And in addition, here are the pictures from Saawariya, my other most anticipated Bollywood movie of the year. It looks so dream-like.

( Pics here )


And to finish it off, pics from Laga Chunari Mein Dag, opening october 12, with Rani and Abhishek.

( Pics here )

I am totally addicted to this. What is it? The official website for Farah Khan's upcoming Bollywood flick Om Shanti Om, starring *gleeful sigh* Shahrukh Khan.

I adored their previous collaboration, Main Hoon Na beyond words and so would anticipate this eagerly in any event, but knowing that this is an affectionate tribute/spoof/inspired-by combo to 1970s masala movies? I die of glee.

And knowing that the first part of it is set in 1970s, where SRK is an extra in love with a star, and that it involves reincarnation (so beloved by older Bolly movies)? OMG. WIN.

I thought so after the trailer. More so after the first song promo. And then came Dard-e-Disco clip. Where SRK is doing an 'item number' spoof dance number (item numbers are dances that usually have nothing to do with the plot and involve some super hot guy or girl gyrating to the best of their sex appeal) and ...

JAW

DROP

TO

THE

FLOOR.

I am half drooling, half giggling. But more than anything, my utmost feeling is: whoa, SRK really is game for everything in a movie. One of many reasons I love him.

The website is as tongue in cheek as the movie promises to be ('King Khan and his six-pack abs' indeed :P) and has pics, trailer, song clips. November 9 cannot come soon enough!

( Couple of pics from the item boy song )