Kapoor & Sons (since 1921) (2016)

The sibling recommended the movie to me, and I watched it along with my parents in Chennai. I have almost given up watching Hindi movies and went for this movie because my mother still enjoys watching them. I was also curious to see what ‘hits’ in Bollywood now look like.

The story-writing is quite interesting, and I like how homosexuality has been addressed in a dignified manner. This story about a dysfunctional family doesn’t hesitate in its portrayal of shades of grey, and even as the rest of India seems to be going gaga over Fawad Khan, it is Sidharth Malhotra who I enjoyed watching the most. The scene where tears roll down silently from one of his eyes is beautifully done, and yes, it wouldn’t have been possible without Fawad’s presence in it. Coonoor looks beautiful, and I liked how the evidently North Indian family seems happily settled in the South.

Rajat Kapoor looked quite young to be do-beton-ka-baap, and the brothers were well-cast. Sidharth's real year of birth is referred to in the movie, and perhaps actors today are trying their best to keep things real on screen whenever there is a chance to do so. Given his character's fondness for Boris Becker, I wonder if he is a fan of Boris Becker in real life too.

At a time when Bollywood romances are going kaput one after the other, I am hoping Sidharth and Alia go from strength to strength in real life as well.

Oscars 2014

Marketing gimmick or not, it made me happy to see this selfie taken at the Oscars couple of days ago. There are so many past winners in this snap, and the impromptu snap has so many wide smiles. The snap was originally meant to be taken by host Ellen DeGeneres with Meryl Streep posing for it. Bradley Cooper took it, and other actors and actresses who were sitting close by also joined the fun.

It has been retweeted over 3 million times.

It was the 86th edition of the Academy Awards, and this is my 100th post on this blog. 

How celebrities party

When it came to the Golden Globes 2014, these handsome actors decided to bring along their respective mothers. They immediately got labelled as mama’s boys (they didn't bring along their rather young girlfriends), and the tone of the article made me wonder about their fathers. It turns out that Cooper’s father passed away in 2011, and DiCaprio’s parents are divorced. DiCaprio’s father is into underground comics – this perhaps explains DiCaprio’s activist side?

DiCaprio won his second Golden Globe award for 'The Wolf of Wall Street'. Cooper's father was a stockbroker.

Somehow, this picture made me think of this quote – "If you don't read the newspaper, you're uninformed. If you read the newspaper, you're misinformed."

Celebrity gossip

It took me a long time to accept that Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif are indeed seeing each other, especially after the onscreen chemistry Ranbir shared with his ex-girlfriend Deepika Padukone in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. Yes, I have seen the pictures taken in Spain. What do they say about a picture being worth a thousand words?

:-(

Smileys are worth a few words.

I was a fan of the Deepika - Ranbir real life jodi and when they broke up after dating for a bit, I thought maybe they’d get back after a few years. They did get back, and not in the manner I imagined.

Given my loyalty towards her, I am tempted to ask myself if I know Deepika from a previous birth or something. I don’t believe in reincarnation, so that’s a false start. Maybe it has something to do with justice - Ranbir reportedly cheated on Deepika with Katrina.

I then got reminded of this scene from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.

I don't see BPL taking place here, so perhaps it is time for me to concentrate on Chennai Express, which was originally scheduled to release on Federer’s birthday and has now been postponed by a day. By the looks of it, Rohit Shetty and Deepika have a winner.

Govinda music

Recently, I saw a photo doing the rounds on facebook that spoke of how it feels like we are back in the '90s. Well, Madhuri Dixit is back in Bollywood and Sanjay Dutt is back in jail – that’s where the similarity ends. I am not the teenager I used to be, and I don't feel nostalgic when I think of the rotten and often raunchy music from the '90s.

As you can see, the title of the post has nothing to do with the original Govinda and rasa lilas.

This morning, I got reminded of this song.

“Main Apni Shaadi Mein Na Jaun Meri Marzi
 Main Pairon Se Table Bajawaau Meri Marzi

 Main Kutubameenar Pe Ghar Banawaau Meri Marzi”

As a teenager, I laughed at the first line - ‘bunking’ one’s wedding came across as daring and different, and I had never bunked classes. As an adult, the line and its repeated usage of “Meri marzi” makes me think of the word ‘loser’ readily. Marzi is all about rights / wishes and associated freedom. Where are the duties?

The song makes for awful listening, yet I'll let you go ahead. Don't miss the children who give Govinda company.



When I was even younger, I mostly couldn’t stand Govinda – those were the days when the vulgar ‘Sarkay liyo khatiya’ and its likes were big hits. The dance steps were atrocious, and even fine dancers like Karisma and Govinda couldn’t save the song for me.

See for yourself.



This ‘item’ song is better. This is mostly attributable to the presence of Ms. Dixit (as she was known in those days). Strangely, this is when I noticed for the first time how expressive Govinda really is.



When David Dhawan decided to exercise his marzi and move on to Salman Khan, Govinda's career received a jolt. He has still not recovered fully from it. As for his stint in politics, I think he got away by singing "Meri Marzi" there as well.

Post his comeback, he played an IIM-A alumnus and serenaded Katrina. Ironically, this was in a David Dhawan movie starring Salman Khan as the lead hero.

I am not sure why this post has developed into a full-fledged post on Govinda (my intent was quite different). I remember reading in magazines how close he was to his mother, how her death affected him deeply and how he talks to his dead mother.

To the humble actor who arrives late on sets - what's next?

From KKHH (1998) to SOTY (2012)

Remember the cute Anjali from “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai?”

After over a decade, she has appeared in “Student of the Year”. I kept telling the sibling that it is the same girl, and Wiki confirmed that it is indeed Sana Saeed. This has been an interesting transformation, and she has now featured in two movies that have raked in the moolah.

Roles Bollywood actors choose

I had once written about the effect of neuroticism and how Hollywood actors choose to play neurotic characters.

When I look at Abhishek Bachchan, since 2004, he played the con artist in “Bunty Aur Babli” and “Bluffmaster”, he got conned in “Dhoom 2”, his character wove a fantasy tale in “Jhoom Barabar Jhoom” and his character pretends to be gay in “Dostana”. Why do liars appeal to him?

When I look at Meenakshi Sheshadri, she has played a strong, no-nonsense woman in “Ghar Ho To Aisa” and in “Damini”. I haven’t watched much of her other movies, so this is the image I have of her.

Rajesh Khanna and Shahrukh Khan have played the romantic hero several times in their career, and were hugely popular with women filmgoers for the same reason.

This is why the versatility of Ranbir Kapoor appeals so much, and it makes me happy to see that he isn't typecast. He can take on just about any role and make the movie work for him. And for us. Remember what I once wrote about him?

Too fast to live, too young to die

And so goes the tribute by Eagles to James Dean.



James Dean was 24 when he passed away, and I get reminded of him during the Formula One season – he was a movie actor who liked to race, and he died while racing. He went to the legendary Lee Strasberg acting school and received two posthumous Oscar nominations.

If he had been alive, he would have turned 80 years old on Feb 8.

I must have been 10 or 11 years old when Levi’s advertisement featuring him came out and I went gaga over his looks. Recently, I saw a sparkle in the eyes of the 60+ lady who works in my office when I mentioned him.

From present days, an actor who reminds me of James Dean is Heath Ledger. He was 28 when he died, and was awarded an Oscar posthumously. Incidentally, Heath’s father is a racing car driver.

I had earlier written about what attracts actors to negative roles – there is speculation that Ledger’s role as Joker resulted in his untimely death. Additionally, do a few young men have intuition that they will not be around for long and hence want to try all that they can before their time is up? James Dean was experimental and had sexual relationships with men and women. Ledger was always thinking and had difficulty sleeping – he resorted to medication finally.

Talented, good-looking, well-appreciated – both of them had it all. Their untimely death will forever make us think of their untapped potential. If they had been alive, what else could have been possible?

R.I.P

Woody Allen

Readers of this blog would know that I enjoy Allen’s style of filmmaking. I have watched Mighty Aphrodite, Match Point, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, and the latest is Hollywood Ending.



It does not matter if you haven’t watched his movies. You can still enjoy his one-liners.

“It is impossible to travel faster than the speed of light, and certainly not desirable, as one's hat keeps blowing off.”

“When I was kidnapped, my parents snapped into action. They rented out my room.”

“Death doesn't really worry me that much, I'm not frightened about it... I just don't want to be there when it happens.”

TIME read my mind when the following interview was done as part of TIME’s 10 questions, for I have wondered what it would be like to engage in a conversation with Allen. I had expected that I would roll with laughter. Instead, I was left feeling thoughtful.

Take a look.

Acknowledging the flavour of the season

This time.

At the time of the making of Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai, the media had praised the lead actor as an unreal combination of acting prowess, good looks and dancing skills. I was a fan of SRK in those days, and I dismissed the feedback as a set of extremely kind statements for a newcomer.

In 2000, the movie was released, and the lead actor generated unprecedented mass hysteria. I enjoyed the performance, and yet I was not convinced that he was so much better than Abhishek Bachchan, who made his debut in the same year - for I got the impression that Hrithik and Abhishek were being compared to different sets of benchmarks.

There was evidently something I was missing, though. Perfectionism and whole-hearted effort strongly appeal to me, and Hrithik’s work embodied that. The box-office and people loved him. His performances were growing stronger with every release. What was I looking for?

Then the flops happened. The media started to write him off almost immediately, and that’s when I began to take notice of him – for he seemed to be handling failure well. 2003 and Koi Mil Gaya was the turning point. Everything fell in place for Hrithik, and for me as a fan.

On the other hand, when Ranbir arrived, I liked him instantly. The spontaneity and enthusiasm made for a charming combination. He made inducing laughter look so easy, and he made me laugh often. His choice of movies ensured that box-office success would not be easy, and it made me notice him – why was he consciously choosing a difficult route?

I enjoy watching both of them.

Salman Khan helped the former with sculpting his body, and has been a part of two out of the four releases the latter has had. Both of them came up with endearing performances in the coming-of-age films they were a part of (Lakshya, and Wake Up Sid respectively).

If you were planning to watch just one movie starring each of them, these are my recommendations.

Now, what do I listen to??

Earlier this week, I heard this song on radio. Songs from days of yonder are being played for Hindi movie related promotional activity is not taking place.

Don’t miss the weird dance steps, and the voice of (Kishore) copy-cat Sanu.



Akshay Kumar and Shilpa Shetty have moved on, and well at that. Akshay has become the highest tax payer in the country among Bollywood celebrities, and Celebrity Big Brother Shilpa owns Rajasthan Royals.

Multiplex owners and producers, you have problems to sort out, and yet are not likely to communicate with each other anytime soon? Losses of INR250 crores and touching historic lows in theatre occupancy are clearly not enough. Is this a case of “Nazdiki nuksaan dekhne se pehle, door ka fayda dekhna chahiye"? Do you believe in waiting patiently, like this man?



I am most annoyed to see the vicious circle you have got yourself into.

My favourite actress celebrates her birthday today! The radio channels decided to play her songs, and when I heard this one (in which she is hardly dancing), an old thought came floating. She made every hero, without exception, look silly beside her!



Happy birthday Ms. Nene!

Yash Raj Films

Welcome to the world of peaches and cream. Where parents are mostly understanding and youngsters don’t have to work for a living. Where the only problems faced by the protagonists are matters of the heart. Where pretty ladies clad in chiffons lip-synch to good music and dance on snow-capped mountains. Can you hear Dekha ek khwaab playing in the background?

The mood is set.

My introduction to this banner happened with Chandni. We got transferred to Chennai in 1989, and this was one of the first movies we watched there. I couldn’t for life imagine why the exquisite, chirpy Sridevi would fall for either Rishi Kapoor or Vinod Khanna.

In 1997, I saw girls going gaga over the clothes worn by Karisma Kapoor in Dil To Pagal Hai (even as they envied her perfect figure) while I was trying to understand why the box-office was so fair to Shahrukh yet again, when this was a movie he did not believe in. I couldn’t believe my favourite heroine was mouthing lines that went, “Uparwala hum sabko jodiyon mein banata hai. Bas unka milna hum pe chod deta hai.”

Over the years, I have watched several Yash Raj movies. I have realized why Amitabh Bachchan is the man he is. Why Yash Raj must be perennially indebted to Shahrukh Khan. And there was such a thing as a good script in some of the films. Especially in those directed by Yash Chopra, and produced by others.
Where are things going wrong now?

Yash Raj has become a family affair. Belong to the family, by work or birth, and you are part of us – and the audience will get to watch you and your work for sure. Stars, which other banners would not touch with a barge pole, are part of the family. Should I spell names? Uday Chopra is one. Jugal Hansraj is another. I sadly add Rani Mukherjee to this list now.

Too much skin, and a lack of attention to details and content is seen. There are more films being produced and distributed, and the father-son duo direct very few of them. Scripts and promotion activities of every film are not in their control. When I saw the first promo of Chak De (when I went to watch Jhoom Barabar Jhoom), my heart sank at the thought that this would be a Yash Raj film with SRK that would flop. Yash Raj had to actually pull the promo off screens because of the poor response it received.

There is more competition than before. Low budget films with few stars and a good script are making a killing in the box-office. There are issues with multiplex owners on revenue sharing.

When you are in the business of selling dreams, and do a damn good job of doing so, why deviate from the basic script? When films with lower budgets get promoted aggressively and create a buzz before their release, what makes you think that your larger-than-life movies don’t require promotion? If you are paying your stars big money, why don’t you pay attention to the dialogues they are spouting? Or the stories they are narrating?

This year, I haven't watched a single film from the banner. This, when I form part of the captive audience who likes to watch the dreams Yash Raj sells. That believes in, “Sapne dekho, lekin unke poore hone ki shart mat lagao.” But if I continue to be treated like a fool and my senses are assaulted, I will no longer be supportive of you.

I shall watch JTYJN instead.

Right now, the songs of Bachna Ae Haseenon are playing all over. It has got two things right. One, the cast looks fresh. Two – it is getting promoted well, with a two month promotion programme in place. Irrespective of how it fares at the box office, it gives me hope that the team seems to have woken up from deep slumber.

I also hope to watch the film, and like it.