Julie M: This evening’s feature in my living room was Mangal Pandey: The Rising. I really enjoyed it, all the while understanding that HUGE liberties were likely taken with history (the Rani-character subplot, for example). Aamir was great (as usual), and the music–Rahman, of course–was fantastic. Same vibe as the music for Lagaan: extremely well integrated with the story. The only song I thought might have been gratuitous was the Holi one. Overall: 4 stars, would recommend it to anyone.
Jenny K: Glad you liked Mangal Pandey. It had some fine moments (can you say Toby Stevens!) and a brave attempt by Aamir of making what felt like historical verismilitude out of a paragraph and a half of concrete character reference. I ruined it for myself by researching it too thoroughly when it was coming out. I should have known better.
It was sort of fun following the production while it was shooting. A few of the people I chatted with on the Bollywhat Forum had decided that as they were touring India at the time, they would volunteer as extras on the shoot, as well as giving us all ongoing posts from the set. It was very cool, and we got to see them both when they didn’t get cut out in the editing room. They were trying to lure me to come over, too, but I chickened out. Lost chances…
And even though the Rani scenes were imagined, I really liked them. The Holi scene was fun, I thought…and it’s so traditional. Not sure I was groovin’ on her pink dress, though. Not really her color.
[the next day…]
Julie M: OK, watched A Wednesday this evening and had enough time (it was less than 2 hrs long!) to start Virasat.
A Wednesday was very good–excellent performance by Naseeruddin Shah–and more Hollywood than Bollywood. American-style thriller with a good twist at the end. B watched it with me for a while (he saw NS and said “Hey, it’s THAT guy again!”) and seemed to like it. I thought it was good but not particularly Indian.
Virasat, on the other hand, is shaping up to be quite satisfyingly traditional. Anil Kapoor in the hero role (with a 12″ mullet–hilarious) is weird to see. Some cheesiness and dad/son melodrama, and a terrifically done flood scene that just happened. Don’t think I’ll make it through the whole thing tonight–it’s just too long–will finish it tomorrow and quickly return it to the library.
Jenny K: Haven’t seen either of them yet, but I have A Wednesday in my queue at Netflix. It will be interesting to see how it compares with another film he did the year before called Shoot On Sight. Could be an interesting flip side. In SOS, Naseerji plays a commander on the London police force as it tries to track down suicide bombers. He has to deal with profiling both against the suspects and also towards himself. Why was he given this high profile case? Was it because he deserves it, or that because he’s a Muslim, it makes the Department look colorblind? Nice performances, and some good suspense.
I look forward to seeing Virasat sometime. I like me a good Anil movie, especially pre-thinning shears “do”. Though the mullet is now gone, it was so a part of his head, for so long, that I imagine it sadly rolling along behind him in his shadow, a lonely tumbleweed hairball. Removing the famous Kapoor Mullet was, I imagine, almost as traumatic as shaving his moustache would be! Sacrilege!!
[another day goes by]
Julie M: Finished Virasat. It’s the kind of movie that is cheesy when you watch it, but there are scenes you just can’t get out of your head. Anil was GREAT in what ended up ultimately as a tragic role. He did it all–melodrama, fights, romance, dancing (although not much)–and only looked uncomfortable a couple of times. Great character to portray, too. Tabu looked very young and sweet and didn’t seem to have enough to do. The music was not bad–this particular song reminded me a lot of Rahman:
(quality could be better but at least it has subtitles)
The whole movie is available on YouTube.
[Jenny K’s Note: Sadly, none of the three that I found had subtitles…The composer of Virasat, BTW is Anu Malik, who works even more extensively than Rahman, with twice as many scores, including Main Hoon Na, Munnabhai MBBS and Bride & Prejudice. He’s everywhere, even as a judge on Indian Idol…which you never see Rahman do.]
[and one more day…]
Julie M: One more tonight…saw Chori Chori. Sweet, a bit melodramatic and mushy at the end (required judicious use of the fast-forward button). Ajay was super-hot but barely cracked a smile, and that in-love-weepy look is not a good one for him. I much prefer him slightly dangerous. First filmi wedding I’ve seen where the bride did not wear a red and gold sari, but Rani looked beautiful anyway. And the scenery! I so want to go to Shimla now.
[Jenny K’s Note: Spoilers in the video, skip if you don’t want to know that there’s a happy ending 🙂 ]
Jenny K: Yeah, Shimla is in Himachal Pradesh, where they shot Taal, too. Oooh, oooh, and Darjeeling, where they shot Black, and also Main Hoon Na, I believe. Also, while we’re establishing the Fantasy Highlands of India Tour, let’s add all of Jammu and Kashmir, like Srinagar where they shot Mission Kashmir (one of Hrithik’s films, with Preity and Sanjay Dutt, that I haven’t sent you, yet because it melds themes of terrorism and romance in an occasionally awkward way. Dil Se was much smoother). The houseboats on Dal Lake are really fascinating. My friend, Pat rented one to stay on when she was there. And we also should visit Ladakh where they shot some of Dil Se and lots of Lakshya. We’ve got to go, even if it’s dangerous, politically. Hmmm. Wonder whether we could get Ajay to guard us?
Check out this video by a company called Contemporary Nomad. Lovely footage of Srinagar.
Julie M: Got some good ones waiting for this weekend too, which promises to be excellent for Hindi movies since B is out of town for 3 days.
Atithi tum kab jaoge?
Minsarakanavu
Saawariya (I know you said I might not like it, but I’m trying it anyway)
Sholay (because it’s a classic)
U Me aur Hum (I loves me my Ajay)
How I’ll fit 5 films into 3 days, I don’t know. SNL is in reruns, right?
Speaking of Ajay…
If I remember correctly, Virasat was a Priyadarshan film, right? Cool.
Jenny K: Yes, I do admit to occasional Priyadarshan films that I like, but his touch with comedies is a bit, …um…, broad, shall we say. I think I like his family-centered comedies better. They are warmer, with a squishy emotional center, and are very feel-good and reassuringly traditional. Mere Baap, Pehle Aap, and Hulchul, at it’s root, are both like this.
As to the other films you got from the library, I’ve seen all of them this time! I was fooled by the Tamil title for Minsarakanavu, because I knew it with the Hindi title Sapnay. Kajol is, of course, very cute in it, though I don’t believe her wanting to be a nun in it, but, whatever. Arvind Swamy is sweet, but seems a bit old for her. Rajiv Menon, the director, also did Kandukondain, Kandukondain (I Have Found It) which had similar pairings and so maybe that’s to be expected. And I always like Prabhu Deva’s dancing. Not sure he’s a better match for Kajol, than Arvind, either. Where’s Aamir when you need him?
Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge? I did like, enough to review it on the other blog, here. I was comparing it to contemporary US comedies like Hot Tub Time Machine which I saw the same weekend. ATKJ won, needless to say. How could it lose with Ajay, Konkonal and Paresh Rawal, at least for me.
Saawariya, I reconsidered my “meh” when you said you liked Devdas, sort of, and when I thought you might like Ranbir. It’s an odd film, but not horrible or anything. Same director, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, as Devdas, Khamoshi, HDDCS, Black (which you liked) and Guzaarish.
Sholay (because it’s a classic)… you said it all. Amitabh, Dharmendra, stylish masala western. Some slapsticky bits, but as you said, there is always FFwd.
U Me aur Hum, I think I recommended this earlier as the one of two films that I liked Kajol’s chemistry with her hubby. I think he does better in the second half than the first half. Second half is definitely more of a weepie. Hope you survive it. 🙂
[next day…]
Julie M: And to continue the Ajay theme…saw Deewangee this evening. First half–totally predictable and almost insulting in its obviousness. (What tipped me off? Ajay playing a mild-mannered stammerer. Could have been quirky casting, but I knew better) Second half, equally obvious but the action made up for it. Overall, Ajay was fairly brilliant if a teeny tiny bit over the top, Akshaye was…ok, Urmila was busty and danced well. 2.5-3 stars. (I guess I asked for it when I said I liked Ajay when he is a bit dangerous)
[Jenny K’s Note: It’s on Youtube, in two parts. Hit the CC red button on the bottom of the screen to give yourself subtitles. Here’s the second part.]
Jenny K: I think I liked this one so much because I had not seen Ajay much before it, perhaps HDDCS, where he’s sweet and noble, and so the second half surprised me quite a bit. Urmila being busty did not surprise me. If you like Ajay being dangerous, you have to get Khakee. I looked to see if I owned it, and I can’t find it, so maybe I didn’t buy it. That or his version of Bhagat Singh (one of the martyrs that the kids were making the movie about in Rang de Basanti).
Oh, and Ajay has done that mild-mannered stammerer kinda role, and straight, too. He did a remake of I am Sam, that Sean Penn as a mentally retarded man raising a smart little girl in Main Aisa Hi Hoon. Don’t know if I actually made it through that one. I like him better “bad,” too.
I liked your clip from Virasat. Odd, Anil almost didn’t look like himself. Don’t know what it was. Maybe he’d put on a bit of weight for the film to look less moviestarish, but his face was a lot rounder than it is normally. Nice look on him. I think you may be ready for Nayak with him paired with Rani and the kookiest videos ever. Rahman score! Here’s the loopiest clip for a taste. Don’t ask me to explain, I can’t.
I don’t remember what the lyrics meant, but after listening again, I think with all that “jootha” stuff, which is Hindi for liar, maybe it’s just a case of the “Black” girl calling the kettle pot? 🙂
Julie M: That clip is so weird it’s scary!!!
So you have not seen Virasat? If not, definitely see it. Anil starts out the film as a typical young-Indian-educated-in-England with Western clothes, scruffy facial hair and oh! that mullet (he looks the way we typically know him in this part), then as the story moves on he becomes more and more traditional in dress, manner and thinking patterns, mostly because he has to, [spoiler] his dad dies and he takes on the role of the landowner/village-protector, but also because he grows up a bit. Also the movie is a bit older and Anil is younger. I had no idea he was as old as he is–born in 1959–so he was in his late 30s when he did Virasat but looked like he was 25.
Jenny Ketcham
julialmoore
Filmi-Goris 