[Long Post]
I had gone to see teenage-wet-dream Divya Bharati and hiding-fat-by-wearing-sweater Rishi Kapoor movie “Deewana” the very day it was released, little knowing my life was going to be changed. It was then, just like how Moses saw God behind a burning bush when he least expected Him, that I saw a similarly magnificent vision, sliding on a block of ice, singing “Koi na koi chahiye pyar karne waala”. I had seen him before in “In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones” but there I did not know it was him, his performance being overshadowed by an attractive lady, playing the architecture student in a hat, a lady who would since go on to be a God of Big Size Things in a different domain. After an intense hand-throwing performance with a curious propensity to curl his lip and make his eyes red, something I had never seen before and which at that time made me go “Wow aisi deewangi dekhi naheen kaheen”, this man slowly started vanishing into the woodwork of Bollywood, like Avinash Wadhavan and Ayub Khan, sometimes being seen driving Nagma on bicycle (King Uncle), dancing behind Divya Bharati as she worked it in a delectable black top (Dil Aashna Hai), being whispered about in the men’s room for “that” scene in Maya Memsaheb or playing second fiddle to Nana Patekar as the loveria-afflicted hero in “Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman”, a movie conjectured to have inspired the growth of Satyam under Ramalinga Raju and also the “taali bajao” theme song of those who walk the middle path— “Aaee Raju Chal Aaja Re Baaju” [Video]
And then he rose from the dying. Having gone to see a low-buzz movie called “Baazigar” only to enjoy Anu Malik’s signature “Main milee tu mila duniya jaale to jaale” vocal riff (which I still worship), I was blown away. From that iconic “Madaannnn Chopprraaaaaa” supremely bloody male-male penetration (even today that scene lingers with me, for instance when I saw “Dil Bole Hadippa” the other day I had this urge to shake my lip, yell “Adityaaaa Chopprraaaa” and run into a high-tension wire) to the historic Knight Riders-throws -down-Rajasthan Royals from the top of the building (a scene that totally caught me by surprise, in a way the ending of “Usual Suspects” did) to the naughty “zip up” move on the heroine’s behind to the scene of Shahrukh Khan in a towel playing tennis and jumping into a pool (a scene that electrified, I have been told, more people than Kajol’s towel dance in DDLJ). “Baazigar” was simply history. The launch of something epic.
Continue reading ‘The King And I’
Ek to kam zindgaani, us se bhi kam hai jawaani
Jab tak josh mein jawaani
Jab tak khoon mein rawaani
Mujhe hosh mein aane na do
-Jaanbaaz
Josh. Zindagi. Jawani. Attitude. Style.
Feroz Khan.
Continue reading ‘The Last Cowboy’
Should Aamir Khan run with the torch? Or shouldn’t he?
A lot can be said of Aamir Khan’s rather ingeniously hypocritical blog-post where he basically repeats the done-to-death moral equivalence of Kashmir, Palestine, Tibet and all the “human rights abuses” of the world, while not forgetting (and this is where the ingenuity lies) to throw in the plight of Kashmiri Pandits as a counterbalancing afterthought (as if that too is somehow an example of state-sponsored atrocity). Similarly B Raman’s open letter to Aamir Khan, correct though its central theme of how India and China differ in their reaction to dissent, can be criticized as introducing a rather tortuous “Muslim” angle —that being that the reason why Aamir Khan and Saif were asked to run with the torch was that it would be interpreted as an endorsement of China’s policies by “widely-respected Muslim personalities”
The truth, as most of us all know by now, is that Coke and Lenovo (not China or India directly), two corporate partners of the Beijing Olympics, have chosen their brand ambassadors Aamir and Saif Ali Khan respectively to run with the Olympic torch. That’s all that the torch-carrying ceremony is—an advertisement opportunity for the corporations and an obligation-discharging one for the stars on its payroll.
In other words, principles ko maaro goli. It’s all about dollars, cents and thanda matlab Coca Cola.
Continue reading ‘Of Torches, Tibet and Shakti Kapoor’
[UPDATED POST]
Shocking stuff.
Protesters mobbed Filmistan Studios in Mumbai seeking an apology from actress Tanushree Dutta for allegedly insulting actor Nana Patekar during the shoot of an item song.
On the sets of the film Horn Ok Please, Tanushree was to make some physical contact with Patekar during the item number, which she refused.
Her refusal was seen as an insult to the actor.
The protesters surrounded her car outside Filmistan Studios seeking an apology from her, but she refused to leave her car.
Even her father reportedly got involved in a scuffle with the protesters.
The film’s producer has removed her from the movie
[Video]
What’s the matter Ms. Dutta? What’s wrong with an intimate step or two with Nana Patekar? Remember that the name of the movie is “Horn Ok Please” which means everything is “ok” as long it concerns artificial (”artificial” being the operative word here) spherical artifacts that resemble trucker’s horns and as long as the magic word “please” is being used.
Or is the problem not the act itself but its horn”-Y perpetrator?
In other words, is the supremely handsome Nana Patekar not good enough for you, Ms. Tanushree Dutta?
Continue reading ‘Na Na Nana’
[Update: Many of the video links are dead links as Youtube seems to have suspended many accounts of users who have uploaded Hindi movie songs.]
Yes folks. Valentine’s Day is almost here. Which means its time to show how much you love your lovey-doveys. And as we all know there is nothing that expresses ethereal longing as purely as expensive greetings cards, shiny chocolates and overpriced flowers. But, this year, before you rush over to the Archie’s outlets either to empty your wallet or to try to pelt stones at the store and harass its customers, let me take a moment (and a few more) of your time to tell you of a new Valentine’s Day gift-item that is sure to arouse your interests.
Among other things.
Ladies and Gentlemen, let me present GooGooGaGaChoChweetChweet, a CD of the very best, and I mean the very best of Valentine’s Day music brought to you by GB Industries —yes the same corporation that ushered in a lingerie revolution in India with its “Victor Banerjee Secrets” line of sensual inner-wear.
Oh no you say. Been there, heard that. “Valentine Day ke din main kahe doon ankehi”. “Abh mujhe raat din tera hi khayal hain.” Every music company with a CD burner releases these sappy tracks around this time of the year, hoping to rake in a quick buck.
But wait. This one is different.
Continue reading ‘GooGooGaGaChoChweetChweet’
In stores first week of March 2010.
R