Bollywood

[meganbmoore]

Recently (as in, since the beginning of the year) I’ve started watching Bollywood movies, primarily romantic ones where the second half descends into an epic ball of melodramatic angst, no matter how light and chipper the first half may have been. Not that they’ve all or even mostly started light and chipper. This clip from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai

Comments

[wordsofastory]

I just watched Asoka last night! And I can tell you, having seen several Bollywood movies, it is still pretty jarring. The cinematography and editing are so 'This Is a Dramatic, Serious, Vaguely Experimental Epic' and then Shah Rukh Khan is so "I'm silly!". As he does. I think it would have been really great with a different main actor, alas

[fivil]

Seconding Omkara recommendation. The same director did Kaminey, another darkish underground-centric film which was terrific.

[wordsofastory]

Oh, and forgot to mention: the incident when Shah Ruhk Khan was stopped because of his name actually happened when he was in the US to promote 'My Name is Khan'. So unlikely that the movie was based on it, but it does just make the whole thing extra awful.

[meganbmoore]

Actually, I think B&P is Hollywood, not Bollywood.

I agree about SRK. I like him, but he's definitely at his best with "silly but nice guy who was totally The Jock."

[fivil]

The airport detainment happened while/after filming, I think.. so it was like, inadvertedly promoting the film's point.

I think I rec'ed Bunty aur Babli to you already? Definitely a fab Rani film. Another rec I might've already made. Jab We Met has great songs, a fun heroine and overall a very good film. If you want an older female-centric film, check out Seeta aur Geeta (it's from the 70's, stars an actress playing twins separated at birth).

I agree Fanaa's ending made the whole film. The second half was smashing and just filled with great acting; I really hope we see the two actors act opposite each other in another film one day. The same director directed Hum Tum, starring Rani & Saif Ali Khan, it's a lighter film with some clear flaws but I really like the spin it has on the basic plot outline of When Harry Met Sally.

[meganbmoore]

I'm not sure any of those were recced, but I think they already worked their ways into my Netflix queue. (Way down to make sure I didn't get scarred by watching before investigating.)

[gossymer]

How about hindi movies focused on sports? Aamir Khan acted in Lagaan (nominated for an academy award) which is sort of historical fantasy with lots of cricket though my favorite will probably always be Jo Jeetha Wohi Sikandar which is an early film of the actor's and has him as a student (the sport is cycling) - here's a song from the start of th film called Yaha Ke Hum Sikandar:

For general hits/classics that I still remember fondly there's Madhuri Dixit's movies, particularly Hum Aapke Hain Kaun - barely remember the stories for some like Dil To Pagal Hai and Dil etc. but they were big hits. Her dance from Pukar (Que Sera Sera) is fabulous:

Movies from my childhood (that may or may not have aged well) Maine Pyaar Kiya, Saajan, Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke.

Black has been recced to me but have yet to watch it. Would love to pimp out something with Anil Kapoor but the only films I remember are Pukar and Taal because of his unusual character there and the awesome songs. Wish I could recommend an Amitabh Bachan film but the title song

[meganbmoore]

I'm actually not a big sports movie fan, though I do plan to watch Lagaan.

The friend I watch some of these with likes Madhuri, too, so I'm sure i'll check her out.

[valkyriesailor]

Two Aamir Khan movies:
- Lagaan. It may be the longest film I had ever seen, but is totally worth it. Even made me interested in cricket for the short time I watched the movie. XD
- Ghajini. It was about a rich businessman, Sanjay Singhania, who - while having anterograde amnesia, forgetting everything after 15 minutes - wants to take revenge of the guy who killed his love, Kalpana. I heard that it's a bollywood remake of some other movie, but since the story was new for me, it came tough as almost genius.

My favorite now is Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, where the plain office worker Suri charms his wife, masked as Raj, the free-spoken flirt. It's funny and romantic, the songs are great too. He basically sings here: "I see my God in you".

[meganbmoore]

Memento (which I haven't seen) is the one Ghajani is a remake of.

That vid looks cute.

*spoilers for 1920*

[nekobot01]

I thought 1920 had some interesting stuff going for it but then totally lost it during the ending... I was so hoping that the evil spirit would be the SISTER who was raped instead of the rapist. It even made more sense as she would have been bitter having hung around all those years.

Anyways, if you liked that one, you might try Raaz 2.

And for more romance stuff there is a cute Telugu film called Nuvvostandante Nenoddantana that I'm pretty sure is on Netflix.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuvvostanante_Nenoddantana

You should also try "Seeta aur Geeta" - a 1970s Bollywood film that has one of my favorite female characters and Ashoka which has Shahrukh Khan and a warrior princess.

Re: *spoilers for 1920*

[meganbmoore]

But if it was Gayathri (which I may have misspelled) then the ghost would have been targetting the men, not Lisa. Also, since she made the choice to stay behind and seduce the evil dude so that he wouldn't leave and sell more secrets to the British before the army came for him, I think her vengful grudge would have been against her government for letting her reputation be ruined because of it and casting her aside so that she had no choice but to live in shame. As it stood, I think the movie very much viewed her as a hero who hadn't been appreciated, so if she'd been a ghost, I don't think she would have been banished, but found peace by having her sacrifice acknowledged. Which I would have preferred, actually.