tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87534664002192284502011-12-24T01:26:11.829-08:00ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.comBlogger1091100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-2250672787182410642010-07-09T06:33:00.000-07:002010-07-09T10:54:54.943-07:00

Oh yeah.You know that any movie featuring stock footage of a crocodile (or alligator. Somehow I have never learned how to tell the two apart, and honestly, don't feel like you need to educate me, the uncertainty is part of the fun), with Bebo doing her best to look terrified of it before passing out in a fear-induced coma, is going to be SHAMEFUL.(All screencaps in this post are from my epic

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-45860858765225923072010-05-24T19:06:00.000-07:002010-05-24T20:14:47.915-07:00

I think a very good case could be made for me lacking what others would consider the proper attitude toward Aamir Khan. I'm sure the Bollywood Fan would agree with this assessment. After all, I committed the cardinal sin of not appreciating him in Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, and then in Dil Chahta Hai my favorite performance was actually that of Akshaye Khanna! Horrors! When others have raved about

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-32221817417588248332010-05-11T07:23:00.000-07:002010-05-12T07:10:28.041-07:00

"Silence! I hear pedantry approaching!" (Screencap from Beth, who took it from Mera Gaaon Mera Desh--thanks bollyviewer & eliza bennet )I haven't done a Newbies' Guide post in a while, but what better way to create another addition to Khanna-o-Rama? As always, this post is pulled from what I can gather online, so there's always a risk that I'm repeating something as truth that's actually

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-69762560422964659192010-05-03T08:39:00.000-07:002010-05-03T15:00:57.931-07:00

Akshaye Khanna.Oh, Akshaye.I'm not sure how Akshaye Khanna feels about acting, or about anything really. I waver between the opinions that it's a pastime for him, a welcome break from the monotony of wealth and privilege, or the feeling that he's just caught a series of bad roles by chance, or that as his hairline receded, so did his ambition.One of his better roles in one of his better films,

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-75902268864184365082010-04-29T01:00:00.000-07:002010-04-29T01:00:10.086-07:00

Two years ago today I typed up a breathless mess of an introduction and left it at that, never to be revisited or edited. Today I slightly regret that decision, but not enough to make myself read it again and clean it up. (I literally hummed and squinched my eyes almost closed when I got that link so I wouldn't have to look at my own poor writing. I know. I'm pathetic.)Two years ago today the

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-16095274205790214922010-04-27T11:54:00.000-07:002010-04-27T12:08:52.874-07:00

To bring you this:Say it with me now: SouTHIE! SouTHIE! SouTHIE! Check out the editor/creator Minai Minai's post on the video here to find out more about the stars and their movies in the vid.

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-83596506351301617622010-04-19T14:34:00.000-07:002010-04-21T07:34:04.873-07:00

This is a joint review with The Bollywood Fan. Be sure to check out his thoughtful-as-ever post on the movie! (If you're the sort of person who has any doubt about how a movie like this should end, you should know that I give away the resolution in the first paragraph.)Wake Up Sid might just be the Hindi film with which I've most identified, from a life experience standpoint. Not that I'd

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-35397785132922568652010-03-26T14:18:00.000-07:002010-03-26T21:38:43.911-07:00

You guys, I usually have a semi-strict rule about post pictures. No more than five per post; usually the movie poster, one of each principal, one of the two principals together, and one of the cast in general or of the scenery. I went a leeeeetle nuts on Mujhse Dosti Karoge? (Wanna Be Friends?), though, because I TOTALLY LOVE THIS MOVIE. No, seriously. It bumped me right out of a viewing slump

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-16296744208991773152010-03-08T18:39:00.000-08:002010-03-23T13:29:31.710-07:00

Everyone who watches Hindi (and other Indian) films knows that a favorite pastime among their fans is to compare and brag about DVD collections--and I'm no exception. I'm doing an inventory of my DVDs, partly just to see what I've got, partly to see what's bootlegged that I need legit copies of (ssh, don't tell), and partly to make certain that when I place my bi-annual big order that I don't

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-70477881691083594612010-03-08T12:13:00.000-08:002010-03-08T20:33:11.964-08:00

Like veracious, I found myself instantly reminded of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham by the title of this 2009 Telugu film, which translated means almost the same thing: Sometimes Sweet, Sometimes Sorrow. However, KIKK owes nothing to the former except its title, because unlike that ode to the patriarchal machinations of a dysfunctional family, the southern movie really is all about loving your

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-38998850797719458212010-03-02T05:13:00.000-08:002010-03-02T06:25:08.566-08:00

The HeroineWhat can I say about Dil Bole Hadippa! (My Heart Says W00t!) that hasn't been said already? I'll tell you what I can say. I can give the opinion of a die-hard Shahid fan and say that he's criminally wasted in this film. He's better than he has to be, but that's not saying much. The end.The HeroBut then, you've never known me to actually choose brevity over rambling, have you?Sometimes

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-29384212244110608342010-02-08T19:10:00.001-08:002010-03-03T16:39:03.061-08:00

Well, my dears, true to my word I did indeed take part in the Striker Watchalong International Event. I'm so very glad I did, because having other Bolly-loving people to bounce reactions off of was awesome. I also learned a couple of other things, but what they basically boil down to is that Google Wave sucks. However, I offer mad props to Studio 18 for their daring marketing move of releasing

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-88940339703329309762010-01-29T06:22:00.000-08:002010-01-29T22:17:24.418-08:00

Um, hello? Is this thing still on?Sorry for the long silence, blogosphere... but here I am again, and with some exciting news. Of course, it might no longer be news to most of you that Siddharth's new Hindi film Striker will be premiering internationally on YouTube everywhere except India--which gets it in theaters. Veracious blogged about it already, and Beth will too any moment now. However, I

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-19388669788403643592009-11-23T07:27:00.000-08:002009-11-23T14:21:31.763-08:00

Okay, I'm kidding with that title. While the ishtyle of Kaminey actually does owe something to Guy Ritchie and Tarantino, it is definitely Vishal Bhardwaj's own vision and execution.Charlie (Shahid Kapoor, of course) is a low-level thug who fixes horse races for upper-level thugs the Bengali brothers--and thrashes those who don't fall in line with the fix. The youngest of the Bengalis, cokehead

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-82993274610091742822009-11-19T06:57:00.000-08:002009-11-19T07:49:38.599-08:00

A tag-on to the excellent previous posts by Filmi Girl, veracious, and rhilex.Survey my movie collection pre-Bollywood, and you would have noticed a few things: 1) They were all mass entertainers, with a few exceptions like the Japanese original of Shall We Dance? 2) They were disproportionately musicals. 3) They were heavy on the rom-coms and/or action, almost all with a happy ending, and 4)

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-25711167063849542352009-11-13T10:36:00.000-08:002009-11-13T10:44:00.363-08:00

I watched K3G again Wednesday night, just after having overloaded myself on a hour's worth of reading Battlestar Galactica recaps on Television Without Pity. While halfway through the film, it occurred to me that, perhaps, there is no movie more suited to the TWoP approach than this bloated monster of sentiment and cliche--which I have watched 30 times. That's not an exaggeration, I really have

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-46992857580354525332009-11-09T07:12:00.000-08:002009-11-09T07:33:49.483-08:00

No matter what other failings of which Kidnap may stand accused, let it never be said that it made no contribution to the world. A melody so meaningful that it can only be watched, not described, arose from this B-grade suspense film. Yes, my friends, this is the song of which I speak: That’s right, y'all. “This mausam (season or weather) is awesome.” Sure, it’s basically an excuse for Minissha

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-14998363789904398752009-09-22T06:14:00.000-07:002009-09-22T09:37:44.368-07:00

Alpha Hero.Beta Hero.Delta. /nerdjoke Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana (If You Ask Me To Come, Will I Refuse?) is so incredibly sweet that it requires two reviewers at once to do it justice. That's why Alex, otherwise known as rhilex of Bolly Addict, has agreed to undertake a joint review with me!The 2005 Telugu film opens in an unusual fashion: a prison guard catches an inmate up late and goes into

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-89161793650655534842009-09-16T13:11:00.000-07:002009-09-16T13:18:28.277-07:00

Because it's two days till this opens and I don't get to see it:On the plus side, this is coming out on DVD in two weeks, apparently:So I have at least something to console myself with.Also, this: THE FUNNIEST REVIEW OF THE TWILIGHT BOOKS, EVER.As you were, people.

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-39417169073523468502009-09-13T18:21:00.000-07:002009-09-21T10:02:03.378-07:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to present to you the reason the term "adorkable" was invented:OMG.OMG IT'S PRINCE MAHESH BABU SQUEEEEEEEEE!So, um, yeah. Heard of this guy? If you've been reading Nicki's blog for any amount of time you know about him; in fact, because I was lazy and my husband was starting to get very ANNOYED with my propensity to keep Indian movies I really like for ungodly

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-61198384635503708572009-09-10T07:38:00.001-07:002009-09-10T08:31:01.948-07:00

Memory-ChameliChameli doesn't slip easily into a category. It's probably not arthouse, embracing conventional crowd-pleasers like songs, item numbers, the tired trope of hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold, and of course highly bankable Kareena Kapoor in the title role. On the other hand, it's not exactly everyday Hindi cinema fare either. For one thing, it's short: 90 minutes. For another, it has this

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-20251312474542257402009-08-20T20:25:00.000-07:002009-08-20T20:35:27.662-07:00

(Oh, man, now I'll have the International Coffee commercial jingle I got that title from stuck in my head.)I haven’t watched all that many movies from before the mid-nineties, mostly because I have a queue of about 90 movies in my Netflix account and it seemed more fun to look at those with modern production values first. Lamhe (Moments), however, might have changed that. This 1991 movie,

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-18224293584671714252009-08-12T07:08:00.000-07:002009-08-12T08:04:14.576-07:00

Anand. Oh, Anand. Where have you been all my life?Oh, that's right. You weren't released until 2004. (Even though the Netflix listing inexplicably has the date as 1987. This messed with my mind since I have yet to see a movie from 1987 that I really liked and made me wonder if I was switched at birth or something since clearly dil hai Hindustani. Thankfully, I discovered the right date at

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-10765943953865238402009-08-09T10:31:00.000-07:002009-08-10T07:42:30.641-07:00

As those of you who follow my Twitter know, on Friday I had a Bollywood-themed sleepover night. I've been gradually working my way through all my girlfriends, making sure to introduce them to the awesome that is the Hindi film world. Also basically threatening them with a complete withdrawal of my affection if they would not watch Jab We Met with me. (So far, emotional blackmail is the most

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-69524407205335254142009-07-30T10:01:00.000-07:002009-07-30T11:09:10.973-07:00

The Heroine.The Hero.Hindustan Ka Hero.Welcome to my very first joint review, done with Sanket from Doc Bollywood. He can offer you a far more well-rounded review, with a special (and better-informed) take on the music and his memories of this film, so be sure to check out his post!Judging from the comments on my Speedos post, everybody else but me knew going in that Rangeela was going to be both

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-6560473881042728972009-07-29T07:11:00.000-07:002009-07-29T12:00:32.682-07:00

It's come to my attention that I tend to have repeats in my Eye Candy posts. No, nobody's been unkind (or attentive) enough to point it out, but I'm sure at least someone must have wondered how many times I can include Hrithik Roshan without repeating pictures, or why Preity must have a starring role in every such post. (Answer: because she's Preity. Back off, dude.) So, to help you through the

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-599440634357726352009-07-22T10:52:00.001-07:002009-07-22T11:01:12.256-07:00

OMG."Save me from the Speedo!"OMG MY EEEEEYYYYYYYEEESS THEY'RE BURNING THEY'RE BURNING HEEEELLLLLP

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-3159962642434690212009-07-15T08:00:00.000-07:002009-07-16T12:27:13.227-07:00

Oh my gosh, you guysThis film merits no praise, justShudders and screencapsIt hurts to think ofThe huge piles of cash ThodaFlushed down the toiletNot to mention starsRani, Saif--and four childrenWho deserved far betterIf this kid is nine,I'm twenty-one (oh, I wish)I liked the ladkaKunal: "kids' movie"Usually precludes thisThough her boobs are niceIn the States, we wearSeatbelts, and produce

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-49674074892743747692009-07-13T12:15:00.000-07:002009-07-13T12:41:51.213-07:00

Those of us on the East Coast of the U.S. still have a couple of hours left in our workday as I write this, and I just feel all-around sorry for you on the West Coast (except for, you know, the part where you get to live on the West Coast). And I don't even know if it's still Monday in India. But I'm going to pretend it's Ajnabi Time everywhere, and that means it is time for Eye Candy--Onscreen

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-2946633184972856712009-07-12T14:50:00.000-07:002009-07-12T20:09:41.602-07:00

Manorama Six Feet Under is an interesting experiment of a Hindi movie, or maybe it's just supposed to be non-mainstream. It has Abhay Deol, Raima Sen, and Gul Panag, which usually signals quality + edginess to me. Then again, it takes way long to go anywhere plotwise, which is pretty typical, and it has Vinay Pathak, which is also typical since he is freaking everywhere although that doesn't take

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-5304017588959073722009-06-30T08:02:00.000-07:002009-06-30T11:02:51.453-07:00

Bachna Ae Haseeno (Beware, O Beautiful Ones) presents a sort of conundrum as far as reviewing goes. While I have to admire the efforts to which Aditya Chopra went to break out of the Hindi plotbox, its execution leaves quite a bit to be desired. There's the miscasting of Minissha Lamba and Deepika Padukone, the weird spacing of the songs, and some total compromises in the resolutions. Then again,

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-86507387170771510402009-06-09T12:19:00.001-07:002009-06-09T12:23:39.072-07:00

Procrastination is pretty much my favorite way to ensure action on my own part, so it should come as no surprise that instead of methodically moving down a checklist of "to-do" items before going out of country on Thursday, I am repeatedly viewing this:I don't think they have flashmobs in Peru. If they do, I promise to be the goofy woman dancing in the background rather than the incredulous girl

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-27109612481615602302009-06-02T08:01:00.000-07:002009-06-04T14:27:25.650-07:00

I went into this film with very low expectations, which tends to be my secret for actually enjoying a movie rather than listing all the ways in which it didn't measure up to what I wanted it to be. Even though Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (God Has Brought This Couple Together) reunited Aditya Chopra and Shah Rukh Khan, it didn't seem to strike any notes but dischord with the blogosphere. However, I also

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-19864604663706082772009-04-17T07:07:00.000-07:002009-04-20T14:27:41.632-07:00

Finally! I said, "later this week," and then I moved and then I didn't have Internet (eek!) and then I had to get my house ready and then I upped my working hours and then I realized that you don't come to this blog to hear about my life, you come here to read about movies!Okay. For realz this time. Dostana is completely the embodiment of the Subjective Ajnabi Dictionary definition of "timepass:"

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-79246055884684224212009-03-29T14:29:00.000-07:002009-03-29T15:13:36.499-07:00

Dostana, starring Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham, and Priyanka Chopra, is a touching tale of loneliness, isolation, and redemption. Well, maybe not that much redemption. Really, it could be French!Kunal (John) lives a lonely existence in Miami. Because he's a photographer, he can only afford to live in a neighborhood of recent immigrants from around the world, and no one trusts him because he

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-4288625406444570472009-03-26T10:15:00.001-07:002009-03-26T10:47:24.882-07:00

Sunday. Oh, Sunday.I wanted to like you, Sunday. You have Ayesha Takia and Ajay Devgan. You have Irrfan Khan and Arshad Warsi. You have that chick who played Anjali The Homewrecker in Salaam-e-Ishq playing a non-'ho this time. You have gratuitous karate jokes that surpass anything Friends ever came up with. You have a masala-ish plot and lots of fun stuff going on. Taken separately, I love all

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-30294198340261414862009-03-13T14:03:00.000-07:002009-03-13T14:08:21.901-07:00

Khush-kismati and bahut shukriya to Darshit from Movies, Music, and Me. He put together my AWESOME new header, and I am so stoked that I ran over here and put it up approximately five seconds after I got it in my inbox. Also I can't stop staring at it.I'm sorry, did you just say something?

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-46282193942765238592009-03-10T16:36:00.000-07:002009-03-10T17:29:47.514-07:00

The kouple in question.Kismat Konnection isn't nearly as bad as most have made it out to be. Even taking into account my tendency to excuse egregious errors in film-making when those films star mah honey (i.e. Paisa Vasool's Official Mascot) it's still a decent little romcom that's fun enough to spend a couple hours in front of the screen without feeling ripped off.Raj Malhotra (Shahid,

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-76504003524852629262009-03-05T19:50:00.000-08:002009-03-05T20:53:07.512-08:00

Whoa, sorry to go MIA on the blogosphere like that! We've had a sick week around here, and I'm not using that in the West Coast sense of the term. I did manage to watch 36 China Town sometime during the blur, and... I don't know. I just can't seem to work up very much commentary on this one. It might have to do with the ravages influenza has inflicted on our home in the past week, or maybe with

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-87066433648059311412009-02-16T06:49:00.000-08:002009-02-16T07:49:33.848-08:00

This is me, freely admitting that I am totally and completely clueless when it comes to any Indian films not made for the Hindi mainstream machine. Currently I have NN, Boys, and Happy Days in my queue, and that's just because I like Siddharth and Genelia.But! I am willing to be edumacated, if I can depend on the kindness of my fellow bloggers and those few readers who are not fellow bloggers to

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-26479871662800416832009-02-14T15:58:00.000-08:002009-02-14T17:28:09.706-08:00

Yes! I have succumbed to this cynical mid-winter marketing ploy beloved by florists and cardstock creators! Here is a playlist, please to enjoy:In order:I may not know you yet, but can't wait to get "acquainted!" And by "acquainted" I mean "bizz-ay!" "Minnat Kare" from Paheli, in which a dreamy Rani asks her playful friends and family for advice on how to treat her husband on their wedding

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-50426535924898337702009-02-06T18:34:00.000-08:002009-02-06T19:32:40.945-08:00

I'm not sure what it says about Saathiya ("Beloved") that I ended my viewing experience more irritated with Vivek Oberoi's tendency to run his hand through his hair than I did happy about the movie itself. The movie's inoffensive and sometimes even cute; however, Vivek does NOT stop playing with his hair the entire time. The ENTIRE time.The movie starts pretty traditionally: with a song (the

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-27638253953160760102009-02-02T17:14:00.000-08:002009-02-02T17:43:37.365-08:00

"Mere hiiro mere hiiro tuu hai tuu hii to hai!"Oh, my. Look at mere hiiro all dressed up with no place to go but some product endorsement. I could do without the all-the-same-color-scheme but other than that he looks sharp, hai na? I'm pretty sure he was thinking of me the whole time. See how distracted he is? That's not boredom with an appearance at some boombox premier; that's me.Of course, now

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-59691761217224920762009-01-28T07:23:00.000-08:002009-01-28T12:04:33.511-08:00

"No expectations, no expectations," I chanted to myself as I slid Jaane Tu...Ya Jaane Na ("Whether You Know... Or You Don't") into the DVD player. I have learned through bitter experience that heightened expectations almost inevitably lead to disappointment when it comes to movies, and if there's one film that could raise my hopes from 2008, it's this one. "No expectations, no expectations...""

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-2799172757537328842009-01-21T13:37:00.000-08:002009-01-21T14:38:11.808-08:00

I expected Chup Chup Ke (Secretly) to royally suck. There, I said it. Despite my Shahid fangirl achievements (he is the Official Paisa Vasool--Or Not Mascot, and revels in that status no matter what his publicist tells you) I don't consider myself blind to all things bad about my Hero No. 1. In fact, he has only one big hit under his belt as far as I can tell, which means that every role leading

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-52931531256723306472009-01-19T12:54:00.000-08:002009-01-20T04:53:23.024-08:00

Yep, it's time for another Newbie's Guide post, and who better than the Man of the Moment: A.R. Rahman!A.R. Rahman has an interesting religious background in addition to his professional achievements: he was born into a Hindu family and named A.S. Dileep Kumar. However, his sister fell seriously ill. After his parents visited a Muslim place of worship, she was cured, and the entire family

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-20684151641974471442009-01-11T17:00:00.000-08:002009-01-12T16:19:58.619-08:00

From the moment a little message to the viewer appeared at the beginning, stating, "We believe movies should be viewed as they are; therefore you will not see any watermarks on your screen during this film," I had a feeling I would enjoy the movie to follow. And I was right! Ah, Traffic Signal. How do I love thee?Perhaps I should start instead with, "Ah, Kunal Khemu." Not that I was drooling over

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-18505034989206905692009-01-05T16:25:00.000-08:002009-01-05T16:07:37.398-08:00

The Post-Punk Cinema Club has a series of posts on the topic of Moments of Transcendental Aesthetic which have made me simultaneously oooh about its musings and wince at the knowledge of my own shortcomings in the writing department. However, rather than dwell on my own relative inability to express myself in the written format, I've decided to dwell instead on the concept of the sublime as laid

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-14755152980261585432009-01-02T08:35:00.000-08:002009-01-02T09:45:01.631-08:00

For those of you who don't know, the Rose Parade is a long-standing American New Year's tradition. This year, a float that won the "Most Beautiful Non-Commercial Float" trophy was Bollywood themed! (Thanks to my mom for letting me know!) Here's a picture:What better way to ring in the New Year than with Bollywood? I'm sure I don't know. And after a filmi year that was generally agreed to be

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-63698820674656935312008-12-30T10:14:00.000-08:002008-12-30T11:07:48.675-08:00

I watched the 1953 version of Parineeta today, and all I have to say is that, whoa, I like the newer version way better.Oh, all right, you knew that wasn't really all I had to say, didn't you? However, part of my hesitation in reviewing it is that I couldn't follow a lot of the relationships. I knew, because of reading about the book and from watching the other film, that Shekhar and Lalita (

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-49641832012089989012008-12-23T19:21:00.000-08:002008-12-23T20:08:37.751-08:00

9 p.m. Putting the disc in. Hindu god appears. Am not Hindu; do not want to see statue with poorly rendered sun rotating behind head. Oh shit. Please tell me this is not one of those DVDs with previews that cannot be skipped, fast forwarded, or menu-buttoned through.9:01 It totally IS. Crap.9:02 Oh, that wasn't too bad. There's Abhishek! Whaaaat? I thought Jackie Shroff was the hero in this movie

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-51084142231664608392008-12-17T14:33:00.000-08:002008-12-18T07:56:22.403-08:00

I am a completely unathletic person. It made my parents very sad since they both played college sports. My siblings liked things that involved sweating and running and throwing spherical objects at other people. I, on the other hand, was the kid who sneaked her books outside by sticking them under her shirt and walking, half-hunched over to hide the tell-tale corners, to the nearest shade tree

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-13377815948387598702008-12-13T13:42:00.001-08:002008-12-14T20:14:37.632-08:00

So the ever-adorable Rum (sorry if that sounds patronizing, Rum, but you totally are) has completely de-railed my plans to review Chak De! India by giving me this:And the text that goes along with it says:“This award is given to a blog that invests and believes in PROXIMITY – nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-18687536208416006102008-12-11T14:54:00.000-08:002008-12-11T15:08:15.142-08:00

Yes, I have descended to the level of a junior-higher with her first crush. My shame runs deep. However, take a look at this pic and tell me I'm completely unjustified (or don't, you could just join in the squee):Yeh ladka hai Allah!And thus Shahid Kapoor became the official Paisa Vasool mascot, and there was much rejoicing in the (blog)land.Okay, Chak De! India's review is on its way. Short take

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-67215404570115244592008-12-03T14:44:00.001-08:002008-12-03T16:50:01.817-08:00

I'm not sure why it says "A Bollywood Adaptation" there. Kandukondain Kandukondain, (rendered as I Have Seen It in the subtitles but I Have Found It on the DVD cover, as you see), is my second non-Hindi Indian film, and it was a great introduction to Tamil cinema. Of course, any adaptation of Jane Austen's work is probably going to make me happy, so it already had an advantage. I've heard many

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-24769661938112530222008-11-26T07:06:00.000-08:002008-11-26T07:50:52.415-08:00

And now, in this holiday season, it is time to give thanks for all that we have been given: a roof over our heads, food on our tables, Internet connections for our computers, and reallyreally hot desi people to inspire us to salivate more than the turkey (or Tofurkey, should your convictions lead you to the soy products) does. I've taken these photos from scans others have done for the respective

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-64826682067820275122008-11-18T13:51:00.000-08:002008-11-19T15:16:48.591-08:00

I'd heard nothing but opinions ranging from "meh" to "Worst. Movie. EVER" about Aaja Nachle (Let's Dance), the 2007 Madhuri Dixit vehicle that was supposed to be her comeback after her stellar Devdas turn. It tanked, and I thought deservedly so since everyone online seemed to detest the film; but then it ranked pretty high in a poll I started on "surprisingly good films." I rented it from Netflix

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-88377334724074683662008-11-06T06:47:00.000-08:002008-11-06T13:49:29.434-08:00

It's been a rough day, and I think we all need some eye candy to get us to Friday. Oh, you don't? You're just fine, thanks? Hmmm. Well, screw that, I need the eye candy. First up:Hrithik, looking better and better the less time he wastes in the gym. Just say no to the 8-hour workout!Arjun, channeling Clint Eastwood. (Thanks Nicki for the picture!) The lovely Konkona, looking stunning as ever. I

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-15832229497900812252008-11-04T11:21:00.000-08:002008-11-04T15:30:52.812-08:00

Let me just start out by saying that I usually don't expect too much from movies produced in the same decade as yours truly. I detest most American movies from the 1970s, and that includes The Godfather. Yup, I'm a total Philistine. However, the year that gave us One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (blech) and Barry Lyndon (huh?) gave India one of its all-time popular classics, Sholay (Embers, or

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-60943167192985435622008-10-23T14:01:00.000-07:002008-10-23T17:02:23.417-07:00

Ah, 1995. The year I graduated from high school. The year that Bollywood gave us international treasures like this one: And this:(Wow, Kajol was freaking everywhere that year, wasn't she?) And not to forget, this:What? Why are you looking at me like that? Did I forget something important? Oooohhh, right! Yeah, there was also this little film:That's right. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (The

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-82016050745673599842008-10-17T11:02:00.000-07:002008-10-19T17:00:50.168-07:00

Hello everyone. My Internet name is Energizer. My real name is something else but my neighbor who calls herself ajnabi won't let me type it. She asked me to talk about the Indian films I've watched over at her house while she's taking care of me. They're very interesting. I think if they were even more funnier I would pee in my pant's realy seriousoyly no lie.The movie I wacthed was hilarious

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-51161093031279220962008-10-16T13:53:00.000-07:002008-10-16T14:35:23.914-07:00

Okay, so that title is a bit of acknowledgement that this 2004 movie supposedly owes a debt to the 1989 Hollywood film When Harry Met Sally. I've only seen the latter in bits and pieces, the most notable of which includes Meg Ryan's famous fake orgasm, and since an equivalent is definitely missing from Hum Tum (Me, You) I'd say it has to be quite loosely based, if at all, on When Harry Met Sally.

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-77937487581366967772008-10-13T09:55:00.001-07:002008-10-13T09:58:54.873-07:00

Well, they do still suck. But consuming a little eye-candy can make them a lot better. Wherefore, behold:The boy is looking good, sofa-cover shirt and all, hai na? (This picture is modified from a spread in Indian Elle magazine.)

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-56141439436801728392008-10-07T13:54:00.000-07:002008-10-07T15:41:02.890-07:00

Bommarillu, which means "Toy House" in Telugu, was my very first (and so far only) non-Hindi Indian film. (In this case, "Toy House" has the connotation of perfection, at least according to Wikipedia's entry on the movie, which means the name has something to do with a perfect home--kind of like Ibsen's play "A Doll's House" I suppose.) It came highly recommended, and I can see why. Even though

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-35766358543220239612008-10-03T06:18:00.000-07:002008-10-14T09:41:17.971-07:00

(I know, I know, I promised a review. But I simply couldn't write anything else until I got this out of the way. I'm sorry! And I apologize in advance for any offense my ignorance might cause. I know nothing about anything.)While watching Tashan, I found myself in the somewhat frustrating position of having watched enough Hindi films to suspect that things were a joke but being still too ignorant

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-22465271484869844562008-10-02T11:50:00.000-07:002008-10-02T14:24:17.374-07:00

One of the things I learned soon after becoming a Bollywood fan is that my addiction is shared by people who make my fandom look like the merest schoolgirl squeeing. After the blood, sweat, and tears involved in creating a short retrospective video of still photographs for an anniversary party, I cannot imagine possessing the patience required to edit together a series of movie clips in a

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-61241306080820998332008-09-30T13:29:00.000-07:002008-10-02T06:01:37.362-07:00

Aah! Freaking life and its tendency to get in the way of what I actually want to do, i.e. spend my time blogging about a movie. It's not often that it takes me nearly as long to create an entry about a film as it did to watch said film, but in this case it's nearly the truth. As I've mentioned before, I'm willing to ignore historical accuracy in the interests of a good story, relegating the book

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-52831030007235337542008-09-23T13:08:00.000-07:002008-09-23T14:22:58.599-07:00

Warning: This review contains some spoilers. Although no more than the Netflix summary, and the ending isn't given away.Here is the Netflix summary of the 2006 film Baabul:When his only son dies in a tragic accident, Balraaj (Amitabh Bachchan) does the unthinkable to pull his grieving daughter-in-law (Rani Mukherjee) out of a depression: He acts as matchmaker and urges her to marry a man who has

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-14237047254949412192008-09-20T08:31:00.000-07:002008-09-22T08:40:53.507-07:00

"Good Lord, only a moment of bliss? Isn't such a moment sufficient for the whole of a man's life?"--Fyodor Dostoevsky, "White Nights" Saawariya isn't a very good movie, but it's so beautiful that I kept on forgetting its shortcomings while I watched. In fact, it's such a gorgeous feast for the eyes that I could watch it a million times and not get tired of it. However, movies can, and should, be

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-10658268049354288392008-09-16T12:56:00.000-07:002010-05-10T16:04:51.434-07:00

"Husband!""Wife?""You have to watch Devdas with me. I'm going to review it for the blog and someone has to share the misery, or at least make fun of it.""The hell I do. I'm not watching Devdas again. It's sad.""You've never even seen it!""Oh yes I did, you made me watch it. I saw the end, anyway. He's outside her gate and she's running to see him and then the [redacted] dies just before she gets

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-9264637227036590832008-09-15T18:37:00.000-07:002008-09-15T19:51:20.386-07:00

Well, I was going to post a review of Devdas, but after all the effort it took to get my new banner up (admire! is lovely!) I just don't have it in me to tackle the sturm und drang. However! I have a great capacity to focus on trivialities! So, inspired by Nicki and veracious' posts, I now present my personal stargazing favorites from the Bollywood constellation. As veracious says, your mileage

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-18287693980350319852008-09-13T14:24:00.000-07:002010-06-01T14:07:24.784-07:00

I really don't know why I'm even bothering to review this movie. Not only is Nida over at Bitten by Bollywood overdue to post her own review, but since it came out in 1999, HDDCS has risen to near-legendary fame (and brought the same to its director, Sanjay Leela Bhansali). Still, I'm a completist, and I did promise to look it over, and I'll do my best, but I feel like it's all been done before.

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-70342933219017195532008-09-10T06:31:00.000-07:002008-09-10T07:43:45.764-07:00

(Or, welcome to SLB "week," which will actually end when I get bored, probably after about three of his movies or so.)The Bollywood Newbie asks: "Just who the hell is this SLB guy and why do people want to kiss his feet?"SLB stands for Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who is a very well-regarded writer, director, and producer on the Mumbai scene, despite his 2007 splat-on-the-face-fall known as Saawariya.

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-21724650108757377812008-09-08T06:58:00.000-07:002008-09-08T13:42:40.101-07:00

As I've mentioned before, I've not been married very long compared to many of my acquaintance--almost eleven years--but I have learned a thing or two about marriage over the course of the past decade. A woman enters into marriage with a certain set of ideals about what the relationship will entail and what her husband will be and do for her. Maybe she wants him to be confident, and charming.

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-15194711930507974702008-09-05T18:12:00.000-07:002008-09-05T19:07:28.308-07:00

When I forced my mother-in-law to watch Jab We Met for the first time--it was also her first Hindi movie--she observed, "They do what we do," as Aditya's rented Mercedes pulled up to Geet's tremendous family compound."What's that?" I inquired."They only show upper-class people in movies," was her reply, and I had to admit that for the most part, the Hindi cinema I've seen does resemble American

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-53792078464469009832008-09-02T13:43:00.000-07:002008-09-02T20:11:38.729-07:00

I couldn't quite bring myself to buy Bluffmaster sight unseen, despite Beth's wholehearted recommendation. Our offspring are many and our funds, not so much, but! I have loving relatives willing to shell out the bucks on their daughter's/sister's inexplicable fascination with films made halfway around the world. And so I got the movie for my birthday (along with another Abhishek film, Bunty aur

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-50233724388472317482008-08-25T13:25:00.001-07:002008-08-25T14:14:18.056-07:00

So. Blogging. How 'bout it? Now that the kids are back in school and I'm done catching up on all the sleep I missed out on during the summer, I actually have free time! Time which is free! My own to do with as I will! And one of the things I will is to try to convert as many people in my circle of friends and family into Bolly-lovin'. No single movie has been more instrumental in this process

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-61703476390862319312008-08-05T12:19:00.000-07:002008-08-06T13:46:11.288-07:00

Did anybody else look at the Blogger Babies post on your dashboard, see Baby Aditya's name, and think idly, "I wonder if they named him after the hero in Jab We Met?" Um, yeah. That belongs in the "you know you're obsessed when" section, hai na?Don't worry, Shahid, that babyface is almost gone.

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-37754996812739815052008-08-04T07:28:00.000-07:002008-08-04T09:32:48.725-07:00

I had heard nothing but good things about Dil Chahta Hai (The Heart Desires), the 2001 film starring Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, and Akshaye Khanna. So, when I found it at Nehaflix for a mere $5, I said, "Whoot!" and bought it without hesitation. My (rare) adventurous purchase worked out very well. DCH is easily worth many times more than what I paid.Here's the setup: Sameer (Saif), Akash (Aamir),

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-14199924016985560562008-07-30T13:52:00.000-07:002008-07-30T14:08:24.198-07:00

Ode to Preity! I'm busy busy busy, fellow Bollylovers--family in this week, then traveling to SoCal soon. So, inspired by Nicki, I'm sticking up some of my pretty pictures and then retiring from the scene till next week, when I'll (finally) review Dil Chahta Hai. Till then, my apologies for my posts practically disappearing!

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-35682297212447517682008-07-25T13:46:00.000-07:002008-07-25T21:37:41.870-07:00

Let's face it. "From the team that brought you Koi...Mil Gaya" is hardly a recommendation, more like a HazMat warning. There was no way I was gonna give up a cherished Netflix queue spot to this 2006 sequel to KMG, let alone buy it. So I decided not to watch it (oh, gee, how awful, can you feel my regret?) until one day I saw the whole thing uploaded to YouTube, with subtitles! I had nothing

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-77399557495856346022008-07-22T11:13:00.000-07:002008-07-22T21:35:21.896-07:00

Oh, did I say Monday? I meant Tuesday! Hello, Tuesday!Sometimes my own Bolly-ignorance makes me roll my eyes, then laugh at myself. (Side note: is there any noun to which attaching "Bolly" as a hyphenated prefix doesn't work? I mean, I know I overuse it since a lot of Hindi film actors, and their fans, detest the term "Bollywood," but it's totally Bolly-licious. Okay, enough). Suffice it to say,

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-30762734114707599622008-07-17T19:13:00.001-07:002008-07-17T21:24:48.346-07:00

So, I hang out way too much at BollyWHAT?, specifically its discussion forum. Actually, I don't hang out there so much as check in periodically while letting my browser stay on the forum website because my computer is a dinosaur and I hate waiting for it to load up. It's really bad because the forum adds up the time you've spent there, and so far my browser's been directed to the discussion forum

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-58268695692641293812008-07-16T14:12:00.000-07:002008-07-17T14:47:38.279-07:00

I should've known. Salaam-e-Ishq (A Salute to Love) was a flop at the box-office last year, so of course I would love it. Really, Hindi film companies should hire me to look over scripts. If I hate them, they can green-light the project with assurance that it'll do well. I already had an inkling that I would enjoy the movie: it stars Vidya Balan, who's definitely one of my favorites, along with

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-55473902791467297722008-07-14T12:54:00.000-07:002008-07-14T15:54:03.303-07:00

The very last thing I expected when embarking on viewing Koi...Mil Gaya was to be left with thoughts provoked. I mean, c'mon. It's got a blue alien named Magic in it. It's got Hrithik acting developmentally disabled. It's got goofy songs. I sort of thought I'd just put the movie in, sit back, and wish I didn't have a brain to deal with the inevitable fallout. And that's what happened, just not

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-47171369441369699562008-07-11T10:18:00.000-07:002008-07-11T11:45:12.540-07:00

Hey, see Amrita's eyelids in that picture? Get used to them, cuz that's all you're getting for the next couple of hours.Okay, I don't know if I'm too Western to appreciate this movie or what. Or maybe I'm just too much of a white girl. However, in my defense, I went into Vivah fully expecting to enjoy it. After all, I loved Shahid's performance in Jab We Met and thought Amrita did a great job in

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-21116882502459185292008-07-09T07:43:00.000-07:002008-07-09T08:36:56.574-07:00

"Is this movie from the seventies?" my brother asked, looking over his nephew's shoulder at Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke on the TV screen."No, I think it's from the early nineties," I replied."Which apparently is like the seventies in India," he commented, eyeing Juhi's ruffled dress with fascination.In point of fact, HHRPK came out in 1992. The movie, which translated supposedly means "We Are

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-2928569074100733742008-07-06T19:01:00.000-07:002008-07-07T22:20:29.818-07:00

One thing's for sure: with advertisement like this, you cannot complain that Dhoom: 2 doesn't deliver precisely what it promises: mindless candy fluff that features scantily-dressed EVERYBODY (except Abhi, poor dude: c'mon, man, hairiness never stopped Alec Baldwin from taking off his shirt and it shouldn't stop you either), explosions, and superficial dialogue with a story that strains all

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-3451995807303565802008-07-04T08:59:00.000-07:002008-07-04T16:00:38.808-07:00

Watch an Indian guy dance in front of a massive American flag with tons of multi-culti extras while lip-syncing to a Hindi song that owes a huge debt (that's been paid to its original owners, OMG) to a classic Roy Orbison anthem! Yesssss! GO USA!

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-74852160335524614202008-07-02T15:51:00.000-07:002008-07-02T23:02:15.102-07:00

Very nice.Way back a few months ago (I can't remember exactly how many) I watched Main Hoon Na. At the time I was very, very new to Hindi films and had no idea that it was supposed to be a pastiche of Bollywood conventions. I think it speaks to Farah Khan's talent that I ended up really enjoying the film anyway.Now, of course, I know better. And since I've listened to Farah Khan's fabulous

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-55843169286835974722008-06-30T11:13:00.000-07:002009-07-12T20:13:24.655-07:00

The excellent Memsaab recommended Chori Chori over at the separate-but-equally excellent Post-Punk Cinema Club a week or two back, so I immediately moved it to the head of my Netflix queue. (Memsaab also has some great screencaps of this movie at her site.) I love me some romantic comedy! Alas, the U.S. Post Office failed me, but at last I received my copy of this 2003 movie starring Rani

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-3106218387511723072008-06-26T08:29:00.000-07:002008-07-01T11:47:46.801-07:00

"Is he on crack in this movie, by the way?"That was my husband's sole question when he heard the strains of Hrithik's insanely delivered dialogue floating up the stairs this morning.Haha. I only thought Chori Chori was in our mailbox. What was actually in our mailbox was the mailing flap with my address on it from Netflix. The rest of the package is either on a postal truck between here and

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-15864114008879708602008-06-23T09:49:00.000-07:002008-06-23T16:20:43.887-07:00

If anyone offline asks me what movie I'm excited about for summer, they're likely to be confused, because I'm going to say Kismat Konnection, and they're going to have no clue what I'm talking about. Just so you know, however:I have four very good, extremely well-thought out and not at all shallow reasons for being excited about this movie's release, and they include:1. Shahid. 2. Shahid. 3.

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-15285503091385453782008-06-20T14:48:00.000-07:002009-08-10T18:20:16.835-07:00

Over at BollyWHAT?, I had heard truly terrible things about Yaadein. However, it stars Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor, whom I liked in K3G--in fact, their chemistry makes the second half worth sitting through for me. The lure of HrithiKareena had me wanting to add this to my Netflix queue. The knowledge of my husband's sure disdain for the film had me waiting till he travelled to do so. Then,

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-23796654173381469152008-06-18T09:16:00.001-07:002009-07-06T12:03:54.104-07:00

(Last edit July 6, 2009)Okay, part of my "mission" (hahaha, like I have some grand over-arching purpose for this blog other than an exercise in narcissism) for Paisa Vasool is to be friendly to the Bollywood newcomer by explaining everything that people who've been watching Hindi cinema for a while already know.Bearing that in mind, I've tried to put together this list of commonly used words and

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-12025567017244309162008-06-17T16:36:00.001-07:002008-06-17T17:48:22.430-07:00

Here's an Ignorant American confession for you: before watching Monsoon Wedding, I had no idea that Pakistan used to be a part of India. No clue. I had no notion of the horrendous effect Partition had on the lives of millions of people, and little concept of the Pakistani attitude toward India, and vice versa, beyond, "They don't like each other, right?" After watching that movie, I researched it

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-79489176279454238542008-06-12T08:51:00.000-07:002008-09-20T10:16:58.669-07:00

At last the thunderstorms have blown over and I'm free to plug in the computer and rave about, quite simply, the coolest movie I've seen come out of Bollywood.Jhoom Barabar Jhoom came out in 2007. It stars Preity Zinta, Abhishek Bachchan, Bobby Deol, and Lara Dutta, with an extended cameo by Amitabh Bachchan (or "special appearance" as Bollywood movies call it).Rikki Thukral (Abhi's character) is

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-54968279601267105872008-06-09T09:44:00.000-07:002008-09-20T10:15:57.331-07:00

I love to read. I'll read any genre, as long as it's well-written, and if it's Janet Evanovich it doesn't even have to be that. One of my favorite types of fiction, when done right, is the alternate history novel. You know, what if the Nazis won World War II or what if Alexander hadn't died young or what if Reagan had died of his gunshot wounds--what would the world be like now?To me, most "

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-22173181994860062152008-06-06T12:03:00.000-07:002009-07-09T13:15:23.638-07:00

Full disclosure time. There was never any way that I would be able to be fair to this movie, because I haaaaaaaate adultery movies (by which I mean movies in which adultery plays an important part of the plot) with the heat of a thousand newborn suns. I also haaaaate adultery books and adultery anything else that the world has come up with. I don't care how many rave reviews a movie gets from

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8753466400219228450.post-68947496056034668452008-06-02T15:48:00.000-07:002008-06-04T14:52:42.764-07:00

In my continuing quest to watch everything in which Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol had starred together, I knew that eventually I would need to watch Karan Arjun. Did I want to watch Karan Arjun? No, I did not, and that was because of this poster:Dude, the dad from DDLJ was in this one. He about ruined DDLJ for me, but I figured if he was playing a villain in this film it might be okay. But then there

ajnabihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.com11