For the International HIV/AIDS day, Ranveer Singh (ever the sexy) got together with MTV India and Durex to try to demystify sex in the country, where the topic is usually completely hush-hush or chup-chup. He’s straight-forward, candid, sexy, funny… and gets to awkward moments when he conjures the images of everyone’s parents creating us. Though, he does have a point.
I stumbled across this performance that Madhuri Dixit did for the Stree Shakti Award, thinking it’s been the most refreshing performance I’ve seen her do lately — with the added bonus of the Gulaab Gang title song as the cherry on top — when I realize that the whole event is to honor women with exceptional achievements. Ohhhhh, so that’s why the performance was a bit out of the box. I love it.
About a week or two ago, my friend and I got to watch Beta… and though it did change our (enjoyment) perspective of Dhak Dhak Karne Laga (Ouch!), it had my friend saying the following quote for the ages… “I love it when Madhuri holds a sword,” xD
I think I will eventually have to watch Koyla then.
I started watching Comedy Nights with Kapil a couple of months ago, despite the language barrier and the lack of subtitles. I gotta admit that the funniest thing has to be Kiku Sharda’s Palak despite (or maybe because of) the language barrier. It doesn’t matter what’s going on, he generally makes me laugh. Okay, Palak and Ghutthi.
The only thing that pisses me off is that Colors isn’t uploading the episodes on YouTube as quickly anymore, the episodes on their website are region-restricted (FML), and some of the episodes have been having the music edited out, which ruins the mood/joke completely.
I’m always dissatisfied with my end of the year lists, but I supposed a WHOLE year of catching up is good enough for me to have a proper idea of what I like, right? I managed to squeeze in 227 movies, the rest is history. I hope you like it, that you don’t hate on me for not including some of your faves, that you celebrate that we loved some of others, and that you love me for introducing you to one title you missed.
After the Razia Sultan movie starring Hema Malini back in 1983, the story needs a modern international-money-backed re-vamp… and Tabu should play her, am I right or am I RIGHT?
Tabu is practically aching to do heavy action on a film (she just wants an action film really… I would put her as Wonder Woman if I could), and though ideally you’d pick an Indian director (Ashutosh Gowariker and Santosh Sivan come close to grand-scale production without the Sanjay Leela Bhansali masala), I’d like to see a full-on international production maybe at the hands of John Woo (enormous scale and grand battles a la Red Cliff are of his fancy nowadays) or have Tabu back with Ang Lee, or go the Korean route with Kim Han-min (War of the Arrows), Kang Je-Gyu (Tae Guk Gi) or Kim Sung-su (The Warrior).
I know Tabu chooses projects at times with set comfort in mind, and I don’t know how the others are on set (you don’t want one that’s as extreme as Von Trier… or such an asshole as David O. Russell LOL), so Lee would be a safe bet. Or… we could go the American-Indian, British-Indian or Indo-Canadian way. Asif Kapadia is looking like a good choice.
Ever since she said she wants to do an action film, I’ve been trying to think of a project for her to do… even though she wouldn’t be my first choice of an action star. But if she wants to put in the work for it, who are we to deny her wishes, right?
I remember I was watching Filhaal… and thinking to myself that I obviously didn’t have any amazing great female friendships -despite my support for female friendships on film- because I didn’t know anyone that I would mother a baby for nor be comfortable enough to ask to mother one for me. When Sushmita Sen’s character tells Tabu’s that she’ll mother her baby, I was saying “oh, girl~ you’re just asking for trouble.” xD However, through all the complications in their relationship and interaction, I kept saying “I gotta admit, that’s pretty gay.” LOL
Though Wikipedia or IMDb don’t list it as a connection, according to this (sometimes grasping-at-straws) list of 100 Queer Films of India [Part 1][Part 2][Part 3][Part 4] calls it a -sorta- adaptation of Chutney Popcorn, except Filhaal… takes (or tries to take) the gayness out of it. It’s like Pre-Code films all over again, but I gotta admit- kinda fun. Plus, Tabu looks really REALLY good on the Le Chalen Doliyon [clip] number, which also features pretty flashy cinematography even if it doesn’t reach Meenaxi levels.
And despite not warming to Sushmita Sen over Main Hoon Na or Biwi No. 1 (come on, you can’t expect me to fall for that, right?), I did enjoy her chemistry with Tabu here enough to watch her episode on Comedy Nights with Kapil and actually get to like her.
Looking at these captures, you’d think Tabu just fathered this child, LOL and they’re all playing Hebe Tien’s Love! [MV]:
I love you You love her She loves her She loves him
You do probably know that my Hindi should suck, but that doesn’t stop me from keeping my iTunes library in order… which means I take all of the tracks from Indian movies that I’ve downloaded and try to give an English translation — after all, I should know, at least, what the title of a song means! That, of course, means that titles from hard-to-find movies/OSTs have to do with my own interpretation. One of them is Hu Tu Tu, because no one’s bothered to translate the songs… and my copy of the movie doesn’t come with subtitles in the sung parts.
Most of the titles are easy- Chhai Chhapa Chhai is classic onomatopoeic Gulzar (Jhini Mini Jhini from Maqbool gave me a clue), Jai Hind Hind (Hail, India!), Bandobast Hai (It’s the System), Ghapla Hai Bhai (It’s a Mess, Brother), and Jago Jago Jagte Raho (Get Up, Always Be Awake) seem quite straight forward. Even Yeh Nam Aankhein (These Drenched Eyes) can seem easy when compared to Itna Lamba Kash Lo Yaaron and Nikla Neem Ke Talese Nikla.
So what do those last titles mean?
I’ve sort of translated Itna Lamba Kash Lo Yaaron– since Itna refers to a Quantity (this much or so much), Lamba refers to the Length (height or otherwise), Kash means to Take a Puff or a Smoke (considering the scene), and Yaaron refers to Friends. I sorta translated it to It’s Such a Long Smoke, My Friend. And in the lyrics~
Itna lamba kash lo yaaron, dam nikal jaaye Zindagi sulagaao yaaron, gam nikal jaaye Yaaron, yaaron
Dam = (staying) Power
Nikal = Get out/get lost
Sulagaao/Sulagana = Ignite/set on fire
Gam = Regret
It’s such a long smoke, my friend.
Power, be gone.
Life is set on fire, my friend.
Regret, be gone.
How did I do with that?
Though, Nikla Neem Ke Talese Nikla escapes my comprehension. It doesn’t even look Hindi to me- oh, wait. Never mind. *goes crazy* Why is Talese together when it should be Tale Se? As in Nikla Neem Ke Tale Se Nikla (निकला नीम के तले से निकला) *growls*
Anyone ANYONE who is able to help me out with that title and make my life easier?- I’ll love you forever! LOL From the deep Google that I did, Nikla seemed to refer to “being out,” or “something that sticks out” and I know Neem can refer to the bitterness of the Neem tree [1] or the tree itself, and Tale is “the bottom or base of something” — Does that mean… The Bottom of the Neem Tree Turned Upside Down? LOL, I need to watch this movie again. xD
In honor of the release of Haider today/tomorrow and me not being able to watch it until it hits the DVD/Bluray shelves… or EROSNOW (or someone else) decides to VOD it early or *cough*… I had been curating a YouTube playlist of all the music sequences -choreographed or not- (and item songs or special apperances) in Tabu’s filmography, which has resulted in a list of over 83 clips (est: 6 hours) from Tabu’s participation not only in Hindi films, but also Telugu, Tamil… and the random Malayalam clip that I was able to find.
The list has time to expand with rarer to find clips, I suppose, including (at least) one or two more clips for Idee Sanghati, as well as other regional movies that aren’t on YouTube. There are also clips that are included in their dubbed version (with the original title and the language they’re on), because the original audio isn’t available… as well as repeated clips in better resolutions than their “official” uploads.
Anyway, Tabu’s heavier on promotions for Haider, and this time talks about her decision of doing Jai Ho after Life of Pi, going back to her filmi roots, the amount of work and dedication it takes to direct a movie, and sets the record straight on her image:
Personally, I have a very boring life. I don’t have many interesting hobbies and pursuits, though I often think I should cultivate some. I travel a little bit. I don’t like to read. I write a little bit, mainly personal notes about various topics. I don’t watch TV or movies though I like going to the theatre as recreation, to eat popcorn and hang out with my friends. I am trying to figure out what my true passion is and that should be interesting to unearth.
There’s also a whole lot other interviews [Mid Day, Indian Express, The Telegraph, Times Now, Absolute India, Hindustan Times] with varying degrees of back and forth on her being shy/a recluse, boring or a party-goer, not being a reader, being a traveler, and choosing projects because the people or money are good or not.
However, this briefing with Deccan Chronicle does mention a bit of her rapport with her nephew Fateh,and her apprehension for joining social media, as well as a bit of talk on how people perceived her sister and her, and how things turned out to be. So I’m gonna go Chris Crocker for a moment and say “Leave Tabu Alone,” just let her be single for god’s sake. Seriously, and the moment she ever gets married- the moment THAT happens, people are gonna be up on her business if she’s pregnant and/or will she adopt.
People kept pestering Rani when she’d be getting married, and the moment she does, things shift to whether she’s pregnant. Girls can’t catch a break.
Anyway~ I do gotta admit, I’d rather prefer it when my biases don’t show up on social media, but I’m an old person now. LOL
