The A to Z meme - films as soul food !

And Finally ..., Desi Pundit, Films, Society 2 Responses »
Dec 202008

Shefaly has a meme up here, on the A to Z of films that she liked, and has very generously asked readers to ‘steal it’ – and i needed something light to blog about — i have overdosed on ‘soapbox’. in fact at times i feel like a soapbox standing on a soapbox giving a lecture :)

when i began this meme, i thought it would be easy. I have watched zillions of films. And, then the debate began. Is it movies that you enjoyed technically, is it movies that you enjoyed cinematically, are they movies that i enjoyed intellectually … for example should it be A for Apu Sansar or A for Amar Akbar Anthony?

So finally i decided, that these are the equivalent of soul movies – just as dark chocoate, or playing with the dog, or getting a massage makes the world seem better, so do these films. These are movies that make me laugh even now. Movies that wave their magic wand and transport me for 3 hours into a world that is entertainment !

Here goes:

Amar Akbar Anthony – I love this film. Despite all its illogical inconsitencies. The opening sequence where Amar, Akbar Anthony are hooked up directly via tubes to Nirupa Roy, donating blood simultaneously right into the receipient; the classic inebriated Amitabh Bachchan having a conversation with his mirror image, Nirupa Roy as mother getting her sight back after a Sai Baba bhajan; and of course Anthony Gonzaves :)

Babe - ok, I am a sucker for fairy tales. Especially where you have stories ugly looking, clumsy animals trying to fit in. And no i don’t want pop psychology :)

Chupke Chupke – Take one ghas phoos waale botony teacher, one jijjaji who likes shudh hindi, a woman who wants both the men in her life (jijaji and husband) to like each other, an English professor who stands in to teach biology and a whole bunch of other craziness, and you have Chupke Chupke. I can watch this film any time and smile :)

Dumbo - An elephant with oversized ears is initially the laughing stock of the circus, but soon proves himself. Dumbo … can still make me sob like a baby :) in the nicest sense of the way . Here is a drunk Dumbo having a blast

E.T. – I was 22 and in London. I had tuberculosis and didn’t know it (till 3 months later). It was Christmas, i was broke, heart broken and ill. I was trying to be strong and brave and live in a state of denial. And, then I saw E.T. I saw the alien wanting to ‘phone home’ and something within me broke – i cried and in crying i healed. I phoned home, my heart mended, my body was healed … so this film is kind of special.

Field of Dreams – ‘if you make it, they will come’ says the voice in Ray’s head – setting the stage for web businesses from then on :) In this case the task is just as improbable – build a baseball pitch in the middle of a corn field – to allow a bunch of players who threw matches to redeem themselves. Yes, that is the other theme that i tend to like – redemption. And, i didn’t even study in a convent !

Golmaal – the story of little white lies that become huge big whoppers through which the entire Tank Corps can pass … Hrishikesh Mukherjee in top form. The silly stick on mustache rules

Hero - Subhash Ghai’s launch of Jackie Shroff as a response to the tantrums of star kids, and a star was born. Has a man ever looked more yummy ? I was a school kid when it came out, and had my first crush. How smile evoking is this film – they have a song called ‘Ding Dong Baby Sing Song”. seriously !

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - great action, wonderful setups, two gorgeous men and some great banter. Not much that can ask for in a movie !

Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron Can there be a movie nuttier than this. Do you remember the Draupadi Vastraharan scene ?

Kranti - this is in for completely the wrong reasons. every time i see Manoj Kumar with that big pendant i have this urge to laugh. Everytime, i see everyone from Prem Chopra to Dilip Kumar; Hema Malini to Sarika hamming it – i crack up. I see this movie, not as a patriotic film, but as an out and out comedy :) . Imagine a bunch of revolutionaries singing ‘channa chor garam ‘ before they blow up a fort !

Lion King - Simba rules as does Hakuna Matata

Midnight Run – a film that seriosly makes me laugh. Robert de Niro and Charles Gordin in a film about a modern day bounty hunter and a con on the run. Great dialogues, great chemistry and a nice film.

Naked Gun – I really like the naked gun series, especially when i feel fried with the world. I love that 60′s feel and earnestness. Leslie Nielsen is a blast

Om Shanti Om – or OSO – mindless, silly, but supremely entertaining. SRK as the bhola and the brat work very well. a movie that has a song called ‘dard e disco’ is not taking itself seriously, why should you ?Leave you logic at home and smile !

Pretty Woman – she is a woman of negotiable affections, he is a man with non existent morals. And they meet, fall in love and live happily ever after. Richard Gere and Julia Roberts sizzle in this reimaging of Cinderella !

Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak – not really but i couldn’t find anything else with Q – not even quantum of solace ! and, yes there is a whole bunch of silliness in the film that makes me smile – still worth watching for a young Aamir Khan and a bubbly Juhi Chawla

Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman – Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla – light up this one. I always saw it as a modern Shri 420

Singing in the Rain – just singing in the rain … Gene Kelly and a track that is magic. for best effect, watch when it is raining :)

and watch Donald o’Connor & Gene Kelly in Moses Supposes

To Have & Have Not - ‘you know how to whistle don’t you. Just put your lips together & blow.’ Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall sizzle in this studio production of romance, smuggling and war !

U – none

V – Not Really … Victoria no. 203 (the older version) but not really :(

When Harry Met Sally – Remember the scene in the restaurant ?

X – definitely not X-men :)

Yalgaar - if the sight of Feroze Khan calling Mukesh Khanna pappa, or dad – cannot crack you up, then nothing can. Like Naked Gun, this should have been a parody – but ….

Z – not really.

We live in times, where it seems that there isn’t much to smile about. but, there is. People, events all manage to make us smile and understand that the bulk of the world is not just good but also good matured. so spread this meme :)

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Posted by gargi at 9:45 pm Tagged with: , , , , , , ,

Ekalavya - The Royal Guard

Films 1 Response »
Feb 162007

… should have possibly been called Eklavya – the Royal Stud. Because that is really what the story was about. Once upon a time, somewhere close to now, in the beautiful state of Rajasthan – and Vinod Chopra has shot the quintessential 'visit Rajasthan' film -

Once upon a time there is a very, very gay King – Boman Irani wonderfully brilliant – who can't do it with his wife. So the mother-in-law and wife,Sharmila Tagore ,go off to the banks of the Ganga along with the Royal Guard Ekalavya – Amitabh Bachchan to find a priest who will do the neeful (as per ancient customs). Both Sharmila and the mother-in-law 'trust' Ekalavya more and he does the deed. Harshvardhan (saif) and the'idiot' savant (except that she is a painter) Nandini (Raima) are the offspring. The film essentially explores what happens when the King finds out, and what are the consequences of his actions on everyone. And of course the quandry that faces Ekalavya who has sworn to serve the kings.

A take of on Hamlet with a heavy dose of the Mahabharat and exploring concepts of what is Dharma. The films opens up with a number of interesting possibilities – but the desire of the director to linger longingly on Amitabh Bachchan's grizzled close ups means that meat in much of the story is lost. There is style in the film – each scene looks wonderful, the low angle shots of the fort and the palace create a stratified atmosphere, some scenes are brilliantly shot – but it is more style than substance. I was truly disappointed with the film. The story sagged. The scenes creaked and the dialogues felt as though they were made up by actors as they went along. The audience at Fun Republic was cracking up at 'emotional' scenes.

Performances wise – AB played Ekalavya as Atal Behari Vajpayee. Laboured, tortured and full of pauses. While he brings in a tremendous amount of pathos to the part, he is let down by the script. Of the cast Boman Irani as the Rana, who has been cuckolded by his Royal Guard, is brilliant. Jackie Shroff as Jyotiwardhan has had a meaty role to bite into after a long time, and he makes the most of it – when they die, you lose interest in the rest – their performances were truly riveting – and that kind of performance across board, would have lifted it from what it is to a truly brilliant film. The elements are there – it just doesn't all add to gether. Of the rest, Sunjay Dutt provides a menacing sort of comic relief in the film. But if you wrote out his part, it really would not be missed. An interesting story line is opened up with his introduction – the son of a 'Dalit' he has used modern Indian democracy to become a DSP – but the conflict between the old and the new, never really plays out. Saif Ali Khan and Vidya Balan had some of the worst dialogues I have heard ever. And I suppose delivering such lines with a straigth face can be tough, however good you are as actors. Jimmy Shergil whose character is a catalyst for much of the drama – is good but doesn't really have the screen time. And Raima as the 'pagal' Nandini is not irritating.

The cinematography was brilliant. As far as the story telling goes – there were scenes that were absolutely fantastic. Like the scene where the Raja reacts to the Rani calling out to Ekalavya. Or the scene where Ekalavya confronts Udaywardhan. or the scene between Jyotiwardhan and Udaywardhan. Or indeed the scene where the car with Ekalavya and the Rana is stopped between a railway crossing and a huge herd of camels. But, by and larges scenes didn't hold. when audiences start laughing at supposedly 'serious' scenes, there is something really wrong. The single song in the film is decent. hummable. But the background score is heavy – an overlay of chants from the Bhagvad Gita, and an inexplicable use of the 'Gayatri Mantra'.

Worth a watch ? – don't know. I have seen more entertaining movies that glorify 'feudal' Rajasthan – Kshatriya, Rajput, . But, if you can find a Rs.50 ticket a great idea.

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Rang De Basanti

Films, India 7 Responses »
Jan 282006

Last evening SR,SK and I played hookey from work to go and see Rang De Basanti. One of the few films in recent times that completely struck a chord with me. And by the sounds of it – the audience as well. One of the few times one could see a movie in complete silence – no mobiles rang. The audience laughed, winced, sniffed almost synchronistically! The story is a coming of age and conciousness of a bunch of lotus eaters – Aamir Khan (DJ), Kunal Kapoor (Aslam), Sidarth (Karan), Sharman Joshi (Sukhi)- into whose life comes a Hindi speaking Brit Documentary film maker Sue (Alice Patten)- Her teri maa ki aankh had the audience in stitches, and it was so pat & perfect. Sue’s grand father served in British India. He was to jailor to Bhagat Singh & his friends.And his diary recounts his attempts at breaking his prisoners, which leaves them stronger and him broken. Sue’s documentary is the story of her grandfather and his memories of these young men who died for their ideals. Sue’s friend in India Sonia (Soha Ali Khan) – who is a part of the Lotus Eater Group. Sue’s first interaction with group ends with a confrontation with an unnamed rightwing group – let by Lakshman Pandey (Atul Kulkarni). On the periphery of the group is Flt.Lt. Ajay Rathod ( a very well fed Madhavan), the love of Sonia’s life. Sue cannot fathom why the Gen Nex of India doesn’t care a damn about its dead freedom fighters. or about doing something for their country. The film maker in her casts them in the roles of Chandrashekar Azad, Bhaghat Singh and co. And in doing so she changes their destiny. The film flits between Sue’s interaction with DJ & co, and her making of the documentrary – telling the story of her grandfather, Chandrashekar Azad, Bhagat Singh and co. At first the content is a bunch of words that have no relavence. It is difficult for the ametuer actors to relate to them, remember them, and deliver them with impact. However, as the documentary progresses, the words begin getting more personal. Enacting the roles of those with ideals seems to imbibe the lot with more than ideals. It imbibes them with resolve and steadfastness to see out a course of action. Continue reading »

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