Book review – Supertraits of Superstars

Author – Priyanka Sinha Jha

Publisher – Rupa

Pages – 186

Price – Rs 195

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In this one of a kind book, Priyanka Sinha Jha looks at eleven luminaries from Bollywood, and the attribute that is perhaps most responsible for their success. She details their stories, their struggles, their efforts to overcome setbacks, and what it is about them that made them not just reach the top of their game, but stay there.

My View

I have been a prey of the Bollywood bug since childhood. While my parents wondered how I could memorize all things filmy (and complain memory loss during exams!!!), Mr. Hubby and mom in law have conferred to me the title of “the great filmy Wikipedia”! Needless to say, I am the first one they look upto to validate who’s the name behind a particular song, history and geography of a particular actor, who’s hitched/dating/rumored to be dating whom etc. etc. While the KBC seasons were on, my mom in law had instructed everyone in the family “In case you get selected and face a question on Hindi movies, opt for Phone a friend lifeline, and call Shaivi”.

So, you can understand my excitement when Tales Pensieve sent a book on “Bollywood Superstars” for review. Knowing so much myself about Bollywood, I was curious to know the stuff that I donno yet! And Priyanka’s book lived upto my expectations. To call this book a compilation of masala incidents from the celluloid would be denying the author the due credit of her hard work. For, the book is much more than that.

We all love to gossip about the Bollywood stars, most of it being fragments of someone’s imagination. But, Priyanka has taken painstaking efforts in connecting us with the off screen star persons inside the Bollywood stars we see on screen. The book gives a beautiful account of the hard work and determination (and may more supertraits) of eleven Bollywood superstars(Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Vidya Balan, Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif, John Abraham, Ranbir Raj Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Karan Johar & Salman Khan). After having read the book, I can say I have been introduced to the people I never knew! These are people who take their craft seriously to survive in an industry where new competition comes in every Friday and one has to do the right thing at the right time to remain unfazed in the minds of the audience.

For instance, did you know Amitabh Bachchan’s unfailing punctuality has always given his Directors sleepless nights since they worry about reaching the sets on time themselves? Often been the first one to report on the sets of his films for even morning shifts, he utilized this time to water the plants etc! Shah Rukh Khan repeated a particular action sequence in Ra.One till he got the perfect shot, despite suffering from a knee injury. After Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak released, Aamir Khan would go into the projection room of the Gaiety Galaxy film theatre in Bandra to observe the audience’s reaction during various scenes – one of the many traits that has made him the epitome of perfection and excellence in Bollywood. The strong, determined artist behind the beautiful babe Katrina Kaif – do you know she has been brave enough to offer creative opinion to her Directors even as a newcomer, since one has to take risks to get the returns. While shooting for Rockstar, Ranbir Kapoor spent time with a Jat family and went shopping with them for the jeans he wore in the film, all as a part of understanding the character (Jordan, aka Janardhan, a Jat boy) better. As a newcomer in Bollywood, Aishwarya Rai Bhachchan negotiated her own deals and contracts, pretending that she had a lawyer who was putting down the terms and conditions! The book also tells the story of a skinny, under confident Duggu with a speech problem who worked his way very hard to give us the Hrithik Roshan of Bollywood. Salman Khan’s inherent generosity that he has displayed time and again since childhood.

These and many more incidents have been beautifully captured by Priyanka. Of course, her tryst with media has come in handy, but she too has displayed her craft well – after each chapter, there is a summary of the qualities displayed by the personality on the long road to success. The language is simple and each chapter is decorated with famous anecdotes which make the book a pleasure to read.

After finishing the book, my immediate reaction was “when do I read a sequel to the book?” For a Bollywood crazy person like me, eleven stars are not enough. Farhan Akhtar, Akshay Kumar, Madhuri Dixit…my wishlist is endless! I hope Priyanka comes up with a part-2 soon!

Needless to say, it’s a 100% recommendation from my side, if you share a passion for Bollywood!

About the author

Priyanka Sinha Jha is a journalist who, in her eighteen year-long career, has written on celebrities, films, lifestyle, business and more. She has been a correspondent for publications as varied as Citadel, The Asian Age and Intelligent Investor. At the age of 26, she became the editor of Society, India’s first celebrity magazine, followed by a stint as editor of HT Style and HT Saturday. Currently, she is the editor of Screen, India’s foremost film and entertainment weekly. She has also contributed to Outlook, The Week and Tehelka, and has a regular column in the Indian Express: Play. Between analysing celebrities and earning her daily bread, she likes to travel to unknown destinations, watch films and argue endlessly on egalitarian issues with friends and family. 

The book was received as part of Reviewers Programme on The Tales Pensieve.

Cinema that provokes the thought…

Cinema, has a power so strange

It is the wave that brings the change

In thoughts, speech and action

And shows us our society’s reflection

Inspiring us to go off the beaten path

And bring a revolution that makes us stand apart

Since the time the first moving image reflected on the silver screen, cinema has been influencing the society in every way. Be it in the form of youngsters following the latest look of their favourite Bollywood stars, or the people adopting trends from movie stories into their own life.

Though the birth of cinema was for entertainment, yet, time and again, we witness several go getters, who use cinema to give a message to the society to change for good; to move beyond the clichés and chart a new path altogether. These are off beat films that have managed to provoke our thoughts to make a better society –

Mother India

One of the best movies made ever, Mother India showcased the ideal Indian mother to the whole world. It is the story of the mother who brings her children alone amidst the perils of society – poverty, exploitation and illiteracy, to name a few. She may be the selfless mother, who sacrifices her comforts for her children, yet when it comes to principles, she doesn’t bat an eyelid before choosing right over wrong. The movie that gave us the mother who gives the last morsel to her son, yet shoots the same son when he violates the rules of society by abducting the daughter of the village moneylender.

Iqbal

Most of us dream and blame destiny when things don’t go our way. But here is a story of a deaf and dumb Iqbal who, despite his handicap realises his dream of being a cricketer, through hard work and perseverance. The movie did its bit by changing the view of society towards children with special needs and taught us to value the qualities in a person rather than writing him off for his deficiencies.

                                               

Mirch Masala

An award winning movie of the 80s, Mirch Masala shows the strong, fiery side of the Indian woman, just like the title of the movie. The protagonist (played by Smita Patil) teaches us women to be fearless (or Nirbhay) against the vultures hovering in the society. The film showed a new side of Indian beauty to the world, one who could take the oppressors herself to guard her modesty. The last scene where women blind the Subedaar with red chilli powder is a must watch. In today’s times when women’s security has been an issue of concern, we need more women like Sonbai

Filhal

Surrogacy, which till now had been a thing of a taboo, was introduced beautifully to the masses by this movie.  The story of Sia (Sushmita Sen) who fills the emptiness in her friend Reva’s (Tabu) life by being a surrogate mother brought a smile on the faces of numerous childless couples. For the Indian mindset, where blood is thicker than water, this film brought a new message – that surrogacy is no longer a thing to be shy about; and that no bond is more important than the bond of love.

Oh My God

In the times when we have had shocking revelations about god men, here is a movie that underlines the core belief of every religion – that God resides our heart. To the masses who were blinded by God men into superstitions, this movie taught to believe in one’s karma and keep the religion alive in one’s heart without falling prey to superstition. A revolutionary movie of its kind, this one truly walked off the beaten path to open eyes of many.

Movies like these inspire us to think out of the box and take the society to a better tomorrow.

Thanks BlogAdda for giving this opportunity for the film buff me to write about such amazing movies, 

This post is a part of the Miss Lovely Activity in association with BlogAdda.

Miss Lovely, an off-beat film directed by Ashim Ahluwalia is set in the lower depths of Bombay’s “C” grade film industry. It follows the devastating story of two brothers who produce sex horror films in the mid – 1980s. A sordid tale of betrayal and doomed love, the film dives into the lower depths of the Bollywood underground, an audacious cinema with baroque cinemascope compositions, lurid art direction, wild background soundtracks, and gut-wrenching melodrama. Miss Lovely is scheduled for commercial release on 17 January 2014.

You can check the trailer of the film here

Farooq Sheikh – A gem in the crown of Indian Parallel Cinema

Tumko Dekha to ye khayaal aya,

Zindagi dhoop aur tum ghanaa saya...

These and many more songs flash in my mind as I write about Farooq Sheikh. Having grown up on a healthy dose of parallel cinema, Farooq Sheikh is a name that features in some of my favourite movies.

As I read about his sudden death due to cardiac arrest, I was reminded of a slim guy with an honest face charming a simple Deepti Naval in the song “tum ko dekha”. In the 80s where “the angry young man” and disco dancer were ruling the hearts of the masses, here he was, a simple man, who didn’t mind posing as a rickshaw walla or a bangle seller to spend few moments in private with his lady love (Film: Bazaar)

He represented the common man, the guy next door, who may not boast of bulky biceps or swanky cars, but in whose company, any girl would feel the warmth of a genuine relationship.

But, that’s not all…

The actor who played the guy next door, essayed the role of a royal almost effortlessly. Who can forget his performance in movies like Umrao Jaan? The shy nawab curbed in the bounds of nawaabi, whose eyes said it all. 

But shyness was not all, for there were movies like Katha, Faasle and Shatranj ke khiladi, which saw a different side of him. One also saw him occasionally in commercial movies like Biwi Ho to aisi and Noorie.

The 90s saw him making his presence felt on the television arena. It still gives immense delight to watch episodes of the famous “Ji Mantriji” and “Jeena issi ka naam hai” on youtube, even as channels have telecasted these popular shows over and over again.

In the 2000s, he became selective about movies however, gave us movies of critical acclaim like Lahore, which won him the 2010 National Film award for Best Supporting Actor.

A very versatile actor, Farooq performed was equally comfortable with theatre and television as he was with cinema. His famous play with Shabana Azmi “Tumhari Amrita” ran into many years of success.

Here are some of my personal favourites –

Bazaar

Chashme Baddoor

Umrao Jaan

Saath Saath

Shatranj ke khiladi

While his on screen chemistry with Deepti Naval set the screen on fire, Farooq was a romantic in his real life too. He courted his wife for nine years before getting married. He is survived by his wife and three daughters.

Life throws the unexpected when we are least aware of it. Who knew that a family vacation to Dubai would take him away from us forever. Simple, sensible, humble, jovial, warm are some of the words I have for him for I have been a big fan of his movies since God knows when.

Indian cinema will always remember this boy from Baroda, who gave us the simple guy next door of the 80s.

Rest in peace Farooq. May your humble soul remain in happiness wherever you are.

Here are some lines from one of his movies (Bazaar)…

Karoge yaad to har baat yaad ayegi

Guzarte waqt ki har mauj thehar jayegi

Farooq Sheikh (1948-2013)

Dil Chahta Hai

The perils of working while watching TV – you open the laptop to write about something but end up writing on a subject on the opposite pole!

Dil Chahta Hai (DCH) – a movie which, 12 years after its release still rings a bell in my heart, for a multitude of reasons. It was the first movie to be released when I joined college. Almost overnight, all the Siddharths (and even the Sidhants) in my college were rechristened “Sid”, the Sameers “Sam”. I still remember, it had become a rage back then. One day, my friends and I decided to bunk classes and watch DCH at a theatre near college. That the theatre gave 20% discount to the students of our college was an added advantage! I was super excited coz it was my first movie in college life! We bought the tickets and 15 minutes before the show, I thought of informing mom I would be late. The moment I told mom I was out to watch a movie, she just went ballistic. It was my grandpa’s shraad that day and mom was furious at me for being an irresponsible teenager – how I had chosen to watch a movie with friends instead of coming home for the shraad. What happened next was even more embarrassing – the teasing by my friends, disposal of that extra ticket, and the comments next day in college. I stopped hanging out with that group after that incident!

Pic source: Google search

But that didn’t deter me from buying an audio cassette of DCH and spending long hours with my walkman headphones! Its funny that I still remember the entire sequence of songs on both sides of the cassette!

DCH also brought about a new wave in Indian cinema – that of Farhanism! The wave that continues to give us many such refreshing movies.

If you haven’t watched Dil Chahta hai, you have missed one of the best movies in Indian cinema. A movie that meanders around the lives of three friends – Sid, Sameer and Akash. Three very different people exploring life their way, yet very loyal to the buddy bonding. While life is a comedy of errors for Akash (Amir Khan), for Sam (Saif Ali Khan), the definition of love changes with every girl he meets. It’s only Sid (Akshaye Khanna), a painter who is shown the most sensible of the trio, though he too is infected by the love bug when he falls for a woman much older than him.

The movie begins in the waiting room of a hospital with Sid and Sam remembering the good old days. The story goes in flashback and many beautiful scenes follow. The farewell party of college where Akash creates a scene when he proposes Shalini (Preity Zinta); the fabulous trip to Goa and the roadster drive and the fish eating scene in the title track! (Coincidently, the movie also has Kiran Rao, aka Mrs Amir khan in one of the shots in Goa. She was assisting him with the movie back then.); Sam’s little affair with a foreigner who robs him in his own hotel room also leaves you laughing out loud!

Pic source:Google search

Sam and Sid discover love in their own style. While Sam, who usually finds love in every second girl he meets falls in love eventually with a girl his parents choose for him. But just like his confused self, love also comes to him after a lot of confusion. (And only after he dances in typical retro style to the song “Wo ladki hai kahan”…the song that gave us the famous “Bird dance” step!)

Pic source:Google search

As for Sid, he finds his love in Tara (Dimple Kapadia), a lady much older than him. Love is evident in his eyes as he makes a beautiful portrait of hers and takes her out for dinner on her birthday. But his feelings aren’t understood by his friends and even his own mother, for they fear the relationship wil die a natural death due to age gap and Tara being a divorcee with an alcohol problem. This even creates a rift between friends when Akash makes fun of Sid’s love.

Pic source:Google search

The friends go their own ways with Sid immersing himself into painting (after being rejected by his lady love) and Akash going to Australia to manage his father’s business.

Destiny, however has different plans for Akash. The same person who considers love a fallacy, eventually falls in love with a girl who is engaged to someone else. The scenes shot in Sydney are lovely (the roller coaster ride scene) and the director beautifully shows how a fun loving Akash slowly understands that thing called love during an Opera show, but prefers to hide his feelings under layers of humour. 

Pic source:Google search

Pic source:Google search

Eventually it is crisis that brings back the buddies together and they untangle the knots in each other’s life.

Pic source:Google search

The movie has awesome music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy that will make you keep pressing the repeat button! I loved every track, especially “Kaisi hai ye rut”, “Jane Kyon” and “Tanhayee”

Excellent direction, music, story and act, no wonder the movie won the 2002 National Film Award for the best feature film in Hindi.

If you have already seen Dil Chahta Hai, go for it and relive some beautiful old memories. If you haven’t, well you are missing something!

Chennai Express - Get on the train baby, but leave behind your brain baby!

I usually got for movies when I have heard good enough about them – and by good enough, I mean good story/power packed performance/soul stirring music/superior screenplay etc etc. So when I had to justify Mr. Hubby why I suddenly wanted to watch Chennai Express, a movie I was all frowns for since the promos began, it was a tough one. I had ignored all the hype and publicity, however, when every morning, the Radio Jockeys told of new records being broken, I wondered what it was that was doing so well for the movie. So, while majority of the crowd outside the theatre jostled to get their “Madras Café” tickets this Saturday, I quietly asked the staff at the ticket window for my Chennai Express ticket.

Must appreciate SRK for playing his age…has tried everything, his lucky name Rahul, heavy duty promotion, even Yo yo Honey Singh  to get the movie on with the aam junta. The middle aged grandson of a famous Mithai shop sets out on a journey from Mumbai to immerse his grandfather’s ashes in Rameshwaram…just one twist…this Rameshwaram is actually Goa. One lie leads to the other and to keep his grandmother’s faith he even boards the Chennai Express (although he plans to get down at the next station and join his childhood buddies on an all guy trip to Goa!). In comes Meenalochini (Deepika Padukone), with her beautiful South Indian accent and equally dangerous Don connection and  Rahul’s life changes forever. The chain of events sees him forced to accompany Meena and her bhai log to her village.

What happens next is a series of humorous moments, songs, and some emotional scenes to get the story going. The Sri Lanka boat scene and the marriage ritual scene reminded me of essays we had to write in exams – there used to be a minimum and a maximum word limit. Perhaps the Director too had to display his "Bhakwaas" ideas for full 141 minutes. So while there were some good scenes, there was no shortage of redundant scenes the director filled up all across by bribing the editor.

Boy meets girl, gets trapped in her don father’s territory because of her one lie, runs away, comes back, runs away again, this time with the girl…some age old senti moments, one song here and there…a climax with some action…typical SRK emotional drama with a frequent “Chennnaiiiiiii..Chennai Express as if to remind u of the movie name to cover up the weak grip of the story….u feel motivated? Well, I don’t.

If I write more about the story, there won’t be any motivation left for you to watch the movie. So lemme jump on to the good part…yes there was a good part to the movie as well. And that was Deepika. She has been a lucky mascot for SRK (Om Shanti Om, Billu). This time, the leggy lass outshone the king khan with her full clad girl next door look and a very cute South Indian accent. It was a treat to watch her utter dialogues in the typical accent and sing across the messages to an amused SRK in Bollywood parodies.

Music is good, atleast worth donning the phone playlist till some new blockbuster comes in.

I know most of u, like me would have already watched the movie, to see what the hype is all about, or worse still, due to shortage of good releases recently. But for those who haven’t seen yet, I suggest u can wait and catch the movie when TV channels decide to purchase the rights.

So, get on the train baby, but leave behind your brain baby!

Enjoy the movie while your mind relaxes back home!

And no prizes for guessing my favorite scene from the movie…

“Kahan se laye tum aiseee Bhakwaas dictionary?” Mr. Hubby and I have been forcefully garnishing our sentences with the customery “Bhakwaas”..:)

My rating: 2/5

Fukrey is total entertainment Re…

(A super delayed post…but didn’t want to miss this one as I loved the movie)

What do I say about the movie…

An unusual title, an unknown cast,

But when I saw the movie, I was left aghast!

Yep, that’s Fukey for u…2.5 hrs of total fun! A movie that emerged with no big expectations yet made its presence felt amidst the heavyweights.

The story of 4 Fukras has many laugh till u drop moments. A story which could have easily fallen pray to the drag bug has been well managed by the Director Mrigdeep Singh Lamba.

Dreams drive the whole story, beginning with the dreams of the 4 Fukras to make it big, their sprint on the wrong highway to achieve their dreams, a nightmare by the name Bholi Punjaban (Richa Chadha) & finally, like all good Hindi movies, the happy ending with the dreams coming true….so, its all about dreams.

All the Fukras are in a race to follow their dreams – Hunny (Pulkit Samrat) & Choocha (Varun Sharma) with their dream of going to a cool college with hot galz; Lali (Manjot Singh) with his dream of joining his childhood crush in her college & Zafar (Ali Fazal) with his dream to make his mark in the industry. Choocha with his gifted dreams is Hunny’s golden Hen. Hunny decodes the dreams to come up with lottery number & the result is 100% money assured with the lottery ticket seller banging his head in frustration. Just that their 100% result doesn’t get replicated in their school results & they both lookout for easy and assured way to land up in the college of their dreams.

In comes Panditji (Pankaj Tripathi), the ordinary college gatekeeper with his extraordinary links and operations. Panditji assures them admission provided they arrange for the moolah…but Fukras are Fukras, so he guides them to Bholi Punjaban, the lady don who decides to fund their lottery deal. A heavy meal, lullaby on guitar, perfect seva by his friends, everything was set for Choocha to see that golden dream that was to change their life forever. The dream does change their life, but in the reverse gear…as Choocha is unable to sleep that night in excitement & cooks up a false dream that bombs at the lottery counter.

What follows then is a comical account of how the Fukras try to save themselves the wrath of Bholi Punjaban…a rave party, police, lot of run around and some funny stupid moments that keep the audience well entertained.

Choocha with his funny look & dumb personality brings about maximum punches that leave u laughing out loud.

After a small cameo in Oye Lucky Lucky Oye, Manjot Singh has finally got his break and has done a good job as the typical Delhi guy desperate to shed his correspondence B Com image and hob nob within the cool campus crowd!

Richa Chadha although has done full justice to the character of Bholi Punjaban, but I was left wondering if she likes the word “versatility”. The big mouth desi woman is a job she does well in every second movie she signs up. However, if u want to stay here for long, u need to evolve my dear…

“Get inside the role”….seems Ali Fazal took these words too seriously in his role as the shy Zafar, coz after a while the other actors take all the attention as well as the meaty dialogues. Seems u didn’t get Biryani for the Director, Ali.

In her small role, Priya Anand leaves u impressed with her perfect portrayal of the Delhi girl next door.

Ram Sampat has struck the right chords with the title track & the song Ambarsariya (sung by his wife Sona Mohapatra).

A nice one time watch, u will love Fukrey, especially if u are a Delhiite. Shot entirely Delhi, it has the local flavor that a Dilliwala can relate to – so when a smackie thief steals the cylinder from Lali’s bike while he is striking deal with Babaji in Gurudwara, a dillliwala can understand and smile.

And now for my favorite scene from the movie –

Hunny & Choocha in their desperate attempts to make some money to escape the punishment of Bholi Punjaban, decide to perform at a local Jagran. Hunny plays Durga mata ka Sher while Choocha happily dons a peacock’s costume. The Lion makes a grand entry at the right time in the Jagran & impresses the crowd. But the peacock is attacked by local street dogs & leaves the audience waiting, even as the Jagran singer repeatedly highlights the word “mor” (Peacock) in the song to call the peacock. I was just holding my stomach and laughing!

3/5 from me...

Bhag Milkha Bhaag, Box office pe lagaa de Aag

I had been eagerly waiting for this one. There’s something about biopics that give you a kick, hard enough to bring some action in our otherwise mundane lives. Years ago, I saw I saw Chak De while preparing for CAT exam. Then came Paan Singh Tomar which left Mr. Hubby & me with a village dialect only the 2 of us could converse in! So, I was waiting with bated breath as to what Bhag Milkha Bhag would do to us. And it surely did. What? Well, you gotta read my take on the movie first.

Bhag Milkha Bhag is a sincere effort by the director to serve simple story of The heroic flying Sikh to the masala hungry audience. While on most occasions he has managed to weave emotions with rush of adrenaline moments, there are sequences which should have come under the scissor of the editor. Keep it short and sweet. But a Director who has doled out masterpiece like Rang De Basanti surely knows his act right. So just when you feel the movie is getting slow, the wisely chosen starcast pull it off with finesse. While Farhan  Khan’s performance speaks for itself, watch out for power packed performance by Art Malik, Master Japtej Singh (who plays the young Milkha), Divya Dutta(plays Milkha’s sister) & Pavan Malhotra (who plays Milkha’s coach).

As the movie began with the 1960 Olympics and quickly got layered in flashbacks, I was hoping the Director would return with the sequence in the later half. But rather than sulking about the lost glory, the movie takes an optimistic turn and showcases the struggle of a man who lost everything yet had the grit to take on any challenge. Be it the challenge to survive in the 1947 rights, the challenge to outdo the reigning athletics champion or overcoming the inertia of the past to travel to Pakistan for friendly sports series.

While Mikha’s stint during the Army training leave you laughing, the brother sister moments are performed flawless enough to moist your eyes. The director making a guest appearance as captain of the aircraft reminded me of Subhash Ghai movies where he too used to appear 2-3 min guest appearances.

It in only after the interval that you start looking for something to keep you hooked on. But that’s how biopics are – not for the masses but the classes.

Sonam Kapoor plays the girl next door to the best of her bandwidth, which sadly is cut short to make way for the Australian girl Stella (Rebecca Breeds).  The first song with Sonam-Farhan feels like a gush of fresh air however, from then onwards, their chemistry gets boring and you can’t help but wait helplessly for the next frame to save the movie.

I was super excited to see Meesha Shafi (of Coke Studio Pakistan fame) in a Bollywood movie. Alas, before I could understand what she was there to do, she was gone! We need some more dialogues next time Meesha!

Art Malik was a surprise package. Despite being a Pakistani British actor, he has done full justice to the role. One can make out that he is enjoying every scene to the fullest – the recipe for a perfect act!

Some scenes like the scene where Milkha wins a race despite being badly injured are signature Bollywood style. You know for sure they are there just to give our hero, some steroid dozes of super heroism!  But when Prasoon Joshi has to tell a biography Bollywood style, you can expect melodrama here and there!

I loved the songs "Zinda", "Havan" and "Mera Yaar"(yet another masterpiece by Arif Lohar)

All in all a good movie sans the occasional drags. Don’t draw comparisons with serious cinema like Paan Singh tomar or you will be disappointed as this is Bollywood genre altogether. Go for it and get inspired by the real hero himself with his real stunts and real struggles!

As for the effect of the movie on Mr. Hubby & I, we took 4 full rounds around Lodi Garden (with some sprint as well!). That was some effect indeed!

And now for my favorite part from the movie –

No hero waale dialogues, the never say die Milkha Singh doesn’t know how to say no and accept defeat. And so when his coach challenges him to defeat the reigning champion, Milkha without a moment of hesitation or doubt, says “Aahoji!” (Punjabi for “yes”). The confidence in his voice yet the simplicity in his words make it a perfect scene (you will have to see the movie to understand the spirit)

3.5/5 from me.

Song review – Lat Lag Gayee (Race II)

Mr hubby & I are poles apart in our choice of movie songs. I am a retro while he is a metro & loves to try out new things. I feel like an antique piece when hubby & niece discuss the latest songs. But that’s the beauty of being married. The best of both come together & we are an amazing Antakshari team.

Few days ago, he called me up & was humming this song in some ‘”Uh uh uh aaaa yey” I was like “you fine?” He then said it was the latest hottest number from Race 2. He usually updates the old fashioned me however he was all praises for Jaqueline Fernandes. As the wife in me fumed inside, I hid the smoke & lovingly said “Sure baby, will check it out”.

I must admit I usually think all men just like women with less clothes & probably that’s why he was all praises for Jaqualine. But one look at the song & it proved me wrong. The lady is doing all she can to make her mark in Bollywood & the efforts do show. Here’s the song...

It’s the first time that I looked at a song &  noticed the girl more than the guy. Hey! Before u jump on to conclusions, I’m perfectly norrrmal. But look at Saif in the song. He doesn't look normal. He needs some lessons from his new begum on looking young (he can try by throwing that cigarette) and  being more stylish. Once look at the song & he is looking the oldest odd one out in the entire cast. Mr. Casting Director, poor Jackie is making so much efforts to brighten up, at least do justice to her by casting some young actor! I know u compensated for Saif’s fee by cost cutting in Jackie’s clothes. But I just loved her green mini skirt & the overall look.

Overall, the song is a treat & I couldn't help but tap my feet to the amazing techno beats. Shalmali Kholgale has done full justice with her attitude waala voice & has proven her versatility after songs like Pareshaan (Ishaqzade). Full marks to the choreographer for getting the steps right with Jackie, specially the finger on the lips step which caught immediate attention of Mr. Hubby. However, Saif could have done more than just jumping on the fragile dance floor (thump, thump, thump!) & his same old blank face, trying to give the same old macho looks.

4 on 5 from me for the song. The one point has been deducted due to the Chhote Nawab, else everything is flawless.  Maybe its time Saif focuses more on pleasing his Begum than romancing actresses who look much younger than him…