Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Obsessed: Kareena's Outfit in "Dil Mera Muft Ka"

Earlier this month, Bollyfans went abuzz when trailers for Kareena Kapoor's much talked about mujra in Agent Vinod came out. While most were probably paying attention to the song and dance, I for one was oggling over her beautiful outfit!.

It was hard to find pictures that do justice to it, so I suggest watching the video to get the full effect. I love everything about the outfit. The color, style, and most importantly how good it looks on Kareena. With a bit of a modern twist on the mujra, this outfit is sexy without being trashy. 

Interestingly, the suit looks pink in the video, but red in most pictures. Not sure what the real color is, but the pink is simply ravishing. Red would be a bit too harsh, in my opinion (though she did pull it off in Chammak Challo). 
 
I already wrote about how much of a fashion icon Kareena is, so will this Anarkali look go down in history and start another trend? Well I definitely think the Anarkali style will be creeping its way back into mainstream Indian fashion after this number. Kareena strikes once again.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Countdown: 5 Romantic Bollywood Songs

In celebration of Valentine's Day I've decided to do a quick countdown of my top 5 favorite romantic Bollywood songs. I'm not very well-versed in older movies, so some of those evergreen hits that most know and love are missing from this list. I also tried really hard to not create a list solely comprised of Shahrukh Khan songs. But what can I do if I personally equate Shahrukh with romance?

Without further adieu...

 5. "Ek Duje Ke Vaaste" from Dil To Pagal Hai (1997)
Who knew that one of my all time favorite romantic trac would be an opening credits song? Everything about this song screams cute. From the dialogue about love to the actual lyrics of the song, "Ek Duje Ke Vaaste" is just dreamy. And is it just me or does anyone else get goosebumps at the first bout of music when the "Dil To Pagal Hai" letters appear?

4. "Aankhon Ki Gustakhiyan" from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999)
The coyness of this song is what's most appealing. In a word, this song is playful but undoubtedly romantic. The dynamic between Aishwarya Rai and Salman Khan is super fun to watch, as their chemistry is undeniable. The lyrics of the song are also beautiful and alluring.

3. "O Re Piya" from Aaja Nachle (2007)
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan completely and truly owns this song. To me, the picturization is a bit so-so, but the song itself is one of the best of recent times. It's soothing and not too fancy or fake sounding. It's a song where I feel I can actually hear the instruments--a nice break from the normal autotuned voices of today!

2. "Main Yahaan Hoon" from Veer Zaara (2004)
How can you not melt when watching this song? It's one of the most romantic songs from one of the most romantic movies. It's a song about a man who promises to always be there for the woman. Who wouldn't want that? It's the perfect Valentine's Day tune, no matter your relationship status. And it's one that I can listen to over and over again, no matter the day.

1. "Suraj Hua Maddham" from Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001)
 "Suraj Hua Maddham" encompasses it all. It's sweet, sexy, romantic, beautiful, and I can go on and on. I think the reason I love this song with all my heart is because of its subtleties. It's subtly sexy, romantic, etc. The lyrics are wonderful, picturization is perfect, and it features one of the top jodis of all time. A little over 10 years later, and this song still feels fresh and new. And this is definitely one of Shahrukh's top song-performances ever.

Bollywood and romance go hand in hand, and these five songs prove that point. And if you love Bollywood, chances are that you also love...love! So no matter what you're doing this Valentine's Day, take a moment to listen to a romantic Bollywood song.

What are some of your favorites? I'm sure I've missed some.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

"Sh*t Bollywood Says"


So all the "Sh*t ___ Says" videos were getting really old, uninteresting, predictable, etc. Until I came across this one a couple days ago. It's HILARIOUS. Take everything, of course, with a grain of salt.

The best part about this is how spot on the accents are. And of course, loving that dig at Katrina Kaif ;) It looks like the actor in this is someone named Waseem Shaikh, who does a phenomenal job. The editing and presentation is also really good--not ghetto like most of the others.

Take a look and enjoy! Oh, and turn on closed captioning for English subtitles, if needed.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Movie Review: Don 2

Starring: Shahrukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra
Director: Farhan Akhtar
Original Release Date: December 23, 2011

*No Spoilers*

If you ask me whether Don 2 was better than Don, I probably wouldn't be able to give you an answer. Because it was a remake, the element of surprise in the first Don wouldn't be possible in any other installment of Don. Therefore this sequel stands on its own.

I'd been waiting almost five years for this movie. After Don, I just knew there had to be a sequel. Five long years later, we finally have it. And it was pretty much everything I could have asked for. I feel like I shouldn't go into too much of a synopsis, in fear of killing it for anyone who hasn't seen it (is there really anyone who hasn't seen it?). I'll stick to being vague.

Shahrukh Khan's entrance in this film is bomb (pun intended). Seriously, it was goosebump inducing and almost comparable to his Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham helicopter entrance. Simply powerful. I was also worried about the long hair when I initially saw stills, but he pulls it off oh so well.

The story is an interesting one, and one that brings Don and Vardaan back together. It feels well thought out rather than simply thrown together. Loose ends seem to actually get tied up as well. And, don't worry, there are enough twists and turns in the story to keep you at the edge of your seat.

Shahrukh is simply flawless in this movie. Brilliant acting, brilliant styling, brilliant everything. He seems young(er) and fresh, yet polished. At 46, the man has maintained himself well enough to act with a costar almost 17 years younger than him. Speaking of said costar, Priyanka Chopra is beautiful but largely underwhelming in the film. This could be blamed on lack of character development for Roma, or the overpowering nature of Don's character. (Or maybe I was just too busy paying attention to Shahrukh!)

As for new characters, Lara Dutta was cute but didn't really have a whole lot to do. I would be more annoyed about the lack of impactful female "presence" in Don 2, but we all know that this movie simply revolves around Don--as it should. Kunal Kapoor does a great job in his role.

So the story was good, characters were good, what about music? I think I was the lone wolf who loved the Don 2 soundtrack before viewing the film. After seeing all the tracks in context I further realized what a phenomenal soundtrack it is. "Zaraa Dil Ko Thaam Lo" is easily the best of the batch, and picturization is superb. I also love "Dushman Mera" but the picturization of this one (shown at the end) is just...weird. "Hai Ye Maya" goes well with the film. Unfortunately, "Mujhko Pehchaan Lo" which is a truly great track, was not included in the film.

Another great aspect of Don 2? The action. That's all I can say. The action sequences in this movie are truly a highlight and show how far Bollywood has come in this respect. No more "dishoom dishoom"-- the action in Don 2 is simply at another level.

I had only one real gripe with Don 2. In the first Don, Don's character was very dark and sadistic--almost creepy. I missed that element in the sequel. While Don's character is still dark, that creepy "I enjoy killing" attitude just isn't there. Even so, this is only a minor complaint in light of the amazingness that is Don 2.

Easily the best movie of 2011. And a slap in the face to those who say that Shahrukh Khan is losing his fire.

Final Verdict: 9.5/10