Kapoor Khazana! Ranbir's Item Number?

Item songs are not just for sexy women anymore and the latest hunk to join the item number party is Ranbir Kapoor for the upcoming flick Chillar Party. The video starts off with a group of school children asking "Ranbir Bhaiyya" to do an item number for their movie. Ranbir agrees and the tapori style "Tai Tai Phiss" begins.

This video is pretty bad as far as item numbers go. However, the song itself is actually kind of wonderful. "Tai Tai Phiss" is super catchy, funny, yet danceable--all winning ingredients in my book. The video itself just seems lazy. To me, item numbers are special because of their creativity, interesting sets ("Dard-e-Disco"), immaculate choreography ("Ishq Kamina"), and the sexy star ("Munni"). "Tai Tai Phiss" pretty much has none of these qualities (yes Ranbir is hot, but not as he's shown here!). What we pretty much get is Ranbir dancing in front of a screen. How creative.

The set looks like it's been reused from "Right Here Right Now," just cheapened. Add in those less than spectacular "special effects" and you've pretty much got yourself a joke. Call me superficial, but where's all the glitz and glamor of a true item number? By the end of the song, I had the same reaction as those school children.

Ok so if this video is so terrible, then why is it a Kapoor Khazana? Because the saving grace of this whole charade is Ranbir Kapoor. Despite the lame set and what seems like a lack of effort, Ranbir Kapoor was brilliant in this song. Don't watch this song for a sexy Ranbir, but watch it for his hilarious expressions and even more hilarious dancing. Ranbir is acting a fool, but you can tell he doesn't care making his performance all the more enjoyable to watch.

Kapoor Khazana! Kareena the Fashion Icon

Kapoor Khazana month  continues!

Ever since her debut in 2000, Kareena Kapoor's filmi fashions have been some of the most memorable, if not influential, to her audiences. Her outfits have either started real world trends, or just shocked us (in both good ways and bad!) In 2008, Kareena also became the first Indian actress to launch her own clothing line  No matter what, Bebo's outfits are usually the ones to remember. Here are some of Kareena's outfits that were the personally the most memorable for me.

 It was really hard to pick just one Kareena look from her infamous character Poo in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) so I went ahead and picked the outfit she was first introduced in. This outfit is the definition of diva (as was her character): pink jacket, mini skirt, sparkly tube top, and a fur scarf to top it off. Let's not forget those colored sunglasses that were oh so in style back then. Kareena's outfits in this movie were undoubtedly meant to represent the "modern" girl, with her skimpy tops and even skimpier bottoms. It was modern enough back then, but looking back it's just the epitome of 90s fashion--which just makes the whole thing even better, dontcha think?

 This look was from the adorable song "Eli Re Eli" from Yaadein (2001). I'm pretty sure that after watching this song I went around for at least a week with my hair in pigtails, and wearing any purple shirt I could find. Lavender became (and still is) my favorite color around this time, and now I'm wondering if this song could've had any influence on that. This look was normal enough, but somehow managed to make an impression on me.

 Ah, Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon (2003). The movie with the talking cartoon bird. The movie was a little ridiculous but I always enjoyed the songs, including this one--"Bani Bani" and arguably the most beautiful red lehnga I have ever seen (I tend to hate red in Indian wear, for the record). Kareena looked magnificent in it and for a while afterward, I insisted on buying myself tikka forehead jewelry, just because Kareena looked so bomb in it. 

I also went through a lime green phase at one point. And this green kurti Kareena wears in the song "Let's Do Balle Balle" from Fida (2004) just screamed out to me. I loved everything from the color to the sleeves on this top and wanted something just like it (I never found it). I think this outfit was the perfect fusion between traditional filmi and modern filmi. It wasn't a sari but it wasn't skimpy halter top either. It had all the glitz and glamor of Bollywood but with a western twist.

Don (2006) was full of great fashion and Kareena's character was no exception. She played the small but pivotal role of Kamini and sizzled in this gold dress in the item song remake "Yeh Mera Dil." Kareena looks sexy, curvy, yet sophisticated in this glamorous gold number. If I had somewhere to wear this dress (and if I could pull it off) I totally would. But it seems like this dress would only be appropriate for seducing Don ;)

Only Bhatinda ki Geet from Jab We Met (2007) would wear such an outfit: a long t-shirt paired with a Patiala salwar. As ridiculous as it sounds, it clearly worked out amazingly as this fashion trend apparently became a craze among youth in India when the film came out. The outfit fit Geet's careless, free-spirited, and modern character perfectly. She also sports a similar look in parts of Golmaal 3 (2010). Generally, it's the perfect look for the modern Indian ladki. And it's just plain cute! Kareena's "Mauja Hi Mauja" outfit from this same film also made quite a splash, as I discussed in a previous Kapoor Khazana post.

Here we see little Bebo all grown up as she plays Avantika, a psychology professor in the film Kurbaan (2009). Her look was perfect for an Indian intellectual living and teaching in the United States.With her long Jaipuri-style skirts with churidar pants underneath and her beautiful paisley scarfs, Kareena embodies the character of a progressive Indian woman. Kareena's makeup was also done beautifully in the film. I took inspiration from her thick, winged eyeliner. Sounds simple enough, but hers was just divine.

From Desi diva in 2001 to geek chic in 2009's 3 Idiots. Kareena's look has surely matured as she plays med student Pia in this blockbuster film. The nerdy, yet sophisticated glasses paired with a tinge of Desi adaa (the nose ring) make for one sexy (future) doctor. Loves it!

As you can see, Kareena Kapoor is extremely versatile in her fashion and is able to pull off almost anything. Her looks have also progressed along with the times allowing her to fully adapt to each of the characters she plays. As of now, my favorite Kareena look is the one from Kurbaan (don't tell my 12 year old, pigtail wearing self). What's yours?

Kapoor Khazana! Bebo in Wax?!

June is  Kapoor Khazana month in the Bolly blogosphere, which means a lot of us Bolly fans get together to write in celebration of the notorious Kapoor khandan. So be sure to check out all the Kapoor Khazana posts this month. My first post is about my favorite Kapoor: the wonderful Kareena! And how fitting that it be about an actual Kapoor khazana!

There were rumors. Then they were debunked. And now they've resurfaced. But the lovely Bebo is supposedly being honored with a prestigious wax statue at the world-famous Madame Tussaud's museum. There has been some uproar regarding the issue. Does Kareena, who's been in the film industry for a little over 10 years, actually deserve a statue? Especially considering some veteran actresses who've clearly been overlooked (Madhuri Dixit, Juhi Chawla, Kajol, etc.)? My answer is yes!

There's no question that all the aforementioned actresses do deserve a spot in Madam Tussaud's hall of fame. But I still believe Kareena is a pretty good choice considering her appeal today. Bebo is one of the few Bollywood actresses that appeals to both older, traditional audiences and younger, modern audiences. She's not too new in the industry, nor is she too old (and Bollywood's definition of "old" for actresses is quite rigid), and she has admittedly made her mark in Bollywood as one of the most successful actresses of today. Why not honor her with a statue?

During her career, Kareena has played a variety of different roles within a variety of different genres. Within the first year or so in the film industry, she appeared in one of the biggest Bollywood blockbusters of all time: Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. Even as part of an ensemble cast, starring among the likes of Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Kajol, and more, Kareena managed to remain memorable in the film, not letting herself be overshadowed by these big names. Her iconic character "Poo," though over the top, is still quoted by Bolly lovers. Kareena also appeared in a number of critically acclaimed films such as Dev, Chameli, Yuva, and Omkara, further grounding her status as a talented and accomplished actress.
Aside from K3G, Kareena has starred in a slew of superhit Hindi films like Don, Jab We Met, and 3 Idiots to name a few. To date, Kareena has won 6 Filmfare awards for her various performances. Not bad for an 11 year career. 

For someone who's accomplished so much in such a short time frame, I think a wax statue of Bebo is completely fitting! Now. I wonder how they are gonna style her? If it were up to me, she'd be wearing this iconic costume from "Mauja Hi Mauja." Popularly referred to as "Kareena Kapoor pants" during the time, Bebo single-handedly brought harem pants back in style for a short period around 2007. Probably because she looked sizzling in them! Jab We Met was also arguably the turning point in Kareena's career, so I think dressing her in an homage to that movie would be perfect. If not this, then an elegant sari would be best I think (Or perhaps her "Bole Chudiyan" outfit?! Sighhh).

I think Bebo herself really is a Kapoor Khazana, so she really does deserve this great honor. The wax statue will reportedly be unveiled in mid-August. I mean, what are we waiting for...Christmas?