Forthcoming: Heroine

Okay, after watching this trailer, words cannot express how ecstatic I am that it's Kareena Kapoor doing this film instead of Aishwarya Rai. Mostly because this movie is perfect for Kareena. (And I also never really liked Aish, but that's beside the point.)

As anyone with a Bollypulse probably knows, Heroine is a forthcoming film directed by Madhur Bhandarkar and starring Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal. The movie is supposed to expose the "realities" of a the Hindi film industry. I know. As a Madhur Bhandarkar film, this is completely shocking.

Really though, I know this is nothing new. And I know this pretty much looks like a Fashion version 2.0 (complete with the same Mughda Godse). Nevertheless, I am so unbelievably excited for this movie. One small part of it is that I've always loved movies about Bollywood (Khoya Khoya Chand, Om Shanti Om, Luck By Chance, etc.)  The other part of it is that Kareena is a powerhouse and I know this movie will be good because of her.

Now to the trailer. Kareena looks, needless to say, ravishing. Is it too much for me to say that she might be becoming the new Queen Bee of Bollywood? If this movie does well, that may very well be the case. My other favorite part of the trailer was, but of course, the item song. The snippets we see of "Halkat Jawaani" are amazing, and the song is already stuck in my head. I can't wait for the music of this movie to release.

Even though this is definitely a topic that has been covered before, Heroine still looks bold, interesting, and best of all--glitzy. And this exactly how I like my Bollywood to be.

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.

Movie Review: Ra.One

Starring: Shahrukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Armaan Verma
Director: Anubhav Sinha
Original Release Date: October 26, 2011

*No Spoilers*

I rushed to see Ra.One in theaters on opening weekend. So I've had quite some time to contemplate the film and finalize my feelings for it. In general, Ra.One will not appeal to the typical Bolly-goer, but is a wonderful film for those who choose to appreciate it.

Ra.One was heavily, heavily promoted and talked about, so expectations were bound to be sky-high. The project was ambitious, unique, and...expensive! It may not have lived up to many folks' expectations, but the film should not be written off. Shahrukh Khan single-handedly took Indian superhero cinema from lame (Krrish) to lavish.

Shahrukh Khan initally stars as Shekhar Subranmaniam, a goofy Tamil fellow who pines for his young son's approval. Though you may gag at the wig, Shahrukh plays this character flawlessly (do we expect anything less from the man?). His South Indian accent is spot on, and you can't help laugh at and feel sorry for Shekhar at the same time. Add in the wacky Shekhar grooving to Akon's "Criminal" track, and everything is golden.

Shekhar is married to the scholarly, yet beautiful Sonia (Kareena) and they have a young video game loving son Prateek (Armaan). To win his son's affection, Shekhar designs a video game to appeal especially to him. Kareena is likeable in the film, but doesn't seem to be an integral aspect of it. Armaan is wonderful as Prateek, despite the horrible hair (I was convinced he was a girl in real life to be honest).

Now, to fast forward the plot without spoiling anything: stuff happens, the villain in the video game (Ra.One) comes to life and goes after Prateek, and SRK becomes G.One. Arjun Rampal is perfect as Ra.One, but his lack of screen time was pretty disappointing.

Sounds weird, right? It is! But that's almost the fun of it. The plot is pretty much implausible...but isn't this a movie geared towards children and sci-fi fans? Since when is Superman plausible? Or even Koi Mil Gaya?

Needless to say, the plot lends itself to tons and tons of action. And let me say, the action sequences and special effects in this movie are AWESOME. I also saw it in 3D, making the whole experience even more amazing. The superior effects alone allow this movie to compete on an international scale.

The biggest challenge for a movie like Ra.One is to successfully blend the Bollywood with upscale action and science fiction--without cheapening the effect. Here is where Ra.One excels. We get our Bollywood flavor with goofy Indian humor and masala dance sequences like Chammak Challo but action and adventure is clearly the dominant theme in the movie. Sure, some of the action sequences may have gone a bit overboard (like the one where G.One and Sonia first arrive in India), but the humor of it almost made it worth it.

I'm not saying Ra.One was a perfect movie. It, of course, had its flaws. The plot could have used some tightening, some of the action scenes could have used some trimming, and for God's sake we wanted more Arjun Rampal!

Despite the flaws, Ra.One broke some major boundaries. It was the first sci-fi Bollywood film that wasn't completely cheesy and didn't completely lose its Bollywood roots--a difficult feat in and of itself. The movie also didn't give the audience exactly what it craved: a Shekhar-Sonia love story. While that would've been entertaining, including a love story would have simply distracted from the father-son story, and would've added that "typical" and predictable element into the film. The special effects, the action, the budget, and the sheer extravagance of the film was something never before seen in Bollywood. And perhaps audiences simply weren't ready for how different this film was and tried to be.

Simply put, Ra.One was entertaining. Who's gonna love it? Children, sci-fi fans, international audiences, and SRK die-hards. Who's gonna hate it? Probably everyone else. But in a world where a movie like Ready is a blockbuster, I guess I can't expect much more.

Final Verdict: 7.5/10

Ra.One: The Second Poster

I know, I know I haven't been very timely lately. Ra.One posters, promos, and songs have been making a whirlwind around me and I have nothing to say? Not possible. It seems like the promo videos are getting most of the attention, so that the newest poster has slipped under many radars. Let us examine:

* O hayyy Shahrukh!!! Nice abs! Even if they are probably computer generated, he's looks great.

* Finally! We're getting more Kareena exposure. Is it just me or does she look wayyyy skinnier than she actually is? Probably more photoshopping magic, but she also looks pretty good. Only Kareena can manage to look ravishing in an injured state.

* Does that outfit look familiar? Looks like Chammak Challo is going to lead into some crazy action sequence. Either that, or this poster actually has nothing to do with the movie's story.

* The background looks like Hogwarts. Just sayin'.

* My other reaction to the background was that it looks like a video game. Then I read part of the synopsis and realized that it makes sense (I refuse to read the entire synopsis--what's the fun in that?!)

* "Haan farishtey hote hain..." Getting senti, are we?

* What's up with all this blue blood we keep seeing? I just hope it's not some terrible metaphor.

* WHERE IS ARJUN RAMPAL?!!!!!!!!! :(

This movie is looking more promising with each preview.

Chammak Challo--full on!

Clearly on yesterday's post, I spoke too soon because here is a full 90 second promo of "Chammak Challo" from Ra.One!

Ok so I can't be the only one who's first reaction to this preview was "WTF." That Bharatnatyam by Shahrukh at the beginning really threw me off...and actually kind of scared me. But I quickly got over it because the rest of the promo is AWESOME.

I stand by pretty much everything I said about the 15 second teaser in my previous post. SRK and Kareena both look divine. I'm still getting used to the choreography of the whole thing but, hey, at least it's interesting.

Now on to the big issue--the lip synching. I admit, it's a little weird. Akon's voice doesn't really match Shahrukh...EXCEPT for the Hindi portions, which really do work. And by the time you get to the (extremely well pronounced) Hindi, you forget that SRK really just said "shawty." I do think it would've been best if Akon made an actual appearance in the song though. Also, where did the female voice come from? That definitely was not in the leaked version! I like it though. The female voice meshes with Akon's really well.

My favorite part of the trailer was what it revealed about Ra.One as a whole--it's actually going to be funny! That's something I wasn't really expecting. But this trailer shows that the movie is definitely going to have its goofy moments. And goofy is something Shahrukh definitely does best.

Ra.One: The Shortest Teaser Ever

Here's a teaser in true teaser fashion--a mere 15 second glimpse into arguably the most hyped up song (and movie) of the year. An early version of "Chammak Challo," sung by Akon, was leaked on the Internet a few months ago and ever since then, we've all been dying to know exactly how the song will be picturized. So it's only 15 seconds. At least it's something.

My first thought upon watching this (besides watching the time quickly run down) was how completely breathtaking Kareena looks. I was pretty surprised at the Indian-ness of her get-up. But her traditional look is so sexy! Then of course there's SRK, who looks as dashing as ever. We don't get a close up of him, but his hair is perfection. Seriously.

One of the things I was concerned about when "Chammak Challo" leaked was whether Shahrukh would actually be lip synching to the song--and how ridiculous that would be. From this trailer, it kind of seems like he is lip synching to it, but somehow it's not that bad! And on an unrelated note, the beat of this song is totally hot.

As time goes on, I'm feeling better and better about Ra.One. =D

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?

Ra.One Theatrical Trailer!

I am so incredibly conflicted right now. After watching this much awaited theatrical trailer for Shahrukh Khan's Ra.One I don't know what to think. The SRK fangirl in me loves everything about it. But the critic in me is very afraid that this movie could end up a disaster. Yikes!

This trailer, like the previous two teasers, still reveals very little about the film--which I think might be the problem. This theatrical trailer has no dialogue. It's simply a mash-up of glossy action scenes set to some (very good) background music. We, as an audience, get few clues about the plot and characters. We got a slight glimpse of Kareena (finally!) but nothing about Ra.One (Arjun Rampal). Most sources are saying that the Ra.One character won't be revealed before the movie. Is that really the best tactic?

I really hated the last superhero film to come out from Bollywood (Krrish) because of the lukewarm plot and the childish execution of the entire movie itself. Will Ra.One be any different? These trailers aren't giving me enough information to make a judgment! Most films use the best parts of their movies for the previews in order to draw audiences in. So will Ra.One be all action and no content/substance?

My inner SRK fan is just gawking over Shahrukh and marveling at how good he looks. I'm also relatively impressed with the actions and special effects. A lot of people are concerned that the movie seems too Hollywood-ized. I don't think that's such a bad thing in this instance. I have to admit, Hollywood has refined its special effects and action sequences. So if superior action/special effects makes Ra.One "Hollywood-ized" then I'm all for it.

But still. I'm afraid for this movie. I really really want it to do well, but I don't know how audiences are going to receive this type of film. The trailers not revealing anything except action also heightens my concerns. The only saving grace is that they're just saving the best for the actual movie.

Please, someone convince me that this movie is gonna be great.

Song Review: Chammak Challo (Ra.One)

Film: Ra.One (Release Date: October 26, 2011)
Singer: Akon
Composers: Vishal and Shekhar

(I'm not gonna bother with a YouTube link to the song just yet. Since the song was leaked online, it'll just keep getting removed. So search for it and I'm sure you'll find it!)

When I first heard that R&B superstar Akon would be recording a couple songs for Ra.One, I was afraid. Very afraid. It could either go terribly wrong, or have the potential to be a super hit (but probably nothing in between). Thankfully, "Chammak Challo" falls in the latter category!

If you're not familiar with Akon and his voice/style, it may take a while for you to warm up to the song. But I assure you--you will!  The track starts off strong and is able to continue with the same strength until the very end, never losing it's high energy pace. It's surprisingly catchy and will probably get stuck in your head whether you like it or not.

Akon did an amazing job. First of all, he's a superstar in the American music scene, and is Senegalese-American. Despite his lack of complete familiarity with Bollywood and India, his Hindi pronunciation is really, truly impressive. There is no hint of an American accent in his Hindi lines (quite a feat!) and the words seem to flow naturally. Katrina Kaif could learn something from this guy! And even though Akon is singing for a different market and audience, he maintains his personal musical style in the song.

I usually hate when English is used in Bollywood songs. It tends to sound forced, unnatural, and the singers' Indian accents don't help much with that "cool" factor they're probably going for. "Chammak Challo" is the perfect example of how an English-Hindi fusion in a song can actually work. Akon's grasp of both languages defeats that usual awkwardness factor that comes out of these language fusion songs. The lyrics also help with this, with lingo English lingo that is popular in R&B songs and Hindi lyrics that are typical of Bollywood tracks.

The best part of this song? It's apparently going to be an item number picturized on Kareena Kapoor! This makes me happy for two reasons. One, I LOVE item songs with a passion. Two, I'm just glad they're not gonna have Shahrukh Khan lip synch to this (hopefully?!). I love love love SRK, but imagine the awkwardness that could come of out that. The chorus (my favorite part of the song) is also perfectly suited for a dance number, so I'm excited to see what could come of this.

"Chammak Challo" is a unique song, but one that is sure to be a hit. It's also a great marketing ploy for Ra.One, which will now get wider recognition within second generation NRI communities, as well as non-Indian Akon fans. It's a step forward in the current globalization of Hindi cinema--whether that's a good thing or not, is up to you.

Overall, I absolutely adore this song, despite my usual inhibitions about Western singers in Bollywood. Akon has reportedly also sung another song for Ra.One so, seeing as how this wasn't a disaster, I'm actually kind of excited to hear it. And yes, Akon, I'd love to be your Chammak Challo!

Final Verdict: 4.5/5

Forthcoming: Heroine

Madhur Bhandarkar's forthcoming venture Heroine, starring Aishwarya Rai, was officially announced at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday. A first look at the film (shown above) was also revealed. Heroine is the story of the rise and fall of a superstar in an attempt to show audiences what really goes on in the Bollywood showbiz world. We've definitely already seen this theme in some of Bhandarkar's previous films like Page 3 and Fashion, but hopefully he'll be able to bring something new to the idea. Regardless, showbiz movies personally always fascinate me so I'm definitely looking forward to this one, which is supposed to begin production in June.

Apparently, Kareena Kapoor was Bhandarkar's first choice for the film, and I'm so disappointed that she refused the role! While I'm a fan of Aish's beauty, I'm not so impressed with her acting skills (though she proved me wrong in Devdas), so I feel like Kareena would've been a much better fit for the role. Kareena has really matured throughout the years as an actress and probably would've been able to take on the role better. But hopefully Bhandarkar can work some magic on Aish.

Also, when I first saw this picture I thought that Aish's photo looked kind of dated. As I was reading more about the film, I've been seeing reports that this photo is actually an old one from a L'Oreal shoot years ago. Well...that's lovely. Not. If you haven't done an official photoshoot for a movie yet, why reveal the "first look"? I could've made this on my computer for god's sake! Nice try, guys.

Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/Bhandarkar-announces-Heroine-at-Cannes/Article1-697184.aspx

Ra.One Teaser 2: 30 Second Promo!

The film isn't due until Diwali, and already another teaser is out! This one's longer than the last, but still doesn't reveal too much about the film. Regardless, here are some of my thoughts:

1. The movie looks surprisingly "adult" and hi-tech. Honestly, when I first heard about Ra.One I was expecting a child-like disaster like Krrish (2006). Thankfully, this looks nothing like that. The action sequences also look top-notch.

2. I'm loving the intro music. It fits the theme well and I'm eager to hear the rest of the soundtrack, whenever that comes out.

3. ...where's Kareena? You know, the other star of this movie? Though perhaps that's her hand at around 26 seconds? Hm.

4. Can anyone decipher what he says at the end?!

Let's wait and see what else Ra.One has in store for us...

Ra.One First Look (Teaser!)

Finally! We're getting some real shots from the forthcoming Shahrukh-Kareena action flick Ra.One. The first official teaser (shown above) was released on Wednesday to us eager Bollywood fans. We're only getting a very slight peek at this much awaited film, with the trailer being a fast-paced 10 second long teaser. I've watched it at least a dozen times already, and still can't extract much from it except:

1. Shahrukh looks amazing, and that hairstyle is wow.
2. The movie looks surprisingly sleek and Don-esque.
3. We're in for a ton of action!

Can't wait to see more from this film! Apparently the first official trailer will be released sometime in July and the movie itself is due around Diwali.