Saturday Gossip!

Good morning!! Guess who finally got to see the leaked Rowdy Rathore teaser?! YES, ME!!! You have to be quick about it because they have been getting taken down really quick but just search for it on youtube and you can see it. I'll link to the official one when it is finally put up. (Probably April 2nd.)

Just to answer a few of the criticisms I saw of it - namely that it looks like a ripoff of Dabangg and Wanted - I would say that the trailer definitely calls back to both of those films but that is most likely for three reasons. 1) Prabhu Deva, who directed Wanted, also directed Rowdy Rathore so there would obviously be some similarities. 2) Sonakshi Sinha was the heroine of Dabangg and the producers wanted to play up the connection because 3) Wanted and Dabangg were big hits and playing up the similarities makes sense in the trailer.

I'm excited about this because I love Prabhu Deva and Akshay Kumar but I get it if people aren't as thrilled as me... HOWEVER, be warned, as soon as the Rowdy Rathore trailer is officially released, I'm starting up the ROWDY RATHORE COUNTDOWN TIMER!

Friday gossip!!! Yay!

Okay, CURSE MY TIMEZONE! Apparently while I was sleeping, the Rowdy Rathore trailer leaked and then was TAKEN DOWN FROM EVERYWHERE. Nooooo!

Also, curse my luck because I had to sift through like a billion reviews of Mirror Mirror that showed up in my alerts because *gasp* it has a "Bollywood" song in it. Or something. I haven't seen any video and have no intention of seeing the film so I can't comment how "Bollywood" it is or isn't.

BUT! Today has some pretty good gossip going... do you dare to dive in and see?! DO YOU?!

Thursday Gossip!

GOOD MORNING!

Sorry for missing a post yesterday but we had another power outage. I'm not sure what the deal is with Virginia Power but at least we still had hot water this time.

OKAY! Let's rock it out! I'm sure I missed some stuff from yesterday but I tried to collect as much as I could...

Tuesday Gossip!

Good morning! I hope everybody enjoyed my piece on Bipasha Basu. It's funny but until I started really reading about her, I hadn't realized that she made it in this industry working more or less in parallel to The Three Khan circuit. That is pretty noteworthy, if you ask me.

Also! Bipasha apparently gives excellent hoarding - I found multiple articles mentioning her billboards just in passing, as scene-setting to news articles talking about politics or other things.

NOW! Today in gossip... plenty of goodies! Some bitter actors, some excited starlets, Akshay Kumar just being himself, and some sad news regarding Dhoom 3.

Bollywood For Beginners Post #34

For previous installments, please visit the index.

That's right, baby! It's back! And continuing with the 2000s theme, I've got three heroines whose brightest days were in the 2000s. This doesn't mean I think they are washed up or that we won't ever see them again but just that they will probably always be tied to that glorious decade known as the 2000s.

You know today's heroine by many affectionate nicknames. She's the Bong Bombshell, the dusky beauty, the Billo Rani who can light our beedis with a shake of her hips! Yes, it's the fabulous Miss Bips!



KNOW YOUR HEROINES: 2000s: BIPASHA BASU

Monday Gossip!

Okay! It's Monday again! Welcome back from the weekend, everybody!

So... yes, I skipped out on Agent Vinod. We were discussing the film a bit on Twitter and it just seemed like it wouldn't be worth the time and money for me to go see it. Perhaps it was just Agent Vinod's bad luck to come out the same weekend as The Hunger Games, which I saw on Friday and loved but I couldn't motivate myself to go sit for three hours to watch Saif Ali Khan run around Morocco in a tuxedo. Generic thrillers do nothing for me.

If it had actually been a Sriram Raghavan film maybe I would have been more willing to put down my money but...

At least Saif's face seems to have finally settled into something more human. Why actors and actresses always seem to want to mess with their faces is beyond me... it doesn't make you look younger, it just makes you look like you have money.

Anyways, today in gossip - IMPORTANT BIKINI INFORMATION and some other stuff like The Dirty Picture getting remade in South. Hold onto your hats...!

Sunday Gossip!

Good morning, folks! Not much happening today...

Reactions on Agent Vinod seems to be... meh to meh.

The latter "meh" review also compares the film to... Don 2 and Ra.One. Because they are both trying to be "on par with Hollywood." Oh, yes, the words of doom were mentioned.

But in Agent Vinod, Don 2 and especially Ra.One it is obvious that the filmmakers, perhaps stirred up by the egos of their stars had this thought in their mind: ‘If Hollywood can make these films, then so can we.’ I believe nothing good comes out of that type of thinking. What they end up doing is making a mess of their films (despite some excellent moments — a single shot with hand held camera, as Vinod and Pakistani counterpart duck killers chasing them in a hotel; the chase scenes in the end; and a hilarious moment in a well-known eatery in Delhi’s Connaught Place). A little bit of Hollywood and a little bit of Bollywood does not make a complete film.

Can I motivate myself to go see a "meh" film attempting to be on par with Hollywood?! We'll see but signs are pointing to negative.

And now some sad news - Boney Kapoor's ex-wife Mona Kapoor (mother of Arjun Kapoor, who is set to debut) has passed away.

* Enjoy a snarking article about stars trademarking themselves. Priyanka wants to patent her smile - but really, shouldn't the credit be going to her plastic surgeon?

* Hrithik denies the rumors Priyanka's publicity team put forward about the pair working together again after Krrish 3.

* And an interesting little piece on a new magazine being launched... Hello! Pakistan.

Unveiling plans for ‘Hello! Pakistan' with a dummy cover featuring half-Pakistani actress Nargis Fakhri in an off-shoulder attire and talking about her debut in a Bollywood film, the magazine's team was walking into a minefield. The inevitable question came soon enough: “Have you got a no-objection certificate from the Jama'at-e-Islami?''

Evidently, the team had come prepared for such a line of questioning. Consulting Editor Wajahat S. Khan said: “This is our Pakistan also as much as it is theirs. Go take a look at the bookshops in town and see for yourself how many such magazines are available in the market.''

Saturday Gossip!

Are you Toronto? STRINGS is playing on March 30th.

OKAY! It's a jam-packed news post today... so tie up your pallu and let's dig in!

Friday Gossip!

Thank you so much for the overwhelming response to my piece on Preity Zinta!! It's funny but I really didn't realize how much I missed her until I began writing it and then it made me happy to see that apparently I wasn't the only one...

NOW! Agent Vinod reviews are... pretty awful. Apparently it's all flash and no substance - kind of like Players. Raja Sen calls it overlong and under-conceived. I may regret this but I think I'm still going to try to go.

And now... an interview packed post! SO MANY ACTORS WITH SO MUCH TO SAY!

Bollywood For Beginners Post #33

For previous installments, please visit the index.

That's right, baby! It's back! And continuing with the 2000s theme, I've got three heroines whose brightest days were in the 2000s. This doesn't mean I think they are washed up or that we won't ever see them again but just that they will probably always be tied to that glorious decade known as the 2000s.

Today let's talk... Preity Zinta!



KNOW YOUR HEROINES: 2000s: PREITY ZINTA

Vidya Balan for M magazine.

Thursday Gossip!

Well, it looks like we're getting Agent Vinod this weekend so if all goes well (and the film doesn't have Game-worthy reviews) I will go check it out!

Today in gossip - media shenanigans, Priyanka Chopra thinks she's number 1; and assorted casting rumors... don't YOU want to know!

Wednesday Gossip!

Good morning, everybody! It's SPRINGTIME here in Washington, DC and I have to admit that I'm happy to put the grey days of winter behind me. Give me flowers and warm weather and no more wearing stockings for another six months! WOO!

Bollywood For Beginners Post #32

For previous installments, please visit the index.

That's right, baby! It's back! And continuing with the 2000s theme, I've got three heroines whose brightest days were in the 2000s. This doesn't mean I think they are washed up or that we won't ever see them again but just that they will probably always be tied to that glorious decade known as the 2000s.

Now, in honor of Rani's birthday, I've decided to post her piece first. HAPPY 34th BIRTHDAY RANI, DEAR!



KNOW YOUR HEROINES: 2000s: RANI MUKHERJEE

Tuesday Gossip!

Good morning, all! Rainy morning here in DC but maybe we'll get some sunshine later today...

Shall we check in with the happenings in Tinsel Town?!

Monday Gossip!

Happy Monday! I hope everybody had a great weekend!

Another big news post today... I still have a lot of catching up to do, it seems!

Sunday Gossip! YES! I'm BACK!

Oh my god, you guys! HUGE catch-up post today!

Yes, I'm back from New York City and I had a blast! Kisses to everybody I met up with in the city!

I picked up a copy of Sanjay Dutt's Rocky in Jackson Heights and had a very funny experience while purchasing it.

So, there I am, a white girl browsing the shelves. First of all, the guys working there kept trying to sell me on romantic comedies and Shahrukh films. I kept saying, "No, no... I just want to look around." Finally, they leave me alone and go back to gossiping at the counter. After some tough decision making, I picked up Rocky and brought it up to purchase.

Now, there was this auntie browsing around in the oldies with me. When she saw what I was buying she was like, "What is that? Is it good?"

The clerk and I were both like, "It's Rocky but not the new one. The new one is bad and stars Zayed Khan."

He says to me, "It's Sanjay Dutt's first movie, right?"

"Yes," I said. "It was his first film - back when he was cute!"

The auntie thinks for a minute and says, "I'll take one, too."

Now comes the awkward part because he had already told me that the price was $8... aka the "white price." And the auntie is all, "Yeah. I'm not paying that. I'll pay $2."

*tumbleweeds*

It was so funny you guys!!! At this point in my Bollywood career, I know I'm always getting the "white price" and I'm okay with that. But the look of "Oh, shit - now what do we do" on those guys' faces really cracked me up.

I paid my $8 and got out of there to avoid the awkward finale to the scene but now I kind of wish I had stayed to see what they would do if I had been like, "$2? That sounds like a good price, auntie! I'll pay it, too."

Tuesday Gossip!

Good morning, people! Just a quick reminder that I will be in New York City from the 14-17 so there will be NO daily updates then. Okay? Cool!

Now, let's move on... we have some very sad news first...

Kahaani: Kolkata Noir

It’s almost pointless to try and discuss this film without spoilers so if you haven’t seen Kahaani yet, please do NOT read my review. My spoiler-free review goes like this: If you like intelligent mystery-suspense films, go see it. Vidya Balan does a superb job. If you are looking for romance, family drama, dishoom, and/or pretty people swanning about in nice clothes, you will be bored. Samjhe? Good. Now onto the review!

“My husband is missing.” - Vidya Bagchi, Kahaani (2012)

“Amar ka naam ka koi aadmi nahin...?” - Vinay, Jewel Thief (1967)

Monday Gossip!

Guess what I saw this weekend? KAHAANI! I wanted to take some time to think over my review instead of just writing something quick, so I'll be posting it tonight. My short take - yes, it lives up to the hype. But then I always believed in Sujoy Ghosh, as you can read in my lengthy praise of Aladin.

Now... GOSSIP TIME!

Sunday Gossip!

By all accounts Kahaani is a hit! Congratulations to Vidya Balan, Sujoy Ghosh, and the team! I'll be going to see it this afternoon and I cannot wait!

Saturday Gossip!

Are you in London? Atif Aslam and Sonu Nigam are performing!

It was a late night for me yesterday but I powered through and gathered links for you!

Friday Gossip!

Very sad news today - actor Joy Mukherjee has passed away.

My sympathies to his family.

More news under the cut...

Thursday Gossip!

Are you in Auckland? Sonu Nigam will be performing on April 14th!

And some good news for me... WE ARE GETTING Kahaani this weekend!

Also, I should mention that I will be in New York City next week from Wednesday night through Saturday morning and would like to plan a little Bollywood happy hour or something - possibly Friday evening? Do drop me a line and let me know if you are in the city and would like to meet up! You can e-mail me at filmi.girl (at) gmail (dot) com!

Now on to news...

Holi Haaaaiiii!

Enjoy one of the few Holi songs from the last few years - "Chhan Ke Mohalla" from Action Replayy!

I've seen a few hand-wringing articles the last couple of days about how there are no more Holi songs in films. And it's true; there really aren't. It's a trend that tracks pretty closely with film studio's laser focus on the diaspora market and wanting to be "on par with Hollywood." Religious icons and festivals and songs celebrating them - things that still fill films from the regional industries - are almost completely missing from Bollywood film - unless it's teaching us a message about how Muslims are/aren't terrorists. Or a wedding. (Weddings are still allowed in the new "realistic" Bollywood... for now.)

Holi songs are about taking a few minutes to just live in the moment, to break with mundanity of everyday life, to break with the person society sees you as.

Wednesday Gossip!

Lakme Fashion Week highlights from from NDTV and more in-depth coverage from Mumbai Boss.

Ah... to be at fashion week instead of going to the office... still, I suppose that is what the glamor industry is for. To give us a little something bright to take into the office.

Vidya Balan for FHM. Enjoy.

Tuesday Gossip!!

First of all, sorry about yesterday, guys!! I woke up to find that our power had gone out! So, no news gathering for me yesterday.

Now, let's play catch-up!

GABBAR SINGH on May 9th! Woo! I need some more masala in my life after all the soggy romantic-comedies from the last couple of months. It seems like years since I saw Vettai.

Paan Singh Tomar is said to have done well at the box office... I'm so sad we didn't get it here but from what I understand it wasn't set in the UK or US, didn't feature a starlet or have an item song, and Irrfan Khan and Tigermanshu Dulia didn't spend three months talking about how it was going to be on par with Woody Allen and Hollywood, so I guess the film studio didn't know what to make of it.

I should also add that it looks like Shiney Ahuja's Ghost was just "officially" released on youtube, which means I have another victim for Box Office Poison! I can't wait!

Sunday Gossip - LADIES DAY!

GOOD MORNING! Sorry for missing a post yesterday but "somebody" had too much fun partying after the Salim-Sulaiman concert on Friday night and was feeling poorly yesterday. (Hmm... now who could it be?)

Friday Gossip!

Is there anybody out there going to Notre Dame? They are doing a small Indian film festival including No One Killed Jessica!! So go check it out!

And check out the Wall Street Journal's handy-dandy review round-up of London Paris New York, which seems like it's a perfectly adequate rom-com if you enjoyed Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu.

So, I won't be seeing it.

Maybe I'll give Ritesh and Genelia's film a chance instead this weekend since it seems heavier on the "com" than the "rom."

Did I mention that I am SICK TO DEATH of romantic-comedies? Seriously. Who scheduled a full month and half of I'm-30-or-40-and-don't-know-what-love-is nonsense?

Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster: Not a Guru Dutt Film

I am not a snob when it comes to the provenance of my films. Big name production or small budget film, if it’s good, I will watch it. Alas, the market doesn’t have the same flatness when it comes to distribution and it’s much, much easier for me to see the latest big studio release than a smaller film from a smaller production house which may not be distributed overseas unless there are special circumstances - like during cricket season when few big films are being released.

All of this is really a long-winded way of saying that director Tigermanshu Dulia’s films are on my radar but not on my cinema screen and I find this frustrating. Last year I missed not only Shagird (featuring one of my many uncle crushes, Nana Patekar, as a bad ass cop) but also one of the most buzzed about films of the year - Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster.*

Thankfully, Netflix stepped up their game and took a break from offering the worst movies money can buy (still don’t want to watch We Are Family, thanks) to bring me Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster.

Thursday Gossip!

Good morning!!!!! The rain has cleared away and it's a bright sunny day here in Washington, DC.

Yesterday I took the afternoon off of work to go out and see Ms. Daisy Rockwell talk about her new book called The Little Book of Terror, which features images and essays that pick apart our ideas about terrorism and the people who commit it. I got my copy yesterday and can't wait to dig in!

And now onto your filmi news!