Bolly Snow Storm
What a week it's been - we finally thought everyone would have shaken of the January blues -the doom and gloom of the credit crunch and gearing up to Valentine's day, when suddenly the Arctic storms were upon us and the country came to a standstill. After the initial joys of the 'Christmas card' picturesque scenes were over, the reality hit - what to do to pass the time stuck at home? Well, the solution for us was simple - catch up with the backlog of classic Bollywood movies - at three hours a pop - the time flew by.
Raj: The snow storm hit, trapped at home and I almost decided to get the x-mas decorations out. Pablo phoned me with his recommendations - and I sat and watched Sholay, Awaara and what I term as a modern day classic - Dhoom 2... well they were the ones that were lying around on the shelf and I hadn't seen them for a long while. Don't know what it is about Sholay but it still stands the test of time - almost like watching re runs of Ben Hur or The Great Escape - all the ingredients are there and you still get lost in the melodrama. Awaara is strong; Raj Kapoor's Indian emotionalism layered in an all singing and dancing moral melodrama. Nargis had true screen presence. Dhoom 2 is fun, frivolous and totally escapist. Great songs and an all star cast - everyone was good but watching it again after such a long time Uday Chopra REALLY stands out - his buffoon act is amazing. It's also great to see Bips and Ash - two stars at the height of their prowess - which is better? Now that's a hard one!
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Pablo: Although I love the snow I prefer to stay on the ski slopes. Phoned Raj on Monday and he was stuck indoors like all of us. "I'm so bored", I said and then came up with a master plan - watch some Bollywood DVDs. But what to watch?Ìý There are so many that I want to see again. In the end I decided for Om Shanti Om, Pakeezah and both Umrao Jaan's.Ìý OSO is great - Shahrukh Khan is one actor that is not afraid of taking risks in a commercial environment - he has managed to capture the essence of escapism with Bollywood and it's funny and glamorous. Hats off to Farah Khan. This cheered me up no end.Ìý Pakeezah is an all time favourite - Meena Kumari is just magnificent as the victim of circumstances in this courtesan drama. Apart from the magic of the movie knowing the real life events - the movie took years to make. Meena Kumari getting divorced from the director Kamal Amrohi, the fact that she was ageing and dying of liver failure when the shooting resumed and it became one of her biggest posthumous hits all add to the pathos of the movie. Bliss!Ìý
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Raj always jokes to me about my love for the divine Rekha but for me Umrao Jaan is on a par with Pakeezah. She just shines.Ìý Asha Bhosle's songs, Rekha's costumes and dance and a powerhouse performance. After watching it I decided to have a look at the new Umrao Jaan. Have to say it falls flat in comparison. Ash and Abhi are great but it lacks the emotional impact of Rekha.
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We are both a bit surprised at the earlier reports that "Luck By Chance" hasn't done well as expected. It's a great movie that gives a terrific insight into the world of Bollywood. Both Farhan and Zoya were on the show last Sunday and they have hit the nail on the head with this movie. Great performances, terrific script and everything for a Bollywood lover. Go see it.
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Love Us, Love Bollywood
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Raj&Pablo xx
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