Top Phllums of 2008

I’d like to unveil the list of movies that I think were the best of 2008. My list is not based on the box office. If you want to know how a film did go to boxofficeindia.com. My list is not based on any critic’s review of a movie. Let’s face it, Indian critics are only good at telling you the plot of a story.

Comparing 2008 to other years, I thought it was just an okay year. Then again I can’t be called an expert on 2008. Somewhere along living through 2008, I forgot how incredibly filmi I was. The year started big with Jodha Akbhar. While this movie was quite lavish, it won’t be making my making my list of great movies of year – just wasn’t that excited for having watched the movie.

Ghajini – while I thought that Memento was groundbreaking with the whole backwards plot thing – I felt Ghajini was a better film that it wasn’t so confusing and it was more interesting, especially the love story which I couldn’t wait to watch more and more of.

Jaane Tu... ya jaane na – wasn’t just any blah blah college romance piece, it was so much more. It was two people coming to terms with their destiny. It was about a group of friends. It was about how good Imraan Khan looked and how he made the cougar come out of any woman.

Slumdog Millionaire – while not an Indian film, but set entirely in India – I figured I put this in my list because it was damn good. You know a movie is good, if you wouldn’t mind if it was longer or you could sit through it again (back to back) or you feel better for having watched it.

A Wednesday – in light of the recent terror attacks in Bombay [although released prior to the attacks] – this film really hits hard. Who knew Jimmy Shergill had it in him to be so powerful and not just a pushover. In comparison, I still like Khakhee better (in this genre). I’d like to also mention Black and White – which I thought was a really bad movie. I think as soon as Anil Kapoor’s character heard the guys talking about their radical jihadi beliefs he should have reported them to authorities and the movie would have ended – this message of the movie was embracing terrorists (like that is going to stop them), it should be about preventing attacks. I can write another entry about this.

Race – great music, good looking actors, scantily clad women and a story line with twists and turns – that is why this makes it to the list. Just when I think I’ve figured out the movie and it has ended, here comes another piece of the puzzle.

Honorable Mentions: Welcome to Sajanpur, Shaurya

This is a working list and based on the films I have seen this year. Films that will be considered within the next couple of weeks: Rock On!!, Phoonk, Sarkar Raj [which I have only partially seen].

Aaja Nachle "Castes" a Spell

So I watched Aaja Nachle, the film being touted as Madhuri's comeback film. Let me say it was a good movie going experience. The dances, Madhuri's look and acting were excellent. I felt that it could have had a little more comedy in the story line. I wanted to laugh, cry and be mesmerized in the same movie. Akshaye Khanna was a nice surprise and so was Irfan Khan. Of course Konkana Sen Sharma and Kunal Kapoor were excellent, I loved their part of the storyline. Konkana has never been this funny and non-serious. The last 30 minutes of the film were beautiful to watch. Everyone of course loved the title song - visually if not lyrically.

Some controversy hit the film and the government in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana banned Aaja Nachle on the release date of Friday, November 30th and asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to impose a countrywide clamp-down on the movie alleging its title song was "unconstitutional".

"Bazar mein machi hai maramar; bole mochi bhi khud ko sunhar" (There is so much chaos in the market that even a cobbler is calling himself a goldsmith) -- was the objectionable line of the title song. First of all let me go by explaining the song, it talks about how Madhuri's character loses her jewelry and the attraction the men of the town feel for her that they will go to any lengths to help her. Even say they specialize in a specific trade, that they don't. I didn't find anything offensive in the line. But some felt as if the line was saying that the mochis are a lower caste than sonnars. What I'm saying is, 'Does it really matter? When you are comparing two low castes what does it matter who is higher or who is lower." Yeah...I said it. Watch this be my last post.

Concerned by the ban and protests, director of the film Anil Mehta announced the "objectionable" line from the song would be deleted. Censor Board chairperson Sharmila Tagore, who cleared the film for release, stated, "We saw the words 'mochi' (cobbler) and 'sonar' (goldsmith) as people of a certain profession, not a caste. Urban Indians would not I'm sure be offended - but as they say India lives in centuries, so to that extent people in smaller towns may find it offensive, and we are sorry we overlooked that,"

When promotional videos of the film had been running for a very long time, why did the government decide to wait until the film's release to deem the lyrics unacceptable? Answer -- simply --- Haters!! Deep down inside the government of UP, Punjab and Haryana are Sridevi, Juhi Chawla, Kajol fans..

Top Albums/Songs of 2007

I think I quite enjoyed 2007 musically. My top three albums of all time are of course Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Taal and Saathiya. Nothing has yet changed this but here are some songs from this year that I will continue to listen to beyond 2007.

Top Albums/Songs of 2007

1) Namastey London (Kya Yehi Pyar Hai, Main Jahaan Rahoon, Viraaniya, etc)
2) Life in a Metro (In Dino, Alvida, O Meri Jaan)
3) Jab We Met (Aaoge Jab Tum, Mauja Mauja, Tum Se Hi, Yeh Ishq Hai)
4) Anwar (Mithoon: Maula Mere Maula, Javeda Zindagi)
5) Saawariya (Jab Se Tere Naina, Yoon Shabnami, Masha-Allah, Saawariya)

These were good as well. I want to say that Guru initially was in the top five but had to be moved to an Honorable Mention once I realized Jab We Met was that amazing.

Honorable Mentions:
Awarapan (To Phir Aao, Tera Mera Rishta), Delhii Heights (Tere Bin), Cheeni Kum (Jaane Do), Guru (Ay Hairathe, Terre Bina)

Saawariya vs Om Shanti Om

I went to go see Saawariya first (Friday), due to the fact I despise Shah Rukh. I must say I enjoyed the towel drop in Saawariya. Yeah I know what you are thinking..who didn't? The movie was visually and musically excellent. It was like a Broadway play, but the story was on the simple side, making the movie about a little less than two and half hours. After watching OSO, I appreciated Saawariya's length. Rani's role and acting were one of the best things in the movie. She made the movie better.

The next day I went to go see Om Shanti Om to a packed and lively audience. The audience as a whole made my movie-going experience awesome. I enjoyed the cheering, screaming and whistling. The cameos by 30 something stars made everyone excited and it was fun seeing who got the most cheers. Kajol with the most, then followed by Juhi. OSO was a good experience watching in the theater but wouldn't say the same if you watch the DVD at home. Also wouldn't say the same if you don't understand the ongoings of the Hindi film industry, the jokes just won't make sense. I watched the bits that made me crack up just go over my dad's head.

The whole Manoj Kumar episode in OSO has been heavily talked about with Manoj Kumar protesting his look alike getting beat up by the police. Could that be offensive? Hmmmm. Is OSO just full of offensive jokes? Most of them are. There's a whole bit where Om pretends to be a famous South Indian movie start shooting for the fictional film, "Mind It". I recently read a blog about how offensive it was to South Indians. "Rascalah"

What I found to be offensive was the 'Apahij Pyaar' bit. Though it had me cracking up. My humor is on the offensive side though. It has Om playing this handless, legless, deaf-mute who is in love with a girl who is getting married to another guy. I loved the scene where Om is at her wedding showering flowers at her with his mouth (since he is handless). LMAO!!! I understand that 'Apahij Pyaar' was to show that even if limitations are placed because of the storyline, anything can happen in an Indian film in a dream sequence, but did it need to make fun of the handicapped. The dream sequence has the 'Apahij' dancing to the song 'Dard-E-Disco' with a six-pack. The term 'Dard-E-Disco' coined by Farah Khan the director of the film was one of the most innovative terms I've heard in a long time. The best part of the movie was that, the cameos and Deepika Padukone. The worst part of the movie was as Variety magazine said in it's review of OSO, "the movie also requires considerable tolerance of the King's limited range." I kinda got tired of him after a while.

So after so many chapters about Om Shanti Om, which do I think is the better film Saawariya or Om Shanti Om?
Neither. I found neither lived up to expectation.

Eklavya - The Royal Guard

The Vidhu Vinod Chopra film releases this Friday, February 16, 2007. I am attending the Washington DC premiere.

Although I cannot find any information, the film's music has not been released. Evenso, they keep showing "Chanda Re" on the television. It's a beatiful song composed by music director, Shantanu Moitra.

Something about Chopra making the film on his own terms and the music not being released for this film, I'm guessing. When I say I can't find anything about the music anywhere, I mean anywhere.

Amitabh Bachchan (1.5 years ago) said in his interview in Koffee with Karan, that at his age, it is hard to get film centered around him. Since Indian films always have a younger lead actor and actress. So I guess, he gets his chance in Eklavya (besides Black that is). The usual Vidhu Vinod Chopra actors are within the movie, Jackie Shroff, Saif Ali Khan, Sunjay Dutt, Vidya Balan, Raima Sen, Boman Irani, and Jimmy Shergill. The only person that seems to be missing is Dia Mirza. Maybe she has a special appearance I don't know about.

I did not go to see Salaam-E-Ishq, but will venture out for this one. It looks like its going to be an entertainer. I must add VVC to the list of directors, I really really like. Already on the list: Raj Kumar Santoshi, Mahesh Bhatt, Nagesh Kukunoor, VVC

The Honeymoon Chronicles

2007 will see the release of two "Honeymoon" films..one is Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. (HTPL) and the other is called Just Married.
Just Married is directed by Meghna Gulzar (Filhaal) and produced by Pritish Nandy Communications (Pyar Ke Side Effects).

They will be released a week apart from each other, if dates stay the same. Both are about a bunch of couples going on their honeymoon together. Both seem to have an older couple within a group. HTPL seems like an ensemble whereas Just Married seems to have a lead pair, Fardeen Khan and Esha Deol.

Remember when there were two movies about Bagat Singh releasing at the same time. One was with Ajay Devgan and the other was with Bobby Deol. The Ajay Devgan was a lot better and it was directed by Raj Kumar Santoshi. I guess I might be biased I think Ajay Devgan is a more powerful actor than Bobby.

My pick and why?
HTPL! I like the whole ensemble thing. I like how no one seems to be taking the limelight. Well Just Married is produced by PNC but still I'm going for HTPL. HTPL has a bunch of actors I would love to watch Dia Mirza, Sandhya Mridul, Ranvir Shorey, Amisha Patel, Kay Kay Menon. I'm no big fan of Fardeen Khan and I have a feeling he is going to ruin the movie-going experience for me.

The Race towards Oscar

It's that time of the year where I check out Oscar contenders and Golden Globe nominees for the Foreign film section and see if India has made the cut. Not that it matters.
"On a daily basis I educate Hollywood Studios that Bollywood represents 3.8 Billion fans worldwide compared to Hollywood 3.6 Billion fans worldwide, it's time for Hollywood to wake up." Said Sheeraz Hasan (founder of www.Hollywood.tv).

I find this quote to be amazing. I must say that I new this to be true years ago. I find it amazing that Indian movies are watched by more people than any other country's films and that too with a language not spoken by the majority of the world. I have people with non-Indian ancestry coming to me from Russia, Guyana, Nigeria, etc. telling how they are big fans of Indian films and how they've been watching since they were kids. I get so surprised since they can't otherwise speak the language, yet are fans of the films.

Anyhow, it seems like this years contenders for Golden Globe Nominations, "Rang De Basanti", "Omkara", and "Lage Raho Munnabhai" didn't make the final list. I wish them better luck at the Oscars. My favorite in all of these is RDB, although I haven't seen Omkara. LRM was good, but I still LOVE RDB.