Saturday, January 20, 2024

Interpreting Dunki

 Well, it's been 5 years since I have written a post. So much has changed but what remains constant is my love for Shah Rukh Khan. And he has compelled me to come back here and write this.

2023 was the most glorious year for Shah Rukh at the box office. With Pathaan, Jawan and Dunki, he posted over 2600 crore rupees. But...and there will always be a but...many fans are not impressed with how Dunki performed. There was a mammoth of expectations from Dunki because of Shah Rukh collaborating with India's celebrated director, Rajkumar Hirani. As of this post, the movie crossed 460 crores gross already. 

I knew this movie would not collect another thousand crores like Pathaan and Jawan. I believe even Shah Rukh knew that. It's a well planned smooth landing film after the firecrackers in the form of Pathaan and Jawan. But fans? They wanted another 3Is. It had to have the same kinds of emotions and humor. Pathbreaking! India has a 80-92% literacy rate. But Hirani wanted to make a film that covered the story for nearly 18 million nationals abroad. He's tired of people harping about 3Is. It's the monkey on his back like Aditya Chopra has DDLJ as the monkey on his back. Every film made now by these 2 filmmakers, will be compared to 3Is and DDLJ, respectively.

I would watch how childishly some fans were trying to promote Dunki under every post on X that mentioned anything about illegal migration. It was cute but it annoyed me a bit. I kept ignoring it. Lack of knowledge was apparent about the topic. Unfortunately, I am way too familiar with illegal migration because not only is it a hot topic in the political landscape of USA but I have also learned a lot about them throughout my life in university. It amuses me that there are people unaware about illegal migration. But it also makes sense because it goes against the narrative of how a country is thriving...

I do want to mention a few things about the buildup to the release of the movie. We fans have been dealing with accusations of corporate booking ever since Pathaan and Jawan set the box office on fire. It hurts...from being his PR to tagging how we watch his movies as corporate booking, it's been quite a journey! Next up we'll all be known as AI generated bots. =) So impossible for Hakla (a nickname given by the underworld and lovingly used by national haters of SRK) to have fans who love him.

Prior to the release of Dunki, fanwars were rampant, especially after a particular 3+ hour long movie came out on 1st December. Hatred for SRK surged, random people started sharing random old clips without context, to show that he is equally or worse than their favorite. It became unbearable to stay active on social media! This negative campaign damaged Dunki a lot. It is actually appropriate to say that fans of other actors along with paid bots of the film that clashed with Dunki, ruined the movie ratings on various websites and apps. While I don't give a damn about ratings when it comes to Shah Rukh's movies, unfortunately non-fans do and it discouraged many people from watching the movie.

Now I'd like to talk about Dunki. To me, it's the best movie out of all the 3 movies Shah Rukh released in 2023. After I first watched it, took me a long time to get a grip on my emotions. Everyone did such a fantastic job. The direction and editing was on point. It's perhaps one of the best well researched movies in a long time. The topic of illegal migration is so sensitive and Hirani treated it with utmost care and respect. Nobody embarks on these kinds of journeys for fun. It's important to remember this even if you find migrants as a nuisance. If we try to trace our ancestors, they all migrated from somewhere. Because humans are not trees and this world is not a quarter mile long.

The following part of this post will include spoilers. So if you haven't watched the movie, I encourage you to watch it! Then come back and finish reading this post because I'll be covering a lot of things!

Getting a visa to go to some country is not always as simple as counting 1, 2, 3. A lot depends on your name and which country's citizen you are. Why do I say name? Because in spite of being a US citizen, I've been subjected to uncomfortable pat-downs at airports...because of my name. And if you're wondering about passports, take a look at this link to see where your country's passport ranks

In Dunki, the main characters want to go to UK in search for a better life. One guy is hurt to see other men eyeing his mother who works as a security guard at a factory. Another guy feels helpless seeing his mother work long hours sewing clothes to make sure they continue surviving. And a girl whose family has to live right outside their own house which creditors took over upon her brother's untimely death. The story goes that her dad had his shop burned during the 1984 Anti-Sikh riots (Chaurasi [84] dangey). And we see the struggle continue for 11 years in the film. Her late brother had taken loan while also trying out for the Asian games but ended up dying in an accident. Those with power were so heartless that they didn't even allow the family to grieve and readily took over their house while the family had gone to do the last rites.

Riots in Punjab were common from 1980's to mid 1990's because of political issues. In that particular decade, more than 20,000 Punjabi people were killed. That era is called counterinsurgency of 1984 to 1995. Many people were also detained and faced torture. You can imagine that those who were friends or related to powerful figures, reigned supreme. Anyone who tried to dig deeper to bring out the truth were given death threats. This also prompted many people to desperately go abroad. By hook or by crook. While the film doesn't cover the counterinsurgency in Punjab but it has a subtle reference. 

Next, we learn about how NRI men go back home to marry women from their culture. When a non-citizen goes back to their country of origin, they are almost revered as celebrities. Therefore, lots of families think it's a great opportunity for their loved ones to marry an NRI and settle in a foreign country. But it's not always so pretty. You'd probably be surprised to know that domestic abuse is a big problem among migrants. Even if they are legal migrants! The legal partner often uses their partner's status as a tool to control them. This is specifically more dangerous for those who migrate illegally because they are in constant fear of being deported. This particular topic is also in the second half of the film where a lawyer suggests Manu get into a sham marriage with a British guy then she could get her status changed within 1-2 years. But sham marriages are a big offence and can lead to hefty punishments.. I have had marriage offers because guys wanted to obtain citizenship through me LOL. 

The film presents how difficult it is to otherwise get approved for visa. It's a big business with fancy advertisements all around the main streets of various towns. Where there is desperation, there are scamsters who feed off of people's desperation. In Dunki, we see the 3 friends go to a visa agent who confidently says it'll be easy to get them visas. Ready made degrees are available. A particular excuse for Manu was that she could go as part of the Indian Women's wrestling team to the Olympics. But Olympics in 1996 were hosted in Atlanta, USA...not London. Imagine the lack of information and how these fraud agents take advantage. Expectedly, the various excuses turn out to be all fake and the 3 characters end up losing their money. 

The characters take up classes to learn English so they can pass the much coveted IELTS exam to land student visas. Sadly, any remote kinds of tests outside of university/college, are big money making opportunities. They know very well that their prospective customers are looking for shortcuts to pass the IELTS exam. They also know that these folks usually have little to no knowledge about English. Now it may be a bit more different but these opportunists have also gotten smarter! 

Let's hop to the donkey route. A lot of fans pinned all their hopes on this particular sequence. They thought it would have an insane amount of emotions and/or comedy. But Hirani kept it short and really precise because there is actually no scope to unnecessarily dramatize this segment. Hardy became traumatized seeing what Sukhi did and feared that maybe Manu would do the same. His trauma and fear is mixed with anger at the government of UK. By now,  people have gotten over the British Raj. That anger is now replaced with anger towards their neighbor country because of constant trouble and provocation. But back in the 90's, the dialogue about British Raj was still relevant and not forgotten. Hence Hardy and Sukhi questioned that when the British ruled the subcontinent, nobody asked them if they knew the language of the region. They did a lot of things...and if you want to learn about it, I'd recommend doing independent research using research databases like JSTOR. Research the authors too because humans and biases go hand in hand!

Coming back to the journey; a pumped up Hardy takes 5 people along with him. The entire trip is made possible by his own money to take this illegal route via waterways, trucks, container ships and endlessly walking through extreme weathers. The reason Buggu and Manu make it to London is because of Hardy's sharpness. As an army guy, he has an ability to sense dangers miles away. We were shown a glimpse in Bobby da Dhaba. The 3 others die because fear and desperation got the best of them. Manu almost gets raped then she sees how brutally Hardy kills 3 people for her and Buggu while risking his own life. She saw SIX dead bodies in less than 24 hours. She is traumatized. It's HUGE. UNTHINKABLE. Back to back. She was just a small town girl. What is all this unfolding in front of her eyes? Actually I can't even find words to describe it any further. It was perhaps worse than living in the container where they live, poop, pee, eat, sleep, all in the same place. 

This is a major difference between real people going on these journeys versus what's in the film: in real life, people are not always lucky to have an intelligent guy like Hardy with them. They may get into more troubles, if you'd like to imagine. Most humans don't treat others the way they want to be treated. It's a nice thought but far from reality. Why do people embark on this risky trip??? Because of the mere hope and dream that the grass is greener on that side while there is a never ending drought on their side.

Anyway, what happens with Balli is a reality for many people. Have you noticed something? He's sharing living space with people from other South Asian nations. The same nations which don't share a good relationship with each other. But those borders diminish during such hard times in a foreign land. Ironic, eh? Coming back to the kind of scam that happened with Balli; he passes IELTS and supposedly gets a student visa. But to which university? What's the tuition costs? These are questions that we have learned to ask. But Balli & Co. weren't taught to ask these questions. They didn't even go to their local higher education institutions. We are blessed in many ways compared to those who have migrated before because global communication has improved a lot and is much more accessible than before. You can contact the university to make sure your admission letter is not false. And we can research! Sadly, there are still many people who get too excited to see their efforts bring fruit...this dose of dopamine blurs people's thinking. When they get to the Western country, reality hits them hard. Is it stupidity or what?

There is a certain amount of shame involved in doing labor jobs or odd jobs. These jobs bring little to no money in developing or underdeveloped countries. While in developed nations, you can earn something. However, those who migrate illegally, earn less than those who migrate legally. For the legal citizens of developed nations, illegal migrants are cheap labor...if they are able to keep the illegals hidden from law enforcement

I had a colleague who had migrated from Philippines. She worked at a senior facility where she cleaned up after residents. One day she held some feces in her hands and told her coworker that look, this is dollars! It is THIS hard. And when relatives back home who receive remittance money, show tantrums and/or ask for more expensive gifts, it is equivalent to rubbing salt on open wounds. If you have a hard time earning money in your homeland, chances are likely that it will be harder to earn money in another land because that land is a part of this world too. =)

I mentioned above that there have been people who have sought asylum in western countries after they were subjected to death threats and unsafe situations in their own country. This happens when people try to show the reality which the government doesn't want people to know. They seek asylum in other countries. Of course, not all countries are willing to take refugees but the few that do, you'll have to go through the court process shown in the film. In recent times, we have seen how desperately Afghans wanted to escape their country after Taliban took over. So many Syrians are displaced because of their war and now live throughout Europe. Rohingyas from Myanmar, living in Bangladesh. It's so unfortunate when you are not safe in your own land, in your own home. When natural disasters hit, people have to leave. They cannot stay there and wait for death. But, there are also people like Balli, Manu and Buggu, who sought asylum not because of any known immediate danger to their lives but because they lacked  opportunities to economically survive in their town. 

Hardy's argument with the judge is one of the most brilliant piece of cinema. Seldom happens in real life because most people are scared to open their mouths in fear that ANY word they utter may result in immediate deportation. Actually, it's safe to say that only Hardy was the cinematic element or fictional character in the entire movie. Perhaps 1 in a billion chance that someone like Hardy walks this earth. The court scene sums up what Dunki is about in some of the simplest yet hard hitting words. We're all about protection and rightly so. Check the history, lack of borders decimated a lot of lives. We need borders and we proudly live within so many borders already...country borders, state/province borders, city borders, neighborhood borders, home borders, room borders, human borders, mind borders, borders inside our bodies too! Even the animal kingdom has their own sets of borders. 

But...it's true that anyone who invests certain amount of money in another country can become citizens of that nation. Be rich and beneficial to a country or just stay in your country of origin. Poverty is never a ground to grant anyone a visa or permission to live in a developed country. An assumption is that those who are unable to get by in their own countries, will most likely depend on public assistance that is available in developed nations. You can read this interesting paper and form your own opinion. It is up to you, what you want to make of the argument about borders. 

It took 24 years for Balli, Manu and Buggu to get citizenship in UK! In the meantime, Balli opened a business in London. There are so many people that I personally know, who are living here on visa, waiting for visa renewal or are illegally staying here. They start businesses, buy expensive homes...but they don't know if they'll ever be granted citizenship. It's hope that keeps the world going. Whenever I tune into local desi radio channel, I hear ads about immigration lawyers, visas, etc. Those who experience it...they know it so well.

The movie ends with our 3 protagonists returning home...again illegally but this time it's a bit different. They know their way around in their homeland. Nobody will kick them out now because they worked 24 years in a foreign land to earn this sense of security at their homes. Mannu walks on the very soil bare feet, which once pierced her feet constantly. Because she cleaned the soil beneath her feet and can now rest in peace.

Most people who leave their homes for a better life, forever carry all the good and bad memories of their homelands. Not everyone is blessed to come back to their homes, especially those who take illegal routes. Many die during their journey and those who make it, are constantly busy surviving and trying to make sure their families back home are living as comfortably as possible. I often see immigrants staying within their communities and not really interacting with other communities. They find comfort within their communities. Fun fact but this is a reason why there are lots of people who live 20+ years abroad and still cannot properly speak in English. 

Hirani and Co. didn't set out to make a documentary or a thrilling/horror film on the donkey route.  Most importantly, this film has started the conversation about those who take donkey routes. Now media outlets are posting news about what's happening with illegal immigrants. This is where Hirani and Co. have won big time. This film is helpful in discouraging others from taking illegal routes, most likely saving lives. They wrapped the journey between the reasons why to take donkey route, the consequences, and a rare sight of  homecoming. They tried to define this journey by saying that dunki SIMPLY means staying away from your loved ones. This line should have resonated with anyone who has to stay away from their ones for any reason. Whether abroad or another city or state. Yes, in today's world it feels less painful to stay away from loved ones because there is Skype, Facetime, etc. But I have seen so many people during the pandemic, yearning to hug their loved ones. Yet, the uncertainty the pandemic era had brought upon us, which should have humbled us, has turned us into far more arrogant creatures. We have survived a pandemic because we're smarter and stronger than those who have died due to COVID, eh? What happened to us?

Performance wise, I have no complaints whatsoever. These are all highly experienced actors, who have made a big impact on me...to the point that I have written this whole essay defending the vision they believed in. It's the most impactful cinema that I have seen after Fan. Hands down. I have never cried so much after watching a movie. The film showed a reality that is all around me. I was born in the 90's and I honestly don't have a lot of memories of that era. Yet, I could understand and still feel nostalgic. It's not cringeworthy to feel nostalgic for an era long gone. It's natural. Shah Rukh coming back with a bang this year is because he's this guy that many of us have watched from the 90's and he managed to rule our hearts for decades after decades. Our lives changed a lot throughout these decades but he's still our heartthrob. 

Dunki is not just mere entertainment, it stays with you. If you are still human-like, you will also cry. It will make you feel numb the first time you watch it. Whether you consider this movie as Shah Rukh's best or not, but this surely is one of the most important movies of  his career. 

Thursday, May 2, 2019

Books on SRK

Over the years, numerous books have been written about Shah Rukh. Therefore, this post seems to be mandatory! If you have read any of these, feel free to leave a comment about it or review it on Amazon! Also, I will try to update this list as often as possible because books keep on rolling out.





Thursday, October 19, 2017

Ending Credits Version of Haawayein English Lyrics

Chehra kyun milta tera
Yun khwabon se mere
Yeh kya raaz hai

Why does your face resemble my dreams, what secret is this?

Kal bhi meri hi thi tu
Meri hogi kal
Meri aaj hai
Teri hai meri saari
Waafayein waafayein
Le jaye chahe jahan
Haawayein haawayein

You belonged to me yesterday, you will be mine tomorrow, you are mine today. My loyalties are all yours no matter where these winds take us to...

Mangi hai tere liye
Duayein duayein
Le jaye yahan wahan
Haawayein haawayein
Le jaye kahin wahan
Mile tu jahan
Mile tu mujhe

I have prayed for you...let these winds take me here and there...maybe these winds take me to where you are found....

Banati hai jo tu
Woh yaadein jaane
Sang mere kab tak chale
Inhi mein toh meri
Subah bhi dhale shamein dhale mausam dhale
Kheyalon ka sheher
Tu jaane tere hone se hi abaad hain
Haawayein hakh mein
Wohi hai aate jaate jo tera naam le

I don't know till when the memories you created stay with me...my mornings, evenings and seasons end in them. You know my city of dreams is complete by your existence...the winds rightfully comes and goes by your name....

Deti hai jo saadayein
Haawayein haawayein
Na jaane kya baatayein
Haawayein haawayein
Le jaye tujhe kahan
Haawayein haawayein
Le jaye mujhe kahan
Haawayein haawayein

The direction giving winds are hinting at something...they are taking you somewhere...they are taking me somewhere...

Le jaye jaane kahaan
Le jaye tujhe kahaan
Le jaye jaane kahaan
Le jaye tujhe kahaan

Where are these winds taking you? Where are these winds taking me?


Sunday, August 6, 2017

Stop being an SRK Fan.

The time before all these social networks existed was so marvelous. We pooped with our butts only back then unlike now where there is more shit online compared to the sewerage. The shit in our minds is more stinky and lethal compared to the feces that comes out of our butt holes.

So what warranted this post? The way a lot of fans are reacting to Jab Harry Met Sejal. I'm not the kind of person who forgets bad things easily so I remember 2011 quite well. It was right after Ra.One released and a few days before Don 2 released. A certain film called Rockstar came out. Oh my goodness, people drove Shah Rukh nuts by asking him why he wasted time in Ra.One and why he didn't make a film like Rockstar. Why he doesn't work with Imtiaz Ali and some other high profile directors and lots of other whys. So fast forward to 2017, there you go. You have your wish fulfilled. Imtiaz Ali and Shah Rukh Khan collaborated and made a film called "Jab Harry Met Sejal". But now you say the story sucked, the script was stupid, Imtiaz is a conman, Shah Rukh should choose his scripts wisely, it is the worst movie of his career, he is finished, the WOM is bad, blah blah blah blah blah. SERIOUSLY, GO FUCK YOURSELF.

As a long time fan of him, I have seen how things narrowed down from believing that certain parts of the media always hate him to his own fans hating on him. In fact now I feel, the media persons who are always after him, are much better than those fans who are bringing him down. Because nothing hurts more than your own people being faulty and weak. This fandom of SRK should really shut down now. 

I used to get annoyed by those types of fans who bet on how much a film will earn on the first day, over analyzing the weekend, screens and what not. Then they get all sad when a film doesn't reach their expected figures. I never quite understood what's the point. It was exciting to eagerly wait for the figures during CE but after that it got boring. Every film releases during different circumstances. As someone who has been in the business for so long, I think he knows what kind of decisions to make and I'm pretty certain he also has enough professionals to advice him. Love and money never mixes together so don't try to measure your love for him by the box office figures of his films. It's much easier to sit back and enjoy when a film releases than to sweat over records and numbers. It is not your damn job.

Another group of fans who would piss me were the fans who expected CDI/Swades out of him 24/7. For these fans, he hasn't been acting since CDI. Every film of his that released since Aug 10th, 2007 has been pure nonsense. Even if he has gotten hurt 534654654 times while making all those films from Aug 10th, 2007 till today, it does not matter because he acted crap in all of them. Even if he invested millions and millions of dollars, who gives a fuck because they all sucked. There shall always be an excuse to put a film down...like the director, story, screenplay, music, VFX, art, cinematography, casting, or the fucking make up is just plain shit. He needs to choose different everything. And oh yes, he needs to tone down his way of promoting films. Because he always goes over the top, his way of promoting is too loud and annoying. Why though? Because Shah Rukh deserves the best of the best. 

At some point, I did make peace with these fans who had such grotesque expectations. But when I look at the following and remember his performances, I regret ever giving these fans any support.


Let me be straightforward, there is something horribly wrong with this fandom. Stop putting him or his choice of films down. If there is anything a fan has to do, then it's just to give him love in return of the love he gives us. Should there be anything that bothers you about him, try to keep it to yourself...don't go and join the haters' bandwagon. It's not cool to change sides and it's the most disrespectful thing you can do at this stage if you have been a fan of this man for this long. He has done over 50 films and if 10 or 15 of those bother you so much to the point that you have to start hurting his feelings then I'm sorry to say but you're not really a fan of him. For someone who dedicated his life to entertaining people, he does deserve loyalty and love. This counts not just for him, but for all actors in this world. 

What I noticed is that a lot of you get easily influenced by what other actors do or what their fans are doing. Then you start expecting the same from Shah Rukh as well. The most important thing is that you need to let Shah Rukh set and achieve his own expectations. He is at an age where I'm sure he wants to do things which he has not done yet, even if it's a small thing. And every actor is supposed to do something different than his contemporaries. Shah Rukh is a leader, not a follower, please keep that in mind. If you are unable to tolerate those who throw mud at him, you should not start supporting them under any circumstances. Why should negative opinions even matter to you? When someone becomes famous, it is obvious that there will be people who will hate him or her. These kinds of people will always search for an opportunity to spread negativity. But it is a fact that only love and support can help a person achieve greater heights of success. 

Okay, let's talk a bit about entitlement. Yes you do have the right to review a film you watched in theater because you paid for it. But there is a polite way to say it. Or even better if you say it once and move on. Don't make such a big deal about it. And please stop believing that if you do not like a film, that's when your "review" is considered honest. Stop behaving like a critic or smart ass. It doesn't make you look smart if you abuse or criticize something or someone in creative ways. Most of us are his kids' age, treat him with respect. Do you criticize your parents? Are you a professional filmmaker to give him inputs on how to choose films?

Be thankful that he is still making films, he is still putting in so much effort to entertain us all. Because if he ever decides to stop making films, it will definitely be the end of films for me. And please, not a single film from Bollywood is even worth watching nowadays. The quality is dwindling down faster than I ever imagined. This is not the Bollywood I knew. 

The day his film releases, it's like a festival...it's a function, a reason to celebrate, a reason to be happy in the entire calendar. And most importantly, be thankful that you can watch him on the big screen. There are so many fans around the world that have never watched his film on the big screen or they travel to other countries just to watch his film in theater. Or there are people who live in countries where selected, not even all, releases after several months. Have you ever thought how tough it is for them? Their happiness that they can watch SRK on the big screen is much bigger than pointing out the flaws of the film. Why spend so much energy analyzing something that is meant for entertainment?

Stop taking him for granted. Because he is not immortal. Stop thinking that you have the right to bully him by criticizing him day in and day out. Because he has not done any harm to you. Stop assuming that you know the best for him. Because he is experienced enough to understand what is best for him and us. Stop spreading your negative opinions. Because he does not deserve such filth from within his own fandom. If you can't stop it then please do him a favor and STOP CALLING YOURSELF HIS FAN.

Saturday, August 5, 2017

Jab Harry Met Sejal

First of all, it brings an instant smile on my face to see the leading lady's name first in the credits. A 4 years old tradition which I don't even know if others follow or not, given that Shah Rukh's films are pretty much the only films I watch from start to finish...it's remarkable and I hope this tradition continues to exist.

Coming to the film itself, you know when a movie speaks to you? It seemed like JHMS spoke to me. It's like the movie came alive. It had a soul and an amazing one, while at it. It is a kind of film which you want to watch alone because you want to soak in that simplicity amidst sheer madness and confusion. I think if I had to describe what JHMS is then let me try to put it this way: if films were people, JHMS would be the kind of stranger whom you bump into and exchange life stories with. You feel a little lighter. You start to retrospect. Or you start to believe in a better future.

One thing that I noticed in most of Imtiaz Ali's films is that his main leads are always lost and confused. As I expected from the trailer and the song Safar, Harry is lost and confused as well. So is Sejal. They both didn't set out to achieve something great in life. But what they achieve is for you to watch the film for.

Let me tell you, your heart will be wounded. It is because he is obnoxiously hot and you will relate to him to the point where you just want to hug him for a very long time. There is plenty of SRK-Anu to swoon over as well and their pairing is as excellent as a bottle of wine aged for 9 years. There are some things which never fail and this particular pairing is one of them. It is pure perfection. You can put them in any kind of story and these two will completely own it.

My favorite songs include Beech Beech Mein and Hawayein before watching the film and post watching the film as well. The rest are good too but because the full album basically came out a few hours before the release day, it may take some time for me to like the other songs.

Ah, the last SRK release of 2017.....sigh.

Sunday, January 29, 2017

The Classic War of Cat and Mouse!

After a long...very long wait, we finally had Raees release! Shah Rukh's look had me rocking and rolling. Who doesn't want to see such a handsome man wearing pathanis while sporting kohl? Of course the beard too which we have been seeing for the last 3 years now :D

Mr. Body-Shot's shot actually scared the hell out of me so I would never count that into one of my favorites. But entries of Mahira and Nawab were really memorable. Especially Nawab, this guy is sheer magic on screen. You can't miss him even if he is in a frame with 500 other people. It was my long time wish to see him act with Shah Rukh and since Shah Rukh always makes my wishes come true, this one couldn't be left out.

Coming back to Raees, he is a guy who follows the simple principle that no work is small or big and there is no other faith bigger than business...as long as the business does not cause harm to anyone. With baniye ka dimag and miyanbhai ki daring, he rises like a generous phoenix in Fatehpura, outlawing what we all learned from MNIK that there are good people and bad people only. I apologize for this cheesy throwback. But this is how the layers are crafted in Raees! Put the bad boy and the good boy together, you have a man named Raees.

Then we have Inspector Majmudar, an undisputed baadshah of getting transferred all around the state he swore to protect from crimes. He believes that everything should come in written form otherwise it is not valid because...humans don't take much time to change their minds.

Zeeshan as Sadiq aka Raees' right hand is amazing! I have a special love for all the people who have played the roles of Shah Rukh's faithful friend or brother in all relevant films so Zeeshan obviously joins that special love. I really hope to see them cast in another film.

I will not get into the story further because there are still many of you who have not watched it. But let me tell you one more thing, the story is pretty amazing and keeps you preoccupied for the entire duration of the movie. Combine Shah Rukh's magnetism, Nawab's profound ordinariness and a fresh powerhouse in the form of Mahira, you are in for a treat that is well worth your money.


Monday, November 28, 2016

Alia's Zindagi

I watched it a while back but haven't had the chance to write this review. I know I suck but life has been hectic. But anyway, better late than never!

Just a note that I hardly have watched the promos of the film and neither did I like the music album except for Ae Zindagi sung by Arijit. Man, Arijit is all I need when it comes to music. And combine a classic favorite with him, life is gooooood.

So we didn't find tickets where we first planned to watch but thankfully I knew where to go as backup plan. So we went to another theater and caught the last show. It didn't start off well...with an awkward dwarf throwing folks around on a mat and hyperactive lips disturbing the peace of Parisians setting the stage for the start of the movie, nope. It was reaaaaaaally not good. 

The beginning of the movie, I was like...I wanna go home. You see, I no longer have much patience. And it felt like everything was just messed up and terribly vulgar. But this turned out to be the base of Dear Zindagi. At the end of the movie, the beginning seems more understandable and a little similar to our very own lives. 

I will be honest, I have been a mess myself for the last one and a half year. I have crossed roads with a few therapists myself but no one will ever be like Jehangir. I know how therapists also feel about their difficult job and the affect it has on their own lives. So I was glad that it wasn't just the patient's story, we got to see what Jehangir felt. I loved how there is an amazing transition of Kaira from being a coward to someone who faces the truth and draws strength from the truth. THAT is the ultimate triumph of the protagonist.

I loved Ali Zafar in the movie even though he was really annoying but so damn charming. I was floored and smiling ear to ear. After watching this, I fell in love with Let's Break Up...especially the video, Feroz's fantastic choreography makes the song such a treat. And Vishal's voice is just apt for a song like this...basically basically basically tu bhi kamini!!

I definitely went to watch this movie for Shah Rukh but I returned home as a real hardcore fan of Alia Bhatt. She is pure bliss. Throughout the film, you will experience moments where you wish you could just hug her. Long dialogues, short dialogues, she kicks ass. Even if you are a fan of SRK, you will feel delighted to see Alia more than Shah Rukh.

And what do I say about Shah Rukh? As if he was never a therapist for me...I am what I am because of his wisdom for the most part. He no longer impresses me, because our connection is beyond impressions and adjectives. Which reminds me...I'm sorry I never did a Fan review, that movie traumatized me.

Shall be going back for a second watch soon. Dear Zindagi kind of gets to you over time, and you just want to watch it again.

Saturday, April 16, 2016

Fan

This is his 13th release in which he has a double-role. And this is by far his most challenging one because it is absolutely all about his two roles, there are no side stories involved. And man...wasn't he just gooooood or what!! I know "good" is an understatement but good is just about good. And this "good" is the kind of good you say when you taste some real good food.

All these emotions has been troubling me since I have come back home after watching and it made me so exhausted that I needed a long sleep. Initially I felt I hated the film because of its story and its climax. My sisters were with me and I just walked off leaving them alone because my eyes were ridiculously moist. And I just needed some time alone.

This film is completely fictional but being a fan of a star is such a touchy feely subject along with the kind of ending the film offered...these are sensitive topics. There are numerous factors that shape how and why you become a fan of someone, not just because of a star's looks or his work. As fans, we do the things out of love and in order to carry out such things, we also work (doh). So yeah, I am completely on Team Gaurav. Even right now. But I don't obviously agree with his transformation...that is extreme. Even if my favorite star broke my heart into a billion pieces, I would never dare to raise my hand on him/her let alone think of harming his stardom.

Maybe I should rest my mind and think it through before saying anything...yep this is the kind of affect this film is having on me!!



Saturday, January 9, 2016

Consuming Shah Rukh Khan

When you are a fan of Shah Rukh Khan or anyone, it becomes a habit to watch, read, hear, eat, sleep (hopefully not), drink him/her. This is a reason why these public figures have to keep rolling out new stuff to keep their fan bases going strong. Then let's get going about consuming Mr. Khan.

Shah Rukh did a variety of roles in the first phase of his career. He had nothing to lose and no one really to be scared of. Remember, he made a goal of doing about 22 films. You can only wonder when 22 films became 70+ films. Through these seventy releases, he won billions of hearts all over the world. Okay, I know this sounds like I'm teaching the English alphabet but many of us seem to forget the basic story about Shah Rukh's success.

We just keep wanting more and more from him. And he also wants to keep delivering the highest quality cinema possible so it can be worth the price we pay to watch it. He values the time we give to watch his latest in theaters so much that he doesn't even stop even if he gets injured. Health is wealth. But to him, his audience's happiness is his real wealth.

Of course there must be a personal benefit too as to why he allows us to consume him every minute and every second of the day. It's his dream to give back to the industry and its consumers in the most grandest way possible. It's also his ultimate escape from the original Shah Rukh Khan who is in great pain. Every time the actor Shah Rukh faces a failure or hurtful abuses, the original Shah Rukh takes the blows. Then he forces the actor in him to get to work.

He has an eye for details, which us analysts ignore often because hey, Bollywood films are just singing and dancing after all. He wishes to bring the best talent in the film technology field to India rather than outsourcing work to Hong Kong, China, USA, etc. Because India produces the most films in this world. And there is a growing popularity for the usage of visual effects. 

When he does masala movies, he makes it with the intention that a whole family will have something to enjoy in it. There are different palates in every family. One person might like romance, another may like action and another may love comedy. To make everyone smile in 2.5 hours is an amazing talent. And he tries his best to do so.

You know what it looks like when we cry over him not doing a certain film which did great? It looks highly ungrateful. We are being ungrateful to the man who have put in tons of sweat, blood and effort to keep us entertained. He constantly puts up a great fight with his physical pain. Why? So we can devour his work. When fans cried over him not doing 3Is, it was ridiculous. The last time he played a college student was in Main Hoon Naa and that too, it was situational. I can't imagine him in his underwear either. Good for the little one that he did 3Is.

You can't expect Shah Rukh to be in every blockbuster made in Bollywood. No one wished that he do a Border, Gupt, Sarfarosh, Krantiveer, Zakhm, etc. He kept rising because of his very own personal choices. Now he is the biggest star in India, a very important figure. With such power, comes great responsibility. He has to be wise about what he does now, because he has enemies watching him like hawks. One mistake and there will be a heavy price.

It is pretty easy to spend 3 hours of our valuable time to watch a film created by hundreds of people and made in the time span of months who think of nothing else but to present their project in the most perfect way possible. Sad fact is that some films are worth watching many times on the big screen while other films are worth watching once maybe. Should he takes a lot of risks that are political, financial or both and it goes wrong then will you be there to rescue him? Quite sure, you'll be the first to run away from him.

It is quite disrespectful to compare him with younger actors who are actually following his footsteps is another way that you are sucking on his blood literally. Hasn't Shah Rukh almost always experimented? Each film is an experiment on its own. If it wasn't, then it would be called a copy. Plus you know something? He has to be very careful about his choices because he is a superstar. A role that suits Shahid, Ranbir, Varun or any other younger actor, will not suit Shah Rukh. Many actors have come and gone in the last 20 years. The excitement of possibly finding a replacement of Shah Rukh Khan is always high but, I personally think that if he retires then that's the end of Bollywood. They are already remaking, adapting and continuing from scrapbooks of yesteryear.

It makes me sad that I have to repeatedly cross paths with fans who don't seem to appreciate him enough. And then I have to write such posts again and again. I hate repeating myself. If you don't like his latest movies, please shut up and keep patience. We can't predict what he has next up his sleeve. When you become a fan of an actor, you have to have faith in him or her. And seriously, Shah Rukh is the safest actor on whom you can place your faith on. Because he is experienced, experimental, and honestly the best name in Bollywood. It is shameful to see fans nodding with haters and saying that this and that film of Shah Rukh is utter crap.

Keep in mind that he is now 50 years old. His kids are growing up and I'm sure he would like to be able to spend more time with them. You realize he belonged to us before his children and dedicates more time to make us smile instead of his kids?  Yet, you would like to bestow your taste of cinema onto him because you think you own him? Right.

As a fan, you need to support him in his ups and downs. It does not make him feel any better if you criticize his choices. Trust me when he says he reads everything, he really does so. What makes us think that he can tolerate so much cribbing over his work if we can't tolerate someone criticizing us all the time? "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". Consume him a bit responsibly because he is a human like us.