Haso Gao Mushkurao...Kya Pata?

Today is this classic movie, Kal Ho Na Ho's 8th anniversary. I just finished watching some of my favorite parts and songs from it. Now my heart is like floating within because it must be filled with so much tears...

Released in 2003, on this date, November 28th, it touched so many hearts with its simple and meaningful story about living life to the fullest...I remember having seen a person who had just come out from the theater after watching this, suggesting to bring of a box of tissues with you. That is definitely right. Today, after 8 years, the last few scenes still make me teary-eyed. Even after watching this movie over 20 times already, the emotions have remained the same, it's not like well you know what will happen. With this film, in spite of knowing what's going to happen, you still feel for the character(s).

The story of Kal Ho Na Ho is pretty touchy, of course coated with beautiful music and nearly nice punchy comedy. I can definitely relate to it, I'm sure many of you can relate to it as well.

I have this issue with watching the last scene, meaning the hospital scene. So it's been a few years since I actually watched the full movie until today...meaning I did watch the end of it today. I guess I have become brave enough to watch the last part without shedding a single tear...yeah, had to hold back my tears because I don't cry in front of anyone.

It released in Diwali with another movie Janasheen...which definitely bombed. Hello? Has anyone been able to win against Shah Rukh Khan by releasing their movie on the same day? I don't think so...

Well, coming back to Kal Ho Na Ho, there was one thing which I didn't like...the comedy. Sometimes it was over the top and a little too loud. What I love about the film? Everything else. I especially loved the dialogues written by Niranjan Iyengar. I listen to the title track every single day nowadays....I don't know why but my day doesn't seem complete without listening to it. The Heartbeat instrumental is also amazing as hell. I could listen to it all day and night long.

I remember in 2003 when the movie released, it was being compared to an old movie called Anand. Well...what to do? Every movie of Shah Rukh's is always compared to other movies. But the fact is people, many of us will remember Kal Ho Na Ho more than Anand.

My friends: laugh, sing, smile...who knows? Kal ho na ho...

The Khan(s) War

We all have been hearing of Khan War for a long time now. Of course it is annoying. Because three experienced actors have the same last name does not mean you have to pit them against each other. If you want to talk about competition, you cannot simply count how much each of their movie makes but this post is basically about that. And when it comes to the Khan War, surprisingly, people start taking "present" more seriously than the past. Wah bhai wah! The past is dead now?

Candidate #1, Shah Rukh Khan.

He's done about half a century of movies and lots of cameos. According to critics, his best work from 1992-2011 are: Devdas, Swades, Chak De! India and My Name Is Khan. Going by favoritism, nearly all movies are appreciated except for the rotten grapes according to many people: Ram Jaane, English Babu Desi Mem, Duplicate, Ra.One, Josh, Trimurti, etc.

Candidate #2, Aamir Khan.

He's done less than 50 films. According to critics and people alike, his best work from 1988-2011 includes: 3 idiots, Ghajini, Rang De Basanti, Lagaan, Sarfarosh, Rangeela, Dil Chahta Hai, etc. The rotten grapes on his lap happens to be: Mangal Pandey, Mela, Mann, Baazi, Love Love Love, Parampara, etc.

Candidate #3, Salman Khan.

He's done nearly 100 films. According to critics and people alike, his best works include: Dabanng, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, and Maine Pyar Kiya. Maybe I'm missing some out because he's done tons of movies and I have lost track and cannot sort them out. Tons of rotten grapes for him...too many to list.

Going by the amount of "All Time Blockbusters", and "Blockbusters" here, according to Box Office India FOR INDIA:
Shah Rukh Khan, 2 ATBBs and 4 blockbusters (Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hain, Om Shanti Om, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, Chak De! India, and Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Ghum)

Aamir Khan, 3 ATBBs and 0 blockbuster (3 Idiots, Ghajini, and Raja Hindustani)

Salman Khan, 2 ATBBs and 1 blockbuster (Dabanng, Hum Apke Hain Kaun, and Partner)

Now adding up the distribution share for each actor's movies which have been ATBBs and BBs:

Shah Rukh Khan: 2,293,100,000 rupees
Aamir Khan: 1,954,100,000 rupees
Salman Khan: 1,146,400,000 rupees

That comparison was money wise. Content wise, I have already given a little hint and you can also research these three stooges to find out. The problem that plagues us fans is that we don't take the pain of doing research and open our big fat mouth to bring the opponent or in our case, opponents.

Acting wise, here goes my personal opinion. Of course, to me Shah Rukh's acting was, is and will always be brilliant. He always does something new. Yeah people accuse him of having the same mannerisms, expressions, etc. But my eyes never found that. You are free to call me ignorant and biased but really...I have learned to analyze and this man is a truly amazing actor and a treat to watch. Even if direction is bad, he can carry the movie on his shoulder and make it a fantastic movie. He's done plenty of movies and if the movie has repeat value today then it's mainly because of him. His acting definitely touches hearts...well not everyone's. Because of him, today we want the villain's victory over the good one's. Even Gabbar Singh of Sholay never got this honor that Vicky/Ajay of Baazigar or Rahul of Darr has received. Being a villain has become cool and sexy today, thanks to Don.

About Aamir Khan. Honestly, I have seen a handful of his movies. My whole family used to be his fans. I have also enjoyed a couple of the movies I watched of his, like Fanaa, Rang De Basanti, etc. But his acting never touched my heart and believe me, before 2007 at least, I used to watch a lot of movies and my favorite wasn't ONLY Shah Rukh back then. Yeah, big confession here. I used to adore all three Khans back then and would enjoy their movies. My last Aamir Khan movie was Ghajini which I watched last year I think. More than him, I enjoyed Asin's acting. Aamir's expressions never had enough impact on me as much as Shah Rukh's expressions do. What makes his acting stand out is perhaps his directors' hard work. Yeah, he definitely has worked with awesome directors.

About Salman Khan. I have enjoyed his movies like Kyon Ki, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. In all his movies, his attitude stands out more than his acting or wait does he act? Anyway, I found him to be repetitive, both attitude wise and role wise. That's all there is to say about him.

To end this post, I'd like to present two notes. One, thank God Shah Rukh is no longer the only earner in the family of Bollywood...adopted children Aamir and Salman have started to contribute to the otherwise nearly homeless fraternity of Bollywood. Lastly, I know I didn't talk about each of these actors' non-filmy lives. It was deliberate because Shah Rukh is, was and will always be the better of the three stooges of Bollywood in real life.

Merci Beaucoup!

Title of Biggest Fan of SRK

The only person who could make me think is Shah Rukh Khan. So yeah, I have been thinking about something. This time, it's about us, his fans. I have read many biographies on twitter, profiles elsewhere saying that they are SRK's biggest ever fan. How are they biggest? I don't know. Nor will I judge them. But it is a big issue somewhere down my heart. I don't like competing with fans yet such things put me off sometimes, getting me to think, I'm not a big fan?

To be honest, no Indian can be Shah Rukh's biggest or bigger fan. Yes, technically speaking, it is so. Shah Rukh is an Indian, no language barrier or no culture barrier. The fans who happen to be "big" are the international fans who don't even have any Indian background...also includes different culture, language and stuff like that. I won't include myself in that category because I have grown up watching, seeing, interacting with Indians. So basically, I'm talking about people from all around the world except for South Asia in general. But I'd also like to keep in mind about most South Asians countries limitations as well.

Just think about it. Most international fans don't even understand Hindi but still love Shah Rukh as if they have known him for ages now. They are willing to travel to other countries/states to meet him or watch his movies if Indian movies don't release in their country/state. Call it their money power or simply their love which is powerful to make them go out of their borders. With international fans, I learned that love does not have any kind of boundaries. The sky is not the limit but it's their hearts which is the ultimate limit. I have even read some learning Hindi in order to make their lives a little easier. Many even visit India in order to catch a glimpse of him...

Many of these fans perhaps never even got the chance to see Shah Rukh on the big screen or have received very limited chances. This explains a lot about the general image of Shah Rukh being an actor ONLY...as most South Asians' fans' parents tell them, including me. International fans don't love Shah Rukh only for his movies but love him more as a person.

In spite of so many hurdles, the love doesn't die down. "Love will find a way"...heard it before right? Yes, it's from the song "Mitwa" from KANK. This line sums up the mindset of Shah Rukh's international fans. For them, I'd like to thank God for computers. Hadn't computers existed...it would have been difficult for them to feed their lovely passion for Shah Rukh.

But South Asian fans, don't feel disheartened. I'm not. I just had to acknowledge international fans' love for SRK because really...I can't imagine loving a entertainer whose main language is like Chinese to my eyes and ears. But Shah Rukh's international fans do and I really salute them. And I won't deny how much, we South Asians love him.

Some common movies which Khanverted international people: Kuch Kuch Hota Hain, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Ghum, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, My Name Is Khan, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, Asoka.

Let me sign this post off by saying...KEEP ROCKING ALL SRK FANS! MORE POWER TO US!! Nobody can love like we all do, because not everyone has the ability to understand Shah Rukh.

Ra.One Once Again

Ra.One. A movie that was made on the basis of 5 years of work, troubles, blood, sweat, dedication and all kinds of emotions. It came out on October 26th, 2011. Loved and hated by the masses yet lingered on every mouth for days. It became the reason for the arguments while it became and still continues to be the reason for bank accounts of theaters to be full and growing.

I have been thinking hard about its response. I have given too much damn about people's opinion regarding this film which happens to be extremely close to my heart. I know many people won't agree with what I'm about to say but still in the name of freedom of speech, here I go.

Two kinds of audience mainly expressed their love and hate for Ra.One. First those who weren't much informed about the concept of the movie or its promotions. And secondly, those who have given their attention to everything related to this movie, promotions, events and all the news.

The first kind of audience, as far as I have seen have liked the movie. In this category also falls those who don't know either Telegu, Tamil or Hindi. As I have seen, Eros also failed to provide good subtitles for it, meaning they were not in sync but I cannot comment about the 3D version. Unusually, I have not come across a single foreigner, especially non-SRK fans to dislike this movie. They seemed to have fully enjoyed the simpleness of this movie. This is a movie made for kids although I must say Shah Rukh didn't correctly promote it because he kept saying everyone will like it. Well he ignored my second category people.

The second kind of audience kept up with everything related to Ra.One on the net and on TV perhaps. Their expectations grew, skyrocketed! But when they watched the movie, their expectations crashed because they watched with the expectation of GREAT. But unfortunately, the buck for Ra.One stops at GOOD. It is neither bad or great, it's in the middle. (Good.One) G.One could have been named Great.One but that wasn't the case. The name of the superhero was a big cue but when our mind starts to think big which I'm not saying is a bad thing, but truth is that we start ignoring the little things while thinking great. Of course in this category of well informed people fall people like me who actually liked the movie in spite of knowing so much. I'll talk about myself only. I am biased. Super biased for SRK. I can forgive 100 sins for him, forget a few small flaws because I still believe this movie is the most perfect superhero movie I have ever seen. Period.

I always have nothing to say to those who like any SRK movie besides to agree with them. But those who dislike it makes me want to watch a movie with a more analytical mind because I keep getting the urge of proving them wrong. It is a good thing while it takes a heavy toll on my emotions because you dislike my SRK's movie, you are leaving a hole in my soul my friend. On a lighter note, if SRK ever needs a lawyer, MAIN HOON NA =P

If I'd have to play the blame game, I'd say people are to be blamed for expecting too much. Shah Rukh kept saying it is a simple story of a father-son. Also I'd blame Eros and Red Chillies for promoting it a bit too much hence giving out a little too much of the movie which stirred high expectations of a super real kick-ass twisted movie. Many complained about the vulgar jokes in THIS FAMILY MOVIE. I don't need to say it again. But I have finally found a great proof of the connectivity issue people complained about. I personally did connect to it but never found the right words to describe it. Here is one example of connectivity:

@kay4crazy Richa Mehrotra tweeted on Nov. 11th, 2011

@iamsrk ra.one gave hope 2 my 4yr old son. Now he imagines his LATE father returning 2 him as G1. He expired last yr. Thanks Shahrukh :)

This is one example of connectivity. Another example is so common which is the biggest connectivity ever. If you love your family, you will surely protect them. May not be from evil like Ra.One but other evils. Evil has no face because it has many forms. Goodness has a face but exists in one form which is love. Love equals to be caring and protecting your loved ones from harm.

Anyway, now back to my own issue. I still have to watch 3D! Hopefully soon...then will gear up for Shah Rukh's next film Don 2! For now, let me sign off by saying, try to appreciate the movie if you love your family. Try to appreciate the movie...just try it.

Memories and the future

Today happens to be Prince Khan's birthday! A.K.A. Aryan's 14th birthday. May Allah give him loads of success, happiness and wisdom in his life. Hmm...Gauri gave Shah Rukh his birthday gift in 1997 10 days late...hehe.

Today also happens to mark the 7th anniversary of Veer Zaara. While I have already shared many memories about this movie, I don't mind sharing it again.

Firstly, I hated the first poster of Veer Zaara just like I hated the first poster of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. I don't know why but it didn't strike well enough with me. But then I was younger back then. Being the fan I am, I got eager to watch the trailer of it when I came to know that the first trailer was going to come out with Dhoom. I ended up asking my mother if I can go and watch Dhoom, of course to which she said NO.

After a few weeks, the music came out. As soon as it hit the shelves at my local shop, I picked up the first cassette. I didn't like Tere Liye at first either...the song which I loved at first was Main Yahaan Hoon and the rest except for Lodi and Aaya Tere Dar Paar. Unfortunately, the cassette didn't have two additional tracks Jaane Kyon and Tum Pass Aa Rahe Ho...those were in CDs. Back then, my family and I weren't fond of CDs at all...we are not fond of it even today but that's what they sell, oh well. We listened to the cassette so much that I had to buy another one. I still have both with me.

Then came the time of movie release. Like I had written in one of my past posts, I didn't watch it first day. I watched it 8 days later its release at theater with my sister and parents. Here is what happened that day:

My first Diwali was with Veer Zaara. Watched it a week later its release of Nov. 12th, 2004, meaning on the 20th of November! Boy the theater was so full, the management had to bring in extra chairs to accommodate people! As for my family and I, we didn't get tickets for the showtime we had wanted but a later show! Still it was crowded as hell! We went shopping in between and came back to see that the seats were all nearly full, sparing a few seats on the bottom rows. It was nearly like watching a tennis match...hehe. I remember when Zaara's father got ill in the movie, some idiots started laughing, I was like WHAT THE FUCK?? Of course I didn't know about "WHAT THE FUCK?" back then but had a similar reaction.

Then a few months later, the DVD came out. On a sunny afternoon after school, I zoomed to the local shop after getting off the bus and bought one of the two copies they had. Of course I used my lunch money...cost me $22. It also happened to be the first DVD at my home...so yes, it is special in more than one way. Then we watched the movie and the second DVD. Loved the premiere, just the perfect festive feeling. Shah Rukh looking great, Gauri seemed a little pissed, Preity looking beautiful with that bubbly anxious smile. All in all, the team of VZ looked awesome while the guests looked like they were there mainly for the free grub and drinks at the after party.

What turned me off was Yeh Kahaan Aagaye Hum. It's such a beautiful song, both to listen to and see but Mr. Aditya Chopra had to edit it out. I still have the urge of slapping him for it. I was eagerly waiting for it when I watched it in theater...but I had no idea, I'd end up seeing it on DVD, that too the second DVD. Movie is 192 minutes...what would have happened if it became 198 minutes Adi?

Anyway, now looking forward to Yash Chopra's next movie next year. Of course every actor's performance will be ignored and Yash Chopra will bag all the praises like what happened with Veer Zaara. For me, Yash Chopra's movies are like a getaway ticket from the usual movies that come out every friday. He has a mindset of his own and he is not afraid of what the current trends in Bollywood are. This is the main expectation I have from him...I want him to make his next movie just the way he likes it...

Happy Birthday To Shah Rukh!

November 2nd, 1965, the world got its biggest gift ever after the human invention of television! Shah Rukh Khan!



Although the number went up but his real age is coming down. 46 will mean he'll look 46 times more sexier, handsome and mesmerizing!

May Allah bless him like always. He deserves all the happiness in this world. And not to mention lots of sleep too. The man works real hard, sometimes even putting his health at risk in order to make us happy.

Always love and respect him. :)

You can also make him happy by watching Ra.One today!

I made this video dedicating to our hero! It is his film journey starting from Deewana till the upcoming film, Don 2! Enjoy! My little gift to Shah Rukh and you all!