#Raj Kapoor films

[aloneandforsakenbyfateandbyman]

Zeenat Aman in Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978)    

[masalafilmsrevival]

Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978)

[inmyworldblr]

Awaara (1951) | dir. Raj Kapoor

[junglejim4322]

Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978)

[atna2-34-75]

Nargis in Awaara (Raj Kapoor, 1951)

[southasiansource]

RANVEER SINGH as DHARAM GULATI || Befikre (2016)

[Image ID: eight small, square gifs of Ranveer Singh as Dharam Gulati from Befikre:

GIF 1: Dharam pointing towards himself on stage at the comedy club, lifting his head to laugh with the audience.

GIF 2: Dharam pretending like he wasn't avoiding Shyra at the grocery store with overenthusiastic joy and smiles.

GIF 3: Dharam and Shyra dancing together at the party where they first meet. Dharam is looking at Shyra like he's enamoured with her, and Shyra's grin is wide, enjoying herself.

GIF 4: Shyra, dressed and ready to leave, sitting at the edge of Dharam's bed while he sits up, shirtless and wrapped in the blankets as he tries to convince her to do this again.

GIF 5: Dharam telling Shyra that maybe it's fate that have them meeting again.

GIF 6: Dharam turning to look at Shyra as she asks him if she is someone that someone else can spend a whole life with, after Anay proposes to her.

GIF 7: Dharam and Shyra dancing together at their joint pre-wedding party. Dharam spins her around and dips her, bringing her back close to himself as they laugh and spin.

GIF 8: Dharam smiling slightly at Shyra as they dare each other to break off their respective weddings.

/end ID]

[playermagic23]

Yash Raj Films announces the re-release of Shah Rukh Khan starrer Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Dil Toh Pagal Hai, and Chak De India

In this unique Nostalgia Film Festival, these films will be releasing from January 19 to January 22 at PVR and Inox Cinemas.

In what seems to be a unique trip down memory lane, Yash Raj Films is all set to take you on a filmy journey with the re-release of three of its biggest blockbusters starring Shah Rukh Khan. In a social media post, the production house announced the arrival of the iconic Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, mega hit Dil To Pagal Hai, and the blockbuster Chak De India at PVR and INOX Cinema chains in what is called as the Nostalgia Film Festival that kicks from January 19.

On Thursday, January 18, Yash Raj Films announced about the weekend film festival with a special post on Instagram along with a caption that read, “Relive the magic of your favourite movies on the big screen again… Nostalgia Film Festival @pvrcinemas_official @inoxmovies from 19th-22nd Jan!” Furthermore, the post also revealed that the ticket prices will be available for as low prices as Rs. 112. Although PVR and INOX chains have collaborated, the film will be releasing only in selected theatres belonging to these chains within selected cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Surat, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Kochi, among others. The list too has been shared by the production house for the ones who are reliving those memories.

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A post shared by Yash Raj Films (@yrf)

Speaking of the films, all the three movies have Shah Rukh Khan essaying the male lead. While Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995) is an iconic romantic drama featuring the megastar with his favourite co-star Kajol. The film has managed to break all records and remains to be one of the most iconic films in the genre of romance. On the other hand, Dil To Pagal Hai (1997) which stars Madhuri Dixit and Karisma Kapoor in lead roles, is expected to be a beautifully penned romantic drama by Yash Chopra, that brings together a tale of friendship and love.  Whereas Chak De India (2007) is a sports drama that features 11 women players across the country fighting against gender biases, caste prejudices and other challenges, as they aim to make to win the World Cup in a Global Championship Match.

[waheedawolf]

Nargis in Aag (1948)- dir. Raj Kapoor

[bollywoodisforlovers]

Netflix and Dil: High and Low - Cinema Marte Dum Tak and The Romantics

We go behind the scenes to learn about the making of some of Hindi cinema’s most famous and infamous films with two new docuseries. 

Show notes:

Thank you Rakesh KT!

Cinema Marte Dum Tak

Vice Media

The Romantics

Smriti Mundhra

Yash Raj Films

NEXT TIME: Madhuri Madness

Bollywood is For Lovers is a member of the Alberta Podcast Network

Check out Telus Storyhive and Edmonton Public School’s Open House

Find us on Apple Podcasts! and Stitcher! and audioBoom! and iHeartRadio! and Spotify! and Google Podcasts! and Saavn! and Hubhopper!

Thank you to Becca Dalke for the artwork!

Follow us on Twitter! Like us on Facebook!

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Cyd Charisse (The Bandwagon, Brigadoon, Singin’ in the Rain)—LEGS LEGS LEGS I would sell my soul for the legs of Cyd Charisse - she oozed style and glamour and sex appeal!! And she could DANCE! She was dancing next to the greats - Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire but they are never who you're looking at because why would you when you can look at her. I will only sit through too long ballet breaks for her. If there was any woman who you could call sex on legs it was her. These dances are everything to meeee (she comes in at the minute mark) and this dance too of course is iconic. In the words of Fred Astaire 'When you've danced with Cyd Charisse you stay danced with'

Suchitra Sen (Harano Sur, Chaowa Pawa)—Suchitra Sen! She had a 25-year career in Bengali films, and was at the height of popularity for a solid two decades as half of the wildly beloved pair of Uttam-Suchitra, who were practically the entire romantic genre of Bengali films by themselves. She acted in literary adaptations, romantic comedies, (melo)dramas and inspired-by-current-events films. She was the first Indian actress to receive an international award at the Moscow International Film Festival. In 1978, after the release of her last film (a box-office flop) she pulled a Garbo and put herself out of the public eye completely. She made no appearances, gave no interviews, refused awards, all of it. She didn't even show up for her daughter's or grand-daughters' debuts! She was taken for funerary rites in a covered hearse! The glamour! The mystery! That blinding smile!

This is round 2 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Suchitra Sen:

Not to take away from her costars in Devdas (1955), but the great Indian cinematic tradition of Tragic Romantic Yearning would not, I argue, be what it is without Suchitra Sen's performance in that film. I root for things to turn out better for her every time, even though I know how things are going to go.

A Bengali cinema icon. Liked crows (per Gulzar, "It was an astonishing sight. The crows used to pick at the grapes from her hand").

Linked gifset

She once rejected Raj Kapoor's movie offer (one of the most successful actor and director at the time). She was quoted saying, “In men, I don’t look for beauty. I look for intelligence and sharp conversations. I had refused Raj Kapoor’s offer almost immediately. He came to my residence offering a lead role and, as I took my seat, he suddenly sat near my foot and offered me a bouquet of roses while offering the role. I rejected the offer. I did not like his personality. The way he behaved – sitting near my foot – did not befit a man.”

Legendary poet, lyricist, director and writer Gulzaar had this to say about her "Glad that my ‘Sir’—that’s what I call her— got the Dada Saheb Phalke award during her lifetime. Contrary to people’s perceptions, Suchitra Sen is an extremely warm and very very friendly person. I adore and respect her. But she has the right to choose her friends. Surely she’s justified in keeping away from every Tom, Dick and Harry. She’s the only example of such quiet dignity in show-biz. That’s why the media compares her with Great Garbo. Suchitra Sen is my Sir. I’ll explain. During the shooting of Aandhi she started calling me Sir. Everyone in Kolkata calls her Madame. Since I’m her junior I requested her not to call me Sir. But she insisted. (We always converse in Bengali). So I call her Sir and she calls me Sir.”

Linked musical number [won't let me display embedded for some reason]

Cyd:

Photos do not do Cyd Charisse justice, unfortunately, because she is at her hottest while dancing, which she was exquisitely good at. Just go watch her first number in Singin' in the Rain, in that green dress; nothing I could say here will be more convincing that that.

She had amazing legs, and she knew how to use them! You probably know her best from the dream sequence in Singin' In The Rain. She was such a stunning dancer, and all her dance scenes are hard to look away from.

Dancing in the Dark clip:

She's an amazing dancer and my favorite from the period. Here's her and Fred Astaire in the Band Wagon:

I just like a woman who's there to be really incredibly good at dancing.

One of the most talented female dancers in Hollywood history, but what sets her apart from other competitors for that title is that she...umm...well let's be blunt, she was the dancer who put sex into it. The one who said "Hey, you know that A+ leg tone that naturally develops from doing this for a living? Why don't I let people see that? Like at every opportunity?" She reportedly insured her legs for five million dollars after hitting it big, which just goes to show that fame makes you crazy. It should have been ten million.

Arguably the Best female dancer of her time, she supposedly insured her legs for $5 million dollars. Stole the show whenever she had a dance number, even if she went uncredited. Musicals started to go out of fashion so unfortunately she didn't have as many big roles as she should have, but those she did are unforgettable. The Broadway Melody number in Singin' in the Rain - the green dress!

She could pirouette in pointes or tear it up in taps. Fred Astaire called her "beautiful dynamite" and wrote, "That Cyd! When you've danced with her you stay danced with." Gene Kelly partnered with her three times. Her legs were (reportedly) insured for $5 million in 1952 ($57.8 million in 2024 dollars)! Everyone in this poll will be iconic, but for raw physical grace, Cyd is up there with the best.

Legs for days, beautiful dancer in the most iconic scenes of Singin in the Rain. She's glorious. As some guys sung to her in It's Always fair weather, 'baby you knock me out!'

Incredibly, Cyd Charisse only started learning to dance as a rehab exercise to strengthen her body after a childhood bout of polio. She was in high demand as a dance partner, Fred Astaire called her beautiful dynamite and said "When you've danced with her, you stayed danced with". She was one of a few leading ladies to dance with both Astaire and Kelly, declaring them both delicious. Kelly apparently was stronger, while Astaire was more coordinated. She also said her husband would always know who she had been dancing with because Kelly left her bruised, while Astaire didn't leave a mark. She's better known for her dance numbers today, but she was a leading lady in her time! Her Scottish accent in Brigadoon leaves a lot to be desired, but compared to the other actors in the movie, it's almost good. She appeared in The Harvey Girls alongside Judy Garland and Angela Lansbury in her first speaking role, but she really burst onto the scene with Singin' in the Rain and her infamous Broadway Melody Ballet number with Gene Kelly (no one could handle a length of fabric like Cyd Charisse). She was brought in because Debbie Reynolds wasn't really a dancer and Kelly was notoriously a stickler about his Vision. After that she starred opposite Astaire in The Band Wagon, which was a bit of a flop but created some enduringly incredible dance numbers. She went on to star in a number of MGM movies, and was one of the last of the Studio era stars to remain on contract. Since we've got up to 1970, I'm including her opening routine in The Silencers (1966) to show just how long she was making a splash - she's into her 40s here and still a siren:

and of course, the iconic Broadway Melody Ballet -

[hobiebrownismygod]

Let's talk about Desi representation again!!

I don't talk about this stuff often but when I do, I have some strong ass opinions

and yes I'm gonna be talking about none other than Pavitr Prabhakar at the end cuz he's just special to me <3

Hollywood is lagging behind on Desi representation

You'd think one of the biggest film industries in the world would be able to represent us properly, considering the fact that we make up the largest group of South-Asian Americans and the second largest group of Asian-Americans in the US, but instead-

Western Television forces Indians to conform to harmful stereotypes

Some of the most popular Desi characters on screen are Raj Koothrappali from the Big Bang Theory, Devi Vishwakumar from Never Have I Ever and Kelly Kapoor from the Office.

Indian men are almost always portrayed as robotics engineers and computer whizzes, but with terrible social intellect, making them seem like awkward nerds.

Indian women are almost always portrayed as "whitewashed", or wanting to appear more western, with zero understanding of their own culture or language along with an unrelenting need for attention from white friends/colleagues.

These are both based on stereotypes that Indian culture is "toxic" and "too traditional" and that Indians are only interested in studies.

Most Desi characters in western media have stories that are solely based around their ethnicity and/or racial stereotypes.

British television actually showcases a lot more representation than Hollywood does

I was watching Polite Society, a movie starring two Pakistani characters as the main leads, and there was a dance scene where both the leads are wearing traditional desi attire. My mom turned over, looked at me, and asked, "Is this Hollywood? It can't be."

And she was right. It's a British movie with British-Pakistani actors.

The reason she didn't believe that it could've been Hollywood was because the dresses the two leads were wearing were traditional and beautiful and the song playing in the background was authentic Hindi music, not some random westernized DJ version of it.

A Hollywood movie would've never dressed up their Desi actors in actually flattering attire (*cough cough the Patel twins from Harry Potter) or have used real, popular Desi music in the background.

You see my point?

It is so uncommon to see well-thought-out Desi representation in TV nowadays, where to see real diversity we have to watch movies made by the same country that colonized us.

Ironic.

British movies/shows with desi leads have far better South Asian representation than anything I've seen in Hollywood recently.

The Hollywood movies starring Indian leads, like Slumdog Millionaire or Bend it like Beckham were filmed in the UK, and because they were filmed in the UK, they had fantastic South Asian representation.

Not only does Hollywood refuse to create shows and movies about real problems that South Asians face, but they also don't cast South Asian actors in good roles.

When's the last time you saw a South Asian actor playing a character that wasn't a walking stereotype? When's the last time you saw a South Asian actor playing a character that was a genuine part of the story rather than just comedic relief or a random smart kid in the classroom?

Not often, right?

Me, personally, I didn't grow up with a lot of South Asian characters or actors in shows/movies that I watched. In fact, every time someone even close to my skin color showed up on TV, I was on the edge of my seat because it was just so rare to see it.

This is why representation matters.

You've heard about all the young girls with braids being so excited when the new little mermaid with Halle Bailey came out. Well, us desi kids wanted that too.

I wanted to see a Telugu speaking girl with wavy hair and dark skin who would wear traditional clothing to Desi get-togethers and parties, go to the temple with her family, eat vegetarian Indian meals, etc...

I wanted to see a character who was a representation of me and my experiences as an Indian-American. I wanted to see a character that was at least a representation of Indians or just South Asians in general.

Instead, we were given characters that ridiculed their own culture, were extreme stereotypes and furthered the existence of casual racism in western society today. So many Desi kids experience small acts of racism on a daily basis because people have been so desensitized to the existence of these stereotypes.

Telling South Asians that their culture is a joke and feeding non-asian children media which pokes fun at other cultures is harmful, not only to us South Asians but also communities that could end up being targeted next.

Pavitr Prabhakar; Representation Matters

If you've been following me or if we're mutuals, you probably know I have a tiny obsession with Pavitr Prabhakar. But why?

Because of all the reasons I just listed.

There are few South Asian characters us Desis can look up to these days, and Pavitr Prabhakar is one of the maybe two or three characters who have great writing, magnificent representation, and overall a fun vibe.

He's likable, funny, smart and best of all, unapologetically Desi.

He's just like all the other side characters, with a little bit of his own culture mixed in. He's not being shoved down our throats to further an agenda about fake diversity, he's not a walking stereotype and best of all, he was designed by Indian creators.

He's refreshing and exciting to follow in a world full of a demand for half-hearted representations and the people who created him were obviously putting their hearts and souls into it.

He's awoken a love for Indian culture amongst, not only Desi children themselves but also among westerners who, prior to this, had thought of India as a "3rd world" country, because that's the agenda that Hollywood pushes onto many South Asian countries today.

WE LOVE PAVITR PRABHAKAR!!

This was kinda all over the place but I just had to get this off my chest <3

Sources:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/06/10/discrimination-against-indian-americans-happens-more-than-you-might-think/

[masalafilmsrevival]

Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978)  

[inmyworldblr]

Awaara (1951) | dir. Raj Kapoor

[ Nargis and Raj Kapoor ]

[bollywoodirect]

"Kal khel mein, hum ho na ho

Gardish mein taare rahenge sada

Bhoologe tum, bhoolenge wo

Par hum tumhare rahenge sada."

Remembering #RajKapoor, the 'greatest showman of Indian cinema', on his 36th death anniversary (02/06/88).

What are your favourite Raj Kapoor films?

[tsupertsundere]

HELLOO. i see you reblog a lot of hindi cinema!! i would love to watch more of it, what are your top 10 favorites?

🤩😍🤩😍🤩😍🤩😍🤩😍🤩😍🤩😍🤩😍🤩😍

this might be my favorite thing I've received in my inbox.

wh I well I wh how could I possibly refuse hee hee hee hee

limiting this to hindi cinema helps!! or so I thought, before I went through several rounds of intense interrogation and several scribbled pages of notes and realized this just outs me as a baby shah rukh khan stan, which I am. I resisted every impulse to try to make the list broad and varied and kept only repeating 'what are your FAVORITES, what are your FAVORITES' and even then narrowing everything down was really painful... I feel like I've watched very many but then not very many at all.

There are another half-dozen more I had to cut with great anguish (Paheli, Ram-Jaane, the Don films) OMG EDITED TO FINISH MY FRIGGIN SENTENCE: BUT I PRESENT TO YOU AND TO ALL: VI TSUPERTSUNDERE'S TOP TEN:

Mohabbatein ("Love Stories", dir Aditya Chopra, 2000)

A young men's college ruled by a headmaster who disdains love--can one music teacher help three love stories grow, and let love tower above all? ✫ My first hindi film. Still can't think of a better introduction. Truly has it all. My favorite ghost story also!! ✧ Standout number: the three ingenues have an incredible dance sequence - it's the emotional climax of the film for me.

Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai ("Say You Love Me", dir Rakesh Roshan, 2000)

When Rohit, an aspiring musician, meets Saxena, a rich bussinessman's daughter, his dreams of stardom glimmer right within his reach. Life has other plans. ✩ Hrithik Roshan's debut - and what a debut! My first introduction to a beloved facet of hindi cinema - double roles!! ✫ Standout number: The number that takes place in Cafe Indiana, Ek Pal Ka Jeena, accurately conveys how it felt like to go to a Rainforest Cafe when I was very young. Truly thrilling!

Muhjse Dosti Karoge! ("Will You Be My Friend!", dir Kunal Kohli, 2002)

Childhood friends Raj, Tina, and Pooja are caught in a classic love triangle - Pooja loves Raj, but he only has eyes for Tina. When he moves away, Pooja poses as Tina as they email back and forth and their friendship blossoms long-distance. A decision made in childhood brings problems to Pooja's doorstep - as they all graduate high school and become adults, Raj returns home... ✧ Rani Mukherjee and Kareena Kapoor are the real MVPs here - shining stars in every movie they're in. ✩ Standout Sequence: The medley, seen above, brought me to my fucking feet when we first watched it. The characters diagetically are singing these popular songs for each other at a wedding celebrations - each song's lyrics weave in and apply on multiple levels, depending on who knows what and what they mean, up to and including Hrithik Roshan reprising Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai! Genuinely one of my favorite sequences I've seen period on film, if I could ever put together anything half as layered I'd be patting myself on the back forever.

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... ("Through Smiles and Through Tears", dir Karan Johar, 2001)

The wealthy Raichand family splits in half when elder son Rahul falls in love with a lower-caste girl and marries her - younger son Rohit watches his beloved brother disappear to England and the light in his home wither away. When he becomes an adult, he's determined to find his brother and unite them all again. ✫ These three fuckers as a dad and two sons just make a fascinating family together, let alone the kind of heavy hitting talent you get from Jaya Bachchan (indeed married to Amitji) and of course Kajol my beloved Kajol most of all. 'It's All About Loving Your Parents' is a much much much... much harder sell than I'm prepared to give - at the very least, it's all the drama I can watch in. ✫ Standout Sequence: Bole Chudiyan above is so much fun, of course, but Say Shava Shava is also a really great 'here's how fun things are when things are GOOD' establishing song. When Amitji says 'EVERYBODY' he is not asking!!

Those four films are a truncated highlight reel of the 8 or so films I like watching around the holidays!! They work really well together and I associate them with each other a lot.

Darr ("Fear", dir Yash Chopra, 1993)

Kiran Awasthi has a freshly minted college degree, a bus ticket home, a beloved boyfriend in the Navy... and a stalker. A young woman is slowly driven mad by a ruthless specter who will stop at nothing to be by her side. As she and her boyfriend escalate... so does he. ✧ Truly breathtaking. A breakout role for SRK, another hit cementing Juhi Chawla my fucking beloved Juhi Chawla as the OG expression queen. My favorite horror film. Rahul Mehra deserves to be in Dead By Daylight so he can fight Leon in a twink off. Simply the bloodiest there is. My Halloween costume next year. ✩ Standout sequence: Any time Juhi Chawla is on screen and I'm not kidding.

Chaahat ("Desire", dir Mahesh Bhatt, 1996)

When the father of a father-and-son comedy duo gets sick, his son, Roop, would do anything to secure the money he needs to restore his father's health. So when he catches the eye of a wealthy club owner's sister, he can't say no, no matter how much her desire consumes... ✫ Diametric opposite of Darr, now Shah Rukh Khan is the target!! As a carnivore girl lover I can't not adore it. ✧ Standout sequence: Chaahat Na Hoti, pictured above. This was the frame that made me sit up and go 'oh I have to... I gotta watch this movie right now. Right now.' And I was so right.

Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani ("Yet, I Have the Heart of an Indian", dir Aziz Mirza, 2000)

Ajay Bakshi is a hotheaded, loudmouthed reporter - a rival media network hires his counterpart and superior, Ria Bannerjee, to try to take him down. ✫ A gag-a-minute comedy with more gumflaps than brains, just like our lead. Juhi is heaven in this. I can only describe this as 'I think this is what the guy from American Psycho THOUGHT was going on.' Was a flop - came out right after Kaho Na... Pyaar Hai and couldn't compete - but it hits the zany button like nothing else. ✧ Standout sequence: The inventiveness of the sets in pretty much every song is my favorite. CONTENT WARNING: There is an awful anti-Chinese gag sequence at about the middle of the film. The two leads pose as Chinese reporters to get into somewhere, and it's just wall to wall racial caricatures. I hit that ff button through it myself, a truly unpleasant marring in an otherwise goofy-ass romp.

Chak de! India ("Let's go! India", dir Shimit Amin, 2007)

Can a disgraced former field hockey star turn 16 proud, contentious players from all over the country into one unified team as their coach? Can each young woman play her all on the field - for herself and for her team? ✩ A sports anime fit into one film, I wish it were several seasons long. Each girl is spectacular and is a joy to watch!! ✫ Standout Sequence: The character work is where this one shines. Bindiya Naik is my personal favorite (and not just because the instant I saw her performance I went 'omg, she's playing my OC almost exactly. I'd cast her in a heartbeat!)

Fan (dir Maneesh Sharma, 2016)

Aryan Khanna is the King of Bollywood. Gaurav Chandna is almost him, but not quite - knows everything about him by heart, uses him as the light in his life, and Gaurav even looks just enough like him to boot. All Gaurav wants is five minutes of his time. Just five minutes... ✩ Eminem's 'Stan' as a feature length thriller that literally no one else could make. I can only quote this letterboxd review, because it's right: "even if there was another celebrity who could pull off tearing himself open to splash his own imposter syndrome onscreen, they wouldn't dare try...happy birthday to the only actor good enough to make his fans sympathize with his own stalker". I was SO upset to learn that this flopped. ✫ Standout Sequences: the practical and special effects used to differentiate SRK's two roles bar none some of the best I've experienced - uncanny valley is real here, and half of the horror is the ALMOST. but not quite.

✫✧✩✫✧✩✫✫✧✩✫✧✩✫

While I followed a loose, non-ranking order for the preceding nine entries, I had to save the only possible film for number one:

Om Shanti Om (dir Farah Khan, 2007)

"30 years ago," irrepressible junior artist Om Prakash Makhija has only one dream grander than making it big in the film industry - to get a chance to act alongside his greatest inspiration, superstar Shanti. His wish comes true, but, well... some dreams, one lifetime is not enough... ✫ THE BEST MOVIE THAT EXISTS. THE BEST MOVIE THAT DOESN'T EXISTS. Don't believe me? Let these ladies convince you - when I learned that somehow The Coolest And Most Sparkling theater troupe on the face of the planet staged a production of this I literally got so lightheaded I couldn't see for a second. This movie came out when I was thirteen - if I had seen it then I think it would have made a huge difference. As it was, I saw it at the second most perfect time: when I was/am also a 30 year old irrepressible junior goofball, just like Om. Farah Khan is one of my favorite directors for certain. A film about the hindi film industry, I place it last also because the more faces you recognize, songs you can pick out, movie references you can catch, the better - and it's incredible even still. ✧ Standout sequence: I can't say the whole movie (... minus Deewangi Deewangi it's the Yakuza 4 of this movie) can I??? Let me just say - long story short, Farah Khan got the idea for this film when Andrew Lloyd Weber had her to choreography for his stage show, Bollywood Dreams. She thought the plot, a poor junior artist becoming a big Bollywood star, was eye-rollingly unrealistic. She could do better, she thought... and that idea eventually became Om Shanti Om. The climax is her proving she could do Phantom of the Opera better than him, too!!

✫✧✩✫✧✩✫✫✧✩✫✧✩✫

And, if you'll indulge me... in thanks for giving me a really fun thing to do today, I have one more film: one that I think you would like, based off of the vibes of the journal entries I got to read!

Veer-Zaara (dir Yash Chopra, 2004)

An Indian pilot and the daughter of a Pakistani politician fall in love, but are wrenched apart when the pilot is imprisoned on false charges. He languishes 22 years in prison, never saying a word, until a young Pakistani lawyer is assigned his case and she is determined to see him freed... ✧ Certified Mom Movie and is an absolute banger. When I thought 'who would be a character who I could see Estelle looking forward to meeting for lunch', Rani Mukherjee's lawyer was right at the top of the list. ✫ Standout Sequence: My personal favorite, Main Yahaan Hoon, is the song linked above. It drives me Insane absolutely Insane - this depicts 'they're not in the room but they're the only thing on your mind' in a way seldom more effective!

✫✧✩✫✧✩✫✫✧✩✫✧✩✫

omg NOW I'm done for eel. This was a terrific exercise in tilling the soil in my brain - I'm really inspired by the all visual direction, the colors and depths, the sensibilities in general exemplified by the movies here, and hope to one day reflect it in my own work! I have to make the Yash Raj reshade shaders I want to see in the world.

Please don't hesitate to drop me a line about anything you find interesting here, other movies you've seen, or anything else! Genuinely truly always love getting to see your work. Thank you for reading!

[cressida-jayoungr]

Coeli's Picks: Weddings, part 1 (Indian Film Edition)

One Dress a Day Challenge

June: Weddings

Indian movies do love their wedding scenes! Here are some more terrific costume examples, in order from the oldest film to the newest. Lots of good men's costumes in this batch.

Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994) / Madhuri Dixit as Nisha Choudhury

Devdas (2002) / Madhuri Dixit as Chandramukhi

Mujhse Dosti Karoge! (2002) / Hrithik Roshan as Raj Khanna

Bride and Prejudice (2004) / Namrata Shirodkar as Jaya Bakshi and Naveen Andrews as Balraj (top); Martin Henderson as Will Darcy and Aishwarya Rai as Lalita Bakshi (bottom)

(Okay, this one isn't technically an Indian movie, being an international co-production. But it definitely belongs with the Indian movies costume-wise.)

Vivah (2006) / Shahid Kapoor as Prem 'Bholu' and Amrita Rao as Poonam 'Bitto'

Rockstar (2011) / Nargis Fakhri as Heer Kaul

2 States (2014) / Alia Bhatt as Ananya Swaminathan

Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015) / Salman Khan as Prem Dilwale (or maybe Yuvraj Vijay Singh; he plays a double role and I'm not sure which this is!)

Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety (2018) / Sunny Nijar as Titu Sharma