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Showing posts with label Movie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Movie. Show all posts

Thursday, 2 February 2023

11 reasons why you should you watch #Pathaan in the theatres. - #ThirstyThursday #ShahRukhKhan

February 02, 2023 0 Comments


This post is for the very few people who are sitting on the fence about watching the Pathaan in the theatres.

Fair warning to all: I am an unapologetic Shah Rukh Khan fan and I have been since 1990. So, as a person who has been fangirling through all the phases of his career, I have no qualms about admitting that I am highly biased when it comes to the King Khan.

But, I am also an INFJ who calls a spade a spade. So, trust me when I say that this post will give you the truth. 


  • Watch Pathaan in the theatres if you are a Shah Rukh Khan fan.

A No Brainer. If we go by the Box office collection of Pathaan, I should think that all SRK fans have already checked it out at the theatres. At the same time, I also know that some might be a little apprehensive after the ‘Zero’ experience. Fear not, SRK is hotter than ever, just as charismatic, his screen presence is as enigmatic as ever and he is more grounded in this movie than ever.

  • Watch Pathaan in the theatres if you are a Deepika Padukone fan.

Oh yes! She is just as amazing. She is looking toned and gorgeous. But more than that, she is not just an eye-candy (as it has been for ages for women in spy action movies). She has quite a bit of action and she rocks it. And I don’t think that I need to talk about her acting skills - it is a given that she is amazing.

  • Watch Pathaan in the theatres if you like SRK-Deepika chemistry.

There is no out an out romance between SRK-Deepika in Pathaan. Both are agents, who are working towards their goals. Yet, there is something. Their chemistry is only second to SRK-Kajol, and as such it is unavoidable. You’ll love seeing them on-screen together - again!

  • Watch Pathaan in the theatres if you love John Abraham.

I am NOT a John Abraham fan, yet I enjoyed seeing him onscreen. He looks fitter than ever. And he even manages a few expressions to shock the audience like me {Do you know what I mean?} He is nothing like what he is in Satyameva Jayate 2/3. A different avatar that’s more like OG Dhoom badass - cool and glamorous antagonist.

  • Watch this movie if you are a Salman Khan fan.

Let’s not even pretend that his cameo is a surprise. It’s been all over the internet for months. And it’s not just a cameo, it is an extended cameo where ‘Karan-Arjun’ do what they do best. Action! Their chemistry together is something to behold, especially now that SRK is stepping up his own action game. Plus the camaraderie and the inside jokes keep you entertained.

For the sake of full disclosure, I have a strong dislike for Salman, and haven’t watched any of his films since ‘Tere Naam’ yet his cameo in the movie made me wonder whether I should go back and watch the two Tiger movies.

  • Watch Pathaan in the theatres because it is a total fan service movie.

If you haven’t caught up onto it yet, the movie is a vehicle for SRK’s return to big screen. Everything in the movie revolves around how to give more of him to the fans. But also it serves other fans as well - whether John or Deepika or Salman or the mass entertainment lovers. There are multiple ‘Hero-shots’ with 5 seconds of almost nothing going on to give time to the audience to hoot & cheer for their favourite stars (and sometimes a salute to the past). It just will not be the same experience if you have decided to watch it when it comes to OTT in April. 

  • Watch Pathaan in the theatres if you love over the top action.

Did you love the action in MI series, the Fast & Furious movies? Well, Pathaan offers you all the logic defying action scenes - in the air, on the ice, on top of a train - you name it and the movie has it. Indian industry is finally catching up on serious VFX, but it has a way to go still with the budget that Indian movies work with. Also, once again the action scenes are such that it is best when watched on a large screen. It will NOT be the same on tv & tabs.

  • Watch this movie if you have always wanted a macho spy, but with a vulnerable side.


When I read this article, I was really shaking my head at Siddharth Anand. Really? Do we really need another spy/action star who just fights, shoots, looks cool doing it and be that ‘mard ko dard nahi hota’ type of hero? Let’s not forget what made SRK the icon of love and romance; in a time when heroes were doing the traditional ’macho’ roles, SRK was showing emotions, crying on screen & helping his ladies in the kitchen.

But Siddharth Anand knew his task well and I say that because he made Pathaan more real than any other spies we have ever known. Pathaan isn’t scared of showing signs of fatigue during fight scenes or asking for time-out in the middle of a fight or shedding a tear. SRK as Pathaan is a new kind of alpha male. He is someone who is willing to stand back and let the girl fight for once or take orders from a woman - and it doesn’t hurt his ego to do so.

  • This movie is for all those who enjoy spotting easter eggs.

From reference to War, Darr, Karan Arjun… etc, the side effect of the fan service that this movie delivers is that it is littered with references of other films and characters. It was complete fun spotting those through the movie. My personal favourite is of course the Darr reference - it was silly but hilarious.

  • Pathaan is a mass entertainer that doesn’t pretend to be anything else.

In recent times I have watched so many movies that are so pretentious trying to be serious cinema while giving into Bollywood clichés to ensure that it still appeals to the masses for the sake of box-office collections. Then there have been mass movies that took themselves too seriously and I do not even want to get into all the remakes! Pathaan is none of that. It is a mass entertainer that has been made to service the fans and it doesn’t pretend to be anything else.

  • Make a statement.

Last, but certainly not the least; it’s probably the most important point on this list. While I was all for the call for ‘Justice for SSR’ at the beginning, we all know that the actual incident is no longer relevant to what certain sections of the society are using the slogans for. I am not even going to use the ‘B’ word because I am tired of being told what to eat, what to wear, where I can or cannot go, what I can and cannot do. Now people are trying to dictate what we watch too. What’s next? Should I be also be told how much oxygen I can breathe in a minute?

Being an SRK fan, I was going to go for first day first show anyway. But this gang made sure that I went with a fan club so that I could just scream, dance & laugh when SRK came on screen and flip off the gangs in my own way.


This negativity has been spreading for a while and I know that I felt like a non-entity and wondered how could someone as small & insignificant as me can make a difference. But now SRK is making a statement (without speaking a word) with this movie that has made the way for a lot of other influential people (who probably feared a backlash) to come out and stand in support of him

Let’s do it - let us go and watch Pathaan and start claiming our basic rights back with this step. It’s no longer just about watching a movie - whether you love or hate the cast & crew or the kind of movie it is - doesn’t matter… It has now become a matter of whether you are going to let people continue to dictate our lives, encourage threats and vandalism in the name of nationalism and whether or not YOU believe that YOU have a right to decide what is right or wrong.

I rest my case. Now it’s your turn to tell me whether you will watch it in the theatres or not. And if you have watched it in the theatres, what was your experience?





Wednesday, 2 November 2022

#PathaanTeaser & #DDLJScreening in one day! - #HappyBirthdayShahRukhKhan @yrf

November 02, 2022 0 Comments


What a day it has been for me today.

So, the Pathan Teaser dropped today around 11am and its kind of breaking the internet and drowning out Boycott Bollywood and Boycott Pathan noise - as its should. Have you seen the teaser yet? What did you think?




The first thing that caught my attention was that the narrative at the beginning was almost parallel to Shah Rukh Khan’s life. His last release was ‘Zero’ in 2018 which flopped (still made a profit) and people have been saying a lot of negative things like he is done, his mid-life crisis, etc. But give the man some credit, yes? He has been running the show and taking Bollywood to the world for last 30 years. How many times have people predicted that his reign was coming to an end with the launch of a new hero? And what happened? Nothing - without a single release in 4 years, he is still reigning here.

‘Zinda hai’ is more likely him confirming what us the SRK-ians have been saying all along. He is back and it seems it will be with a bang! With an action packed trailer and him looking better than ever, we are going to have fun. You naysayers can keep saying stuff, it hasn’t mattered to us in the last 30 years, and it won’t matter now.

With ‘War’ as a reference, I am not expecting a good storyline. In fact I am almost expecting a flawed story. At the same time with SRK & Deepika on screen, the acting will be much better than War for sure. And I hope that the action is as good as War if not better. I am excited!


I also had the awesome opportunity to go watch Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge on the screens today. People kept telling me that you have already watched it so many times, why go to the theatres again? Well, I am glad that once again I did not let the naysayers stop me because it was an experience of a lifetime!





Let me tell you, it’s a weekday and I went for the Noon show not expecting much crowd. But only one man can draw the crowd like that with a 27 year old film. Yes folks, it was housefull! About 95% of the crowd were under 25 and I am pretty sure this was their first time watching DDLJ on a big screen like that. Yet I doubt there was anyone who was watching it for the first time.

The environment was electric - like being in a live concert. People were cheering throughout - not only for the entry scenes but for all the iconic moments of the film. There were people calling out the dialogues in advance and singing and dancing along the songs!

It’s an experience I cannot describe and something I will probably remember for the rest of my life.




Friday, 26 August 2022

#MondayBlogs - Why I refuse to accept anything less than #SRK's brand of #romance

August 26, 2022 0 Comments

He needs no introduction… the scrawny guy from Delhi who has entertained us for more than 30 years now. On tv, on big screens, on stage and even at cricket stadiums. A star that has the most ardent following all over the world an has brought multiple generations together. The King Khan. The Badshah of Bollywood. The King of Romance.


As someone born around mid-80s, I have loved Shah Rukh Khan right from Circus and since before I had any understanding of romance. Yet I wished someone would sing ‘Tujhe dekha toh yeh jaana sanam’ for me since my pre-teens and DDLJ has been a constant in my life - I watch it when I am sad and need a mood lift, I watch it when I have something to celebrate and I watch it when I can’t decide what to watch on OTT. I have dreamed of being someone’s Maya, someone’s Zaara, someone’s Mandira, and someone’s Naina. I have cheered for Aryan Khanna, just as enthusiastically as I have cheered for Kabir Khan. I have loved Kali as much as I have loved Jahangir Khan or young Sunil or Don.

In Chennai Express, Rahul is the protector. In Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, he plays both a dutiful husband and over the top lover - the glass disguise work for Superman then why not ‘apna Raj’? In Jab Tak Hai Jaan, he is the lover who loves Meera the only way he is allowed to while playing the mentor and friend to Akira. In Kal Ho Na Ho, Aman loves Naina so much that he makes the way for Rohit. In Dil Se… he plays the lover who gives his life to stop the love of his life committing a grave mistake. In Pardes, Arjun saves Ganga over and over again while nurturing her. In Harry Met Sejal, yeah I watched that one too, Harry with all his faults does the right thing time and time again.

When I watched Chak De! India, emotions were running manifold. I mean come on, in a country that worshipped men’s cricket team for decades and all but ignored other sports and teams, Chak De! India focused on women’s hockey team. Watching the girls coming together despite all the hurdles was a high in itself. But with SRK playing Kabir Khan, looking all cool and delivering dialogues like, ‘team bananey k like taakat nahi, niyat chahiye,’… was a different high. It helped me look for things in my life that could be influenced to change for better with just intention.





When I watched Swades, I was blown away by SRK’s acting all over again. He did good and he also reinforced my belief in working at the grass root levels to make a change. Not every one of us have the capacity to make a change at a global level. And while Mohan Bhargav was already impacting the world with his work at NASA, coming back to a village in India that was hard to find on a map and working to change those lives… Well, it resonated. Working close to home, making small changes around yourself does have an impact. 





Fan ended up being my top favourite movie because his role as Aryan Khanna is almost autobiographical, minus the Gaurav angle. The small moment where he portrays an ageing star worried about the lines marring his features - it is such a fleeting moment in the movie, but I cannot imagine the nerve it must have taken to take the vulnerability of his life and his profession and putting it up on the screens for all to watch… Aryan Khanna is perhaps one of his best performances.

He set the screens on fire with his abs in Dard-e-Disco at 42 and let me tell you as much as I enjoyed watching it on screen, it also made me think that it is never too late to do something you set your mind to. At a time when younger actors were debuting and being compared to SRK (yet again), he stayed rock solid with his stardom and appeared on screen in a new avatar. And he is going to do it again at 56 for Pathan. An actor who claims to be bad at dancing tried his hand at (or should I say legs?!) at hip hop in 2012. Well, at 38… I think I can do too - not because I was told, but because my star showed me that it can be done.



I have to admit, I was probably the only one who left the theatre with tear stained eyes after watching Ram-Jaane and every time I watch Kal Ho Na Ho, my mom consoles me for not being able to save Aman yet again. Yes, I am that kind of a fan when it comes to SRK because he has spoiled me when it comes to romance.

   Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying he is flawless and hasn’t done some toxic things on screen. There is no denying that. And, let us be real, we do not love him because we expect to be romanced while wearing a saree on Swiss mountains, or dance in the rain, or being jet set to Europe for a holiday either. 


We love him because he is an actor who portrays softer and vulnerable characters. He is not the macho guy nor is he the perfectionist. He is the one in between who is giving us the balance that is closer to what we need. He is the actor who decided that if he couldn’t change the pay gap in the industry, he could do what is in his control - make sure that actress’s names appear first on screen giving them the show runner position. He is also the actor who shares a much bigger chunk of screen times with his heroines.

He is the dependable guy who will stand by you and tell you everything you need to know. He is not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeves. He may not be able to beat up anyone who bothers you, but he’ll probably take the beating for you to protect you. He is the one who will treat you like a queen not only while wooing you, but also once you ‘happily ever after’ begins. He’ll earn a living for you or he’ll help you cook and clean depending on what you want from him. He is the guy who will carry your dress’s trail to keep it from getting dirty or to save you from tripping because of it.



Though there are some situations from his movies that does add to the overall idea of his brand of romance - like Raj from DDLJ showed me that I could get rip-roaring drunk in a foreign country and still be safe with the right guy. But the overall brand is much more than the stories… It is what SRK brought to them. Whether it’s that manic love of Rahul in Darr or dreamer Rahul in DTPH - the intensity is in the eyes. Those eyes show the rage, the confusion and the sadness reeling us in to whatever character he is playing. He is rarely the white knight in shining armour... he is the next door boy who would have scraped their knees right alongside you, seen your snots and loved you anyway.

For years, SRK has transported us to a whole different world, with his expressive eyes and sensuous smiles, whenever we watched one of his performances. And that is why even with movies that have disappointed us, we keep going back.



Somewhere along these years I have come to expect that look that says 'I See You', that hand hold that says 'I have your back', those actions that say you 'I Love You' and that presence that promises 'Forever'. 

And then when he is off-screen, he is just as charming and that just swoon worthy. You know I am right. The well-read actor behind all these characters just appeal to the bookworm in me. The well-spoken star off-the screen appeals to the introvert person that I am. He changes the energy in any room he walks into. The witty person at interviews woos everyone with his own words. 

What I am trying to say is that it is not just his movies. It is what he brings to the characters on screen and the person we see off-screen too. It is the fact that he taught us not only to love and romance, but also to demand respect and learn to dream big dreams. It is not fleeting and it isn’t convenient, but it is the calm and constant through all the uncertainties of life. It’s the complete package... some call it a fantasy and I call it SRK's brand of romance.

It is why I refuse to accept anything less anymore.






Friday, 22 January 2021

Movies that I want my daughter to watch

January 22, 2021 0 Comments


As a mother, I have a list of movies that I want my daughter to watch. The two most important movies on that list are Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety and Kabir Singh.

Well, no matter how much one praise those movies, it is never enough.

I have already talked about Kabir Singh is a previous post, so let’s focus on STS (Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety).

The main purpose of showing her these masterpieces are is to make her learn what not to do in life.

The movie revolves around three characters:

Sonu: Sonu is played by Kartik Aaryan who is famous for his female bashing characters. He is the flag-bearer of male friendship goals and meninism. As a result, he is a bachelor and plans to be so all his life (why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free).

His life goal is to protect his childhood friend Titu (Sunny Singh) from shallow romance. As a symptom of oblivious innocence on Titu’s side, he suffered heartbreak again. As a solution to all problems, he agreed to an arranged marriage with Sweety.

Titu: Titu is too saintly, innocent, sweet, and dim-witted to be taken seriously. Just ignore him.

Sweety: She is too good to be true. She is the ideal would be Indian Bahu. She works for orphan children, looks out for Titu’s every need, sends him lunches, and satisfies him in ways women are made to satisfy men. Sweety is a one-note perfect bahu.

No… No… No… just wait, she is not one note, she is a multidimensional character. The hidden part of her character is that she is a Bitch and wants to control Titu, just like Sonu wants to control Titu.

Sonu and sweety have the same goal… to get Titu to do whatever they want.



Story of the Movie:

Sonu is convinced that Sweety is a BITCH in disguise, which he concludes based on his instincts. However, nobody believes him and he is all alone in proving this hypothesis. Therefore, what started is a battle of the sexes; it is the best friend versus the bride-to-be. And what a twist it is. They just replaced the mother-in-law with the so-called best friend. And what follows is a war between these two characters with every bit of pettiness, bitterness, and nastiness.

Conclusion: 

Sonu is closeted Bisexual and Indian movies are far behind even showing Homosexual relationships; Bisexual theme in a movie is ages behind.


What I want my daughter to learn from the movie is that everybody can tell you how to behave, this will teach you how you are not supposed to behave, treat people, let yourself be treated like this, and most importantly, run from this type of people like they are Corona Virus.



Monday, 27 April 2020

Kabir Singh and a Lazy Afternoon

April 27, 2020 19 Comments

I was going through a very difficult time in my life when my friend (philosopher and guide) Debdatta suggested I should write and put it in a blog. She actually gave me access to her personal blog, and the lazy me didn’t do anything concrete with it. 


After this lockdown, like many others, my husband is at home and eating my head along with sweets, biscuits, and every possible snack and bugging me to do something about my free time. My friends and husband seem to have a lot of confidence in me that I will do something good in life; however, I am happy with my lazy ass.

Yesterday, after a heated argument, which I think my hubby won, he convinced me to write. Therefore, here I am trying to collaborate one of my favorite subject Psychology with not at all favorite character Kabir Singh. 

Before I start, let me clarify that I am talking about Kabir Singh as a character, not Shahid Kapoor the actor.



The primary criticism the movie received is that it is promoting misogyny and being anti-feminist. However, I found the main problem in the movie is: The director is promoting a mental illness as a masculine trait and fun quality. Kabir Singh is clearly suffering from Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED). It is a very much real disorder recognized by DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual). The DSM-5 defines Intermittent Explosive Disorder as “recurrent behavioral outbursts representing a failure to control aggressive impulses.” (American Psychiatric Association, 2013)

From the very beginning of the movie till the end, there are multiple occasions where it is very evident that he needs some medical help, counseling, and medication. Having a mental disorder is not fun, like many other physical problems it needs to be treated. I actually felt like the director Sandeep Reddy Vanga trying to say like, “hey Kabir! You have a brain tumor (comparing IED with a physical disease to have a better understanding), it’s actually fun to have a deadly disease and the best part is you are not going to be treated, and most importantly, you are a doctor.”

For god’s sake get some treatment Kabir, you are a doctor, I am sure you know some good psychiatrists and they can give you some discount also. Anyhow, Kabir was consuming so many drugs; it won’t kill to replace them with some prescribed medicine. 

I am sure after the treatment, people will not call you a misogynist, and even if you still behave like a jerk with girls, you can definitely do something about it and get improved. But first, consult a psychiatrist.

And lastly, let me tell you who the main villain in the movie is… Any guess…

It is that dean of that medical college, he asked Kabir to write an apology letter for his aggressive and violent behaviors and didn’t bother to understand that he is sick with IED and needs to visit a psychiatrist. 

This is my two cents about Kabir Sigh. I hope I will not get back to my lazy routine and continue to write more. 

Please suggest to me something to write about. I struggle a lot with prospective topics. 


Thanks