42point1

rnbdj

you do the cheap stuff

The latest morsel from the Yash Raj Films marketing machine -- a "making of" for the clip I posted earlier, "Haule Haule" (most of it is in English, just the odd bit of Hindi here and there).  I always find it fascinating to see how my favourite dance numbers, that just seem to effortless, get put together.

(Watch for the moment when the cameraman falls off the car and they have to redo the shot...)

(BTW, we saw the full theatrical trailer at the theatre showing of "Dostana" last Sunday, and it's glorious on the full screen -- I mean, really, just that opening shot of the Golden Temple at Amritsar is worth it alone.  But it was also the first time I've ever seen a Bollywood trailer with English subtitles -- well done, Yash Raj Films!)

how the marketing just sucks me in despite myself

I've been following with considerable interest the marketing surrounding the December 12th release of Aditya Chopra's latest film, "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi" (RNBDJ).  Partly for the obvious reasons:  it stars one of my faves, Shah Rukh Khan (SRK); Aditya Chopra's first film was a little number called "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge" ("The Bravehearted Will Take the Bride"), which just happens to be the longest-running film in Indian history, and which features my favorite screen couple ever, Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol.

But I've been surprised how I've been finding myself sucked right into the marketing for this film. I find myself checking the website for Yash Raj Films (the Chopra family production banner) almost daily to see what new has been added. (Yes, I just checked.  Today's news is that the official theatrical trailer will be released on Friday, for those who go see the film "Dostana" ("Friendship").  "Dostana" opens at the Hindi cinema in Toronto, too, on Friday, so I wonder if the trailer will make it here as well.  Thinking about going in on Sunday to see it.  Okay, I was thinking about going to see the film anyway, but the trailer for RNBDJ just sweetens the pot.)

For the longest time, little was known about the film -- and in dribs and drabs, little bits of information were leaked out.  The title.  The star.  The female lead.  Speculation has run rampent on forums -- and still does.

The first image was released:

   

What was up with that look that Shah Rukh was sporting (he was only missing the plastic pocket protector to complete the Total Geek Boy Image, though there *is* a pen in that pocket)?  What was going to be the relationship between his character and his very young co-star?  What was the story?

On November 2nd, as I previously blogged, a little video snippet was uploaded to the Yash Raj Films website in honour of SRK's birthday.  The film's music was released on November 6th, and immediately raised more speculation.  Shortly after that, the film's official site was opened, with a new poster:

  

Then, shortly after *that*, a new image appeared:

 

When you first arrived, you saw the old one, and then the new one replaced it.  What's that?  SRK playing two different roles?  Or one character who undergoes a change?  And does it involve some sort of dance contest?  (Suddenly bits of the film's music make more sense....)

And just as suddenly, I find myself So Very Excited about this film.  I can hardly wait to December 12th!  I have completely, thoroughly, and utterly been sucked into this adventure, simply by how the film is being marketed.  Each step of the way, small questions have been answered, yet new ones have been raised -- I feel as if I'm in the middle of putting together a jigsaw puzzle, and am joyously putting pieces together as I find them. 

Admittedly, I probably was part of the target audience anyway, but still, knowing what I do about marketing and how it influences and (let's face it) sometimes manipulates us, I still find it surprising at how easy it was to be swept away. 

happy go lucky

I love this song, "Mast Kalander", from the movie "Heyy Babyy!".  I love the fact that this movie is a remake of "Three Men and a Baby", itself a remake of the French film "Trois hommes et un couffin".

I love the energy.  I am rapidly becoming an unabashed Akshay Kumar fan.

Mostly, though?

I love the point just after the 3:00 mark.  Wait 'til the 3:23 mark, when Himself turns around. 

Dudes.  I had no idea he made a special appearance in the film.  I've got it on tape, it was on telly a couple of weeks ago, I've just not had time to watch more than the opening credits.

And I laughed gleefully out loud -- I love surprises like this!

i made it at home for nothing*

This week -- a whole mix-tape of Bollywood music!

In order:

• "Chaiya Chaiya" from "Dil Se" (1998)
• "Pal Pal Har Pal" from "Lage Raho Munna Bhai" (2006)
• "Dard-e-disco" from "Om Shanti Om" (2007)
• "Aaja Nachle" from "Aaja Nachle" (2007)
• "Dhoom Dhoom" from "Dhoom" (2004)
• "Dhoom Again" from "Dhoom 2" (2006)
• "Dhoom Taana" from "Om Shanti Om" (2007)
• "Crazy Kiya Re" from "Dhoom 2" (2006)
• "Do U Wanna Partner" from "Partner" (2007)
• "Soni De Nakhre" from "Partner" (2007)
• "Salaam-e-Ishq" from "Salaam-e-Ishq" (2007)
• "Break Free"  from "Krazzy 4" (2008)
• "Jhoom Barabar Jhoom" from "Jhoom Barabar Jhoom" (2007)
• "Show Me Your Jalwa" from "Aaja Nachle" (2007)

*a reference to the woman in the most excellent BBC sketch show "Goodness Gracious Me!" who's always "making it at home for free", usually requiring just "one small aubergine".  If you don't know it, go plug "goodness gracious me" into the search bar at YouTube, and you'll turn up scads of the sketches to watch -- they are worth it, believe me.

persistence pays off

I went digging, and I found it:  a full length version of "Korbo Lorbo Jitbo Re".

With subtitles.  Now if only I could find the song to download.

"inspiring the common man through cricket"*

So,  the BBC has been reporting on the newly created Indian Premier League (that's cricket for the uninitiated -- and according to the wikipedia page, they've contracted out to a Canadian company to do the official website), which held its first match on April 18th, when the Kolkata Knight Riders defeated the Bangalore Royal Challengers.

I loved this quote:

"But cricket-lover Noor Ahmed, disappointed with the tame ending of the opening match, put it succinctly:

"This is just like a three-hour Bollywood movie which people go to see at the local cineplex. Dance, music, fun. There's also some cricket."

Now, there's a good reason it was like a Bollywood movie.  If you look at the list of franchise owners you'll see more than one big Bollywood name there, and, in fact, one of the owners of the Kolkata Knight Riders is none other than Shah Rukh Khan (known as King Khan to his fans, of which I just might be one).

And dude, this video clip makes *me* want to attend the matches (it's the team's anthem, "Korbo, Lorbo, Jitbo Re" or "We will do it, Fight for it, Win it"):

*that's apparently what Shah Rukh Khan said the whole point of the league is.  Believe me, I'm inspired.

And there's a better, clearer, and sound-synched-with-picture version of this on the Kolkata Knight Riders website. I highly recommend it.

colour me yellow

Which, of course, is a literal translation from the Hindi "Rang de Basanti", though most of the debate I've seen around the translation of that title suggests that "Colour me Saffron" (saffron being, traditionally, the colour of sacrifice in India, which is why it features on the Indian flag) is probably more accurate.

I've not yet seen "Rang de Basanti", which is a film about a British film-maker who comes to India to make a movie about Indian freedom fighters.  It was the film put forward by India for consideration for both the Oscar and the Golden Globe awards in 2006 (I think), but was selected for neither.

Why I'm thinking about this today?  The title song popped up in my iPod today, and it is so completely and utterly infectious that I just kept playing it over and over and over again:

(No, no subtitles, it's rare to find them on-line with subtitles, or if I do, the quality is horrendous.  But there's a bit of a translation here.)

And yes, I think I'm going to have to see it as soon as possible -- it'll go on the wishlist for my next order from Nehaflix.

compare and contrast

A couple of weeks back we sat down to watch "Plan" -- well, actually, Rob sat through the first half, which was a fairly tedious bit of film, and left just at the point where it got interesting.

That would be the point (about an hour or so into the film) at which the four young guys, desperate and down on their luck, decide to kidnap a Bombay businessman for a ransom.

What they don't realize, of course, being young and rather wet behind the ears, is that the "businessman" is really underworld don Moosa Bhai, played by the ever and always fabulous Sanjay Dutt.

This clip, the song "Pyar Aaya Pyar Aaya", comes about the point where we first meet Moosa Bhai, at his usual hang-out, where his girlfriend Rani (played splendidly by Priyanka Chopra) dances:

Pyar Aaya Pyar Aaya
Uploaded by vennus

The film is worth it just for the chemistry between Rani and Moosa, and especially for Sanjay Dutt alone (though I'd probably choose to watch the much better "Lage Raho Munna Bhai" if I were to suggest another Sanjay Dutt film).

However, I couldn't help being reminded of this song by the wonderful, wonderful Dalida (the similarities are, shall we say, striking):

Or maybe it's just me?  What do you think?

if this is monday, it must be music

Well, I was planning on instituting a "Music Mondays" thing here on the blog, but the Universe had other plans, in the form of a driver who ran a stop causing Rob to have to hit the brakes, but he wasn't able to stop in time without smacking his car up.

He's fine.  Thank the stars.  The car, not so fine, but it's a car.

So, this afternoon, frankly, I just feel like some Bollywood, and I think after I've posted this I'm going to go upstairs and slap a DVD into the player and just watch Shah Rukh Khan dance, because that always cheers me up.

So.  Here's what happens when Bollywood meets Roy Orbison:  "Pretty Woman (Kal Ho Na Ho)":