Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi - A Match Made by God

Shy, introverted, and kind-hearted Surinder "Suri" Sahni (Shahrukh Khan) is an office worker for Punjab Power. He quietly falls in love with the daughter of his former professor (M.K. Raina), beautiful and vivacious Tania "Taani" Gupta (Anushka Sharma), whom he first sees during the preparations for her wedding. Upon their first meeting however, Taani jokingly berates and blames him for setting an impossible set of standards (reiterated by her father) that she was never able to meet as a child. A short while later, Taani's father suffers a heart attack when the entire wedding party learns that her fiancé and his family were killed in a traffic accident. Fearing that Taani will be alone in the world, the professor asks Suri to marry her. Suri concedes; Taani tearfully agrees only to please her father.

After a hasty wedding, Suri takes Taani to his ancestral home in Amritsar. While his good nature leads Suri to treat her with exceptional care and patience, he is too frightened to profess his love for her. However, Taani tells him that while she will try to be a good wife, she can never love him due to having no love left within her. Suri, though, continues to indulge her every desire. This includes frequent visits to the cinema to see song and dance films which appeal to Taani's fantasies about romance and her passion for dancing. She soon asks for Suri's permission, which he grants, to take an expensive dance class with the company Dancing Jodi to escape her mundane life at home.

Haule Haule

During one visit to the cinema, Suri feels inadequate in comparison to the strong, masculine images that Taani admires and later asks his childhood friend Balwinder "Bobby" Khosla (Vinay Pathak), a hair-saloon owner, for advice on how to win her love. Bobby is eager to help and suggests a complete makeover (removing his mustache, changing his hairstyle, and giving him a new set of clothing including a pair of sunglasses). Suri is thus transformed into the swaggering, loud, rude, and fun-loving "Raj Kapoor", named by Suri after the hero in the movie that Taani had admired. He joins the dance class and by chance — or, as he believes, by divine intervention — becomes Taani's partner in the competition. Despite Raj's initial crudeness — a result of Surinder's inexperience with women and his attempt to emulate the "cool" images from movies — he and Taani become friends as they work together on their dance routine. Suri feels encouraged when Taani does not tie a rakhi (holy thread) on "Raj's" wrist during the festival of Raksha Bandhan (for to do so would indicate that she thought of him only as a brother). Thus, after a period of time, Raj declares his love for her.

Dance Pe Chance

Suri's ruse poses a dilemma for both of them. Taani enters into a period of internal conflict, desperately wanting to escape from her despair-filled life through finding a new person to love. Despite wanting to escape her loveless marriage, Taani feels compelled to stay with Suri due to the promise that she made to her father. Suri also faces an extraordinary paradox: Taani's sheer misery as his wife in contrast to her delight with his fabricated alter ego, Raj. He thus attempts to win Taani's love as Suri, an act which only alienates her further. She eventually runs away to find Raj in order to tell him the predicament she is in, hoping he will help her. He offers to elope with her, which she agrees to tearfully. They set the date for their elopement to the next night, the night of the competition.

On the day of the competition, Suri takes Taani to the Golden Temple in order to garner God's blessings for her competition that night--and internally, also for her life with Raj. While there Taani has an epiphany in which she believes God has shown her a sign that tells that her marriage to Suri is divinely inspired. For the first time she reflects on her husband and becomes aware of the strength and integrity of Suri's character. Taani thus tells Raj that she cannot run away with him. She leaves him in what appears to be a state of shock with tears in his eyes. When the time comes for their performance Taani is stunned to see Suri, rather than Raj, join her on stage. It is at that moment that Taani grows to love Suri (rather than Raj) as she discovers his love for her.

Dancing Jodi

Yuvvraaj

The beginning of the movie showed Deven to be a hot tempered, jealous guy with a "sweet side" about him. For example, when an orchestra friend of Anoushka (Katrina Kaif) winks at her, Deven (Salman Khan) will smash his violin only to feel sorry the next day and present a brand new violin for the guy!

Deven Yuvvraaj (Salman Khan) is a struggling singer who signs an agreement with his girlfriend Anoushka’s (Katrina Kaif) father Dr. Banton (Boman Irani) to be a billionaire in 40 days. He was confident with his plan when he found out about the death of his estranged father.

Tu Meri Dost Hai

To aquire this wealth, he has to go through an emotional roller coaster journey of joy and pain with his two estranged brothers Gyanesh Yuvvraaj (Anil Kapoor) and Danny Yuvvraaj (Zayed Khan) who he meets after 12 years. On meeting them, he realizes that they are two individuals who are completely opposite to each other, which makes his task all the more difficult.

Mastam Mastam

Gyanesh Yuvvraaj has a genius disorder that though his mind remain as a child, he has a gifted talent in music. Youngest brother, Danny Yuvvraaj is a good for nothing type that only lives for himself and indulges in the fast lane of life. Since all these years, Deven has been away from the family, Danny feels that he is the sole rightful owner to his father's inheritance.

Who will emerge as the real Yuvvraaj in this musical extravaganza? The music and songs are really great. I have not found any good online video clips yet but I will share these mp3 files with you. Turn up your speakers and get going! ‘Yuvvraaj’ is a drama of Money vs Family. A musical treat all the way in Subhash Ghai ’s inimitable style.

Manmohini Morey

Race (Hindi Movie)

I found that whether in a movie or novel with many plots, you must not cheat the audience or reader. What I mean is that if you have build the anticipation that the character will die for example, he must not simply come back to life too many times in a movie! Otherwise, the story goes all weird and loses the audience's attention.

This is one example of movie that I find is all weird but yet it did very well in terms of box office collections. This is the synopsis:

Set in picturesque cities of Durban and Cape Town, ‘Race’ tells the story of two brothers – Ranvir Singh ( Saif Ali Khan ) and Rajeev Singh ( Akshaye Khanna ).

Ranvir, the eldest of the two, is a shrewd businessman who owns a ranch named Stallions where horses are bred for races. He is a fierce competitor and he doesn’t forgive anyone who double-crosses him.

Rajeev, on the other hand, is more interested in alcohol than family business. He likes to wake up to a glass of beer every morning to recover from the hangover of previous night’s drinks.

Sonia ( Bipasha Basu ), a fashion model, walks into Ranvir’s life and wins over his heart. On the other hand is Sophia ( Katrina Kaif ), Ranvir’s gorgeous secretary who is always vying to get his attention, but without any success.

The ball is set rolling when Rajeev falls for Sonia and promises his brother that he would quit drinking if she agrees to marry him. Ranvir, like any true-blue big brother, sacrifices his love and becomes a matchmaker between the two.

But beneath the surface, evil plans are taking shape in the minds of the protagonists. One of the two brothers will die. And the other will inherit the huge insurance claim of 100 million.

The murder takes place. Enters detective RD or Robert D’Costa ( Anil Kapoor ) and his pretty and dumb secretary Mini ( Sameera Reddy ) who try to crack the case and get to the bottom of the mystery.

‘Race’ has a riveting first half, when the characters are introduced and their murky sides revealed. The plot in this half leaves many open ends, to be connected and explained when the mystery is finally unraveled in the end. The movie reaches its high point when one of the brothers is pushed from the terrace of a high-rise building.

This momentum continues for some more reels in the second half. But then the film’s plot takes a serpentine route and passes through many unexpected bends, some of which are reasonable while some are deliberately contrived to surprise the viewer.

That is when Abbas-Mustan, the men in white, show their true ‘colours’. The director duo doesn’t care to be subtle. They pull out all the stops to squeeze in as many twists in the plot even when there wasn’t any need. As the plot meanders through its many turns, it begins to lose its credibility. And you resign yourself to the fact that anything could happen. Even the dead can resurrect.

Zara Zara Touch Me...

Jodhaa Akhbar

Jodhaa Akbar is a sixteenth century love story about a marriage of alliance that gave birth to true love between a great Mughal emperor, Akbar, and a Rajput princess, Jodhaa.

Political success knew no bounds for Emperor Akbar (Hrithik Roshan). After having secured the Hindu Kush, he furthered his realm by conquest until his empire extended from Afghanistan to the Bay of Bengal, and from the Himalayas to the Godavari River. Through a shrewd blend of diplomacy, intimidation and brute force , Akbar won the allegiance of the Rajputs. But little did Akbar know that when he married Jodhaa (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan), a fiery Rajput princess, in order to further strengthen his relations with the Rajputs, he would in turn be embarking upon a new journey – the journey of true love.

The daughter of King Bharmal of Amer, Jodhaa resented being reduced to a mere political pawn in this marriage of alliance, and Akbar’s biggest challenge now did not merely lie in winning battles, but in winning the love of Jodhaa – a love hidden deep below resentment and extreme prejudice. Jodhaa-Akbar is their untold love story.

In lamho ke daaman mein - Dedicated to my love

Aaja Nachle- Come Let's Dance

Today is a weekend and I managed to watch another nice Hindi movie. This movie stars Madhuri Dixit which is her first film after six years. I enjoyed watching her dances and the expressive facial features and eye movements when she dances. She is in top form for the movie.

Synopsis:

Dia (Madhuri Dixit) grew up in the town of Shamli where she learned to dance from Makarand (Darshan Zariwala). During her learning she met an American, Steve, whom she falls in love with. Her parents find out and arrange her marriage, but instead Dia elopes with Steve. After nearly a decade, an unexpected phone call shakes Dia (Madhuri Dixit) out of her dance rehearsal in New York. Makarand (Darshan Zariwala), her teacher, is dying and she must return to Shamli town. During the phone call she reveals that she also had a child, who is now eight years old, with Steve. Dia arrives too late and her guru passes on to the town where she grew up, the town where she learnt to live,to dance. Also the town she left on an impulse, severing ties with her parents and her people.

Aaja Nachle



It is a poignant and troubled return; not only has her guru passed away but the institution that he so lovingly nurtured is in decay and under threat of demolition. Ajanta theatre, the once vibrant hub of the community, the place where Dia’s fondest memories are embedded must now be brought down because the local political authorities feel it a waste of prime real estate. With the help of Doctor (Raghubir Yadav), the caretaker of Ajanta, Dia sets out on a mission to prevent the destruction and resurrect the spirit of Ajanta. In an atmosphere of mistrust, ridicule and active hostility, Dia picks up the gauntlet and agrees to achieve the near impossible task of putting together a theatrical production. She must also ensure that every member of the production is from Shamli town. She has only two months to prove her point or the bulldozers will be waiting.

In this context begins her tumultuous journey of dealing with small town prejudices, encountering the resentment of the powerful contractor, the cynicism of the local political powers, resolve the delicate tensions of inter personal relationships and rally her motley team of non starters - a low level muscle Imran (Kunal Kapoor), the local tomboy Anokhi (Konkona Sen Sharma), local ex-MLA Chaudhary Om Singh (Akhilendra Mishra), a vulnerable tea stall owner Mohan Sharma (Ranvir Shorey), a responsible government official Mr. Chojar (Vinay Pathak), a struggling insurance agent Sanjeev Mehta (Jugal Hansraj), the town vagabond Dhankuber (Nowaz) and a host of others. She must create in this chaos in order to save Ajanta… in order to preserve what her guru so lovingly nurtured. She must create art in order to preserve what she believes is the soul of society. The stage is finally set… Will it work? Won’t it?

Jab We Met

It has been sometime since I posted about my favourite Bollywood movies. My recently watched favourite movie is named Jab We Met (Since We Met). Of course with a title like that, it must be a love story, the type that has a happy ever after ending. A tiny tidbit here, the hero and heroine of this movie were dating in real life for 4 years and split soon or after this movie was released.

Synopsis: Aditya Kashyap (Shahid Kapoor), a demoralized industrialist, gets even more depressed after attending the marriage of the girl he loves the most. Feeling ashamed to face the world, he walks out of the marriage gathering and boards a train in the night. Over there, he meets Geet Dhillon (Kareena Kapoor), a beautiful talkative girl who is leaving Mumbai to go to her hometown - Bhatinda (Punjab).

In the beginning, Geet irritates Aditya to a large extent and every meeting becomes mental torture for him. She discloses big plans to him of eloping with her boyfriend Anshuman (Tarun Arora) as she fears resentment from her parents. Geet irritates Aditya to the point of getting him to leave the train. As she tries to get him back on the train, she ends up missing it and the two find themselves stranded on a desolate station with no luggage or money. Geet confronts Aditya and tells him that he is now responsible of reaching her safely to her house in Punjab. Both of them begin an idyllic journey through the exuberant North Indian heartland, and make their way through buses, taxis and camel-carts to reach her house.

On arrival, Geet's family (Pawan Malhotra, Dara Singh and Kiran Juneja) mistakens the two for lovers. Before this misconception can be cleared, Geet escapes to her boyfriend in Manali. Aditya leaves with her, confirming the suspicion that they are lovers. In Manali, Aditya feels empowered to return to Mumbai and resurrect his ailing business.

Yeh Ishq Hai (This is Love)

Destiny despises Geet's love story as Anshuman avoids and dumps her. On the other hand, Aditya begins to do well in life after he resurrects his failing business empire. One day, Geet's family, who think that she is with him, confronts Aditya. He is shocked to learn that Geet has not returned home. He takes it upon himself to find her and tells her family that he will bring her home in ten days.

Mauja Mauja

Aditya finally tracks her down in a Himalayan town and is traumatized to learn about Geet's misfortune. Consoling her to face the circumstances, he manages in patching up the relationship of Geet and Anshuman, and they decide to travel back to Bhatinda. Back in Bhatinda, Geet's family again mistaken the two for lovers. Trying to clear the misconception, situations make Geet realise that she is in love with Aditya not Anshuman, and therefore they get married.

Vivah

Sooraj Barjatya’s film ‘Vivah’ is a throwback to the cinema of yore, when romantic themes were presented through stories steeped in Indian tradition and culture.

In the times when filmmakers are trying bold and new concepts, Sooraj R. Barjatya chooses to be regressive. Going against the tide, Barjatya once again dares to bring his old concept of a perfect family drama on the silver screen in his latest presentation ‘Vivah’.

As the tagline suggests, the movie’s story is the journey of a young couple from engagement to marriage. Well, Barjatiya’s concept is a little different from others, but not from his previous flicks.

‘Vivah’ is a story of Prem (Shahid Kapoor), Poonam (Amrita Rao) and their families. Prem is a rich, trendy guy from Delhi, whereas Poonam is a simple girl from Madhupur, brought up by her loving Chacha (Alok Nath) and jealous Chachi (Seema Biswas), who hates Poonam as she is beautiful than her own daughter Chhoti (Amrita Prakash).

On his father’s (Anupam Kher) insistence, Prem meets Poonam. After meeting her, he finds his soul mate in her and they get engaged to get married after six months.

Then starts their journey towards marriage. ‘Vivah’ shows those magical days of love from engagement to marriage. It shows the eagerness of a couple to get married. The emotional bonding between the characters shown by Barjatya is wonderful.

Everything in the story goes perfectly fine till marriage. Just a day before marriage, a tragedy strikes. Then arises the question whether the couple’s wait to get married will ever end or not?

The film’s biggest drawback is its boring music. The music is extraordinarily slow and sleep-inducing. Secondly, Barjatya’s story-telling style is a little sluggish, especially in the first half. The story picks up in the second half and touches a crescendo in the climax sequences.

The performances are up to the mark. Shahid Kapoor has acted like a mature actor and it is his best performance till now. Amrita Rao looks stunning in the movie. The shuddha (pure) Hindi used by her sounds sweet.

Anupam Kher and Alok Nath deliver polished performances. Seema Biswas is terrific. Her portrayal of a jealous mother is outstanding. Other actors like Sameer Soni, Amrita Prakash, Lata Sabarwal, Manoj Joshi, Dinesh Lamba and the child artist Ameya have also given notable performances.

Mohnish Bahl in his special appearance is awesome. He looks simply great as a doctor.

‘Vivah’ is a good family entertainer. It will particularly touch a chord among female audiences.

Watch it for the old-world charm.

mujhe haq hai, vivah - dedicated to my love

Songs from Guru

Barso Re


Tere Bina

Guru

What words shall be used to describe a cinematic masterpiece like ‘Guru’. Mani Ratnam’s flawless direction and Abhishek Bachchan’s superlative performance simply leave you speechless by the end of the film.

Firstly, ‘Guru’ will silence all those detractors who say that Abhishek doesn’t have a talent for acting. The actor not just surprises you, he shocks you with his extraordinary performance. Gosh, how come this hidden potential of Abhi never came forth before? Perhaps it is Ratnam who knows how to get the best, or even more than that, out of Abhi.

Secondly, Mani Ratnam, the master of his craft, arguably surpasses all his previous works in ‘Guru’. Apart from its technical soundness, ‘Guru’ tells a story that is deeply gripping and highly inspiring. It is the tale of a man who never gives up. The protagonist of the film is a perennial fighter and an incurable optimist.

Beginning in 1951, ‘Guru’ is the story of a boy who goes to Turkey to work in a petroleum company after failing his school exams back home in a small Gujarat village. With sheer hard work Gurukant Desai (Abhishek Bachchan) rises in ranks and gets promotion. But Guru is a man of big vision. He quits his job in Turkey and comes back to Gujarat to start some business of his own.

So fixated is Guru about his dream that he marries Sujatha (Aishwarya Rai), a village girl, simply for the dowry sum that he could use to start his business.

With their minimal belongings, Guru, his wife and her brother go to Mumbai to start some business. By hook or by crook, by persuasion and by his sheer charm, Guru overcomes all hurdles and progresses in leaps and bounds. He is unstoppable. And this attitude of Guru doesn’t go well with some people.

Manikdas Gupta or Nanaji (Mithun Chakraborty) runs a newspaper called The Independent. He likes Guru’s determination and straightforwardness. He almost begins treating Guru like his own son. But when Guru uses Nanaji’s newspaper to achieve his business motive, Nanaji vows to stop the unstoppable Guru.

Journalist Shyam Saxena (Madhavan), who works for Nanaji, uses his power of pen to bring Guru down and expose his ‘truth’.

At the same time, Nanaji’s handicap daughter, Meenu (Vidya Balan), who suffers from multiple sclerosis, is the only one who loves Guru unconditionally.

The war between Guru and Nanaji heats up as Guru’s public venture company, Shakti Corporation, increases in size and proportion to become one of the best polyester making companies in India. It is a war that will claim much from Guru. But the perennial fighter in him succeeds in the end.

A film like ‘Guru’ has not been seen on the Indian screen before. With its powerful story, awesome performances, melodious music (A R Rahman), splendid cinematography (Rajiv Menon) and skilled direction, the movie leaves you spellbound. However, two songs in quick succession at the film’s very beginning do make for a bumpy start.

The story picks up when Guru goes to Mumbai where he starts his clothes business. How this visionary with an indomitable spirit fights against all odds and succeeds, makes for a riveting watch. And full credit goes to Abhishek Bachchan who has given the best performance of his career so far. His Guru is full of energy, vivacity and optimism.

What’s commendable is the conviction with which Abhi gets into the skin of his character. His bulky frame moves with a swagger, his penetrating gaze reflects his shrewd business acumen and yet there is a vulnerable side to Guru that shines through now and then. Abhi’s performance is particularly excellent in the second half, when his business begins to sink and he is paralyzed. His monologue in the courtroom (with his lip twitched and his one arm incapacitated) makes him truly deserving of an award.

For the first time, ‘Guru’ offers something to write about chemistry between Abhishek and Aishwarya. There is almost an electric vibe between the two actors and it could verily be seen in the film. Apart from this, Ash’s performance, too, is commendable.

Mithun Chakraborty has a domineering presence and is effective in his performance. Madhavan and Vidya Balan are very natural. Mallika Sherawat provides her brand of entertainment at the film’s beginning.

To sum it up, ‘Guru’ is one of the best movies to have come out of Bollywood recently. It is a perfect treat for the dreamers. A must-watch.

A gem of a film.

DOR

Nagesh Kukunoor’s latest movie ‘Dor’ is a compelling watch. It is a moving tale of two women – one who undertakes a long journey to save her love, and another who dares to break the shackles of tradition and choose life as her heart wants it.

Like Kukunoor’s previous movie ‘Iqbal’, ‘Dor’ too is a film on the empowerment of the weak and the oppressed. It is a beautiful tale of love, loss, friendship, and courage to live anew. The film is raw and realistic in essence. And this is the reason why its story is so believable and deeply touching.

Those who have the appetite for big-budgeted, opulent, star-studded, melodramatic Bollywood movies may not be enthused at the prospect of watching a relatively small-budget, realistic film with Ayesha Takia, Gul Panag and Shreyas Talpade in the lead roles. But mark my words dear friend, the acting performances and the direction in ‘Dor’ can put many self-proclaimed big shots of Bollywood to shame.

‘Dor’ is the story of two women, Zeenat (Gul Panag) and Meera (Ayesha Takia), both living in different parts of India. Their fate is invariably strung together by one incident that changes both their lives forever.

In the hills of Himachal Pradesh, Zeenat marries her lover Aamir just a day before he leaves for Saudi Arabia. In a Rajasthan village, the happily married Meera spends the few cherished moments with her husband Shankar before he too leaves for Saudi Arabia.

Zeenat is an independent woman who has struggled at every step in her life. She takes the financial responsibility of her in-laws after her husband’s departure. Meera, on the other hand, is domesticated into the strict traditions of a Rajput household.

The worlds of the two women collapse when Shankar is killed in Saudi Arabia, and Aamir, his roommate, is accused of the murder. Aamir is slated to get a death penalty.

According to the Saudi law, there is only one condition in which Aamir’s life can be spared : if Shankar’s widow Meera forgives him.

To save her husband’s life, Zeenat undertakes an impossible journey to Rajasthan to find Meera.

On her way, she meets a Behroopiya (Shreyas Talpade) who adopts different guises to con people. Behroopiya first dupes Zeenat also, but later helps her find Meera. As the two women come together, they become friends. They also learn from each other. The tamed and widowed Meera learns to live her life anew, while the hardened Zeenat learns mellowness.

What happens when Zeenat reveals the truth to Meera? Does she agree to forgive the killer of her husband? Will Meera resign to her fate and live a stifled life in her in-laws’ house?

The conclusion Nagesh Kukunoor gives to the story could not have been better. The movie’s climax takes the story’s emotive appeal to a crescendo and leaves a viewer overwhelmed.

Ayesha Takia has given the best performance of her acting career so far in ‘Dor’. In the first half, she is the meek, submissive housewife with dreamy eyes and many a muffled desires. In the second half, she becomes a woman who learns to defy the cruel tradition, who learns to listen to her heart and live the way she wants to. And Ayesha carries all these myriad emotions with the skill of a polished actress.

Gul Panag stands in equal stead, even though her character is shown mentally and emotionally strong and offers less challenge in the terms of histrionics.

Shreyas Talpade is a complete delight to watch. His comic imitations of the actors from Hindi film industry and the quicksilver changes in his appearances provide a welcome humorous relief in an otherwise serious movie.

To sum it up, ‘Dor’ is a film that definitely ought to be seen once. The movie’s theme is most relevant and the way it has been brought forth, without any melodrama and overblown emotions, is what makes the movie truly compelling. The dialogues are earthy and partly rooted in the local parlance. The background score (Padharo Maare Des) is just too good. The direction and acting performances are almost flawless.

A Must Watch: Dor

Songs to make your feet move

Maahive >>> Oh my love



Naksha You and I



Bolo Bolo - Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein

Abhishek Bachan and Aishwarya Rai's Engagement Confirmed

Mumbai, Jan 14 (IANS) Bollywood's hottest and most talked about pair Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan were engaged Sunday.

Confirmation of this came from none other than Abhishek's father, film icon Amitabh Bachchan, at whose residence here the engagement took place.

There was no immediate word on the wedding date, industry sources said, adding Abhishek popped the question after the international premiere in Toronto Friday of Bollywood film "Guru" featuring the duo in the lead roles.

Speaking to reporters at Toronto, Aishwarya, a former Miss World, had pleaded with them not to jump to conclusions about her relationship with Abhishek, saying an announcement would be made at the appropriate time.

Aishwarya had in the past been romantically linked to actors Salman Khan and Vivek Oberoi. However, reports had been flying thick and fast for the past few months that she and Abhishek were about to tie the knot.

These reports gained added currency after Aishwarya accompanied Abhishek and his parents to perform rituals at a Varanasi temple in November 2006.

Umrao Jaan

Cast

Aishwarya Rai ... Amiran/Umrao Jaan
Shabana Azmi ... Khannum Jaan
Abhishek Bachchan ... Nawab Sultan
Suniel Shetty ... Faiz Ali
Divya Dutta ... Bismillah
Himani Shivpuri ...
Kulbhushan Kharbanda ...
Ayesha Jhulka ... Khursheed


Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

A little girl, Ameeran, from a lower-middle-class Muslim family in Faizabad, is kidnapped and sold to a brothel in Lucknow. Played by Rai, she grows up to be the most famous nautch girl of her times and is re-christened Umrao Jaan.


While performing her first mujra, she falls in love with Nawab Sultan (Bachchan) and vows to be loyal to him all her life. However, fate decides otherwise, and Umrao ends up having to wait for him to make a life for them, after the Nawab's father throws him out of his home. Umrao decides to wait for her lover, even as the dacoit Faiz Ali (Shetty) wants to woo her.


Faiz Ali takes her away to Gari, with the hopes of marrying her, but she thinks of looking for her lover, Nawab Sultan. She finds out Faiz Ali was the most wanted robber, and is taken to jail. There she re-unites with Nawab Sultan, but he breaks her heart as he tells her he cannot see her anymore, because he is getting married.


She returns to Lucknow, and is raped by her childhood friend who was always in love with her. She is then told to flee and is taken back to her hometown of Faizabad. She sees her mother and brother once more, but they tell her she cannot be seen with them because of her reputation of being a prostitute. Devastated, Umrao returns to Lucknow, where she lives a lonely life, only taking solace in poetry.


The film is a journey of a woman who is living a life born out of circumstances, and has no control over her own destiny. Though the courtesan wants to live like any other woman, this is not her destiny; she believes that she was just born unlucky.

Fanaa-Chand Sifarish

Synopsis:

Choices- to choose between right or wrong is simple, but what defines one’s life is the decision between the greater of two goods or the lesser of two evils. This is the advice that Zooni Ali Beg (Kajol) receives from her father just as she is about to venture out into the world on her own for the very first time. Little does she know that these very words will shape her life.

Zooni, a blind Kashmiri girl meets Rehan Qadri (Aamir Khan), a local tour guide and an incorrigible flirt who goes from city to city exploring their architecture as also the women. Her friends warn her against this good-for-nothing roadside-romeo, but she chooses to ignore them. She is not one to be protected. It is now her time to discover life, and love. Is this really the right choice?

Rehan is fascinated by Zooni. He truly wants her to see life as it should be seen, in its many colours, and as he promises her, the time spent with him will be the most precious in all her life. Zooni sees Delhi, life and love like she never has before, because of Rehan.

What Zooni doesn’t know is that Rehan has another side of his life that he has kept from her, something that can not only change her life but can also destroy it…

Fanaa- destroyed in love…

Beautiful song from the movie:

CHAND SIFARISH

subahaan allaah...	God be praised...
chaa.nd sifaarish jo karta hamaarii deta voh tumko bataa	The moon gives us its blessings and tells us
sharam-o-hayaa ke parde giraake karnii hai hamko khataa	it's time to drop this veil of modesty and commit a sin.
zid hai ab to hai khud ko miTaana hona hai tujhme.n fanaa	I'm determined to obliterate myself, to be annihilated by your love.
chaa.nd sifaarish jo karta hamaarii deta voh tumko bataa	The moon gives us its blessings and tells us
sharam-o-hayaa ke parde giraake karnii hai hamko khataa	it's time to drop this veil of modesty and commit a sin.
terii adaa bhii hai jho.nkewaalii chhuuke guzar jaane de	You remind me of the wind; touch me as you pass.
terii lachak hai ke jaise Daalii dil me.n utar jaane de	You move as sinuously as a reed; plant yourself in my heart.
aajaa baaho.n me.n karke bahaana hona hai tujhme.n fanaa	Come, make some excuse to move into my arms; I want to be destroyed by you.
chaa.nd sifaarish jo karta hamaarii deta voh tumko bataa	The moon gives us its blessings and tells us
sharam-o-hayaa ke parde giraake karnii hai hamko khataa	it's time to drop this veil of modesty and commit a sin.
subahaan allaah...	God be praised...
hai jo iraade bataa duu.n tumko sharma hii jaa'ogii tum	If I told you my intentions, you'd be flustered and embarrassed.
dhaRkane.n jo sunaa duu.n tumko ghabaraa hii jaa'ogii tum	If I let you hear how my heart pounds, you'd grow anxious.
hamko aata nahii.n hai chupaana hona hai tujhme.n fanaa	I don't know how to hide it away; let me be destroyed in you.
chaa.nd sifaarish jo karta hamaarii deta voh tumko bataa	The moon gives us its blessings and tells us
sharam-o-hayaa ke parde giraake karnii hai hamko khataa	it's time to drop this veil of modesty and commit a sin.
zid hai ab to khud ko miTaana hona hai tujhme.n fanaa	I'm determined to obliterate myself, to be annihilated by you.

Dhoom Machale and Crazy Kiya Re

My first attempt to share Bollywood videos with you folks. This is from the movie Dhoom2. Enjoy!

Bollywood Fashion

Besides the movies, another thing that captivated my heart and yes, eyes are the very, very beautiful sarees and suits from Bollywood. The colours and sequins are so alluring!


According to a fashion catalogue, this suit here is called Hot Pink Pure Georgette Choli Suit. Though I may not not have the body shape to carry that off to such a gorgeous post, I can just imagine the brilliance of this suit at a formal wedding reception dinner or any of such former gatherings.


I am no fashion editor nor writer but I just want to share some of my passion for Bollywood fashion here. Nevertheless, the next ones called Salwar Kameez Suits are indeed what I wear in real life these days. Depending on the type of material and print, these Salwar Kameez Suits can be worn elegantly for formal occassions and with dignity even for the not so formal outings. These days, Bollywood is experimenting with the length of the "blouse" or Kameez. And Bollywood is also trying something new with the Salwar or "pants" of the suits.

Bollywood: Baabul

Balraj Kapoor (Amitabh Bachchan) is a rich businessman with progressive modern outlook towards life. For him, family, culture and values are of utmost importance. Shobhna (Hema Malini), his wife is more than just his better half. Together, they dote their only child Avinash (Salman Khan). For Balraj, Avinash is more of a friend than just his son. After spending many years abroad for

studies ...

Avinash then meets the pretty Millie (Rani Mukherjee) who is a painter. They fall in love and get married. They are blessed with a lovely child named Ansh. Rajat (John Abraham) a young musician and ... Balraj cannot bear to see Millie’s colourless life. He decides to find Rajat and asks him to marry Millie and help him bring back the colours back into her life. But ... Balraj Kapoor (Amitabh Bachchan) is a rich businessman with progressive modern outlook towards life.

For him, family, culture and values are of utmost importance. Shobhna (Hema Malini), his wife is more than just his better half. Together, they dote their only child Avinash (Salman Khan). For Balraj, Avinash is more of a friend than just his son. After spending many years abroad for studies ... Avinash then meets the pretty Millie (Rani Mukherjee) who is a painter. They fall in love and get married. They are blessed with a lovely child named Ansh. Rajat (John Abraham) a young musician and ... Balraj cannot bear to see Millie’s colourless life. He decides to find Rajat and asks him to marry Millie and help him bring back the colours back into her life. But ...

The official site: Baabul

Amazing costumes and stage decorations. Had to be an Indian to appreciate the storyline of a widow remarrying is against traditions though.

Bollywood: Dhoom2

Plot Summary for Dhoom 2 (2006)

Ali's (Uday Chopra) dream of becoming a police officer has come true. He is now ACP Jai Dixit's (Abhishek Bachchan) 'right hand man'. Together, they are trying to keep a tight leash on the crime in india. Little do they know what they are going to be up against. Enter Aryan - Mr. A (Hrithik Roshan) - A hi-tech international thief. After pulling off a series of impossible heists all over the world, his next target is Mumbai, India.

The case is given to ACP Jai and Ali. Helping them put the pieces of the puzzle together is ACP Shonali Bose (Bipasha Basu), Jai's college mate, now a police officer in her own right. For the last two years Shonali has been tracking these amazing thefts and is now an expert on this thief, who no one has seen. Once in Mumbai, Mr. A finds his match in Sunehri (Aishwarya Rai), a petty yet clever thief. She makes him an offer he finds very hard to refuse.

Another cool Bollywood movie I watched recently. Dhoom2 is a BLAST! Great dance and songs, lots of action. Simple entertainer kind of a movie.

Movie-Lage Raho Munna Bhai

Bollywood is having a kind of laughathon these days churning out comedies one after another. This one is rather good.

Synopsis

Munna Bhai (Sanjay Dutt) falls in love with the voice of the Radio Jockey Jhanvi (Vidya Balan). He is finally given the chance to meet her when the radio station announces a trivia contest concerning the life and beliefs of Mahatma Gandhi. With the help of his friend Circuit, Munna Bhai formulates a clever scheme and wins the contest. In the process, however, Jhanvi is led to believe that Munna Bhai is a professor of history and subsequently asks him to present a lecture on Gandhi to a community of senior citizens which she takes care of at her home, Second Innings.

Munna decides that the only way out of this situation is to use the days prior to the lecture to learn as much as he can about Gandhi. He puts himself through an intensive period of study in a library devoted to the life and works of Gandhi. It is during this period of study that the image of Gandhi begins to appear to Munna Bhai. With Gandhi on his side, Munna not only wins Jhanvi's heart, but through a radio show also teaches others how to solve their problems using Gandhi's principles. Soon, however, Munna finds his own life falling apart until he learns to practice what he preaches. The problems he faces lead him to cultivate a new life based upon Gandhism, particularly non-violence and truth, which he calls Gandhigiri.^[3]