by Sujoy on November 21, 2011
in Bolly
The janam-janmaantaro ki pyaas ( closest English translation: The thirst of ages ) is going to be quenched with this Baap of all sequel posts. This was demanded since the first snake charmer from the gang of Samri was killed in the dark realms of the Purani Haveli. And before all of this mish-mash of lovely sounding words start dismantling into meaningless pieces of guano, let me cordially welcome you to the Return of the Top 20 Villains of Bollywood aka Top 20 Villains of Bollywood – Part 2 (Nope, we are no SrBachchan to yell out Dwitiya). Jaani, if the first list [ read here , if you haven't ] left you high and dry, this one should definitely leave you stoned and soaked in awesomeness. We @ OKS are so committed to bringing you all the desi-awesomeness, that we have gone back and dug out these jurm ke pujari, brashtachari, durachari and those who never say sorry (obligatory Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro reference). Bollywood owes a million and one titles to these villains, coz they are the ones inspiring titles like - Zaalim, Kutte, Kaminey and the like. So, show some respect for ..
*The Next Top 20 Villains of Bollywood*
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Prior to the year 2001, Indian cinema screen space was primarily occupied by the run-of-the-mill popcorn entertainers, mildly interrupted by the multiplex movie – an attempt to cater to the urban audiences who were fed on MTV, Star World and international sitcoms. The Bollywood blockbuster had turned into a potion of ingredients best known to the ones who incorporated the star sons and daughters, copied scripts from Hollywood blockbusters, diamond merchant producers and South Indian technicians into the perfect recipe. Most often than not, these recipes failed, with only those suceeding at the Box Office which genuinely appealed to both classes as well as masses. The top list from the entire decade of the ’90′s-produced’ blockbusters consisted of DDLJ, DTPH, K2H2, KNPH, HDDCS and other multi-worded titles, delving deep into the world of romance and romantic storylines spicened up with sub-plots of obstacles to romance such as a father who is never pleased with a love marriage. The time was nigh for the recycled storylines to be discarded and to embrace new ideas and challenging scales of storytelling.
The year 2001 marked the rising of a new sun in the horizon of Indian cinema. June 26 2001, things were about to change dramatically. LAGAAN was released and in every sense of the term, it was a game-changer.
In this post, I will be discussing about LAGAAN and how its influence can be seen in today’s Indian cinema. The magical glow of this cinematically brilliant masterpiece still shines bright even today, 10 years after its release, and here’s why.
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by Sujoy on June 29, 2011
in Bolly
There are not many movies in Indian cinema where you can name each and every character of the ensemble. It has been 10 years since the release of LAGAAN, and even so, the excitement and enthusiasm as well as the anguish and misery of the many characters of LAGAAN is as fresh and graphically vivid in my memory as it was when I finished watching it the first time. The only other movie that can claim to have attained such a feat is (no points for guessing) the immortal blockbuster – SHOLAY. So why not reflect upon these colourful members who complete this massive painting of LAGAAN with their various shades.
Outside the LAGAAN XI:
Aakshvaani – Sutradhaar (Amitabh Bachchan)
The voice which introduces us to the world of Champaner, and also concludes the tale with the words – “Itihaas ke Panno mein kahin kho gayi hai” [ Lost somewhere in the pages of history ]
‘Maa’ – Yashodamai (Suhasini Mulay)
“Hey Ram! Bakhat se pehle hi khushiyaan!” [ Hey Ram, premature celebrations ]
The quintessential mother, but not Bollywood-ish. She sees the reflection of her lost husband in the courage and daring nature of her son.
[WARNING: Image heavy post ]
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I am going through a mental state right now. And hence, my ideas, my thought process and my interpretation of daily life is bizarre (even for me). It’s probably an after-effect of sleeping 5 hours a day, and watching too much sci-fi. For the uninitiated, I am a self-proclaimed geek ( I have a separate blog catering to that side of me – 9e3k ). Anywho, that bit of background information was necessary, because whilst recapping to 2000′s JP Dutta feature – Refugee, I have made some liberal changes in the name of creativity and the sole purpose of achieving ‘Nirmal Anand’.
Original synopsis: Refugee tells the story of two lovers from either side of the border. Abhishek portrays the lead role of Refugee, an illegal transporter facilitating families to cross the border. And then he falls in love with one of the passengers – Naaz (Kareena Kapoor ). And then they sing, they dance, they face conflicts from the border authorities, and eventually overcome all odds. And oh, she conceives a baby and has the delivery at the Line of Control. And if I can remember correctly, Suniel Shetty ( who plays this Pakistani army dude) names that holy place of delivery – Insaniyatstan. Epic Etymology.
Now with no disrespect to JP Dutta or to the entire team of Refugee, hasn’t that story of love been done a zillion time before? Ok, not a zillion times agreed ( there aren’t as many movies made yet LOL). How about we give Refugee, the much needed booster kick and convert it into an Epic Sci-Fi saga. In four scenes flat.
Scene 1: Lost in the desert between this universe and the other, is our female lead – Bebo.
Yes, she is cursed by a Timelord. Not Samay ( or Harish Bhimani), but by a proper Timelord, who sucks out energy from her life-source. That is, the remaining time she has to live, is all converted into KiloJoules of energy, and she is stuck in this time-frame of 4 seconds. Poor girl.
Scene 2 commences after the jump. 
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