http://filmjournal.net/stephen ...and other assorted filmi musings Fri, 29 Feb 2008 11:33:29 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en OM SHANTI OM (2007, d. Farah Khan) If one were to select the ideal Bollywood film to show a newcomer to Hindi cinema, then 2007's smash hit blockbuster Om Shanti Om would a prime example of one of the worst possible choices. Not because it is a lousy picture (though it is far from ... http://filmjournal.net/stephen/2008/02/29/om-shanti-om/ Anyone who has ever purchased a few Hindi DVDs (or read this blog) will be all too aware of the substandard quality they sadly offer compared with other international cinema. However, amongst all the dross are several genuinely well-authored releases and below is a list I've compiled of what I'd ... http://filmjournal.net/stephen/2007/09/20/bollywood-dvds-10-of-the-best/ MAIN MADHURI DIXIT BANNA CHAHTI HOON! (2003, d. Chandan Arora) Erm, no, not me. Well, if the gender change wouldn't be such a stumbling block then perhaps. Aspiring to be Madhuri Dixit, Bollywood's queen of the 90s, is actually her number one fan Chutki - the lead character in this charming comedy drama that is ... http://filmjournal.net/stephen/2007/06/05/i-want-to-be-madhuri-dixit/ KABHI ALVIDA NAA KEHNA (2006, d. Karan Johar) Mush master Karan Johar's latest three hour-plus opulent extravaganza is a rather embarrassing attempt at a serious subject matter - in this case, infidelity. A topic rarely covered in mainstream Hindi cinema, but nonetheless treated with far more sensitivity and maturity in past ... http://filmjournal.net/stephen/2007/05/22/kabhi-alvida-naa-kehna/ Ask your average Hindi film fan to name a few of today's hottest Bollywood actresses (or 'heroines' as they as popularly referred as) and they'll likely drop names such as Aishwarya Rai, Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor and Preity Zinta. All are undoubtedly blessed with good looks and have given some fine ... http://filmjournal.net/stephen/2007/05/15/rani-mukerji-bollywoods-miss-dependable/ AWARA (1951, d. Raj Kapoor) Though the first Indian sound motion picture was released in 1931, it was not until the fifties that Hindi cinema truly hit its stride as it gradually developed the distinctive characteristics that make up what we now call Bollywood. One person largely responsible for creating this magic formula ... http://filmjournal.net/stephen/2007/03/04/awara-the-vagabond/ KANNATHIL MUTHAMITTAL (2002, d. Mani Ratnam) This astounding drama from south India's Tamil cinema is one of the most brilliant works from acclaimed filmmaker Mani Ratnam. Known for his controversial and hard-hitting 'terrorist trilogy' of the 90s, made up of 1992's Roja (centered around the Kashmir conflict), 1995's Bombay (a gut-wrenching portrayal ... http://filmjournal.net/stephen/2007/02/14/kannathil-muthamittal-a-kiss-on-the-cheek/ RANGEELA (1995, d. Ram Gopal Varma) Remember when Ram Gopal Varma used to make good movies? Yes, back when he wasn't churning out bad remakes of his own films and desperately trying to salvage his 'retelling' of Sholay dream project, Bollywood's answer to Quentin Tarantino actually produced some of the most ... http://filmjournal.net/stephen/2007/01/28/rangeela/ DIL CHAHTA HAI (2001, d. Farhan Akhtar) 2001 was a big year for Hindi cinema. For the first time in over a decade, an Indian film had secured an increasingly-elusive acknowledgement at the Oscars in the form of a nomination in the 'Best Foreign Feature' category for Ashutosh Gowariker's cricketing extravaganza Lagaan. In the same year, ... http://filmjournal.net/stephen/2007/01/14/dil-chahta-hai/ Well, not quite. But in the bare scalp-inducing world of Bollywood DVD releases, it can be a close call at times. Take this instance of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge - a classic film reviewed elsewhere in this blog that has just recently seen its fourth incarnation on our versatile friend's format ... http://filmjournal.net/stephen/2007/01/01/1-vcd-beats-4-dvds/