Agneepath trailers (updated)
thanks to Kassam..
thanks to Kassam..
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thanks to Kassam..
thanks to Kassam..
SATYAMSHOT 
August 29, 2011 at 4:22 AM
cant see the promo since I am in office….
Devdas, Don, Sholay and now Agneepath –this is the 4th big budget remake. If this film is liked, then very soon will have many more remakes.
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August 29, 2011 at 5:03 AM
I can’t say I’m disappointed, since it’s exactly as grotesque, and yet airbrushed and bloodless, as I had expected. The preciousness of Vijay’s father’s corpse suspended from the tree is…ugh. The Tamil don of the original seems to have metamorphosed into a Muslim one straight out of Maqbool; Sanju seems straight out of whatever planet Jaba the Hutt was from.
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August 29, 2011 at 5:08 AM
i caught this trailer on facebook..few of my friends are sharing it and raving about it..( none have seen the original..and most of the currnt generation hasnt) buut alas..this place will beat this trailer down to the core..!
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August 29, 2011 at 5:09 AM
So, What say. Many people wrote obitury of this movie. I never liked agnipath but still this is looking raw power.
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August 29, 2011 at 5:12 AM
It’s good I would say, never expected it to be anywhere near to the original so I am not disappointed at all !
Hrithik looks good but all the same, Rishi looks different & interesting while Dutt might steal the show by some margin.
They didn’t show the mother in this trailer, hope they haven’t scrapped that role just like Krishnan Aiyer !!
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August 29, 2011 at 5:48 AM
disappointing.
1. not a single dialogue from hrithik
2. he lacks the presence or the poise imo.
3. it seems more about villain then hero as of now.
4. background music its ok.
but lets wait and watch but till then m not much inclined for this.
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August 29, 2011 at 6:25 AM
I’m getting a Gangs Of New York vibe here….
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August 29, 2011 at 7:05 AM
Some terrific landscape shots here and even otherwise it looks pretty kinetic but of course it lacks the grand, “pop-epic” tone of every facet of the original. That said if it wasn’t a remake of Agneepath I wouldn’t have had a problem with this trailer at all!
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August 29, 2011 at 7:44 AM
There is though with the music, the iconography, and the way this is cut together a disconcerting sense that Hrithik is the righteous Hindu warrior vanquishing Rishi Kapoor’s Muslim “monster”.
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August 29, 2011 at 10:17 AM
I wasn’t aware of the Muslim angle, but I greatly disliked using the “Hare Ram Hare Krishna” bhajan as background music when Hritik goes on his killing spree. Now this Hindu-Muslim angle just makes it that much worse.
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August 29, 2011 at 8:32 PM
At least they’re equal opportunity offenders!
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August 29, 2011 at 7:10 AM
Agneepath original Theme … nothing can beat this ..
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August 29, 2011 at 7:11 AM
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August 29, 2011 at 10:32 PM
This was rousing especially with the VO…
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August 29, 2011 at 3:01 PM
Do checkout in opening credits–name of A R Rehman
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August 29, 2011 at 7:15 AM
Epic stuff here Jeevan, I have lost count of how many times I have watched this movie ….fantabulous & epic it was !!
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August 29, 2011 at 8:20 AM
This is not a bad trailer at all. Agreed with GF on this score. On the rest though it’s painful to see this sort of remake. Must say that Dutt in this grotesque, cartoonish persona (Qalandar calls it correctly!) seems to stand out here more than anyone else. Given the tag line (interminable!) here they’ve in any case done it in a certain comic book way here with the ‘boy-hero’ going up against the ogre-villain.
Don’t disagree with Qalandar’s comment either. Grotesque remakes though seem to be increasingly with us.
Should add a note here. There is sometimes the sense (expressed here as well) that many who haven’t seen the originals can celebrate the remakes. But that’s just a box office argument. No one does more remakes than Hollywood and in every instance the filmmakers are called to task for living upto the original or not. Even when it’s fluff like the Italian Job. Just because something is successful doesn’t mean one has accomplished anything beyond the purely obvious. In this case Johar would say that he simply wanted a hit and nothing more. But that’s a bit like suggesting ‘let’s remake Kaagaz Ke Phool as the original was perfect in every way except that it wasn’t a hit’!
But leaving aside all of this (which I’ve expanded on greatly in the past) don’t think this is an ineffective trailer on its own even if hrithik seems a bit lost in the crowd (yes even on the terms of this trailer).
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August 29, 2011 at 8:28 AM
Don 2 in Dec (not sure if this franchise ever ends!) and Agneepath in Jan.. then people wonder why I say so much about Bachchan!
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August 29, 2011 at 9:51 AM
Agree. Much as I like Hrithik, he seems to strike a slightly discordant note in the whole set up. It is hard to imagine him as Vijay Dinanath unless the role is asubstantially altered.
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August 29, 2011 at 8:22 AM
Dutt giving a very Aalavandhan/Abhay Kamal feel.
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August 29, 2011 at 8:25 AM
Absolutely!
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August 29, 2011 at 8:28 AM
Totally right. I was wondering where I’d seen this freak before!
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August 30, 2011 at 3:36 AM
exactly
abhay to has gained alot of fan following later intially it was not a big sucess either
kamal to beefed up alot but he looked menacing here dutt is looking more like cariature …. hrithik is trying but this don’t look an indianized set up
one wonder why our directors looks for that when we have ample thing to indianized …if marathi, bengali or south indian industry can do it why not bollywood
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August 29, 2011 at 9:29 AM
This is excellent i will say…karan Johar has a sure shot hit in hand…and that’s exactly he wanted…
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August 29, 2011 at 12:13 PM
By the way Johar in his own way has performed a crafty move here with the whole ‘hit’ ambition. What is usually the issue with any remake? The comparisons with the original. Agneepath cannot evade these altogether but Johar has done his best to change the terms of the debate. ‘I only want a hit’ is his slogan with this film! It’s as if Rohit Shetty were to attempt Pyaasa and say the same! So the message (which some of the fans seem to be buying) is: hey don’t expect a good film, don’t compare it with the original, it’s only about whether it’s a hit or not! The bar for which is low. You get a good or better initial, if you make a fairly engaging film it doesn’t completely tank, the numbers are good as a total, your media/trade buddies add the requisite amounts and give it the best possible rating imaginable! This by the way is the almost-worst case scenario. In the best case one you just get a genuinely good grosser and trender where you have to lie just a little! The absolute worst case scenario of a film that just tanks at the get-go is generally not something that happens in certain kinds of setups. It is hardly likely that this film will do worse than SRK’s Don! Johar is more or less attempting ‘designer masala’ that will likely split the difference between single screen and multiplex sensibilities and be just about acceptable enough to both.
Once upon a time I used to get more worked up about this stuff. Unfortunately things have reached such a pass in this sense that I just don’t take Bollywood seriously enough anymore to even be able to muster up that kind of emotion. Barring of course rare exceptions.
And one shouldn’t only blame the filmmakers. It is also the audience that is complicit in such debasement. anything goes these days as long as the film is kept ‘light’. Which is not only a Bollywood problem by any means. Hollywood for example displays the very same symptoms. But as always the crucial distinction here is the fact that with the latter there is a critical culture in place and a very discerning ‘minority’ audience that is able to separate genuine attempts from purely cynical ones.
Not that Agneepath cannot be enjoyable on its own terms but once again it’s rather silly to remake things and then ask people to forget ‘what’ has been remade. But this too is just another advertising pitch with an audience that for the most part has neither discernment nor memory.
Having said all this I will might check out Don 2 (unless the reviewers suggest a mixed achievement) because here I think we’re into franchise terrain and any link with the original is more or less tenuous. Moreover there might be some visual payoffs in store here. So prison-gang Don is the farthest thing imaginable from any sane notion of the character but this helps one access the film as just another genre thriller!
On Agneepath though I think the ‘hump’ would be very hard to get over. I saw the original Don in the theater and it wasn’t a pleasant experience!
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August 29, 2011 at 10:01 PM
But u will certainly go to watch Italion Job remake in Hindi…Abhishek will not do remake of Papa’s movies but will copy some English movies….
“hey don’t expect a good film, don’t compare it with the original, it’s only about whether it’s a hit or not”
Don’t know how u come to such suggestions on your own…As HR fan or fan of any other star one first expects a good film…BO is a bonus (Pity on those star fans who don’t get either of these)
You have been so negative about remakes of Bachhan films that u r bound to hate this…and add that to the Hrithik and Abhishek rivalary/comparison angle….In fact i can predict ur reviews now a days based on the star involved in the film…..
If you can overcome this negativity u will perhaps like this trailer which has been liked by most..this i am confirming after reading the reaction of ppl on FB/ inet…
I will give credit to any director/producer attempting to remake a hindi classic movie rather than any south film or a time pass English film like Italion Job…It throws a challenge at them…also attempts to tell the story in a new format to the younger generation who are not aware of it..
here when I say Karan Johar will get a hit that means in an attempt to remake a hindi film which is quite known to most in the current generation (Compare this to Devdas, TLOBS, DON which are from 60’s or 70’s)..he will be able to attract the audience to the theaters and that’s the credit the team should get…
BUT lastly i will say judging the trailer I expect a very good film here…Perhaps an award winning performance from HR..
Interestingly two of my most awaited perf of 2012 will come at the beginning of the year..HR in Agneepath and Aamir in Dhuan….
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August 30, 2011 at 12:24 AM
You are not exactly neutrality personified when it comes to hrithik. So using your own yardsticks should everything you say on hrithik be immediately dismissed as the biases of a fan?!
There’s a difference between remaking a nothing genre thriller like Italian Job and doing something iconic like Agneepath. I don’t think this is that hard to understand. Obviously I’d be rather tough on Abhishek if he did a Scorsese remake as opposed to Italian Job! Having said that this is hardly my favorite project around even if I understand he’s doing it for commercial reasons. I’m otherwise quite a fan of these ‘nothing’ films when they come from Hollywood. And the Hindi remake might well be quite enjoyable. But it’s not the sort of stuff I take very seriously. On the other hand I’ve been objecting to the Golmaal remake. I don’t want Abhishek to play Amol Palekar, let alone SRK and Hrithik doing a Bachchan each! Perhaps you missed those comments?! Rohit Shetty said recently that it had the general Golmaal idea but wasn’t totally like it, he’d got the remake rights anyway as he didn’t want anyone to complain. I’d be the first to cheer if this film is less like the original Golmaal. Because I don’t believe that film can be bettered in any sense by anyone. Even if Amitabh Bachchan were doing the remake I’d say the same. I’d similarly be appalled if someone remade Awara. So on and so forth. Certain films should not be remade without very good creative reasons. Saying one is doing it for the box office is at best cynical and at worst stupid.
And I find it completely disingenuous to do a remake for the obvious ‘publicity’ this brings in only to say at the other end that it shouldn’t be compared with the original, it’s only a tribute and what not!
I didn’t dismiss the trailer at all. YOu should revisit my comments. As for people liking the trailer so what?! My opinion of the multiplex audience couldn’t possibly be lower! This is the very same audience that otherwise loves Golmaal 3! So this audience is never going to be my guide in matters of taste!
and excuse me if I’m not particularly persuaded by this ‘charity’ attempt of trying to get more people to the theaters for a film. You know what Johar should do instead? Just re-release the damn film! Saying one should revisit a Bachchan performance by way of a Hrithik remake is a bit like saying one should listen to a Lata song by way of a DJ’s cover version!
And finally, to complete the circle, I think that you like Hrithik and his films with the frequency I like Beatles songs. I think I’m on somewhat firmer ground!
“I will give credit to any director/producer attempting to remake a hindi classic movie rather than any south film or a time pass English film like Italion Job”
Yes original ideas like KMG and Krrish? Rooted non-Hollywood stuff like Kites and D2? ‘Official’ non-remakes like Guzaarish? And I’m sure you give Barjatya a great deal of credit for remaking an Indian classic in MPDKH? And how about the challenging quintessentially-Indian ethos of ZNMD? Man, don’t make it so easy for me!
For those who couldn’t understand my language the first time around I’ll make it clearer — the trailer as GF suggested is fine on its own. But of course I can’t develop amnesia about the remake aspect of it and here the trailer is quite the travesty! But hey let’s remake De Niro’s great Scorsese efforts with Will Smith and make them more accessible!
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August 29, 2011 at 12:40 PM
This is a monster hit in making…not for nothing karan was so excited,,,,One can sense a ghajni or Dabang type craze here.
With ZNMD sucess hrithik has just nailed it.
Love the way first teaser dont have any not a single dialogue from hrithik, only brutal force.
Amithab voice was legendary for this movie only,by not giving any dialogue to hrithik,the movie maker just increase the Curiosity level 200% more…for second teaser……WOWWWWWWWW
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August 29, 2011 at 12:42 PM
Raja Sen on the trailer:
http://www.rediff.com/movies/slide-show/slide-show-1-like-the-agneepath-trailer/20110829.htm
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August 29, 2011 at 12:49 PM
@mksrooney Says:
1.Agneepath was known for amithab voice,,,,maker have made wise move not to disclose the great amithab baritone in first teaser itself,if hrithik would have spoken in first,,,what the fun in that?
2.Hrithik screen presense,,,please dont mind,Hrithik has best screen presense among any khan or kumars….just see dhoom2…even though he spoken 2 line,,,but all audience are glued to the screen.
This is monster hit…..Amithab will be happiest person if this one become hit….as his legendary performance deserve more than the flop.
Also for sanju baba sake this one should became hit,We are missing his villain role big time.
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December 15, 2011 at 8:01 PM
totally agree with you suman
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August 29, 2011 at 1:06 PM
Back from some authentic Russian ballet/circus– including backstage/rehearsals—That’s what friends r for!!
Btw found it enchanting after being dragged in2 it!! Like russians!
So in a different “artistic space” rite now.
Anyhow, this trailer looks better than expectations which highlights how low the expectations were…
The only good thing is that hritik seems to be on the way to reclaim the place he deserves.
It will do him (&johar) well to “unhinge” this from amitabhs colossal act — smart-ass kjo knows it and is doing exactly that!!
“johar is more or less attempting ‘designer masala’ that will likely split the difference between single screen and multiplex sensibilities and be just about acceptable enough to both.”– spot on!
Johar knows his limitations(&target audience well)
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August 29, 2011 at 1:36 PM
>>“johar is more or less attempting ‘designer masala’ that will likely split the difference between single screen and multiplex sensibilities and be just about acceptable enough to both.”– spot on!
Johar knows his limitations(&target audience well)<<
I have to agree with this. I have not watched any of the 'neo-masala' superhits that have been churned out in the past few years. But Hrithik starring in a 'designer masala' as you put it, does intrigue me. I think that casting him was a masterstroke- the new breed of masala lovers will be drawn to this film because it has the similar sensibilites to Singham and Wanted, the older generation will go watch it because of nostalgia, and the younger, female 'multiplex' and oversees demographic (like me!) who are usually not the target audience for this sort of thing will go watch this for Hrithik.
A singlet-wearing Hrithik Roshan in a very 'stylized' angry young man avatar does bring a touch of 'designer' to the film in a way than an Ajay or Salman would not. Even the casting of PC adds to the 'designer' element of the masala because all her other projects in recent times have either been multiplex movies or 'arty' stuff. But honestly, even more than attracting a wider audience, I think that this just serves to satisfy KJo's ego that he is still producing 'cool' films even when he's pandering to the masses instead of his favorite NRI crowd.
I shouldn't have really said all of this- now Satyam will accuse me of being bourgeois. 😛 I'm not saying that I'm going to like this film, just that the trailer will atleast get me into the theatre for a genre that I am otherwise not too enthusiastic about, so KJo has definetely been succesful on that count.
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August 29, 2011 at 1:47 PM
your reading is a completely fair one..
I’d just disagree a touch on the nostalgia bit. The irony here is that this film was reinvented over the last twenty years and has become one of Bachchan’s very seminal ones. When it released there was great controversy over the voice. Most did not care for it. Today it’s become one of the film’s calling cards. So I don’t think older viewers are particularly enamored of this film. Even with the reinvention I think it’s been a younger male demographic that adores this film. I haven’t detected anything close to the same enthusiasm among younger women. So you’re right, in this sense having Hrithik and Priyanka adds a demographic that would normally avoid the film. In some ways Rakesh Roshan would have been the ideal director for this film given Hrithik was already in it. Because KNPH itself was designer masala in some ways and here with this look Hrithik returns to his ‘Rohit’ roots in a sense.
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August 29, 2011 at 9:02 PM
Agree with the last bit. This is the first time in a long time I’ve liked the way Hrithik’s looked. Which is to say he doesn’t look like he’s been spending too much time in a salon.
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August 29, 2011 at 1:47 PM
Gud Couple of “points” there annoyed…^^^
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August 29, 2011 at 2:37 PM
Saw it again.Actually not a bad promo but Hrithik CANNOT convey a sense of menace with his facial contortions. It is a pity .He should just underplay this a bit and he would probably more effective.
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August 29, 2011 at 2:52 PM
Given his casting choice the best way to play it is to have a boy-hero who is overmatched by Dutt. a Ghulam kind of deal. Otherwise it would look plain silly. The thing is that this part requires gravitas which Hrithik has never had. Frankly Dutt is also way too cartoonish for me here. His grotesque look perhaps dominates the proceedings but this is an extraordinarily far cry from Danny’s suave act.
Nana Patekar had the good sense to walk away from this one!
Of course my protests are also naive in the sense that audiences today just don’t care! They want a watchable film and that’s more or less it. Certainly in the multiplexes. The appropriateness of anything is not a concern at all.
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August 30, 2011 at 3:23 AM
The original Agneepath was anything but engaging.. It was too loud and intolerable in places. Maybe the cult status of it followed after Amitabh won a national award for it.
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August 30, 2011 at 3:29 AM
lot of nostsalgia starting from famous harivansh rai bachchan’s composition( amitabh’s father) known as agneepath( kar sapath agneepath)
rishi snatching that girl is only thing which reminds of original sequence ….its more hollywoodish rather than indianized ( just hare ram hare krishna chating and muslim character makes it not look indianized)
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August 30, 2011 at 5:26 AM
I agree with someone.The trailer looks good.Hrithik might give his best performance.Agneepath will be bigger than Ra1,don2,dhuan.
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August 30, 2011 at 8:46 AM
Here’s a trailer for the original Agneepath:
http://www.rediff.com/movies/slide-show/slide-show-1-like-hrithiks-agneepath-trailer-better-than-amitabhs/20110830.htm
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August 30, 2011 at 9:01 AM
Awesome. Simply the sight of Bachchan barreling across that field of flames just completely blows anything in the new trailer away.
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August 30, 2011 at 10:27 AM
Absolutely. There is no comparision. No wonder AB’s trailer is beating the new one by a wide margin in the poll.
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August 30, 2011 at 8:51 AM
First look launch video:
http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/broadband/video/Parties-and-Events/X7X0fR69/1/First-Look-Launch-Of-Agneepath.html
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August 30, 2011 at 1:52 PM
The ONLY Agneepath… promo
VDC is an attitude!!!
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August 30, 2011 at 2:21 PM
a recent comment on Bachchan’s blog where I contrasted the Agneepath performance with Akayla:
and again:
additionally 1106 here:
finally Agneepath connected with aspects of Abhishek’s career:
in many ways we keep focusing on Bachchan’s performance here and rightly so but in the same vein Mukul Anand’s stylistic elan can scarcely be matched either. And not just in the remake. It is hard for me to think of too many directors in Hindi cinema since Mukul Anand who are better masters in that formalist sense much less those who can exceed him. Unfortunately Anand never quite had the script orientation to match his gifts in this sense.
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August 30, 2011 at 2:28 PM
and once more:
[Agneepath is a kind of update on Deewar.. this is a film you should see if you haven’t.. even by Bachchan’s lofty standards he is extraordinarily grand is this rather operatic film. Here’s one of my favorite moments from the film (also in all of Bachchan’s oeuvre):
watch at the 2.35 min mark and then roughly through the 5:30 point…
The moment where he is standing on the boat, he is literally a god!]
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August 30, 2011 at 2:56 PM
Taran’s saying Agneepath will be Hrithik’s Dabanng.
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August 30, 2011 at 6:48 PM
“Taran’s saying Agneepath will be Hrithik’s Dabanng.”—will be happy for hritik if it happens,( but doubt it)
“a recent comment on Bachchan’s blog where I contrasted the Agneepath performance with Akayla”—among my other quirks, Akayla is one.
Loved Bachchans persona here (not the film that much)
unfortunately not one that lends itself to popular consumption..
Infact like the bachchan of akayla to some other “hit” bachchans–though agnipath was a different ballgame.
Was hoping for Johny mastana/shoebite to explore the simila space as akayla but suspect its being shelved (& buried!!) – a pity -the posters seemed really interesting
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August 30, 2011 at 7:34 PM
I saw the trailer and then I saw the category it’s posted in – “the ugly.” Indeed, it’s ugly.
With the passage of time, one can at least hope to see some improvements in the technical scheme of things, but this combination of cacophony of sound and grotesque imagery is not even close to Mukul Anand’s technical brilliance of the 90s! I increasingly get the sense that apart from films starring SRK, KJO loves to watch his wet dreams on celluloid. Cue, the muscular Hrithik indulging in a slo-mo run/dance umpteen number of times. The less said about Dutt, the better it is. I’ve never been a fan of Danny, but man, he’s a true thespian if one were to just witness his villainous acts in Agneepath and Hum…compared to the sight of a really grotesque Dutt mouthing dialogues that wouldn’t fit inside a Mithun-TLV Prasad collaboration.
I haven’t said a word about Hrithik, because in the trailer, he doesn’t speak any! In fact, KJO’s best bet would be to make Hrithik a mute character. The moment he says Vijay Deenanath Chavan, I’d double over in laughter, which I presume would be the reaction of any sane individual who’s seen the original…
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August 30, 2011 at 11:28 PM
The one thing I wouldn’t be quick to offer a conclusive critical statement on with respect to this remake is its visual fluency and overall technical competency. It has two of the country’s most accomplished cinematographers working on it and I can’t say that, despite immense reservations on performances and all else, that it’s repellant to me in any visual sense. The trailer’s evidence that it’s actually cut and shot quite strikingly.
All this said, and fearing that I may in this thread sound increasingly like I’m defending Johar I’ll just add the following on the last line uttered by Dutt: “Vijay Dinanath Chauhan ko marna padega…”
That happened long ago. Now they’re just dancing on his grave…
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August 31, 2011 at 1:55 AM
Re: “It has two of the country’s most accomplished cinematographers working on it and I can’t say that, despite immense reservations on performances and all else, that it’s repellant to me in any visual sense.”
Very fair point — I’d counter by saying that on the evidence of this trailer, the visuals suffer from the same problem as the decision to cast Hritik in this role does: i.e. a certain preciousness, a “designer Bombay” representation pervades it — now this isn’t the only such instance, of course, but it is quite jarring where Agneepath is concerned. Stated differently, the visuals aren’t bad by any means — I just find them off.
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August 30, 2011 at 11:31 PM
Of course I also wholly agree on what you’re saying about Mukul Anand. The first (the only) Agneepath was a supremely well-shot film and even more memorably it had a tremendously innovative sound design that I think actually “got” Bachchan’s voice (this is not to be confused with an assessment of the accent) better than any other film.
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August 31, 2011 at 1:22 AM
PS — central to the look and feel of Agneepath, to the world of Agneepath, is the “wreck” of Amitabh, the “survivor” persona of the central protagonist. To get a fresh-faced, unmarked, smooth guy to play Vijay Deenanath Chauhan, is just imbecilic. But it is worse than mere stupidity: it is symptomatic of the crass superficiality of contemporary filmmakers and producers like Johar, who cannot conceive of “the cinematic” except in terms of “the ad film” and “the model”; an imbecility so cretinous as to be almost criminal. This has nothing to do with Hritik — it’s akin to casting Tobey Maguire to do a reprise of Pacino’s role in Scarface.
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August 30, 2011 at 11:11 PM
liked the trailor…….hritik looks so good (always he does)….i m more happy for him as he is taking up roles outside his home productions and those which have meat…i liked him in ZNMD and Guzaarish….some people just have in them….HR is one of them….superstar material
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August 30, 2011 at 11:14 PM
enjoy this song…(little off-topic though)
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August 31, 2011 at 12:00 AM
I guess this is not posted earlier…
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August 31, 2011 at 12:36 PM
I am surprised no one commented on the background score here. It is something I am sure Johar and the rest of the team is counting on , considering the have the current flavour of the season , Ajay – Atul with them. Although I didn’t particularly like their work on Singham, they have been known to produce scintillating music, with a lot of percussion and drums, something very grounded,rustic and Indian. Their Marathi works, ‘ Natrang’ and ‘Jogwa’ are evidence of the same(both movies are immensely watchable, not just for the music, but also for their social commentary). Also they have the talented Amitabh Bhattacharya penning the lyrics. So on paper it looks like a perfect ensemble(including Sabu Cyril and Ravi KC as DOP’s and Karan Malhotra at the helm(He looks like he’s plugged onto the nerve of the audience, putting together a gripping trailer altogether). The Ganesh Mantra is a masterstroke, as is releasing the first look with the onset of Ganesh Chaturthi.
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September 2, 2011 at 2:24 PM
The Ganesh mantra is played in every TV serial when ANYTHING melodramatic is happenning, I do not see that as a masterstroke here, Yeah it worked in Vaastav,(though there were the Mahabharta/Krishna verses) cause it was unheard of at the time. Now every TV serial has these mantras. Nothing novel about that idea.
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September 3, 2011 at 6:24 AM
Since I don’t watch a lot of tv, I can’t comment on serials, but I am aware of the mantra in Vaastav.(the one here takes off on the latter half of the mantra playing while Dutt’s friends are killed in Vaastav, and it’s pacier, and more apt here. And I must say, the tune is immortal. It can’t be done to death. Ever.
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August 31, 2011 at 1:25 PM
The trailer is much better than expected, really like the background music! However, not a patch on the original ofcourse!
For me Agneepath= Amitabh Bachchan, the reason why I loved the original so much!
Sure Hrithik will do a decent job, he is one of the best actor’s of today, but can never compare to the BigB ofcourse!
Actually liking Sanjay Dutt’s look, though he reminds me of Lord Voldemort on steriods!
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September 2, 2011 at 12:05 PM
agree with filmifan ^^ that this trailer is better than expected from kjo (given the low expectations)….
Anyhow, saw this trailer before bodyguard…
The response of the housefull crowd was good and palpable..
This aside, this did not appear the “agneepath” one knows of (to kjos credit and advantage)
Also Hritik no longer seems the ultimate “central figure” here unlike and the roles of sanju and rishi will be beafed up…
Whilst he is taking advantage of its iconicity and obvious reference, he is somewhat “changing the goalposts”.
There is another subtext to this..
“I will get mandwa back to my mother”—vijay d chauhan in the original agneepath
“I will give a big bonafide hit status for bollywood to my father”—is what KJo seems to be projecting lol
and seems he might get away with somewhat…..
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September 2, 2011 at 12:27 PM
agreed on most of your points.. think this could be a 100 crore grosser too..
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September 2, 2011 at 1:08 PM
True!so many films are hitting the 100 crore mark these days,soon it will not be such a huge accomplishment.
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September 2, 2011 at 2:21 PM
Sorry to say Guys, But didnt find this trailer exciting at all watsover. It seems like a Trimurti to me, I would’nt be surprised if the film is molded in that way either. We saw the similar production value in trimurti as well, with dark den, rock (sets) figures, I dont know if this is going to work. Regardless, I really hope they dont give the opening lines of Amitabh to Hrithik here, if they do, it will be loose loose situation for them.
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September 2, 2011 at 12:55 PM
^^^To add—-there is a striking (telling) end to the trailer with Sanjay Dutt declaring that “Vijay Dinanath Chauhan HAS to die!
Battle for the “iconic symbol”
Both “don” and “agneepath” are/were indelibly associated with bachchan and formed part of his seminal work.
So deep is the impact on public psyche, that they can be called “a part of culture”.
While watching the agneepath trailer unfold beofre bodyguard and seeing the gasps and positive reaction—–must admit—–Felt an unease at the slightly unashamed/underhand attempt at “wresting” this iconic cultural symbol right from under the nose of bachchan–both interms of Don and Agneepath…
And to put it all in the garb of a “tribute” !!!
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September 2, 2011 at 1:07 PM
^^Quite agree with you Alex!
Anyway I hope the day comes when someone decides to remake one of Kjo’s(though not sure if any they are worth a remake) and Farhan’s films in the garb of a “tribute” and boy would I love to see their reactions to that!
Btw how did you find bodyguard?
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September 2, 2011 at 1:29 PM
“Btw how did you find bodyguard?”Fimlifan—u asked for it–dont now handle this “ace review” —hahaha–on popular demand….
“Alex adams Says: Watching bodyguard v shortly — housefull..
Got some “Bollywood-naive” nubile company– would be interesting to hear their views…Nice to be the “guide” lol
GF Says:You’ll probably find more interesting “action” in the aisles than on the screen.”
Well: the prophesy of GF has come true lol
Havent read any reviews so just some random thoughts/observations—in the tradition of b rangan-some “bullet points”…am a bit “spent” so just some incoherent unstructured bits…
Background/setting–Houseful #my routine multiplex NOT in a conventional “bollywood ethnic ghettoised area” –bollywood films dont find many patrons here normally–”houseful” here counts more than some other places….
#expectedly more family crowd–(but including some lecherous vagabond-ish characters—-had to be a bit of ” bodyguard” esp due to the accompanying multiple-eyecandy lol)
#85% of the film is a somewhat listless premise /buildup to the last 10% which is not only the highlight but the saving grace of the film (although that too is full of loop holes/lacunae/issues)
#My ranking of salman films in his current “golden” phase–
Dabang>>>ready>bodyguard~wanted
#if one takes out the last 10-15% of bodyguard, it will get submerged way down into the rest of his long list of insignificant filmography!!!
But have to give it to salman & Salim khan (script consultant) for having the conviction that the ending WILL make up for the rest ..
#Dont think much money has gone into its making–shooting in india and significant bits indoors—relatively low cost excpet some songs
#good action (but sometimes too gimmicky)
#Salman carries the film (literally) on his shoulder and one cannot really fault him for anything here –he does his best to prop up this one..and he tries to put up an honest endearing/heartfelt yet massy act
#Kareena is (unsurprisingly for me) uniformly a pathetic eye sore. In addition the closeups were quite variable and unflattering mostly.
Overheard a guy somewhere–”she is so fair and “white”-what bollocks!!
A symptomatic mindset obsessed with “fair n lovely”-rest doesnt matter..lol
#There was herculean effort in making Kareena look as best as she can and the other girl (think her name is Hazel) as worst as possible. Unfortunately, imo Hazel still trumps her-although she had v little to do/say!!!
#this film has probably has more for the females than some other salman films. Could sense the females flanking me threatening to get “moved” somewhat towards the end lol(sic!)
#Music was a weaklink–desi beat was truly pathetic.
The title song & “teri meri” was reasonably alright .
Standout for me were the male vocals of Ash King in “I love u”
#it would have made this film much more worthwhile for me (not necessarily for the masses) if the last half hour was explored more.
Not a fan of how hazels character was made to look villianish towards the end and had to pay for her “sins” lol. If her character graph was more explored and “fleshed out”, wouldve been better…
btw my/our views dont represent the majority patrons of this type of stuff and for all u know, it will do v well/record breaking box office esp after the historic start……
Even in the most uttercrap films, my (hopefully) “discerning” eye does capture some key moments.
The shot (which may actually be unintentional on the part of the director)that i liked was the small child assuredly seeing the dustbin pass by from the train (where he had “disposed of the diary”)!!
With that shot the “germs” of a worthwhile film also passed by…….
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September 2, 2011 at 1:32 PM
Quite a few people have a similar take. My feeling ( without having actually seen the film ) is that it probably is the pooret interms of content amongst his recent block busters.
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September 2, 2011 at 1:14 PM
“Anyway I hope the day comes when someone decides to remake one of Kjo’s”—lol yes, will like to watch Ram gopal varmas “edgy” take on Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (imo kjos best work till date—know people woint agree though…)
“Btw how did you find bodyguard?”—read my “experience” of/as bodyguard in the Bodyguard thread(s)— what do u think…lol
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September 2, 2011 at 1:22 PM
I think KJO and Farhan will be flattered
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September 2, 2011 at 1:26 PM
Also depends on who is making the remake.What Kjo and Farhan are doing is offensive, not just because they are remakes but they are mauling the original in the process. It is like Dada Kondke making a remake of K3G and calling it ‘Kabhie Pussy ,Kabhi L%$d.
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September 2, 2011 at 10:23 PM
sanjay dutt looks way too cartoonish to even take seriously. a decent trailer, at best
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September 5, 2011 at 6:05 PM
Looking at his current grotesque disfigurement —difficult to realise that there was a phase —used to like Sanjay dutt and his style …and he clicked with me —the original “rockstar” bodybuilder
btw liked this blast from d past–Kishore with RDBurman
also—glimpses of sanjay dutt i liked
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September 5, 2011 at 6:11 PM
Wow this must be really “hard” for you.
Sorry, sorry, I couldn’t resist…
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September 5, 2011 at 6:35 PM
haha—dont worry—nothing to be sorry about.
One doesnt have to be gay to admire certain things.
btw if i remember correctly, gf was caught (strangely) admiring “beefcake” sanjay dutt elsewhere on this blog–btw nothing wrong with that…..
Another thing—
really like the “running” style of only two actors in bollywood—-Sunjay Dutt and Amitabh bachchan
One cannot borrow/groom style n attitude
it is either inborn (like in yours truly hahaha–what humility) or missing ……
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September 5, 2011 at 6:58 PM
Another one for the viewing pleasure of gf—Enjoy
btw perhaps one of the best Sanjay dutt has ever looked on celluloid imo —dont mind controversy–infact thrive on it….
(At the risk of being wrongly labelled gay etc lol)—–Others wont agree here but he trumps madhuri here imo…..
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September 5, 2011 at 7:09 PM
think have posted this before —but pertinent in this “male”(for a change) celebratory thread …
“Circa 2000—was on a carefree holiday trip in Bangkok with friends.
Heard some strains of Bollywood music while walking on a street.
Saw few seconds of this promo being played in a takeaway asian shop …didnt know who this guy/film was….
Confidently “declared” the arrival of not only the next big thing but the ONLY true blue megastar originating from this side of the millenium(post 2000) in bollywood….”
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September 6, 2011 at 1:36 PM
speaking of Dutt (in his peak), he was probably the most handsome bollywood actor ever with combination of style, attitude and looks. its a shame how he looks now.
he looks awesome here though!
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September 6, 2011 at 1:51 PM
Agree Khan.
Thats what i was pointing out in the above clips.
Wont put him as the best ever probably——Although he was quite variable and sometimes could be quite run down, but he could be awesome at his peak.
Some of the clips above are just samples of his “different” charisma—soemthing that cannot be acquired/groomed.
Like the lead actors (both hero/heroines) to look good(at the v least)—it helps….
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September 6, 2011 at 1:55 PM
To add—-GF must be (secretly) thanking me for those clips of “beefcake” Dutt—though probably wont admit it…
Im sure GF has his “hands full” now —literally lol
Enjoy……
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September 6, 2011 at 2:53 PM
Surely I deserve more credit. If I were gay I’d have better taste.
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September 6, 2011 at 3:03 PM
Dont worry GF.
One doesnt need to be defensive about ones “choices” and “orientations”—hahaha
and by the way, one can go for both if confused between two choices.
Even that is a choice…..lol
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September 17, 2011 at 1:41 AM
It has been getting rave reviews. Don’t know whether you have posted this already.
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November 17, 2011 at 1:55 PM
Bollywood’s Top 15 anti-heroes
http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/news/bollywoods-top-15-anti-heroes/215901
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November 17, 2011 at 2:22 PM
Good time spent watching the old scenes…maza aa gaya..
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November 17, 2011 at 2:07 PM
Shahid – Priyanka reunite for a Coffee Ad…
Priyanka looks so different and aweful-
http://ibnlive.in.com/cnnibnvideos/mostviewed-us/203179.html
Katrina on item number in Agneepath, Farhan on Don-2 legal trouble, Atul Agnihotri on remake of Bodyguard …
http://ibnlive.in.com/cnnibnvideos/mostviewed-us/203181.html
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December 13, 2011 at 2:11 PM
this will bring the house down.. as I said earlier it’s worth several crores on the opening!
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December 13, 2011 at 2:23 PM
If Sheila Ki Jawani was bad- this is worse. Katrina looks so vulgar making those sex faces.
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December 13, 2011 at 2:27 PM
Don’t find it vulgar.. songs in this genre are usually quite raunchy.. do think Kaif looks misplaced doing this stuff but the audience that matters will drool over this.
The film itself will have about as much to do with Agneepath as Dev Anand did with the notion of retirement.
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December 13, 2011 at 2:32 PM
Actually agree with Amy that there is a definite hint of vulgarity in those pelvic thrusts
Sure to hit the guys straight where it should not have in a “good song”
BUt then thats the part of the game
this combined with the “innocent” face and u have the ideal combo
btw what pelvic moves—wont be surprised if she had some sort of dislocation while practising these
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December 13, 2011 at 2:31 PM
do think this is way more appealing than the completely insipid Sheila.. and it’s going to be a huge moment in terms of exciting the audience.
Hrithik might live to regret this. He’s not passed the basic credibility test on this part but also Johar is burying him within a circus that includes Jabba the Hut Dutt (as someone initially pointed out) and this kind of item number (this might be the Gabbar-Helen moment they’ve been referring to). Plus there will be other frills.
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December 13, 2011 at 2:33 PM
If Kat keeps doing an item number every few months and each one is raunchier than the next she is going to go the Mallika Sherawat way- apparently she’s doing an item number for Habib Faisal’s new film that is launching Boney Kapoor’s son Arjun. And then Dhoom 3 will have an item as well. Her whole appeal is her innocent sexiness and she is going to put her own career in jeopardy. She should capitalise on the success of MBKD by doing another solo film- not more and more roles like this.
But I agree that it will increase the opening by several crores. I hope that she has the sense to start charging 4-5 crores for her items. She is really stupid if she keeps doing these as favours for her friends like KJo and Arjun Kapoor- who is apparently like her brother.
And I do think it is vulgar- I find it very degrading. When Maliaka or Bipasha do the same thing in the item songs- or even Deepika- they own it with a certain confidence. With Kat it just looks really cheap- raunchy doesn’t come naturally to her.
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December 13, 2011 at 2:23 PM
hmm after a while, comes a song of aggressive intimidating sexuality.
bipasha in bikinis no, vidya balan in tdp noo, Kareena anywhere definitely noooo
this beats sheila for me–incidentally didnt like sheila much
there is an inherent “dirty” rustic “below the belt” vibe here
Take it from me—i never go wrong in these things
this is a killer track
(and take away all the tissues from a certain uncle)
hahaha
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December 13, 2011 at 2:28 PM
Besides sexuality and exposure and suggestive moves etc , there is something that also needs apprecaiting
these moves takes a certain physicality and fitness levels.
And katrina seems to be in fighting fit mode
All the time on the treadmill and all the ab workup shows
First noticed it in the chhoomantar song in Mere bro—not in a derogatory way—all the toned thighs and hamstrings….
welldone
btw Think kjo has already ensured a bare minimum “modest hit” wiht this one (atleast).
Guys and uncles went gaga over ooh lala (sic) in tdp
this is in a different plane
Now he has to (literally) screw up the rest of the film to manufature a flop
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December 13, 2011 at 2:38 PM
Just saw it again
Slightly disturbingly raunchy and rustic which looks even more so when Kat does it—thats the kinky angle here that kjo seems to have put into effect
Final verdict
definitely more vulgar and unashamedly targeted to the “basic instinct” without any guise
Katrina Kaif has nailed the item song and made it her own
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December 13, 2011 at 2:56 PM
the Marathi tradition being referenced here is always a lot more suggestive. And Kaif in her item moments has always depended on a certain asymmetry between what she’s doing and the ‘literal’ sense of the number. But of course she’s no Madhuri who could make the most suggestive stuff look respectably ‘bourgeois’ and therefore acceptable to everyone!
To this day I have been unable to spot the slightest bit of sex appeal in Kaif. Even otherwise I find her somewhat bland-looking. But these are probably her strengths. But this ‘docile’ demeanor endears her to her base. Note how Priyanka or Kareena are too ‘aggressive’ for the same. Forget older models like Hema Malini even Madhuri had a lot more ‘agency’ in most of her parts. Kaif on the other hand is more purely ornamental (in the sense of implying this passivity) than just about any other top actress I can think of down the ages.
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December 13, 2011 at 3:04 PM
Thank you Satyam- this is exactly the problem I have with her. And this is why I find it so disturbing when she does these raunchy songs- there is something about her that is just so inherently degrading- I cannot explain it.
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December 13, 2011 at 3:06 PM
Good reading and analysis there satyam (after your short but noteworthy “break” lol)
Yes agree that she is not in your face sexy
INfact till ZNMD found her incidental and never interesting
Liked her in mere bro
and here she does express her personality somewhat
As I pointed out earlier, it is these “asymmetries” that people like and enjoy
For eg Mallika doing TDP like stuff wont appeal beyond a point but seeing Vidya do it somehow made them go berserk—didnt find anything interesting there at all though
Priyanka etc somehow inspite of being a much better actress hold no interest for me now somehow
And dont even mention puff faced wierdo Kareena. still want her spanked for “boasting about her bum scene” with puppy imran khan….
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December 13, 2011 at 3:11 PM
Vidya Balan’s ‘innocence’ is very, very different from Katrina’s. With Vidya the notion is that she is too cerebral and sophisticated and girl-next-door for these this. With Katrina it is that she is too naive and passive and ditzy to be aggressively sexual.
Of course Vidya is nowhere near as sexy as Katrina but she handled her ‘dirty’ scenes with an appealing dignity and passion that made them seem respectable. With Katrina- again it is the opposite. She has this passivity that makes the suggestiveness of the moves seem all the more offensive- it’s really obvious that she is doing this because some producer paid her a lot to turn men on- she does not know how to own it and make it look like she is enjoying herself.
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December 15, 2011 at 12:01 PM
alex.Imran is 29 years old.he is not as young as you think. 🙂
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December 13, 2011 at 2:41 PM
btw satyams sudden “silence” and “disappearance” now is suspicious and needs investigation
Have noticed this many times previously when such stuff is discussed
hahaha
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December 13, 2011 at 3:02 PM
Yes because more item songs targeted at the male ‘basic instinct’ by degrading an innocent looking actress are exactly what we need in Bollywood. Because the usual female characters are so refined and sophisticated and never used to titillate men at all. Im not denying that Katrina is enormously attractive- but you are acting like she has achieved something major and admirable- and it’s actually quite the opposite.
I feel really sorry for Priyanka- it’s sad that even talented actresses like her have to accept these sidey roles in films where they get totally over shadowed by the item girl.
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December 13, 2011 at 3:15 PM
Hmmm–there is a point there, i agree
Looking at it now from the female perspective, do have to admit that there is a “degrading” element here
The way a top notch heroine is being made to thrust her pelvis obscenely at obviously predatory male crowd and being made to cater to their “basic instinct” surely is demeaning.
After her initial “boom” scene with Gulshan grover, she seems to have come a “full circle” –no pun intended
its just that—she seemed to be visibly uncomfortable in that skimpy top in boom (now satyam —control yourself and done go for youtube)
Here she does this more confidently and “effortlessly”
Thanx for the female perspective there ….
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December 13, 2011 at 3:20 PM
“Vidya Balan’s ‘innocence’ is very, very different from Katrina’s. With Vidya the notion is that she is too cerebral and sophisticated and girl-next-door for these this. With Katrina it is that she is too naive and passive and ditzy to be aggressively sexual. ……With Katrina- again it is the opposite. She has this passivity that makes the suggestiveness of the moves seem all the more offensive- it’s really obvious that she is doing this because some producer paid her a lot to turn men on- she does not know how to own it and make it look like she is enjoying herself.”
Brilliant piece there Amy
esp about the “passive innocence” bit
“naive and passive and aggressively sexual”—hmmm have to admit that this can be a lethal combo (for me)—btw how did u know this hahaha
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December 13, 2011 at 4:59 PM
‘This can be a letha combo for me- btw how did u know this’
Alex from your comments it is very easy to guess that the lowest common denominator appeals the most to you 😛
Oh and an example of the innocent-heroine-in-a-raunchy-item done right without being degrading- Kajra Re.
But then Aishwarya is classy and naturally beautiful- so there is no point comparing them at all. I cannot get over how fake Katrina’s face looks in this.
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December 13, 2011 at 6:16 PM
Ash is classy and Katrina is not ? It that coded language ? If not, care to explain the yardstick you are applying ?
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December 13, 2011 at 6:23 PM
Dear Karan kumar–thanks for that really innocent question
lol @ coded language
“Yardsticks”–lemme get the measuring tape
chill friend—if u like Katrina, enjoy and have fun with this chikni chachi song (like satyam has been till now)
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December 13, 2011 at 6:25 PM
Is that a rhetorical question? Of course Aishwarya Rai is classy and Katrina Kaif is not!
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December 13, 2011 at 6:34 PM
Did the accent give that away ? No could be because Ash’s accent is fake. Give me clues, show me the yardstick ? Tough to crack this CODE
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December 13, 2011 at 6:37 PM
Okay if you actually think that Katrina is a classy, graceful woman- you are welcome to that view. There is no yardstick for class and grace- either you have it or you don’t- and in my opinion- Aishwarya obviously has it and Katrina obviously doesn’t.
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December 13, 2011 at 6:54 PM
Let me take another guess, are you equating being Vivek Oberoi’s girlfriend (once upon a time) as Classy/Graceful ? Or you are convinced by the way she left Madhur Bhandakar in a quandary ?
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December 13, 2011 at 7:06 PM
Are you a Salman fan then?
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December 13, 2011 at 5:20 PM
About Ash–have said before—well in my ranking, she is the most graceful and beautiful woman on indian screens ever.
Nothing more to say there….Not sure if u read about my “flight” lol
lol@ the “lowest common denominator”
In my case that “denominator” keeps changing and is varied/multifactorial and not easy to categorise (even for myself) lol
for eg Actually genuinely disliked the TDP cleavage and Bipasha bikini stuff in players recently somehow…
As for Katrinas face—
Actually think she looks better here somewhat. In shiela there was an anorexic vibe. Here she seems to have gained a bit of weight and looks more “natural” & “fuller” though still fit, if one knows what i mean…Prefer this over the “size zero” figure…
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December 13, 2011 at 5:31 PM
I am not talking about her figure-she is clearly very fit. Her face looks terrible thanks to all the cosmetic procedures she has undergone- unnatural.
And about the denominator- here is a test- please name 3 actresses- Bollywood or otherwise- who you would want to go on a date with. No item girls or collagen lips or other bimbo types. Haha.
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December 13, 2011 at 5:48 PM
“who you would want to go on a date with”
yo–Is that an offer for a date–hahaha
hmmm anyhow u seem to have “pinned me down” eh
Hope u dont do anything objectionable/ explicit to me now while im “pinned down” hehe
will take a day or 2 to think about this and then reply….lol
I mean– also, about the “No item girls or collagen lips or other bimbo types”. This needs a “reflection” exercise hoho
Intelligent gal
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December 13, 2011 at 6:04 PM
Oh god- that was just in response to the ‘varying denominator’- nothing more- certainly not asking you out. 😀
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December 13, 2011 at 6:19 PM
^^ mate: that is check mate# lol
Just pulling your leg–(btw u do have nice “legs”) hoho
Before we proceed any further–lets go to bed
btw will get back to that question later maybe:
cheers
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December 14, 2011 at 11:03 AM
Amy- coming now to your interesting question above on the pretext of which,u “pinned me down” and did some unimaginable (but pleasant) stuff —- “here is a test- please name 3 actresses- Bollywood or otherwise- who you would want to go on a date with. No item girls or collagen lips or other bimbo types. ”
Firstly prefer “normal” people to socialise than “celebrities” but if the question is from holly/bollywood–
few disclaimers first—
a)these “lists” for me change frequently (someitmes on a daily basis)
b) Implants –whether breast/collagelips/ “bimbo-ness” doesnt serve as an inclusion or exclusion criteria–infact not significant either ways
c) Before the “face”/”body”/both, there is a minimum “connect”/”rapport”/”intelligence” that is the prerequisite
d) Looks and physicality do matter though not v much
Will not give the “poltically correct”/ “smart” list like “mother teresa” or “suchitra sen lol” to score “brownie points” since nobody is impressing nobody lol (though this is v easy to do)
So the list (only as of today as per the above criteria–
and in NO specific order)
Aishwarya Rai ( ash 5-10 years ago )
My views on Ash were mentioned elsewhere on my “flight” post–not sure where it is though
Preity Zinta (early day PZ only)—much beofre the IPL/ “yash uncle” phase–was cool, bubbly and interesting conversation
Nargis Fakhri–have said enuf—and no– implants of any form or location dont debar anyone lol
Melanie Laurent–dangerously alluring appeal
Ashley Judd–again: 5-10 years ago
Julia Roberts–even in her “Mercedes” (Larry Crowne) late stage
Kirsten Wiig–like her humour and style–but would prefer her atleast a decade younger lol
Jessica Chastain–this one only for the natural “maternal vibe” she exuded and i loved in the “tree of Life”
Megan Fox / Kristen Stewart/ Cameron Diaz- These are for” you-know-what”
hahaha
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December 14, 2011 at 2:37 PM
Alex- this is an interesting list- Aishwarya Rai, Preity Zinta, Julia Roberts, Kristen Wiig, Jessica Chastain- after all those names I suppose an occasional lapse into bad taste such as Nargis Farkhi is pardonable. Haha
And the one thing that surprises me- you would put Kristen Stewart in the same category as Megan Fox and Cameron Diaz? Really?
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December 14, 2011 at 2:46 PM
hehe
This “list” was not to satisfy others but myself lol
Any sensible person can produce a “textbook” list of “choices”
by the way: im happy with being “pardoned” for the Nargis F “lapse”
As for Fox/Diaz/ Stewart:yes: they come in a certain category for me
Also : how does this tally with the “lowest common denominator” hoho
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December 14, 2011 at 2:50 PM
Okay- contrary to your comments- your taste in women does not seem to hit the lowest common denominator 🙂 A good list IMO.
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December 14, 2011 at 3:23 PM
thanx for the “correction”
Lol@ my taste in women–its actually been “immaculate”
btw Dont detest or look down upon those with “lowest common denominator” taste either as a subset and dont find it “offensive” or anything like that.
Its their taste and choice really
btw the “pinned down” stuff wasnt bad hoho
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December 14, 2011 at 3:31 PM
Haha- do not detest them at all- just think it is boring to be so superficial and cliched. And it’s not just guys- I know a lot of girls who have such taste in guys as well- and think that is equally boring.
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December 14, 2011 at 3:36 PM
” I know a lot of girls who have such taste in guys as well”–hmm
can u plz elaborate those examples
and no, wont ask u details about those girls haha
(know some myself–didnt wish to see desiboys…)
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December 16, 2011 at 12:29 AM
That video is hilariously bad. What the hell is she doing? Even Vidya was sexier in TDP. This looks like aerobics – just jumping around and making faces. The 30 second promo was deceptive – just camera cuts.
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December 16, 2011 at 12:36 AM
Well- the mango people love it. And they have christened her the new Madhuri as well.
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December 16, 2011 at 3:49 AM
Embarrassing! Katrina’s inherent sexiness belongs to the world of the coy, passive and demure feminine. Each actress has it different, although unfortunately with the present day bunch its becoming dangerously uniform – partly because the manner in which its being perceived and defined in the industry.
With these young filmmakers today, its sad that they are unable to comprehend this basic aspect and hence unable to create a purely sensual song that belongs to the film and also to that particular actress only. That’s why there is no item number of recent times that the memory holds onto beyond a few months (is that a long time?) If MAK does a munni, she is immediately upstaged by Ms Sinha herself (she performed to the same number at some function ) and then begins the tug of war between the two to claim who is more sexier! And if the film is remade in another language , well, rope in the next available body to perform to the same gyrations.
Where is that high of watching a truly gifted actress who for just those five or so minutes of song and dance becomes purely a physical embodiment of sensuality and sexiness? There is a certain joyful abandon to this and only the irreplaceable Madhuri Dixit had it in her. I think the time that she reigned , although none of her films could be labeled as classic (unfortunate for such a gifted actress) she gave us, the audience, some unforgettable such songs. And with her, credit the filmmakers who recognized this and harnessed this talent to the film’s advantage. Of course, it did border on the lewd and vulgar a few times (heck, forget the songs and lyrics, a heave of her bosom was enough) but its to Ms Dixit’s credit that she just knew this difference however subtle and was always walking on this tightrope; never did fall on the other side.
(Now, lest people get worried and peeved at such appreciation, I’m talking purely about such a song in mainstream Hindi films need to be and not about burden of gender and sexual politics that this brings along. Madhuri Dixit , was meant to be in B’wood precisely the time she was in – eighties and nineties. There were a certain way of perceiving a woman and her femininity in the films of that decade and Ms Dixit was born to play that role. It worked perfectly only then. )
All I can remember after MD is Vidya Balan in Ishqiya who exuded sexual energy and dominance. And she danced to not a single number here. The rules of the game have changed but not many directors have understood this I think..(Even MD’s comeback film did badly. She was still playing the to the image of that woman that she always had been doing in the nineties (she’s most happy when seen through the male gaze.)
Have just scribbled my thoughts, partly in acute irritation, just watching the first few seconds of this song when Katrina comes literally barging at the screen in that wide legged position (remember sack races in school?) , arms flaying around despite being firmly held behind her head. She is so not sexy!! May sound absolutely crude but a certain Ms Sawat would have stamped this song with her own identity although it would be downright C grade stuff then…
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December 16, 2011 at 7:37 AM
this is a great comment Arthi.. but also on this video I think the shorter clips flattered to deceive.. she’s just doing a bad job here even leaving aside the ‘sexiness’ angle. Will still be a big moment for the film but she’s quite awkward here at many point.
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December 16, 2011 at 9:45 AM
Agree-great post Arthi
“… in acute irritation, just watching the first few seconds of this song when Katrina comes literally barging at the screen in that wide legged position (remember sack races in school?) “–hahaha—entertaining writing
“… a heave of her bosom was enough) but its to Ms Dixit’s credit that she just knew this difference however subtle and was always walking on this tightrope; never did fall on the other side.”—well said.. let me raise my hand and point out an example
A song from Sailaab- A “textbook case” imo
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December 17, 2011 at 12:21 AM
True..Shes unable to carry it off at all
Re. Alex Adams : That’s what I ended up watching yesterday. More than the Sailaab song , went back to the ‘Channe Ke Khet mein’ one, although it freaks me out that I really like Ms Dixit in a song that not insinuates but is a blatant take on rape…Isn’t it? I think my Hindi did manage to understand this much atleast from the lyrics.
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December 17, 2011 at 12:28 AM
Yup, that song had long bothered me for that very reason…
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December 16, 2011 at 12:39 AM
love this man, superb photograhy, way better then shiela or chamalk chaloo.
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December 16, 2011 at 12:40 AM
massies will go crazy here
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December 16, 2011 at 4:04 AM
And aren’t Katrina’s lips and face bloated in this song?…Nuts!..
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December 16, 2011 at 4:59 AM
Katrina’s face does look bloated. And about Rakhi Sawant making this song downright crude- that is exactly the type of thing the hypocritic producers want to avoid by casting angelic Katrina. She brings a certain respectability and ‘polish’ to what would otherwise be the cheapest C-Garde number possible- and of course a filmmaker like Karan can never risk being seen as anything but aspirational and glamorous.
So you have a fair-skinned, half-British woman who is otherwise known for her demureness being ‘sullied’ in a raunchy/ earthy mileau that she is clearly alien to- sort of like having your cake and eating too. If Rakhi Sawant had done this song it would have been straight forward vulgarity- which would have been so much less attractive to it’s target audience who are as hypocritical as the makers of the film themselves.
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December 17, 2011 at 12:12 AM
Ami, great comment.
Personally, I can’t even summon up much irritation at this song — Katrina in an item number by now is so boring, so downright stale, that she has brought me to where I never thought I’d be when confronted by a half-clad, not unattractive, woman flaunting her sexuality: indifference. I was more excited seeing Sanjay Dutt’s leering eyes than seeing her shake her ass: the former, at least, summoned up some passion.
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December 17, 2011 at 7:59 AM
katrina in some scenes in this song looks horribly old and something is seriously wrong there……..
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December 17, 2011 at 12:14 AM
Ms Sawat did some song with Rani M right ? How did that happen? No clue so asking..
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December 16, 2011 at 2:49 PM
Madhuri’s item song in Sailaab remains a reference. It is still memorable. It’s one of those rare songs that has survived in people’s memories despite being in a movie that didn’t do well.
Mamta Kulkarni’s ‘Maara re..Dil dil dil.. Koyi jaaye to le aaye’ in Ghaatak was quite good as well.
Chikni Chameki doesn’t really work here. Neither is the song catchy, nor does Katrina fit in here. It’s vulgar rather than anything here.
What’s interesting, compared to the original Agneepath is that in the original film that song was stylishly shot in a 5 star hotel in Mauritius. And it was Shakti Kapoor who did a guest appearance for the song.
The original scene was stylish and shot with grandeur:
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December 16, 2011 at 3:23 PM
thanks for it and its nothing new now after remakes they are bluntly copying the older son’s visual and this further indicates how bankrupt bollywood has become in terms of ideas
classsic example is vidya’s ooh la where they brought back old school bappi lahri and shamelessly taken visuals from many classics …here is one of them
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December 17, 2011 at 12:57 AM
“classsic example is vidya’s ooh la where they brought back old school bappi lahri and shamelessly taken visuals from many classics.”
No dude, TDP was period drama and those visuals were intentionally taken from old school. Nothing shameful.
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December 17, 2011 at 1:33 AM
Unrelated—but RIP Christopher Hitchens
Always had a unique original take on things (somewhat like your truly lol) and with justification…
He also took on God, and legends like Gandhi and mother teresa, “ripping apart” their “hypocrisy” and “public posturing”–need more original thinkers who are not being different just for the sake of it
Loved his cigs and drinks
think he was amongst the better public intellectuals and incidentally understood Indias complex geopolitical reality quite well
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/dec/16/christopher-hitchens-dies-aged-62
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December 17, 2011 at 1:41 AM
‘”Channe Ke Khet mein’ one, although it freaks me out that I really like Ms Dixit in a song that not insinuates but is a blatant take on rape…Isn’t it?”–haha
Thanx for the info Arthi—actually never thought of that but now that u have pointed out, yes, itis true—this song is actually a “blatant take on rape” infact a somewhat “celebration” on it lol
My command (or lack of it) didnt allow me to pick this up earlier.
Incidentally, you have a knack of writing quite entertaining posts–hope u write more–cheers
ps–think pitting the poor Katrina in direct comparison with Madhuri, who probably is the best in her game, is unfair to both.
KNow where KAtrina comes from. COming from a different background, with no knowledge of the language and culture and having to deal with predatory people like salman thoughout—think she has done v well. Incidentally im not her fan as such.
ONly v recently, have become sympathetic to her —in ZNMD , to be precise and liked her in mere bro, —but thats about it (till now)
Also checked out new york recently and found her good and soemwhat endearing there
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December 17, 2011 at 10:53 AM
So now (according to you) Salman is a “Predator” ?
Is that conclusion based on your take on Salman’s profession (Bollywood) ? Or are you exposing your mindset vis a vis other afilliations of Salman ?
We need to know where this accusation is coming from. Do you dislike the Bollywood types or there is something else about Salman you hate ?
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December 17, 2011 at 12:39 PM
haha ‘Karankumar’
Salman surely has “brotherly” concern towards Katrina then.
btw u have a nice shweet new name lol
As someone else pointed out, u seem a (female) salman fan
cmon be frank: admit that this is correct hoho
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December 17, 2011 at 5:15 PM
btw “karankumar”
salmans eye on sunny leone
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/salman-khan-sunny-leone-sunny-leone-in-salman-khans-film-jism-2/1/164322.html
can someone plz provide some more info and “details” on sunny leone-thanx
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December 17, 2011 at 7:13 PM
Satyam
It is only fair that you take an active role in addressing the following :
Alex
You can run but you cannot hide.
This is not about me, my gender etc etc. Hence stop obfuscating and start addressing issues.
You stated that Salman is a “Predator”. How did you come to that conclusion ? Is your statement based on distrust of Bollywood ? Do think everyone associated with Bollywood is a “Predator” ?
Or what you stated has its genesis is some darker predisposition in you ?
I pray you do not think all Muslims are “Predators”. I hope this does not have anything to do with anything that evil. But it is not enough for you to now claim that your statement has nothing to do with Salman’s race/religion. You need to show what efforts you made to exclude the perception of that possibility. At the very least what is important is for you to show some dignity and state that you will try to make sure that your future statements do not appear racially charged.
You can run but not hide. Please dignify this site by not making it appear as a den for the racially putrid.
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December 17, 2011 at 8:41 PM
I hadn’t seen that comment but I am very confident Alex didn’t mean that remark in any ‘communal’ sense. He was probably just referring to Salman’s own history, rightly or wrongly. He tends to use provocative words like ‘predatory’ and other over the top remarks. But it’s not a racial/religious/ethnic slur here. The other day I saw why Henry would take offense on a certain remark. But here I don’t thing there’s anything to ‘see’ here. He’s had positive stuff to say about Salman and SRK and Aamir in many contexts. Meanwhile he refers to Abhishek solely as ‘Abhishrek’. So even the evidence argues against it.
Having said that he tends to ask personal questions about gender and so on. I have told him a number of times he shouldn’t do so unless there’s an absolute comfort level with the ‘interlocutor’. and I really wish he would desist from this because it creates trouble more often than not. Even as a general rule it’s best not to get too ‘comfortable’ with people where one doesn’t have that sort of ‘relationship’ and so on.
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December 17, 2011 at 8:47 PM
It’s a suggestive song of sexual seduction.. doesn’t imply rape in the least. At least here.
Now the Katrina number is a different matter altogether.. here, and to follow a psychoanalytic reading, there are definite gang-rape associations..
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December 17, 2011 at 1:43 AM
Her lips are bloated with collagen. Something is quiet wrong with her face in this song. Face and body are not gelling together.
But to the front benchers, this is manna from heaven.
KJo’s 20 crores are guaranteed.
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December 17, 2011 at 2:05 AM
it seems only poor katrina has got something done to her lips/face/elsewhere.. can we have a list of the current actresses who have NOT had any surgery/botox/enhancements/collagen lips etc
btw noted recently that there is one actress who needs a reduction rather than enhancement—ayesha takia
any more suggestions–
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December 17, 2011 at 6:24 AM
Satyam saw ths 2day http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/ndtv-special-ndtv-24×7/vijay-deenanath-chauhan-still-rules-the-hearts/218713
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December 17, 2011 at 9:16 AM
great segment..
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December 17, 2011 at 9:27 AM
This is classic example of too much of anything is bad *. I personally think there is huge turn off factor with leg spread wide apart and hyper-rate rapid thrushing of pelvic, even for men, right in the beginning of the song, which doesn’t even gel well with the song lyrics or the music..choreographer trying but too hard and failing…yikes. The marathi superhit version is much better. I don’t think Karan Johar has 20crore riding on this song, NYKavi! It is total yikes. I tried very hard to watch it but could never watch the whole clip in one go. Almost like taking bitter medicine.
* e.g. too much of botox, too much of pelvic thrushing etc.
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December 17, 2011 at 9:39 AM
No question Di, the Marathi version is much better — didn’t realize the Hindi version was recycled…
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December 17, 2011 at 12:31 PM
agreed it’s better.. but I think I read somewhere that Johar went in for a ‘remake’ even here. In any case this sort of tune is rather generic for the Marathi tradition.
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December 17, 2011 at 11:47 AM
Bhai saab, the choreography of the original is Bwood circa 90s. 2011 mein front bench ko extra kick dene ke liye taange faylaani padti hain, aur agwaada-pichwaada 20/second ke rate pe hilana padta hai.
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December 17, 2011 at 3:33 PM
NYKavi r u a girl or a boy? hahaha. Shania ne ye taang phela kay song kiya tha grammy may, come-back-song. chotta skirt pehn ke, aur bahut charcha hui thi press may. Even in Hollywood, even with legs spread, mini skirt, they won’t do moves which apna heroines would do; haan song videos ki baat alag hai. But again it boils down to “too much”. Watched chal chaiyya-chaiyya, sheila ki jawani, beedi jalai ke, munni badnam hi again, and they all are “entertaining”, music is bearable or I would even say good music and dance moves are not way too vulgar….There should always be something left to imagination in dance moves, otherwise it ain’t exciting. Chikni-chameli kaa song bi bekar hai aur dance bhi; upar say katrina looks kinda old or plastiky.
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December 17, 2011 at 11:51 AM
KJo ko bees crore to guaranteed hain. Itna to purey Hindustan ke rickshaw-taangey waale collect kar hi sakte hain. At least this is a better 20 cr check than the one which is being eagerly awaited in the mail for Ra.One. SRK ko SFX ki jagah pe ek Katrina ka Chikni Chameli item daal dena chahiya tha. Investment multiplication factor hai bhai.
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December 17, 2011 at 12:29 PM
LOL!
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December 17, 2011 at 11:53 AM
SRK bechara KJo ko gaali de raha hoga. Apni picture ke liye 20cr guaranteed kar diye, meri picture mein kyon suggest nahi kiya saala?
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December 17, 2011 at 9:29 PM
Think satyam has answered everything
Nothing more to add
Lol@ karankumar and “running”—
We are “scared”–hahaha
Whilst don’t mind clarifying and satyam has already done that (thanx)
There is something to be said for those waiting o get “offended” at the drop of a hat even with non issues
Cool it man(/woman )
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December 17, 2011 at 9:43 PM
Also as satyam may confirm –we don’t want to “expose” those doing this publically , but there have been more than a few instances of people using multiple ids, sometimes with different apparent genders trying to “get back”.
Whilst that is not illegal, “picking that up”
Is also no illegal.
Anyhow karankumar –relax
Like salmans work nowadays but unfortunately only after dabang …
Not a big fan of his though the other day liked him in Tere naam.
But to even think that this is related to something like that is hilarious.
Hope u chill by enjoying chickni chameli song and also enlighten me about the “salman eyes sunny leone” link above lol
Whilst I have taken care to assuage your concerns , I have little “fear” for those trying to make unnecessary issues.
Having said that (unlike Henry) u haven’t been non civil etc–so no problems in clarifying–that’s what “communication skills” are for
Cheers and peace
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December 17, 2011 at 9:52 PM
Talking of “communal”/–
I am perhaps the only “fan”here of nargis fakhri and katrina kaif –& have been “defending ” them from undue negativity on this site
Also love aamir khan and even like salman khan (nowadays)
Obviously One doesn’t need you or anyone else to give “certificates” about Certain “communal” things
You still are quiet on sunny leone.
Feel that should “lighten” u up
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December 17, 2011 at 10:01 PM
Also “karankumar”— while I do feel you had concerns and u had out them in a civil manner–they were answered in a civil manner politely by both satyam and myself
But this is not an “open gate” where in every other “offended” person will be taken as guest
(as Henry realised the other day): can “pursue” certain “offended” person to great extents to “sort” things out
Hahaha
My impression is that u are a civil person and deserve a civil response (till now)
By the way: if u are really a new person who doesn’t have any other ids –welcome and would love your input in future (ESP on sunny leone lol)
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December 17, 2011 at 10:34 PM
Karankumar
U had a “suspicion”–
Without asking u the basis of that me and satyam have tried to politely address that and “reassure” u
Now we also have a suspicion that u are active with other name(s) and perhaps other gender(s)
As per your own language above –“You need to show what efforts you made to exclude the perception of that possibility. At the very least”
U cannot be selective in getting “offended ”
“Prove” !!!! Lol
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December 17, 2011 at 10:46 PM
Now need to address other “work” of my own now lol.
So need to go
But as a “summary”—if u use this “principle”—and I apply “like for like”
Saying–“This is not about me, my gender etc etc.”—is not enough
Since the main issue for us is* your possible multiple ids& * your changing gender
If by your new name you claim to be a man and by your own principle : we demand “proof”–//prove your “manhood”
Hahaha
Need to do some work while u furnish that proof
Hoho
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December 18, 2011 at 12:37 AM
Alex
Satyam’s explanation was just elevator music, while we acknowledge it’s existence it does not really satisfy.
Allow me the indulgence of expressing something I have been observing. We can always return to the prior issue once you state what precautions you took to “exclude the perception”. For now let me (while we wait) move to the observation.
You appear forever in a rush to declare victory. This makes one believe that perhaps you have been humiliated very severely in public. Someone has, as they say, “crushed you”. The trauma of that memory makes you declare victory somewhat prematurely. You are in a hurry to put that pain behind you and regain lost pride. I am human enough to accept that I may be wrong, but all indications are that I am on target.
Victory goes to the Victorious. Victory goes to those who know hoe to play the game. Between you and Henry, I think Henry won, he stuck to the issue while you just played dodge ball. Hence, please don’t worry about winning, just play the game. Someday you will perhaps put your humiliation behind you. But for now, learn to play the game. It will be my priviledge to put an end (with your permission of course ) to your delusions of grandeur. Hence bring it, let me see the power of that delusionary vocabulary. Let me see that metal you think you are made of. I will try to be gentle. I will not crush you like the person who has put you in this misery. As God is my witness, I promise I will put you out of your misery. Let me help, bring it on.
Hence lets get back to the issue. Don’t use Satyam as a crutch. Stand tall on your feet and on your ability. Stand and be the man you would want to be (in your dreams). Forget about evreything and focus on the issue. Tell me what about Salman makes you think he is a “Predator” ?
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December 18, 2011 at 2:03 AM
Hahaha am busy insight something
But am just taking a small break just to declare that u need a break.
And also can’t resist this/infact you are providing great entertainment at your own expense
U seem to be suffering from some mental issues, the treatment of which is needed at a proper hospital. Though we can attempt it here, satyams blog is hardly the appropriate place for it.
As per your specific query-Let me provide some education- the use ofthe word “predatory” can also be used in the “sexual ” context—as here and it doesn’t always mean “rape” only. If u scroll up-I have mentioned that the way a took knotch heroine is being made to gyrate into hyper pelvic thrusts in front of “predatory” men: may be felt as demeaning.
So it is used used in a specific connotation and not in any perverse way that your compromised mind is appreciatingxxx
Anyhow that the last of my educations to u.
Now in my responses above-I have asked u certain questions—
Answer then and “prove ” them.
If u “cut copy paste” the same standard block of set responses, unfortunately, these will not be indulged in any further either by myself and I’m sure satyam will have to delete those repetitive spam-like troll behaviour
So all the best -man/woman
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December 18, 2011 at 7:46 AM
Alex, Karan… I am breaking this up. No further point in this exchange. You guys shouldn’t engage with each other.
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December 19, 2011 at 8:20 AM
Joginder’s music review:
http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/moviemicro/musiccriticreview/id/503039
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December 19, 2011 at 8:22 AM
“Nothing can stop Katrina now” – Karan Johar
By Joginder Tuteja, Dec 19, 2011 – 12:19 IST
Karan Johar Seems like one ‘Chikni Chameli’ act is opening much bigger doors for Katrina Kaif when it comes to making an entry into Dharma Productions. Though she hasn’t worked in any Karan Johar film so far, Katrina has impressed the filmmaker a lot with her item number in Agneepath. So much so that now there are serious talks of the superstar actress being roped for much bigger assignments.
“She was anyways almost certain for Dostana 2 and it’s unfortunate that the film hasn’t gone on floors yet. In fact it had started seeming that Katrina’s attention was entirely diverted towards Yash Raj Films since she is working in multiple films with Shah Rukh, Salman and Aamir as her co-stars”, says a trade insider, “However she is now pretty much in good books of Karan Johar as well, courtesy ‘Chikni Chameli’ which is fast turning out to be a rage.”
Even Katrina is conscious of this fact and this was the reason why she spent as many as 10 days just rehearsing for the ‘desi’ dance number before hitting the sets.
“Karan is extremely pleased with the hard work and dedication that Katrina has shown to get her second quintessential item number after ‘Sheila Ki Jawani’ right. He feels that for a girl who till a few years back couldn’t even speak the language and was hardly familiar with the texture and tonality of ‘masala’ films has now shown so much growth that she is doing ‘seeti maar’ numbers like ‘Chikni Chameli'”, says a source, “He is now heard telling friends and other industry folks that Katrina has cracked the ‘Bollywood heroine code’ big time.”
This is one of the major reasons why Karan feels that Katrina can do ‘just about anything’ now when it comes to Hindi films.
“I am extremely happy that Katrina came on board for Agneepath”, says Karan, “We all saw that she could dance when her ‘Sheila Ki Jawani’ became such a rage. However, ‘Chikni Chameli’ is nothing like you have seen before. Trust me, nothing can stop Katrina now. She can now perform any part and there is no more debate around whether she can play a village/small town girl or not.”
Well Karan, how about walking the talk and roping her in one of your own film pronto?
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December 19, 2011 at 12:40 PM
“He feels that for a girl who till a few years back couldn’t even speak the language and was hardly familiar with the texture and tonality of ‘masala’ films has now shown so much growth that she is doing ‘seeti maar’ numbers like ‘Chikni Chameli’”, says a source, “He is now heard telling friends and other industry folks that Katrina has cracked the ‘Bollywood heroine code’ big time.”–hahaha
Someone pray tell us who these “sources” are by the way
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December 21, 2011 at 12:48 PM
just checked out this song in totality now–
1) there is definitely an element of vulgar titillation and “demeaning of woman” vibe
2) “rustic tinge”
3)Katrina has worked very hard—besides skill, this needed a certain physical fitness and prolonged rehearsals
Coming from where she is from–this is a relatively alien style, it is like a kareena kapoor being non-irritating and giving a good russian ballet performance!!
Kat deserves a pat on the …. back
haha
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December 23, 2011 at 12:03 PM
I agree with you Alex and others as well. She has indeed come a long way.. Remember seeing her in Boom (ok yes i admit it that ive seen it.. Dont skip ANY BigB movies ever)
The song its raunchy for sure but for certain degrading to women (no I’m not an Aunty… Am 27… But still degrading even to me). Wtf has she done to her face and lips esp??? Plastic surgery gone awry…. She actually looked petty but now just looks so.. Well plastic.
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December 24, 2011 at 3:47 PM
yes nirmala
when i saw her in boom esp in that scene with gulshan grover(guys spare youtube now) –could never imagine she will be amongst the topmost heroines many years later
She has improved. Also feel she seems hard working, level headed, competitive and determined under that quiet, calm exterior..
as for plastic/silicone—cant comment as i have no first “hand” experience with her lol
ps–have nothing against ‘aunties’ either —some can be quiet interesting lol
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December 23, 2011 at 8:25 AM
As I said elsewhere I feel bad for being so harsh on SRK’s Don attempts over the years!
Hrithik is so out of his league one doesn’t know where to begin. Much like the first trailer this too is often well shot. Pity it’s all wasted on this incredible turkey of a film.
I will be boycotting this — it’s review proof for me! I checked out Don in the theater and might well do so with the sequel. Obviously I’ve ranted against this for years but Agneepath really makes Don look like a respectable attempt. I’m sure very soon there will be a Deewar remake with Ranbir that will make Agneepath seem better too.
It’s appalling stuff but the audience is willing to lap up anything.
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December 23, 2011 at 8:37 AM
I had liked the 1st trailer but this one is tedious. HR nostril flaring angry man isn’t convincing me either.
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December 23, 2011 at 8:40 AM
The first was better, agreed there.
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December 23, 2011 at 10:57 AM
This trailer is unintentionally funny (the first time Hritik fires a gun in this trailer, he does what he does when, you know, picking a flower, eyeing a woman, talking to a space alien, or fighting Pakistani soldiers: he, um, quivers).
As a trailer, the ending is extraordinarily weak: it’s all leading up to some dhamaakedaar dialog, namely… “oopar jaake soch nahin Lanka ka roop kya hoga”?! Hee hee.
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December 23, 2011 at 11:54 AM
I agree wholeheartedly that doing this remake was blasphemy. I had even tweeted this to Johar. HR looks COMPLETELY out of place. Saw the orIginal Agneepath yesterday and send chills down my spine again… I believe this is BigB’s BEST (along with Shakti and Main Azaad Hoon) I can watch this over and over. What has Hrithik done to this character? I am just ashamed. How can Karan do this? Sanjay does look over the top and menacing but so different than Danny. Again another waste.
Having said all of this, I still get a sick to the stomach feeling that this is going to open BIG. People are going to lap this up. Again makes me wanna puke. To massacre the iconic film like Agneepath. KJ as completely lost it… But the audience will eat this up. I can just see it. Us hard core AB fans will hate this and KJ will laugh all the way to the bank.
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December 23, 2011 at 11:57 AM
yeah it should open big and might do quite well also.. in fact I am expecting this to happen…
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December 23, 2011 at 12:09 PM
Just wondering do you think BigB would watch this?
Given that KJ respects/reveres BigB do you think he would have gotten his approval prior to remaking this? Not that he technically needs his approval… But sentimentally still the right thing to do (dont know I’m a traditionalist/purist that way).
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December 23, 2011 at 12:09 PM
Hrithik as the common man is hilarious. I can’t get past his blow dried carefully styled hair and his obviously gym toned body. Then he does the nostril flaring bit throughout the trailer which is his OTT way of showing intensity/anger.
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December 23, 2011 at 4:59 PM
It’s not. It’s how he shows emotion. It is not a put on act. It’s like saying tearing up is OTT while crying.
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December 23, 2011 at 1:05 PM
I have actually heard a rumour. A rumour is what it is but still a significant source, so may be there is a thought process somewhere. One young star, is trying to remake zanjeer. I bet, no one can guess, who that young star might be. Take some guesses and i will reveal the name a little later.
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December 23, 2011 at 1:52 PM
I’d be really excited about Ranbir or Shahid Kapoor doing it. One can do this and one can do Deewar. We’ll save Kaala Pathar for Imran Khan.
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December 23, 2011 at 6:26 PM
Well I cant put up a link as itvwas from a regional website. It has said ram charan teja (chiranjeevi’s son), was planning to break into hindi films with a zanjeer remake. Dont know how much truth is there in it. Also find it odd as he would be better off doing magadheera in hindi for his first film than a bachchan classic. It could all have been someone’s imagination aswell. I read it afew months ago and nothing after that, so dont think this is happening at all.
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December 23, 2011 at 12:02 PM
Funny trailer & lol @ Hrithik’s voice.
Dutt looks menacing but I doubt this flick will be even half as good as the original !
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December 23, 2011 at 12:15 PM
Esp BigB Voice over in the original was a master stroke and then you have Hrithik doing this… It’s a freaken joke.
… but guarantee you that this will be a BLOCKBUSTER. Alll the whores… Err Critics like Adarsh, Nahata are going gaga over this (and of course Don) you know they have fat wallets. Such a disgrace. Feel ashamed of the Indian Film Industry because of such shenanigans. No ethics or morals. But I digress.
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December 23, 2011 at 1:31 PM
Hugely disappointing trailer. Hrithik is looking out of sync and completely lost, Sanjay is looking like a funny chap rather than menacing. VDC is one of the most iconic characters ever in Indian film industry a character who has achieved unbelievable cult status. This film seems to be trying its best to ruin it. It will do huge business due to hype and media backing but don’t see anyhting beyond that. Hope to be surprised though.
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December 23, 2011 at 1:42 PM
Hugely disappointing trailer. Hrithik is looking out of sync and completely lost, Sanjay is looking like a funny chap rather than menacing. VDC is one of the most iconic characters ever in Indian film industry a character who has achieved unbelievable cult status. This film seems to be trying its best to ruin it. It will do huge business due to hype and media backing but don’t see anything beyond that. Hope to be surprised though.
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December 23, 2011 at 1:58 PM
Unless it’s a just a very poor film I would be willing to bet it makes a greater gross than Don. Because Johar adds enough of the ‘extras’ to a)get a bigger initial and b)make it entertaining enough for people (given the debased contemporary standards!).
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December 23, 2011 at 4:27 PM
I guess i am going against the grain and actually thought it was a good trailer. I loved the feel of it, obviously Sanjay Dutt is going to leave an huge impact on this film. Hrithik no doubt looks out of his league but I’m willing to give him a chance. I’m also willing to look past that this is a KJo backed film.
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December 23, 2011 at 8:47 PM
The second trailer is excellent. An A-list star hasn’t done this sort fo a film for a long time in bollywood. That would add to the curiosity factor for this one. This could be a big one for Hrithik.
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December 24, 2011 at 1:27 AM
I’m surprised to say this myself, but I”m really looking forward to this! 😛 I’m still not convinced on Hrithik, but that aside, this looks like some pretty entertaining stuff which might actually get the masala balance right far more than I expected.
The 2nd trailer rocks! Dutt is a monster! Looks like a great act…
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December 24, 2011 at 3:53 AM
For anyone who has watched the original Agneepath (especially with Amitabh’s original dubbing), KJo’s version looks like a disaster here.
They’ve transformed Vijay Dinanath Chauhan from a towering, larger than life character to a common man who just doesn’t stand out here.
While Bachan’s body language, dialogues and his delivery of them were outstanding, what they’ve done here is that they’ve transformed the character into a silent guy who doesn’t talk much just to shield Hrithik’s inability to match Bachan’s dialogue delivery.
Trying something different isn’t bad, but taking away the major strength from the original movie and fill in papercracks just to shield the weaknesses of your lead man is never going to make the movie any stronger.
Hrithik here reminds me of angry Hrithik in Fizaa and Mission Kashmir rather than Vijay Dinanath Chauhan. In both of them his portrayals were quite raw while Karishma Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt walked away with the plaudits. Here it seems that Dutt is going to steal the thunder again. And even Dutt doesn’t look half as good as Danny was in the original.
It looks like a disaster to anyone who is a fan of the original Mukul Anand version.
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December 27, 2011 at 12:18 PM
I am sticking my neck out and saying it is going to make more than 125 crores. This film has everything: drama, action. romance , entertainment.. and not one element forced. It has got a charismatic star in his peak , supported by equally charismatic veterans. It’s been a long time since a serious toned action-drama with a major star was made in Bollywood ( Ghajini was the last). The AUDIENCE IS JUST GOING TO LAP IT UP.
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December 27, 2011 at 5:06 PM
Good trailer surely looking for this movie esp for Sunju Baba’s character 🙂
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December 30, 2011 at 1:26 PM
satyam-seems u have checked out “akaya” recently
Remains one of my favorite bachchan personas (though the film was nothing excpetional)
Its this over-the-hill cynical slightly “run down” ageing cop role –really liked it
An eg– he asks a colleague to hand him back his bottle of whisky–saying he had asked him to hold it briefly not to take it home
Its the same persona expanded somewhat differently to his best role this millenium ie khaki
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December 30, 2011 at 1:43 PM
not recently but I do revisit it from time to time.. have a great weakness for Bachchan here though his persona did deserve a better film.. left a comment on Bachchan’s blog on this not too long ago:
this is a long comment but scroll down for the paragraph that begins with Akayla.. eventually I compare it to Agneepath as well..
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December 30, 2011 at 1:46 PM
yes agree
it deserved a better film
but at this stage, the bachchan persona ‘steamrolled” over any film
think the screenplay was by saleem khan–wasnt bad
Dont know why–but love bachchan in akayla
difficult to explain why
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December 30, 2011 at 4:31 PM
unrelated but wasnt aware of this
big in ko remake?
http://entertainment.oneindia.in/tamil/news/2011/amitabh-bachchan-ko-remake-281211.html
btw dont know about ko…
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January 4, 2012 at 12:13 AM
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January 6, 2012 at 1:25 PM
I was wondering why no one was commenting on the new trailer here when I realized I hadn’t updated the post correctly!
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January 7, 2012 at 11:02 AM
PC looks so plastic looking. She does nothing for me as a performer
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January 7, 2012 at 11:24 AM
agreed.. I somewhat liked her earlier on but she’s become very bland which is hard to think given that she was otherwise in the Bipasha Basu kind of mold.
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January 6, 2012 at 1:27 PM
This film just looks like a greater travesty with every new trailer. Some more KKHH here!
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January 6, 2012 at 3:07 PM
Hell, I thought it was a remake of Raju Chacha!
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January 6, 2012 at 11:33 PM
I saw the trailer of Agneepath on the big screen last night at the screening of Players. I was not impressed. I prefer to see the original AB version first if i am lucky to get the original DVD
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January 7, 2012 at 11:12 AM
Where u live ? Let me know if i can help you ..
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January 8, 2012 at 8:23 PM
Thanks for the kind offer Jeevan. I live in Sydney. I have been trying to get original AB DVD of Agneepath for the last year or 2 in India during my visits but could not do so.
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January 13, 2012 at 8:09 AM
Sorry, i just didn’t see your comment earlier.
In case you are in Sydney, there are two options :
1. Entiere movie is on you tube .. that too in original dubbing and very good picture quality. You can download by real player. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vICQTp2aj1w
2. Or You can buy from here .. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Agneepath-DVD/dp/B00009V8UT
They are delivering to AUS as well.
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January 13, 2012 at 9:54 AM
^^haha Seems g1 is hellbent on reaching filmbuffs home “to deliver the movie cd!!”
Haha. Joking: g1…
This films music (except one song ) seems to w a dampened till now..
Though this film in not what it should be a hritiks presence will be toned ‘differently’ by kjo- but it seems to be the buildup towards the box Office bonanza ie Krish 2 etc
Hopefully we shall we the return at the top of the hero who not only looks as a hero but is THE definitive hero material entry this millennium
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January 7, 2012 at 9:19 AM
Katrina sees, to have worked quite hard for ‘chikni chameli’
It’s not only bout learning those dance steps and the physical fitness…
There is a certain rustic body language and folk-ish tradition here amidst all the pelvic thrusts and b..b juggling involved
And she has done it well
As for Hritik he seems to be in a “dysthymic trance “–though it is a good ploy to avoid direct comparisons to bachchans brilliant act
The way Hritik has allowed himself to be submerged in background /surrounding noise here and in znmd is a bit strange–though he will win from this box office winner
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January 13, 2012 at 7:20 AM
not impressed at all
not sure if the multiplexes will like this…
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January 13, 2012 at 8:10 AM
Some guys are suggesting, Hritik is doing Vijay of Deewar … I wonder if Vijay of Deewar was expressionless ??
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January 13, 2012 at 8:24 AM
Those guys ( I know who you are referring to ) are clueless. The loser variety who like to contrarians in hope of some attention. Cant but feel pity for them.
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January 15, 2012 at 1:49 PM
ugghhh!
Too violent for my taste.
Don’t think I’ll watch it, much as I like Hrithik.
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January 15, 2012 at 1:52 PM
“much as I like Hrithik..”
oldgold : always knew that your taste in men is quite good…lol
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January 15, 2012 at 2:39 PM
poor hrithik…his biggest weakness has always been lack of speaking clearly when he tries to ‘punch’ the dialogue. his delivery has always been lacking and in my opinion has always held him back as a true quality actor. from mission: kashmir to now this latest dialogue in agneepath…nothing has changed in his dialogue delivery.
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January 15, 2012 at 4:03 PM
Man a life….Sanju is going eat Hrithik for dinner in this film with his performance
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January 15, 2012 at 4:33 PM
yeah he’s easily going to hog the show and it’s been very deliberately constructed that way.. this doesn’t happen by accident.. what the point of such a ‘remake’ is beats me.
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January 15, 2012 at 4:41 PM
‘Point’? The same as all the south remakes- becoming part of the revered 100 crore club. 😉 South blockbuster or Amitabh masala film- what does it all matter as long as they have a crowd-pleasing film on their hands without actually going through the trouble of doing any work themselves?
Throw a Katrina/Malaika/Mallika item number in and their work is done. And even that doesn’t involve any work on the director’s part- it’s the item girl and the choreographer who have to toil. This is filmmaking at it’s laziest best. You have to admire them for having devised a way to make the maximum possible money with the the minimum possible effort.
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January 16, 2012 at 3:33 AM
Amy uve hit the nail on its head
Shortcuts unlimited
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January 16, 2012 at 10:12 AM
Ami-Annoyed, Alex and Sattu should get together and write scripts….seriously…you should consider it!!!
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January 16, 2012 at 2:49 PM
“Ami-Annoyed, Alex and Sattu should get together and write scripts….seriously…you should consider it!!!”
Hahaha Diana
Wish one had the time to indulge in luxuries like “writing”
God save my viewers lol
Btw u also write well-the little that uve written in THIS name lol
U are evanescent though
And who the heck is “sattu”
Joking -satyam is too much of a gentlemen to protest but one should be respectful to him
So Diana -tell us about your favorite films /actors …ie let’s explore you (your tastes, I meant ) hahaha
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January 15, 2012 at 7:44 PM
All the recent remakes are being made of successful box-office hit southern movies – be it Ghajini, Wanted, Ready or Bodygaurd. Its difficult to pull off an iconic movie like Agneepath and moreso as the original did not work at box-office.
It will be very difficult for Hrithik to pull off this role convincingly and also for the movie to be a big hit at box-office. Both Hrithik and Sanjay are good in some scenes in the promo and not so in some. Not sure if this will work.
Even Farhan tried to give his own interpretation of Don and that movie was not a big hit.
At least this looks better than the likes of RaOne or Bodygaurd for sure.
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January 16, 2012 at 1:22 AM
Agneepath wasnt that big a success as it was expected to be when it released. I guess it was very dark in tone compared to the usual Amitabh stuff.. But Bachchan’s baritone and his larger than life persona had everything to do with it becoming iconic.
Im sure than Johar and Karan Malhotra know that no matter how hard Hritik tries, he can never match what Amitabh did to the character of VDC. So I understand if in an effort to make it a hit, they’ve made suitable changes to the story and added a few characters.
That said, I am still not interested in this flick, even after watching the trailers – which I feel were good enough to get audience interested in this. Hritik fans will surely lap it up.
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January 16, 2012 at 2:08 AM
Somemtime i felt if Karan Johar, Farhan Akhtar etc have some khundak with Amitabh ? FIrsr crime they did giving not so good roles to Amitabh in their movies, second crime .. remaking and ruining his classics.
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January 16, 2012 at 3:29 AM
Yes maybe^^
ESP with farhan
Kjo is more of an opportunist…
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January 16, 2012 at 6:25 PM
I would not have tampered with Agneepath
The original Kancha Cheena gets candid about Agneepath and a certain Parveen Babi
Vickey Lalwani
Posted On Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 02:03:51 AM
Let’s first have tea before starting the interview,” says the thorough gentleman. A few minutes later, we are served tea and a delicious assortment of sandwiches. We are at the Juhu residence of Kancha Cheena of Mukul Anand’s Agneepath. And Danny Denzongpa plays the consummate host as he talks about his illustrious career and a rocky emotional patch.
Why do we see you in few films and no parties?
I am doing films at my pace. I have just returned from the mountains; I have a farmhouse in Sikkim, and I spend a good part of the year there. During which time, I switch off my mobile, run around jungles and climb trees as I don’t believe in exercising on machines behind closed doors.
I am happy (smiles). To be honest, I am getting several offers. But at this point in my life, I have to do something better than what I have done before or something radically different. I don’t want to disappoint my fans.
And you have many fans…
Well, sometime ago, a lady who claimed to be my wife stood the entire night, in the rain, outside my bungalow. Then there was this journalist who fixed up an interview and came home! Half way through our chat, I sensed something fishy. I cornered him and he said he was a fan.
Which is the role that you cherish the most?
While you might think of Kaalicharan or Dhund or Agneepath, I would say it is my role in a Bengali film Lal Kuthi, which ran for more than 60 weeks. I also enjoyed my recent role in Frozen, a very believable film without any shor sharaba.
My survival as an actor doesn’t depend on how good I am as an actor; it depends on whether my producers and distributors make money. In my case, they did. And I got branded in typical roles.
Which brings me to the most important question: Your character Kancha Cheena is being played by Sanjay Dutt in K Jo’s Agneepath.
Sanjay’s getup is far different from what I sported. He has flair and he must have essayed the role in his own style. If I was asked to do Kancha Cheena again, I would play it differently.
Do you think that a masterpiece like Agneepath should be tampered with?
Well, remakes have set the cash registers ringing, haven’t they? (pauses). However, if I was a successful filmmaker, I wouldn’t have tampered with Agneepath.
Can Hrithik Roshan pull off a Dinanath Chauhan as well as a Big B?
Hrithik is a capable actor. But invariably, there will be comparisons between him and Amitabh Bachchan. Howsoever well he might essay the role (and he might do so even better), people may not be satisfied as they might want him to do exactly the same things as Amitabh.
The interview will be incomplete if we don’t talk about Parveen Babi.
Chali gayi bechari (looks at the ceiling). Barring Kabir Bedi, Mahesh Bhatt and I, who were her boyfriends at some point in her life, there was only Ranjeet and producer Harish Shah (who had cast her in Kaala Sona), who attended her funeral. That is when it struck me for the first time that this world is so fake.
Were you in touch with her before her death, I mean when she was unwell?
Well, we lived together for three to four years. Then, she fell in love with Kabir Bedi. We were not in touch after we broke up. But she used to barge into my house like a Queen Bee and my girlfriend Kim never liked it. I told her to stop coming. Later, she was in a relationship with Mahesh Bhatt.
Mahesh informed me that she was suffering from schizophrenia and that she didn’t want to see a doctor. He asked me to convince her that she should seek a medical opinion. I went up to her apartment and had a chat with her and we started interacting again.
Suddenly, she started doubting me and then one evening, she said she wouldn’t like to see me anymore. I thought it was best not to disturb her thereafter. I did try calling her a few times, but she did not respond. However, I did keep tabs on her health, courtesy Mahesh.
Gulshan Grover has dissuaded his son from joining Bollywood. Will you do the same?
No. I have left it to him. My son Rinzing is getting many offers, but the final decision about his career rests with him.
Tell me, how have you managed to maintain your bungalow in JVPD Scheme, where most bungalows are either dilapidated or few and far between?
I built it with love. I maintain it with love. Touch wood.
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January 17, 2012 at 1:34 AM
Danny really is an underrated performer. I think he was awesome in Agneepath. Dutt is probably going to get more footage than Danny got but it was a really great performance by Danny. He played it with subtlety. The Kancha Cheena that he portrayed was elegant and subtle. But beneath the elegant man, there was someone really evil. His introduction scene was brilliant and it remained in my memory for years until I got to revisit the film again on DVD.
Dutt’s Kancha seems over the top and is reminiscent of a lot of ‘Bhai’ or local don characters in Bollywood.
While I feel that Dutt will walk away with plaudits and steal the show from Hrithik, I still don’t think that Dutt’s portrayal of Kancha Cheena is going to be anywhere as good as Danny’s.
There are 2 other negative characters from Danny that I am a big fan of. There was Bakhtawar in Hum. And then there is his performance as Katiya in Ghatak. There is a scene where he mourns the death of one of his brothers (who had been killed by Sunny) in Ghatak and that was a powerhorse of a performance. He was memorable in these 2 movies.
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January 18, 2012 at 4:52 AM
Saw bits of ‘gun guna’
Priyanka seems to have turned up her game following chickni chameli
And is hritik a passive depressed alcoholic here meant to serve as a punching bag for dutt and PC to show thir histrionic skills
Hope not-like hr
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January 18, 2012 at 5:06 PM
Don’t care for this credit: Agneepath’s disgruntled DOP
Barely days after walking out of Karan Malhotra’s film, cinematographer Ravi K Chandran is billed as
Subhash K Jha
Posted On Thursday, January 19, 2012 at 02:05:14 AM
That Ravi K Chandran, the highly acclaimed cinematographer of landmark films like Dil Chahta Hai, Black, Jodhaa Akbar, Ghajini, Paheli, Firaaq, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and My Name Is Khan walked out of Karan Malhotra’s much anticipated Agneepath, has already been reported.
The latest twist in this saga is that Ravi has now been billed as ‘Additional Photographer’ when he should have been billed as ‘Director of Photography’, that too, after shooting for 55 to 60 days for the film.
A shocked Ravi finally broke his silence, “We had differences of opinion, that’s all. I was uncomfortable on the sets, so we parted ways.” The incident has left him shaken. “I’ve never had such an experience before; it was new to me,” he remarked.
Ravi has had disputes before but that has never prompted such an extreme step. He explains, “Malhotra has very strong ideas on how to make a film. He works in a certain way, which did not agree with me. I couldn’t handle it and so I chose to leave. I’d rather work in films where the director and I share the same vision.”
Haven’t they added insult to injury by billing him for ‘Additional Cinematography’ while replacement cinematographer Kiran Deohans walks away with the title of principal photographer? “Yes but it’s the producer’s and director’s decision. And even if they had opted not to give me credit, it would have been okay as it doesn’t change my life. Fact is, I’ve shot 55 to 60 days and 5 songs. It’s enough that the director, the actors and other cameramen know what I’ve shot,” he shoots back, adding that since Kiran has shot a completely different part of the story from him, two different Directors of Photography is fine.
All said and done, Ravi’s equation with producer Karan Johar appears unruffled. “Johar wasn’t even in the country when I walked out. He and I are still friends. And I’d like to work with him when he wants me to,” he says.
Currently, Ravi is directing his first film but in Tamil for which he is clear, he won’t do the cinematography. Significantly, his parting shot to Mumbai Mirror is, “Please don’t write anything that would hurt my relationship with Karan Johar or Karan Malhotra. They’re my friends”. Both Karans have chosen not to comment.
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January 18, 2012 at 5:50 PM
Hritik -impressive stuff for krish2
Motivated me to hit the gymn more often
Details
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/hrithik-roshan-rediscovers-athleticism-with-kris-gethin.html
A lush, celebrity lifestyle left Hrithik Roshan with a blown-out back, a bulging gut, a tobacco habit and serious desire to change. Enter Kris Gethin, the hero’s hero.
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by Jeff O’Connell Jan 16, 2012
Movie stars in India make American celebrities seem like B-list busts. The lifestyle is fun and exciting, but it took its toll on Hrithik Roshan, the action star from Mumbai. Kris Gethin introduced Roshan to nutrition with taste and helped him fit back into his superhero costume for Krrish II!
The physical transformation was remarkable, but Gethin’s guidance struck Hrithik at an elemental level. He realized the flaws in his life are prevalent in the subcontinent cultures. He has vowed to change the way India eats.
What caused you to first seek out Kris Gethin?
It’s the initiative I had to take. I had to make a change in my life. I was living off the myth of being the fittest guy, because that is what I’ve become symbolic for in my country, in my news, my career.
The past year has taken its toll on my time and my state of mind. I just let myself go. I eventually ended up with a double slipped disc in my back. I was lying supine on my bed for months and feeding off all the love of my family in the form of brownies and cupcakes, chocolate and all that. Everyone kept sending it because I was sick.
Eventually, when I got up, I had a 36-1/2-inch waist. I was suffering from blood pressure, high and low: one day high, one day low.
I didn’t know what was going on. I am slated to begin my father’s movie, in which I play a superhero. It’s part II in a series. I called for my superhero jacket, the Krrish Jacket and I couldn’t get that on. I couldn’t get it on and I was like, ‘I’m not meant to play this right now. I’m not the guy who is worthy enough to play a superhero. I need to get myself worthy enough. I need to make a change.’
That’s when I decided to search for help. I was smoking 3 packs a day. I have been smoking for the last 2 1/2 years now; everything was just going the wrong way. I knew that if I don’t put a stop to it now, it’s going to take over my life. That’s going to be my downfall.
I searched the whole world for help. I went on the net. I Googled. I spoke to friends, and fortunately for me, there was the Sheru Classic, being held in Mumbai (9-25-11). A lot of the major bodybuilders came, and Kris [Gethin] himself was down here. Through all the feedback I got, his name was the only name that kept popping up in every conversation.
I understood that he must be good, and I got a hold of his book. I read his book. I was very impressed. I saw some potential there. Also perhaps it was a sign from God that his name was Kris and I was training for Krrish, which is the name of my people’s hero. I figured we might as well try this out.
The rest is history. He came down here. He didn’t know from Adam who I was, and neither did he care. All he cared about was if I was committed enough before he came down to Mumbai. Once he was satisfied, that was it, that’s how we joined.
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January 18, 2012 at 6:09 PM
The pics there of Hritik signify the best abs ever to be seen on Indian screens-think need to be added above
No shortcuts …
for those interested in fitness/abs etc-
You’ve had some difficulties with back and knee injuries, perhaps from your stunt work in the past. Was it tricky to navigate and work around that stuff?
I’m all damaged goods here. Just put me back piece by piece. I’ve just completed my transformation and I look at myself and I am amazed that something like this is possible. It was a 12-week transformation, but we completed it in 10 weeks.
I’m just amazed at the possibilities of the human body, and how easy it was. There was no sacrifice. Everything just flowed. I was loving my meals. They were nutritious as well as tasty. I don’t think I can go back to normal (if I can say normal) kind of food again, where it’s just about taste and not about nutrition. There’s a double delicate, with the taste as well as the nutrition and it is all great food.
I’m eager and almost desperate to make people aware of what all is possible. People need to get educated where all this is concerned. There’s just this scarcity of information. People are just lost and here is the best help that exists on the planet. I am living proof of that.
I think the notion that healthy eating is unappetizing is such a misnomer; it tastes much better than what you’re used to.
It’s such a misnomer; it’s so sad. I wouldn’t have wanted to believe that 12 weeks ago. I wouldn’t have believed it until I tasted the food and actually was made to go do this. Right now it is a revelation. What were we doing? What were we thinking? Now I look at people when I pass the supermarket. I look at the food and I look at what people are buying and there are healthy options all around. And they were around in my pre-transformation days. I didn’t know about them. I didn’t know about the concoctions that were possible.
Can you give a few examples of the kind of meals you started eating once Kris changed your diet around? Maybe a sample breakfast, lunch and dinner that was healthy for you?
There were a lot of changes in the plan as we saw my body progress. It mainly consisted of about 100 grams of meat, there were some fibrous carbs, like broccoli, sprouts and spinach, a cup of rice or pasta, some really great flavoring. That made up my staple foods for the day. But, now that the transformation is over and I can go back, because I’m not dieting anymore; the world is open to me.
I’m having pancakes with sugar-free syrup, which is made with a protein powder. It’s the best-tasting pancake in the world. I’m having the banana split with protein powder and yogurt. The possibilities and the list are really long. There are meatballs with ketchup if I want to do that.
There are all kinds of things, pasta, rice; I’m having seven egg whites with two yolks and two slices of toast. Does this sound like the type of person who is on a diet? No. Anyone can survive on this. It’s amazing.
Of course, I did go through a week or two of deprivation, which was necessary because I had to diet down to get the kind of look I wanted. We went that way for two weeks, but now that it’s over … it never gets over. This is for life.
I’m going to stay on my nutrition, depending on the way I want to go. I have the control now. It’s really an empowering feeling.
Do you have any of the stats? How much did you lose?
After 10 weeks training with Kris Gethin
Hrithik went from a 36 1/2-inch waist to
30 inches. He lost 10 kilos, or about
22 pounds.
“When people look at my picture, they think
I look bigger now. The illusion makes me
look like The Hulk.”
You took some supplements. Did that help you, give you an extra edge?
I think everything Kris told me helped. I just followed his instructions and waited for the results. There was a lot of protein powders and glutamine, multivitamins, but there was nothing more than the stock vitamins athletes take.
You won’t be working with Kris [Gethin] indefinitely. Do you feel like you’ve mastered it enough that you can now take those lessons and continue the path you’ve chosen for yourself?
Yes, I can, though right now I’m not going to let Kris go. I’m making him stay back for 10 more weeks. We’re getting on to another transformation, a muscle-building transformation. My after picture turns into my before picture.
I feel very empowered already to take over the reins of my own nutrition plan and share it. Of course, Kris will always be there.
Despite being a movie star, you were headed down a pretty unhealthy path recently. Looking back, in 10 weeks you really changed the entire trajectory of your life, your body. What would you say to other people who think they can’t do it or that it’s going to take forever? What words of encouragement might you offer?
That’s just because they have not been educated. They don’t have the information or have not seen the examples. Whatever examples they’ve seen seem so far away. You see it in a book or you see pictures and you don’t really connect with it as much as you would if it was your brother or your friend who had gone through that.
I have the power now. I have the platform. My fans feel real close to me. I’m hoping that when I propagate this and I tell them, try to educate them, they will listen to me and realize this is far too easy.
We’ve been living in a kind of Matrix with all the subsidized foods and the fast-food culture. We just got lost. The youth needs to really be re-conditioned, re-wired about what is good, what is bad and what is possible. That’s the only way to help at least my country get healthier.
If you’re not in the athletic world and you’re just one of the guys out there, you just eat what you’re fed. You have no control. You have no education.
I feel responsible now. I feel it’s my duty to educate people.
Hrithik’s Nutrition Plan
During the transformation he undertook with Kris Gethin, Hrithik changed his nutrition plan weekly, sometimes daily, based on his condition and body weight.
Gethin also took heed of Hrithik’s blood type and insulin sensitivity. There were recurring themes, though.
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January 19, 2012 at 3:19 PM
Just watched ‘gun gun guna’
THATS what competition brings in
One may criticise the ‘vulgarity” etc, but kat does put in an awesome performance in chickni chameli
And the little that ive seen of this song
Priyanka has accepted the gauntlet thrown by Kat
She does “gun gun guna’ in the ‘conventional heroine’ style and presents an antithesis to that titillating act
sans vulgarity but laced with nuance and timing
Well done both Kat and Priyanka…
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January 19, 2012 at 3:36 PM
“THATS what competition brings in”
that’s how Johar gets the audience in!
according to some tracking stats this is on course to get a 70 crore week 1 or something (assuming it’s liked).
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January 19, 2012 at 5:17 PM
Actually that may be an under-estimated figure. The same source says the buzz around Agneepath is as high as BG and RaOne. Wont be surprised if the opening numbers go higher. Its coming at the right time when action genre has been revived and the action here seems more authentic (no flying around).
Hrithik has been purposefully overshadowed in the promos to avoid comparisons and thus negativity – and kjo’s ploy has been successful. Sanju has been given more limelight in the promos than the length of his role in the movie.
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January 19, 2012 at 6:12 PM
Johar has more or less buried Hrithik under a circus here and made Dutt the real deal. I found him grotesque in some of the initial shots but over the length of these trailers he nonetheless commands the most attention. But as always the Johar modus operandi is to throw so much out there that the audience (specially this debased audience!) finds it easy to consume something or the other. So you have Dutt’s cartoon-like character (would have been ok in a Marvel outing!), you have Katrina’s dance number, you have another babe in Priyanka, you have love/sex scenes between her and Hrithik, you have a couple of other songs reminiscent of Johar’s KKHH days, you have enough action to get some of the masala audience in, you have crazy dozes of color in some of the sequences (the Ganpati song seems to be bathed in red), on and on. This isn’t the old masala deal where you had a number of different elements integrated into a certain worldview. Here you have very disparate things thrown in and all in the name of a remake. In a sense not a ‘remake’ one should be too offended by. Because if nothing is like the original film in any meaningful sense simply calling it Agneepath and using that skeletal storyline doesn’t mean anything because dozens of films have that plot. Of course Johar has the media eating out of his hands not to mention the trade so they’re all going to play it a certain way and of course he’ll get big numbers even in the worst possible scenario. But this isn’t the sort of thing that advances any ‘narrative’. For one no one half serious about the original AGneepath will ever accept this as a worthwhile remake even if they enjoy it otherwise. But nor does it help Hrithik very much (akin to ZNMD in this sense) because he doesn’t seem to be the main deal either way (except of course with distributors who will have good reason to trust his judgment) and in this sense it cannot be the greatest ‘high’ for his confidence that after getting him for the remake Johar makes sure there’s every possible frill thrown in! This is merely about consumption. Of course people like Johar think that if they can just dish out enough propaganda one way or the other they’ve won the battle. Doesn’t quite work that way.
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January 19, 2012 at 7:32 PM
Agree that it does not work that way. And its only the likes of Johar who think that way. The general audience does not. The movie has to impress them in some way or the other. The only way this movie goes beyond the initial two days, is if hrithik can pull off this role convincingly, despite all the baggage of a remake. An over the top grotesque villain or an item number cannot save if the lead fails.
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January 19, 2012 at 6:13 PM
and yes the opening numbers could be higher, specially for the Republic day weekend.
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January 19, 2012 at 3:44 PM
Well, then one needs to give kjo credit
He wishes to “get Mandwa back”
Ie get the box office hit status to his dads previous film-he is sticking to Thai brief-not getting carried away like Srk in ra1 etc
He knows his limitations and sticks to them
Btw have been forced to give another viewin to “gun gun guna”
A cheesy mediocre song replete with highly cliched settings and dance moves etc
But what has struck me is the deft and sprited reassured subtleness brought by Priyanka
Maybe it’s early days and this will be more
Manifest in the days to come for all to see and acknowledge in her subsequent work
It’s all about catching the early signs
But here Priyanka reminds of madhuri dixit interms of “all round ” ability like many have threatened but nobody has achieved till now
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January 19, 2012 at 4:00 PM
But one could remake just about any film this way and get the desired box office result! This could be a remake of Don too! It’s that different from the original!
The other thing though is that it is quite absurd to remake something that however it did originally is now more legendary than many blockbusters! Still a case could be made if one were at least remaking it sincerely. But when it’s this sort of circus it doesn’t matter whether you call it a remake or not.
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January 19, 2012 at 4:12 PM
Agree with all that and have been lamenting about that myself about Kjos opportunism
But the word “legendary” doesn’t suit kjo as he further realised after his kank and mnik attempts
Designing a box office friendly product is his forte and that’s what his humble and naked ambitions are here
As for Priyankas performance in this song -Many will feel why I’m suddenly making all this fuss–this sort of stuff is the most difficult to master–know this is just a trailer to her talent
It’s Always only bout a few moments for me..and in this song she has given a few…
If she doesn’t mess her career like rani and given her singing talent etc and the fact she still has age on her side -she is in for “bigger” things (no pun intended)–hope Amy will be happy lol
My seal of approval ( the most difficult achievement lol)
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January 19, 2012 at 5:20 PM
Another original way of looking @ it is to see KJos superb “man management” skills here hahaha
He has got an over the hill grotesque sanjay dutt motivated to put in what looks like an “eye catching” (loud) perf
He has put both Kat and PC in a sort of “competition” and purely on the basis of “chikni” and “gun gun guna”–both seem to have risen to the challenge
As for hritik: he seems to have got the raw deal here: but a “surprise” is not impossible–dont think HR is so foolish to have taken this up otherwise…
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January 19, 2012 at 5:32 PM
Dude, much as i dislike kjo and his productions, i dont think he is that stupid to expose hrithik to comparisons with Big B before the movie releases. He just wants hype so as to get enuf people into the theaters and judge for themselves.
This i think is the biggest challenge hrithik ever faced in his career.
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January 19, 2012 at 5:44 PM
Good point bored–(btw why are u always “bored” -chillax lol)
again the game can be spun differently by the spin king kjo
Here HR is being/ will be judged in comparison to not an ordinary performance
But with bachchans own iconic seminal infact definitive signature for many
Even if he falls well short (most likely scenario): kjo would’ve made his money and won’t be shameful for HR to ‘lose’ to bachchan here
But this carefully mounted “under” vibe of HR has lowered expectations on his front. So ANYTHING worthwhile on that front will be welcome and as happens quite commonly, there will be a coterie waiting to celebrate any such ‘surprise’ (howsoever minimal that maybe..)
Think HRs big challenge will come in krish2–which will recalibrate his box office worth and overall standing in a setting and scenario where he cannot, should not underperform (& will not be spared even by fans if he does)
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January 19, 2012 at 10:46 PM
Waiting for Agneepath!
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January 20, 2012 at 1:08 AM
I was almost forced to do Agneepath: Hrithik
TNN | Jan 20, 2012, 12.00AM IST
All set to play the new-age Vijay Dinanath Chauhan, Hrithik tells Omar Qureshi the pressures of a remake, beating expectations, fighting health problems and prepping to ‘save the world’, superhero-style. Read on…
You’re going to be the new-age Vijay Dinanath Chauhan. Are you nervous? Well, it’s very different from the original character. My Vijay Dinanath Chauhan is a simple, common man. He’s just Vijay. If you start comparing me with Mr Bachchan, I will fail at the word ‘go’.
You had apparently rejected the film… Yes. I didn’t want to do a remake. I wanted to do films that have not been done before. But KJo was insistent. I was almost forced into the film, made to hear the script and once I read it, I was blown away.
Sanju’s look is getting a lot of rave reviews… He’s done a fantastic job in the film. In some scenes, he looked so menacing and his acting was so natural that it threw me off my game. His Kancha Cheena was intimidating, so I decided to up my game.
We hear Priyanka and you have sizzling chemistry in the film… I think this film is Priyanka’s best work so far. It’s her career’s best.
What’s happening on the superhero front? My health is stabilising, so we’ll be able to start with my schedule. The Krrish sequel has been postponed for over two years. I was advised not to get into the stunts but I can’t delay it anymore.
And there was a lot of hype around Kangana’s role… Well yeah, it was originally offered to her. She didn’t find it lucrative, so we approached a host of actresses. Somehow, we went back to Kangana after finishing the script and she loved the role. It was written with her in mind.
You’ve won a lot of tags… Sexiest Man, Most Desirable Star, etc I’m very humbled, but a lot of hard work goes into these so-called ‘tags’. When I was suffering from a slipped disc, I won the title of ‘Most Desirable’, but was binging on cupcakes and brownies. My waist size was 36 inches and I could barely fit into my Krrish jacket. I worked on my body really hard and got back in shape before being declared the sexiest man.
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January 20, 2012 at 1:41 AM
After over a decade in B-town, Hrithik feels he is a bad actor
Press Trust of India
Mumbai: Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan, who has played myriad roles in his 12-year-long career, giving extraordinary performances in various movies, still feels that he is a bad actor.
The actor played an aspiring singer in his debut film, ‘Kaho Na Pyaar Hai’ and went on to essay roles of a challenged boy in ‘Koi Mil Gaya’, a superhero in ‘Krrish’, a Mughal emperor in ‘Jodha Akbar’, a conman in ‘Dhoom’, a quadriplegic in ‘Guzaarish’ and a workaholic in ‘Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara’, taking everyone by surprise with his power-packed acts. But he thinks he is lacking even today.
“I feel I am a very bad actor. My premise is that I can act well only when I am in a character. I have to know everything about the character so if I am not living I can’t act it. I have to be that person… if I am not the person then I will be doing bad acting,” Hrithik said in an interview.
Hrithik also admitted that he can’t imitate anyone. “If you ask me to imitate I can’t do it. Some may do it as they have talent. I get into the character completely then only I can act. I try to understand the character and then do it,” he said.
In his initials days he rocked at the box office, but the later releases could not ape the success of his debut movie. However, after a dull period he struck again and is counting his blessings.
“It was January 14, 2000 when my first film as an actor was released. I have completed 12 years in the industry…I am so happy about it. I feel 12 years have not ended…not passed but its still a new beginning. It feels really nice when I think about the blessings. I really feel I am blessed,” Hrithik said.
In Karan Johar’s remake of ‘Agneepath’ he is reprising the role of Vijay Dinanath Chauhan, earlier played by Amitabh Bachchan. The film also featuring Sanjay Dutt, Priyanka Chopra, Rishi Kapoor in pivotal roles is up for release on January 26.
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January 20, 2012 at 8:50 AM
Hrithik seems like a nice enough guy but he’s got to stop speaking as if he’s Day-Lewis. All that stuff about getting into character is cringe-worthy.
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January 20, 2012 at 11:02 AM
Yeah, Bollywood stars talk like either man-childs (hrithik, salman) or cocky teenagers (srk). These guyz seriously need to grow up.
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January 20, 2012 at 1:43 AM
Agneepath: Sanjay Dutt revives Bollywood’s villain
Mumbai: The larger than life villain is making a comeback in Bollywood with ‘Agneepath’. Hindi movie lovers who grew up seeing Amjad Khan as Gabbar Singh and Amrish Puri as Mogambo may now have memories of a bygone era revived by Sanjay Dutt as Kancha Cheena, the scariest bad man in town.
Mean and menacing characters had almost disappeared from the Hindi film industry, but Sanjay is ready to send shivers down the spine of the audiences as the ruthless, cold-blooded Kancha in ‘Agneepath’, which is releasing on Republic Day. So much so that it scared the actor himself.
“I am not like Kancha in my real life. A few days back I was dubbing for the climax scene. After 15 minutes, I had to stop it and I said I want to go out. Karan Johar came and asked what happened. I said if I genuinely say something you will laugh. Actually, I can’t see myself like this. I got so scared of myself. I couldn’t believe that’s me,” the 51-year-old, who had played a baddie in ‘Khalnayak’, told IANS.
First Look: Sanjay Dutt, Hrithik Roshan face off in ‘Agneepath’
IBNLive
The actor claims Hindi film viewers have not seen someone as bad as Kancha so far.
Sanjay said: “There has never been a villian like Kancha in Bollywood. If you see superhero films Spiderman, Batman, the villians’ roles are so powerful that throughout the film the villain gives a tough time to the hero. It’s very nice that Karan had given it a thought that the villain should be larger than life and that nobody can stand in front of him.”
“Kancha Cheena is an unpredictable character. He has interpreted the Shri Bhagavad Geeta in his own way. It’s a very complex character. It is difficult to understand Kancha,” he added.
Sanjay is surprised with the response his ‘Agneepath’ character is receiving. “The nation is falling in love with him. I was surprised that people love him. It was a surprise for me. I was in Nagpur and Indore and people there were all shouting ‘Kancha, Kancha’. I was like…what has happened?” Sanjay said in an interview.
The original, which was directed by Mukul Anand, was produced by Yash Johar and the new version has been made by his son Karan Johar and debutant Karan Malhotra has helmed the movie.
Ask him if it was difficult to play such a villainous character, he said, “It was not difficult for me. It was easy for me due to Karan Malhotra (director). He guided me very well through the journey of Kancha. It was not like he was stringent about it he used to listen to me, my suggestions. He (Malhotra) knew the style, in which, Kancha should act…look, converse. All thanks to Karan that it was easy for me,” he said.
In the original ‘Agneepath’, which came in the theatres in late 1990 amid loads of critical acclaim, Danny Denzongpa had played Kancha Cheena.
The promos of ‘Agneepath’ have received a positive response and the item number ‘Chikni Chameli’ from the movie has caught on like wildfire.
Sanjay was so impressed by Katrina Kaif’s performance in the song that he said, “I was shocked to see Katrina dancing the way she did. It was brilliant. She is used to Western dance and she was seen doing all Marathavad.”
Sanjay assures that though it’s a remake, the film will be different.
“The premise is the same. Vijay Deenanath Chahuhan is there in the film. His father has been killed by Kancha. It’s revenge and that too in a very real and a very rustic way,” Sanjay said.
Unlike other stars, Sanjay doesn’t hesitate to act his age and believes in accepting it and moving on.
“A person has to accept his age and move on. I am saying when you reach a certain age of maturity, you should accept that. If you are 48, you can play 40 years old, but you can’t play 20 years old.”
However, he believes age doesn’t restrict you from performing.
“Amitji (Bachchan) gets fantastic roles. What to do…I am a human being, I can’t be 25 for the rest of my life. If I try to be 25, people are going to laugh at me. Now I have to get the characters which have a meaning,” he said.
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January 20, 2012 at 11:59 AM
The Geeta angle sounds interesting, but from all the poorly written dialogues so far, doubt if they can do justice to the idea.
Sanjay sounds as good as ever! Looking forward to see him in the next Munnabhai film – a franchise for which time is running out imo. Baba isnt getting any younger!
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January 20, 2012 at 12:15 PM
But there is a ghettoization at work here. You have the Geeta-spouting villain, the someone ‘fundamentalist’ Muslim crew surrounding Rishi. Of course this is not unusual by contemporary Bollywood standards.
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January 20, 2012 at 12:32 PM
Good point there. Accidentally this director was AD to MNIK and Jodhaa Akbar. Are you surprised?
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January 20, 2012 at 12:03 PM
sanjay dutt looks so old and fat,still the film will do wonders him
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January 20, 2012 at 12:29 PM
Dutt still has huge appeal in Bombay in the right kind of project. Johar has smartly gone after the Bombay audience. This is in any case a Bombay film (even in his debased version) but however well it does or not it will do comparatively better in Bombay. Note how his initial choice for the villain was Nana who too has a Bombay following.
Having said that there’s an element of risk here. The Bombay crowd also tends to be most ‘sophisticated’ in these matters. You see a number of films that fade much more rapidly in Bombay compared to Delhi even when they do well. But what is less known about Agneepath is that the film did 100% in Bombay the first two weeks. There is something of a myth about its failure. Expectations were sky high for it. It was being called another Deewar (always hyperbole because even Deewar couldn’t have been Deewar at that point.. an actor can conquer everything but age) and so on. The film had anemic collections for sure, the voice bothered many people but nonetheless it was outstanding in Bombay for a couple of weeks. Silsila was at 86% in week 2 in Bombay in an age when video was far less of a factor. shakti did 92% in week off a 100% week 1. So it’s not as if every film could do this in Bombay. But even otherwise Agneepath had a very respectable total. It was among the top 5 grossers of the year. This was hardly enough by Bachchan’s lofty standards, specially given the hype this film had, and even for that phase of his career (Hum more than doubled the Agneepath gross the following year and was the top grosser) but purely within Bombay the film did make an impact. And so this is also the region where the comparisons would most arise. However Johar has solved the problem by putting on a circus and then having a Dutt with that look and so on.
And on a related note Khuda Gawah was the second highest grosser of 1992, another film that petered out after a massive initial. More than this it was way behind Beta that year much as Agneepath was the fourth highest grosser of 1990 but very significantly behind dil and then Ghayal and even bachchan’s Aaj Ka Arjun. The point (and getting to some of the SRK debates here) is that a major star (let alone Bachchan) cannot simply produce big numbers and pretend to be in the running. These have to be defining ones at least on the very major films. And this is why the whole argument over Ra One or Don 2 or a number of other SRK films over the last 5 years or more is a bogus one. Because you don’t get consolation prizes as a major star. You either run with the big boys or you don’t. ‘Pretty good’ isn’t good enough in the business if one has reached a certain magnitude as a star. Nor does the ‘hey it’s not bad for an underperformer or a flop’ argument work. Because again major stars even in serious decline can get good initials going based on their long history with the audience. But these numbers flatter to deceive. Ultimately the difference between a SRK 100 crore film and a Salman one might be 30 or 40 crores or whatever but the ‘real’ difference is a lot more than that.
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January 20, 2012 at 12:43 PM
This I believe is the right interpretation of the box office of the films you mentioned. Its surprising that some say Ra One is a success when Agneepath or Khudah Gawah was not! Thats a load of crap. A movie cant be judged on absolute gross collections – its all relative to the scale of the project and the ambitions.
The media is of course uneducated in these matters and you will find them referring to these high-grossing flops as blockbusters in one article but disasters in another.
While the general audience and the media is usually clueless of the actual box office pictures, the likes of reputed trade guyz are all paid pimps. On this note, Johar keeps good offices. I expect this to be hailed as a big hit even if the numbers are not there.
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January 20, 2012 at 1:23 PM
“On this note, Johar keeps good offices. I expect this to be hailed as a big hit even if the numbers are not there.’
Oh absolutely!
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January 20, 2012 at 1:37 PM
satyam,
has ritik got the proper voice,Amitabhs Agneepath ,the voice was a big let down,overall I hope its better then 1990 remake,
although Danny was superb,Amitabh was poor considering the acting was being compared from Deewar..can sanjay dutt lift this film where Danny did it,will see!
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January 20, 2012 at 6:35 PM
Forget agneepath-THIS is more like the hritik i prefer
and thanx for rekindling the (lately inactive) fitness germ in me…
Restarted THE tough gym session ——-get ready 4 the pain lol
Reminds of my wild phase oops
http://www.rediff.com/movies/slide-show/slide-show-1-check-out-hrithiks-incredible-body/20120119.htm
http://www.indiatimes.com/bollywood/checkout-hrithik-roshan-like-never-before-10545.html
http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/01/13/hrithik-roshan-krrish-fitness-idINDEE80C09I20120113
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January 20, 2012 at 8:35 PM
that first image looks sick though and it’s exhibit A of steroids at work in addition to all the gym hours he’s putting in.
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January 20, 2012 at 9:05 PM
Well,
One can never be sure of the composition of the anabolic “supplements” legally available some even as innocuous stuff like “milkshakes”
I suspect loads of banned stuff is actually easily available with chemists !!!
The Indian athletes /swimming team have been found positive for drugs enbloc, I suspect…
But with the gross steroid intake, there is a certain typical habitus–
Cases in point are Sanjay dutt (even in this movie ),
Salman (who lost his hair due to the androgenic component) and needed a hair transplant …
In hritiks case, that component has been less (if at all)
Btw like the second pics good as well
Sometimes plain gross running canbe quite fun n effective..
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January 20, 2012 at 9:07 PM
Exactly, only the very naive and gullible would believe that HR got so massive and ripped in 10 weeks of workouts. Get real people
Not even professional body builders can achieve such a look in such a short period of time.
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January 20, 2012 at 9:11 PM
Dont want to discourage your current interest in fitness, but the pics that are inspiring you has more to do with steroids. Hope you wont go that way (unless you have the money to pump out the steroids regularly as these demented bollywood stars invest in), not to mention how ugly you will start looking when age catches up.
Ever since Salman started his constant striptease in the late nineties to the advent of hrithik’s unproportional biceps in the early noughties to srk’s sick baring in OSO to Aamir’s manboobs in Ghajini – bollywood stars have come a long way!
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January 20, 2012 at 9:25 PM
Well- even the women starve and get implants and liposuction done to look the way they do. Nothing in the film industry is natural- it’s just the price one pays for being a big star. It’s funny how I never see anyone complaining about the women’s striptease or unrealistic bodies- but the minute a well-built man takes his shirt off- everybody jumps on him as if he committed some kind of a crime.
The body issues for men are much worse in most other movie industries- have you seen Crhis Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Hugh Jackman, Henry Cavill etc. At least in Bollywood men like Ranbir, Abhishek and Madhavan keep getting movies despite having now where near the ideal gy physique.
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January 20, 2012 at 9:29 PM
And what about Bipahsa’s implants or Katrina’s liposuction or Anushka’s sickly thin looking body? At least Salman and Hrithik do not depend only on their bodies for their career the way most actresses do- so it’s much worse for them.
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January 20, 2012 at 9:42 PM
In a male dominated industry the women does a lot worse offscreen to get to do mild porn onscreen. But these male stars literally dictate their terms in the industry – but at the price of toxin intake? Worse is how their un-natural packs get consumed by the audience.
More power to Ranbir for doing movies like raajneeti and rockstar without such gimmicks, its easy to succumb into all this. Abhishek was and is meant for better things than steroids imo.
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January 20, 2012 at 9:49 PM
LOL- so just be Aussies male-dominated it’s OK for the women to be expected to have unrealistic bodies and to do soft porn onscreen- but god forbid a man is eye-candy for women? Right.
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January 20, 2012 at 9:52 PM
Sorry- it is a male dominated industry not Aussies 😛
And it’s possible to have a well-built (but not grostequely muscular) body even without steroids. Just because Ranbir does not have a fit physique there isn’t any reason to praise him. There are plenty of men who have toned bodies through natural means- and there is nothing wrong with men being eye-candy for women it’s not a ‘cheap gimmick’.
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January 20, 2012 at 9:58 PM
Bored–Amy is right
U are having “double standards” lol
U want the girls to look all shapely but dont want abhishrek to have anything to have with fitness
haha
btw Bored–u DO have a point
To fully appreciate the sentiment/intention behind your ‘intelligent’ cumments, its imp to know if you are a guy or a girl yourself-
Who are your favorite stars btw
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January 20, 2012 at 9:49 PM
brilliant points there Amy^^^ lol
btw “bored” lets do something bout your boredom first..
are u a guy
Somehow what u said was quite right and proper.
but it reminded me of an “uncle” sort of guy in the gym today
All he does is –go straight to the sauna–sit passively watchin the girls around
And occasionally tells us to be careful with the back (weights)
hahaha
Anyhow–intend to learn some more yoga/ pilates.
The instructor incidentally is half italian and half irish–telling bout all the asanas
what fun…
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January 20, 2012 at 9:41 PM
Thanx for the ” timely”advice: “bored” lol
Will keep that in mind-U saved me a lot of hassle later on
-btw suggest u sort out your boredom by malik a move toWards a gymnasium
Talking of HR here-obviously there is some anabolic agent involved.
But lets not jump onto labelling eveything here as illegal steroids.
Thats the cool couch potato approach lol
Btw how many people have seen the likes of Sanjay dutt or salman khan exerting /running etc
Those are the types who go for pure shortcuts
There is a fine line between legal and illegal supplements-a side chain of androstenedione can make the same stuff illegal and vice versa..
And we ain’t talking about the gross stuff at all
Plus there is the question of “dose”-the same “homeopathic” dose can get bad if in excess…
Things are much “unrestricted” in India /most of Asia /Africa and even but not in most of Europe
But then on the other hand: most stuff is available online anyhow
Additionally -Some degree of photoshop /photo manipulation can’t be ruled out
Basal level wise -HR wasnt someone like abhishrek to begin with
Talking of 10-16 weeks :It’s not that short a time for someone whose sole aim is life during this time is body building -try it lol
Also :suggest one hit the gymnasium him/herself before pointing fingers at poor HR who is actually putting in some real effort eg gross running , diet etc
Also heard he had a back problem , maybe something. like slip disc coming into this .
Adding on steroids onto this (if he is doing it ) is foolish bit doubt it
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January 20, 2012 at 6:46 PM
bodybuliding/ fitness issues aside–nice to see hritik showing some spirit finally…
Unlike some other (bigger) stars, there is minimal negativity usually with hritik. He is mostly content with his own hard work….
There was a relative downward spiral he was getting into (though nowhere of the intensity of his contemporary peer)
Often an exceptional performance by a ‘junior’ serves as a v strong “spur”
Heard him ‘admiring” how ranbirs acting has been quite ‘evolved’ for his age
Think ranbirs performance in rockstar has also contributed in kicking him out of slumber…
btw dont wanna rub it in and dont wanna start the “fitness not essential” debate; but cant help contrast this with another starson who continues to find every obstinate excuse under the sun to NOT work out…
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January 20, 2012 at 10:08 PM
Bored–plz dont think me and amy are “ganging up” against u lol
Infact, feel you have very good worthy points,
actually educational for “gullibles” like us–thanx
DO write and express more.
Somehow u seem to be silent on your favorite stars
“In a male dominated industry the women does a lot worse offscreen to get to do mild porn onscreen. But these male stars literally dictate their terms in the industry – but at the price of toxin intake? Worse is how their un-natural packs get consumed by the audience.”=—well said ‘bored”
pardon me but do u hate “these males” lol
ps—whats the cause of your perpetual ‘boredom”
can we help oops..
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January 20, 2012 at 10:21 PM
How is it any different from how the women’s unnatural bodies get consumed by the audience? It is infect a lot worse because with the women the objectification is far more prevalent and the fraudulence extends not just to unrealistic physiques but also to their surgically enhanced faces and bleached skin.
I would agree that you have perfectly valid points if you were applying them equally to both gender. But to only single out the men- who actually have it far, far easier than the women in this regard- is laughably hypocritical and speaks more about your distaste for fitness or your insecurity than about any righteous indignation at the misleading illusions of showbiz. Bollywood is already probably the most imbalances industry in terms of superficial requirements for men Vs. Women- and yet you are complaining? What more do you want? That every man should have Abhishek’s physique and still be paired opposite the Bipashas and Priyankas and Deepikas and Katrinas?
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January 20, 2012 at 10:25 PM
haha ^^^
bored: u have a tough time answering to those questions by amy
all the best lol
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January 21, 2012 at 6:48 AM
Re: “Bollywood is already probably the most imbalances industry in terms of superficial requirements for men Vs. Women…”
Somewhat tangentially (and this doesn’t detract from Ami’s point) I think the most imbalanced industry is American comedy: whether in films or sitcoms, the number of unattractive, fat, pudgy guys (many of these characters are even depicted as being losers in their personal and professional lives) who seem to land up with bombshells on-screen, is just way way out of sync with reality; but more importantly, it is so lazy a plot device, so transparently a fantasy for the nerds who seem to be writing/making the shows and films, that it really gets on my nerves.
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January 21, 2012 at 7:03 AM
Yes, I agree with you but that is only one segment of the industry- there are plenty of extremely attractive leading men in Hollywood, and conversely, plenty of leading ladies who do not look like supermodels. And there are films made for women where the female lead is quite average looking and yet has a very hunky man fall for her as well.
In Bollywood almost every single actress looks amazingly fit and young and beautiful, but very, very few of the men are conventionally handsome. And I also think that Bollywood is very limiting in the kind of beauty it endorses- Hollywood actresses have a bit more variety and personality- Bollywood actresses all look like barbie dolls off the conveyor belt from the Kingfisher calendar- and straight into the movies.
And then you’ll never see a Bollywood actress without 5 layers of glamour make-up, perfectly straightened hair and so on, Hollywood prefers a comparatively more natural look. And then there are the filmi outfits that Bollywood actresses wear, all of the back-up dancers dressed like strippers and so on. Bollywood is definitely far more imbalanced as a whole.
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January 21, 2012 at 7:39 AM
Hmm not sure: I would say we can’t ignore that Bollywood has become more skewed as the ideals of beauty have started to imitate Hollywood-models to an increasing extent. Thus, in the 1970s, there wasn’t any one kind of beauty (both in terms of face or body type), whereas today everyone is desperate to be cast in the shape of the globalized norm (impossibly thin, etc.). The situation in Bollywood has gotten much worse when it comes to women: the point about looks is part of a wider context, of the “sexification” of women, as roles have dwindled too, with “item number” — choreographed to moves lifted from strip clubs — often the most significant thing a woman might be doing in a film; heck, even when it comes to playback singing, note how rare the “straight” duet is (female singing parts these days generally arise in the context of raunchy numbers, club songs, and the like; I prefer “sexification” to “objectification” because, as your discussion with Alex suggests, in the new consumerist paradigm, everyone — male and female — is objectified (indeed, such “objectification” can even be liberating, at least relative to an older paradigm where objectification was even more asymmetric — as between genders — than it is now (in that respect contemporary Bollywood scores over its earlier avatar)), but because the objectification on the male side is not generally accompanied by “sexification” — the male is a sex object, but is not MERELY one. [Agneepath is a case in point: the nurse of the original is now a prostitute.]
[Aside: you can’t be serious when you say H’wood favors a more natural look: that is the industry that invented touching up photos, body doubles, and the like. Basically, even Angelina Jolie’s body is not good enough to be Anjelina Jolie’s body, and by now virtually every actress or model, probably every male actor and model too, has his/her photos touched up. Maybe in some instances the look is more natural than the heavily made-up look of some of our artistes, but that goes to the sophistication of the artifice employed, and is not a difference in kind. As Sarojini Naidu once said, Bapu will never know how much it costs us to keep him in poverty…]
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January 21, 2012 at 1:16 PM
Qualander- That is a really good point about objectification Vs. Sexification. It was one of the points I was trying to make- but you put it far better than I did.
When I said that Hollywood prefers a more natural look- I mean that actresses do not always wear so much of deliberately OTT, glamorous make-up, clothes that are meant to be ‘slutty’, 6 inch heels etc. The way they are presented in movies is usually more plausible and less explicitly sexified. In Bollywood every single actress is expected to look like a fantasy every single minute she is onscreen- hair blowing in the wind, tiny revealing outfits no matter how contexually inappropriate they are etc. It just contributes to your point of actresses only being there as purely sex objects. It’s much harder to take them seriously when they are constantly dressed in tiny, filmi clothes and followed by a wind machine.
And although Hollywood is still far from equality when it comes to writing author-backed roles for male and female actors- Hollywood female characters usually have a lot more agency and are more meaningful to the plot than Bollywood female characters- which again moves the average Hollywood actress slightly away from ‘sexification’ and more into the realm of ‘objectification’.
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January 22, 2012 at 1:46 AM
RE: “When I said that Hollywood prefers a more natural look- I mean that actresses do not always wear so much of deliberately OTT, glamorous make-up, clothes that are meant to be ‘slutty’, 6 inch heels etc. The way they are presented in movies is usually more plausible and less explicitly sexified. In Bollywood every single actress is expected to look like a fantasy every single minute she is onscreen- hair blowing in the wind, tiny revealing outfits no matter how contexually inappropriate they are etc. It just contributes to your point of actresses only being there as purely sex objects. It’s much harder to take them seriously when they are constantly dressed in tiny, filmi clothes and followed by a wind machine.”
Agreed: for some odd reason Bollywood seems to be getting its aesthetic (for its LEADING ladies) from back-up dancers in hip-hop videos. There’s no accounting for colonized (lack of taste), I guess…
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January 20, 2012 at 10:21 PM
btw this is fast becuming a “bodybuilding” blog rather than a “bollywood” one…ha
cmon amy and bored: lets go2 bed
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January 21, 2012 at 7:39 AM
check this out:
http://www.pinkvilla.com/entertainmenttags/hrithik-rosha/how-hrithik-went-flab-fab-10-weeks
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January 21, 2012 at 7:53 AM
Can’t figure out which is the worse pic!
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January 21, 2012 at 8:56 AM
Q,
There is nothing wrong with having a chiseled physique. I think you are just trying to make me feel bad!!
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January 21, 2012 at 9:46 AM
Rajen: agree there is nothing wrong with having a chiseled physique (I work out religiously myself, although remain pretty puny) — I simply a resist a certain tyranny…
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January 21, 2012 at 7:55 AM
Ami, for me there are two separate questions here. Firstly that of the ‘enhanced’ body or body parts, by way of surgery or substance. It’s not something that I can ever have a positive view about though I am also mindful that the body can be enhanced in other ways too. Put differently there is often an illusion that all ‘tampering’ is ok as long as it is temporary. In other words nothing is permanently altered (even if some of the permanent stuff is ‘reversible’). The body whether by way of traditional cosmetic measures or hair styles or certain kinds of inner and outer wear can be ‘enhanced’ without one going through surgery or injecting a substance or whatever. Not saying there isn’t a difference but the body is nonetheless ‘constructed’ or ‘fashioned’ in precise ways before it is put ‘on view’. Still I personally cannot quite take to the idea of going beyond this.
But the other question which is more simply an ‘aesthetic’ one is about some kinds of enhancement that can make the body appear grotesque. Some of these Hrithik images fall into the latter category for me. Here it isn’t about whether one just worked out at the gym or did other things. The final result looks more than a little ‘sick’.
In either case and using either standard it’s not a male-female divide for me. I find plenty of women with implants grotesque too. The split I’m pointing here is only about a)the theoretical side of things b)how it looks. In the first instance I would have objections either way, men or women, but also in the second case men or women can look equally grotesque depending on what they’ve done. There are of course instances when these methods are used and the person looks appealing. One can then be turned off when one learns that it’s not all ‘natural’ in that person’s case but that’s a different debate.
Will make this final point though. Note how there is a bit of a gender divide in another sense. There is always greater pressure on women for example to ‘prove’ their breasts. In the age of the implant you can’t make it too obvious or questions arise. Sometimes these do even otherwise. In fact one can always speculate because there is an option always available.
With men on the other hand you can suddenly become Hulk like Hrithik (or John.. saw him in a show a year ago or more and he was showing off his arms which looked unreal in their breath) or whatever and no one quite objects in the same ways. Think the major Hollywood stars, even the most conscious ones, generally go in for a more ‘plausible’ look. Hrithik unfortunately has been following a near-pornographic model in recent years (he wasn’t always so excessive) or perhaps doing a fair impersonation of a dildo in some of these images (he might have been ‘enhanced’ in earlier years too but looked more normal). I don’t think that with the major Bombay actresses currently working it’s quite the same thing, with or without enhancements. But yes I saw that Bipasha image from Jodi breakers the other day and she looked a bit sick too.
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January 21, 2012 at 8:04 AM
and to add to this he looks fine in the Agneepath trailers. Not sure what kind of body he has underneath the shirt but he looks his usual self. At least in the Ganpati song. Elsewhere his face looks puffier but he did put on weight for the role.
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January 21, 2012 at 9:20 AM
Ranbir has kept himself refreshingly normal in this sense. Hope it stays this way..
Hrithik had the right balance when he started out.. but I guess the pressure just keeps increasing on these stars to beef up more and more and to out-compete everyone else. In this sense I’ve always felt Akshay Kumar represented the most natural sort of ‘gym’ physique.
And now that we’re all put our homoerotic tendencies on display we should move on to other matters. Rather glad now that Alex asked me the sari question!
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January 21, 2012 at 1:04 PM
Satyam- I’m not arguing that overly muscled men like Hrithik in this picture are grotesque. What I am arguing with is Bored’s comment that any man who develops a gym physique and goes shirtless onscreen to please his female audience is indulging in a ‘gimmick’ or ‘sick baring’ but when it’s the other way around, it’s perfectly OK.
I’m not really a fan of the grotesque bodybuilder aesthetic but I also think that it is possible for men to be muscular without taking steroids- Akshay Kumar, Shahid Kapoor etc and there is nothing wrong with that. I don’t really think that a man is attractive or unattractive because of how musuclar he is- but if he is starring opposite a woman who looks like a swimsuit model- then I only think tis fair that he puts some work into his physique as well.
As for HR- He is playing a superhero in the film- so he probably thought it was wise to develop a physique like that. I’m sure that they want their film to be ‘on par with Hollywood’- and most Hollywood super heroes are built similar to Hrithik at this point. But I agree that it’s unnatural and unattractive.
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January 21, 2012 at 1:16 PM
agreed on all your points and wasn’t arguing otherwise. as for Hrithik I think that’s the way he is anyway these days.
Shahid Kapoor incidentally used steroids for Kaminey and looked it too! In fact there was a piece somewhere a few months ago about how most of the stars had indulged in it if not continually then at least for one role or more. Abhishek was obviously an exception. Ranbir is too, at least so far. Don’t believe Akshay’s ever done this either. There are exceptions but few. The thing is you can’t develop a huge frame no matter how much you work out if you’re not otherwise built that way. much as it is simply not possible for everyone to have a six-pack just as a physiological fact. You can’t develop Schwarzenegger’s arms all of a sudden. And so on.
I should say that some of the six-packs one does see on screen are questionable ones though I can’t elaborate more on this.
Do think there is just a more impoverished sense of male or female beauty in contemporary times. Increasingly it’s just about the sum of various body parts. The ‘intangibles’ are rarely highlighted. Of course this approach works in a cinema that too is not much more than the sum of its parts on most days.
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January 21, 2012 at 8:12 PM
I dont think, I said anywhere that its ok for females to bare? Please read before you start an argument.
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January 21, 2012 at 8:28 PM
All I said was that the likes of Bipasha or Mallika do implants and stuffs just to survive in the industry – the top stars do steroids out of choice.
And people like Ranbir who are doing well without succumbing to it should be appreciated.
Also, I personally dont see any problem in salman or hrithik stripping in their movies to please their female fanbase – but its disturbing to see males (case in point alex) ‘appreciating’ this too much!
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January 21, 2012 at 8:54 PM
Bored- I’m sorry- I completely misread what you meant. But in my defence- that comment was a bit ambiguous and open to (mis)interpretation. 😛
You do have a point about the top male stars doing steroids out of free will and being more open to criticism than the actresses who don’t really have a choice.
As for male fans getting influenced- that is inevitable. Women have always had image issues because we’ve been held up to unattainable ideals of beauty- and now that male objectification is becoming more and more prominent the world over- it’s only to be expected that men will start being similarly influenced as well.
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January 21, 2012 at 8:10 AM
Hmmm–an interesting discussion
Wll get back to this maybe later
About 2 go into a yoga/pilates/body balancin workshop shortly…
Spearheaded by a half irish/half italian girl who seems surprisingly aware and adept @ all the yogic postures and even some scriptures, apparently lol
haha-Really interestin/ surprising to know
Which brings me to a somewhat unrelated point—
Wonder when will India wake up to its own immense treasures…
The way this whole yoga thing been hijacked by the west, it is pathetic how india/indians have just let it
Cmon dont hang on to it but there should be some “ownership” here–here there is just an abject “surrender” to the west
When one sees designer “reebok” yoga mats–one does feel india has missed the bus somewhat in milking this commercially…
Thanx Satyam for that HR link–somewhat impressed by HR\
Even I didnt think he had reached THIS stage physically but SO bold of him to release his “pre” pic…
Know this “teaching others” bit is a bit drab and nobody is naive enuf to not know that all this is not a bit premeditated
But STILL–prefer this to the intense negativity, pulling down other people on stage shows, humiliating others etc to “promote” themselves which some others indulge in –(srk onwards)
“Everyone thinks I am genetically blessed with a good body. I want to show people the real picture. I want to share my story and tell people that they too can change their lives. …”
Even if there is an iota of good intention there, would go with it…
finally–think one needs to not suddenly jump onto hritik for trying to get back to fitness
The fact that he is afterall a media celebrity (a socalled heart thob) in an industry where looks matter a lot–nothing wrong in going for some beefing up
atleast he is not driving over sleeping people, or funding films from morani/underworld links or beating up one girlfriend while slapping the other or choosing soft targets on stage shows to “get back” at people or having giant sized egos that trample the very project they work on..
So lets get the persepective right here…
The ONLY thing unethical here is the use of steroids/ anaboloic banned substances which also is presumed/ assumed but not proven and from the type of work HR is putting in not totally beyond the realms of possibility to achieve with mild/ minimal extreneous anabolic support
The other problem with guys like hritik (and even abhishrek for that matter) that they have basically been ‘nice’ guys and have somewhat allowed creepy/ unscrupulous influences trample all over em which they can well kick off….
Sometimes too much of niceness is not good
One does need a hint of menace 2 b taken seriously–life and people in general NEED a kick more times than less
hahaha
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January 21, 2012 at 8:17 AM
oh, and came across this pic–
Sari Faceoff
Sari–a dress that can be the ultimate graceful “indian” attire but goin out of vogue–though i think the other reason is the “cumbersome” factor, i suspect
Also think it takes a long time to put on (and crucially off lol)–so there are some “practical” issues there hahaha
Not really good @ judging these but suspect that even the “saris” worn nowadays in songs etc are actually “simulated” versions or sari-skirts or in somce cases, an excuse to show more under the garb of “respectability”–am i rite girls?
Anyhow–guys n gals –chekc this out
would be worthwhile to get the views/ rankings of the female crowd (since dont think satyam/ me/q are well equipped to judge saris beyond a point) lol
http://www.pinkvilla.com/fashion/celeb-fashion/saree-faceoff-3?ts=topfashionview
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January 21, 2012 at 8:20 AM
the sari is my favorite dress..
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January 21, 2012 at 7:13 PM
I have lots of them..borrow it if you like. When do you like to wear ’em? Casually or in a party 😉
🙂
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January 21, 2012 at 8:28 AM
ok: so rank these saris in the pic above^^^–1 to 5–no pfaffing around lol
lets see your “acumen”
and let the females judge how “correct” you are
haha
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January 21, 2012 at 8:33 AM
commenting purely on the saris my order would be 1,5,4,2,3 but the only ones I really like here are 1 and 5. Katrina is usually the worst in a sari because to my mind she doesn’t have the right posture and ‘comportment’ for it. Priyanka always looks good in them on the other hand.
I’m going to exit this discussion now Alex.. afraid of what your next question might be!
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January 21, 2012 at 9:17 PM
It all boils down to figure as well and how well it is worn.
http://www.pinkvilla.com/fashion/celeb-fashion/oprah-winfrey-saree-hit-or-miss?ts=related
Ash has appeared in a sari-faux-pas where her boob was exposed from below, as the blouse was way too short. Or I don’t like sari (in real life at least) where one entire breast (in the blouse) is not draped or covered in saari…looks terrible in real life (on stage it may look ok on bollywood heroine or in movies, I guess) especially on fat or heavy-chested older women. or completely transperant pallu these days look very-very tacky when worn in real life (ok on teenagers though). Saari is supposed to hide all flaws (big this or small that) and yet present the woman’s body in sensuous way without cheapening the product. Vidhya can wear her sari “tacky” and yet look real *well* because her personality overpowers/overcomes her clothes. Rekha is elegant (VB claims to have Rekha as her rolemodel) but sometimes she has too much going with too gaudy/heavy sari and too many jewels but then she is film-royalty…drama queen…so filmy…so chalta hai. Won’t look good on any other regular mortal!!
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January 21, 2012 at 11:54 PM
Actresses who looked good in saris and carried themselves well were Sharmila Tagore, Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil
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January 21, 2012 at 8:33 AM
couldnt resist
“the sari is my favorite dress..”–so satyam–do u like wearing a matching blouse or “contrasting” one!!
And is it a “low cut” one lol
hoho-anyhow so lets have your “list”
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January 21, 2012 at 8:35 AM
LOL, I had the right instinct when I said I should exit the discussion!
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January 21, 2012 at 8:43 AM
haha just havin fun satyam–i never miss ‘full tosses’
Will be curious to hear from folks more knowledgable about saris and esp from the females about the ranking above and how satyam fared
btw the criteria is not only the sari but how well the person is carrying it/ is comfortable in etc
anyhow, gtg as of now for some ‘fitness’ for a short while…
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January 21, 2012 at 9:19 AM
Hope there are no hard feelings.. you seemed to be admiring Hrithik’s body as much as the women you discuss..
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January 21, 2012 at 9:24 AM
“btw the criteria is not only the sari but how well the person is carrying it/ is comfortable in etc”
true..
but it’s my favorite dress anyway.
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January 21, 2012 at 9:48 AM
I really liked Sonakshi Sinha wearing the sari in Dabangg.
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January 21, 2012 at 10:05 AM
On the subject of dress, just read THIS…
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January 21, 2012 at 11:59 PM
Thanks Satyam – as an indian female fond of wearing saris, it feels nice to know that Indian guys appreciate the saree. BTW, I always make it a point of thanking my friends ie guys who appreciate the sari as a dress as well as when they complement me when i wear a saree. Thought of explaining myself in case some body went over board in their reaction to my simple thanks!
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January 21, 2012 at 9:47 AM
Alex: I think you made a typo: you probably meant to write: ‘anyhow’, ‘gtg’ ‘as’ ‘of’ ‘now’ ‘for’ ‘some’ fitness ‘for’ a ‘short’ ‘while’…
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January 21, 2012 at 9:50 AM
LOL
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January 21, 2012 at 10:40 AM
LOL!!!!!!!
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January 21, 2012 at 3:13 PM
‘gruelling’ stuff in the gym
anyhow see that Q has been tryin to do something about his ‘pruny self’–
“(I work out religiously myself, although remain pretty puny)” –hope your ‘workouts’ are what everyone is assuming them to be!!
Anyhow all the best to Q with his ‘workouts’ haha
Q: suggest u get some interesting exercise ‘partners’–it helps…in getting more regular and then u can try more varied different routines (in short..lol)
Anyhow, teased out two minor gems from satyam here–
“Increasingly it’s just about the sum of various body parts. The ‘intangibles’ are rarely highlighted.”
Agree–Actually unlke what we think most audience (including the so called ‘gutter’ taste quickly starts seeing above superficialities.
ANY performer having a bare minimum longevity anywhere in the world DOES have a fair measure of these ‘intangibles”
“Katrina is usually the worst in a sari because to my mind she doesn’t have the right posture and ‘comportment’ for it. Priyanka always looks good in them on the other hand.”
We shall need elaboration for our education–what say folks..
So satyam–Pray elaborate on the ‘intangibles’ and katrinas lack of ‘comportment’ for saris…
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January 21, 2012 at 3:19 PM
As for ranking of the saris pic above–must admit my absolute ignorance on this.
Infact wont be surprised if most girls dont know much of it either–guess it is the ‘cumbersome’ factor i mentioned earlier…
But my v ignorant take will be –amongst these in the pic–
Rekha is always a sari person who looks born to carry it off well..
VB here seems a bit awkward–she somehow always looks like she will trip n fall one day lol
PC is fine
as for katrina–dont think what she is wearing orthe way she is wearing is actually a sari–though she is not too bad as made out to be–not sure of the ‘comportment’ though–for that satyam will shed light….
But the ultimate is/was/will be aishwarya rai in this department
ps–amy and others : whats your take..
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January 21, 2012 at 4:22 PM
I think Rekha and Sharmila Tagore are the ultimate actress as far as carrying off a sari is concerned- Sharmila is more understated and elegant and Rekha is more glamorous.
Aishwarya as well, of course, and Rani too. Vidya’s saris are always shoddily draped – I wish somebody would style her properly because she can look really good in them. I think that she looks amazing in a sari in this photoshoot: http://www.pinkvilla.com/entertainmenttags/vidya-balan/capture-vidya-balans-hi-blitz-photoshoot
I don’t think that Saris have gone out of favour- just with current the actresses. But then actresses today have to dress trashily and constantly ‘expose’ to be famous- so it’s not surprising. PC for instance- even when she wears a sari- wears these really blingy ones with bikinis blouses or whatever. Katrina is absolutely graceless in a sari in her candid appearances- there will always be one photo of her hiking her pleats up in a very crude/ awkward way: http://www.pinkvilla.com/entertainment/event/katrina-kaif-star-screen-awards-0
Bipasha, Sonam and Deepika all look great in gowns and cocktail dresses but they do not have the ideal body type for saris:
http://www.pinkvilla.com/entertainmenttags/bipasha-basu/bipasha-basu-music-launch-jodi-breakers
Chitrangadha Singh looked stunning even in the simple cotton saris that she wore in Haazron Kwaishein Aisi- but she doesn’t really wear saris otherwise.
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January 21, 2012 at 4:24 PM
BTW- I think that it is reaaallly amusing that in Bollywood- saris are supposed to be backward and regressive and bikinis and booty shorts are supposed to be ‘modern’ and empowering- It’s the other way around IMO.
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January 21, 2012 at 4:31 PM
Satyam- why is my earlier comment awaiting response? 😦
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January 21, 2012 at 4:35 PM
2 or more links and it automatically goes into moderation..
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January 21, 2012 at 4:52 PM
Thanx for that in depth post on saris, Amy
Must admit -knew v little of this
Good to get oriented with things lol
Agree about VB -even I can make out that she is awkward and one of the days, she may trip over
“saris are supposed to be backward and regressive”–actually don’t think so really
Most sensible people (including me lol) perceive of saris as more sophisticated and classy anyday
Think the issue is they are cumbersome to handle, both for the person wearing it (and those around lol)
So Satyam, inspite of your best claims of knowing everything bout saris, Amy has given a much more indepth summary haha
I do have a suspicion though that Satyam is secretly trying them on-so much is his admiration for saris-joking
Satyam-what is your analytical take on the above-“intangible ” and “comportment”
That’s where your input is educational (not on saris really lol)
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January 21, 2012 at 5:07 PM
I wasn’t talking about sensible people- I was talking about Bollywood people 😉 Every time an actress or a stylist is discussing a character they will talk about how she is dressed because she is ‘modern’ or ‘a girl of today’ or living abroad- and then in the movie she’ll be dressed in the cheapest clothes imaginable. Even when a woman is shown working as a corporate professional she wears these absolutely unsuitable outfits- Priyanka Chopra in Pyaar impossible for instance.
And the comments on Pinkvilla will always accuse actresses of looking like behenjis/maids if they are wearing saris the traditional way- as in properly draped with a normal blouse.
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January 21, 2012 at 7:49 PM
>Think the issue is they are cumbersome to handle,
No, I don’t think sari is cumbersome to handle unless one never wears them.
In old films the actresses ran up and down the stairs, without holding the pleats away like an anari (katrina).
I didn’t spend time enough to think of a proper video clip to demonstrate this, but what came to my mind instantly is this beautiful song, set to music by one of my favourites, Salil Chaudhary.
Watch Sadhana running around in her sari, and at 2.59 she runs down some steps.
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January 22, 2012 at 1:54 PM
Yes oldgold–u have a point there^^^
Also nobody seems to know old movies/songs like oldgold–cheers!!
@Diana–haha”Ash has appeared in a sari-faux-pas where her boob was exposed from below, as the blouse was way too short. “—
Which where…didnt know this–any link?
“Or I don’t like sari (in real life at least) where one entire breast (in the blouse) is not draped or covered in saari…looks terrible in real life …or completely transperant pallu these days look very-very tacky when worn in real life (ok on teenagers though). “–now thats something truly original a –thanx di–well explained there…
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January 22, 2012 at 2:22 PM
For your eyes only lexy:
http://www.pinkvilla.com/entertainment/news/liz-hurley-shocking-see-through-saree-love-ball
Here is when they expose entire one side:
http://www.pinkvilla.com/entertainmenttags/amrita-arora-wedding-bash/katrina-kaif-amrita-arora-wedding-bash
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January 22, 2012 at 4:32 PM
>nobody seems to know old movies/songs like oldgold–
On this blog perhaps, but I could give you a dozen sites where a lot of people discuss old films, and several sites …just the songs
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January 21, 2012 at 5:23 PM
Yes agree Amy
Btw don’t get this ‘behenji’ thing-Y that ‘allegation’ with saris lol
Think some ‘blame’ lies with the young Indian crowd as well.
For eg girls/females on this blog are more interested in defending SRK or salmans box office but have no interest in saris
Infact the few I know are proud to say that they don’t know how to wear one and infact probably haven’t worn one!!!
If worn correctly, can be quite sensual (as Satyam can suffice-)
Lately-In some films though, they have atleast started giving attention to the character and the clothes he/she should wear…
Not the ideal example but recently-
Saw Ricky bahl-the styling of each of the girls including dipanita was not much off the mark, I think
Dipanitas styling was good and appropriate for her character as was for the others more of less
Ps-the only sore point was how the nice n proper anushka was forced to do a convenient bikini scene -one she did well and looked good but was sorry for her feeling so uncomfortable lol
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January 21, 2012 at 5:35 PM
“accuse actresses of looking like behenjis/maids if they are wearing saris the traditional way- as in properly draped with a normal blouse.”—so do they want them to dress in saree with NO blouse -I mean topless or something haha
Hmm
Btw just caught bits of colors screen awards
Think ranbir won -happy for him
Don’t kow the full list but the few I saw seemed appropriate
Ps–fed up of seeing. SRK “serenading” multiple females every year
Thought that was only my birth right hahaha
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January 21, 2012 at 6:00 PM
SRK to Kat in colors awards : do u have a driving license?
Kat: why?
SRK: bcos u ‘drive’ me crazy…
SRK kisses Kat –Kat ‘shocked’…
Kat: what was that?
SRK : did u mind it: if u did mind it, I will tAke it back
SRK kisses Kat again
Salman and ranbir look on (visibly unhappy)
Hahahaha
Amy: time for bed…
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January 21, 2012 at 11:45 PM
LOL Salman was not even present at the show. His performance was recorded a day after the star screen awards and will be attached to the award show.
They tend to always include these ‘fake’ camera shots of celebs looking on to add some kind of curiosity or should I say controversy.
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January 22, 2012 at 2:41 AM
“Salman and ranbir look on (visibly unhappy)”
lol..hahaha…have they edited this one like this?
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January 21, 2012 at 11:49 PM
Agneepath will open and open very big. There has been nothing since Don 2 (unless one wants to count Players). It also has a very favorable run so if it clicks it will post a huge final number.
I will personally watch it on Thurs night and hoping both Talaash and Agent Vinod trailers are added to the film 🙂
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January 22, 2012 at 3:08 AM
These talked about ‘trailers’ do add to the excitement – I guess the news that we will get to see sneak peaks into Agent Vinod and Talaash are a good marketing ploy.
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January 22, 2012 at 3:04 AM
I dont think Ranbir won the ‘Best Actor’ award at the show.
Correct me if Im wrong! If TDP has won the Best Picture award, its possible SRK’s been awarded for Don 2.. Oops 😛
anyways lets see what antics we get to see from the stage performers this year. These shows do provide some guilty pleasure.
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January 22, 2012 at 1:47 PM
thanx for all that info on saris–amy, oldgold, fb, di..
Its r=pleasing to know that females here still have respect and a ‘link’ to tradition/heritage (though coming from me is a bit odd…lol)–
Guess the response group here maybe a bit ‘mature’ (oops dont throw bricks @ me now )–but i meant in a ‘sensible’ sort of way…(dont know bout age etc to comment…lol)
There is a certain problem with the young ‘hep’ crowd though(esp the types born/brought up in ‘native’ setting)–the few i came across seem to be declaring proudly that they dont even know how to put a sari on…(though amy seems an exception lol)
This also dovetails into my previous point about “desertation” of stuff like yoga (which has now been “reclaimed” by the west–read above)
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January 22, 2012 at 2:19 PM
Just of you alex: http://www.pinkvilla.com/fashiontags/aishwarya-rai/aishwarya-rai-bachchans-wardrobe-malfunction-raavan-music-launch
And Sonam cone-bra dress for players that you had asked about earlier (shame on you..didn’t expect you to go so low…lolz):http://www.pinkvilla.com/entertainment/photos/hq-pics-premiere-players?ts=related
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January 22, 2012 at 4:10 PM
Ahaa :hail Diana- you are THE STAR–we are just supporting cast
Quite “eye opening” stuff lol
Guessing I have lots 2learn from u, Di-watch this space-wink
Btw whats Hurley doin there btw lol
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January 22, 2012 at 4:46 PM
Don’t you think though sattu and Q’s love for sari was priceless. I didn’t know any desi cross-dressers? Do you?
Also do you love to wear sari too?!
LOLz
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January 22, 2012 at 7:27 PM
I don’t think that there is anything wrong with women not wanting to wear a sari. I do like them- but most of my friends don’t – and I think that’s ok. What’s not OK is judging women and calling them stupid names just because they choose to wear a sari over a cocktail dress or the other way around- which happens on so many Bollywood blogs (not on SS though).
Anyway- I think that Bollywood rejecting Indian women and replacing them with foreign/ mixed-breed models is far more problematic than Indian women rejecting Indian clothes and replacing them with western ones. 😉
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January 22, 2012 at 2:08 PM
sorry – i was wrong
Ranbir did win the best actor award and Vidya best actress.
Deepika handed over the award to Ranbir. She was visibly embarassed to share the stage with him.
SRK was comparatively restrained this time in hosting the show.
but the shock of the evening was when Deepika turned out to be the winner of Best Actress Popular Choice aka What the Fuck Award for her role in Aakarshan
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January 22, 2012 at 2:16 PM
haha
hope to see this awards show properly later tonite on telly (if time permits)
yesterday-just skimmed some crucial “highlights” eg the srk-kat encounter (script above)–liked it though…lol
Heard Ranbir touched deepikas feet or something..
Was she wearing a mini skirt btw?lol
Good to see ranbir forgotten all the nasty stuff she had to say bout him earlier–something bout needing a condom etc
ps–‘bored@ –pray plz change your name into something more pleasant–u can keep a suffix (“formerly bored”) for histroical interest if u want (though girl–u write well!!)
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January 22, 2012 at 4:57 PM
“Don’t you think though sattu and Q’s love for sari was priceless.”–ya agree haha di
Infact satyam maybe tryin one on right now (as we speak)–lets time him have his fetishes lol
So dya wear sari ol th time/prefer em
l\
“I could give you a dozen sites where a lot of people discuss old films, and several sites …’ya oldgold, go on–the ones u visit/ post/recommend (though dont think have time/stamina for more than one 4 bolly…lol–but would be good to know)–do u post there regularly…
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January 22, 2012 at 5:48 PM
lol – why would satyam wear a sari?
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January 23, 2012 at 7:13 AM
I love the original Agneepath: Sanjay Dutt
Though Amitabh Bachchan starrer Agneepath did not catch the eye of the audience, the remake has already grabbed eyeballs. But actor Sanjay Dutt, who plays the dreaded villain in the latest version feels the original was much ahead of its time.
The 1990 cult classic, directed by Mukul Anand, featured Big B as the iconic Vijay Dinanath Chauhan, Danny Denzongpa as Kancha Cheena, the baddie and Mithun Chakraborty as the lovable coconut seller Krishnan Iyer MA. Despite a stellar cast Agneepath failed at the box office commercially but Bachchan’s performance was praised.
Producer Yash Johar’s son, Karan has remade the film in the same name now starring Hrithik Roshan and Dutt. It has already created quite a buzz, unlike the original.
“I loved the film (original) and if I was the whole of audience, I would have made it a big hit. I think may be the film was too ahead of times..Mukul is a brilliant director in his work…his vision was so much ahead of his time,” Sanjay said in an interview.
“I have seen original film several times. I lived the dialogues of the film and performances of Amitji, Danny and Mithun Da,” he said.
Although the remake would have new actors reprising the iconic characters again, except for the basic plot of revenge, the new Agneepath has a different story. “The premise is same. Vijay Dinanth Chauhan, Kancha is there…the revenge story where Vijay comes to Mandwa is same. It is a revenge story but the setting is totally different. It is very grounded film here Kancha wears dhoti, kurti and kolhapuri footwear and Vijay is also a simple man. He (Karan Malhotra) has made it as a very real grounded and
rustic film,” Sanjay said.
The new Agneepath also featuring Priyanka Chopra is up for release on January 26.
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January 23, 2012 at 7:22 AM
Here they’ve had to perform a ‘flip’ on the original. In the latter Vijay was this grandly operatic, larger than life figure while Kancha Cheena was a much more restrained ‘corporate’ sort and Danny accordingly has a rather compact performance here. This creates a nice symmetry.
In the newer film all these larger than life qualities have been transferred to Dutt (even if in Marvel mode). It’s really become Kancha Cheena’s film in this sense. hrithik on the other hand has been kept more downsized, perforce!
Whatever I might think about the qualities of this remake and the very attempt Hrithik does have a bit of a raw deal here. Even a big grosser won’t quite change this. And Dutt has a real chance, depending on his lines and footage to get a real shot at the iconic here. He might be the only real winner out of this remake (though the film does look well shot at a lot of points even if Ravi chandran complains he isn’t getting credit for it despite working on a lot of the shoot).
While having two very significant grossers in a row will hardly be a bad consolation prize for Hrithik (or any star for that matter) it is precisely a star of a certain magnitude who cannot afford not being the ‘main show’ in stuff like ZNMD and now Agneepath. Nonetheless I don’t feel sorry for him either because there is always something hubristic about attempting such remakes, whether it’s SRK or Hrithik. I am not at all against ‘ambitious’ moves but the remaking of Bachchan’s most iconic parts cannot be divorced from the politics of attempting the same.
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January 23, 2012 at 8:41 AM
I dont know how Agneepath will turn out, but I think Hrithik did gain momentum with ZNMD after a long time. After the debut euphoria, this guy has always running behind the race, popping up one hit in 2-3 years span to somehow be considered as a star. And worse for him, all those rare hits would be quite poor movies. After KNPH, I dont think he managed to strike gold in connecting with the youth in any movie till ZNMD.
One can argue that it was a multistarrer, Farhan was funny, etc etc. But frankly ZNMD is as much Hrithik’s as DCH was Aamir’s. Saif re-invented himself in DCH and his comedy was the scene-stealer throughout DCH. Saif in fact got a new lease of acting career after that. I see Farhan gaining the same footage from ZNMD. Aamir, on the other hand became the ‘star of the youth’ with DCH – something that lead to RDB, 3I, etc later on. If Hrithik is shrewd enough, he should be able to use he goodwill he has generated with ZNMD and not waste it.
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January 23, 2012 at 8:54 AM
hritik is a HUGE star – KNPK, Krish series, ZNMD……he can carry a film on his shoulder
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January 23, 2012 at 9:40 AM
That he is a huge star doesn’t contradict anything I’m saying. The question as always is: what does the huge star ‘want’?!
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January 23, 2012 at 9:40 AM
I’d disagree.. Aamir has the most central part in DCH. he is the symbolic center of the film. In ZNMD it’s Farhan.
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January 23, 2012 at 11:03 AM
central part maybe farhaan….but the movie belonged to hritik and that is something. in DCH – aamir was the central part and it belonged to him just like RDB…..without hritik in znmd – it would have bombed at the b.o……farhaan can’t carry a film on his shoulder
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January 23, 2012 at 11:22 AM
you are still only referring to the box office which is not the gist of my argument. Of course ZNMD would have done very little without Hrithik much as Agneepath wouldn’t be much of an opener either. But it is about whether the star can gain something from these films beyond this obvious fact. And my argument is that ZNMD is just more tilted towards Farhan’s character. Hrithik has Katrina of course but the ‘tone’ of the film or its aspirations are far better represented by the poetry or the moment with the estranged father than anything else. Similarly in Agneepath Hrithik of course is Vijay except that this film is trying to drown out Vijay in all sorts of ways. This is very different from Hrithik in Guzaarish or JA or Kites or what have you. In DCH it’s different because the film eventually starts moving to a place where Aamir’s character just becomes much more central. This isn’t true in the first half but it is later on. His ‘maturing’ forms the template of the film and the two friends then have their own stories. But this is the way these things are often constructed where the biggest star often gets the ‘symbolic’ billing. Not so in ZNMD.
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January 23, 2012 at 2:09 PM
Satyam – Aamir had the most meaty role in DCH compared to others, but Saif was really the show-stealer and Akshaye did the acting bit. Aamir was the ‘star’, which in my books is not the best scenario. Due unnecessary focus on Aamir in the second part, i personally felt the movie was limited in its structure. It could not go beyond the clinched paradigm of giving more priority to the ‘star’. In that sense RDB was better structured and a better film.
ZNMD was actually a winner in this sense – Zoya had a refreshing balance and all the three leads were pivotal to her story. Structurally the movie was more revolved around Abhay’s character since it started with his misconceived engagement and ended with his resolve to break free from obligations. Hrithik gets to grow up in the process and do the routine-romance; Farhan gets to resolve his own issues ( my only criticism was that none of them really had much of an issue!). Farhan got some beautiful poetry (which his voice hardly did any justice to!) – and also the funny gags. But dont see how his was the central role.
But leaving all this aside, I felt that with ZNMD Hrithik has indeed opened himself to the youth and the multiplexes – which is not a bad way forward, considering Aamir as an example.
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January 23, 2012 at 3:32 PM
I too never quite liked Aamir very much in this film. Or at least not in the first half. He was fine in the second. And yes enjoyed watching Saif and Akshaye more here. But whether they did better or not Aamir was the symbolic center of the film.
On ZNMD I disagree. But I also don’t think Hrithik ever had a multiplex problem. I think he was looking for come credibility doing something ‘different’ and he got it with ZNMD.
On the box office I pointed this out at the time but interestingly MBKD more or less kept pace with ZNMD for a week or ten days. The point is that even after being liked ZNMD didn’t show any huge jumps in the initial period. It was just very stable. It also didn’t open as big as Rockstar, surely not too high a bar?
These ‘internals’ are often forgotten in these debates, hit or flop.
Incidentally all of this isn’t an anti-hrithik argument. I just don’t believe the limit of his ambition was to get a success doing that sort of part in ZNMD or even an Agneepath that’s shaped up the way it has. Sure he’ll take the big box office numbers (Agneepath could especially be massive) and this obviously helps him with distributors but what Hrithik is looking for is a huge hit combined with a transcendent moment as an actor. Or even if not a big one at least the Rockstar kind of combo. This is what he’s never had. Sure he gets the good reviews for major roles as very many stars do but you can always tell when the praise is genuine. He’s never had the Guru moment or the Rockstar one. Again one can agree or disagree for the praise in these instances but the actors had it. This is really what Hrithik’s been chasing for a while. If he just wanted to be the D2 or Krrish guy there wouldn’t have been an issue. He could have kept doing this.
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January 23, 2012 at 3:48 PM
Satyam, your point on Rockstar vs. ZNMD opening re-iterates the fact that Hrithik is not as big as Ranbir among today’s youth. Thats where ZNMD may have helped him – to have some kind of following in the youth. Agneepath if it works well, may similarly help him to cut across the SS audience. I am not convinced that Agneepath can open close to Salman’s BG/Dabangg in SS – no matter what the media or our trade pundits are claiming.
On Hrithik, I find him most unambitious of the current lot. He does not do enough work to built a narrative one way or the other, or even be in the debate.
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January 23, 2012 at 4:42 PM
Agreed on Agneepath in SS versus those Salman films. But I’d disagree on the Rockstar thing. Hrithik is one of the biggest openers around. But he’s not so when he steps outside his strengths. This is what people always forget about stars. Even the biggest ones can be very mortal outside their strength genres. And ZNMD unlike Rockstar just didn’t look like the most exciting thing around. But in any case hrithik whne he does Guzaarish or JA has very weak initials even though these are otherwise high profile projects. Some other stars would do better here. It’s all about what the star’s strengths are perceived to be.
But I’d also disagree that he’s unambitious. He’s just the opposite. However sometimes ambition too can be crippling in strange ways.
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January 23, 2012 at 4:09 PM
I agree that neither Agneepath nor ZNMD are really successes in a sense that would take Hrithik’s career forward substantially. ZNMD opened subpar for the kind fo star cast it had and it only put up those massive final numbers because of good trending and excellent word of mouth. So it was clearly a writer/director’s success more than that of any of the actors. With Agneepath- what’s attracting the most attention is Chikni Chameli.
I think that Krissh 3 will be he game changer for Hrithik. Rajesh Roshan really knows how to use his son best- and in a way that gets him the maximum accolades. So the success of ZNMD and Agneepath do matter in the sense that they will bolster Hrthik’s flagging star power in time for Krissh 3 so that the stage is set for him to reclaim his mid-2000s kind of status.
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January 23, 2012 at 8:57 AM
satyam, ZNMD was a hritik-show no matter what others think. AP – he will definately get his share of praise
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January 23, 2012 at 9:50 AM
Put differently the reason a major star attempts such a remake is to establish a certain equivalence with the original star in some form or fashion. If this equation is never made plausible the ultimate success or failure of the film is in a way immaterial. Yes it’s box office success. But a major star doesn’t need to go down this route to get at the box office!
In Don at least one understood Akhtar’s reasons even if one disagreed with them or found the ‘implementation’ of these questionable in the extreme. The idea to make a Don that would be ‘slick’ by present day standards might be a confused view of things at many levels but one can at least ‘see’ the rationale here. With Agneepath Johar doesn’t even have this ‘littlest’ of crutches. for him it’s simply about getting a success even if the film has no resemblance to the original work in any sense beyond the skeletal plot (which of course is itself generic).
I of course don’t buy that this attempt is simply about somehow making his father’s soul happy (actually I think the opposite.. the father’s soul is probably in a rather disturbed state at this ‘desecration’!) and producing a hit (elsewhere I’ve pointed out how there is some exaggeration on this score). But whether he’s conscious of this or not Johar is essential someone who defaces the great monuments of the past even as he pretends to admire them because he is enraged at his inability to challenge these with any achievements of his own. He will never make an important work but he will also never make a great classic. All his work but also most of his utterances reflect this anxiety. And hence if he cannot create great monuments of his own he can at least try to produce uglier versions of the same! Defacement is really his game and it is premised on Philistine resentment. I’m being precise here. Not just resentment but that which comes from a Philistine sensibility.
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January 23, 2012 at 2:26 PM
Johar I think is only after money – he did not have a big hit for a long time, moreso since his investment in SRK is only going as far as recovery in the last half decade or so.
Hrithik I think has different motive in doing this. I always wondered why Aamir did Ghajini after doing films like RDB, TZP etc. I guess he wanted the ego boost that he can do action too and get a hit in it. Its not that he likes or favors such films like Salman does, else why take steroids for one film and then pump it out in quick time to do a 3I? Maybe he was not happy with the BO of his previous attempts at action (be it Sarfarosh or Ghulam etc), and wanted to prove a point to himself. Maybe Hrithik here has similar aspirations – to be accepted as a tough guy. His young female fanbase has already been taken over by Ranbir.
Otherwise he has to be deranged to think he can recreate Amitabh’s aura in this stuff.
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January 23, 2012 at 3:23 PM
But Aamir would never have done this sort of remake even if it had looked safe to him in commercial terms. Hrithik could have done other subjects for the same reasons. Obviously this was being made as opposed to another project he would have had to bring about. But the Bachchan angle is quite irresistible to many of these guys (not all by any means). At the very least it makes for a good media story. So no, I don’t think he literally believes he can pull off a Bachchan here or anywhere else. But stars are often psychologically governed by that which is not immediately apparent or not only by simple rationality (which is true for the rest of us ‘non-stars’ too!). Stars have their different ambitions but also their different demons. It’s never the same set of ‘logical choices’ for them. My own theory if you will is that stars almost are always, at least when they’re in the position to exercise these choices, not driven simply by the ‘obvious’. In the career of just about any significant star sooner or later these ‘strange’ patterns emerge or those choices which are not explicable solely on ‘rational’ grounds or in the very tangible sense.
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January 23, 2012 at 7:32 AM
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January 23, 2012 at 6:05 PM
Few random thoughts-
the ‘good’ guys
Though Hritik and abhishrek are in quite different box office situations right now, there is something common (other than the fact that they are peers)
They both signify a ‘protected’ and ‘nurtured’ upbringing, may one say a good family credentials/’values’ relatively speaking
And have arguably faced less ‘struggle’
Is it the reason for their lack of ‘drive’ or ‘ass-hollery’
They have never been caught with their pants down, not cos they have been extra careful but there hasn’t been much to write bout..
So they have been “good” boys
(except the Barbara’s Mori phase maybe)
Too much of niceness can sometimes be a liability in scandal chasing celluloid.
Unless one runs over a few sleeping humans, spends a few nights in jail( and a few in romps/orgies), father a ‘secret’ child growing up in London, Go shopping with a girlfriend half your age as well as teenage kids (in indian setting), having hobbies ranging from illegal game to illegal arms to underworld links-yes-until one passes these ‘tests’ -one hasn’t ‘arrived’ in life as a celluloid ‘
These two have surprisingly not let success go into their head(though the ‘success’ bit is not applicable for abhishrek yet)
As pointed out earlier, they have also allowed people in general, including media discourse run all over them somewhat passively.
Both deserve more credit and success than they are getting
When one sees talentless non- entities like Imran khan (who also is a ‘nice’ guy) getting more success recently, one knows these two are doing something wrong
Btw this flawed (&preposterous)’twinning’ of the box office standing of HR &abhishrek needs to be seen in the correct perspective to be understood correctly
It is somewhat surprising how Hritik has messed up his immense potential and strengths. It’s not that he is in a pathetic position (like abhishrek)
But when I saw him being bluffed into playing the effective second lead in znmd and behaving in a virginal girlish angst in the song ‘khwabon ke parinde’, knew he has messed up big time
Hope he reclaims his lost ‘glory’
When one sees stunted things and over- the-hill pieces of misplaced attitude ‘breaking records’, one cannot help but feel that HR (heck even abhishrek) deserves more…..
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January 23, 2012 at 6:32 PM
The whole idea that nice guys finish last is bullshit. Aamir seems to be one of the nicest men around and he has the most enviable combination of prestige + box office success at this point. Salman might be going through an excellent phase right now- but Hrithik also went through a similar phase a few years back and Salman was at an all-time low then. And until recently SRK has always been known as a very nice guy and a thorough family man. Its only when his mid-life crisis phase hit and he started acting vulgar- on and off screen- that his popularity has taken a slight hit.
As for Hrithik’s ‘virginal girlish angst’- one of the most endearing things about Hrithik has always been how his hulking physicality is in contrast to the vulnerability/ innocence that he exudes. Even in Krrish and Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai his own father exploited this dichotomy to the fullest and that was one of the reasons why he caused such a craze and became such a phenomenon amongst women in the country. The same goes for SRK- he attained his crazy popularity with women only through his innocent lover boy roles in the KJo/Yash Chopra films. And that purity and niceness is the same reason why Imran Khan is developing a strong fan base with women despite not being talented at all.
The whole idea that women like bad boys is just a myth and wishful thinking on the part of men. Nice guys don’t finish last- push-overs do. And there is a big difference between both.
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January 23, 2012 at 6:36 PM
The main problem with Abhishek and Hrithik imo is they did not have to struggle much. The industry had protected them too much due to their connections and linage. When you struggle all by yourself to success – you get to learn the tricks in the trade – having useful ‘dads’ does not compensate for that.
Hrithik imo comes across either a manchild or is too girlish. Abhishek not so (mainly due to his appearance) but again Abhishek’s body language is more like his mother than his father imo.
Both have messed up their careers bigtime. Both should have done much better than their current standing.
Ranbir in the meantime has stole the limelight away from them, what a pity!
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January 23, 2012 at 6:47 PM
amy and bored: well said!!
Am quite tired & incoherent but can make out that u girls are making more sense that what I’m jotting down rite now …
Will revisit this when not sleep deprived lol
Let’s go 2 bed: girls lol
Anyhow for guys: lemme leave a ‘ready reckoner’–
“The very English Amy Jackson was just recovering from the disappointment of having lost the Miss England title (after scooping the Miss Liverpool crown in 2010) when a call from India changed the 17-year-old’s life dramatically.
Somewhere in Chennai at that time, director A L Vijay was
planning his next film. Vijay, who had earlier worked as director Priyadarshan’s assistant, saw Amy’s pictures on the ‘Miss England’ website and knew immediately that she was the fresh face he was looking for to play the lead role in his blockbuster Madrasapattinam.”
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January 23, 2012 at 6:39 PM
‘Unveiling’ Amy Jackson : folks…
Unlike popular sentiment/belief, most of the so called ‘foreign’ imports have failed to excite (atleast for me)
Be it Lagaan, rdb, marigold, salaam e ishq, blue, kambakht ishq etc etc and also in kites (somewhat)
Don’t even remember their names in most cases…
Katrina Kaif and nargis fakhri are not really the archetypal blonde variety, so a different subgroup lol
Haven’t seen any of her movie, but curious to ‘assess’ Amy Jackson….Hope to see Ek deewana tha…
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Brunch/Brunch-Stories/Are-Bollywood-and-foreigners-inseparable/Article1-799887.aspx
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January 23, 2012 at 7:01 PM
Oh., this is ‘agneepath’ thread..
Just a quick point –wanna repeat…
Watched ‘gun guna’
Nothing special here
But PC ‘lifts’ the proceedings (& her skirt briefly-though nothing objectionable)
A contrast/ foil to chiknis sexual take
This one (gun guna)is laced with subtle timing and nuance with no resort to vulgarity…
Kow most will feel that I’m going overboard in my praise for PC here but she reminds me of Madhuri dixits timing and nuance here somewhat-though she has some way to go
The much maligned and joked about kjo lines up two ‘ forms/ faces’ of mainstream lead actress song solo acts -both encompassing different ‘profiles’
Chikni chameli and gun guna
Both girls Kat and PC seem to have worked out of their skins here
Cmon folks- get down from your high horses (pun intended) and give these two their ‘ due’
(Now I need my due of sleep lol)
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January 23, 2012 at 10:56 PM
4 and half stars by Taran. Ho gaya Kalyan 🙂
http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/moviemicro/criticreview/id/503039
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January 23, 2012 at 11:21 PM
so pretty much this rating means itll be a 100cr grosser at the very least. This will be huge for Hrithik. i think i will actually go see this one in the theatres. the last dharma/hrithik film i went to see in the theatre was K3G…with the whole damn family.
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January 24, 2012 at 8:27 AM
an early review. A Kjo film.
I don’t even have to read Taran’s review to know what it would be like.
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January 24, 2012 at 12:45 AM
Recall saying somewhere that the likes of Taran and Nahata give prostitution a bad name..!
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January 24, 2012 at 9:33 AM
For Karan movie he even gave likes of Kurbaan and Dostana 4 stars .. no wonder Taran and Karan share same sex .. gays.
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