Shahrukh Films I have seen and loved! Part 1!

Someone told me the other day--you should write about all the SRK films you have seen!--humm how would I do that?? I have seen nearly all the films he has made, the good, the mediocre, the outright awful--even some where he just did a cameo!

Any SRK fan will recognize this picture from Billu--it was the Marjaani dance bit he did with Kareen Kapoor(not a bad number, even if it does contain Kareena)!
Some of his films have left me wondering--why he did them. I know he made specific choices early in his career to not do romantic 'chocolate box hero' roles--this is a quote I read in a book written about him--and his early roles reflect this!

My first film I ever saw with him was Kal Ho Naa Ho--my goddaughter brought the film back from India--and said I needed to watch! Well, that film not only hooked me on Bollywood, but it made me the biggest SRK fan in the Northeast!

The heart wrenching interaction between SRK and Preity Zinta makes me cry every time I watch this film! The story may be hokey, the songs so so--but SRK is in top form as the romantic lead. The first time I saw this film, I had not seen any other Bollywood films, so I missed the subtext and references to other great BWood films--Lagaan, DDLJ to name just a few. As well as I did not recognize the significance of the cameos of Kajol and Rani Mukerjee and other female leads of SRK's!  I had much to learn!

After seeing this film, this made me want to find more SRK films on Netflix--or buy what I could cheaply--and my collection began! 

My next film of SRK's that I love and have seen many many times is Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge or DDLJ. This was SRK's first romantic lead--and boy does he do it up well--no sappy romance for him-he is a cynical Indian raised in London who falls for a very traditional Punjabi young lady. This film set the bar very high for Bollywood romances after its release and has been hinted at and referenced in many films since. I used to try to watch this film on the anniversary of its release every year--but have been remiss of late--my dream one day is to head to Mumbai and see it in the Maratha Mandir theatre where it has been playing since the films release in 1995!! According to the Wiki entry on DDLJ--this film is in the 1001 Must See Films before you die(along with Mother India)!! So I guess I have seen all the Bollywood I need see??? NOT!!

There are so many films--I think I may need to do more than one blog post Ms Aish!!

Missing movies!?

Well--I have watched a few films lately--several were great--one was a waste of my time(sorry Erin!).

Khanaai (2012)--Starred Vidya Balan--and I never thought I would love a thriller so much!  I had read so much about this film and when I finally got to watch, I was glued to my seat!  This thriller is a murder mystery(I think!)--it is a very hard to classify film, even for a western film! Vidya(the character's name is the same as the actress'), very pregnant, heads to Kolkata during the Durga Puja festivities --there is  a real symbolism between this celebration and the story that gets told(and when I totally figure it out, I will let you know).Vidya is in Kolkata to locate her missing husband--he left for business and never returned to London.
Vidya struggles with the heat, her large belly, the crowds and the lack of co-operation from authorities as she tries to find her husband. The police think she is crazy--but one officer is assigned to help her and ferry her around Kolkata.
She checks into a semi seedy guest house, where her husband had stayed--this place is not very clean, the 'running' hot water is provided by a small boy!  Vidya spends much of her free time in the hotel room cleaning it!
Vidya convinces the young police officer that her quest for her lost husband is part of a conspiracy--which seems to be true as many of the people she talks to about her husband end up dead!
I won't give up too much of the story--don't want to give you any spoilers(sweetie--oops sorry another passion!)  But I never expected the ending that was!! I will need to watch this film a few more times to figure out all the clues--and they were very well placed/hidden--the 'running water-boy' at the guest house, the woman in HR of the company where her husband works, so many clues were tossed about!
This film was made on a very very small budget--there are not multiple costume changes(I kind of think that the actress used her own clothing!), there are no dance numbers, no lavish sets--but this movie hooks you in well and good!
One thing to consider when you watch this film--keep in mind--nothing is as it seems! This film is a perfect mystery film--clues and red herrings abound, but the ending is.... well--you must see it !