The wonderful Roshan Seth, in admirably grumpy style, lays the smackdown on the Hindi film industry.
Points of note:
- Roshan didn't like Rang de Basanti or Mangal Pandey (ha ha! Roshan ji, we should hang out) or Black (we seriously should. Seriously.).
- But Roshan was offered the role of Zaara's father in Veer Zaara and he turned it down because Yash Chopra didn't have a script to show him. Roshan ji. It's Yash Chopra. For the love of all that is masala, it couldn't have been so terrible (and indeed, it was fabulous!). Get yourself out there, man!
- We also liked the irony of having a Guru clip follow his ranting against Mani Ratnam. (Which, once again, it's freaking Mani Ratnam, things aren't quite so bad!)
Anyway, sigh. Roshan Seth. He's so great.
Why do we love Roshan Seth?
- He was the first Indian actor we ever crushed on like MAJORLY, thanks to his role in Gandhi.
- His big soulful eyes.
- His penchant for postcolonial roles.
- His penchant for looking distant and thoughtful in postcolonial roles.
- Did we mention his big soulful eyes?
- Also his cheekbones.
Also in the news: Very exciting!
After watching our noble blog companions get written up in The Times of India, and after much jealous woeing and sighing and anxious anticipation on our part, we have finally hit the big time. Yay! Fish sticks for everyone!
We now return you to our regularly scheduled PPCC programming.
8 comments:
EEEE! I love that yummy quote about Shashi!
Congratulations on hitting the big time! :D
My congratulations on the mention in the Times of India! Your blog does certainly deserve it.
Aervir@LJ
I should have figured you'd love Veer-Zaara! Whenever I hear the music - like when I listen to the "Namaste Dosti" podcast - I want to jab pencils into my ears. But I like the part when they're on that suspendy platform things and Preity is too nervous to let go of the ropes so Shahrukh tosses her snacks. In fact, I think that needs to be made a banner.
I agree completely with Roshan Seth (and the ppcc) re: Rang de Basanti, Mangal Pandey and Black but sadly not so much with you about Veer Zaara. It was okay, but not great. And Yash Chopra has let us down a lot recently...
But yay for your publicity! and the Shashi quote is some of your most sublime writing (and that is saying something :-).
Congrats p-pcc! Glad you got to hog the limelight and graciously shared it with Shashi! lol
I agree with Roshan Seth about everything - especially Mani Ratnam. The latter's movies do look like he gets a new idea everyday and then uses it just like that in the movie with no thought to coherence or continuity! By the way, Gandhi wasnt the only time Seth played Nehru - he did a long stint as Nehru in Shyam Benegal's Bharat Ek Khoj (Discovery of India) - a TV series - and did a darn good job there, too.
Whoo-hoo! I'm breaking out the tartar sauce and ketchup RIGHT NOW!!! (and congrats to Beth too!)
Congrats on the mention.
The guy who wrote that article has also got a very good blog with lengthy articles on books and movies.
http://jaiarjun.blogspot.com
You should definitely check it out.
Filmi Girl - I cringe every time I read it, but everyone I've sent the article to seems to like it. So maybe I should just embrace my own cheesiness. Thanks!
Aervir - Hello! I didn't realize you read, thanks for stopping by! And thanks, however I wasn't in Times of India - as my esteemed colleagues were. But that's my next goal. :)
Beth - Aww, you know I'm a shameless dil lover and apologist of Lata.
Memsaab - Yeah, I love hearing Roshan or Naseer or Om lay into mainstream filmmaking from time to time. They're so refreshingly blunt and indie! Aw, thanks re: quote. As I said to Filmi Girl, I cringe when I read it!
Bollyviewer - Thanks! I haven't seen recent Mani, but Dil Se impressed me so much that I have already forgiven him all his future sins (just like Raj after Awaara!). I think I knew that Roshan has played Nehru repeatedly (and indeed the resemblance is a bit freaky at times) - I'm keen to see Bharat ek Koj, I believe Om and Naseer are also that, and Shyam directed, no?
Ajnabi - Thanks! :) But speaking of tartar sauce reminds me of Spongebob, and I can't eat a Spongebob.
Abhi - Thanks! Yeah, I've now re-discovered it - I had seen it and lost it long ago - it's a goldmine of info!
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