Thursday 12 June 2008

Democracy rules!

Inspired by the bit in Ghungroo where the plebeian masses knock down the doors of the gilded mahal, the PPCC has decided to fling open its doors to you, YOU, dear readers. Yes, we are temporarily going democratic, mostly because we have a pile of unwatched movies, and we often sit in front of it, fidgeting slightly and wringing our hands. Oh, indecision! Oh, torturous indecision! We don't know what to watch. We just don't know!

So we've decided to try for an experiment in democracy. We tell you the names on the pile, and you tell us what to review next.

Here are the options:
1. Karz. 80s. Rishi Kapoor. Featuring the titular song and much of the inspiration for Om Shanti Om.
2. Anari. 50s. Raj Kapoor. Want yet more thoughtful, quiet Raj? Us too!
3. Doosra Aadmi. 70s. Rishi, Shashi and Neetu, at it again.
4. The Householder. 60s. Very young Shashi, in a Merchant-Ivory fare.
5. Rahu Ketu. 70s. Shashi and Rekha play second bananas to the awesomeness that is Pran.
6. Do Musafir. 70s. Shashi and Rekha and Pran, at it again. This looks charmingly rural.
7. Bluffmaster 60s. Shammi. We still haven't seen a properly Shammi movie (Parvarish doesn't count). Added bonus: black and white Manmohan Desai!
8. Some other 60s Shammi one.
9. Vinod/Randhir #1. OK, so we were sort of desperate when we bought these.
10. Vinod/Randhir #2.
11. Mard. 80s. Amitabh. Manmohan Desai. Some really crazy shit goes down, apparently.
12. Ganga ki Saugand. 70s. Amitabh, Rekha, Pran, Amjad Khan. Also charmingly rural. Stuff happens in Benares.
13. Anhonee. 50s. Raj Kapoor. Really low-fi, black and white.
14. Guru. 2006ish. Abhishek, Aishwarya. Mani Ratnam directs, Roshan Seth makes a long-overdue comeback.
15. Jaaydaad. 80s. Shashi being a non-hero, lawyer type.
16. Sindoor. 80s. Aging Shashi in one of his last romantic hero roles.
17. Tridev. 80s. Sunny Deol, Jackie Shroff, Naseeruddin Shah, Amrish Puri and lots of 80s fun. Music is fab. Features the fabulous Tirchi Topiwale song.
18. Hum Paanch. 80s. Naseeruddin Shah, Raj Babbar. Parallel cinema. Update of Mahabharata or possibly Ramayana.
19. Nastik. 50s. Ajit. Atheist movie, reviewed by Memsaab, looks fab.


Or, if you're tired of Hindi, we've got about five Pedro Almodovar movies on our hands as well as Dune (yeah!).

MOTHER OF GOD. Over 20 films?!

That's it. Film buying embargo until we get through at least 15 of these suckers. We are so ashamed. Oh, what you must think of us! Oh, shame.

We're going away in the mountains this weekend to purify our eyes of television monitor rays and our pores of city grime, and so we will leave the poll running 'til then. Feel free to vote as many times as you wish, and we will guarantee that we will watch and review whichever film wins the poll.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'll vote for a Shammi Kapoor movie..n keep Karz review for wen Himesss's version is released. it'll be fun to read review of both together..watsay :)

Anonymous said...

I vote for Doosra Aaadmi.

I remember having a really strong (positive?) reaction to it when I watched it early in my Bolly-viewing days, but I've totally forgotten what it was all about now. It involved Shashi and social messages, is all I can recall, and really that should be enough to sell any movie! I'd love for the PPCC to refresh my memory and give me their own unique take on it.

Anarchivist said...

Well, I'd welcome any excuse to watch "Karz" again. But I'm also interesting in your views on "Mard" and "Tridev," since they're ones I'm eager to see. That is, whenever I get caught up on my own ludicrous stack of DVDs, which I haven't been brave enough to count. I THINK it's under twenty.

Anonymous said...

Well, you know that my vote is always and forever for any Shammi film!

But Karz is a real treat too (I reviewed it on my blog a while ago). Don't know that Karzzzzzzz will compare though :-)

Filmi Girl said...

Karz is highly excellent. Not only are there some rockin' tunes and Rishi kicking out some fab dance moves, but it also has (are you ready) PRAN in a chin-beard.

Simi Garewal is also very awesome and Aruna Irani stops by for an item number. There is no way that Karz..zzz...zzz can compete with the original. Why remake the classics? Why not remake something that was kind of lame and improve upon it? *doesn't under film producers*

Beth Loves Bollywood said...

Doosra Aadmi. It's the movie that made me love Shashi, and Neetu is awesome, but there is some severely annoying stuff about women's roles, if I recall.

ajnabi said...

I voted for the original Bluffmaster, but I also would've voted for Dune if it'd been an option. Have fun in the mountains--I live in the Appalachians so I'd enjoy getting some city grime once in a while. ;-)

Anonymous said...

Guys you should totally watch Mard! It is the craziest and funniest movie ever complete with a Shashi-inspired statue, along with great sexual chemistry with Amitabh and Amrita! Mard rocks!

red42 said...

I voted for another Shammi movie - I just finished watching Kashmiri ki Kali which is typical Shammi. Some beautiful scenery and Sharmila just to top it off.
On the other hand, Karz is excellent in the first half, but IMO ends to lose it a bit in the second half of the movie. Still definitely worth a watch though!

Anonymous said...

I've changed my vote from any Shammi to Bluffmaster (in an attempt to break the tie)...although it's not my very favorite, it IS a good one, and it's really time you saw a Shammi film. Actually, it's beyond time.

:-)

a ppcc representative said...

Ridhima - Welcome! They're remaking Karz?! Oh my. It looks like Karz is coming out on top in the polls.

Nina - Shashi + social reactions = gotta be a good thing, I agree. It's on the short list!

Anarchivist - Ah, you're going for the crazy ones. I'm liking your taste, as it matches mine at the mo.

Memsaab - This'll be great, I can finally see the original Karz, after all that talk of OSO ripping it off! And no worries, I am feeling the call of Shammi. It's really happening, very soon.

Filmi Girl - PRAN!!? I LOVE Pran in facial hair. His cool Amish-style beard in Amar Akbar Anthony? Yes, sir. Hey, I daydream about remaking Star Wars (with Tony Leung Chiu-Wai as Obi-Wan Kenobi, how cool would that be!?).

Beth - Yeah, Shashi/Rishi/Neetu! And yet more female oppression? Oh dear. I'm starting to think Shashi's 80s feminist films (Ghungroo and Swati) were just apologies for his earlier stuff!

Ajnabi - Because I'm stupid, I forgot to list about 5-6 movies in the poll. Including Dune. Honestly, I tried to watch Dune again the other evening and became severely freaked out (admittedly my typical reaction to Dune) so I need to gather up some friends for companionship/courage.

Rum - A stone Shashi?! Fabulous! I just re-read Bollybob's review of Mard, it looks ace.

Red42 - Welcome! It seems most voters are vying between Shammi and Karz. If only I had known this was where demand lay. I should do democracy more often.

Memsaab - Ballot-box stuffing might be called for. All in the name of Shammi!

Anonymous said...

Thought you said we could vote as often as possible. Seems that everybody gets only one vote each! Have been trying to find ways and means of getting past that with no success! :( Seeing that the competition is between uncle and nephew, I vote for the uncle in Bluffmaster (hey my motto is Old is Gold and the older the golder!).

Unknown said...

Oh yes dey are wid nasal crooner Himesss playin rishi kapoor's role, dino morea as rishi kapoor's previous birth (i forgot his name) and urmila playin simi grewal!!! a dissaster in makin for sure.