tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246957333917525824.post4385572269450210901..comments2023-09-05T03:38:00.025-05:00Comments on October Library: Flirting With a Reckless DeceptionAnarchivisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599522097057431891noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246957333917525824.post-20384419056965898582017-11-16T09:35:23.745-06:002017-11-16T09:35:23.745-06:00Cristina, thanks for your comments! Cristina, thanks for your comments! Anarchivisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06599522097057431891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246957333917525824.post-29971564924415831442017-10-29T14:48:24.192-05:002017-10-29T14:48:24.192-05:00Fascinated by what came “after”; yes they showed a...Fascinated by what came “after”; yes they showed a bit of the honeymoon (which I did not understand as there were no subtitles) but honestly, how does this couple go on from such an auspicious beginning? How many Raj traits did he keep to please her, of any? Do they actually speak to each other at the dinner table now? Did he keep the pants?!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17865970944709922530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246957333917525824.post-19383419166829063602017-10-29T14:34:22.207-05:002017-10-29T14:34:22.207-05:00Thank you for this blog post and your insightful c...Thank you for this blog post and your insightful comments about my favorite bolly movie! Absolutely brought up some fine points I have never considered. Will obsess over your POV for bit before a rewatch. Also enjoyed your romantic fiction comparison which I consume despite it’s many many flaws. Hope to read more of your blogs as I become more educated in the bollywood realm. Cheers!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17865970944709922530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246957333917525824.post-41428161587961005442017-10-29T14:27:39.989-05:002017-10-29T14:27:39.989-05:00Thank you for this blog post and your insightful c...Thank you for this blog post and your insightful comments about my favorite bolly movie! Absolutely brought up some fine points I have never considered. Will obsess over your POV for bit before a rewatch. Also enjoyed your romantic fiction comparison which I also consume despite it’s many many flaws. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17865970944709922530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246957333917525824.post-51856163542884413462016-08-15T05:15:40.779-05:002016-08-15T05:15:40.779-05:00Thank you, thank you thank you! Wonderful post! Th...Thank you, thank you thank you! Wonderful post! Thank you for putting into words all my thoughts and feelings about this movie! Incredible insight and detail! After about a seven year break I started watching Bollywood movies again about a month ago starting with Dilwale (totally cringeworthy!)and following that unfortunate experience with RNBDJ which restored my faith in good indian films! Than I came upon your blog by following one link after another and I read this post a couple of times! What a writer you are! Thank you again!Amilenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246957333917525824.post-15856989708186271402010-12-27T19:05:32.155-06:002010-12-27T19:05:32.155-06:00I watched this movie yesterday. And the ending was...I watched this movie yesterday. And the ending was bothering me a lot. No matter how much I try, I can't see immediate acceptance of Suri/Raj by Taani after the dance competition. And you articulated it the best here..<br /><br />"Sometimes people will abandon a persona as no longer being "really me," startling the friends who knew them as that person, and sometimes leaving them feeling betrayed."<br /><br />How come Taani didn't feel betrayed? She was ready to run away with Raj. How come she wasn't atleast angry with Suri for not doing 'Raj' stuff as Suri? <br /><br />Anyway, your review of the movie and the dissection of 'Makeover' theme is awesome. Furthermore, the title has one of my favourite M&B book 'Reckless Deception' by Angela Wells. <br /><br />-Violet in TwilightAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246957333917525824.post-40359550092094106522010-05-11T21:05:54.148-05:002010-05-11T21:05:54.148-05:00Aww, thanks for the nice comments. Every time I wa...Aww, thanks for the nice comments. Every time I watch , or even the picturizations, I find more layers in it. Who knows where it'll end! :)Anarchivisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06599522097057431891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246957333917525824.post-62694633885064467682010-05-11T19:34:43.511-05:002010-05-11T19:34:43.511-05:00I cannot believe you wrote all this. Seriously, I&...I cannot believe you wrote all this. Seriously, I'm in awe of your thoughtful, insightful dissection of this film. I love it so much, and I'm glad to see the reasons I love it laid out in such a clear and convincing fashion.ajnabihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246957333917525824.post-25538546679979229472009-07-17T17:29:24.345-05:002009-07-17T17:29:24.345-05:00Anarchivist,
Wow! Well I'm sure you'll ado...Anarchivist,<br />Wow! Well I'm sure you'll adore DhoomFM, even the commercials. KeMoJa is still alive and kicking. The studio was actually moved to Uptown (in the rainbow bldg, kitty corner from Calhoun Sq.) from its previous studio in North Mpls. up on 55. I've been listening to it since I was in junior high school (too many years back to mention) in my desperate search to find anything that wasn't mainstream. You know there's only so many times one can listen to Dust in the Wind by Kansas, right? Glad to know you once lived here and if you're ever back in town please look me up and we can go for coffee and a movie.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246957333917525824.post-64935006882143556422009-07-17T15:27:14.284-05:002009-07-17T15:27:14.284-05:00Hi, Sita-Ji! Thanks for your comments (and I liked...Hi, Sita-Ji! Thanks for your comments (and I liked your recent post on Noor Jehan also). <br /><br />On KMOJ (which I always think of in full, as "KMOJ, the Voice of the Inner City"): I used to live in Mpls, and that was pretty much the only radio station I listened to. Sadly, I'm no longer in range, but still a fan. I'll definitely have to check out this Dhoom FM!Anarchivisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06599522097057431891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246957333917525824.post-64619521776271511002009-07-17T03:22:34.643-05:002009-07-17T03:22:34.643-05:00Awesome post! I loved this film! My heart was so h...Awesome post! I loved this film! My heart was so happy when I heard this part:<br /><br />"In every life we change our form/On dream's curtains are we reborn" <br /><br />and I loved the part where you write about this: <br /><br /> "or at least that's what the subtitles tell me, although I'm sure there's got to be a better translation than that). The dream's curtains business is an obvious reference to the fantasy world of film, and "changing our form" suggests the way each era has its romantic hero. The superstars are distinct individuals, but are all manifestations for their specific time periods of a universal need, embodiments of the desire for love)." Well said!<br /><br />Now why do you have MY Minneapolis KMOJ on your radio links!?!? Been listening to that for many years myself. I like your other radio links too. You may also like Dhoom FM, http://www.dhoomfm.com/<br /><br />Again, I really enjoyed your thorough post. All the best!<br />Sita-jiAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246957333917525824.post-72081802217651130842009-06-29T20:39:46.545-05:002009-06-29T20:39:46.545-05:00Yes, I was annoyed by the book when Drogo insisted...Yes, I was annoyed by the book when Drogo insisted on calling her "Desiree" at the very end instead of her real name, Cornelia. How stable is that relationship?<br /><br />I had tons more comments in mind when I first read this post but I'm going to have to print out the whole thing and take notes first!SpyGirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09559048129120493591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246957333917525824.post-14510457445664328532009-06-28T14:13:32.572-05:002009-06-28T14:13:32.572-05:00This is just hilarious. We SAW THE SAME FILM! I fe...This is just hilarious. We SAW THE SAME FILM! I felt exactly about it (except that I was very irritated that Suri wouldn't tell her the truth, and wanted her to somehow know that she should choose him and not Raj---seemed unrealistic and selfish to me) as you do, AND could not stop thinking about DOTH!<br /><br />I hadn't read your post today before I read mine---it's totally coincidental. I love that you call the book "deranged" too, because it really is. I *heart* it.memsaabhttp://memsaabstory.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246957333917525824.post-70592139911129524322009-06-28T09:27:53.531-05:002009-06-28T09:27:53.531-05:00SSS is such a weird one. I have a hard time gettin...SSS is such a weird one. I have a hard time getting past RK's slimy treatment of Rupa given that the film's message is supposedly about looks not mattering. It's also hard to get past Shashi's character being A TOTAL ASS - he could be perfectly happy if he'd just think for a minute. A pathological fear of ugliness is such a ridiculous character trait - though if it's going to be explored anywhere, Bollywood in the 70s is probably the place.<br /><br />You're so right about Raj's presence being a great way for the film to have explored Taani's reactions. Why didn't they do that?<br /><br />I haven't written much about Aditya Chopra. I saw <i>Mohabbatein</i> very early on and was just so overwhelmed by the drama that I didn't have much else to say. I think I saw it the same weekend as <i>Devdas</i>, neither of which I have revisited. I have rewatched DDLJ many times but it makes me so annoyed that I never know what to say. I should try though.Beth Loves Bollywoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05540154833326987567noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246957333917525824.post-504433851413860542009-06-28T08:35:40.177-05:002009-06-28T08:35:40.177-05:00Ooh, yes, "Satyam Shivam Sundaram" is to...Ooh, yes, "Satyam Shivam Sundaram" is totally apt! I need to think about that, a lot! <br /><br />I definitely agree that Raj isn't constructed out of Suri's real self, necessarily. But once he's playing Raj, Suri gets into it, and uses him to speak his feelings more fearlessly. Like it doesn't always matter what the persona is, as long as it's distinguished from the "self."<br /><br />And very true: the movie definitely suffers from the lack of open reflection from the characters, especially Taani. They could so easily have given Taani more expression of how she felt about her situation. I mean, Raj was right there to listen to her! And if there'd been more of a dual POV, it could have worked more for more people.<br /><br />On the other hand, the murkiness may be what attracts the Inner English Major. :) We don't want anything spelled out! What fun would that be? <br /><br />Have you written at any length about Aditya Chopra? I can't remember offhand, but will look through your index...Anarchivisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06599522097057431891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246957333917525824.post-34039259351097737642009-06-27T20:01:03.684-05:002009-06-27T20:01:03.684-05:00One more: your discussion of that book somehow rem...One more: your discussion of that book somehow reminded me of Raj Kapoor's <i>Satyam Shivam Sundaram</i>, in which Rupa (Zeenat Aman) basically plays two versions of herself to please her UTTER WACKJOB husband Ranjev (Shashi Kapoor). If I recall, in that case, Rupa didn't exactly set out to fool Ranjeev by hiding her facial disfigurement, but he saw her that way, and then she was so seduced by his attentions that she kept it up. Like you're saying, Ranjeev thinks he knows her, but he really doesn't, and when she tries to tell him, he flips out. Ranjeev's pathological fear of ugliness because he's a spoiled brat who's been allowed to live in a dream world of perfect beauty free of anyone else's concerns is not at all like RNBDJ, but the idea of someone thinking they know another person based on initial impressions and some form of "blindness," whether guided or not, to their true or more complete character is interesting. <br /><br />Okay, I'll stop now :)Beth Loves Bollywoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05540154833326987567noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246957333917525824.post-90157813244065257232009-06-27T19:46:08.499-05:002009-06-27T19:46:08.499-05:00Re: makeovers: I too love that about Main Hoon Na....Re: makeovers: I too love that about <i>Main Hoon Na</i>. Leave it to an industry veteran woman to take that idea and flip it on its head. <br /><br />Re: Surinder's makeover particularly: I am not convinced that much of "Raj" actually comes from Surinder's genuine, unexplored self at all. I think most of what Raj is is what Surinder thinks cool is (which is why Raj comes off as so absurd and artificial). I think if Raj was made up of actual parts of Suri - maybe a musical side he had to drop in order to focus on his business degree or something, I don't know, some kind of classic back story like that - Raj could have been a better friend to Taani in the first place because he was made out of something real. Raj is an uneducated guess by two guys who apparently know squat about relationships - and, more importantly, by one guy who knows nothing about expressing himself, period. (I say that based on how he behaves with his office friends, who seem to steamroll right over him.)Beth Loves Bollywoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05540154833326987567noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246957333917525824.post-42372209483793512622009-06-27T19:37:21.061-05:002009-06-27T19:37:21.061-05:00I'm pausing after the first chunk to say that ...I'm pausing after the first chunk to say that I think your idea of "but I'm sure it feels like that at the time" is a very insightful and kind way to look at this film (and one I certainly didn't come up with). And an interesting way to look at their expectations and plans (or lack thereof). It'd be great if the characters used it themselves and we got some more reflections from them about their decisions.<br /><br />I also love the idea SRK as a subsequent avatar of the hero parade in that song. You're totally right. The movie had to address typical SRK style-heroness and romance, and having SRK himself do it is meta fun. I seem never to tire of that kind of thing, though like you I know others who do. <br /><br />Still, no matter how many times I go through the film in my head, fueled by more and more opinions from others, I'm still left with a faint feel of ick. I can't quite pin it down, but it's there. Is it from the age difference? My issues with Aditya Chopra's previous work? The fact that Taani's arc and development are mostly framed through Surinder's actions and decisions? Hmmm.Beth Loves Bollywoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05540154833326987567noreply@blogger.com