Ticket to Bollywood

Archive for November, 2008


Posted on November 28, 2008 - by Reema

Top 10 songs of 2008

So, my top 10 lists are back. Not much to top 10 about during the middle of the year, so I guess these will mainly show up at years end. And look, it’s already almost December. Time flies.

Lets start out with some honorable mentions. Songs I liked, but not enough to make my list. And, I will admit, I wanted to put more Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi songs on the top 10 list, but I figure that’s because the songs are so new. So, I’m restraining myself.

Honorable Mentions - Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta, Dance Pe Chance (Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi), Rock On!!, Socha Hai (Rock On!!), Mannata (Heroes), Tu Meri Dost Hai (Yuvvraaj), Zara Sa (Jannat), Talli (Ugly Aur Pagli), Move Your Body, Bakhuda Tumhi Ho remix (Kismat Konnection), Jaane Kyun, Maa Da Laadla remix (Dostana), Dil Haara, Tashan Mein (Tashan), Bachna Ae Haseeno, Aahista Aahista (Bachna Ae Haseeno)

Ok, on to the list:

10. Mit Jaaye [Kidnap]

Imran isn’t really convincing as a bad boy, especially after Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, but he looks quite good in this video. I love the song, though it’s a bit faster on the album than in this video, and the singer sounds different.

09. Khwab Dekhe [Race]

One of my guilty pleasures of 2008. I constantly complain about English lyrics, and this song includes “Sexy lady, makes me crazy, be my baby, give me all your lovin now…”. Definition of cheezy, yet the song is so damn catchy that I listen anyway. Damn Pritam and his catchiness.

08. Haule Haule [Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi]

I didn’t like this song when I first heard it, but it grew on me. Really nice song, great singing by Sukhwinder. Such a different song from what we’ve been getting lately.

07. Khuda Jaane [Bachna Ae Haseeno]

Such a gorgeous song. Vishal Shekhar prove that they are not all about rock. They can make a beautiful love song as well. This song has a haunting quality about it. KK is just perfect. Shilpa Rao’s voice becomes a bit jarring during her voice, you can’t completely understand what she sings. But overall, lovely.

06. Sinbad The Sailor [Rock On!!]

The video really makes this song. I liked it just from the soundtrack, but the video makes it so much fun. Watching Farhan run around the stage and sing his heart out, the crowd everywhere, and Arjun making his appearance. Also love the slow-down at the end, with ‘Tum Ho Toh’. Nice ending to a great song.

05. Tu Hai Meri Soniye [Kismat Konnection]

More English. But not bad. It works. More Pritam catchiness. And Shahid dancing. Can’t beat that. :)

04. Kabhi Kabhi Aditi [Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na]

Didn’t like initially. Gave it another try, and it shot to the top of my most played list. It’s short and sweet, doesn’t go on too long, and Rashid Ali’s voice is really nice, I hope we hear more of him. Too bad it’s a song about a cat. :P

03. Jogi Mahi [Bachna Ae Haseeno]

I love love this song. I love hearing Shekhar sing, I love the beat, Sukhwinder makes his appearance, and Himani Kapoor sounds wonderful in her part. She should get more songs like this, it really suits her voice. And aww at Kunal in his turban.

02. Desi Girl [Dostana]

This is such a fun song. An instant hit. Shankar’s voice works perfectly for songs like this. The dancing in the video is kinda weird, but probably because they had to cater to John’s skills. Hehe poor guy. But overall an awesome song.

01. Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte [Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi]

No video for this yet, so it’s just a random pics in the above video. I absolutely adore this song. It’s so creative, being able to mix old tunes together into a whole new tune is no easy task. Salim-Suleman seem to do it effortlessly. It all seams together so well. And Sonu just brings a whole new element to the song. The singer does make a big difference, I think only Sonu could have pulled this off so good. The picturization will surely be a treat.

So, there we go. Coming soon, Top 10 Soundtracks of 2008 and, after RNBDJ and Ghajini release, Top 10 Movies of 2008. That may be pushed in to 2009, b/c Ghajini releases so late.

BTW, my thoughts and prayers go out to all those families who have been affected by the senseless attacks in Mumbai. RIP to those who lost their lives for no reason, and I pray for those injured to get better soon.


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Posted on November 22, 2008 - by Reema

Movie Review: Dostana

will include spoilers

This movie was always going to be a big deal. The topic of homosexuality is a touchy subject anywhere, not just India. And there really hasn’t been a movie of the sort in Bollywood. They didn’t go all the way, and have a big name star actually play a gay character, but this is close enough for the moment.

Sam and Kunal (Abhi/John) pretend they are a gay couple, in order to rent a beautiful apartment. They must pretend because the landlady doesn’t want any guys chasing after her niece, Neha (Priyanka, who I must say, looked absolutely gorgeous in this movie). So, they lie, they get the apartment, and they move in. And what follows is obviously the comedy, where both men must keep up the act that they are in fact a couple.

A lot occurs that they must endure, like Sam’s mother (Kirron Kher) finding out her son is gay, Neha’s gay boss (Boman Irani) being invited for dinner, and the dance party that ensues, and Sam and Kunal faking a fight, where one blames the other for cheating, and the other retorts back with…well, you have you see it.

I like the route the movie took. A gay comedy could have gone completely wrong, offended a number of people, but Dostana does neither. Yes, the movie drags as the drama kicks in, but the movie can’t always be funny. There are issues that come up within in the movie, like both Sam and Kunal falling in love with Neha, Neha falling in love with another man (Bobby), a child being involved, etc. Things are handled well, I think, and it makes for an enjoyable movie.

Abhishek Bachchan completely steals the show. His comic timing is perfect. His acting in the ‘how did you meet’ scene is just brilliant. You never stop laughing when he’s on the screen. And the perfect foil to Abhi is John Abraham. He has his funny moments, but he’s the sane one in this couple. Though he does play along a few times, which makes for a lot of laughs, like when Sam’s mom accepts him as her bahu.

Priyanka really impressed me in this. She looks gorgeous, and her acting was really good. In fact all of the acting in this movie was good. The threesome of Sam, Kunal and Neha was just perfect. Their chemistry on screen was great, it looked like they were best friends in real life. They looked very comfortable with each other, which really helps the movie.

Kirron Kher and Boman Irani are perfect in their roles, although they both seem a bit short. I would have liked to see more of them. Bobby Deol is really the only person I had a problem with. He just looks weird, and you don’t believe that Neha would pick him over either of the other two. Though I guess he was the only honest guy around in the end. But someone like Arjun Rampal would have worked better in this role, in my opinion.

The music is great as well. Vishal-Shekhar make a perfect soundtrack, each song fits. Desi Girl is my favorite, and none of the songs seem to come out of nowhere. Even Maa Da Laadla. I like the remixed version at the end of the movie also.

Overall, Dostana is a must-see film. The comedy will keep you laughing, and the drama is just about good enough to keep you interested.

Rating: ★★★½☆


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Posted on November 12, 2008 - by Reema

Music Review: Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi

So, here we go. One of the most anticipated movies of the year, if not the most. Adi-SRK back together again, etc etc. There’s been lots of talk about SRK being paired with such a young co-star, Anushka Sharma. Salim-Suleman were selected to do the music, and that also raised eyebrows. Would they be able to get the job done? Were t hey the right choice? Should composers like AR Rehman, SEL, or VS have been selected?

01. Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai - Roop Kumar Rathod: We start out the album with a great song. Roop Kumar Rathod’s voice perfectly suits the song, and the lyrics are very nice. This one might have been even better as a duet, but as it is, it’s a gem.

02. Haule Haule - Sukhwinder Singh: The first song we heard. A nice, simple song. The verses could have used some work, and the word Haule repeated over and over does get to be a bit much, but overall, Sukhwinder does his job and makes his a soothing and well composed track.

03. Dance Pe Chance - Sunidhi Chauhan, Labh Janjua: I cringe at the title. But then I listened to the song. Sunidhi’s voice is always great, I like the music used, and my favorite part is when Labh Janjua sings. It all just works. I can deal with English lyrics when it’s needed, and I suppose it’s needed here. Not a bad song at all, though I have a feeling it’s at the bottom of most people’s lists.

04. Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte - Sonu Nigam: The Deewangi Deewangi of RNBDJ. This is the track where Bipasha, Rani, etc will be making guest appearances. The song is a mix of oldies, with a line or two being used from each song. It’s an incredibly creative track, where the lyrics have been kept in tact, but the tune has been completely changed to fit. It’s a pleasure to listen to, especially with Sonu Nigam behind the mic.

05. Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai (slow) - Shreya Ghosal: A beautiful track. It’s a female version of the first song, but much shorter. This is probably used during a sad part during the movie, and going by the way the song is, I’ll be bawling in no time. I wish this was a full song, it’s wonderful.

06. Dancing Jodi - Instrumental: This is an instrumental medley of most of the tracks. I like medleys, so I like this one. Not much else to say about it.

Overall, it’s a good album. If you’re expecting another Om Shanti Om, you’ll be disappointed. OSO basically made VS. Salim-Suleman had the same chance with RNBDJ. If they delivered, they would have been set. They get close, but instead of amazing, we got good. Nothing wrong with it, but I think we’ve been spoiled with some wonderful SRK soundtracks lately (OSO, KANK, Don, etc). RNBDJ is a good album, and the music will grow on you. Probably even more after you see the movie. Many of these songs are situational, so you have to understand what’s going on to get the song. I just saw the Dance Pe Chance promo, and it makes sense now why it is how it is. So, just give the music a chance. You’ll end up liking it, I’m pretty sure of that. :)

Rating: ★★★½☆


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