Moving to UK

So there's a bit of lack of post from me this few weeks as I slowly transition my life from Singapore to the UK. Currently staying near Wembley Park and sorting out my house and bank and etc, etc, #adultlife.

Speaking of the UK, I have spent equal amount of time researching on places that Bollywood have used UK as their favourite cinematography landscape for most of their films. The first thing that came to mind was the Trafalgar Square - bird feeding scene - DDLJ and who can forget Southall, London. The neighbourhood where Simian was living.

I won't be going into other detail because most of these places that was filmed before have now changed. Will try to keep up with these bollywood posts when i can :)

I heart Anurag Kashyap

Have you watched Sacred Games ? Sacred Games is Netflix’s first Indian Netflix Original Series. It is hugely successful and I am so happy that Anurag Kashyap directed this series, well he directed it together with Vikramaditya Motwane. If you don't know me, I'm a huge ass fan of Anurag Kashyap. My first cinema of Anurag Kashyap was Dev D. Do you see my love connection?

Dev D is a more contemporary modern version of Devdas. The link connection is, i was just gushing about Sanjay Leela Bhansali on my second post here , who have also directed Devdas- in a more majestic-colourful-classical style. Dev D is Devdas in a contemporary setting. My fav fav song of Dev D is Emotional Atyachar. (Nawazudin Siddiqui made an appearance. love love love)

Ok, back to Sacred Games. Each episode of Sacred Games is named relating to Hindu mythology. I really think its such a clever series. You want more after every ending. But this whole series have powerful cast (except for Saif Ali Khan, he is commercially popular).

You have underrated actors like Nawazudin Siddiqui (who i love love love as i mentioned earlier. He is such a great actor. So versatile and effortless. He plays a wanted criminal here in Sacred Games). I secretly think he is Anurag Kashyap's muse.

Neeraj Kabi - I first saw him in Talvar (another Netflix movie) and (Hichki) and he is damed good in this series. He has this face that sometimes he doesn't have to say anything- you just know what he means. Whether he was pissed or glad, it just takes a slight smirk from him, and you understand what he meant. Aaah so good.

My current obsession is this beautiful, tall, long neck woman Radhika Apte. She reminds me so much of Deepika Pundokone (in terms of beauty) but her acting is A! I have seen her in Lust Stories (Netflix original- which her scenes were directed also by Anurag Kashyap) , Padman (with Akshay Kumar) and now this. I don't really know her and her work, but these 3 films/series got me floored. She can play the independent woman, poised and elegant - the village housewife/woman who is very traditional- and she can also play the badass police analyst.

But I also watched this series because of Anurag Kashyap. I really think Bollywood is not ready for him. Or maybe will never be. Because he doesn't sell fantasies. His cinema is way ahead of anyones time,and i appreciate that about him. Some of us do want to progress. I don't know why Bombay Velvet failed but i loved the movie.

The first fresh pairing of Anushka Sharma and Ranbir Kapoor, both played a different avatar. So different from their commercial careers. And Karan Johar as the bad guy - I was actually shocked of the choice at first, but i thought both Karan Johar and Anurag Kashyap pulled it off. There wasn't any force-in-your-face to believe that Karan is a malicious man. There was a certain kind of subtlety in that character and Anurag have directed Karan very well.

I didn't get to meet Anuraga Kashyap when he came to Singapore for the SIFF 2 years ago, but a good friend got his signature for me, and i told him to tell Anurag that I think Bombay Velvet was one of his best films to date. My friend said he smiled, and sign the book for me :)

Aankhon Ki Gustakhiyan....

The english translation is "May the impertinence of my eyes be forgiven... ". Forgiven.

I forgive. Forgave. Never forgotten. This music video gives me the feels all the time. And because of this movie, i fell in love with the cinema of Mr. Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

This no lip-sync music video, captures the beauty of the lyrics so nicely. The subtle actions, the playfulness of the song- gets me all the time. I get goosebumps whenever i see this video.

Do you feel the same? Do you miss this Jodi? I do. Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam movie was released in 1999. I can't embed the video here for copyright reasons, but here is the LINK to the video.

#humdildechukesanam #sanajyleelabhansali #aishwaryarai #salmankhan

Later in 2013, Sanjay Leela Bhansali recreated this magic with another pair of Jodi.

Ranveer Singh and Deepika Pundokone. (Who was supposed to be played by Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai originally). Lahu Munh Lag Gaya. The english translation is : I’ve tasted blood on my lips (I have kissed blood) / (Blood in a metaphorical way relates to love)

He played with the eyes in 1999, he went bolder in 2013 with the lips. So sensual. So seductive. So feels. Did you catch the identical parts when both the actors in the film was so mesmerised by the actress, they both got burnt by the fire?

Small fire. Big actions. Memorable scenes.

#ranveersingh #deepikapundokone #ramleela