5. Aamir-Asin

Ah! Love at first sight, the usual overworked businessman falling for the carefree girl is such a clich

Let’s start this article with major hotness: Hrithik Roshan! At Great Women Achiever’s Awards, this hunk of Bollywood was seen in handsome pinstriped blazer and pants, and a sexy red shirt. May I just say that the color red looks marvelous with his complexion? All in all, Hrithik was elegant, sexy and drop dead gorgeous!

Rating: Red Hot!

First up is Kangana Ranaut, in a beautiful white gown and minimal silver jewellery. She looks really lovely. The gold band around her chest really stands out and blings blings the gown! She looks very elegant!

Rating: Hot!

Saifina – The rumors started when Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan were seen being chummy with each other on the sets of Tashan, whether this was an indication to the future we don’t know, but the on-screen couple went on to become an off-screen couple as well. The only fishy thing in this unexpected, yet striking couple? Kareena Kapoor, the usually vivacious and outspoken actress, maintains her silence on the relationship.

Status: Hooked-Up!

Diwali of 2007 will be listed in the pages of the history as the biggest catfight in Bollywood industry. When Om Shanti Om and Saawariya took the stage on November 9, the expectations were high. The hype created around the movies surpassed the stratosphere. After three mere days of release, one movie claimed the pedestal, while the other was left in its dust. However the question is, was Saawariya even competing with Om Shanti Om?

We have all been deluded by the critics and been told that OSO is a much better movie than Saawariya. OSO will appeal to the masses, however Saawariya will not. I want to appeal to you that, use your brains, and actually think rather than just swallowing what the critics are saying. After watching both movies, I couldn’t have been more dumbfounded and outraged at the idea of comparing these two movies. Here’s why:

Story: Storywise, Saawariya is a fairy-tale land where characters like Ranbir, Sonam and Rani live. If you all have forgotten what is a fairy-tale, I suggest you brush up on “Cinderella”, “Snow White” etc. before you watch this movie. Saawariya is composed of its own world which is blue and green (deal with it), there is nothing wrong with blue and green colors! Although, the story of this movie is simple, there were many loopholes in the story such as, “What was Salman’s role in the movie?”, “Why is Ranbir alone?” “What happened to Ranbir later on?”, “Is that really the end?”. All the characters are not fully developed which leads the audience to confusion and the ultimate reaction, “What in the world was that?!”. Many people walked out of the theatres saying “It’s a Bhansali movie, it’s not supposed to make sense”. Well, maybe, but I believe it would have helped boost the ratings if for one time there was a happy ending. But, then again, happy endings never take place in reality, so hats off to Bhansali for producing a effect of reality in his fairy-tale movie.

On the other hand, Om Shanti Om starts off in the seventies, and progresses into today’s world. The story of this movie is on the other end of the spectrum compared to Bhansali’s Saawariya. It’s a happy go lucky movie, consisting of an enormous dose of laughter, reincarnation, and belief in spirituality. Aside from these main points, there is also a simple story of boy meeting girl and falling in love. Farah Khan tried to mask the lack of a story with comedy and dance numbers which worked. Comedy and Shahrukh sells in the cinema, and it was sold!

Actors: Focusing only on the main characters of Saawariya (even though Rani was magnificent), Ranbir gets a standing ovation. Ranbir brings life into the character with his emotions and humor. While Ranbir is gathering accolades, Sonam is being pushed down by people. Her character is different, it has many facets, and Sonam has tried to perform them. Sonam is not a horrible actress, but as we never seen a character like this before, it throws us off. But, now as Bhansali explains her character to us, we all understand Sakina. Only if we knew this before, we could have connected with Sakina. It all comes back to loose-ended characters, Bhansali should have taught his audiences to understand his characters.

Alternativey, Shahrukh Khan’s performance in Om Shanti Om was strictly mediocre. He is a better actor than “Om” and he has proved that before. Deepika, model turned actress, sadly didn’t have enough lines. I do not even think I should rate her since she was just there to add the “masala” to the movie. She was a model in the movie, with a few dialogues. I apologize but I do not call that acting.

Hype: Saawariya and hype do not go together. Sanjay Leela Bhansali has a lot of hype connected to his name, and that was the only hype connected to this movie. One trailer, four promos and one dialogue promo were shown to the audience. The first trailer itself, created so much hype because of the sets and music that it was shocking. Everyone was drawn towards the movie and its actors. Many fan sites, forums were opened on Ranbir and Sonam Kapoor. Bhansali did not give us any strong hold on Saawariya, nobody knew the story (excluding people who had watched White Nights), all the hype was created by the audience and media. The actors started appearing in shows, events and news channels, and we all hailed together “Go Sonabir!”.

Conversely, Shahrukh Khan is the biggest name in Bollywood Industry. His name follows with a “six-pack” hype around the world. The first trailer of Om Shanti Om was not received well by the audience, due to the speed and the number of scenes shown in those few seconds. And, then OSO team awoke when Saawariya came on board which they thought was a challenge from Saawariya. They dished promos after promos, majorly hyped Srk’s “six-packs”, events, shows, cricket matches etc etc. And, the last desperate move by OSO crew, the “Deewanagi” promo, and let me just say bravo, their tactic had finally worked. What Shahrukh Khan could not bring to the cinema, that promo did. Deepika, a beautiful model, brought in the boys as SRK did the work for the girls, also had a number of sites dedicated to her during this period.

The only reason that these movies have been compared is because of the crew of OSO who have been insecure in their product of their movie from the start, thought Saawariya was a danger. We all have seen and heard the comments thrown by Farah Khan and Shahrukh Khan to the newcomers of Saawariya and the director. Farah Khan and Shahrukh Khan are experienced people in this industry and I would have expected better from them. I am disappointed and disgusted by so-called “King Khan”. I only have two words to say to you Mr. Khan, “Grow up“.

Ranbir and Sonam are politely taking in all the criticisms, and I want to applaud them because they have achieved what King Khan has yet to achieve, and that is humility. I have a few words for Sonam because I know she is being bombed by critics and audience alike, “You were different, you shocked us. Do not let harsh criticism get you down, because you only get criticized when you have done something worth applauding for.”

In the end, I just want to say, that as you all can figure out by now, that these movies are completely different from each other. The only common theme between them is that they both released on the same day. So, stop comparing them, and give both the movies a chance, give all the actors a chance to prove themselves, and give yourself a chance to like both of them.

The album starts with the song, Chandni Raat Hai Saiyan sung by Asha Bhosle and Amit Kumar. It has been a while since we have heard a song sung by this melody queen, and it is a refreshing change. This song is slower than the other tracks of this album, yet is fun to listen to. The song seems to be a qawaali song, as the whole song has the background of claps. Considering, there are no lead actresses in this movie; this might even be an item number song. The song takes getting used to; it seems much better if you listen to it over a number of times. Asha Bhosle is, as always, flawless, while Amit Kumar does a commendable job, but not an awesome one.

The remix of this song is better than the original. The music has a faster beat to it than the original, and matches the beat of other songs in this album. While, the original can bore you after a while, the remix does not have a loop where you get bored. You are either entranced by Asha Bhosle’s voice or are dancing to the music.

The Instrumental of this song is awesome. You just can’t resist but dance a little to this instrumental. The way it starts, the song just draws you in and you do not have a way out. It has an Indian taste to it, which you hardly hear nowadays. It is a fun tune with some classical mix to it, while there is also some DJ rapping. It is basically the music of the original song, but this time it is not overshadowed by singers, and it stands out on its own.

The next song in this album is, Chal Naache Shor Machalen. It is a western track, with a little bhangra tune to it. It sounds like a rock song when it starts and you are just mesmerized by the music of guitars. And when the drums join the guitars, it just sounds awesome. The music of this track is just “WOW”. The singing styles of Adnan Sami and Shaan just add more charisma to this song. It is a totally danceable tune for parties and clubs.

As I already said, the music in this song was phenomenal, so the instrumental is instantly phenomenal too. It will be a total hit with people who are into fast-paced, rock type songs. In this instrumental, you feel the need for lyrics when the main music is slow, but then again you forget about them as the music picks up again, and you dive into the music vortex of different instruments that were played in this track.

The next song is, Miss India Marti Mujhpe, which is the most pointless song in this album. It is a fun song between friends who are exaggerating, trying to prove themselves better than each other. Still, it is an entertaining song, because the lyrics will crack you up. The music has a little Indian mix to it with the original western tune. It might as well be the title song, because it fits the crazy people of this movie and what they would actually do.

The last song in the album is, Dekho Dekho Dil Yeh Bole, which matches Chal Naache Shor Machalen in the beat and awesome music. It is a rocking song, with a western tune, and is again, perfect for parties and clubs. This song also mainly consists of guitars, as they are showcased more than other instruments. It gets a bit idiotic with the background girls singing “yay ay dhamaal” though. But, Adnan and Shaan saves the song with their flawless, and fantastic singing, Props to them!

All in all, this album is mesmerizing and will take you off your feet with its rocking tunes and outstanding beats. This is an album for the fast-paced tracks lovers, though the people who are into slow songs will be disappointed. But, then again, this movie is all about boys and masti, so there is no need for slow songs. Adnan Sami has proved himself as a music director by taking a hundred and eighty degree turn and producing an album which is a total opposite of his last album. Bravo to him! With only four singers (himself included), Adnan has produced some amazing tracks. You just can’t resist but “Be a slave to the rhythm. Do the Dhamaal to the rhythm”. Listen to this album, if you want a change from some nasal voice and same type of songs, or just want to shake your booty!

Was there really a need to show a huge mansion? A big, cozy home should have done the trick. Yes, movies are our refuge from real lives, but would a little reality hurt?
Realistic movies touch our hearts, and make us relate to situations, which happen in real lives. These movies could be depressing, but our lives are not happy and dandy. Fake, perfect movies are entertaining and relaxing to an extent, but after a while they start to irritate you. It is ridiculous when directors shoot in New Zealand and show it as “Sundar Nagar” (MPKDH) in India. Sundar Nagar has to be the most beautiful place on Earth where surprisingly nobody lives there except the main characters’ family? They also have the most amazing dog and the parrot in the world. Stretching it a bit? I think so. They actually believe we will fall for that? And sadly, many people do fall for that. Times like those, I thank God for the little brain he saved for me to use.

Furthermore, movies like Ta Ra Rum Pum just make me want to tear my hair off. That movie, in my opinion, was worse than Aishwarya’s giggling! The first scene repelled me! Everyone is chanting Saif’s name over and over. Isn’t it weird, nobody liked the other racers? Poor racers. I wouldn’t mind supreme popularity either; sadly I have no such luck. They went from perfect power and wealth, to perfect poverty. Poor Saif and Rani didn’t even have enough money to eat. Bullshit! Food is so cheap here. For god’s sakes, you get four Kit Kat’s for one dollar! Sure, they could fool the Indian audience. But, how could they think they could actually fool Indians living abroad? The children in the family were the most helpful, perfect kids ever. When I was a kid, I just cared about chocolates, toys and myself. The kids had such manners and such powerful dialogues that stirred up our hearts and made us cry. The only time I made some older people cry when I was a kid and told fart jokes on a train to complete strangers. Whenever somebody tells me that they were so moved by the movie because it was so realistic, I burst out laughing.

Movies can be entertaining and realistic at the same time. For example, Dil Chahta Hai. DCH absorbed the realities of the world, and showed it in a fresh way. Even though, we might have not been like the main characters, but it somehow touched us. We could sympathize with those characters and feel what they were feeling. Whether it be hanging out in a club or missing the person you love, we could relate to the situations. It made us one of the characters, which we couldn’t have achieved if we tried to be Poo in K3G. We all can dream, but some dreams are too far-fetched.

All in all, people in real lives do not want to watch fake movies. They want to watch movies that affect their lives in a little. Maybe, have an answer to their problems in a way. People would appreciate movies more that way. We all need a little time off from our real lives at a time, but totally fake movies are just ridiculous. The fake perfection is fun to watch at times, but it loses its luster after you realize things like that would never happen to you in your life. Realistic films will only help in capturing an audience, as they will be able to relate to the films. It would definitely be the right thing to do. So, what’s the perfect recipe for a perfect movie? Understandable dialogues (nobody wants to repeat Vivah again), a little fun, beautiful believable locations and a sprinkle of reality.

Most of the actors looked marvelous and passed admirably the “Oscar” test while some just didn’t make it. Here are some actors who awed us with their great looks and lived up to Bollywood’s glamorous image.

1. Kareena Kapoor – Walking the red carpet, Kareena Kapoor looked like a sexy maiden in a blue dress. Well, who wouldn’t look great in a dress designed by Manish Malhotra? But, Kareena pulled off the sexy structure of the dress with grace, toned body and matching earrings!
2. Hrithik Roshan – The hottest star of the year looked hot as ever during these awards. Girls longed to run their hands through his sexy hair, and some of them didn’t even last till his awesome performance during the awards. Since most of the girls, including me, fainted at the sight of him in his formal suit, we are willing to let go of the fact that he wore an absolutely horrendous tie.

3. Rani Mukerji – The brown-eyed beauty is finally looking like a well-accomplished actress instead of a fifty-year old “amma”. She looked graceful in her beautiful sari and set fire to the awards with her simplicity. She gets my award for “Most Improved Celebrity” fashion-wise, of course.

4. Malaika Arora Khan – Wow! This is one yummy mummy who looks her best always! I love her sense of style and she looks hot in anything she wears. Her orange dress looked magnificent on her toned, sexy body with beautiful earrings to match. It seems like buns are back in style, since most of the actresses have that same hairstyle.

5. Preity Zinta –Last but not least, Preity Zinta, who wore a hot red dress to show off her equally scorching personality. The dress showed off some cleavage which made the guys drool all over her. The little belt around her waist, exemplified the tiny waist our dimpled beauty possesses. She looked like a sexy siren in red and surprisingly, only one of the few people at the awards who could pull off a red dress.

Special mention: Amrita Rao looked glamorous in a black dress as we finally got to see her cute body come out of oversized clothes. Amrita, we wish that you wear clothes like these instead of oversized lehngas and suits. Finally, she too has broken out of the “amma” trend!

Now, let’s move on from the glamorous and look at some disasters at the Filmfare’s. Here are some actors who made you shiver, twitch and scream with their audacity in clothes and make-up.

1. Rekha – It is high time that this lady threw all her golden saris from her closet. Combing her hair would also help before attending the awards. She looks like she is attending a marriage with her maroon and gold sari and matching jewelry. This is an age when people wear subtle clothes and make-up to get noticed, but it seems like botox has made our dear Rekha forget her age!

2. Amrita Arora – It started out exactly as Preity’s red dress, but what happened near the waist? The little peek-a-boo holes do not suit the dress or her. And is that cloth that we see through those holes attached to the dress, or was she wearing something underneath it to hide her waist? Too much mascara, and overall a really bad presentation at the awards. Funny how her sister makes the “hot” list and she doesn’t. Please, get some lessons from your sister!

3. Kangana Ranaut – Kangana decided to wear a shiny, hideous green dress, which coincidentally has the same color as my pre-calculus textbook. When she entered she had a nice touch of make-up, but when she went to get her award, where did the make-up go? Did she eat the make-up along with her lipstick? Beaitful earrings though, but its high time this lady changed her hairstyle.

4. Abhishek Bachchan – Ah, Baby Bachchan! Here, we have another candidate who doesn’t dress his age. He wore a really handsome black suit…which looks great on politicians! What is with the hideous beard, and why isn’t he taking care of his hair?! Hair is a man’s best asset, so why is he growing it in all the wrong places? He needs to stop acting like his father, and start acting his own age. Take tips from Hrithik!

5. Aishwarya Rai – Our own Miss World disappoints us. Her golden sari reminds me of someone I have already mentioned. Oh yes! We have a Rekha junior in our midst! There are no flaws ever in her make-up, but why is she suddenly wearing clothes which suit our older generation better? The print on the sari is horrible, and it doesn’t suit her at all. I hope that she’ll get rid of her suddenly deteriorating wardrobe and Abhishek’s as well.

Our industry might make thousands of movies per year, but it has a lot of way to go to excel in style and fashion, especially when it comes to formal events. We can only hope that next year the style quotient will be a bit better and less embarrassing than it was this year! So, here’s a toast to this year’s wannabe-Oscars-but-failed-miserably Filmfare’s and cheers for a better event next year!