Showing posts with label Bollywood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bollywood. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 24, 2025

Celebrating World Bollywood Day – September 24 | Bollywood Blog Posts Roundup

World Bollywood Day is celebrated every year on September 24 to honor the vibrant world of Hindi-language cinema—its music, storytelling, dance, and global cultural impact. Though not officially declared by any government, it's a fan-driven observance that has gained traction across popular culture calendars and online communities.  This blog has eleven (11) posts highlighting Indian cinema. Enjoy!

World Bollywood Day
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(1) Shootout at Lokhandwala (2007)

Do you like movies where the bad guys get their comeuppance? This film is based on a true story.


(2) 6 Bollywood Movies With an Awesome Soundtrack

NOTE: I am a Priyanka Chopra-Jonas fan. So yeah! She stars in 5 of these movies.


(3) Three (3) Bollywood Films That Address September 11th

  • (1) A love story set against the backdrop of a terrorist plot.

  • (2) A child is killed because of 9/11.

  • (3) Indian-Americans studying at a university, thought they were all-American kids until 9/11 happened.


(4) Chandni Bar (2001)

Per Wikipedia: “The film was a critically acclaimed hit and it won four National Film Awards.” Per me: It a depressing.


(5) What's Your Raashee? (2009)

Two words would be sufficient to review this movie. Adorable cuteness!


(6) Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006)

This movie was very controversial among the Indian audience. (Americans would not have raised an eyebrow.)


(7) My Two (2) Favorite Aamir Khan Movies

Aamir Khan is an amazing actor. If you watch these two films, you won't need convincing.


(8) Kismat Konnection (2008) is a Delightful Bollywood Movie

When people say “Kismet” or “Kismat”, they mean it's your fate or destiny.


(9) Spotlight on Bollywood Superstar: Akshay Kumar

This Indian-born Canadian actor can play a good guy, bad guy, funny guy, and more!


(10) Mission Kashmir (2000)

An alternate title for this film could be: “Were you dreaming of a pink house?”


(11) Based on a True Story: Mary Kom (2014)

A gooooood movie!! Based on a real-life female boxer, Mary Kom.


OK! That's my roundup! Dive into the magic of Bollywood.


Thank you for reading. Please visit often.


  • Please share the love: Post this roundup with the hashtag #WorldBollywoodDay.


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Wednesday, August 20, 2025

Movie: Bollywood: Chandni Bar (2001)

Watched “Chandni Bar” (2001) as a Friday night movie pick. Chose this film because I was not familiar with any of the Indian actors or actresses. As far as the acting, the script, etc. … it was fine. I say “fine”? But according to Wikipedia: “The film was a critically acclaimed hit and it won four National Film Awards.”

Well! I don’t want to spoil it for others who have not seen the film. Don’t get me wrong. The performances were award-worthy. It’s just that … if I were to use one word to describe the storyline, that word would be “hopeless”.

Throughout the movie, I kept hoping. But my hope was never fulfilled. I was very moved by the characters and the harsh realities of life they faced daily; especially as the threads of their daily lives were sewn into the fabric of the criminal underworld. Definitely not a Cinderella fairy tale.

Someone described it as a handbook to life in Mumbai. What do I know? I'm American and to me, it was a very sad movie with a very sad ending.

*** Original source




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Monday, August 11, 2025

Movie: Three (3) Bollywood Films That Address September 11th

Do you like Bollywood movies? Bollywood is a name inspired by the word “Hollywood”, the word that is synonymous with American cinema, films, and movies. It merges “Bombay” and “Hollywood” and is used to refer to Hindi or Indian cinema. I enjoy watching Bollywood movies. The music and dancing are always great. The comedies can be very funny. The science-fiction flicks are kind of quirky. But the drama films? Oh, the drama!!! Full of life’s complexities. Mixed marriages: not so much interracial, but interfaith, i.e. two different religions. Main characters always faced with choosing sides: loyalty to family versus allegiance to country, or on a broader scale, to the world we live in. Having to answer life’s difficult questions:

● Where do I take a stand?

● How do I defend my loved ones?

● If I know or even suspect imminent danger, isn't it my duty to warn others, so they can protect themselves?

There are 3 specific movies that address and answer these questions. Producers and directors of Bollywood cinema did not shy away from the content but chose to address the post 9/11 environment in the United States, broach the topic of terrorism, and bring it even closer to home in three films: “Kurbaan”, “My Name is Khan”, and “New York”. Each film starts out with a loving couple, who should be like every other loving couple in the whole wide world: bonded together in a blissful union by promises of fidelity, secure in the hope of living happily ever after forever. The happily ever after part of their lives is going quite well until … 9/11 happens.

  • Kurbaan is an intense Bollywood drama; a love story set against the backdrop of a terrorist plot.
  • My Name is Khan is the story of a loving couple in this movie. Even though the man suffers from Asperger syndrome, he is very gifted in many ways. However, a tragic incident tests their relationship.
  • New York is a movie about three all-American kids. Indian-Americans studying at a university, doing all the things that crazy college students do while pursuing their higher education, and then, 9/11 happens.

Of these films, my favorite is “My Name is Khan”. I’m not the only one who was impressed with this movie. Fox Star Entertainment, an American company, thought so highly of this foreign film that they bought the distribution rights to it.

Have you watched any of these films? If not, you should put them on your watch list.
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Wednesday, June 4, 2025

6 Bollywood Movies With an Awesome Soundtrack (Reblog)

I heart Bollywood movies, mainly because of the music. These movies are underrated, but I rate them 5 out of 5 stars just for the soundtrack.

I am a Priyanka Chopra-Jonas fan so yeah!  She stars in 5 of these movies.


(1)  *Karam (2005 ‧ Drama)

A young married couple should be able to lead a fairy tale “happily ever after” lifestyle. If only the husband weren’t a paid contract killer, a bad guy who made some other bad guys really angry. It made their lives really complicated.  Music video: Tinka Tinka performed by Priyanka Chopra-Jonas.


(2)  *What’s Your Raashee? (2009 ‧ Bollywood/Comedy)

A guy needs to find a wife or lose his inheritance. He decides to choose his bride according to her “raashee” (her astrological sign).

(3)  *Fashion (2008 ‧ Bollywood/Drama)

A young woman pursues her dream of being a top fashion model, making sacrifices and bad decisions along the way to get to the top.

(4)  *Yuvvraaj (2008 ‧ Drama)

There were light-hearted moments. But there was nothing funny about the plot. There are 3 brothers. One brother is mentally challenged and when the father dies, he leaves all the money to this son. The other 2 brothers, who feel that have been cheated, scheme to try to get the inheritance.

(5)  *7 Khoon Maaf (2011 ‧ Thriller/Drama)

The film is called “7” because the woman has seven husbands. Each time she marries, she is certain the man she chose will be her soulmate for life. It doesn’t work out and she conveniently becomes a widow, albeit she is never charged with any crime. In the end, she does find her soulmate. To be fair, the other six had it coming.


(6)  *Dostana (2008 ‧ Comedy/Drama)

Two guys need to rent an apartment at a complex in Miami, Florida USA, with one catch. They have to be gay. They pretend to be gay, sign the lease, and their roommate is a hot young heterosexual female that both of them fall for; only she doesn’t know it because she thinks they’re gay. The movie is cute and funny!

My review and recommendation were shared on my partner blog:

6 Bollywood Movies With an Awesome Soundtrack
| Joie de Vivre Magazine Blog






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Friday, May 30, 2025

Bollywood: My Two (2) Favorite Aamir Khan Movies

This blog post is about one of my favorite Indian actors, Aamir Khan. It's fair to say that he is one of the first Indian actors I came to know who made me want to watch more Indian and Hindi cinema, even though they have to be English-subtitled. His full name is Mohammed Aamir Hussain Khan. He started his career as a child actor.


“In 2001, he founded Aamir Khan Productions, whose first release, Lagaan, was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and earned him a National Film Award for Best Popular Film and two more Filmfare Awards (Best Actor and Best Film).” (Quote Source: Wikipedia)


My first favorite AK film? Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001) – As far as the storyline goes, people are living in this small Indian village, being oppressed by the British rulers. One of the men in the village is Bhuvan (played by Aamir Khan). He challenges this arrogant British guy, Captain Andrew Russell (played by Paul Blackthorne), to a game of cricket. If he wins, the Brits can't collect any taxes. Well, the Captain is so certain that he will win, he agrees.

The villagers are wondering if Bhuvan has LOST HIS MIND! He doesn't know how to play cricket!! The captain's sister, Elizabeth Russell (played by Rachel Shelley), knows her brother is a proud, crude, and cruel jerk! She also knows the villagers don't know the rules of the game. So she secretly teaches Bhuvan and the villagers how to play the game so that at least they have a chance of winning. 

I am not really familiar with any of Aamir Khan's work before this film was released. I liked the movie for its historical value, but also because it was the film that introduced me to this cultured and refined actor. He really left a lasting impression. By the way, the word “Lagaan” means “tax”. This movie has won several awards. It was even nominated for an Oscar in the category of Best Foreign Language Film.  Definitely Oscar-worthy.




My second favorite AK film? Fanaa (2006) – A painfully beautiful love story; emphasis on the pain part. A young man, Rehan Qadri (played by Aamir Khan), meets a blind girl, Zooni Ali Beg (played by Kajol). He falls in love and pays for her to have eye surgery to regain her vision. The surgery is successful ONLY … she does not know who paid for the operation, and she never knew what Rehan looked like. 

When they meet again, she falls in love with him, not realizing that he was the one who helped her regain her eyesight. They get married and have a son. The problem is that she does not know her husband is linked to a terrorist organization. 

When she finally realizes his secret, she is faced with a major decision. Should she report her husband, the father of her child, to the law enforcement authorities so they can capture him? The story was so tragic yet so touching and beautiful. I was extremely moved by the performances of both Aamir Khan and his leading lady, Kajol.




Are you familiar with this Aamir Khan? 

Do you have a favorite AK film?


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Saturday, January 11, 2025

Bollywood Movie Gem: Based on a True Story: Mary Kom (2014)

Priyanka Chopra as a boxer? Get real! No way!

 Those were my initial thoughts. By the time the movie was over, I was eating my words. 

 PC worked it! She was super awesome playing the role of a real-life female boxer, Mary Kom.

Let me explain. Here’s where I took a left.


What had really happened was that before watching the Bollywood movie, I had already seen an American movie. Million Dollar Baby (2004); which starred Clint Eastwood and Hilary Swank. Expected a really good flick. Some girl was going to go out there and kick butt like Layla Ali. Anticipated a story of victory, triumph, rising above the opposition, working against the odds, overcoming … all that feel-good stuff! You know?

That is NOT what happened!

Loyal Clint Eastwood fan, but that movie disgusted me! It wasn’t just a disappointment. It made me mad!!

So! Using my flawed logic … I figured the film with Priyanka Chopra was probably just going to be an Indian-style “version” of Million Dollar Baby.

Mea culpa. Mea culpa.  10,000 humble apologies!

Can you spell the word WRONG in all kinds of ways?

I can spell it at least 3 ways.

  • Number 1 WRONG: Totally underestimated Ms. Chopra’s acting prowess. She delivered on her performance.
  • Number 2 WRONG: Didn’t know there was such a person as Mary Kom.  She’s a really awesome Indian woman who opened a door for others to walk through.
  • Number 3 WRONG: Boxing for women is hard … in America. Boxing for women IN INDIA? Seriously? My Indian sisters are truly on their own. Any woman who can rise up and make her mark in that field of sports … the world should know her story.

Mary Kom (2014) is a gooooood movie!!

(- Book worth reading: Autobiography: M.C. Mary Kom.)

Both the video and the book make perfect additions to your home entertainment library.

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(Image credit: Amazon)

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Related entertainment articles

Loyal fans of Priyanka Chopra-Jonas will appreciate this enthusiastic Bollywood movie review of the film about a real-life Indian female boxer called Mary Kom.




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Friday, June 16, 2023

Movie Review: Bollywood: Mission Kashmir (2000)

Although Mission Kashmir was released more than 20 years ago, it's still a good movie.  If you have not watched it, you should add it to your watch list.  

Mission Kashmir - Where to Watch and Stream - TV Guide

This is a quick movie review/recommendation of an Indian film starring some of Bollywood’s finest: Hrithik Roshan, Preity Zinta, and others. The name of this film is "Mission Kashmir".  My alternate title for this movie is “Crayons and a Pink House”.


When Divyansh Pandey picked this topic to write about, he probably did not realize it, but he picked a part of the world to write about that is of interest to me. His description of this wonderland is both charming and sad. In one instance, he calls Kashmir the “Switzerland of India” but in the title of his post, he calls this place “The Bleeding Heaven”. Extracted some profound and thought-provoking statements from the short article written by Mr. Pandey:

“Kids are picked up from school by militants and brainwashed to fight against India. For them, Its like ‘Born in Heaven brought up in hell’.”

(NOTE: The site where the article was published was shut down and I have been unable to find an online copy of the content republished elsewhere on the web.)

My interest in Kashmir developed after watching a film that was released in 2000 called “Mission Kashmir”. It was very sobering, and there were two sentences or phrases that played over and over in my mind long after the movie had ended.

Movie Quote 1: “Were you dreaming of a pink house?”

Movie Quote 2: “… placing carbines instead of crayons in the hands of innocent children …”

Please bear in mind that my nationality is American, so my perspectives are those of an outsider. For me, the fragile thread of humanity extends all around the world and can so easily be snapped at any point. Kashmir, in my humble opinion, is one of those points.

A great movie! If you have not seen it, you should add it to your watch list.

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References:

Shaikh, Mohammed Uzair. (2016, July 17). Tale of Kashmir: Who is entitled to the ‘bleeding heaven’ –India or Pakistan? – India. Retrieved from http://www.india.com/news/india/tale-of-kashmir-who-is-entitled-to-the-bleeding-heaven-india-or-pakistan-1337197/


Original source:  Virily.com
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Thursday, February 23, 2023

Spotlight on Bollywood Superstar: Akshay Kumar

Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia (Sep 9, 1967), known by his fans as Akshay Kumar, is “an Indian-born Canadian actor” (per Wikipedia) and a Bollywood superstar. He makes great movies, and I always love him when he is cast as the good guy.



According to the Times of India, “Akshay Kumar entered the film industry as an action hero, but proved his mettle in comic as well as romantic roles.”

I agree 100%. I have watched several of his films, and Akshay Kumar can do action hero, comic, and romantic roles, all-around good guy. But I refuse to accept him in a bad guy role. No. No! NO!! Absolutely not!

He played a gangster in the gangster film “Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Dobaara!”. He wasn’t one of the bad guys. He was the Big Bad Guy, in charge of all of the other bad guys. Sorry, but in my humble opinion, he was not suited for this role. He should have been cast as one of the law enforcement people trying to catch the bad guys. It was a good movie, but … Mr. Kumar as a bad guy? No way!

By contrast, I watched another one of his films, “Rustom”, because it was on a list of the best 2016 Hindi films, and he was fantastic! Not only was he the good guy, but you’ll appreciate the fact that the movie was based on a true story.

If you are not familiar with this actor, start by watching the two films mentioned, and then you can decide. Good Guy or Bad Guy? I am confident you will agree with me.

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Original source




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Friday, September 23, 2022

Kismat Konnection (2008) is a Delightful Bollywood Movie

Are you a fan of Shahid Kapoor?  

When people say “Kismet” or “Kismat”, they mean it's your fate or destiny. The word is derived from the Arabic qisma, meaning "portion" or "lot." I first heard this word watching a Bollywood movie, “Kismat Konnection” (2008) which starred Shahid Kapoor. 

The female lead is Vidya Balan.  As of September 2022, it was still streaming on Netflix.  "A man finds his lucky charm in the form of a woman whom he had once clashed with on every level, but on whose presence he must now rely to succeed."

When I did some research I found out this film was a remake of an American movie, “Just My Luck” which starred Lindsay Lohan. Since I'm not a Lohan fan, I didn't know anything about that movie. Since I am a huge Shahid Kapoor, I would highly recommend watching this movie. You'll love it! It's delightful!  Totally PG!





Thanks for visiting my entertainment blog. While you're here, check out some of the other posts tagged "Bollywood".  It is a wide variety of films, drama, romance, and comedy.
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Monday, October 11, 2021

Bollywood Movie: Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006)

Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006)

(English: Never Say Good Bye; also known as KANK.)

This Bollywood movie was released in 2006, and it was very controversial among the Indian audience. (Americans would not have raised an eyebrow.) Even though it was a really good movie with powerhouse actors and actresses, I didn't like it. The life lesson is plain, and the 4 main characters learned this lesson the hard way. I did not like it because they could have learned the very same lesson in life without making those horrible mistakes. In real life, hardships and pain can definitely be avoided if you think wisely. But of course, it was just a movie. Another reviewer said this: “Realistic and wonderful movie” TO “A disappointing rendering of a sensitive emotion”.


KANK

For rating, I give 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna - Trailer for Movie Promotion


Detailed review published via Medium.com.

● Bollywood Movie Review: Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006)

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Tuesday, September 7, 2021

Movie: Bollywood: What's Your Raashee? (2009)

You really only need two words would be sufficient to review this movie.  Adorable cuteness!

Do you like movies that are cute and adorable, have a fabulous leading actress, and a terrific soundtrack?  Guess which movie you should watch?  


What makes it cute and adorable?  
This young guy needs to find a wife and find one fast before he loses his inheritance so he goes looking for one.  How does he choose?  Uuhhh ... according to the zodiac?  Why not?  What's Your Raashee? means What's Your Sign?

 Who is the fabulous leading actress?  
Priyanka Chopra-Jonas who plays the part of each female marriage candidate.  That's right!  12 different zodiac signs which means she plays 12 different personalities.

 Why is the soundtrack terrific?  
Just listen and you'll know WHY.  (Music video below.)









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Friday, August 6, 2021

Movie: Bollywood: Shootout at Lokhandwala (2007)

– Setting: 1991, a summer day, Lokhandwala Complex, Mumbai, India – “6 hours that transformed suburban Mumbai into a virtual war zone”. Yeah! And it wasn’t even night time!

This movie was intense!
Image credit: Amazon.com

– What happened? 5 hardcore criminals got what they had coming to them.

(I love movies where the bad guys get their comeuppance!)

– What happened after that? The law enforcement officer in charge of making sure the criminals got what was coming to them had to go to court to defend his decisions and actions.

(That’s what usually happens. The ones who were on the firing line taking the heat, and who have to make the really hard decisions AT THAT MOMENT! … when all is said and done and the bad guys are no longer in this world … the Good Guys have to explain WHY they showed no mercy to cruel merciless bad guys and took ’em out!)

I was shocked when I realized it was a TRUE STORY! Dang! It’s HOT in Mumbai! This city must be the New York of India.

Lokhandwala will keep you glued to your seat from beginning to The End.

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Original source
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  • Friday night movie pick.



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