Totally Filmi

Swarg: Heaven on Earth

Govinda has been quoted as saying that of all his films, the only ones he truly likes are Hatya (about which I'll write something in the next few days) and Swarg.  I actually dealt with Swarg rather extensively on Episode 14 of the podcast, so I would encourage you to take a listen to that, but I had a request from commenter Suhan S to review the film, and since I know the podcast and the blog have mostly different audiences (with a little overlap), I thought perhaps I'd write a little bit here about it as well.

I think it's quite likely that Swarg's themes -- including duty, family, respect for the mother -- are part of why this film rates as one of Govinda's two favorites.  They're themes that come up time and again in his interviews, and from what little I know of the man, they're themes that seem important to him.

I won't say that his performance in Swarg is his best -- but it is certainly up there as one of the better ones in his filmography.

La Vanessa wrote an interesting review of the David Dhawan directed, Govinda (and Salman Khan) starring film Partner a while back, in which she described coming to terms with the trademark Dhawan comedy style after first seeing Govinda first in Salaam-e-Ishq, and I think that one of the reasons I think Swarg is an important film to watch is that it's a perfect reminder that both Dhawan and Govinda have done a broader range of films than perhaps either of their filmographies might otherwise lead you to believe.

Don't get me wrong -- Swarg is not a great film.  It is, however, a well-constructed, entertaining family drama, that works both because of the immense talent of the great actor Rajesh Khanna, combined with the light-hearted charm, as well as the depth, of Govinda's performance.  It is a big, sweeping melodrama, with lots of twists and turns, and that, too, before such a thing was even a twinkle in KJo's eyes.  In all honesty, this type of melodrama is generally not my tasse of chai, but Swarg is a film I come back to again and again, and not just for Govinda.  (Really.)

Govinda plays Krishna, the family servant, who was an orphan child that Kumar Sahib (Khanna) brought into his household.  More than a mere servant, though, Kumar Sahib considers Krishna like a brother, so important is he in the life of he household.  Each member of the family, says Kumar Sahib, is like a pearl, and Krishna is the string that connects them.

Krishna, however, dreams of being more than a servant -- he wants to become an actor, a dream the members of the household indulge him in, probably never really believing it will actually be anything more than the dream of the devoted servant willing to give his life to protect the honour of the household, and in particular the honour of its younger sister, Jyoti (played by the lovely and talented Juhi Chawla).

(Oh, honey, I do know, which is why I'm working so hard to show everyone!) 

Krishna is always honing his acting talents, and one of the film's songs gives him an opportunity to show them off.  Jyoti and her friends want to go to see Amitabh Bachchan's latest film, Don, and send Krishna to buy tickets.  The house is full, though, so instead, Krishna offers them up his versions of filmi heroes (including a nod to Don's "Khaike Paan Banaras Wala", a tip of the hat to Raj Kapoor, and a bit of Hot Papa Khanna playing the accordian in Amar, Akbar, Anthony):

One of the things that strikes me about the film is how it uses the strengths of its two stars, Rajesh Khanna and Govinda.  In the first half of the film, Kumar Sahib (Khanna) is a successful businessman, a risk-taker, someone at the top of his game.  He has everything, and even his body language oozes confidence.  Krishna (Govinda) is his servant, a man who has a place, and who is helpless to do much but dream of a different future for himself.

Kumar Sahib's fortunes change, and as he begins, slowly, to lose everything he has, gradually he becomes more and more helpless, unable to act.  He becomes bent, and broken, and ill, and the last action he is able to take himself is to make sure that Krishna doesn't remain stuck in the household, that he doesn't get sucked down with him as his fortunes fail.  Krishna, the faithful servant, would never have left unless he'd been thrown out, but once his hand is forced, then Krishna, finally, is forced to take his fate into his hands and become, finally, an active participant in his destiny.

And this, I think, is the key to the film, at least for me:  this ensures that Krishna -- who takes off for Mumbai, and ends up working in the film industry as a spot boy, thanks to an incredible bit of luck -- well, it ensures that Krishna, and thus Govinda, has rather more to do in the second half of the film than he does in the first.

And here is where we find yet another one of those gems of a performance from Govinda.  As Krishna, he overcomes difficulties through hard work and with more than a little luck.

One of the charms, for me, about Swarg is that there is an unabashed love of films that is scattered throughout:  Krishna the would-be actor, of course, provides the opportuntity to sprinkle references and imitations throughout the film.  As I mentioned, the film Krishna fails to get tickets for is the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Don, and at one point, Krishna dreams he is the hero in the fight scene from Deewaar, which is a perfect opportunity to be reminded that in his early films, Govinda was actually very good at the fight scenes. 

(My theory is that fight scenes are just choreography and knowing how to move, and this is something Govinda just does naturally as a dancer, anyway, so why not as a fighter, too?)

Krishna's whole purpose in life, though, is to make enough money to try to pay off his master's debts to help him out, and when he's not able to just working behind the scenes in the movies, he prays to God to help him.  And, in another nice self-referential touch, it's while he's working as a spot-boy on this film:

 .

That he finally gets his big break as an actor.  Krishna gets a chance to replace the Big Star who can't remember his lines and is pulling a total diva act, and he delivers a ripping performance that causes the director to realize he's discovered a new star.  More self-reference, as Govinda's own filmography is used to show us the series of hits Krishna has starred in, and then the film ends with Krishna seeking revenge for everything that has happened to his beloved master, Kumar Sahib.

What I love about Swarg is that it shows us a Govinda who is a well-rounded performer, a very good actor capable of standing up next to a star like Rajesh Khanna, and capable of carrying a film on his own.  Swarg is a film that reminds us why Rajesh Khanna was Indian cinema's first superstar, but truly, in the end, Swarg is a film that clearly belongs to the very talented Govinda.

As Krishna, Govinda navigates the twists and turns and ups and downs of the melodrama, and I think I'd say that the songs/dances in this film are amongst some of my favorites.  I might even be willing to argue that Swarg shows us a Govinda who had the potential to become a great filmi hero, though it's clearly a potential that he's never managed to capitalize on (and I say that as someone who loves him to bits).

Yes, indeed, you do, and it's called Hatya.  Saving what may be the best for last.
 

The Songs of Swarg

I'm actually in the middle of writing up a piece about Swarg, and I'm not sure exactly which of these I'm going to use, if any, in the piece, and I enjoy the songs just too much to let Govinda week go by without featuring them, so, what better time than now, what better place than here? Please to be noting how lovely and fun all of these are!

(Note:  All spellings are as listed on my DVD.  Take that for what it's worth.)

1.  Filmo Ke Saare Hero

Krishna (Govinda) puts on a show when he can't get tickets to the movies for Jyoti (Juhi Chawla) and her friends:

2. Tum Sajna Ki Ghar

Krishna may be helping celebrate the engagement of Jyoti, but we all know the two of them will end up together in the end, because they are just so cute it cannot be any other way (and Krishna's magic masala predicting tray reveals all, too):

3. Bam Bam Bam Bambai:

Krishna moves to Mumbai, finds a job as a spot boy in his beloved film industry, and declares his love for his newfound home!

4.  Aye Mere Dost:

Yeah, it's not a full clip.  Kumar Sahib (Rajesh Khanna) misses his servant and friend and brother, Krishna:

5.  Kaise Kate Din:

Did I not tell you they'd end up together?  The magic masala tray is never wrong:

Totally Filmi Episode 014 - Do You Wanna Partner? Shola Aur Shabnam and Aankhen

Episode 014 - Do You Wanna Partner? Shola Aur Shabnam and Aankhen (audio file format: 192 Kbps mp3 - duration: 09:44 [mm:ss] - size: 13.5 MB)

Shownotes:

Yes, the podcast is back!  Govinda Week was the perfect opportunity to try and revive it, though I must admit, this episode is pretty much rubbish because I'm really out of practice doing audio stuff and need a lot more work.  Also, because I say precious little about the films, mispronounce stuff, and give some spoilers.  So here's a little value added stuff here on the blog to try to round it all out.  Warning:  spoilers in the audio, and likely spoilers here on the blog, so don't listen/read if you really haven't watched the films yet.

First up, Shola Aur Shabnam from 1992.  David Dhawan directs, and Govinda and Divya Bharati star.  Essentially, my feelings about this film are that the first half is a lot of fun, and the second half is very dark and takes a long time to get where it's going, not to mention making me a little troubled about Divya's character.  I'm not being coy, I'm just not sure what to say about the film, especially since my version has no subtitles.  But compare this first half number, with this one from the second half (which in the context of the film I find a little troubling, not to mention the fact that the poor woman is dancing barefoot on what looks like dry scrub).

And then, Aankhen from 1993, a film I have now seen four times, all without subtitles, and I am now desperate to find a copy of it with them, because I cannot believe how much this film has grown on me through four viewings of it.

Essentially, it's the story of brothers Bunnu (Govinda) and Munnu (Chunky Pandey), a couple of good-hearted ne'er-do-wells and practical jokers who are the bane of their father's (Kader Khan) existence.  The first half of the film takes rather a lot of time establishing Bunnu and Munnu's characters and following their endless hijinks, until finally they stumble across the plot of a bunch of baddies (led by Shakti Kapoor, who I actually might not mind in this negative role if it were not for too many shots of him wandering around shirtless in leather bondage outfits, and I will spare you any screencaps of that) to substitute a look-alike for a Chief Minister for nefarious purposes the subtleties of which escape me due to lack of subtitles.

Bunnu and Munnu spend a lot of time in the first half getting up to hijinks in identical outfits:

We're a couple of swells...

We stop at the best hotels...

In June, July, and August, we look cute when we dress in shorts!  (Not to mention, kinda hot when we wear navy shirts and pants):

 
(Rowrrr)

Did I mention the monkey?  The monkey plays a key role in all their hijinks, not to mention the film's ending, and he's always dressed like them, too:

(Spot the monkey) 

(Awww...is that not a face only a masala film-maker could love?)

I have to say, Govinda just shines in this film, and poor Chunky, well -- he does an admirable job keeping up with him, but the second half of the film just belongs to Govinda, probably right from the moment he's captured by the gang and tortured:

(Yes, yes, that is wet Govinda.) 

And most especially when he turns up as his second avatar, Gauri Shankar:

...and then just rips through the rest of the film in a terrific dual performance:


 

(Okay, yes, even more wet Govinda.  I take back what I said.)

Any wonder why this was the biggest hit of 1993?  No longer any doubt in my mind, at all.

---

Attributions:

"Tablas-Very Sharp" recorded by hammerklavier and uploaded to The Freesound Project

Theme music by John Meadows, host of the podcast "On The Log"

Totally Filmi Episode 013 - Do You Wanna Partner? Swarg

Episode 013 - Do You Wanna Partner? Swarg (audio file format: 192 Kbps mp3 - duration: 14:50 [mm:ss] - size: 20.4 MB)

Shownotes:

In this episode, I continue the journey through the David Dhawan/Govinda filmography with a look at Swarg.

---

Attributions:

Hadiqa
"yaad Sajan" (mp3)
from "Rung"
(OSA)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at eMusic
Buy at Amazon MP3
More On This Album

"Tablas-Very Sharp" recorded by hammerklavier and uploaded to The Freesound Project

Theme music by John Meadows, host of the podcast "On The Log"

the elephant in the screening room

So, I went to see Do Knot Disturb today.  And I think I have some things to say about it.  Actually, I think I need a lot of time to think about it, which suits me just fine, because I'm still making my way through watching/re-watching the previous Dhawan directed/Govinda starring films (I'm up to Coolie No. 1, though I've not got all the previous podcast episodes recorded and/or edited yet.  I decided to take my time, in the end.)  And I think I'll need some perspective to really think about this.

But.  Some thoughts.  Okay, first off:  I've seen most of David Dhawan's films with Govinda before.  I know what to expect from these films.  And I'm prepared to be *very* forgiving.  And I am a fan.  Can I be Govinda's Fan No. 1?  No, probably not, but I am still a big fan.

And you know, I rather like Lara Dutta -- actually, I thought she was just lovely in Billu, and hoped to see more good work out of her. 

And what can you say about Riteish Deshmukh?  I think he's terrific.

And Sushmita Sen:  true confession time.  I think Sushmita Sen has the most gorgeous voice, ever.  Ever.  I would pay for a recording of Sushmita Sen reading the phone book, so delicious and soothing and lovely is her voice.  And her voice in this film is a balm amongst all the noise.

And Ranvir Shorey?  Like (oh, especially in Aaja Naachle).

And Rajpal Yadav?  Like.

And I don't even mind Sohail Khan in small doses, and mercifully, here, he is dosed out sparingly.

So you'd think there'd be a lot to like right?

Okay, first.  Let's deal with a couple of things. 

First, I was really wrong about many of the picturisations (I wish I weren't, but then, it's not my film, is it?).

Second, there's the matter of the question I raised back in July, when I suggested, after reading the plot summary and watching the trailer, that Do Knot Disturb was a remake of French film-maker Francis Veber's film La doublure (released in English as The Valet).

So now that I've finally seen Do Knot Disturb, I can answer that question: it is a remake, and it isn't.

Okay, it isn't actually a remake, not in the sense that it was copied scene for scene and dialogue for dialogue, in the same way that the earlier film Raja Babu was a remake of the Tamil film Rasukutti, scene by scene, dialogue by dialogue -- heck, even three of the songs were remade in similar settings.

So no, Do Knot Disturb is not a remake of  La doublure in that sense.

That said, the plot of the film (a rich businessman hides his affair from his wife by hiring someone to play his girlfriend's boyfriend) is the same.  And many key scenes from La doublure are recreated in the first half of Do Knot Disturb.  But there the resemblence ends.  In fact, the second half of Do Knot Disturb owes more to Weekend at Bernie's, I think, than it does to La doublure.

And call me crazy, but I think that's a shame.  No,wait -- what I think is a shame is that whoever was responsible for the script, the story, and the film -- and I don't know where to look, whether it's at director David Dhawan, or at Yunus Sejawal who wrote the screenplay, or at both of them.  But obviously one or the other of them *saw* Francis Veber's film (and it is obvious, from the scenes that were taken from the original), and what troubles me is that they, as storytellers, couldn't look at another film and truly see what was essential to making the story tick, to what was essential to making the story work, and what was essential to making the story funny.

And because of that, they took fragments of the original, and then, I suppose, had to figure out what to to do to string them all together, and along the way, they squandered the considerable talents of Govinda, along with the talents of all the other actors in the film.

I will save the complete analysis of the films for the podcast -- and I can assure you, I will give an analysis of why Veber's film worked so well, and where Dhawan's film fell apart.

The bottom line?  I think my reaction can be summed up best by this image from the film:

 

As a complete aside, I couldn't help wishing I'd been privy to the brief sent to choreographers Bosco-Caesar for the number "Mere Naal", which probably went like this: "Bright, flashy, New Year's Eve dance number featuring Govinda, Lara Dutta and Riteish Deshmukh.  Lots of Punjabi flavour, lots of dhol, and oh, yes, a dead guy in a wheelchair."  I'm betting the looks on their faces were not unlike the ones in the photo.
 

Okay, so what exactly *is* the elephant in the room here?  At first, I thought it was the issue of the remake, and I suppose that's part of it.  Consider it one of the elephant's legs.  The other three legs, though?  As follows:

First:  what was with Sushmita Sen's weight?  She was, apparently, asked to put weight on for the role, and I'm troubled by that thought.   Troubled because the only reason I can think of for that is that, in the minds of the filmmakers, the only reason a husband would stray is that his wife has put on a few pounds.  I can assure them, there are lots of reasons why husbands cheat, and the reason in this case was that he was suffocated by her.  She controlled everything, she dictated everything, she owned everything.  The affair was his outlet.  So it was in the Veber film, so it could have been, perhaps should have been here.  And was, actually.  So why make the actress gain weight for the role?

Second:  the fact that Lara Dutta's character, Dolly, decides to return to her ex-boyfriend, Diesel (Sohail Khan).  She left him, she tells us, because he was violent.  And in the end, she decides that this is proof of how much he loves her, and goes back to him.  No.  No.  Even the Tech Guy found this lacking in any sense.

And third, the scene I've been avoiding like the plague:  the constipated guy on the toilet.  It. Was. Not. Funny.  In. A. Million. Years.  I'm open to low-brow humour, I'm open to low wit, but it has to have a place and a purpose, and this did not.  At all. And it set the bar for the rest of the film very, very low indeed.

Totally Filmi Episode 012 - Do You Wanna Partner? Taaqatwar

Episode 012 - Do You Wanna Partner? Taaqatwar (audio file format: 192 Kbps mp3 - duration: 13:00 [mm:ss] - size: 17.8 MB)

Shownotes:

It's been twenty years since director David Dhawan and actor Govinda made their first film together -- and since then, they've come together a total of 17 times -- and their 18th film, Do Knot Disturb (also starring Riteish Deshmukh, Lara Dutta and Sushmita Sen) will be released on October 2nd.

Regular blog readers/podcast listeners know that I have a massive crush on Govinda, but I also have a soft spot for David Dhawan's films.  So in preparation for the release of Do Knot Disturb, I've been revisiting the films they've made together over the last twenty years.  No in depth analysis here -- though I am planning on looking at the films in greater depth in the future -- but just some thoughts from a fan.

In this episode, I look at the first film, 1989's Taaqatwar (starring Govinda, of course, but also Sanjay Dutt, Neelam, Anita Raj, Shakti Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, Anupam Kher, Tanuja, Anil Dhawan and Gulshan Grover, and with music by Anu Malik)

And one of my favorite Govinda/Neelam moments, "Chadgayi Chadgayi":

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Attributions:

"Tablas-Very Sharp" recorded by hammerklavier and uploaded to The Freesound Project

Theme music by John Meadows, host of the podcast "On The Log"

wanted: in which i reveal the importance of keeping an open mind and discuss how marketing is probably useless

So, over the course of the past few weeks, I've been musing aloud here on the blog about the two big films that released on September 18th:  Dil Bole Hadippa and Wanted.

And for the most part, having watched the publicity for both films, I felt certain that the film I would really want to see, that I would really enjoy, that I would find the better film, well, I was certain it would turn out to be Dil Bole Hadippa.

Yesterday, I finally got to see Wanted.  And I have to say, I take it ALL back.  Every single thing I typed about the film.  No, wait, not the bit where I wrote that "Jalwa" was a terrific track and the picturisation with Govinda and Prabhu Deva would be faboo, I meant that, and it was absolutely and completely true.

Oh, okay, I also didn't like the picturisation for "Love Me, Love Me", or at least the clip I saw.  And although I will say that it's my least favorite picturisation in the film, the full version comes off better than the edited promo clip.  I still find some of the choreography clunky, and I still don't like much of what they've dressed the gorgeous Ayesha Takia in, but overall, the entire clip was all right.

And sure, I poked a little gentle fun at the song "Ishq Vishq", but you know what?  It wasn't even in the film. 

But I have to say:  Wanted was absolutely terrific.  I didn't find the posters appealing, I didn't find the trailer appealing, and only the "Jalwa" promotional clip provoked any interest at all.  But a few people I know whose opinions I trust went to see the film and raved about it.

So I went -- or, rather, the Tech Guy and I went.

And we thoroughly enjoyed it.  Wanted is one ripper of a film.  It's well written, the story is terrific, the dialogues are funny and wonderful, the whole package is great.  Even the songs, most of which didn't excite me terribly when I listened to the soundtrack, the songs are great in the context of the film.  There are lots of them, I liked much of the choreography, and frankly?  I haven't had this much fun in the cinema in a good long while.

Even Salman Khan -- I've stated here before, I'm not a huge Salman fan for a variety of reasons, but he was, in all honestly, just brilliant in the film.

Of course, all of this has me thinking about how films are marketed and how we as an audience perceive the publicity and how we use it to make choices about what we'll see -- and about how sometimes we're wrong.  I had been fully convinced that Dil Bole Hadippa would charm me and delight me, and although bits of it did (and certainly, as I wrote previously, Rani Mukherjee did with her performance), it turned out that the film I initially had no desire to see would turn out to be the film that blew me away with it's brashness, boldness, and general chutzpah.

Now, mind you, I'm a little worried about next week -- when Do Knot Disturb releases. I have been so excited to see what David Dhawan and Govinda will do, I'm about ready to plotz.  I'm thinking, after my Wanted/Dil Bole Hadippa experience, that maybe I should spend the next week lowering my expectations just a little bit.

Totally Filmi Episode 011 - Do Knot Disturb (Music Edition)

Episode 011 - Do Knot Disturb (Music Edition) (audio file format: 192 Kbps mp3 - duration: 52:05 [mm:ss] - size: 71.6 MB)

Shownotes:

So, I listen to the Do Knot Disturb soundtrack.  And I think, "Hey, maybe I should do a quick episode, play a game of "what if?", and speculate on the connections between the songs and the film.

A week later?  The episode is almost an hour long, and features a discussion with a good friend and someone more expert than me in the ways of music.  I say "discussion", because if there's one thing I'm not, it's an interviewer, so John Meadows and I rambled over a lot of ground (well, I rambled, and John illuminated me) before the lightbulb finally went off for me.  I'm grateful for his knowledge.  Mostly I'm grateful for his patience.

However, I can state, unequivocally, that after setting the soundtrack aside for a bit, and coming back to it with fresh ears and fewer expectations -- I actually *really* love the song "Mere Naal" now.  Seriously. I know I said that I thought "Bebo" was my favourite, but nope, "Mere Naal" has displaced it.

If this actually whets your interest in buying the CD, it's available from both Nehaflix and Induna.

The soundtrack is also available on iTunes, where you can purchase the whole thing, or individual tracks.

---

Attributions:

Malkit Singh
"Mere Naal Mere Naal Nach Kurriyie" (mp3)
from "Put Sardaran De"
(OSA)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at eMusic
Buy at Puretracks
Buy at Amazon MP3
More On This Album

"Tablas-Very Sharp" recorded by hammerklavier and uploaded to The Freesound Project

Theme music by John Meadows, host of the podcast "On The Log"

do knot promote

So, according to this article,  director David Dhawan is annoyed with producer Vashu Bhagnani for not doing enough promotion for their forthcoming film, Do Knot Disturb.

And while I normally don't bother too much with what the press has to say, I'd say that even if Dhawan didn't "blast" Bhagnani as the headline suggests, there's a bit of a grain of truth in there.

Because *I've* been wondering what's going on with all the promotion.  Or lack thereof.  And it makes me uneasy, because if there's one thing I've seen, it's when the makers of a film realize they've got a dud on their hands and just walk away from it.  You're lucky if you get the soundtrack, but there's often no or little promotion at all.

The film's release date seems to have moved again, too, and that with little fanfare.  It was originally supposed to open October 2nd, and then was moved to September 25th (and all the posters that are out have that date on them now), and then last week, I was looking for a list of releases on the Bollywood Hungama website and noticed they'd moved Do Knot Disturb back to October 2nd.

Now, I remember reading something (oh, that press again), that director Ashutosh Gowariker was unhappy -- that when schedules were rearranged after the end of the strike, he was promised a solo release for his film What's Your Rashee?, so I assume that was what prompted the move of Do Knot Disturb back to the October 2nd date.

Okay, to be fair -- I know that David Dhawan and Govinda have been on television in India doing some promotion, and that they did have a proper release for the music last week.

But, it took me a while to find the film's official website.  I tried "doknotdisturb.com", but that was a parked domain.  I searched every which way I could, it was NOT turning up in Google, which, to throw out a social media buzzword, is not an example of good Search Engine Optimization. 

I *knew* though, that I'd seen a website for the film on the bottom of the posters for it, last time I was in the theatre (a couple of weeks ago).  So, I went searching for images of the film's posters on line, and that's when I found out what the URL for the film's website actually was. 

If someone out there tells me there's a better way to find it, they can let me know, and I'll promptly go hand my Masters of Library Science degree back in.

But as for the site:  it's not a bad site  I like the landing page, and the rest is all right, too.  There were two things about it, though, that irritated me:  first, there are spelling mistakes on it  (the waiter is promised a sum of money, not a "some of money", as written on the site, for example); and, second, there's a little whirly thing made up of those hotel door signs they use in all the promotion (very clever), but it moves too quickly for you to actually select where you want to go next on the site.

However, I do have to ask:  where are you on Twitter and Facebook? 

Answer:  you're not there, or if you are, you're not getting that word out.  Because if you had a Twitter feed for the film, I'd be following you (like I have been for Dil Bole Hadippa, for example).  If you had a Facebook page for the film, I'd be a fan (like I am for most of the films that have come out recently).  Both are great ways to reach out to fans, to share lots of stuff about the films, and in doing that, to create buzz for the film.

I know that two of the film's stars are on Twitter:  both Lara Dutta and Riteish Deshmukh have accounts, and I follow them both.  Neither has said much about the film -- if I recall correctly, Lara mentioned the music release for the film last week on Twitter.  Otherwise, both are tweeting mostly about the film they're currently filming -- Housefull -- which, of course, is natural, because Twitter *is* all about what we're doing right here, right now.  But Riteish is also tweeting a lot about his upcoming film Aladin.  Again, natural -- it's going to be a big release, there's a lot of buzz...but it's not his next release.

That just happens to be Do Knot Disturb.  And once again, I get this feeling that for the film's stars, Do Knot Disturb has slipped through the cracks.

Am I wrong?  I would love to be proved wrong.  I am looking forward to this film very much.  I am a fan of David Dhawan and Govinda.  I would like this film to be at least as equally successful for them as Partner was a couple of years back.

But if you're not reaching me -- already a fan, already pumped for the film, and pretty internet/social media savvy -- then that doesn't bode well, I think.

zut, alors!

I am a HUGE fan of French cinema -- always have been, and it was further fueled during the time I lived in France.  I own a vast collection of French DVDs.  And one of the directors I particularly love is Francis Veber.

Veber makes comedies.  Meticulously written and scripted comedies.  Nothing is left to chance in a Veber film, and he is as meticulous a director as he is a writer.  And it shows in his films.  Everything has a place and a purpose in a Veber film.  A Veber film is sharp, smart, funny, and tight.

In 2006, Veber released "La doublure" (it was called "The Valet" in English).  "La doublure" is the story of a rich businessman (played by Daniel Auteiul) who has a wife (Kristen Scott-Thomas) and a top model girlfriend (Alice Taglioni).  One day the rich businessman is photographed with the top model by a papparazzo.   But an anonymous guy happens to wander into the shot just as it's taken -- this is pathetic parking valet François Pignon (played by Gad Elmeleh -- and there's a hapless Pignon in most every Veber film, it's his "thing", much like David Dhawan's penchant for twins and doubles -- more on that in a minute).

The businessman's lawyer (played deliciously by Richard Berry) convinces him that they must find the hapless guy, get everyone to believe *he's* really the top model's boyfriend, so that the businessman can avoid a messy and expensive divorce.

Here, watch the trailer (it has English subtitles):

So.  I'm going through Google News this morning, and I stumble across this article on the Planet Bollywood website.  And I'm reading, and I'm thinking, "Oh, cool, they're going to release that teaser trailer along with showings of 'Love Aaj Kal' this weekend, will be cool to see it on the big screen, " and I'm reading and scrolling and reading and then I get to this paragraph right near the bottom:

"'Do Knot Disturb...Fun Lies Behind Closed Doors!' is a zany comedy of errors about a rich businessman who tries to hide his extramarital affair with a supermodel. To save his skin, he bribes a waiter into pretending to be the supermodel's boyfriend.  What follows is a series of mistaken identities and misunderstandings, culminating in one mammoth laugh riot."

Hello?  Hello?  And then I go and watch the teaser trailer (no subtitles, but I think you'll get the drift if you've watched the trailer for "La doublure"):

And I'm thinking, "How amazing is it that my two cinematic worlds collide like this?"

Very amazing.  Indeed, very amazing.

(Just an additional FYI:  I'm guessing Riteish Deshmukh in the Gad Elmeleh role, Lara Dutta as the model/girlfriend, Sushmita Sen as the wife, and Govinda in the Daniel Auteiul role.  Which, on some levels, is not a stretch.  One day I'll have to compare their careers/acting, it's not as far-fetched as you might think...)

however will I wait 'til October?

Okay, so you *know* that when this went up on the YouTubes yesterday, I'd be obliged to post it:

You know, it's going to be hard to wait 'til October for this.  Darned strike -- the original release date was July, IIRC.

Oh, and David Dhawan?  You want to invite an obscure Canadian podcaster from the middle of nowhere to come see a premiere of the film?  No, really?  (Yeah, yeah, I know, next lifetime...)

seriously, you couldn't make this stuff up if you tried

You know, I'd always meant to take a look at the David Dhawan/Govinda filmography, but I figured I'd do it *after* the SRK series, and *after* looking at the entire Govinda filmography.

But it had completely slipped my mind that this year represents 20 years they've been working together, through 18 films (if you count the upcoming release "Do Knot Disturb").

So I figured, it's time to seize that moment.  I've been doing some research, made a list of the films, seen who has what (and it looks like only 2 of the 18 are without subtitles, thank goodness) and today, because I'm procrastinating about a few things, I decided to poke around on the YouTubes just to get a feel for things.

I started watching "Taaqatwar", the first film they did together (yes, bad podcaster, watching illegal video, but rest assured, I will be ordering the DVD for *all* the films I don't currently own), and I can't believe that no one has actually put up a clip of the first song that Govinda appears in.

We've just been introduced to his character, John Di Mello, who seems to be a bit of a petty thief, a self-styled "ding dong walla".  Please someone put me out of my misery and explain that, willya?

Note:  the YouTube version has no subtitles, so I'm relying on my limited understanding of Hindi and my greater understanding of storytelling to follow this.

But he's wandering around after just getting out of jail, he goes to a hotel, he flashes some money (and that winning smile) at the desk clerk, she asks his name, he asks her to guess...

and -- I love this -- she guesses, "Tony" and "Anthony" and "Macaroni".  I'm amazed she didn't say Gino (see my previous Ode to Govinda post for this).

"No!" he sings.  Well, the playback singer sings.  "No!  Not Tony or Anthony or Macaroni!" 

Then follows a little yodelling (I'm not kidding), she asks, "Then who are you?"

And then this:

I swear.  He comes out of the drum to the words, "I'm John Di Mella".  Much gyrating and hip-thrusting ensues.  Now, Saroj Khan is listed as one of the dance directors for the film, so you know, I'm wondering, is this her handiwork? 

Fortunately, shortly after this he meets Neelam, and they are so absolutely, completely, and utterly adorable together that I can almost forget that image of the orange striped suit burned into my retinas.

The only thing worse?  The costumes the two dancers with him are wearing.  And the more I think about it, the more I think this character is inspired by Anthony Gonsalves, and the jumping out of a drum at a Christmas party (yes, Father Christmas makes an appearance) is an homage to "My Name is Anthony Gonsalves" from "Amar, Akbar, Anthony".

BTW?  You can thank Beth for this post.  I tweeted about this, and she insisted on seeing pictures.  But seriously, I can't wait to start ordering the DVDs, because I am going to have So Much Freaking Fun with David Dhawan and Govinda.

Edited to add:  I found it!  Of course, I was spelling it incorrectly!  The clip, in all its mind-bending glory: