Diary of An Shah Rukh Khan Fan

Interpreting Dunki

2024-01-20T12:10:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been 5 years since I have written a post. So much has changed but what remains constant is my love for Shah Rukh Khan. And he has compelled me to come back here and write this.

2023 was the most glorious year for Shah Rukh at the box office. With Pathaan, Jawan and Dunki, he posted over 2600 crore rupees. But...and there will always be a but...many fans are not impressed with how Dunki performed. There was a mammoth of expectations from Dunki because of Shah Rukh collaborating with India's celebrated director, Rajkumar Hirani. As of this post, the movie crossed 460 crores gross already.

I knew this movie would not collect another thousand crores like Pathaan and Jawan. I believe even Shah Rukh knew that. It's a well planned smooth landing film after the firecrackers in the form of Pathaan and Jawan. But fans? They wanted another 3Is. It had to have the same kinds of emotions and humor. Pathbreaking! India has a 80-92% literacy rate. But Hirani wanted to make a film that covered the story for nearly 18 million nationals abroad. He's tired of people harping about 3Is. It's the monkey on his back like Aditya Chopra has DDLJ as the monkey on his back. Every film made now by these 2 filmmakers, will be compared to 3Is and DDLJ, respectively.

I would watch how childishly some fans were trying to promote Dunki under every post on X that mentioned anything about illegal migration. It was cute but it annoyed me a bit. I kept ignoring it. Lack of knowledge was apparent about the topic. Unfortunately, I am way too familiar with illegal migration because not only is it a hot topic in the political landscape of USA but I have also learned a lot about them throughout my life in university. It amuses me that there are people unaware about illegal migration. But it also makes sense because it goes against the narrative of how a country is thriving...

I do want to mention a few things about the buildup to the release of the movie. We fans have been dealing with accusations of corporate booking ever since Pathaan and Jawan set the box office on fire. It hurts...from being his PR to tagging how we watch his movies as corporate booking, it's been quite a journey! Next up we'll all be known as AI generated bots. =) So impossible for Hakla (a nickname given by the underworld and lovingly used by national haters of SRK) to have fans who love him.

Prior to the release of Dunki, fanwars were rampant, especially after a particular 3+ hour long movie came out on 1st December. Hatred for SRK surged, random people started sharing random old clips without context, to show that he is equally or worse than their favorite. It became unbearable to stay active on social media! This negative campaign damaged Dunki a lot. It is actually appropriate to say that fans of other actors along with paid bots of the film that clashed with Dunki, ruined the movie ratings on various websites and apps. While I don't give a damn about ratings when it comes to Shah Rukh's movies, unfortunately non-fans do and it discouraged many people from watching the movie.

Now I'd like to talk about Dunki. To me, it's the best movie out of all the 3 movies Shah Rukh released in 2023. After I first watched it, took me a long time to get a grip on my emotions. Everyone did such a fantastic job. The direction and editing was on point. It's perhaps one of the best well researched movies in a long time. The topic of illegal migration is so sensitive and Hirani treated it with utmost care and respect. Nobody embarks on these kinds of journeys for fun. It's important to remember this even if you find migrants as a nuisance. If we try to trace our ancestors, they all migrated from somewhere. Because humans are not trees and this world is not a quarter mile long.

The following part of this post will include spoilers. So if you haven't watched the movie, I encourage you to watch it! Then come back and finish reading this post because I'll be covering a lot of things!

Getting a visa to go to some country is not always as simple as counting 1, 2, 3. A lot depends on your name and which country's citizen you are. Why do I say name? Because in spite of being a US citizen, I've been subjected to uncomfortable pat-downs at airports...because of my name. And if you're wondering about passports, take a look at this link to see where your country's passport ranks.

In Dunki, the main characters want to go to UK in search for a better life. One guy is hurt to see other men eyeing his mother who works as a security guard at a factory. Another guy feels helpless seeing his mother work long hours sewing clothes to make sure they continue surviving. And a girl whose family has to live right outside their own house which creditors took over upon her brother's untimely death. The story goes that her dad had his shop burned during the 1984 Anti-Sikh riots (Chaurasi [84] dangey). And we see the struggle continue for 11 years in the film. Her late brother had taken loan while also trying out for the Asian games but ended up dying in an accident. Those with power were so heartless that they didn't even allow the family to grieve and readily took over their house while the family had gone to do the last rites.

Riots in Punjab were common from 1980's to mid 1990's because of political issues. In that particular decade, more than 20,000 Punjabi people were killed. That era is called counterinsurgency of 1984 to 1995. Many people were also detained and faced torture. You can imagine that those who were friends or related to powerful figures, reigned supreme. Anyone who tried to dig deeper to bring out the truth were given death threats. This also prompted many people to desperately go abroad. By hook or by crook. While the film doesn't cover the counterinsurgency in Punjab but it has a subtle reference.

Next, we learn about how NRI men go back home to marry women from their culture. When a non-citizen goes back to their country of origin, they are almost revered as celebrities. Therefore, lots of families think it's a great opportunity for their loved ones to marry an NRI and settle in a foreign country. But it's not always so pretty. You'd probably be surprised to know that domestic abuse is a big problem among migrants. Even if they are legal migrants! The legal partner often uses their partner's status as a tool to control them. This is specifically more dangerous for those who migrate illegally because they are in constant fear of being deported. This particular topic is also in the second half of the film where a lawyer suggests Manu get into a sham marriage with a British guy then she could get her status changed within 1-2 years. But sham marriages are a big offence and can lead to hefty punishments.. I have had marriage offers because guys wanted to obtain citizenship through me LOL.

The film presents how difficult it is to otherwise get approved for visa. It's a big business with fancy advertisements all around the main streets of various towns. Where there is desperation, there are scamsters who feed off of people's desperation. In Dunki, we see the 3 friends go to a visa agent who confidently says it'll be easy to get them visas. Ready made degrees are available. A particular excuse for Manu was that she could go as part of the Indian Women's wrestling team to the Olympics. But Olympics in 1996 were hosted in Atlanta, USA...not London. Imagine the lack of information and how these fraud agents take advantage. Expectedly, the various excuses turn out to be all fake and the 3 characters end up losing their money.

The characters take up classes to learn English so they can pass the much coveted IELTS exam to land student visas. Sadly, any remote kinds of tests outside of university/college, are big money making opportunities. They know very well that their prospective customers are looking for shortcuts to pass the IELTS exam. They also know that these folks usually have little to no knowledge about English. Now it may be a bit more different but these opportunists have also gotten smarter!

Let's hop to the donkey route. A lot of fans pinned all their hopes on this particular sequence. They thought it would have an insane amount of emotions and/or comedy. But Hirani kept it short and really precise because there is actually no scope to unnecessarily dramatize this segment. Hardy became traumatized seeing what Sukhi did and feared that maybe Manu would do the same. His trauma and fear is mixed with anger at the government of UK. By now, people have gotten over the British Raj. That anger is now replaced with anger towards their neighbor country because of constant trouble and provocation. But back in the 90's, the dialogue about British Raj was still relevant and not forgotten. Hence Hardy and Sukhi questioned that when the British ruled the subcontinent, nobody asked them if they knew the language of the region. They did a lot of things...and if you want to learn about it, I'd recommend doing independent research using research databases like JSTOR. Research the authors too because humans and biases go hand in hand!

Coming back to the journey; a pumped up Hardy takes 5 people along with him. The entire trip is made possible by his own money to take this illegal route via waterways, trucks, container ships and endlessly walking through extreme weathers. The reason Buggu and Manu make it to London is because of Hardy's sharpness. As an army guy, he has an ability to sense dangers miles away. We were shown a glimpse in Bobby da Dhaba. The 3 others die because fear and desperation got the best of them. Manu almost gets raped then she sees how brutally Hardy kills 3 people for her and Buggu while risking his own life. She saw SIX dead bodies in less than 24 hours. She is traumatized. It's HUGE. UNTHINKABLE. Back to back. She was just a small town girl. What is all this unfolding in front of her eyes? Actually I can't even find words to describe it any further. It was perhaps worse than living in the container where they live, poop, pee, eat, sleep, all in the same place.

This is a major difference between real people going on these journeys versus what's in the film: in real life, people are not always lucky to have an intelligent guy like Hardy with them. They may get into more troubles, if you'd like to imagine. Most humans don't treat others the way they want to be treated. It's a nice thought but far from reality. Why do people embark on this risky trip??? Because of the mere hope and dream that the grass is greener on that side while there is a never ending drought on their side.

Anyway, what happens with Balli is a reality for many people. Have you noticed something? He's sharing living space with people from other South Asian nations. The same nations which don't share a good relationship with each other. But those borders diminish during such hard times in a foreign land. Ironic, eh? Coming back to the kind of scam that happened with Balli; he passes IELTS and supposedly gets a student visa. But to which university? What's the tuition costs? These are questions that we have learned to ask. But Balli & Co. weren't taught to ask these questions. They didn't even go to their local higher education institutions. We are blessed in many ways compared to those who have migrated before because global communication has improved a lot and is much more accessible than before. You can contact the university to make sure your admission letter is not false. And we can research! Sadly, there are still many people who get too excited to see their efforts bring fruit...this dose of dopamine blurs people's thinking. When they get to the Western country, reality hits them hard. Is it stupidity or what?

There is a certain amount of shame involved in doing labor jobs or odd jobs. These jobs bring little to no money in developing or underdeveloped countries. While in developed nations, you can earn something. However, those who migrate illegally, earn less than those who migrate legally. For the legal citizens of developed nations, illegal migrants are cheap labor...if they are able to keep the illegals hidden from law enforcement.

I had a colleague who had migrated from Philippines. She worked at a senior facility where she cleaned up after residents. One day she held some feces in her hands and told her coworker that look, this is dollars! It is THIS hard. And when relatives back home who receive remittance money, show tantrums and/or ask for more expensive gifts, it is equivalent to rubbing salt on open wounds. If you have a hard time earning money in your homeland, chances are likely that it will be harder to earn money in another land because that land is a part of this world too. =)

I mentioned above that there have been people who have sought asylum in western countries after they were subjected to death threats and unsafe situations in their own country. This happens when people try to show the reality which the government doesn't want people to know. They seek asylum in other countries. Of course, not all countries are willing to take refugees but the few that do, you'll have to go through the court process shown in the film. In recent times, we have seen how desperately Afghans wanted to escape their country after Taliban took over. So many Syrians are displaced because of their war and now live throughout Europe. Rohingyas from Myanmar, living in Bangladesh. It's so unfortunate when you are not safe in your own land, in your own home. When natural disasters hit, people have to leave. They cannot stay there and wait for death. But, there are also people like Balli, Manu and Buggu, who sought asylum not because of any known immediate danger to their lives but because they lacked opportunities to economically survive in their town.

Hardy's argument with the judge is one of the most brilliant piece of cinema. Seldom happens in real life because most people are scared to open their mouths in fear that ANY word they utter may result in immediate deportation. Actually, it's safe to say that only Hardy was the cinematic element or fictional character in the entire movie. Perhaps 1 in a billion chance that someone like Hardy walks this earth. The court scene sums up what Dunki is about in some of the simplest yet hard hitting words. We're all about protection and rightly so. Check the history, lack of borders decimated a lot of lives. We need borders and we proudly live within so many borders already...country borders, state/province borders, city borders, neighborhood borders, home borders, room borders, human borders, mind borders, borders inside our bodies too! Even the animal kingdom has their own sets of borders.

But...it's true that anyone who invests certain amount of money in another country can become citizens of that nation. Be rich and beneficial to a country or just stay in your country of origin. Poverty is never a ground to grant anyone a visa or permission to live in a developed country. An assumption is that those who are unable to get by in their own countries, will most likely depend on public assistance that is available in developed nations. You can read this interesting paper and form your own opinion. It is up to you, what you want to make of the argument about borders.

It took 24 years for Balli, Manu and Buggu to get citizenship in UK! In the meantime, Balli opened a business in London. There are so many people that I personally know, who are living here on visa, waiting for visa renewal or are illegally staying here. They start businesses, buy expensive homes...but they don't know if they'll ever be granted citizenship. It's hope that keeps the world going. Whenever I tune into local desi radio channel, I hear ads about immigration lawyers, visas, etc. Those who experience it...they know it so well.

The movie ends with our 3 protagonists returning home...again illegally but this time it's a bit different. They know their way around in their homeland. Nobody will kick them out now because they worked 24 years in a foreign land to earn this sense of security at their homes. Mannu walks on the very soil bare feet, which once pierced her feet constantly. Because she cleaned the soil beneath her feet and can now rest in peace.

Most people who leave their homes for a better life, forever carry all the good and bad memories of their homelands. Not everyone is blessed to come back to their homes, especially those who take illegal routes. Many die during their journey and those who make it, are constantly busy surviving and trying to make sure their families back home are living as comfortably as possible. I often see immigrants staying within their communities and not really interacting with other communities. They find comfort within their communities. Fun fact but this is a reason why there are lots of people who live 20+ years abroad and still cannot properly speak in English.

Hirani and Co. didn't set out to make a documentary or a thrilling/horror film on the donkey route. Most importantly, this film has started the conversation about those who take donkey routes. Now media outlets are posting news about what's happening with illegal immigrants. This is where Hirani and Co. have won big time. This film is helpful in discouraging others from taking illegal routes, most likely saving lives. They wrapped the journey between the reasons why to take donkey route, the consequences, and a rare sight of homecoming. They tried to define this journey by saying that dunki SIMPLY means staying away from your loved ones. This line should have resonated with anyone who has to stay away from their ones for any reason. Whether abroad or another city or state. Yes, in today's world it feels less painful to stay away from loved ones because there is Skype, Facetime, etc. But I have seen so many people during the pandemic, yearning to hug their loved ones. Yet, the uncertainty the pandemic era had brought upon us, which should have humbled us, has turned us into far more arrogant creatures. We have survived a pandemic because we're smarter and stronger than those who have died due to COVID, eh? What happened to us?

Performance wise, I have no complaints whatsoever. These are all highly experienced actors, who have made a big impact on me...to the point that I have written this whole essay defending the vision they believed in. It's the most impactful cinema that I have seen after Fan. Hands down. I have never cried so much after watching a movie. The film showed a reality that is all around me. I was born in the 90's and I honestly don't have a lot of memories of that era. Yet, I could understand and still feel nostalgic. It's not cringeworthy to feel nostalgic for an era long gone. It's natural. Shah Rukh coming back with a bang this year is because he's this guy that many of us have watched from the 90's and he managed to rule our hearts for decades after decades. Our lives changed a lot throughout these decades but he's still our heartthrob.

Dunki is not just mere entertainment, it stays with you. If you are still human-like, you will also cry. It will make you feel numb the first time you watch it. Whether you consider this movie as Shah Rukh's best or not, but this surely is one of the most important movies of his career.

Books on SRK

2019-05-02T23:12:00.001-07:00

Over the years, numerous books have been written about Shah Rukh. Therefore, this post seems to be mandatory! If you have read any of these, feel free to leave a comment about it or review it on Amazon! Also, I will try to update this list as often as possible because books keep on rolling out.

1. King of Bollywood: Shah Rukh Khan and the Seductive World of Indian Cinema
2. Shah Rukh Can: The Life and Times of Shah Rukh Khan // (Ver 2)
3. SELFIE with SHAHRUKH KHAN: A HERO From ZERO.
4. Shahrukh Inspires Me: A collection of quotes by Shahrukh Khan
5. Still Reading Khan.
6. I Heart Shah Rukh Khan
7. When I Met Shah Rukh Khan
8. I'm a FAN of Shah Rukh Khan Are YOU?
9. SRK and Global Bollywood
10. Khans Of Bollywood

11. Shah Rukh Khan Adult Coloring Book

12. The Phenomenon India's Most Successful Movie Star Shah Rukh Khan

13. Hall Of Fame - Shah Rukh Khan

14. K-K-Krazy about Khan (Shah Rukh Khan)

15. Shah Rukh Khan

16. L'univers Shah Rukh Khan (French Edition)

17. How Well Do You Know SRK?: The Shah Rukh Khan Quiz Book

18. Shah Rukh Khan (Urdu Edition)

19. King Khan SRK Shah Rukh Khan

20. In Love With Shah Rukh Khan

21. The Shahrukh Khan Handbook - Everything You Need to Know about Shahrukh Khan

22. Shahrukh Khan 35 Success Facts - Everything You Need to Know about Shahrukh Khan

23. Dear Mister Bollywood : How I Fell in Love with India Bollywood and Shah Rukh Khan

24. SRK : 25 Years of a Life
25. Feel Closer to the Baadshah @iamsrk

Books on his films
1. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge: A Modern Classic

2. The Making of Asoka

3. Aditya Chopra Relives... (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge: As Told to Nasreen Munni Kabir)

4. Om Shanti Om: A Farah Khan Film

Ending Credits Version of Haawayein English Lyrics

2017-10-19T03:54:00.000-07:00

Chehra kyun milta tera

Yun khwabon se mere

Yeh kya raaz hai

Why does your face resemble my dreams, what secret is this?

Kal bhi meri hi thi tu

Meri hogi kal

Meri aaj hai

Teri hai meri saari

Waafayein waafayein

Le jaye chahe jahan

Haawayein haawayein

You belonged to me yesterday, you will be mine tomorrow, you are mine today. My loyalties are all yours no matter where these winds take us to...

Mangi hai tere liye

Duayein duayein

Le jaye yahan wahan

Haawayein haawayein

Le jaye kahin wahan

Mile tu jahan

Mile tu mujhe

I have prayed for you...let these winds take me here and there...maybe these winds take me to where you are found....

Banati hai jo tu

Woh yaadein jaane

Sang mere kab tak chale

Inhi mein toh meri

Subah bhi dhale shamein dhale mausam dhale

Kheyalon ka sheher

Tu jaane tere hone se hi abaad hain

Haawayein hakh mein

Wohi hai aate jaate jo tera naam le

I don't know till when the memories you created stay with me...my mornings, evenings and seasons end in them. You know my city of dreams is complete by your existence...the winds rightfully comes and goes by your name....

Deti hai jo saadayein

Haawayein haawayein

Na jaane kya baatayein

Haawayein haawayein

Le jaye tujhe kahan

Haawayein haawayein

Le jaye mujhe kahan

Haawayein haawayein

The direction giving winds are hinting at something...they are taking you somewhere...they are taking me somewhere...

Le jaye jaane kahaan

Le jaye tujhe kahaan

Le jaye jaane kahaan

Le jaye tujhe kahaan

Where are these winds taking you? Where are these winds taking me?

Stop being an SRK Fan.

2017-08-06T01:19:00.001-07:00

The time before all these social networks existed was so marvelous. We pooped with our butts only back then unlike now where there is more shit online compared to the sewerage. The shit in our minds is more stinky and lethal compared to the feces that comes out of our butt holes.

So what warranted this post? The way a lot of fans are reacting to Jab Harry Met Sejal. I'm not the kind of person who forgets bad things easily so I remember 2011 quite well. It was right after Ra.One released and a few days before Don 2 released. A certain film called Rockstar came out. Oh my goodness, people drove Shah Rukh nuts by asking him why he wasted time in Ra.One and why he didn't make a film like Rockstar. Why he doesn't work with Imtiaz Ali and some other high profile directors and lots of other whys. So fast forward to 2017, there you go. You have your wish fulfilled. Imtiaz Ali and Shah Rukh Khan collaborated and made a film called "Jab Harry Met Sejal". But now you say the story sucked, the script was stupid, Imtiaz is a conman, Shah Rukh should choose his scripts wisely, it is the worst movie of his career, he is finished, the WOM is bad, blah blah blah blah blah. SERIOUSLY, GO FUCK YOURSELF.

As a long time fan of him, I have seen how things narrowed down from believing that certain parts of the media always hate him to his own fans hating on him. In fact now I feel, the media persons who are always after him, are much better than those fans who are bringing him down. Because nothing hurts more than your own people being faulty and weak. This fandom of SRK should really shut down now.

I used to get annoyed by those types of fans who bet on how much a film will earn on the first day, over analyzing the weekend, screens and what not. Then they get all sad when a film doesn't reach their expected figures. I never quite understood what's the point. It was exciting to eagerly wait for the figures during CE but after that it got boring. Every film releases during different circumstances. As someone who has been in the business for so long, I think he knows what kind of decisions to make and I'm pretty certain he also has enough professionals to advice him. Love and money never mixes together so don't try to measure your love for him by the box office figures of his films. It's much easier to sit back and enjoy when a film releases than to sweat over records and numbers. It is not your damn job.

Another group of fans who would piss me were the fans who expected CDI/Swades out of him 24/7. For these fans, he hasn't been acting since CDI. Every film of his that released since Aug 10th, 2007 has been pure nonsense. Even if he has gotten hurt 534654654 times while making all those films from Aug 10th, 2007 till today, it does not matter because he acted crap in all of them. Even if he invested millions and millions of dollars, who gives a fuck because they all sucked. There shall always be an excuse to put a film down...like the director, story, screenplay, music, VFX, art, cinematography, casting, or the fucking make up is just plain shit. He needs to choose different everything. And oh yes, he needs to tone down his way of promoting films. Because he always goes over the top, his way of promoting is too loud and annoying. Why though? Because Shah Rukh deserves the best of the best.

At some point, I did make peace with these fans who had such grotesque expectations. But when I look at the following and remember his performances, I regret ever giving these fans any support.

Let me be straightforward, there is something horribly wrong with this fandom. Stop putting him or his choice of films down. If there is anything a fan has to do, then it's just to give him love in return of the love he gives us. Should there be anything that bothers you about him, try to keep it to yourself...don't go and join the haters' bandwagon. It's not cool to change sides and it's the most disrespectful thing you can do at this stage if you have been a fan of this man for this long. He has done over 50 films and if 10 or 15 of those bother you so much to the point that you have to start hurting his feelings then I'm sorry to say but you're not really a fan of him. For someone who dedicated his life to entertaining people, he does deserve loyalty and love. This counts not just for him, but for all actors in this world.

What I noticed is that a lot of you get easily influenced by what other actors do or what their fans are doing. Then you start expecting the same from Shah Rukh as well. The most important thing is that you need to let Shah Rukh set and achieve his own expectations. He is at an age where I'm sure he wants to do things which he has not done yet, even if it's a small thing. And every actor is supposed to do something different than his contemporaries. Shah Rukh is a leader, not a follower, please keep that in mind. If you are unable to tolerate those who throw mud at him, you should not start supporting them under any circumstances. Why should negative opinions even matter to you? When someone becomes famous, it is obvious that there will be people who will hate him or her. These kinds of people will always search for an opportunity to spread negativity. But it is a fact that only love and support can help a person achieve greater heights of success.

Okay, let's talk a bit about entitlement. Yes you do have the right to review a film you watched in theater because you paid for it. But there is a polite way to say it. Or even better if you say it once and move on. Don't make such a big deal about it. And please stop believing that if you do not like a film, that's when your "review" is considered honest. Stop behaving like a critic or smart ass. It doesn't make you look smart if you abuse or criticize something or someone in creative ways. Most of us are his kids' age, treat him with respect. Do you criticize your parents? Are you a professional filmmaker to give him inputs on how to choose films?

Be thankful that he is still making films, he is still putting in so much effort to entertain us all. Because if he ever decides to stop making films, it will definitely be the end of films for me. And please, not a single film from Bollywood is even worth watching nowadays. The quality is dwindling down faster than I ever imagined. This is not the Bollywood I knew.

The day his film releases, it's like a festival...it's a function, a reason to celebrate, a reason to be happy in the entire calendar. And most importantly, be thankful that you can watch him on the big screen. There are so many fans around the world that have never watched his film on the big screen or they travel to other countries just to watch his film in theater. Or there are people who live in countries where selected, not even all, releases after several months. Have you ever thought how tough it is for them? Their happiness that they can watch SRK on the big screen is much bigger than pointing out the flaws of the film. Why spend so much energy analyzing something that is meant for entertainment?

Stop taking him for granted. Because he is not immortal. Stop thinking that you have the right to bully him by criticizing him day in and day out. Because he has not done any harm to you. Stop assuming that you know the best for him. Because he is experienced enough to understand what is best for him and us. Stop spreading your negative opinions. Because he does not deserve such filth from within his own fandom. If you can't stop it then please do him a favor and STOP CALLING YOURSELF HIS FAN.

Jab Harry Met Sejal

2017-08-05T05:38:00.000-07:00

First of all, it brings an instant smile on my face to see the leading lady's name first in the credits. A 4 years old tradition which I don't even know if others follow or not, given that Shah Rukh's films are pretty much the only films I watch from start to finish...it's remarkable and I hope this tradition continues to exist.

Coming to the film itself, you know when a movie speaks to you? It seemed like JHMS spoke to me. It's like the movie came alive. It had a soul and an amazing one, while at it. It is a kind of film which you want to watch alone because you want to soak in that simplicity amidst sheer madness and confusion. I think if I had to describe what JHMS is then let me try to put it this way: if films were people, JHMS would be the kind of stranger whom you bump into and exchange life stories with. You feel a little lighter. You start to retrospect. Or you start to believe in a better future.

One thing that I noticed in most of Imtiaz Ali's films is that his main leads are always lost and confused. As I expected from the trailer and the song Safar, Harry is lost and confused as well. So is Sejal. They both didn't set out to achieve something great in life. But what they achieve is for you to watch the film for.

Let me tell you, your heart will be wounded. It is because he is obnoxiously hot and you will relate to him to the point where you just want to hug him for a very long time. There is plenty of SRK-Anu to swoon over as well and their pairing is as excellent as a bottle of wine aged for 9 years. There are some things which never fail and this particular pairing is one of them. It is pure perfection. You can put them in any kind of story and these two will completely own it.

My favorite songs include Beech Beech Mein and Hawayein before watching the film and post watching the film as well. The rest are good too but because the full album basically came out a few hours before the release day, it may take some time for me to like the other songs.

Ah, the last SRK release of 2017.....sigh.

Three Words

2017-04-14T20:58:00.000-07:00

I. SAW. HIM.

The Classic War of Cat and Mouse!

2017-01-29T03:57:00.000-08:00

After a long...very long wait, we finally had Raees release! Shah Rukh's look had me rocking and rolling. Who doesn't want to see such a handsome man wearing pathanis while sporting kohl? Of course the beard too which we have been seeing for the last 3 years now :D

Mr. Body-Shot's shot actually scared the hell out of me so I would never count that into one of my favorites. But entries of Mahira and Nawab were really memorable. Especially Nawab, this guy is sheer magic on screen. You can't miss him even if he is in a frame with 500 other people. It was my long time wish to see him act with Shah Rukh and since Shah Rukh always makes my wishes come true, this one couldn't be left out.

Coming back to Raees, he is a guy who follows the simple principle that no work is small or big and there is no other faith bigger than business...as long as the business does not cause harm to anyone. With baniye ka dimag and miyanbhai ki daring, he rises like a generous phoenix in Fatehpura, outlawing what we all learned from MNIK that there are good people and bad people only. I apologize for this cheesy throwback. But this is how the layers are crafted in Raees! Put the bad boy and the good boy together, you have a man named Raees.

Then we have Inspector Majmudar, an undisputed baadshah of getting transferred all around the state he swore to protect from crimes. He believes that everything should come in written form otherwise it is not valid because...humans don't take much time to change their minds.

Zeeshan as Sadiq aka Raees' right hand is amazing! I have a special love for all the people who have played the roles of Shah Rukh's faithful friend or brother in all relevant films so Zeeshan obviously joins that special love. I really hope to see them cast in another film.

I will not get into the story further because there are still many of you who have not watched it. But let me tell you one more thing, the story is pretty amazing and keeps you preoccupied for the entire duration of the movie. Combine Shah Rukh's magnetism, Nawab's profound ordinariness and a fresh powerhouse in the form of Mahira, you are in for a treat that is well worth your money.

Alia's Zindagi

2016-11-28T06:09:00.000-08:00

I watched it a while back but haven't had the chance to write this review. I know I suck but life has been hectic. But anyway, better late than never!

Just a note that I hardly have watched the promos of the film and neither did I like the music album except for Ae Zindagi sung by Arijit. Man, Arijit is all I need when it comes to music. And combine a classic favorite with him, life is gooooood.

So we didn't find tickets where we first planned to watch but thankfully I knew where to go as backup plan. So we went to another theater and caught the last show. It didn't start off well...with an awkward dwarf throwing folks around on a mat and hyperactive lips disturbing the peace of Parisians setting the stage for the start of the movie, nope. It was reaaaaaaally not good.

The beginning of the movie, I was like...I wanna go home. You see, I no longer have much patience. And it felt like everything was just messed up and terribly vulgar. But this turned out to be the base of Dear Zindagi. At the end of the movie, the beginning seems more understandable and a little similar to our very own lives.

I will be honest, I have been a mess myself for the last one and a half year. I have crossed roads with a few therapists myself but no one will ever be like Jehangir. I know how therapists also feel about their difficult job and the affect it has on their own lives. So I was glad that it wasn't just the patient's story, we got to see what Jehangir felt. I loved how there is an amazing transition of Kaira from being a coward to someone who faces the truth and draws strength from the truth. THAT is the ultimate triumph of the protagonist.

I loved Ali Zafar in the movie even though he was really annoying but so damn charming. I was floored and smiling ear to ear. After watching this, I fell in love with Let's Break Up...especially the video, Feroz's fantastic choreography makes the song such a treat. And Vishal's voice is just apt for a song like this...basically basically basically tu bhi kamini!!

I definitely went to watch this movie for Shah Rukh but I returned home as a real hardcore fan of Alia Bhatt. She is pure bliss. Throughout the film, you will experience moments where you wish you could just hug her. Long dialogues, short dialogues, she kicks ass. Even if you are a fan of SRK, you will feel delighted to see Alia more than Shah Rukh.

And what do I say about Shah Rukh? As if he was never a therapist for me...I am what I am because of his wisdom for the most part. He no longer impresses me, because our connection is beyond impressions and adjectives. Which reminds me...I'm sorry I never did a Fan review, that movie traumatized me.

Shall be going back for a second watch soon. Dear Zindagi kind of gets to you over time, and you just want to watch it again.

Fan

2016-04-16T02:30:00.000-07:00

This is his 13th release in which he has a double-role. And this is by far his most challenging one because it is absolutely all about his two roles, there are no side stories involved. And man...wasn't he just gooooood or what!! I know "good" is an understatement but good is just about good. And this "good" is the kind of good you say when you taste some real good food.

All these emotions has been troubling me since I have come back home after watching and it made me so exhausted that I needed a long sleep. Initially I felt I hated the film because of its story and its climax. My sisters were with me and I just walked off leaving them alone because my eyes were ridiculously moist. And I just needed some time alone.

This film is completely fictional but being a fan of a star is such a touchy feely subject along with the kind of ending the film offered...these are sensitive topics. There are numerous factors that shape how and why you become a fan of someone, not just because of a star's looks or his work. As fans, we do the things out of love and in order to carry out such things, we also work (doh). So yeah, I am completely on Team Gaurav. Even right now. But I don't obviously agree with his transformation...that is extreme. Even if my favorite star broke my heart into a billion pieces, I would never dare to raise my hand on him/her let alone think of harming his stardom.

Maybe I should rest my mind and think it through before saying anything...yep this is the kind of affect this film is having on me!!

Consuming Shah Rukh Khan

2016-01-09T02:02:00.001-08:00

When you are a fan of Shah Rukh Khan or anyone, it becomes a habit to watch, read, hear, eat, sleep (hopefully not), drink him/her. This is a reason why these public figures have to keep rolling out new stuff to keep their fan bases going strong. Then let's get going about consuming Mr. Khan.

Shah Rukh did a variety of roles in the first phase of his career. He had nothing to lose and no one really to be scared of. Remember, he made a goal of doing about 22 films. You can only wonder when 22 films became 70+ films. Through these seventy releases, he won billions of hearts all over the world. Okay, I know this sounds like I'm teaching the English alphabet but many of us seem to forget the basic story about Shah Rukh's success.

We just keep wanting more and more from him. And he also wants to keep delivering the highest quality cinema possible so it can be worth the price we pay to watch it. He values the time we give to watch his latest in theaters so much that he doesn't even stop even if he gets injured. Health is wealth. But to him, his audience's happiness is his real wealth.

Of course there must be a personal benefit too as to why he allows us to consume him every minute and every second of the day. It's his dream to give back to the industry and its consumers in the most grandest way possible. It's also his ultimate escape from the original Shah Rukh Khan who is in great pain. Every time the actor Shah Rukh faces a failure or hurtful abuses, the original Shah Rukh takes the blows. Then he forces the actor in him to get to work.

He has an eye for details, which us analysts ignore often because hey, Bollywood films are just singing and dancing after all. He wishes to bring the best talent in the film technology field to India rather than outsourcing work to Hong Kong, China, USA, etc. Because India produces the most films in this world. And there is a growing popularity for the usage of visual effects.

When he does masala movies, he makes it with the intention that a whole family will have something to enjoy in it. There are different palates in every family. One person might like romance, another may like action and another may love comedy. To make everyone smile in 2.5 hours is an amazing talent. And he tries his best to do so.

You know what it looks like when we cry over him not doing a certain film which did great? It looks highly ungrateful. We are being ungrateful to the man who have put in tons of sweat, blood and effort to keep us entertained. He constantly puts up a great fight with his physical pain. Why? So we can devour his work. When fans cried over him not doing 3Is, it was ridiculous. The last time he played a college student was in Main Hoon Naa and that too, it was situational. I can't imagine him in his underwear either. Good for the little one that he did 3Is.

You can't expect Shah Rukh to be in every blockbuster made in Bollywood. No one wished that he do a Border, Gupt, Sarfarosh, Krantiveer, Zakhm, etc. He kept rising because of his very own personal choices. Now he is the biggest star in India, a very important figure. With such power, comes great responsibility. He has to be wise about what he does now, because he has enemies watching him like hawks. One mistake and there will be a heavy price.

It is pretty easy to spend 3 hours of our valuable time to watch a film created by hundreds of people and made in the time span of months who think of nothing else but to present their project in the most perfect way possible. Sad fact is that some films are worth watching many times on the big screen while other films are worth watching once maybe. Should he takes a lot of risks that are political, financial or both and it goes wrong then will you be there to rescue him? Quite sure, you'll be the first to run away from him.

It is quite disrespectful to compare him with younger actors who are actually following his footsteps is another way that you are sucking on his blood literally. Hasn't Shah Rukh almost always experimented? Each film is an experiment on its own. If it wasn't, then it would be called a copy. Plus you know something? He has to be very careful about his choices because he is a superstar. A role that suits Shahid, Ranbir, Varun or any other younger actor, will not suit Shah Rukh. Many actors have come and gone in the last 20 years. The excitement of possibly finding a replacement of Shah Rukh Khan is always high but, I personally think that if he retires then that's the end of Bollywood. They are already remaking, adapting and continuing from scrapbooks of yesteryear.

It makes me sad that I have to repeatedly cross paths with fans who don't seem to appreciate him enough. And then I have to write such posts again and again. I hate repeating myself. If you don't like his latest movies, please shut up and keep patience. We can't predict what he has next up his sleeve. When you become a fan of an actor, you have to have faith in him or her. And seriously, Shah Rukh is the safest actor on whom you can place your faith on. Because he is experienced, experimental, and honestly the best name in Bollywood. It is shameful to see fans nodding with haters and saying that this and that film of Shah Rukh is utter crap.

Keep in mind that he is now 50 years old. His kids are growing up and I'm sure he would like to be able to spend more time with them. You realize he belonged to us before his children and dedicates more time to make us smile instead of his kids? Yet, you would like to bestow your taste of cinema onto him because you think you own him? Right.

As a fan, you need to support him in his ups and downs. It does not make him feel any better if you criticize his choices. Trust me when he says he reads everything, he really does so. What makes us think that he can tolerate so much cribbing over his work if we can't tolerate someone criticizing us all the time? "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". Consume him a bit responsibly because he is a human like us.

Character Names

2016-01-07T23:16:00.007-08:00

Raja/Raj - 9
Sunder
Karan
Lalit
Anil
Vicky
Ajay - 2
Rahul - 8
Sunil
Vijay - 3
Arjun - 3
Guddu
Hero
Ram - 2
Romi
Gopal - 2
Hari
Vikram
Roop
Badru
Shankar
Bablu
Manu
Amar
Baadshah
Amjad
Max
Aryan - 2
Arun
Ashok
Dev - 2
Jai
Yeshwant
Aman
Dushant
Veer
Mohan
Kishan
Don - 2
Kabir
Om
Aditya - 2
Surinder
Sahir
Pawan
Rizwan
Shekhar
G.One
Samar
Chandramohan
Charlie
Kaali
Gaurav
Raees
Jehangir
Tahir
Harinder
Bauaa

The 15 years in Dilwale

2016-01-03T04:47:00.000-08:00

One thing I really loved in Dilwale are the similarities between the siblings. Apart from the themes of sibling-hood, forgiveness, love, drugs, etc. I think one more theme happens to be how life comes a full circle at times. We all have gone through identical situations in the present days which have happened in the past So these are the instances that I noticed. I'm sorry I have no pictures to offer because the DVD is not out yet.

When Ishita tells Veer that they should tell their families about their relationship. She won't like it if their loved ones heard from other people.

When Meera tells Kaali that they should tell their families about their relationship. She won't like it if their loved ones heard from other people.

Meera and Kaali tell Randhir Bakshi about their relationship first and he agrees. Then Meera tells her dad.

Ishita and Veer tell Raj about their relationship first and he agrees. Then Ishita tells Meera.

Ishita confronts Raj in support of Veer's false allegations.

Meera confronts her own henchmen in false support of Kaali

Raj's woh baat alag hai to little Veer

Raj's woh baat alag hai to grown up Veer

Meera shot Kaali on his heart.

Meera takes a bullet on her heart to save Kaali

Veer's first meeting with Ishita on the road to help her

Kaali's first meeting with Meera on the road to help her after he hit her

Kaali intervenes when goons are passing lewd comments to Meera

Kaali intervenes when King's men are able to assault meera

Kaali asks Meera for a 5 minute date in Bulgaria

Kaali asks Meera for a 5 minute date at the wedding dance

Dev Malik creates misunderstanding to end Meera's relationship with Kaali

Meera gives a condition to Veer for his marriage with Ishita and tries to create a rift between Veer and Raj.

Countries SRK Has Been To

2015-12-25T08:45:00.001-08:00

Shah Rukh, you should visit more countries since you live in airport. So far it is 35, will add more if I find out more.

1. India (doh)
2. Pakistan
3. Bangladesh
4. Nepal
5. Sri Lanka
6. Indonesia
7. Guyana
8. Malaysia
9. UAE
10. USA
11. UK [including Scotland, Wales]
12. Iceland
13. Bulgaria
14. Germany
15. Netherlands
16. Canada
17. Croatia
18. Oman
19. Australia
20. New Zealand
21. Morocco
22. Turkey
23. South Africa
24. Mauritius
25. Switzerland
26. Norway
27. Greece
28. Seychelles
29. Singapore
30. Macau
31. France
32. Italy
33. Thailand
34. Trinidad & Tobago
35. Spain

Dilwale

2015-12-23T02:21:00.002-08:00

I don't know how and where to begin at. Even after watching three times, I just don't know if I will be able to describe it well. One quality of Dilwale is that it was made to make people happy. First time I watched it, I felt speechless. My family kept asking me what is wrong with me and I was like....nothing. Later my friend helped me figure out that I was spellbound by SRK & Kajol. The most romantic couple on screen.

My first SRK-Kajol film was My Name Is Khan. While the film was outstanding, the story was something very different. Which is why, we did not see SRK-Kajol in the avatars they are most famous for. But Dilwale turned out to be the best tribute to this couple. Their charisma is inescapable. I am one of those kids who always believed that they were a real life couple too because whenever I would watch TV, their films would be on. And yes I thought Rakhee Gulzar was SRK's mother because I always seen him dying in her arms (Baazigar ending). Anyway, I would love to thank Rohit for introducing SRK-Kajol to us who were too little to go to theater and watch KKHH, DDLJ, K3G, etc.

What I liked about this film is how it doesn't begin to make you laugh your pants off right away. There is some comical scenes but mostly the drama and romance. Then in the second half is where the best comedy comes. Next, I loved how the most amazing twist has become my favorite. I think it should be the scene of the year. Who would have thought we would get to see SRK-Kajol in such action packed drama. I loved their date too, was smiling like a skeleton. Another favorite scene is in the rain where Kajol was so damn good that I felt like hugging her. She deserves an award for that scene. Gerua looked breathtaking on the big screen.

After interval, I believe Ramlal & Pogo scene was totally epic. If the scene went on any longer, it would become the reason of my death LOL. Janam Janam kind of supports my claim about how this film is a tribute to SRK-Kajol. Not because it is black and white but because of the atmosphere of the song, the intensity matches up to the one they are known for. Daayre was my favorite song before the movie release so there is no way I would not like it. I loved the shot of Kriti crying and laying on leaves. It was beautiful. I admired the new brothers in town, SRK & Varun. I would have never thought they are step brothers because there was so much love and care between them. Varun's tone change when he is trying to act sad was hilarious. Same goes for Kajol & Kriti. The similarities between them were striking in terms of their actions and thoughts. Varun Sharma is my latest favorite this year. Tamboo Mein Dhoom Dham was nicely advertised. But bas...it is okay, I will keep it till google search only. Gareebon ke Jackie Shroff, Anwar, Chintu's father, Purushkar bhai, Jenny, Kingu, Joshua, all were awesome.

One quality I always liked of Rohit is that he makes sure everyone has dialogues. It is not that they were there to give expressions only. I loved Shah Rukh. His flamboyant pretty boy or ever cunning gangster personalities 15 years ago and then the melancholic but loving elder brother hiding his dual personality. His intensity as the gangster was so remarkable that I can't tell you. The way he changed from Raj the bade bhaiyya to Kaali in one scene will give you chills. The way he beat up people, phew. Totally superb.

I still have a few more times to watch. I'm really thankful that I had such a deserving good end to this exhausting year. Now chalo, I gotta sleep because I have to go pick up my Dilwale CD from the post office... :D

What is SRK's fault?

2015-12-20T05:55:00.002-08:00

So, instead of writing my review of Dilwale, I decided consciously to write about the ongoing stupidity which is harming the business of Dilwale. It is highly disturbing to me because when I was hearing the interview which started all this ruckus, I had a fear that it would be blown out of proportion. My fear came true and how.

Let me start with how the conversation started.

Barkha: But is it frightening to you as a product of the syncretic background that today this country is trapped in battles over cow meat and whether Mumbai should ban a certain kind of meat during the certain kind of festival...that there is violence attached to this. This is no longer an academic debate. I mean, the current raging debate is intolerance. And do you believe that there is rising intolerance? Do you believe you live in an environment where it is getting tougher and tougher to just say something and not be attacked and not be assaulted?

SRK: I think the one reason for it also is that the platforms have increased. Maybe, there were similar attacks then but there were not enough platforms to hear the voice. Now there is social media, television has become much bigger, radio, everything...everyone speaking. Everybody is talking. Everybody has a right to talk and put it out there. So I think maybe, it might have been there earlier, I hope so. That it is not a modern phenomena, it is not a recent phenomena. I am assuming ke chalo yaar, pehle bhi aisa tha lekin sunayi nahi deta tha. Now you hear it a lot more. Second part of it is..yeah I think that just because you can hear it a lot more, like in my case, I think we should speak a little more sensibly. I think we should be a little more tolerant. We should give each other some levee. And what each other yaar? If this "our country" and religion...keep on talking about then we are going to go back to the dark ages. There is NOTHING, there is NOTHING less important than religious intolerance. It is shocking to me. I can't imagine. Yes, people tell me that maybe in smaller towns, the way people are brought up, it's different, blah blah blah. But I meet people from everywhere, maybe from the place I am is not enough. But I still meet people. Yeah, of course you can make their way of thinking different by public speaking or being larger than life and changing mindsets. But I don't think religion intolerance is any which way forward for any country. I think it's the worst kind of thing that can happen. And intolerance of any kind...and now we're looking at such small issues. And like you said, these are not small issues because they are leading to violence. It's really really shocking. And how do Indians go and show their face...you know when I'm outside, and people say...you guys don't do this? And I am not saying that this is what defines my country. Because I can tell you one million things that define my country beyond this intolerance part. But when somebody is asking me, you've got to answer it. And it doesn't auger well for us as Indians. To even answer in joke. What answer do you give to this? You certainly don't become serious about it. Because I rather talk about India in a manner which India really deserves to be spoken about.

Barkha: And India's image is being hurt in the world. But that's not the primary reason to change it, we have to change it for ourselves?

SRK: The change is for us. We don't have to change it for others, the imagery is okay. The imagery will be bettered or lessened by different things. The change is for us.

If you are curious to hear those words from the man himself, this is the video to watch. Let me know when you hear him say "India is intolerant."

What did he say wrong? Is killing people over what they eat, something to be proud of? In any sane person's opinion, no my friend, it is actually quite shameful. You know, there is some level of intolerance in every corner of the world. Racists, ethnocentric people and xenophobic people are everywhere and they do ridiculously unethical acts. Such acts do attract criticism from people. Shah Rukh has done the same.

Dear Indian protesters, did you know that by protesting, vandalizing, and threatening...you are not proving yourselves to be very tolerant? In spite of not being spelled out loud, you are still adding fuel to the issue of religious intolerance. Now, you must realize some important key points. He is an Indian citizen like you. His vote counts as much as yours do. His taxes are used in the same way as your taxes are used. He has the same freedoms as you do, which includes the right to have a voice. So what wrong has he done by speaking about an issue? When other celebrities talked about the meat ban, no one decided to boycott him/her. Why SRK? Just because his father was a Pakistani born freedom fighter who chose India? Or because his parents chose to retain their original religion of Islam? What is the problem? Do you guys not have any actual serious problems to be concerned about? It is absolutely pitiful that Shah Rukh has to repeatedly say that he is an Indian and a proud one.You guys are dampening my happiness which lies in him. You all are a threat to this world, not just India alone because you guys are reproducing!!!

If you remember past hot situations, Shah Rukh has often been the victim of intolerance. People have pelted stones at his house. People have burned his posters. People have sent him death threats. People have disrupted his films in theaters. People tell him to leave India. People keep abusing him all the time. People even drag his kids and late parents when they abuse him. He has much more right to speak about any kind of intolerance because he constantly suffers because of it. But if he dares to speak about such things, he becomes the villain. In his industry and outside of it too, there is this acid like hatred for him which is very heart breaking at times. One cannot ignore negativity for too long.

Hate him because you are a fan of someone else or you think he is not a good actor or he is overrated. But stop making him the scapegoat of illogical political hate. If you disagree with him, be civilized for God's sake and respect his opinion. He is not your neighborhood dog that you can abuse and throw sandals at. He is a very important and respectable man, much more important than your alien political leaders who are not even worthy of standing on a international stage. Learn to respect the man who has made India proud. Most people know India because of him. Don't try to break the man who provides hope and happiness to millions around the world and in India through his work.

My Obsession with Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi

2015-12-12T03:51:00.001-08:00

It is shameful that in all these years of this blog, I have not written a single post about the love of my life, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. Like I was stumped, how could I do this????? I knew this blog lacked something!!

Let us begin from the beginning...!

So it was I guess October 2nd when the poster of the movie released. The girl was mystery, hiding behind this very average looking guy. I wasn't extremely curious back then so I didn't really research on who the girl is. I will tell you something, I grew up with YRF films. I loved the grandness yet the homely connection their movies would have. When someone would say "Yash Chopra movie", you knew it is a quality film. And if it has SRK then yeah, a sure shot winner. Do realize that I am talking in past tense here. :P Well, here is the first poster.

To make things way more special, YRF decided to release the first promo on Shah Rukh's birthdaaaaaay. But no trailer yet, ok?

Most of the things were released on their website which I really liked. And the first song promo was Haule Haule. Shah Rukh and Anushka had some amazing chemistry in that promo. But the story was not apparent from that promo itself. Like doh. I didn't like the song that much but the visuals were really nice. Ten days or so after the promo, they released the trailer of the film.

I loved the trailer. I LOVED IT. The colorful visuals, lots of emotions and background score...all of these were extremely promising. And hello? Shah Rukh Khan. I wasn't the kind to pause every second though or take screenshots. I couldn't say much about Anushka but I loved how there wasn't so much hype over her. Or at least I'd like to believe so. Did I say that I could die for the background music in the trailer? Yes, I died for it actually.

Then more promos started coming out. My personal favorite was the Dance Pe Chance promo because it was so funny and the song was awesome. The stern face of Anushka and the goofiness of Shah Rukh at the end of the promo always brought a smile to my face.

Let's fast forward to December and I get to know that I can't watch the movie on the 12th. :( But Saturday was fine.

It is then when I saw a film which would forever be my favorite. Plenty of films come out every Friday, but only some films leave an impression in your heart. This was the one for me which made the biggest impression.

It was a fun filled ride with only a few characters. That was interesting. Shah Rukh played double roles many times but both Suri and Raj were absolutely poles apart in their presentation of love. That was interesting as well. No one had heard about Anushka til this movie but I felt I knew this Taani ji from a very long time. That was interesting too.

My favorite character from the movie is Raj. I know he's not the most popular character but the reason why I admire him is because he is similar to many loud people in real life. You need to keep in mind that he is Suri himself. And who is Suri? Suri is the quiet and shy person. It takes a great deal of effort psychologically and physically to transform yourself into a flashy person from a person who even takes a bath in his kacha and banyan. Just because you think you have to entertain your wife who has gone through two or three tragedies in a matter of few hours. Love makes you do a lot of things, so Suri did that as well.

One argument people kept making and even make today is that how come Taani never recognized Raj. Taani hardly even looked at Suri to figure the difference. Mustaches do make a whole lot of difference my dear. Taani never thought she would marry Suri, the man who had grown older much before he was supposed to. When you lose people in your life, it takes a while to get out of the trauma and for sometime, you just don't care about anyone.

I never thought though, that I would be defending Taani in this manner but I have learned that recently. Anyway, coming back to the movie, even its music was outstanding. The theme music was fantastic and filled with some sort of passion.

My favorite scene is the pani-puri competition scene. Then the biryani one as well. It was hilarious and Mr. A1 ji had to pay a tummy full of price for being two different men.

I remember how scared I was to see the floating umbrella at the beginning of Phir Milenge. It was scaaaaaary. But I still loved the song because it was a fitting tribute to yesteryear icons.

But you know I loved this movie so much that I had to watch it for a second time in theater. Yes, this was the film which kicked off my habit of watching a movie in theater more than once. And this movie...it gets better with each watch.

Another reason why this film is so close to my heart is because I had randomly entered a contest to win an autographed CD of this movie's music and on a cloudy January 24th of the following year, I got it in mail. It was one of the best surprises ever. You can read more about it here.

Then I can never forget the epic war I had over the DVD. I bought the DVD from a local shop and it was damaged. I tried ever trick on the net to make it work. From bananas to toothpaste, nothing seemed to fix it. So my dad and I went to get it exchanged but the guy refused to do so then my dad and he got into a great heated argument. In the end, the man agreed to give us a new copy although he kept blackmailing us that if his boss found out that he exchanged it, he would lose his job. Pfffffft.

I was really sad that Anushka did not win Best Debut Award because she truly deserved. Asin already had experiences in working in films. But the award people are just ridiculous. Oh and I knew very well that Shah Rukh would never win best actor because he clearly didn't do great in the film.

The Second Edition of Playgirl

2015-11-30T22:42:00.003-08:00

It is hereeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

The thiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnngggggggggggg yyooooooooouuuuuuu hhhhhhhaaaaavvvvvvvveeeeee bbbbbbbbbeeeeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnnnnnn waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiitttttttttttttttiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggggg fffffffooooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ssssssssssiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnncccccccccceeeeeeee 222222222222200000000000000001111111111111111111111133333333333333333333 isssssssssssssss hhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

Presenting to you... Playgirl Phir Se, Dobara, Again, Once More, Number Two, Episode Two, Season Two, Chapter 2, Part 2, Return Of, Returns, Back, Continues...........

Gerua - English Translation

2015-11-18T11:40:00.000-08:00

Thank you my dearest friend A ji for your kind help!! I tried my best to translate, there might be mistakes.

Dhoop se nikal ke

Coming out of sunlight

Chhanv se phisal ke

Slipping out of shadow

Hum mile jahaan par

Where we have met

Lamha tham gaya
The moment has stopped

~~

Aasmaan pighal ke
The sky melting

Sheeshe mein dhal ke

Setting into glass

Jam gaya to tera
Once it has solidified

Chehra ban gaya
It became your face

~~

Duniya bhula ke tumse mila hoon
I have met you after forgetting the world

Nikli hai dil se ye dua
A prayer from the heart

Rang de tu mohe gerua
Color me in orange (color of love)

Ranjhe ki dil se hai duaa
It's a prayer from Ranjha's heart (Romeo's Indian version)

Rang de tu mohe gerua
Color me in the color of love

~~

Haan nikli hai dil se ye duaa
Yes it is a prayer from heart

Ho... Rang de tu mohe gerua
Color me in the color of love

~~

Ho tumse shuru... tumpe fanaa
It begins with you...ends with you

Hai Sufiyana yeh dastaan
This tale is like a Sufi

Main kaarwaan manzil ho tum
I am the vehicle, you are the destination

Jaata jahaan ko har raasta
Wherever it goes

~~

Tumse juda jo
When connected with you

Dil zara sambhal ke
The Heart a little carefully

Dard ka wo saara
All the pain's

Kohra chhan gaya
Fog cleared out

~~

Duniya bhula ke tumse mila hoon
I met you after forgetting the world

Nikli hai dil se yeh duaa
It's a prayer from heart

Rang de tu mohe gerua
Color me in the color of love

Ho... Ranjhe ki dil se hai dua
It's a prayer from Ranjha's heart

Rang de tu mohe gerua
Color me in the color of love

~~

Ho... veeraan tha, dil ka jahaan
The heart's world was empty

Jis din se tu dakhil hua
The day you were admitted in

Ek jism se ek jaan ka
From one body to one soul

Darza mujhe haasil hua
I have attained that status

~~

Haan... pheeke hain saare
Yes...dull are all

Naate jahaan ke
Relationships of the world

Tere saath rishta gehra ban gaya
Relationship with you has deepened

~~

Duniya bhula ke tumse mila hoon
I met you after forgetting the world

Nikli hai dil se yeh duaa
It's a prayer from heart

Rang de tu mohe gerua
Color me in the color of love

Ho... Ranjhe ki dil se hai dua
It's a prayer from Ranjha's heart

Rang de tu mohe gerua
Color me in the color of love

~~

Haan nikli hai dil se ye duaa
Yes it is a prayer from heart

Ho... Rang de tu mohe gerua
Color me in the color of love

Not the same anymore

2015-11-18T10:04:00.002-08:00

My mother left me this year. Like me, she was also a big fan of Shah Rukh Khan. Just now, the first song from Shah Rukh's upcoming film was released. Last the trailer was out. This is the first movie that will release after my mother's departure.

The reason why I have loved Shah Rukh so much and still do is because of the countless smiles he brought to my family, especially my mother. She would ask me for the latest news of him. She made a lot of duas for him. To her, Abram was the cutest child (after me I'm sure). She would ask me if a new photo of Abram is posted or not. And she would also feel jealous of Abram because he is so much loved. She had lost her mother when she was just a baby and Abram must get love of two mothers and a father. She loved that adorable face of Abram so much that I would leave his photo on the television in her hospital room. Nurses would glance with curiosity but never asked anything.

She was my partner in watching KKR matches too. She would never get tired of praying in that last over when a match could go either way. She would stay up with me all morning long to watch the matches. She felt bad to miss the final match in 2012 because she was sick and hospitalized. But our luck was good that she was shifted to a room where there was a television so we watched the victory parade live the next day. She had the biggest smile ever. Then last year we watched the final together and she got up from her chair clapping with her sweet smile when Chawla hit the winning runs. She would come up with the best names for players. She had a great sense of humor. Unfortunately she couldn't watch any match this year. In fact, she was on life support and an hour away from being officially declared dead when KKR lost their last match this year.

She would feel bad for me when I would not get replied by Shah Rukh. And she felt most terrible when I couldn't meet Shah Rukh last year but she felt the most happy to see Shah Rukh wearing a tie I gifted him at an event. In summer this year after my mother left, a woman who I fondly call my mommy, gave me a pleasant surprise to make me smile. She met Shah Rukh in Bulgaria and requested him to record a video message for me. It was extremely sweet for Shah Rukh to keep his word to her for me. When I saw the video, the first thought I had was I wish I could show it to my mother.

We used to watch his movies in theater together. That's one of the times, I would see her enjoy something immensely. Watching Shah Rukh on the big screen gave her a lot of joy. She would forget all her worries and sadness for those 2.5 hours in that dark hall. Happy New Year was the last film she saw in theater and also the last film she saw on television this year. Whenever we would go out, of course Shah Rukh's songs would be the top choice during the journeys I have taken with her. Her favorite album was the My Name Is Khan album.

Her favorite movie of Shah Rukh was Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, Veer Zaara, Mohabbatein, Kal Ho Na Ho, Devdas and Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Ghum. She would never grow tired of watching these movies. In 2010, when MNIK released, she was sick but still went to watch it a week after its release. It was the last movie that I saw with my whole family. After that, our lives went through drastic changes which led up to this huge emptiness in my life.

I am recalling all these while tears run down my eyes and listening to the beautiful track Gerua. My mother would have loved to watch this film and surely, this song would have been her favorite one. It won't be the same anymore without her this time and in future...it will be incomplete. I don't know how to deal with incompleteness.

Best Of SRK Dialogues: Zindagi Mein Do Raste - Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge

2015-10-05T02:23:00.002-07:00

Shah Rukh's films often preach about the differences between good and bad. It is actually the simplest way to characterize people and things by.This dialogue from perhaps the most loved hindi film ever, DDLJ, illustrates why Raj decided to make the film another hour and a half long. I mean, why Raj goes to India and forms good relations with Simran's family. After all, two people alone don't marry, their respective families marry as well.

Maa ji, main bohot chota sa tha jab meri maa guzar gayi.

Maa ji, I was very small when my mother passed away.

Aaj main jaisa bhi hoon, unhi ki waja se hoon.

Because of her, I am the way I am today.

Woh hamesha mujhe ek baat kaha karti thi jo main aaj tak nahi bhula...

She always told me one thing which I still haven't forgotten...

Woh kehti thi "Beta, zindagi ke har mor par tumhe do raste milenge...

She used to say, "Son, during every turn in life, you will find two paths...

Ek sahi. Ek galat. Galat rasta bohot aasan hoga, tumhe apni taraf kichega.

One is right. One is wrong. The wrong path will be really easy, it will keep attracting you towards it.

Aur sahi rasta bohot mushkil hoga, us mein bohot si musibaatein, bohot si parashaniyaan hongi.

And the right path will be really difficult, there will be lots of problems, lots of worries.

Agar tum galat raste par chalonge, toh ho sakta hai shuruat mein tumhe bohot kamyabi mile, bohot khushiyaan mile..

If you walk on the wrong path, then possibly you will be successful at the beginning, you will find happiness..

Magar aanth mein tumhari haar hongi. Aur agar sahi raste par chalonge, toh bhale hi shuruat mein

But at the end you will lose. And if you walk on the right path, then even if at the beginning

Tumhe kadam kadam mein thokadein mile, musibaaton ka samna karna pade, pareshaniyaan ho..

You encounter with hurdles at every step, face lots of problems, be tensed...

Magar aanth mein hamesha jeet hongi." Ab aap hi baatayen, Maa ji, mera rasta sahi hai ya galat?

But you will always win." Now tell me, Maa ji, is my path right or wrong?

Hello, why do you make me love you so much?

2015-09-07T02:15:00.002-07:00

It is no big secret that I love Shah Rukh a lot, but...I am yet to figure out why. Why does his name grab my attention right away? Why do I watch his movies like it is the most important task in this entire world? Why do I search for his images for hours on the end when I am feeling down? Why do I love a man who doesn't even know me or my existence? Why is he such a big part of my life? It is a big mystery...perhaps not just for me but for many others.

Is it the characters he played? He has brought many fictional characters alive on the big screen. A selfless lover as Aman in KHNH, an unbeatable kingpin of the underworld as Don, a defeated alcoholic as Devdas, and as Kabir looking to redeem himself in CDI. He has even done a character which I hate to hate because I love him so much and strangely, that character is not one malicious criminal but a simple man in battle with his own ego, Dev from KANK. He made it possible for me to feel sorry for him when he was a Don, a Rahul Mehra, or likely the upcoming Miyanbhai in Raees. But Dev somehow is still the biggest villain. Girls like bad boys who put life at stake but not those who put emotions at stake. That's something worth thinking about.

Can it be his acting? In his earlier days, he was a theater actor where luxuries of retakes don't exist. It is kind of like the test cricket in the world of acting in my opinion. Then he has been doing films where he shoots for 6 months on average for a film that is cut short for us to 2 to 3 hours. He displays emotions in such a way that it seems as real as the mole on my left hand. I end up crying with him if he cries, laughing with him if he laughs, feeling tensed with him if he is tensed. He never lets you know that you are watching an actor who is the second richest in this world but he acts as if he is just like me, a nobody, prone to any kind of problem in life. But...he is human. Like me, he has never seen God to act like God. So he doesn't have an option to act anything more than human. But he can act over the top where he overacts so much that I feel like puking on his face to make him stop. But he can act subtly too to occupy my mind and heart for many days. Or in simpler terms, memorable performances.

Maybe it is his voice? Whenever he talks, it feels like he is strumming the strings of my heart. His voice is very deep and soothing. That voice must have broke many times in the last fifty years. It must have struggled to make itself heard too. It must have sounded desperate. But you know when he whispers, it feels like a mist on my soul. The Urdu-style "K" and the breathtaking "H" are my favorite pronunciations. He sounds really aristocratic when he speaks English. That jubilant and the big brother from the gullies of Delhi stands out as he speaks informal Hindi. The sound of his laughter is quite rare and I think those who can make him laugh should feel honored. To make a man like him laugh is a tough task because not only is he too smart, he has been hurt often.

What if it is the smile? They say a smile is universal. It is true and his smile is a very humble one too. And honestly, I don't see him smiling a lot as I expect. But when he does, it makes me smile too. So it is a contagious smile...it is inescapable. It is such a soft smile that it fluffs my heart. But you know...that smile has many shades...cheeky, shy, sarcastic, exciting, happy, proud, etc. I don't like the tight-lipped smile...it looks forced and that makes me unhappy. Although, it still turns on the dimples. The dimples are so beautiful and it serves as a negative point when he is trying to be macho...because it makes him look adorably cute. The smile when he is blushing is completely out of this world. I would die for that shy smile of Mr. Tomato.

Most probably it is the eyes. There is dept in those eyes. Those eyes have seen so much, from the most painful incident to the most magical one. Its perception of this world must be one of a kind. They are a pair of eyes which dream openly and see them turn into fictional reality. There is no darkness of any sort in them but a twinkle instead. That pair of innocent looking eyes has a fierce determination to see the greatest heights of success. Mind you, I don't like it when he hides those jewel like eyes behind sunglasses.

No but there is style too, right? A true gentleman with the mission to make as many people happy as possible with his appearance. He doesn't believe in being OTT or UTT (under the top)...just somewhere in the middle. When he walks, he steals as many as 50 hearts per step. When he shows up, he brings a thousand tales with him, both real and sham. A sight hardly anyone is capable of ignoring. He doesn't have to do anything or put on a style to impress because he himself is a style. The Shah Rukh Khan style. Whether he stretches out his arms out in the filmy style or not, he is still very welcoming. I can literally feel it even from the screen that still separates me from him.

But the kindness? If kindness was the thing I was looking for, then I would have been a fan of Salman Khan right now. Kindness does not need to be loud. Shah Rukh does not wear his kindness as a shirt but it's just a part of his heart. I learned that your left hand should not know that your right hand is giving something. It should be that much of a secret. That is why we don't hear Shah Rukh donating $10000 to that little boy struggling with cancer. He has also been kind to me many times, not in form of money but just by giving me some of his valuable time. He does a favor on us by appearing in front of us anyway.

It needs to be fatherhood! He loves his kids a lot and doesn't shy away from sharing thoughts about his kids in public in the most innocent way possible. Some of us can't help but wish our own fathers were like him. He finds solace in the little arms of his children at the end of a grueling day. He tries to incorporate small wishes of his children in the films he acts in. When other fathers talk about their children, I can swear to you that it feels like they are mostly boasting about their kids. But when he talks about his bundles of happiness, it is the sweetest thing ever. And he seldom mentions about the achievements of his kids. That is because only he and his wife have the exclusive right to pride over their miniatures. He never runs out of words to describe how much he loves his children.

Even after writing so much, I can't make up my mind. These are just some of the reasons that make him someone worth loving crazily. This is a topic which has no end. Loving him is a disease with no cure but to let the disease grow bigger and bigger. I became a fan by default but loving him so dearly as to considering him a part of my life was completely out of choice. Shah Rukh Khan is love. Love is Shah Rukh Khan. There is nothing in between. I let that fact embrace my life and I am quite satisfied by it.

Best Of SRK Dialogues: Maaf Ki Jiyega Sir - Mohabbatein

2015-09-04T03:45:00.000-07:00

When this film released, I was far from understanding the dept and emotional value of dialogues. But when I started learning and appreciating, the dialogues from this movie kind of blew me away. And now I think Aditya Chopra is a fantastic writer and with Mohabbatein, he did a brilliant job. Such an easy flowing film with dialogues that get engraved in your heart.

The scene in which the following dialogues were spoken, won the best scene award at Filmfare too.

Maaf ki jiyega Sir, par jahan se main dekh raha hoon aap har gaye...

Forgive me Sir, but from where I can see, you have lost...

Kyun ki jahan se main dekh raha hoon, mujhe ek 55 saal ka baap apni ek 19 saal ki beti ki phool chadi tasvir ke niche khada dikh raha hain.

Because from where I can see, I see a 55 year old father standing under his 19 year old daughter's flower laced photo.

Aap tab bhi hare they aur aap aaj bhi hare hai.

You lost back then and you lost today too.

Apne kabhi socha Mr. Shankar main Gurukal wapas kyun aaya? Kiske Liye?

Have you ever thought why I came back Mr. Shankar? For who?

Jis ladki se main mohabbat karta hoon woh toh ab is duniya main hain nahi...

The girl I love is no longer in this world...

Yeh Vicky, Sameer, Karan kaun hai mere? Main toh inko janta bhi nahi, main toh yahan par kisi ko bhi nahi janta tha...

Who are Vicky, Sameer and Karan to me? I don't even know them. I don't know anyone here...

Main wapas aaya tha aap ke liye Mr. Shankar...main wapas aaya tha uss baap ke liye jis ki beti se main mohabbat karta hoon....

I came back for you Mr. Shankar. I came back for that father whose daughter I love...

Main yahan is liye aaya tha kyun ki woh hamesha kahan karti thi ki,

I came here because she would always say that,

Mere Papa bahut pyaare hai, upar se sakth hai par andar se bahut naram...

My dad is very lovable, strict on the outside but inside really soft...

Woh sakthi todne aaya tha. Pata hain Mr. Shankar, mere paas Megha ki koi tasvir nahi hain,

I came to break that strictness. Do you know, Mr. Shankar, I don't have any photograph of Megha,

Kabhi zaroorat hi nahi padi kyun ki jahan par bhi mohabbat hoti mujhe Megha dikai deti hain,

It was never necessary because wherever there is love, I can see Megha there.

Aur main sochta tha ki agar main aap ke samne ek bhi mohabbat puri kardoon, ek bhi..

And I thought that if I fulfilled one love story in front of you, just one...

Toh aap ko bhi Megha dikhai de jayegi...

Then you would also see Megha...

Aur aap dekhenge ki woh kitni khush hai toh shayad aap ka dard kam ho jayega

And you would see how happy she is then maybe your pain would become less

Main aap ka dard batne aaya tha, aap ko Megha dikhane aaya tha,

I came to share the pain with you, to show you Megha,

Main aaya tha kyun ki main ek baat samajh chuka tha, ke Megha mere bina adhuri hai,

I came because I understood one thing, that Megha is incomplete without me,

Lekin aap abhi tak nahi samajh paye ki Megha aap ke bina bhi adhuri hai,

But you still didn't understand that Megha is incomplete without you as well,

Hum dono ka saath hi usse pura kar sakta hai,

Our union only can complete her,

Main woh pura karne aaya tha jo aap uske jete ji pura nahi kar sakhe,

I came to complete what you couldn't complete even when she was alive,

Main megha ko pura karne aaya tha..Megha ko pura karne aaya tha,

I came here to complete Megha...to complete Megha..

Aap zindagi ki har jung jeete chale aaye, par zindagi ke sare sahare harte chale gaye...

You won every battle in life, but you kept losing every support in your life...

Tab aap ek beti hare they aur aaj aap ek beta hare hain...

Then you lost one daughter and today you have lost one son...

Maaf ki jiye Sir, par jahan se main dekh raha hoon aap sab kuch har gaye,

Forgive me Sir, but from where I can see, you have lost everything,

Kyun ki jahan se main dekh raha hoon,

Because from where I can see,

Mujhe ek ziddi, badnaseeb insaan dikh raha hain,

I can see a stubborn and unfortunate human,

Jo khada hain pith kar ke un do logon ke taraf jo usse duniya main sabse zyada chahte hain...

Who is standing with his back to those two people who love him the most in this world...

Maaf ki jiyega Sir, maaf ki jiyega...

Forgive me Sir, forgive me...

Directors SRK has worked with (films)

2015-08-19T06:30:00.000-07:00

Raj Kanwar (Deewana, Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega)
Mani Kaul (Idiot)
Rajiv Mehra (Chamatkar, Ram Jaane)
Aziz Mirza (Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, Yes Boss, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, Chalte Chalte, Kismat Konnection)
Hema Malini (Dil Ashana Hai)
Ketan Mehta (Maya Memsaab, Oh Darling! Yeh Hai India)
Rakesh Roshan (King Uncle, Karan Arjun, Koyla)
Abbas-Mushtan (Baazigar, Badshah)
Yash Chopra (Darr, Dil Toh Pagal Hai, Veer Zaara, Jab Tak Hai Jaan)
Kundan Shah (Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa)
Rahul Rawail (Anjaam)
Ramesh Sippy (Zamana Deewana)
Prem Lalwani (Guddu)
Aditya Chopra (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Mohabbatein, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi)
Mukul S. Anand (Trimurti)
Praveen Nischol (English Babu Desi Mem)
Mahesh Bhatt (Chaahat, Duplicate)
Ram Shetty (Army)
Mehmood (Dushman Duniya Ka)
Basu Chatterjee (Gudgudee)
Subhash Ghai (Pardes)
Naresh Malhotra (Achanak)
Mani Ratnam (Dil Se)
Karan Johar (Kuch Kuch Hota Hain, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Ghum, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, My Name Is Khan, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil)
Kamal Hassan (Hey Ram)
Mansoor Khan (Josh)
M.F. Hussain (Gaja Gamini)
Shashilal Nair (One 2 Ka 4)
Santosh Sivan (Asoka)
K.S. Adiyaman (Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam)
Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Devdas)
Shaad Ali (Saathiya)
Krishna Vamsi (Shakti: The Power)
Nikhil Advani (Kal Ho Na Ho)
Birendra Nath Tiwari (Yeh Lamhe Judaai Ke)
Farah Khan (Main Hoon Na, Om Shanti Om, Happy New Year)
Ashutosh Gowarikar (Swades)
Samar Khan (Kuch Meetha Ho Jaye)
Soham Shah (Kaal)
Khalid Mohamed (Silsilay)
Amol Palekar (Paheli)
Ashu Trikha (Alag)
Farhan Akhtar (Don, Don 2)
Vivek Agrawal (I See You)
Shimit Amin (Chak De! India)
Sajid Khan (Heyy Babyy)
Jaideep Sen (Krazzy 4)
Vivek Sharma (Bhoothnath)
Zoya Akhtar (Luck by Chance)
Priyadarshan (Billu)
Mudassar Aziz (Dulha Mil Gaya)
Makrand Deshpande (Shahrukh Bola "Khoobsurat Hai Tu")
Roshan Abbas (Always Kabhi Kabhi)
Sahil Sangha (Love Breakups Zindagi)
Anubhav Sinha (Ra.One)
Tarun Mansukhani (Koochie Koochie Hota Hai)
Brad Bird (Hum Hain Lajawab)
Rohit Shetty (Chennai Express, Dilwale)
Nitesh Tiwari (Bhoothnath Returns)
Maneesh Sharma (Fan)
Rahul Dholakia (Raees)
Gauri Shinde (Dear Zindagi)
Imtiaz Ali (Jab Harry Met Sejal)
Kabir Khan (Tubelight)
Aanand L. Rai (Zero)

Bold = full fledged roles

Best Of SRK Dialogues: Sach - Pardes

2015-08-05T03:48:00.002-07:00

That fine summer night when I started to feel cold...Shah Rukh's voice warmed me up like a cup of hot cocoa! Well...not necessarily this dramatic dialogue from Pardes. But this needs to have its own place in my collection. Note: The red dialogue belongs to Amrish Puri. :P

Sach?? Sach toh aap janna hi nahi chahte.

Truth?? You actually do not want to know the truth.

Kyun ki jo sach sunna chahte hai, woh apne jeb mein pistol aur dil mein nafrat lekar nahi aate Sir.

Because those who want to hear the truth, don't bring a pistol in their pockets along with hatred in their heart Sir.

Bohot bada kaleja chahiye Sir. Bohot bada kaleja chahiye sach ko sunne ke liye.

You need to have a lot of courage Sir. You need to have a lot of courage to hear the truth.

Aur sach yeh hai ke jab aadmi daulat aur takat ki waje se jitna bada hota jata hai, utna hi sach aur asliyat se dur hota jata hai.

And the truth is that as a person grows big because of money and power, he becomes equally distant from the truth and reality.

Woh samajhta hai ke jo usne socha, wohi sach hai. Jo usne kiya, wohi thik hai.

He understands that whatever he thinks is the truth. Whatever he does is righteous.

Aur aap ke saath bhi aisa hi hua hai Sir...bade toh aap ban gaye, lekin khud ke mamle mein zara chotein rehe gaye.

And that's what happened with you too Sir...you became big but you remained small in your personal matters.

Kyun ki sach yeh hai ke aap ne khud se jhooth bola. Jhooth bola ke Ganga jaisi Hindustani ladki aapke iss fhirange-luma ladke ki patni ban sakhti hai.

Because the truth is that you lied to yourself. You lied that an Indian girl like Ganga is suitable to become wife to this Western boy of yours.

Aur iss jhooth ko sach karwane ke liye aap ne mujhse bhi jhooth bulwaya.

And to turn this lie into truth, you made me speak lies too.

Aur main aap ke ehsaano ke bojh mein daba hua jhooth par jhooth bolta chala gaya, jhooth par jhooth bolta chala gaya.

And I was under so much debt to you that I kept telling lies after lies after lies.

Bolta chala gaya ke Rajeev bohot acha ladka hai, bohot acha ladka hai Rajeev. Cigarette sharab ladki, koi aeb nahi hai uss mein.

I kept saying that Rajeev is a nice boy, Rajeev is a very nice boy. Cigarette, alcohol, women...he has no flaws at all.

Woh ek bohot hi mahaan Hindustani ka ladka hai. Ek bohot hi raees Hindustani ka ladka hai. Bohot hi amir Hindustani ka ladka hai.

He is son of a great Indian. He is son to a leading Indian. Son of a very rich Indian.

Ladka hai! Ladka hai Sir. Lekin Hindustani nahi hai. Aur sach yeh hai, ke maine Ganga se bhi hamesha jhooth bola.

He is a boy! He is a boy, Sir. But not Indian. And the truth is that I always lied to Ganga.

Kya rishta hai tumhara Ganga ke saath??

What relationship do you share with Ganga??

Vishwas ka. Man ka. Maryada ka. Pooja ka. Pyaar ka.

Of trust. Of honor. Of dignity. Of worship. Of love.

Agar Ganga ki hifazzat karna pyar hai toh hai. Hai! Hai! Pyaar hai! Aur hamesha rahega Sir.

If protecting Ganga means love then it is love. It is! It is! It is love! And it will always be so, Sir.

Lekin maine Ganga ko kabhi apne liye hasil karne ko koshish nahi ki. Aur nahi aaj karunga Sir.

But I never tried to achieve Ganga for myself. And I won't do it today either, Sir.

Kyun ki...kyun ki Ganga aap ki amanat hai. Babuji ki hai. Maaji ki amanat hai.

Because...because Ganga is yours. Dad's. Mom's.

Chalta hoon Sir. Ab wapas nahi aaunga.

Will get going, Sir. This time I will not come back.

Best Of SRK Dialogues: Ek Ladki Thi - Mohabbatein

2015-06-26T16:37:00.001-07:00

This dialogue is the opening of the song "Aankhen khuli ho ya ho band" and it is spoken by Shah Rukh as he remembers Megha before blowing the candle on his birthday cake.

Ek ladki thi deewani si

There used to be a silly girl

Ek ladke pe woh marti thi

She admired a boy

Nazrein jhukake, sharma ke

Eyes down, shyly

Galiyon se guzarti thi

She passed through the streets

Chori chori chupke chupke

Slyly...quietly..

Chitthiyaan likha karti thi

She used to write letters

Kuch kehna tha shayad usko

Maybe she had something to say

Jaane kisse darti thi

No idea who she was scared of

Jab bhi milti thi mujhse

Whenever she met me

Mujhse poocha karti thi

She would ask me

Pyar kaise hota hain

How does love happen

Yeh pyar kaise hota hain

How does this love happen

Aur main sirf yehi keh pata tha...

And I could only say this much...