Type-e-Ishq Redux: मिल गयी!

Saw Bhumika DVDs in Mustafa's last Friday and I knew for certain that the Daawat-e-Ishq title typeface isn't a custom-designed one ...

So I ran a quick Google search and found Benguiat Caslon:

My god, I think I have a crush on it. It's so sexy and beautiful!

LOL V.D.

Saw a tweet today which pointed out that Valentine's Day has the same initials as the other thing that "V.D." is more known as ...

And Vasantham decided to screen ... Shaadi Ke Side Effects. LOL your programming is hilarious and slyly subversive!

I watched Shaadi but it didn't help me figure out why straight people marry and breed. I actually like Pyaar Ke Side Effects quite a bit, but however much I adore Vidya and think she and Farhan Akhtar look so cute together, I like Shaadi less than I perhaps should. (Pyaar > Shaadi!)

I found the acting and the music both decent and likeable; guess it's just the story that didn't do much for me. I guess its premise is too 'grown up' for me for something.

But, yeah, thanks for scheduling a movie on V.D. that validates and strengthens the commitment-phobes' collective resolve to never marry.

This is truly a great public service for us all!

Goat Biryani & Philosophy

After I skipped out of the office at 13.30, I headed straight for Little India. Threading took less than three minutes and then I was walking around looking for that famous biryani place I've read about, called Bismillah.

Well, you know, with that name, I should've known I could expect a side dish of wisdom and philosophy with my delicious goat biryani and mango lassi because that was exactly what I got. As I was settling my bill, I fell into conversation with one of the proprietors who was at the cash register.

We talked mostly about food — his philosophy on food (although he didn't call it 'philosophy') — then veered into the general topic of living. It was a truly interesting conversation; there were many points I hope to remember and put into practice.

For instance, he said (something like): if you focus only on one thing in life, then you're like a horse with blinders. If you're obsessed with one thing, your life is just a dot. Life goes every which way — horizontally, vertically, diagonally, etc. — so why spend your time on earth remaining static in that dot?

Towards the end of our conversation (I mainly contributed by listening), he suddenly reminded me of Sergio. Sergio always emphasized logic; he said everything we do follows (or should follow) logic. The proprietor said everything we do has meaning. When he said that, I remembered Sergio's dimly lit office, my sitting in front of his desk, Sergio with his beloved Diet Coke, a glass, and a coaster, Sergio's illustration of logic using the glass and the coaster ...

The proprietor also said, avoid collisions with other people — it's better to walk away and avoid clashing with someone than get drive headlong into a crash because bad thoughts and words will only sour your day. Why choose to make life bad for yourself? This made me think of work, how I always get angry because I don't agree with the way things are and how things are done. I know, it's really not worth it; I should never get mad at work.

Then the proprietor asked, what is happiness? What is hell? Happiness the period between bad things happening in your life; hell, the period between good things happening. (I might've also read this somewhere else.) What is life but a cycle, no?

This lovely little interlude in the afternoon makes me think that I should do more things on my own. Serendipity finds me only when I'm on my own and I meet such lovely people. This was like that time when I stumbled upon a beautiful shop of statues and other artworks somewhere in Left Bank/Cuba Mall while I was waiting on my takeaway. The owner, who had been smoking outside his antique/art shop, started chatting with me and it ended with an invitation to dine with his wife on "authentic" Indian food.

I must really be out there on my own more often. Friends proffer buffer and safe spaces, but, as the proprietor had said, why remain in one spot when you can go anywhere, in every different direction?

Type-e-Ishq

I found a couple of unfavorable reviews for Daawat-e-Ishq and both said something about how the romance between Gullu and Taru is unrealistic because it took place over three days. I suppose they could be right; I mean, it is wholly believable that that two people could fall in love in three days, but perhaps not as realistic that they decide to marry within/after a week of meeting. Then again, stranger things have happened.

For viewers like me, because I found the two leads so lovable, it easy to accept Gullu's and Taru's relationship (and subsequent marriage). Of course, I'd have loved to have the courtship/getting-to-know-you bit stretch a little longer. In fact, I wish the script had sacrificed the Amju-Gullu thing in favor of Taru-Gullu. Like, I didn't need to know Amju and Gullu had been crushing on each other for a month, how they appear to be diametrically different people (veggie vs non-veg). I would prefer to have more Taru-Gullu conversations.

Anyway, I still like Daawat and 'Mannat' has become my earworm du jour. (It's the somewhat incantatory nature of the chorus, I think, that I like so much.)

What's not to love about the movie, really? Besides really adorable leads, Lucknow tourism and food porn, and music, there's a whole lotta kohl. Dude wore guy-liner the whole time — even when Pari's character wasn't wearing any! Eye-liner/kohl is totally my favorite thing to see on both genders.

One other thing I love about Daawat: the title typeface. God, I've always been a sucker for ball (and teardrop) terminals and there are some fucking gorgeous beauties in the titles:

It looks similar to Elephant but with customized swashes. (I actually don't think this typeface was customized for Daawat; I seem to recall seeing a typeface like this before).

WHAT IS THIS TYPEFACE — I HAVE TO KNOW!

(>_<)

So, today, another blood letting, another set of pills, and a day off work. Can't complain!

Finished Happy Ending this morning. I don't know what to think about this movie. Maybe a list will help:

Plus Side

• It's kinda interesting — the title-over of scenes; I'll like to see that used in other films
• Saif Ali Khan as the slobby schlubby The Dude-ish alter-ego — what can I say, I adore the Nitin-types. I would love to fill my life with at least one such guy so I'll always have someone to binge-watch movies and binge on junk food. And it'll always be the films I want to watch because he's too fucking lazy to fight my selection. What a perfect platonic life-mate!
• Kalki Koechlin!
• Laughs — I did get a few laughs in, although I'm not sure the laughs came where they were supposed to.

Down Side

• Casting — yeah, not sure Ileana d'Cruz was the right choice. I'd think maybe Kareena should be in that role but I'm afraid she'd've overdone it like she did in Jab We Met.
• A somewhat meta-story/story of a story of a story? Yeah ... No. I still cringe when I read back at my old stuff in which I employed what I now think is a rather lazy narrative structure.
• Govinda. UGH. No. Not even if he's parodying a has-been movie star. NO. Because Govinda.
• The story itself is a little weak, I think. Can't rom-coms be smarter? Maybe the scriptwriters should look to Shakespeare (10 Thing I Hate About You <3), Austen (Clueless; can't comment on Aisha since I've yet to watch it), or other classic stories (Easy A).

After Happy Ending, I decided I wanted something less ditzy, so I started watching Ek Villain because I thought it has garnered good reviews.

Yeah ... No. My bad.

First off, PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS CIVILIZED AND DECENT, PUT A FUCKING WARNING IN THE OPENING TITLES IF KR-BLOODY-K IS THE DAMN SHOW. He is pestilence. I'd rather watch Vijay Raaz pour out Nitin's stool sample on a continuous loop than that fuckwit KRK in any scene, however short.

Two: Sidharth Malhotra. First time I saw him, it was in Hasee Toh Phasee. I didn't know who the leads were but fell in love with Parineeti Chopra straightaway. The male lead I hardly registered because he was hardly noticeable. Then I read a review which praised his "understated" performance and I was like, okay, maybe his character isn't a very flashy one. (And tbh, when Pari is on, she really just grabs my eyeballs and attention.)

Then I saw him again in that dumbass SOTY. Because I was so appalled by the amount of pecs and biceps flaunted and the lack of a homoerotic storyline between the two male leads, I didn't pay any attention to the acting. (I mean, it's really hard to watch the flick fully when I kept having to roll my eyes.)

Now Ek Villain. I can confirm that Sid Malhotra as an actor is about as emotive as a kettle.

Thirdly, Shraddha Kapoor had very little screen time. I don't know why I find MPDGs in Indian movies so ... exaggerated. Aisha is a bit of a MPDG and I could only tolerate it because she's easy on the eyes and had very few scenes (and a lot less shrill than Bebo as Geet).

The plot, acting by the lead, and KRK combined is making it a struggle for me to continue with the film. In fact, thanks to them, I'm now watching the original from which Villain was copied — I Saw The Devil (which, being a Korean revenge flick, is scarring me psychologically).

If Villain is remaking Devil, then the former made very. very, very, very fucking poor use of good materials. I mean, when Aisha died (I watched until the 56 min mark, having forwarded through the songs), I was too busy wondering why she had lived long enough to be killed by Rakesh to feel any sympathy for Guru. Didn't she say right at the beginning that she was dying (as a lazy way to explain the MPDG-ness of her character, because of course all dying people are immensely perky and cheery)? What was she dying of?

Also, let's face it: Sid doesn't do forcibly repressed emotions and clenched jaws anywhere as well as Lee Byung-hun in Devil. Hell, I'm rooting for Soo-hyun. In fact, I'm hoping Devil ends with the villain with amputated hands, legs, and tongue. Also, I was mightily impressed by Soo-hyun's cutting of Kyung-chul's Achilles tendon.

I wonder if I should finish Villain even if I have to hate-watch the rest of it. I suppose it'll make a good mental cleanser after the gore-rific Devil since Villain is so bland. (Oh lord, this is going to be like that time I watched Ichi the Killer in the uni library and then was terrified when walking home at sunset.)

Aww

Even though I was in Little India yesterday (with Geeta, at our regular, eating our regular) and visited Mustafa, I didn't buy any DVDs — I couldn't find A Wednesday! and couldn't think of what else to buy — which felt weird. Weird because it's become a habit for me to savor my new DVDs as I have my lunch after Sunday aerial yoga class. It's such a treat.

So I was completely lost today because I didn't know what to watch.

Finally settled on Daawat-e-Ishq (streamed, thank you anonymous uploader) which I'd been meaning to buy ... except I realize I make very poor choices when it comes to rom-com, resulting in my buying things like Yeh Jaawani Hai Deewani, Love Aaj Kal, and Teri Meri Kahani (I have still yet to unwrap the former two).

But Daawat-e-Ishq: awww. It' so sweet! I wonder why it's a flop at the box office. Is it the somewhat preachy tone at the start of the movie, or the slightly weak ending? Parineeti and Aditya Roy Kapur are so cute together, but then again Pari looks great with all her male co-stars so far (unlike Ileana d'Cruz whom I've found to not look compatible with any of her male co-stars in the two and a half movies I've watched of hers: Barfi!, Main Tera Hero, and Happy Ending).

For a movie with younger actors, I was surprised there was no kiss. I found the lack of at least one kiss at the denouement a little odd. Surely after saving each other from thugs, apologizing, forgiving, confessing your true love's passion, and finding your love reciprocated, a kiss wouldn't be amiss? (Does Aditya have a no-kiss clause? 'Cuz Pari definitely doesn't.)

Daawat-e-Ishq has a decent story — better than Main Tera Hero or SO-fucking-TY — and a likable and wholly competent main cast. The music is also decent, and, hello, FOOD PORN. On top of all that, it's at least a little educational, no? Teaching women about section 498A, letting everybody know women are fucking trash that can only be accepted if money is given, nor are men chattel to be auctioned off to the highest offer.

Hell yeah I'm definitely buying this the next time I'm at Mustafa!

(The word daawat is also the name of one of my favorite Indian eating places in Welly. One year, my girl friends arranged a surprise birthday dinner for me there and gifted me a gorgeous bag from Trade Aid with pretty embroidery and Rajasthani mirror work. So, yeah, I guess the word daawat has only very positive connotations for me.)

Reads & Flicks of the Month: January

Sadly, just finished one book (a short one, really) which I started last December or even before: The Daydreamer by Ian McEwan.

Flicks of the month:

• Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na
• Salaam-e-Ishq
• Badmaa$h Company
• Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana
• Raat Gayi, Baat Gayi?
• Ishqiya
• Dedh Ishqiya
• Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania
• Jodi Breaker
• Finding Fanny
• Cheeni Kum
• Straight
• 7 Khoon Maaf
• Fashion
• Student of the Year
• Chennai Express
• Fatso!
• Teri Meri Kahani
• Kahaani
• Mardaani
• Main Tera Hero
• Nautanki Saala
• (Kick — actually, I fast-forwarded a lot because I was watching this for Nawazuddin Siddiqui)

I also watched the AIB Roast — I waited for it the entire day then watched it way past my bed time even though it was a work day the next day. I laughed a lot; I also thought a lot of the jokes were going for the lowest common denominator, but that's not actually offensive. The fact that K.Jo joined in on the gay jokes about himself raised my opinion of him — this I blame on AIB. I'm just really sorry they got into trouble for making people laugh and raising money for charity.

Who could've anticipated that good things could be deemed so bad, that there were so many nincompoops in the world?

Anyway, I waited again for 'I Am Offended' yesterday (or was it Wednesday?) and watched it way, way, way past bed time. It's worth it. I think everybody should watch it, regardless of whether or not they know who the folks in the video are; whether or not they are from/in India.

Because, for me, it is ultimately about how we can't have nice things because of selfish and ignorant and insecure assholes who make fucking loud stinks.

I mean, holy shit, nobody's putting a gun up your ass to force you to watch something on YouTube or get gay-married or whatever. Just because you don't want to do it doesn't mean you stop others from doing it, especially if whatever the others are doing isn't murdering, raping, maiming, robbing (etc.) anybody.

ARGH. SO. INFURIATING.