Tag Archives: Anjaana Anjaani

Style in Hindi cinema of 2010

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2010 was a year of many surprises, many more blunders and hardly any gems.

Presenting a review of the year gone by in a style file.

The item girl was reinvented! The question everyone had to answer at the end of the year was: Munni ki badnaami ya Sheila ki jawaani? You could even cast an electronic vote if you logged on to http:munniyasheila.com

While Munni had rustic appeal clad in a choli and short lehenga, complete with dangling gold jewellery, Sheila had urban appeal teaming her choli with knee length harem pants. Don’t miss the kamarbandh on both ladies!

Some films succeeded in recreating fashion of the genres they had taken up.

  • Dabangg

Salman Khan aka Chulbul Pandey brought Ray Ban’s aviator sunglasses back in vogue. Be it the cockpit or large metal styles, they were selling like hot cakes. And if Ray Ban didn’t fit your budget, the official Dabangg sunglasses surely would. Salman also showed you a new place to tuck in your sunglasses. No, it’s not your head or the opening in your shirt but the back of your collar. :)

Sonakshi Sinha who played the gaon ki gori rocked ‘em backless blouses worn with mirror work sarees. It was quite a trend the following navratri.

  • Aisha

Flashy costume had to be rung out, couture had made its way onto the silver screen. In 2010, Aisha was the most celebrated where fashion was concerned. The setting was Delhi and giggly girls essayed by the likes of Sonam Kapoor, Ira Dubey, Amrita Puri and Lisa Haydon become instant fashion icons. Reams of newsprint and television reel were spent displaying photographs, running interviews and conducting fashion quizzes with the cast of Aisha.

Sonam Kapoor aka Aisha was the contemporary Emma penned by Jane Austen. The trademark Clueless (earlier adaptation of Emma) skirt suit couldn’t be missed on Sonam. The Barbie doll room and closet of Manolo Blahniks was only a teaser. The clothes, be it Prada or Prabal Gurung, hogged the limelight. Fashionistas everywhere rejoiced. They now had something to aspire toward.

Abhay Deol wore the suit Mr Darcy style. And he looked equally gentlemanly in a plain tee. The chocolate boy was back in fashion.

  • Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai

Ajay Devgn and Emraan Hashmi played their roles to the T, looking perfect, be it an all-white safari or a checkered 3 piece suit. Hats off to them for wearing large collars and bell bottom trousers with equal panache.

The girls weren’t left far behind. If one played a successful heroine, the other paid a fitting tribute. The sarees and kameezes reflected craftsmanship, achievable only in those times. A shy, conservative girl or an outspoken, modern woman, Prachi Desai and Kangna Ranaut were styled appropriately.

’80s fashion didn’t look better in the first decade of the 2000s.

  • Break Ke Baad

In a year where Dabangg, Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai and Aisha ruled the roosters, for their ethnic charm, retro costume and classy couture, Break Ke Baad provided the much-needed freshness. The styling was casual, quirky and very real. If you had the boy sporting his favourite bands on his tees, the girl mixed it up with shorts and bikini tops. The wedding ensembles were well-cut and uber stylish. You saw a lot of girls sporting teeny tiny blouses with their lehengas this wedding season Deepika Padukone style. If only we had that flat stomach!

Lo and behold, there were films that had one too many fashion blunders.

  • Anjaana Anjaani

Ranbir Kapoor was probably left wondering what he did to deserve an unshapely hospital gown. Priyanka Chopra probably had a say in the matter. It was fifteen minutes of screen time after all. How could she not have a form-fitting button down full sleeved mini dress? Oops… that’s her version of the hospital gown. Take it or leave it. You know doctors are going to check you out right?

  • Badmaash Company

Dior’s white rimmed sunglasses, distressed mini skirts, hot pants, bikini tops, slinky waistcoats. Girls are drooling already. Baggy jeans, trademark tees, white keds. Boys are checking their wallets. Wait, we’re not talking about the ’90s. You see, we were really impressed with present fashion. We couldn’t take a risk making our actors look out of vogue in ’90s trends. We just went to the mall, picked out the brightest colours and dressed our actors in them. Nobody checks Hindi films for period authenticity anyway. Not if we wear skinny jeans.

  • Robot

Aishwarya thought we wouldn’t see beyond her fancy head-gear. We have to admit it took us five minutes to process the number of feathers on her head. And even though the scene had moved to the next sequence, we were being flashed with shiny sequins and multi-coloured buttons. We did scream for sartorial surgery but Dr. Rajni was too busy cutting up Chitti. We’re hoping for better luck next time.

That’s it for tonight, folks! I’ve refreshed my memory and hunted out the best and worst for you. I sincerely hope you enjoy the post or at least scroll through the images. Until next time. :)

Ranbir Kapoor must really like Rocky

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First, at a press meet for 3 Idiots, way back in 2009, we spotted cousin sister Kareena Kapoor sporting a t-shirt with a Rocky graphic.

Later, at the launch of People magazine’s sexiest cover, we spotted Ranbir Kapoor in a t-shirt with the Rocky Balboa graphic. He usually likes to pair graphic print tees with leather jackets and denims. More on that in an upcoming post.

Ranbir must really like this t-shirt because he wore it in a pivotal scene in his not-so-great release of 2010, Anjaana Anjaani.
The scene is as follows. Ranbir and Priyanka have pulled into Las Vegas almost broke with enough money to spare for only one motel room. They decide to freshen up before heading out. You see Ranbir pull out his Rocky t-shirt, show his abs (girls were swooning in the theatre) and almost share a kiss with Priyanka.

On an aside, I’m loving the expressions on their faces in these frames. If you’ve watched the film (don’t feel bad if you haven’t), you would have noticed the t-shirt on Ranbir and wondered where you could get something similar.

To which I have to say, ‘don’t worry’. In the city of Mumbai, where Marilyn Monroe queries are responded to with Marilyn Manson products, I found a Rocky Balboa t-shirt. Yay me! Now, you can get it too! At Shoppers’ Stop.

Excuse me for not the amateur product photography. Anyhow, when I saw this t-shirt, I was instantly reminded of two people who are huge Rocky fans. Luckily for me, the t-shirt was available in two colours: white and grey (as pictured above). I couriered one and gift-wrapped and hand-delivered the other. They seemed to like it. :)

So, hurry and get yours!

If you’re a fan and looking for a specific t-shirt but running into dead-ends, superDhruvi shall come to your rescue. Simply post the film/artist/band/etc you want on your t-shirt and I shall either locate it or design one. Alternatively, shoot me an email with your requirements and I promise we will work it out. :*

Volkswagen Beetle | The heroine’s car in 2010

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I’ve always wanted to buy my own car. And I’ve imagined it to be a Volkswagen Beetle. On one of my sister’s birthdays, I bought the toy version for her Barbie. Although we’ve grown out of it now, we can’t stop our nephew from playing with it every time he’s over.

Photographs: Dhruvi Shah

Earlier this year, Aisha released. The lead actor Sonam Kapoor was portrayed as quite the trendy girl. She drove a yellow Volkswagen Beetle.

Then came Anjaana Anjaani. While the publicized car of course is Blush, in her pre-Blush phase, Kiara (Priyanka Chopra) drove a yellow Volkswagen Beetle. It was almost as if her transition from the Beetle to the Ford was the character’s personal journey.

The to-be-released Break Ke Baad starring Imran Khan and Deepika Padukone shows Aaliya Khan (Deepika Padukone) driving a yellow Volkswagen Beetle as well.

Some snapshots from the theatrical trailer:

What do you think of the theatrical trailer?

All three films: Aisha, Anjaana Anjaani and Break Ke Baad have romantic overtones and seem to focus on modern urban couples. All three lead heroines are shown to drive a yellow Volkswagen Beetle. Priyanka Chopra, Sonam Kapoor and Deepika Padukone are more often than not considered in the same bracket: the young heroines of this generation.

It is interesting how the cultural baggage attached to the car has given it a girly appeal. Of course, the brand’s collaboration with Barbie adds to the effect.

I’m extremely tempted to hop down to the Volkswagen Mumbai West showroom and take a Beetle out for a test drive.

Which car have you always wanted to buy?
What do you think of the Volkswagen Beetle?
Do you like that the three heroines are shown to drive one?

Answer those questions or leave any other thoughts in the comments section. :D

Anjaana Anjaani | Short Review

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Anjaana Anjaani

Release date: 1st October, 2010
Director: Siddharth Anand
Producers: Sajid Nadiadwala, Krishika Lulla
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor. Priyanka Chopra, Zayed Khan

**1/2

Anjaana Anjaani is a story of two strangers who meet one another at what they think is the end of their lives. In attempting to die, they keep coming across reasons to live and inevitably fall in love.

Ranbir Kapoor plays Aakash (a failed Wall Street guy) and Priyanka Chopra plays Kiara (a damsel in distress). Interestingly, if the film would have released as originally planned on September 24th, it would have been competing with Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, a far superior affair between a Wall Street guy and a journalist girl.

Anjaana Anjaani is a take on modern relationships. That proves to be a limiting factor. The audience that can relate to it is a young urban one that has been in a relationship. Outside of that bracket, it is prone to inciting disapproval.

There is humour in the film but it is inconsistent. The actors deliver good performances, the writing of their characters is confusing. The music is really good and you will be caught humming it. Cinematography, styling and production design is good too but not short of bloopers. Independently, the varied aspects of film-making may have their strengths. Put together, they fail, as is always the dilemma, at the screenplay level.

With the other options in cinema halls to choose from, one would only give Anjaana Anjaani a chance for its lead pair.

- Dhruvi Shah

Anjaana Anjaani | Strange stories

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For some retarded reason, I am crazy about this film’s title song.
It all started the day I started blogging.
Unaware of my circumstances and the people around me,
I started singing loudly and dancing along to the tune.

I tweeted several times: Anjaana aa aa aaa a Anjaani ee ee eee e

It’s obvious I can’t wait for the film to release. I’m even more geared after listening to the music. One Sunday evening, my car radio and stereo were acting up. I was with a friend who sings the song as often as I do. We went to Irla (the street that should be renamed Alfa street) to look for a music CD of the film. We were in luck. A transaction that lasted 5 minutes and an exchange out of a car window later, we were proud motor-mouths.

(Looking at this picture has reminded me to post the cutest earmuffs for you guys)

Anyway, this morning, I changed my Blackberry status to: What does today have in store?

Much to my surprise, I had won the Hindustan Times – Anjaana Anjaani contest!
I don’t usually have very good luck with such things.

So, of course, there had to be a silver lining. I sent them my contact number. They told me I was expected at the Kingdom of Dreams (NCR) tonight. But they hadn’t accounted for how a Mumbai resident would travel. Boo! So, yeah my dreams shall remain within my own kingdom. :( & I could neither trust HT nor could I visit the Kingdom of Dreams. I also missed the chance to meet Priyanka Chopra & Ranbir Kapoor. :(

They say luck favours the brave. So, I shall hope for better luck next time. Meanwhile, let’s pray for our fairy tales to come true because the right answer is: All the greatest love stories are between strangers!