#best bollywood directors of all time

[pshaven]

LITTLE BIT OF AFFECTION 박성훈 ᥫ᭡

pairing sunghoon x fem!reader

synopsis as your manager, sunghoon has to ensure all your needs are met and that you’re performing at your absolute best. but when your ex turns out to be the director of your newest project, you’re not doing your best. it’s his job to guarantee that this never happens again. (ib the manhwa, muse on fame!)

cw smut (mdni), coworkers(??) to lovers, vulnerability, beomgyu hits on reader, heeseung as reader’s ex, jealous!sunghoon, service top!sunghoon, BIG DICK SUNGHOON, sunghoon tells reader to boss him around (spoiler, she doesn’t), no protection (pls don’t do this), creampie, dirty talk, reassurance, cunnilingus, pnv, sunghoon pussy drunk, feelings are not being discussed, (small) aftercare, lmk if there’s anything i missed!!

wc 5.7k+

Sunghoon has one job– making sure that you are doing your job.

At your beck and call, he’s always there for you since you started to blow up in the acting industry. He was assigned to you by your agency, and you don’t have any complaints about him. You’ve heard stories of actors and actresses wanting to constantly change their managers and assistants, but Sunghoon has yet to give you a reason to doubt his skills.

He ensures that you’re on time for everything, which is step one of getting in the good books of movie producers and directors. You’ve only grown more with him by your side, and you feel like if he isn’t there for you, you would’ve gone into bollywood.

And you definitely would not be here, right now, on the red carpet with him standing securely behind you as paparazzi take photos of you. Your eyes squint slightly at the bright flashes, never really getting used to the swarm of camera clicks being shoved in your face even after years of experience.

Sunghoon notices your discomfort, and he speeds up his walk to catch up to your side as he brings his arm in front of your face to shield you from the paparazzi. “That’s enough. Thank you guys for your time,” He says, ever so stoic and cold as he bows stiffly before linking your arm with his, leading you inside the awards venue.

Staying with Sunghoon for so long has its perks. He easily picks up your facial or body expressions, knowing when you’re uncomfortable or satisfied with something. You don’t have to voice a single thing with him, if you really didn’t want to. He already knows everything. He knows what you need, what you want.

You like to think that people are jealous of you. Not because of your skills, your talent, or popularity in the acting industry, but of your Sunghoon. You think you got extremely lucky with him. He’s just your manager, but he’s much more than that.

He likes to cook for you, especially after that one night where you randomly said you enjoyed home cooked meals rather than eating out. He drives you everywhere and would drop whatever he’s doing in a millisecond just to take you to the mall. That being said, he’s also your stylist almost. He has shockingly good taste, knows what material or color you like or dislike. You always go with his picks rather than your actual stylist.

So of course, tonight, you’re wearing what he picked out for you. Which undoubtedly, leads to many other actors and actresses staring and it only makes you more confident about yourself, and the man by your side.

You’re aware of the ongoing rumors, albeit not aired to the public, so it’s only being spread to other actors in the industry. The rumors of you and your manager dating. How absurd, how unprofessional! Sunghoon is here for you and your work, only. It’s his job to make sure his actress is doing well and getting everything she wants, no?

This is why you think people are jealous of your Sunghoon. You like to pretend like you’re parading your beloved manager around other actors and actresses since he’s just so amazing– the manager that everyone can only wish for, and you have him in the palm of your hand.

“Ahem… excuse me?”

You turn your head around, looking past Sunghoon’s broad figure. Beomgyu stands there, shifting his weight from foot to foot nervously as he plays with the rings that adorn his fingers. You silently gasp– Beomgyu is incredibly well known, way more than you are (in your humble opinion).

“Yes? Hello,” You smile politely as Sunghoon steps to the side a bit, looking anywhere but at you and Beomgyu conversing. Not that it makes any difference, he’s going to be listening closely anyway. He doesn’t need to look at your body language to know when you want to get away.

“Sorry to bother. Just wanted to introduce myself, I loved you in ‘I Found You’. I’m Beomgyu,” he introduces himself, extending his hand out to you.

Your smile widens at the compliment as you shake hands with him, “Thanks so much! It was my first romance movie, so it was a bit difficult but I’m glad you enjoyed watching it. I love all your works as well… you didn’t even need to introduce yourself to me.” You laugh a little.

Beomgyu chuckles as well. “Ah, well just in case. Don’t wanna seem like an asshole if I don’t. Plus my movies aren’t really to everyone's taste, I stick to a very specific genre…” he trails off as he begins to ponder in thought, “...but I would be willing to try out a romance movie with you.”

You’re caught off guard, your eyes widening subtly and you’re unsure on how to reply. No doubt he’s attractive, but you’re still in your early years and still rising in the charts. Going on dates is forbidden in your contract for now.

But you have your trusty manager, Sunghoon, who clears his throat before leaning down to whisper in your ear. “Let’s go?” He whispers so closely, you can feel his lips barely touching the shell of your ear. A shiver runs down your spine before you nod softly, taking his arm that he offers to you.

“It was nice to meet you. We have to be going to our seats now,” Sunghoon speaks for you so that you don’t have to directly answer Beomgyu's innuendo. He leads you down the aisle of seats, leaving Beomgyu alone at the top.

“Good morning, Y/n,” Sunghoon greets you as you come out of your bedroom, hair still a mess and eyes barely adjusting to the bright sun. “You have a new project.” He points to the folder on your kitchen island, and you groggily make your way to pick it up.

You flip through it, barely paying attention to much other than the title since all the script words looked jumbled up. You place it back down on the countertop as you sit down across from where Sunghoon stands.

“Interested?” He asks you, placing a plate in front of you that has a (too) healthy looking avocado toast and two strips of bacon. You frown at the plate, but you don’t complain as you take the fork to take a bite of the bacon. Sunghoon chuckles at this before turning around and placing another plate next to your sad avocado toast. You happily grin at the new plate of waffles and strawberries, thanking him profusely.

You take a bite of the waffle before answering him. “Sure, I guess,” You shrug your shoulders, too busy with your delicious breakfast to even take note of the plot, directors, producers, the, you know, important stuff.

“Alright, then eat up. I will be back later, I need to take care of some things. Call me if you need anything, alright?” He grabs his coat and keys, but slows down when he sees you look up at him from your meal.

“Where are you going?”

“To the office. I got called in earlier, but wanted to stop by to make you breakfast before I went,” He informs you with a shrug before giving you a (tiny) reassuring smile, wishing you a goodbye. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

A few weeks have passed, which means that it’s time for you to start production of your new project. You’ve read the script and everything, and it was… very interesting. You’re not the main lead or anything, but you play the second leading role. You’ve never been a fan of love triangles or anything of that sort, but after a good read-through and analysis, the writer seems to make this one more interesting.

So you’re intrigued, flipping through the script once more as Sunghoon drives you to the filming location. He looks over at you for a second, “Already memorized some lines, huh?” He’s half joking– you’ve got some weird knack for memorizing lines and improvising, and it’s one of the reasons why you’re such a sought out actress nowadays. Improvisation makes it more natural and interesting, and you get consumed into your roles very easily which makes it easy for you to improvise on the spot.

You huff out a laugh, closing the folder and setting it aside. “Only like, five.”

Sunghoon pulls up to the filming location– a pretty, wide and open lake. You walk up to the set, Sunghoon following closely behind but you suddenly stop in your tracks. He nearly collides into you if it weren’t for his eyes catching your sudden halt.

“Is everything alright?” He asks, concerns beginning to raise as he follows where your eyes are trained on. He has a bit of trouble trying to follow what you’re looking at, but your eyes begin to squint and your nose also scrunch up slightly. Your signs of discomfort.

He places a comforting hand on the small of your back, and most of the time it does the trick.

But this time, it didn't.

“Y/n? Look at me,” Sunghoon says, voice still even and stern but he’s worried as overthinking thoughts begin to flood into his brain.

Your brows furrow and the corner of your lips curve into a slight frown. You’re still not paying attention to Sunghoon, and he’s not having any of it. He needs to know why you’re like this, and he won’t just wait for you.

He grabs your chin, turning your head away from whatever you were looking at. “You okay?” He asks softly now, after seeing your eyes glossy, like you’re about to cry. Never in his years of being your manager has he seen you like this. You look vulnerable, with your wide and wet eyes looking up at him with your brows knitted together.

He wants to eat you up.

“Director…” You mumble out as your jaw clenches. Now he understands– you’re not sad. You’re angry. And for some reason, you’re angry at the director.

He turns his attention to the director that’s grabbing a cup of coffee from (presumably) his secretary’s hand. For the first time, Sunghoon doesn’t understand. He doesn’t know why you’re so upset and angry at the director. As your manager, he always does background checks on whoever you’re working with. He always makes sure you’re working with well-respected actors, producers, and directors. Did he miss something? Impossible.

One look at you makes him want to take you back home.

But as your manager, it’s his job to ensure that you do yours. And in this case, it is to act.

His eyes harden as he squeezes your shoulder softly. “What’s wrong with the director?”

He’s your manager. You need to tell him the truth if you want him to help you.

“My ex.”

It’s like Sunghoon just got slapped across the face. Of course! He feels like a fucking idiot. It’s his job to know your relationships, even before you got into acting. He needs to know for situations like this, but it’s too late now. You’ve already signed a contract to act in this movie, and there’s no backing out.

He breathes out a hefty sigh. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” Sunghoon apologizes, but you shake your head before looking back up at him. And like that, your eyes are dry and your face is stoic. This is what he likes about you. You’re professional– you won’t let ex’s affect your acting, even if it’s just for a moment of weakness.

“It’s okay. You didn’t know,” You mumble. You take a deep breath before walking closer to the set, catching the attention of staff, and the director.

“Y/n?” Heeseung gets up from his director’s seat, going up to you with a perfect, pearly white smile. You feel sick inside as he engulfs you in a warm hug that you sometimes miss whenever you’re alone in your bed at night.

“Hi… Heeseung,” You greet, keeping the hug short and sweet as you pull away and step back, your backside meeting Sunghoon’s chest in solidarity.

“It’s really nice to see you again, after all these years,” He begins the small talk, and you bite your bottom lip to refrain from any peak of weakness showing through. “I’m glad our wish is coming true, now. You remember? You, starring in one of my movies, that I’ll direct.”

You feel Sunghoon stiffening up at Heeseung’s words.

That silly promise. That stupid, insignificant promise that you and Heeseung made when the two of you were still dating. When the two of you were still trying to find the path to become a part of the movie industry. What a waste of time.

Five years ago, you wouldn’t believe that you and Heeseung broke up. There was one point in time where it was just you and him, no one else. You had no one to depend on, he had no one to depend on. The two of you just found one another, and it was comfortable.

Unfortunately, you didn’t see a future with him. Therefore, a lot of crying and begging of please, take me back! Give me another chance! were being said that night.

Sunghoon clears his throat to capture the attention of the both of you. “I think Y/n needs to go get her hair and makeup done, now,” He speaks in his usual monotone voice, except this time there’s no ‘pleased to meet you’, or ‘nice talking to you’ this time.

He leads you away from Heeseung, into your trailer where the stylists begin to work on you.

“Does he make you uncomfortable?” Sunghoon asks as the hair stylist begins to work on your hair, your makeup already done. He knows he doesn’t really have to ask this question, but he wants your verbal answer this time.

“No.”

A white lie, both you and Sunghoon know it, but neither of you acknowledge your fib.

He nods, getting up from his seat on the spare chair beside you. “Do you want me to grab you anything? Coffee, snacks…? I think there’s a bakery nearby or something. I can see if they have your favorite, strawberry croissant?”

What your answer would usually be a yes please!, you shake your head as you purse your lips into a thin line.

“No. Please stay.”

And so he does. He stays with you throughout the entire shoot, not keeping his eye off you. Even during breaks and scene cuts, he’s by your side in a second before Heeseung can even get a word in with you. The day ends slower than you would wish for, but the producer yells that’s a wrap!, and you’re booking it into your designated trailer.

You pack up quickly with the help of Sunghoon before the two of you make your way into his car. But of course, you’re not exactly the luckiest person in the world today it seems like.

“Y/n! Hey, can I talk to you for a second?” Heeseung calls for you, lightly jogging up to catch up to you and Sunghoon.

Sunghoon gives you a look that asks if you want him to make a lame excuse that you have to go and can’t spare any time for Heeseung, but you give your manager a slight smile and a reassuring nod.

You can’t avoid Heeseung forever, especially since you know this project will take at least three months to finish. You should at least get the closure you didn’t get five years ago.

“Hi, Y/n. You’re hard to catch up with,” Heeseung chuckles lightly, rubbing the nape of his neck, a nervous habit of his that you know all too well.

You smile at him, returning a small laugh. “Ah, sorry. Just wanted to go home and take a nice shower, but what’s up?”

“I just wanted to say, um…” Heeseung struggles with his words, biting the inside of his cheek, “I hope we can work well together. Once again, I’m really happy that you're on this project with me. I requested you personally…”

Your smile drops, but you’re quick to pick it back up, but it’s a weak smile. “Thank you, Heeseung. It’s really nice to see you again, after all these years.” You’re quick to dismiss his heartful words.

“Y/n, I’ve, uhm– I really miss you.”

“Y/n. It’s getting late. Are you ready to go?” Once again, Sunghoon is your savior.

You turn your head to Sunghoon by your side, and you nod. “See you on Tuesday, Heeseung,” You bid him farewell, plainfully ignoring his words as you climb into the passenger seat of the car.

Sunghoon shuts the door behind you, turning his attention to Heeseung. He walks up to the latter, and Heeseung subconsciously takes a small step back.

“You shouldn’t say things like that. You’re both here on a project. A job. Keep it professional, for Y/n’s sake, yeah?” Sunghoon icily says, not waiting for Heeseung’s response before he leaves to get into the driver's seat of the car.

He pulls out of the parking lot quickly, and you turn your head to your manager. “What did you say to him? And don’t lie that you didn’t say anything. I saw your mouth moving!”

Sunghoon merely shrugs his shoulders, keeping an arm on the steering wheel and his other on the console. “I told him to keep things professional. I heard what he said.”

You frown, looking away from him and out the window.

“Your acting was not really up to its standard today, Y/n,” Sunghoon tells you informingly, and your frown deepens. You know. You were aware, but to hear him say it makes it hurt your ego even more.

“He’s affecting your acting, isn’t he?” He speaks again, taking your silence as an agreement to his previous statement.

You scoff quietly, but it doesn’t miss Sunghoon’s sharp ears. “You’re asking me, but you’re saying it like it’s a fact,” you mumble, shifting closer to the car door.

Sunghoon frowns at this, a sigh leaving his lips. He doesn’t say anything in return, and the rest of the car ride back to your home is silent.

He pulls up into your driveway, quickly getting out and opening the door to your side. You thank him quietly, hopping out and making your way to your front door. Sunghoon silently follows you inside, locking the door behind him like it’s routine (it is).

“Y/n.”

You stop in your tracks, your shoulders sagging in defeat but you still have a bit of pride within you, not wanting to turn around to meet eyes with your manager.

“It is my job to ensure that you do your job well. And I failed today.”

He says it so matter of factly, it almost makes you want to snort that he takes this manager position so seriously. Perhaps he doesn’t know how much he’s really done to help you in your acting career.

You spin on your heel, turning to look at him. He takes a few steps towards you, and you stay put in the middle of your hallway.

Sunghoon continues. “I failed, and I’m sorry. I will make sure that this doesn’t happen again.”

You raise an eyebrow curiously, tilting your head to the side, “Oh? And how exactly are you going to do that?”

“Taking your mind off that ex of yours.”

He brings you into a kiss, a soft and quick one to see your reaction.

Maybe it’s the loneliness of the past years since you signed into your contract with the agency, or the vulnerability after seeing Heeseung for the first time in five years, but you feel desperate to feel Sunghoon’s lips on yours again.

So you do so, bringing his face down and perhaps it’s the delusions in your head, but Sunghoon feels just as much, if not more, desperate than you as he deepens the kiss more, bringing his hands up to your waist and pulling you in closer.

This is probably the most emotion you’ve seen from him in the three years you’ve worked with him. He’s grabbing at the fabric of your flimsy shirt, trying to pull you impossibly closer to him. He slips his tongue into your mouth, causing you to moan softly as you entangle your fingers with his hair.

He groans back as he pushes you down the hall, into your bedroom. He’s been in your place plenty of times to know your layout like the back of his hand. He breaks the kiss for the two of you to catch your breath, but he barely gives you a chance to do so as he attacks your neck with his lips.

He’s nibbling at your skin, careful to not leave marks since it would only cause rumors to spread around and make it difficult for your makeup artists to cover up. But it’s easier said than done, as his teeth grazes against your collarbone while he slips the sleeves of your shirt down.

You bite your lip in anticipation, waiting and wanting him to just bite and mark you as his, but it never comes. He goes back to your lips, gently laying you down on your bed and helping you take off your shirt.

“Fuck–” Sunghoon hisses, admiring your bare chest since you had decided to discard a bra for today. “So pretty…” He mumbles, sounding dazed out. He attaches his lips to your pert nipples, his tongue circling around the bud that makes you squirm.

“S-sung..” You whimper out, your hand still entangled in the locks of his hair. He merely acknowledges you, a hum coming out from his chest as he moves on to your other nipple. You’re extremely squirmish, mostly because it’s been too long since you’ve gotten laid, but also Sunghoon’s tongue seems to read your body like a kid’s alphabet book.

“Shit,” He groans, now tugging at your pants desperately, his fingers fumbling clumsily with your button and zipper. “Need you naked for me, all for me.”

You bite your inner cheek to suppress your moan at his words, helping him out with taking your pants off. He impatiently throws your panties onto the floor beside the bed, marking his place between your thighs by kissing down your tummy.

If his intentions were to drive you crazy, it’s working.

“Heeseung ever eaten you out?” He asks suddenly, his low-lidded eyes looking up at you like some predator and you’re his prey for tonight. You bite your lip, slowly nodding.

Sunghoon gives you a curt nod in return. “I guarantee you, I’m much better.”

Maybe it’s the jealousy talking and he’s just letting his mouth run without thinking, but he doesn’t have time to overthink when he dives into your cunt and gets a taste of you. He immediately releases a moan, his hot breath on your pussy making you buck your hips up for more.

He has a job to do, and that is to make sure you don’t ever think of Heeseung again. Heeseung should be the least of your worries when you have to focus on your acting! So he makes it a personal mission, switching between swirling his tongue on your clit and prodding at your entrance.

The teasing drives you wild, wanting him to either pay attention to just your clit or your clenching hole. And like he’s reading your mind, he inserts a finger.

“Ah~! H-hoon, wan’ more!” You moan out, your hips beginning to gyrate for more friction from his singular finger. He grants you your wish, slipping another finger into your entrance and you breath out a relieved sigh.

Your taste could have him between your thighs forever, with you practically humping his face with need. Next time, he’s sure to have you sitting on his face, and he’ll drown happily in your juices.

“Fuckkk…” He moans out, his own hips starting to dry hump your sheets to let his neglected cock get some attention. To see his desperation makes you needier, your arousal spilling from your already sloppy cunt.

He notices you clenching around his fingers, and he takes the time to pull away from making out with your pussy. “You turned on? Seeing me like this? Reduced to putty by your hands?” He’s taunting you, you know but it only makes you moan louder.

You nod repeatedly, his fingers speeding up at your answer. “You taste so good, want you to cum on my tongue… can you do that for me? Hm?” He practically whines, going back to devouring your pussy without waiting for an answer.

He was going to make you cum on his mouth, either way. He feels like a starved man, slurping up your juices and arousal that leak out. Your thighs are a mess, a mix of your slick and his own saliva. He pulls his fingers out and his tongue pokes out, a glob of spit landing right on your clit.

You jolt a bit, and Sunghoon is quick to plant his hands on your waist and thigh to keep you from squirming away. “No, no, don’t move away now, baby. Let me taste what you have to give me.”

His thumb rubs at your swollen clit, but your empty hole clenches around nothing with need. Your hips work itself on his fingers, chasing for more and he watches you with awe. “Looks like you’re the one reduced to putty instead of me, now. You’re ‘bout to cum?” He hums, watching your wet cunt shine from your wetness.

You hiccup as his thumb speeds up and his tongue inserts itself into your entrance. You cry out a moan, hands frantically pulling at his hair as you feel the knot in your stomach tighten. He’s moaning into you from your taste, his own hands having your thighs in a death grip to keep you from squirming away.

“S-sungho–” You begin to stutter, the pleasure beginning to overwhelm your body and take over your thoughts. He already knows, as if he’s known your body for centuries. He nods repeatedly as a signal to allow you to cum while tongue fucking you, the motion only sending you into overdrive.

“Fuck! Oh my goddd~ cu-cumming!” You squeal, and he only presses his face further into your pussy as if his life mission was to soak his face in your essence (it just might be). He retracts when he feels you gently pushing him away, the overstimulation too much for you to handle.

“Shit,” He curses, his tongue peeking out to lick at the corners of his lips, “Could eat you all day and night. Need you sitting on my face next time,” He mumbles, staring at your twitching cunt. You breathe heavily, recollecting your thoughts as you begin to slowly sit up, leaning on your elbows.

Sunghoon raises an eyebrow at you, giving you a weird expression. “What? Is something wrong?” You ask, suddenly insecure as you instinctively shrink down a bit onto the bed.

“You think we’re done?”

Your eyes widen a bit, chest still heaving up and down as you catch your breath. “O-oh, I can, uhm… use my mouth on you?”

His thick brows furrow together. “No.”

You bite the inside of your cheek, looking away for a second out of embarrassment. You thought he liked it, did he not? Before you can even begin to overthink, you hear his belt clanking onto the ground, the zipper unzipping reaching your ears. You snap your head back at his lower half, seeing his hard cock out.

He’s softly stroking himself, his hand holding at the base that only makes his tip look even more angry and red. You gape at the sight, unconsciously scooting up against the headboard.

“Why do you keep running from me today?” Sunghoon tsks, frowning a bit as he grabs your lower calves, pulling you down towards him. You yelp quietly, his strength easily spreading your legs apart.

“Is this okay?” He asks, his tip teasing at your clit and spreading your wetness all over. You nod frantically, your hands grabbing at the sheets in anticipation. He’s definitely bigger than Heeseung, and he was already big in your eyes.

Sunghoon groans as he inserts himself inside your warm entrance, his eyes shutting as his lips part. “God, you feel so fucking—“ He hisses as he continues to go deeper, his eyes opening to watch your expression fall apart just from his cock splitting you into half.

“F-fuck, so deep…” You moan out like you’re complaining, but your legs wrap around his lower waist despite your words. You throw your head back into the pillow, feeling overwhelmed from him filling you up as your eyes screw shut.

He buries himself in you, balls deep as he hides his face into your neck. He chuckles breathlessly, the sensation against your neck making you all the more sensitive and ticklish. “S’cute. You want me that bad?” He’s referring to your legs wrapped needily around his waist, trapping him deep in you.

You nod desperately, his body weight on top of you making it impossible to move your hips against him. He smiles down at you, but his smile isn’t one of tenderness— it’s mischievous, how the corner of his lips curve slightly more upwards.

”You’re the boss of me. Tell me what to do,” He whispers into the nape of your neck, lips pressing wet kisses down your shoulder. You whine, now shaking your head as your mouth parts to speak, but nothing comes out.

Sunghoon’s smirk is now more obvious, enjoying the sight of you going dumb just by cockwarming him. “What? What’s wrong? You’re a smart girl, no? You know what you want. So say it.”

You lick your dry lips, taking a moment to think what he wants to hear. “Want.. want you to make me forget. Make me yours…” You trail off, beginning to get shy but Sunghoon proves you otherwise when a low growl rumbles in his chest.

He grabs your legs from behind him, pushing your thighs down to your chest. You gasp in surprise, his strength making you dizzy as he forces your legs down while his hips begin to thrust into you.

“Finally,” He groans out, hips easily picking up pace, “took you long enough. I was really debating on flipping you over and just make you take it… but this is much better,” he rambles, eyes focusing on where you’re taking him, his cock shining with your juices each time he pulls out.

“Sh-shut up… fast-er!” You cry out, voice breaking when his thrusts become harder, the force of his hips hitting your ass making you moan louder.

“Telling me to shut up now? You’re beginning to act real bossy…” He mutters underneath his breath but does as you ask, lifting his body weight off of you to thrust faster.

Your eyes begin to roll back, your grip on the sheets releasing and immediately flying to his back, your pretty manicured nails digging crescents into his shoulders. He’s panting above you, hair sticking to his forehead as he watches you only get louder.

He lets a whimper escape his lips from your nails scratching at his back, leaning down close to you again. He nudges at your lips, but you’re too lost to comprehend that he wants a kiss as your mouth is left open from moaning and gasping.

Both of your bodies rock back and forth on your bed, the sheets barely hanging from the edge as he presses his lips to yours, muffling your desperate whines. You can’t keep up with his desperate kisses, letting him take control of your entire body and mind.

“You’re close,” He points out, noticing the way your pussy pulsates around his thick cock, each drag of him inside of you pushing you closer to the edge. You nod, your nails scratching up into the nape of his neck as you pull him down for another kiss.

It’s nasty and messy, and it only makes you whine desperately into his mouth as you cum on his cock. You throw your head back, but Sunghoon chases your lips like he’s chasing his own orgasm, his pounding only making you overly sensitive.

You feel him pull out all the way, planning to cum elsewhere but your whines of protest stops him. “Wh—no, no! Inside, please..” you bite the inside of your cheek, and he can never say no when you look absolutely delirious for his cock and cum inside you, chest heaving up and down with fucked out eyes.

He curses underneath his breath, quickly inserting himself back inside you. “Shit.. you’re so hot,” he mumbles, brows knitting together as he picks up his speed again to reach his orgasm. He buries his face back into your neck, his moans so close to your ear that it makes your cunt squeeze around him, arousal still pooling in your lower half.

You scratch at his scalp, his moans becoming louder as he approaches his climax, your cunt gushing around him and the wet squelches letting his hot cum coat your insides. You feel so disgustingly satisfied, moaning along with him as he pants into your shoulder.

The two of you stay like that in silence, catching your breaths, but Sunghoon is quick to recover as he lifts himself off of you. Your eyes are droopy, mind clouding with sleep, sleep, sleep. He smiles softly at you, watching you eventually fall into slumber.

He gets dressed, making his way into your bathroom and grabbing a towel to lay down between your legs so that his cum doesn’t make a mess of your sheets (like he doesn’t need to wash it later for you anyway). He cleans you up slowly, carefully maneuvering your limbs to not wake you up.

He puts your blanket over your naked body and he brushes the hair out of your face, his touch lingers for a second before leaving and getting into his car. He sighs when he gets into the driver's seat, closing his eyes as he mentally reprimands himself.

It’s his job to keep you in check. He’s getting paid to ensure that you act well and to not get distracted when working. But now, it seems like he’s the one getting distracted.

[armoricaroyalty]

Film Grammar for Simmers

What is film grammar?

"Film grammar" refers the unstated "rules" of editing used in movies and TV. Different types of shots have different associations and are used by editors to convey different types of information to the audience. Many of these principles were first described in the early 20th century by Soviet directors, but they're used consistently across genre, medium, and even language: Bollywood musicals, English period dramas, Korean horror movies, and American action blockbusters all use many of the same techniques.

Because these rules are so universal, virtually everyone has some internalized understanding of them. Even if they can’t name the different types of shots or explain how editors use images to construct meaning, the average person can tell when the “rules” are being broken. If you’ve ever thought a movie or episode of TV was confusing without being able to say why, there’s a good chance that there was something off with the editing.

Learning and applying the basics of film grammar can give your story a slicker and more-polished feel, without having to download shaders or spend hours in photoshop. It also has the bonus of enhancing readability by allowing your audience to use their knowledge of film and TV to understand what's happening in your story. You can use it to call attention to significant plot details and avoid introducing confusion through unclear visual language.

Best of all, it doesn't cost a dime.

The basics: types of shots

Shots are the basic building block of film. In Sims storytelling, a single shot is analogous to a single screenshot. In film, different types of shots are distinguished by the position of the camera relative to the subject. There are three big categories of shots, with some variation: long shots (LS), medium shots (MS), and close-ups (CU). This diagram, created by Daniel Chandler and hosted on visual-memory.co.uk illustrates the difference:

Source: The 'Grammar' of Television and Film, Daniel Chandler, visual-memory.co.uk. Link.

In film, scenes typically progress through the different types of shots in sequence: long shot, medium shot, close-up. When a new scene begins and the characters arrive in a new location, we typically begin with a wide establishing shot of the building’s exterior to show the audience where the scene will be taking place. Next comes a long shot of an interior space, which tells the where the characters are positioned relative to one another. The next shot is a medium shot of the characters conversing, and then finally, a close-up as the conversation reaches its emotional or informational climax. Insert shots are used judiciously throughout to establish themes or offer visual exposition.

Here's another visual guide to the different types of shots, illustrated with stills from Disney animated films.

This guide is almost 2,000 words long! To save your dash, I've put the meat of it under the cut.

Long shot and extreme long shots

A long shot (sometimes also called a wide shot) is one where the entire subject (usually a building, person, or group of people) is visible within the frame. The camera is positioned far away from the subject, prioritizing the details of the background over the details of the subject.

One of the most common uses of long shots and extreme long shots are establishing shots. An establishing shot is the first shot in a scene, and it sets the tone for the scene and is intended to give the viewer the information they’ll need to follow the scene: where a scene is taking place, who is in the scene, and where they are positioned in relation to one another. Without an establishing shot, a scene can feel ungrounded or “floaty.” Readers will have a harder time understanding what’s happening in the scene because on some level, they’ll be trying to puzzle out the answers to the who and where questions, distracting them from the most important questions: what is happening and why?

(I actually like to start my scenes with two establishing shots: an environmental shot focusing on the scenery, and then a second shot that establishes the characters and their position within the space.)

Long shots and extreme long shots have other uses, as well. Because the subject is small relative to their surroundings, they have an impersonal effect which can be used for comedy or tragedy.

In Fargo (1996) uses an extreme long shot to visually illustrate the main character’s sense of defeat after failing to secure funding for a business deal.The shot begins with a car in an empty parking lot, and then we see the protagonist make his way up from the bottom of the frame. He is alone in the shot, he is small, and the camera is positioned above him, looking down from a god-like perspective. All of these factors work together to convey his emotional state: he’s small, he’s alone, and in this moment, we are literally looking down on him. This shot effectively conveys how powerless he feels without any dialogue or even showing his face.

The same impersonal effect can also be used for comic purposes. If a character says something stupid or fails to impress other characters, cutting directly from a close-up to a long shot has a visual effect akin to chirping crickets. In this instance, a long shot serves as a visual “wait, what?” and invites the audience to laugh at the character rather than with them.

Medium Shots

Medium shots are “neutral” in filmmaking. Long shots and close-ups convey special meaning in their choice to focus on either the subject or the background, but a medium shot is balanced, giving equal focus to the character and their surroundings. In a medium shot, the character takes up 50% of the frame. They’re typically depicted from the waist-up and the audience can see both their face and hands, allowing the audience to see the character's facial expression and read their body-language, both important for interpreting meaning.

In most movies and TV shows, medium shots are the bread and butter of dialogue-heavy scenes, with close-ups, long shots, and inserts used for punctuation and emphasis. If you’re closely following the conventions of filmmaking, most of your dialogue scenes will be medium shots following the convention of shot-reverse shot:

To keep long conversations from feeling too visually monotonous, consider staging the scene as a walk-and-talk. Having two characters move through a space can add a lot of dynamism and visual interest to a scene that might otherwise feel boring or stiff.

Close Ups

Close-ups are close shots of a character’s face. The camera is positioned relatively near to the subject, showing just their head and shoulders. In a close-up, we don’t see any details of the background or the expressions of other characters.

In film, close-ups are used for emphasis. If a character is experiencing a strong emotion or delivering an important line of dialogue, a close-up underscores the importance of the moment by inviting the audience to focus only on the character and their emotion.

Close-ups don’t necessarily need to focus on the speaker. If the important thing about a line of dialogue is another character’s reaction to it, a close-up of the reaction is more effective than a close-up of the delivery.

One of the most iconic shots in Parasite (2019) is of the protagonist driving his employer around while she sits in the backseat, speaking on the phone. Even though she’s the one speaking, the details of her conversation matter less than the protagonist’s reaction to it. While she chatters obliviously in the background, we focus on the protagonist’s disgruntled, resentful response to her thoughtless words and behavior.

In my opinion, Simblr really overuses close-ups in dialogue. A lot of conversation scenes are framed entirely in close-ups, which has the same effect of highlighting an entire page in a textbook. The reader can’t actually tell what information is important, because the visuals are screaming that everything is important. Overusing close-ups also cuts the viewer off from the character’s body language and prevents them from learning anything about the character via their surroundings.

For example, a scene set in someone’s bedroom is a great opportunity for some subtle characterization—is it tidy or messy? what kind of decor have they chosen? do they have a gaming computer, a guitar, an overflowing bookshelf?—but if the author chooses to use only close-ups, we lose out on a chance to get to know the character via indirect means.

Inserts

An insert shot is when a shot of something other than a character’s face is inserted into a scene. Often, inserts are close-ups of a character’s hands or an object in the background. Insert shots can also be used to show us what a character is looking at or focusing on.

In rom-com The Prince & Me (2004) (see? I don’t just watch crime dramas…) the male lead is in an important meeting. We see him pick up a pen, look down at the papers in front of him, and apparently begin taking notes, but then we cut to an insert shot of his information packet. He’s doodling pictures of sports cars and is entirely disengaged from the conversation. Every other shot in the scene is an establishing shot or a medium shot or a close-up of someone speaking, but this insert gives us insight into the lead’s state of mind: he doesn’t want to be there and he isn’t paying attention.

Insert shots are, in my opinion, also used ineffectively on Simblr. A good insert gives us extra insight into what a character is thinking or focusing on, but a poorly-used insert feels…unfocused. A good insert might focus on pill bottles on a character’s desk to suggest a chemical dependency, on a family picture to suggest duty and loyalty, on a clock to suggest a time constraint, on a pile of dirty laundry or unanswered letters to suggest a character is struggling to keep up with their responsibilities. An ineffective insert shot might focus on the flowers in the background because they’re pretty, on a character’s hands because it seems artsy, on the place settings on a dining table because you spent forever placing each one individually and you’ll be damned if they don’t make it into the scene. These things might be lovely and they might break up a monotonous conversation and they might represent a lot of time and effort, but if they don’t contribute any meaning to a scene, consider cutting or repurposing them.

I want to emphasize: insert shots aren’t bad, but they should be carefully chosen to ensure they’re enhancing the meaning of the scene. Haphazard insert shots are distracting and can interfere with your reader’s ability to understand what is happening and why.

Putting it all together

One of the most basic principles of film theory is the Kuleshov effect, the idea that meaning in film comes from the interaction of two shots in sequence, and not from any single shot by itself. In the prototypical example, cutting from a close-up of a person’s neutral expression to a bowl of soup, children playing, or soldiers in a field suggests hunger, worry, or fear, respectively.

The Kuleshov effect is the essence of visual storytelling in a medium like Simblr. You can elevate your storytelling by thinking not only about each individual shot, but about the way they’ll interact and flow into one another.

Mastering the basics of film grammar is a great (free!) way to take your storytelling to the next level. To learn more, you can find tons of guides and explainers about film grammar for free online, and your local library doubtless has books that explain the same principles and offers additional analysis.

Happy simming!

[fishii-writes]

kamariya - kenyu yukimiya

paring: yukimiya x fem!reader

au: indian/bollywood + actors

cw: not proofread, intended lowercase, reader is a dancer like in that one scene in stree, yukimiya is the male lead for the "movie", yukimiya is mentioned by his first name, lyrics from the song are in Orange and italics, just yukimiya being a simp tbh

a/n: yukimiya brainrot. my indian girlies unite frfr!!! character choice based off of this moodboard a person made and. i. i had a vision. on holiday so i skipped out studying to write this (i'm cooked). Not really my best work but I wanted to post this bc I am happy to write it! hope you enjoy!! Woah fishii double posts writing 🙀

word count: 1576

best paired with: kamariya from stree <3

“practice run,” the director calls out, gesturing for all main actors and supporting cast to join him beside the camera station. the main leads, the main couple, are no where to be found. well, it’s not a big deal, since it’s just a scene with a song and dancing.

you’re a side character, a dancer, but the main dancer of the group. of course, the female lead gets introduced at this point in the film, but all eyes are on you for a good part of this scene. on you, your body, your movements and face. so naturally, you’re nervous, to say the very least.

“hmm, seems that Kenyu isn’t here yet. well, then, [name]. you can practice once more, if you’d like. might be a good idea to practice in front of a small audience, since you seemed shy when i last checked.” the director points towards a campfire setup, where the following scenes were meant to be recorded. you nod, following the others to the area where they each took their seats.

lucky for you, the other actors, both side and supporting roles, are kind. they hype you up, telling you to take your time as you both emotionally and physically prepare to dance. its not like you can just start moving your hips to the beat of the music. besides, it hasn’t even started playing yet.

you turn so that your back is to the small audience, as they sit in a semi-circle formation. you flex your hands a couple of times, hopping up and down to get yourself ready. one breath in. one breath out.

it really is as easy as just moving your hips. what’s the worst that can happen? losing confidence isn’t an issue, you’ve got a little hype squad.

one last breath in, the tip of your toes just barely touch the floor. you’re barefoot, to maintain your balance. you push yourself up from the floor, one foot a bit higher than the other to get into the “flow”.

you want to dance, you really do. but its too quiet. too awkward. eyes are to focused on you. you’re the main attraction, yeah, but… something has to lure the audience’s eyes in. in a seductive way? not too sure about that. maybe, that wouldn’t be so bad, would it?

lost in thought, the start of the song being sung by one of your back up dancers snaps you out of your trance.

“o seeli peeli pa ke o balam, tod de bharam. chhod de ghabrana.”

there you go. slowly but surely, you feel your shoulders loosen and your stress melt away. or maybe you’re just too focused to notice the others started clapping along and singing the parts they know.

unconsciously, you hum the tune to the song as your arms comfortably stretch above your head, slowly slithering down your torso as your hips take turns gently jerking up on either side. while it started off a little bit still, your movements became elegant just as fast as they became comfortable and natural for you to perform. the blouse you were wearing was somewhat revealing, but it makes sense for a scene like this.

“hmmm~”

your skirt, the longer piece of your lightweight lehenga, flows freely at your ankles. its red colour contrasts the soft blue lights that bounce off of the sequences on your outfit, off of the others’ faces and gracing your gorgeous face with a blue tint.

“dil ke saare button khol de, khul ke bol de,”

you expect your voice to come out a little bit squeaky, but to your surprise, it comes out just as intended. you spin around, slightly lifting the skirt of your lehenga as you move forward. you let the light fabric drop back to your ankles, turning the audience’s attention back to you. your wrists flick in various positions, with your shoulders flexing at different angles.

“bata de tera aaj hai plan kya?”

just as you’re about to invite your back up dancers to practice with you, the actual song plays. it’s a bit annoying, but what better opportunity to practice timing? you move your hips to the beat of the song, the words almost wrapping around your wrists and guiding them to smoothen your movements, from your back to the very tips of your fingers.

“aaj bijli bhi girwani hai, fire bhi lagwaani hai-”

your breath is comfortably held in your throat for a moment, trying to correctly perform a certain move when you hear an exhale behind you.

“jo tu aa ke baby hamre saath ma…”

you brush it off, exhaling as your arms slither down your torso once more. wait. exhale? behind you?

“aa, aa, aa, aa ke…”

you can’t turn around. it’s obviously someone from the audience, but you can’t help feeling a bit nervous as someone is quite literally over your shoulder. well, whatever, you can do this.

“kamariya…”

you finally turn around, expecting to be met with one of your back up dancers. but…

but?

“hila de hilla de, hila de hilla de-”

you pause, half on your tippy-toes and leaning backwards a bit.

“hila de hilla de,”

the person now in front of you leans in, just barely whispering.

“najariya…”

and god you can’t deny that there’s a good reason he’s been casted for the male lead. you can feel his breath lightly fanning over your neck, the tip of his nose just a slip up away from touching you.

your eyes flicker to the director, and he quietly points to the camera. its on. you either have to start dancing as naturally as possible again, or retake the whole scene. with the main lead watching. you take your chance, pulling yourself to stand up straight by tugging the man’s tie. your loop it around your hand once, a somewhat playful yet hesitant smirk on your lips.

“mila de milla de, mila de milla de-”

and he seems to have gotten the gist of how you want things to go. the other actors keep singing, some whistling and others clapping to the beat of the song to set the scene that you’re tonight’s main attraction.

“mila de milla de,”

he pulls you in by the waist, one hand intertwined with yours above your head, spinning you around. in an almost comical manner, one hand rests on your lower back as he leans you down.

“kamariya…”

so this is Kenyu Yukimiya. the Kenyu Yukimiya.

this is the closest you’ve been to the male lead. and oh boy, do you wish you were the female lead for such a movie. well, this is your moment. the “audience” whistles again, while Kenyu’s supporting actor, someone who is meant to be his best friend in the cast, drags him to sit back down.

your back up dancers spread out a bit more, and the camera stops. for a moment, anyways. the director calls out for everyone to stay in their positions, as the camera crew quickly moves the camera to be directed on you. well, here goes nothing. the scene right before the female lead will be introduced, you’ve got to make your mark and show the world you talent. the camera turns back on, and the “audience” starts singing again. they start of quiet, slowly growing louder as you regain your confidence.

“hila de hilla de,”

one flick of your wrist above your head,

“hila de hilla de,”

and a slither of your arm down your waist from your other arm.

“hila de hilla de-”

and you know his eyes are on you. they follow each of your movements, almost sparkling as bright as the blue lights reflecting off of the sequences on your lehenga. but why?

“najariya…”

you hear him just barely say under his breath, over the loud music and even louder singing.

“mila de milla de,”

what’s so fascinating about your dancing that he forgets his very queue for the next scene where the female lead is introduced? hah, loser.

“mila de milla de,”

you can’t deny that you slightly slow down your movements, just to watch the way his eyes follow your hips. the way they slowly meet your eyes, a crooked smile on his gorgeous face as he fights the urge to join you to dance once more. one chance, one chance he wants with you!

“mila de milla de,”

well, fuck it. off script? barely even following the plot of this movie, at this point. he stands back up, taking your hand and spinning you around. you’re a bit surprised, you didn’t actually expect him to give into his urges and dance with you. but hey, you’re not complaining.

“ho.. haye re mera dil le le!”

he sings between his laughs, leaning in close enough for you to be able to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose with your free hand. you’re tempted to do that, just to get him flustered. you would’ve done something to get him embarrassed if the director didn’t yell out “cut!” right when the sparks were erupting between you two.

“take five minutes, then from the top!” the director calls out, letting you leave to freshen up. but Kenyu stays in place, he’s still smitten by the way you move.

“najariya…” you hear him mutter under his breath, not in a musical manner. out of genuine desire for you to stay.

maybe another time, since you’re sure his eyes are on you.

taglist: @tofumixp , @shrii-kk , @motchilyn , @starrissm , @4ngelfries , @thegolden-tigeress , @alkaisen + open (send an ask if you'd like to be added! :D)

likes, reblogs and comments are appreciated!! <3

© fishii-writes 2024

[bro-atz]

ateez watching indian movies with you

author's note: i'm a brown atiny who majored in film aka bollywood/indian movies are a huge part of my identity— i was watching kal ho naa ho the other night nd was thinking abt whether or not atz would watch indian movies w me and what their reactions would be. also, i def missed a huge chunk of movies so pls excuse me ehe

taglist: @k-hotchoisan @eyeryis @sinnarols @aaasia111 @sunshineangel-reads apply for the permanent taglist here!

hongjoong: this poor baby he's so dedicated to his work but would do his best to make time for the two of you to watch a three hour long indian movie with you, only to fall asleep part way through. he'd last the first 10-15 minutes then pass out, and if you're watching a south indian film, he'll immediately wake tf up when a gun goes off or during the first fight scene. he'd really want to watch rrr with you but fully fall asleep, only to be scared awake during the scene with ntr jr (bheem) wrestling the tiger and be scared shitless from there. however, if you're watching a romcom? gl bc the man is definitely fully asleep and will wake up at the end and say, "that was good i enjoyed it!" you want to be mad at him, but he looks so well rested that you're glad he enjoyed the movie in some way, shape, or crazy form. but fr he'd love the movies that are super detailed and conceptual like if he watched pushpa: the rise, he's definitely highly anticipating pushpa: the rule. he's a 2 part film kinda guy imo he loves the long development and the intensive research and the dedication a director puts into his work. i think he's a rajamouli guy for sure. maybe even like sholay, lagaan, english vinglish— you get the idea.

seonghwa: seonghwa's a super emotional audience member— everything affects him so deeply, especially scenes with heartbreak or little kids. like, the scene in kuch kuch hota hai where kajol (anjali) finds out that srk (rahul) is in love with rani mukherji (tina) and she's just sobbing and then the song plays? hwa is fully sobbing. he's like clinging to you and drying his eyes and you're patting his back while whispering "it's just a movie it's okay" but it's not okay because unrequited love HURTS. he's definitely more of a bollywood romcom person and probably will want to binge all of srk's movies with you one night, and during the most romantic songs, he'll stand up and copy the iconic srk stance (you know the one with his arms stretched out and then the female lead runs into his arms) and he'll 100% expect you to run into his arms. he's a karan johar bitch fr... either karan johar or yrf. i feel like he wouldn't really vibe with south indian films and end up preferring the sappy, bollywood romcom. but, he's totally an indian serial slut and would binge everything like there's no tomorrow (yeh rishta, iss pyaar ko kya naam doon?, bade achhe lagte hain, and so on) but in terms of movies, he'd love kabhi alvida naa kehna, kabhi kushi khabi gham, kal ho naa ho, dostana, kuch kuch hota hai, chalte chalte (just call him an srk stan and move on).

yunho: one word: golmaal. he would love the shit outta rohit shetty i'm telling you. like, yes, he appreciates the fine cinema that comes from india, but rohit shetty's got him rolling on the floor in fits. yunho gives such bakwas indian movie vibes but we're here for it— like, the dumbassary in golmaal 2 is everything to him, and chennai express would send him into fits (especially the drunk srk scene). he'd also 100% get up on his feet and start dancing to the upbeat songs in the films more than anything, though, he would fully make fun of the super dramatic scenes with the bawling and sobbing— and i'm not talking about truly tragic scenes but like when the sadness is overdramatic and it suddenly starts raining while the main character is crying (specifically the song tujhe yaad na meri aayee from kuch kuch hota hai) so it's safer to stick to the dumb funny movies... maybe give good newwz a whirl

yeosang: yeosangie is happy to do anything and everything with you even if he knows the movie will confuse the shit outta him. you'd probably start the guy off on the sequel to a movie (my brain immediately went don 2 or dhoom 2) and he'll be so mad confused the whole time, so he'll keep asking you questions during the movie because he wants to be just as invested in it as you are. more than anything, though, he's more invested in you explaining the movie because of how passionately you talk about the plot and the characters and the dialogue— you might as well forego the movie and just describe the movie to him while spooning in bed. that being said, he'd probably also rewatch the movie a couple of times to fully wrap his head around the film now that he's acquired your commentary and can pair it with the visuals in the film. either that or the poor thing would fall asleep... but he'd fall asleep on your shoulder and just sink into your embrace so fuck the movie just cuddle and take a nap while armaan malik sings in the background

san: san is such a wild card imo but let's be real i feel like he'd be such a horndog while watching movies so it doesn't even matter what movie you put on he'll only be half present, especially if the don series or race series or lust stories is playing oh dear god don't show this man cocktail if you want to actually watch a movie with you... or pathaan dear lord help BUT i feel like he'd be more interested in the family related movies— like where family is everything so k3g, ala vaikunthapurramuloo, bomarillu, chillar party, main hoon na, tararumpum, etc. also maybe even the ones about friendship, so zindagi naa milegi dobara, 3 idiots, dil chahta hai, jaane tu ya jaane na, rang de basanti, kai po che— again, the wildest of cards. he'd be down to see anything honestly. anything for his love wink wonk

mingi: god this boy i feel like he would ask all the questions in the world like every other dialogue it's just another question (but they're all related to the movie so it's... okay?) but he just won't have the patience to wait for the next scene to answer his question. no, he wants to know from you so movies like 83, chak de india, dil bole hadippa, paan singh tomar, jersey (BUT THE TELUGU ONE JFC NOT THE HINDI ONE I CANNOT EMPHASIZE ENOUGH), dangal, basically any sports movie would be best for him because most of his questions would be about the sport so there's no chance of you spoiling the movie for him but i feel like he'd also be a huge priyanka chopra fan but some of her filmography is........ traumatizing? confusing? i'm thinking fashion specifically for trauma while what's your raashee? is just so unbelievably confusing. he'd also like deepika padukone, alia bhaat, samantha, rashmika— as long as she's pretty and a talented actress, mingi's gonna vibe

wooyoung: indian movies are his jam imo he'd get up on his feet every single song and dance his heart out even if the song is super duper sad (man's is fully dancing to naatu naatu but then also sadly jamming to komuram bheemudo two seconds later the duality is insane). his favorite actors are definitely allu arjun, vijay, hrithik roshan, varun dhawan, tamannaah— and he would rewatch the shit outta abcd and dhoom 2 because the dance numbers are truly impeccable. movies like abcd, rab ne bana di jodi, chance pe dance are right up his alley but i also feel like he'd have fun watching bunty aur babli, jhoom barabar jhoom, race gurram, etc. he's a happy-go-lucky kinda movie guy, imo

jongho: jongho's the type to be super judgmental but like in the best way possible. he sits and watches the movie quietly with his arms crossed over his chest and his eyebrows furrowed. super quiet and super serious. you sneak glances at him every so often but you seriously can't tell what's going on in his head until he debriefs you after the movie is done, which could go one of two ways: he spares your feelings and tells you he likes the movie (if you tell him that this movie is your most favorite movie in the world) or be completely straightforward with you and dive into an in-depth film analysis. i feel like he'd prefer the movies with gorgeous soundtracks though and want to learn to sing some of the songs (we hate kabir singh in this house but bekhayali would shake his world, and fanaa oh lord he would love that ost with all of his heart... maybe even the main hoon na ost) but lordy any ost with sid sriram is his JAM

[the-archivists-corner]

tell me more about the conspiracy

So prefacing this by saying it's not my conspiracy theory, I heard it on the radio while travelling with my dad in the car and both of us loved it and think about it constantly.

Okay so here's the deal-io. The movie Kuch Kuch Hota Hai's base premise is that there are two best friends: Rahul and Anjali, who despite their differences and how much they fight, love and adore each other. This changes when a new girl (the daughter of the college's principal) Tina, shows up, and Rahul falls in love with her, as Anjali at the same time realises she's in love with Rahul, but is too late, and eventually leaves the college when she realises Rahul and Tina love each other. In present day, Tina dies, giving birth to her daughter (named Anjali after Rahul's friend. For the sake of this post we'll call her Anjali Jr.). Before she dies, she writes eight letters, detailing how she fell in love with Rahul, and the last one, being about Anjali and her friendship with Rahul. The movie cuts between flashback and present day, but the plot after Anjali Jr. reads the letter, essentially becomes a hijinky story to get Rahul and Anjali together. And it works because of course it does, typical Bollywood style.

I could complain about my several gripes with this film, and how it has deeply misogynist themes and implications, confusing and contradictory messages, an incoherent plot, and a very nonsensical setting. However. This is not what this post is about.

This is about the conspiracy theory that this movie isn't actually a movie so bad that even the director has said it's not his best work (or even Good), but in fact, was secretly a murder mystery.

So, the theory is that, you know how Rahul and Tina get married, have a kid and then Tina dies? Well, Tina is from a wealthy family, right? So, Anjali and Rahul actually planned all of this out, and had Rahul marry Tina, so that, when both of them killed Tina, all of her money and property would go to Rahul, who would then, marry Anjali, and they'd be rich.

It's the funniest fucking twist on this stupid ass film and I love it sm.

[lastofthe20thcenturygirls]

I will be ur new srk mutual 🫶 which one of his films should I watch first?

such a beautiful ask 🥺

if you're in the mood for a romance movie

1. Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge: it's as old as me and still running in a theatre after all these years. it's literally that movie. the biggest reason he's called the king of romance and there wasn't even a kissing scene in this. hasn't aged. beautiful soundtrack. and the infamous mustard field

2. My Name is Khan: 14th feb 2010, 3pm show in a single screen theatre and i had the time of my life watching my first srk movie in "talkies". i was so happy i was gonna cry finally in a theatre and wept i did. he was so fucking good in this kajol's comeback directed by karan johar. lots of tears. and some more. 9/11 background but it's a love story still. he should have won the national award and that jury will end up in hell someday :)

3. Veer-Zaara: romeo and juliet's tragedy is nothing compared to veer-zaara's. the songs the music the acting the actors the director the writer everything was just so good. a lot of people don't know this but eye acting was actually invented by shah rukh khan

4. Dil to Pagal Hai: a musical about a musical the soundtrack slayyyyed then it slayyyys now. underrated on current tumblr but i think i am starting to prefer that because DTPH is mine. i never had a crush on shahrukh but if any character of his ever came close it was from this movie. one of his sexiest characters imo. did i mention the songs were way too good.

5. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham: shahrukh really cries like children do. who knew weeping can have range. great songs great cast. kajol in orange. srk in see-through shirts. it's actually a family drama but it's fun also his mother in the movie has a superpower.

6. Om Shanti Om: no bollywood movie has ever bollywooded the way OSO did. love friendship reincarnation hero heroine villain nepotism revenge action comedy great music (and one more thing but that's a huge spoiler) it really just had everything. one of the finest masala movies ever made. it's tumblr's favourite as it should be. also this movie is how i learnt san francisco rhymes with disco

if you're in the mood for thrillers

7. Baazigar: the directors were having trouble finding the lead actor because nobody wanted to take the risk then srk told the producer that nobody can play this role as good as he can and he became the first actor in the history of filmfare to win the best actor award after playing a negative role. a cult classic.

8. Darr: it's the 90s it's the hero heroine villain era when the audiences think the people who play villains are bad people irl and dislike them. sunny deol an already established "hero" is the hero of the movie and srk is the villain a scary stalker and what happened was that the audiences really loved him instead. (my sister got scared of him enough that she started crying in the theatre and my parents had to leave mid-movie a wuss). something that couldn't have been achieved by just anyone except the future king of bollywood. oh lots of switzerland. also the legendary director of the movie kinda adopted srk and started casting him in every movie of his afterwards.

9. Fan: about an obsessed fan (not me just tbc). underrated af.

about brothers and mothers

10. Karan-Arjun: family evil rich guy poor villagers a mother's wait reincarnation revenge very 90s. used to watch it every time it was on tv. also it was shot in my state 😎

11. Main Hoon Na: a cool srk entry. action comedy friendships a whole college adopting a grown up as their big bro beautiful sarees the best dressed character who then got a make-over 🥲 (the only one flaw of the movie) a villain (which was getting rare in the 2000s) the best ending credits ever and whatnot. it was farah khan's directorial debut and she brought fun back to bollywood with her bestie <3

the only coming-of-age movie he did

12. Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa: i was younger than 4 srk wasn't my favourite "hero" yet but his character from this movie was my first blorbo. my murderous rage awakened for him. the first character i ever related to was also from this movie. gangster uncle 🤜🏾🤛🏾 me. srk was so baby (he was like 28) there was also ra ra rasputin in this. srk loves this movie so do i.

[triviareads]

do you have diverse modern romance recs?

Yep! I've (mostly) organized it by author:

Naima Simone: I'm obsessed with literally everything this woman writes, both Harlequin and not Harlequin. Naima writes a lot of fabulous Black heroines (and she writes great body diversity as well) and a decent amount of POC heroes as well. My favorites include . Black Tie Billionaire (Black heroine, Asian hero), Secrets Of A One Night Stand (Black heroine, Pacific Islander hero), and Trust Fund Fiancé (both the hero and heroine are Black). The best thing about Naima's books is just the uniformity in how she writes every body type as attractive and desirable and the sex is very hot. Would absolutely recommend.

Katrina Jackson: I haven't talked about Katrina enough, when she's out here doing the most for mafia romances and spy romances with diverse characters. I could happily read her novella Beautiful & Dirty over and over, but it's a prequel to the mafia series which ends with my favorite, The Don, which has a Black heroine. Katrina also wrote a spy series (The Spies Who Loved Me!) and the first in that series, Pink Slip, has a Black heroine who's lusting over her married bosses (the wife, Monica, is Latina I believe) and surprise, they're both into her too.

Angelina M. Lopez: Angelina writes excellent Latino rep. Her fictional town Freedom, Kansas, which is the setting in multiple stories, has an amazing Mexican-American community she builds on. I'd recommend After Hours on Milagro Street, which has a Mexican-American heroine, as well as her upcoming Full Moon Over Freedom, which is next in the series. The way she melds culture, magic, and romance is gorgeous. Also! Lush Money, which is set within this universe, has a Latina heroine and is very fun and worth reading.

Tara Pammi: If you want to read about Indians in India or Bollywood-centric romances, Tara is the author. I liked Claiming His Bollywood Cinderella and The Secret She Kept in Bollywood (that man is suuuch a DILF he's great).

Jadesola James: I've talked about her before (see here) but Jadesola has written a couple Harlequin Presents stories set in Africa. I'd recommend The Royal Baby He Must Claim and The Princess He Must Marry, which are about sisters who are Nigerian princesses.

Talia Hibbert: The Brown Sisters books are bangers, sexy and emotionally comforting at the same time. I'd recommend all of them: Get a Life, Chloe Brown, Take a Hint, Dani Brown, and Act Your Age, Eve Brown. I also love her novella Guarding Temptation, which has both a Black hero and heroine and Wanna Bet? which has a Black heroine and a British-Indian hero (thanks for reminding me @viscountessevie).

Wrong to Need You by Alisha Rai: The hero and heroine are in-laws (well, her husband, his brother, is dead) so the romance was very emotional and slow-burn, but the pay-off was absolutely worth it. The heroine Sadia is Pakistani-American, and the hero Jackson is of Japanese and Hawaiian ancestry. Alisha also delves pretty deep into South Asian family dynamics which hit a liiiittle too close to home, but I can't deny the accuracy.

Reel by Kennedy Ryan: This a romance between an actress and her director (both are Black) and I particularly appreciate the amount of research Kennedy Ryan put into the Harlem Renaissance, Black artists of that era (she created a fictional artist to base the movie off of), as well as their contributions to the Civil Rights movement which I think isn't discussed enough.

Sink or Swim by Tessa Bailey: See here.

From what I recall, Katee Robert did a pretty good job of body diversity without super explicitly mentioning race in her Fairytale Villains Who Fuck Wicked Villains series.

[dweemeister]

2023 Movie Odyssey Award for Best Original Song (final results)

TAGGING (even some folks who didn’t do this but I hope will join/rejoin us someday): @addaellis, @birdsongvelvet, @cinemaocd, @doglvr, @dog-of-ulthar, @emilylime5, @exlibrisneh​, @halfwaythruthedark, @idontknowmuchaboutmovies, @introspectivemeltdown, @machpowervisions, @maximiliani, @mehetibel, @memetoilet​, @metamatar, @monkeysmadeofcheese, @myluckyerror​, @phendranaedge, @plus-low-overthrow, @qteeclown, @rawberry101, @rosymeraki-blog, @shadesofhappy​, @shootingstarvenator, @stephdgray, @the-lilac-grove, @theybecomestories, @umgeschrieben, @underblackwings, and @yellanimal

Hello all,

I know it's mid-January, but the book is finally closed on the Movie Odyssey for 2023 and the 2023 Movie Odyssey Award for Best Original Song (MOABOS XI) Final. For those who need a refresher, I refer to the whole collection of films I saw for the first time in their entirety over a calendar year as "My Movie Odyssey". It forms the backbone of my classic film blog on tumblr, which has been featuring the Movie Odyssey Awards (of which MOABOS is one category out of 26 total). The true reason for the blog's continuing existence are my film write-ups, tagged "My Movie Odyssey" (which remains stuck, unfortunately at 799 as of the writing of this wrap-up post).

INTRODUCTION AND A RE-STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Whether or not you participated in 2023's Movie Odyssey Award for Best Original Song (MOABOS XI), I thank you for your consideration, your time, and your support. This eleventh edition of MOABOS was the tenth with outside involvement from family, friends, and tumblr followers.

Late Sunday night, I was asked by a MOABOS newcomer what was the true purpose of this strange competition/holiday tradition/social experiment/whatever you want to call it. It was, admittedly, a little jarring to hear that question again for the first time in perhaps a few years. Of course, there's the fun in seeing everybody's comments and rankings. The drama of folks complaining about the musical tastes of others they have never met is hilarious (high school friends side-eyeing coworkers; my undergrad and grad school friends having no overlap in taste – yes, I even find the disparagement towards my musical tastes as horribly funny. I get a strange kick out of conducting the single transferable vote of a few dozen people.

In the end, the purpose of MOABOS is twofold.

First, at the most basic level, it's to keep in touch with all of you. The second purpose is more complex, and may or may not be of coequal importance. Like the Movie Odyssey Awards it is a part of, and especially those movie write-ups stubbornly stuck at 799, MOABOS is meant to introduce all of you to films you may not have otherwise encountered – especially classic movies of yesteryear.

No one looks at you funny when you say you read an old book, or go to see centuries-old art in a museum, or listen to what is now being called "oldies" music. But for film? Not so much. I hope MOABOS has helped demystify and make more accessible/less intimidating the movies featured here. Yes, I'll always toot the horn of Old Hollywood. Unabashedly so, as it has so much to teach us and entertain us. But may you also have found enjoyment in MOABOS's brushes with animation from outside the major American and Japanese studios, the formative decades of Bollywood (far removed from the Hindu nationalism of the present day), the largely unexplored works of classic film south of the American border (preservation, restoration, historical neglect, and lack of access forming a hydra of problems from Mexico to Brazil and in-between), and even works that come my way as Artistic Director of Viet Film Fest (VFF).

It's been a privilege for the last eleven years to take you all on this cinematic/musical journey – one aspect of many of the Movie Odyssey. And I'm honored to have your trust in me to be a guide.

RESULTS

Remember: the MOABOS final is not like the prelim. It isn't primarily decided on the points system used in the final. It, since 2018, is decided on single transferable vote.

First, the standings on points. It should be noted that MOABOS XI just pipped last year for the participation record for a final. We had 40 rankings (including yours truly) last year; this year had 41 in the final (the only bad news: we had 44 people participate in this year's prelim and I invited extra people in the final, so this number definitely could've been higher).

STANDINGS ON POINTS (USED ONLY AS THE FIRST TIEBREAKER... the actual final result is the list below this one). Using the method used in the preliminary round, the count would’ve looked like this (“Song”, Film title (points) / #1 votes).:

“Miss Celie's Blues (Sister)”, The Color Purple (225) / 11

“Suzume”, Suzume (223) / 4

“Qu'est-ce qu'on fait de l'amour?”, Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia (207) / 7

“Esse Mundo é Meu”, Esse Mundo é Meu (179) / 1

“Chattanooga Choo Choo”, Sun Valley Serenade (164.5) / 3

“Ciao Papa”, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (160) / 4

“Hooked on Your Love”, Sparkle (154) / 3

“I'm Just Ken”, Barbie (153.5) / 3

“Danger Zone”, Top Gun (139) / 1

“Tiền”, Good Morning and Good Night (129) / 0

“Trời Sáng Rồi, Ta Ngủ Đi Thôi (Good Morning and Good Night”, Good Morning and Good Night (102) / 1

“Return to Sender”, Girls! Girls! Girls! (98) / 0

“Animal Crackers in My Soup”, Curly Top (95) / 1

“Barsaat mein hamse mile tum sajan (In the Rainy Season, We Met One Another)”, Barsaat (94) / 0

 “I Know Why (And So Do You)”, A Mighty Wind (90) / 2

Using the points system tiebreaker alone, this was a nailbiter. "Miss Celie's Blues (Sister)" eked out a 2-point lead over "Suzume". What was even more surprising is that "Miss Celie's Blues" has set the record for most #1 votes in MOABOS final (11, breaking the nine #1 votes that "9 to 5" received in last year's final).

When looking solely at points, this is tied for the third-smallest margin ever recorded at the top (there have been two ties on points: MOABOS VII in 2019 and MOABOS IX in 2021). 

THE OFFICIAL TABULATION FOLLOWS AND DETAILS CAN BE FOUND IN THE READ-MORE. We used a single transferable vote (which is explained visually here). With 41 respondents, a song needed 50% + 1 vote of all #1 and transferred votes to be declared a winner. Thus, a song needed 21 votes to win. One ballot was discarded very late during the final tabulation due to that person ranking nine songs, but having their top nine completely eliminated as the count progressed. 40 ballots remained, but the magic number to win remained 21. The top ten songs became nominees; the bottom five are considered honorable mentions:

2023 Movie Odyssey Award for Best Original Song (FINAL STANDINGS) (playlist)

“Miss Celie's Blues (Sister)”, The Color Purple (1985)

“Suzume”, Suzume (2023, Japan)

“Qu'est-ce qu'on fait de l'amour? (What Do We Do with Love?)”, Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia (2022, France)

“Chattanooga Choo Choo”, Sun Valley Serenade (1941)

“Ciao Papa”, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022)

“Hooked on Your Love”, Sparkle (1976)

“I'm Just Ken”, Barbie (2023)

“I Know Why (And So Do You”, Sun Valley Serenade (1941)

“Esse Mundo é Meu”, Esse Mundo é Meu (1964, Brazil)

“Danger Zone”, Top Gun (1986)

“Trời Sáng Rồi, Ta Ngủ Đi Thôi (Good Morning and Good Night)”, Good Morning and Good Night (2019, Vietnam)

“Animal Crackers in My Soup”, Curly Top (1935)

“Tiền”, Good Morning and Good Night(2019, Vietnam)

“Return to Sender”, Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962)

“Barsaat mein hamse mile tum sajan (In the Rainy Season, We Met One Another)”, Barsaat (1949, India)

The bottom five all received honorable mentions. The top ten received nominations.

SUMMARY

"Miss Celie's Blues (Sister)" from The Color Purple (1985) eked out the title in the closest result MOABOS has seen since adopting the single transferable vote in 2018. With forty ballots remaining and on the twelfth and final count, "Miss Celie's Blues" and "Suzume" were actually tied, 20-20. In other words, when you eliminated all the other songs, twenty respondents had "Miss Celie's Blues" ranked higher than "Suzume" and twenty respondents had "Suzume" ranked higher than "Miss Celie's Blues". One person (the discarded ballot) did not rank either - and could have easily swung it had they put one or both of those songs down.

So when the transferred votes are tied, the first tiebreaker is points (as seen in the preliminary round). And from there, "Miss Celie's Blues" edged out "Suzume", 225-223. 

(Hypothetical): If we were somehow tied on points, it would then go to #1 votes. "Miss Celie's Blues" would have won that tiebreaker, 11-4. If #1 votes were somehow tied, it would have gone to the average placement on my ballot and my sister's. We both ranked "Miss Celie's Blues" 3rd for an average placement of 3rd. I ranked "Suzume" in a three-way tie for 13th (effectively rendering it 14th on my ballot) and my sister ranked it 10th - an average placement of 12th.

With the music written by Quincy Jones and Rod Temperton and lyrics by Jones, Temperton and Lionel Richie, "Miss Celie's Blues (Sister)" was nominated at the 58th Academy Awards for Best Original Song, losing to Lionel Richie's "Say You, Say Me" from White Nights (1985); yes Richie lost to himself that night). Steven Spielberg's 1985 adaptation of The Color Purple is based on Alice Walker's book of the same name. Set in rural Georgia, it follows Celie Harris (Whoopi Goldberg in her breakthrough role; Desreta Jackson as young Celie), who suffers of parental and spousal psychological, physical, and sexual abuse. Her light in the world is her sister, Nettie (Akousa Busia), and the two form a world of their own – away from the darkness of their world. It was one of the best books I read in the 2010s, and the film adaptation – despite the limitations of its LGBTQ+ depictions and themes due to American politics and studio politics at the time – was one of the best films I saw in 2023 for the first time ever.

The 1980s becomes the first decade to defend a MOABOS title. But it comes in the form of a song that no one would peg as being written in the 1980s. It comes the blues, a distinctly American musical genre that grew from the spirituals and work songs of black slaves and freedmen in the American South. It is the first song from the blues tradition to win MOABOS.Runner-up "Suzume" is the best-performing anime song ever in MOABOS, eclipsing the title song from My Neighbor Totoro (1988, Japan) 

– which earned 4th place in MOABOS V (2017). Makoto Shinkai, perhaps these days moreso than Hayao Miyazaki, is the most important director in anime film at this moment.

Those who saw our rankings will know that my sister and I were deep outliers here. "Suzume" was tied for 13th on my ballot; 10th on my sister's. For the sizable anime fan faction who are currently sharpening their knives, I would consider yourselves lucky that, even though MOABOS is somewhat modeled on Academy Award processes, it doesn't replicate it entirely. "Suzume" was ineligible for Academy Award consideration because it is the second song in the end credits. Arbitrary as this sounds, only the first song during the end credits are eligible for the Academy Award for Best Original Song, in order to ensure that the category honors songs that significantly contribute to a film itself. No such rule exists for MOABOS.

* * * * * * * * * * *

If MOABOS was truly a popularity contest, then two films that defined their respective years would have won this in a walk – Barbie and Top Gun. In the end, "I'm Just Ken" and "Danger Zone" – the two most visible contenders of the whole bunch – finished a disappointing 7th and 10th. Reading many of your comments, the reasons for their underperformance often had to do directly with the films themselves (whether or not one has seen them).

Elsewhere, no MOABOS entry featuring Glenn Miller and His Orchestra has failed to secure a nomination in the MOABOS Final. "I Know Why (And So Do You)" and "Chattanooga Choo Choo" – the latter one of the most popular songs of its era, an unofficial anthem for Golden Age 20th Century Fox – will be the last appearance for Miller and His Orchestra as they made only two films on their contract and no more. Thanks to Glenn Miller and his mates for wonderful contributions to MOABOS IX (2021) and MOABOS XI.

And hey, I'm just happy fellow Fox contractee Shirley Temple finally made a MOABOS final. Many of you vehemently disagree, but Temple's mark on film and film music history is undeniable. When I started MOABOS a decade ago, the last generation of moviegoers who saw her films in theaters could attest to that. Today, that generation is almost all gone.

Moreso than the other major American studios, 20th Century Fox was one of the least willing studios to make its back catalogue available for home media/streaming/general availability. Following 20th Century Fox's purchase by the Walt Disney Company in 2019, the situation has only gotten worse, as Disney (for all intents and purposes) decides to further bury the Fox library for anything that might not perform well on streaming or isn't franchise-able. But hear it from me: there are still 20th Century Fox musicals from Golden Age Hollywood to come for MOABOS. No one is saying that they have they have the musical mastery of MGM or Warner Bros., but Fox's musicals need to be treasured, too.

Speaking of access, last February, I saw Esse Mundo é Meu at the Academy Museum in LA and found the a capella version of the title song a hopeful, plaintive ode to better days. The print was not in good shape; the Museum had to redo the subtitles themselves. But it was a glimpse into classic Brazilian cinema seldom seen outside of Brazil itself. How lucky I was; and here's hoping that the telling of Latin American film history becomes more than the afterthought it too often is.

Sparkle (1976) is not a great movie. Black audiences in America might disagree furiously with what I just said. But, as someone who grew up with '50s-'70s R&B and soul as a major part of the soundtrack of his childhood, it had to have a place here. Congrats to all those on Sparkle.

A disappointing result for Good Morning and Good Night, failing in both instances to secure a nomination. But we shall see more VFF entries in the future.

Oh yeah, Elvis made a lot of movies. The King will be back again, certainly, in hopes of a second MOABOS title.

I'm glad that many of you liked "Ciao Papa" from Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022) – the film is on Netflix for those who have it, and it's a beautiful take on the original tale.

Lastly, I was perhaps most heartened how many of you were exposed to Ernest & Celestine for the first time and how much "Qu'est-ce qu'on fait de l'amour?" resonated with many of you. I saw the sequel with my sister last summer in a near-empty theater at a prime weekend timeslot; it was still one of my favorite watches of the year. And as for the original, when it was first shock-nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, I must have mentioned it to everyone who would listen. No one I knew outside of my sister saw the film.

Please find Ernest & Celestine (2012) and its 2022 sequel. Both films shatter the fictions that 1) non-English-language animation is inherently more "serious" than English-language animation and 2) a "children's movie" can only best be enjoyed by children. Please seek out and learn more about animated films beyond the major American and Japanese studios.

CONCLUSION

MOABOS is only a small glimpse into the larger 2023 Movie Odyssey. But I hope you enjoyed even this sliver of a look into that moviewatching journey.

Our winner joins these past winners for MOABOS (winners' playlist):

2012 (Special): To be contested

2013 (I): “The Gold Diggers’ Song (We’re In the Money)”, Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)

2014 (II): “Rainbow Connection”, The Muppet Movie (1979)

2015 (III): “Amhrán Na Farraige (Song of the Sea)”, Song of the Sea (2014)

2016 (IV): “Stayin’ Alive”, Saturday Night Fever (1977)

2017 (V): “Remember Me (Recuérdame)”, Coco (2017)

2018 (VI): “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing”, Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955)

2019 (VII): “I Wish I Didn't Love You So”, The Perils of Pauline (1947)

2020 (VIII): “Can't Help Falling in Love” , Blue Hawaii (1961)

2021 (IX): “Lullaby in Ragtime”, The Five Pennies (1959)

2022 (X): “9 to 5”, Nine to Five (1980)

2013 final 2014 final (input from family and friends began this year) 2015 final 2016 prelim / final 2017 prelim / final 2018 prelim / final 2019 prelim / final 2020 prelim / final 2021 prelim / final 2022 prelim / final 2023 prelim

Every time MOABOS comes to an end, I never know whether or not we are going to do MOABOS for the new year. I never know what movies I will discover come my way during a calendar year (and which ones have original songs in them to be a part of this). So it is my hope that I will see you again next year, for what might make it a dozen editions of the Movie Odyssey Award for Best Original Song. For the final time for MOABOS XI, thank you so much for participating!

41 ballots were submitted; twenty-one #1 votes and transferred votes needed to win

2ND COUNT: 1 ballot to "Qu'est ce qu'on fait de l'amour"

3RD COUNT: 1 ballot to "Suzume"

4TH COUNT: 1 ballot to "I Know Why (And So Do You)"

5TH COUNT: 1 ballot to "Ciao Papa"

6TH COUNT: 2 ballots to "Chattanooga Choo Choo", 1 ballot to "Hooked on Your Love"

7TH COUNT: 3 ballots to "Suzume"

8TH COUNT: 2 ballots to "Chattanooga Choo Choo", 1 ballot to "Ciao Papa", 1 ballot to Miss Celie's Blues"

9TH COUNT: 3 ballots to "Suzume", 1 ballot to "Chattanooga Choo Choo", 1 ballot to "Miss CElie's Blues", 1 ballot to "Qu'est-ce qu'on fait de l'amour?"

10TH COUNT: 4 ballots to "Miss Celie's Blues", 1 ballot to "Qu'est-ce qu'on fait de l'amour?", 1 ballot to "Suzume"

1 ballot was DISCARDED on the 10th count; 40 ballots remain; 21 to win

11TH COUNT: 8 ballots to "Suzume", 3 ballots to "Miss Celie's Blues"

12TH COUNT: "Miss Celie's Blues (Sister)" 20, "Suzume" 20. "Miss Celie's Blues (Sister)" wins on the first tiebreaker on points, 225-223.

[salmankhanholics]

★ Yash Raj Films delays Tiger vs Pathaan; Shah Rukh Khan-Salman Khan starrer will go on floors only in 2025 and release in 2026!

Nov 30, 2023

Things definitely didn't shape up as well as expected for Aditya Chopra with the Salman Khan led Tiger 3. While the content got mixed feedback from the audience, the industry is also buzzing with chatter around how a conventional Friday release would have benefited the business by pushing the film to Tiger Zinda Hai number. It's Salman Khan's fan following and the franchise value that has taken the film to a lifetime collection of around Rs. 280 crores, getting it a clean hit tag.

And now, Bollywood Hungama has got news that would create a stir in the industry and shock waves on the social media. Highly placed sources have confirmed that Aditya Chopra has delayed Tiger vs Pathaan shoot. "Tiger vs Pathaan was to start in March 2024, but Aditya Chopra has decided to personally take time to rework on the script and serve the audience with better content. Once Siddharth Anand is done with Fighter post production, Adi will sit down with his director to improve the version of what has been written," a trade source told Bollywood Hungama.

The source added that Aditya Chopra wants to put all his focus on the Tiger vs Pathaan script as the idea is to reintroduce Tiger to the audience at its ferocious best. "Tiger is the most senior spy of the YRF Universe and the idea is to present it in a way that takes audiences on a ride. Aditya Chopra knows that the expectations will be off the roof in the audience for the face off of Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan in Tiger vs Pathaan. There is no room for compromise and all the energies are invested to better the film," the trade source added.

Interestingly, Shah Rukh Khan also had a discussion with Aditya Chopra recently, and conveyed his thoughts on the potential to improve the writing of Tiger vs Pathaan. "Shah Rukh considers the YRF Universe to be close to his heart as Pathaan played a role in introducing his action image. He told Adi that he stands by his side and will be ready to shoot the film whenever Adi is ready with the script. Salman is also on the same page, and hence green lit the shoot timelines for Karan Johar's film from February 2024. Shah Rukh Khan in the meantime will be shooting for The King from January."

It's a consensual decision taken by the top 3 industry giants, in an attempt to provide a world class cinematic experience to their audiences. Tiger vs Pathaan will now go on floors in 2025 and is likely to release in the year 2026.

[film-in-my-soul]

10 Movies I Love:

I was tagged by @glitterisblue, so here we go!

1. Sunshine (2007)

Some of the best cinematography I've seen, with a group of compelling characters and a beautiful science-fiction story that doesn't let up once it really starts. Danny Boyle is one of my favorite directors, and this film is at the top of my recommendations every time.

2. Spotlight (2015)

My teacher showed us this film in our pre-production class the year it was up for the Oscars; only 1 scene, and I went home that day itching to watch it. I then proceeded to watch it three days in a row because I was blown away.

3. Brokeback Mountain (2005)

I'm not usually one for dramatic romance films, and I knew going into this one, even as young as I was when watching it, that it was going to hurt, but never have I been so emotionally devastated. A story that grips you and rips you apart with some of the most compelling acting I've seen.

4. Love Actually (2003)

Any of my friends will tell you that romcoms are not my go-to film genre, but this movie has it all. From complex relationships and an amazing theme that is explored through so many different stories. There are tears and laughs and those little "aw" moments wrapped up in a genuinely amazing and lighthearted (for the most part) film.

5. Pride and Prejudice (2005)

I've seen as many iterations of this story as I can get my hands on (with zombies and in the style of Bollywood), and I can't seem to get enough. There's a reason that Elizabeth and Darcy's romance is a classic, and I love it.

6. Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Come on, are any of us surprised? Top Gun: Maverick sunk its claws in me and delivered a film experience I think has really been missing in the mainstream for the last few years. I think it's clear the time and attention that was paid to both the technical and story aspects of this movie, and it's well deserving to be praised.

7. The Shape of Water (2017)

To pick 1 Guillermo del Toro film is nearly impossible, but I think The Shape of Water is both the freshest and one that incorporates everything I really love about him as a filmmaker into one cinematic masterpiece. From his use of color and reliance on stellar actors, this film is such an experience that keeps my faith that film can really excel past the current standards.

8. An American Werewolf in London (1981)

I love werewolves and werewolf movies, and the first one I always think of is An American Werewolf in London. It revolutionized monster makeup and monster transitions, and it plays with such interesting ideas and the true physiological horror that the werewolf presents. It's a classic and holds up, even over 40 years later.

9. October Sky (1999)

Another film I was shown in school, though this time it was junior high. I fell in love with the simple and inspiring story. The atmosphere and the relationships between the characters have such a good feeling, and even though there are moments of heartbreak, it's just a phenomenal watch that I think anyone could enjoy.

10. Doom (2005)

Look, I know what you're thinking. But I will be the first one to tell you that I love popcorn movies. I love sitting down to put on a mindless sci-fi horror with A-list actors that are filled with silly one-liners and stupid characters. Popcorn movies have such a special place, and I think if people aren't putting at least 1 popcorn film on their lists, they're not being completely honest with themselves. A movie doesn't need to be a masterpiece to be loved; you just have to feel good and have a good time when you watch it.

~

I'm gonna go ahead and tag some people. Looking forward to seeing your movies :3 - @thestarlitnight @icemav86 @mistmarauder @blackestglass @cristinuke

[hanaasbananas]

Matchmaker

@theladyfae how does it feel to be PROVEN WRONG

Summary:

When Adrien decides to be a background dancer in a bollywood film, he finds himself getting relationship advice from a most unlikely source.

Or: Shahrukh Khan plays matchmaker.

Crack

AO3

I’ll tell you how to win hearts,

my friend//

I know what love is,

I only ask my heart for permission

“And…. Cut!” the director yelled. A ripple of relief ran through the crowd of dancers, and Adrien stepped away from his partner, already scanning the area for Marinette. He’d tried his hardest to persuade her to join him as an extra background dancer but no amount of wheedling on his part had changed her mind and she had opted to be a dedicated member of the costume department instead. 

Now if he could just find her…weaving through the crowd, Adrien pulled out his phone to see if she had sent him a message and so didn’t see who he was about to bump into before it was too late.

“Oof-!” stumbling backwards, Adrien swallowed the irritated quip rising in his throat as he caught sight of the man in front of him.

Shahrukh Khan.

“Ohmygod, I am so sorry!” Adrien exclaimed “I wasn’t watching where I was going but that's no excuse, are you alr–” 

Shahrukh cut him off with a laugh. “Arre, aise hota hai, no need to apologise.” Taking off his sunglasses, he frowned for a moment before recognition lit his features. “You’re one of Aryan’s friends, na? From university?”

Adrien could only stare, dumbstruck. Lifting one shoulder in a half shrug, Adrien replied “uh…we were only classmates, really.”

“Haan, haan,” Shahrukh waved a hand dismissively. “I saw you at his graduation. You’re the…model na? France se?”

Adrien nodded. Before he could say anything else, he was almost bowled over once more, saved only by the small hands grabbing hold of his arms and steadying him before he could fall to the floor.

“There you are, Adrien!” Marinette exclaimed. “I was looking everywhere for you, come on let’s go get lunch–” she trailed off, inhaling sharply as she realised just who Adrien was talking to. Her grip tightened on his arm. “H-hi sir!” she managed to squeak out.

Shahrukh grinned. “Call me Shahrukh.” He turned to Adrien. “Your girlfriend?”

“ What-”

“Noo!”

They both spluttered at the same time, flushing red. “Adrien is just my…” Marinette hesitated for a brief second before continuing “Adrien is just my good friend.” She didn’t seem to notice the way he winced at the words as she turned to him, avoiding his gaze. “I’m just…go grab my bag. Meet me by the trailers?” 

She didn’t wait for a response before practically running off in the opposite direction. If she had gone any faster, there would have been a trail of smoke behind her.

“Pasand karte ho usse?” “Do you like her?”

Adrien blinked. At his blank stare, Shahrukh went on “sorry, sorry…Hindi aati hai?” “sorry, sorry…do you know Hindi?”

“A little, yeah.” Adrien sighed “but the thing with Marinette, it’s uh…complicated.”

Complicated was an understatement. 

How could he explain that they were a superhero duo who had been partners for six years, who had seen the best and worst of each other, and survived. Who had mutually chosen long ago not to pursue a relationship until their duties were complete, and now that they were…

Well Marinette had yet to bring the subject up, and Adrien was loath to risk damaging the dynamic they had together. He’d settle for being nothing more than a friend if it meant he could stay by her side forever. 

But he couldn’t really tell Shahrukh Khan that. The man was looking at him with a bemused expression, a smile curling at his lips. With his hands shoved in his pockets, the actor looked effortlessly relaxed. If he hadn’t been on set with him all morning, Adrien wouldn’t have guessed that he’d spent hours and hours working up a sweat dancing under the blazing sun. 

“Na,” Shahrukh shook his head, breaking Adrien out of his thoughts. "Dil kabhi complicated nahi hota. Haan, halaat ho sakte hai, lekin wo itni jaldi badalte hai ke dil ke mamle mein sirf halaat ko nahi dekhna chahiye. Rishte itne hi complicated hote hai jitna tum banao.” 

“The heart is never complicated. Yes, circumstances can be, but they change so quickly that in matters of the heart they shouldn’t be the only thing to look at.Relationships are only as complicated as you make them.”

“Kal Ho Naa Ho, Om Shanti Om ne kuch bhi nahi sikhaya? Waqt ko zaya na karo, dil ki baat bahar nikalo yaar.” “Didn’t Kal Ho Naa Ho, or Om Shanti Om teach you anything? Don’t waste time, take out what's in your heart, my friend.”

He laughed then, and nodded at something over Adriens shoulder.  “Jao. Woh dekh rahi hai tujhe.” “Go. She’s looking at you.”

*

Adrien was distracted during his lunch with Marinette, turning Shahrukh’s words over and over in his head. Of all the things he’d expected to happen today, getting relationship advice had been at the bottom of the list, but now that he’d gotten it, he couldn’t stop thinking about it.

As they walked back to the set, Marinette twined their fingers together, swinging their hands gently between them. The action emboldened him, and Adrien cleared his throat quietly. “Um…Marinette?”

“Yes?” She stopped, turning to face him curiously.

Adrien hesitated. Was he really going to do this? He'd held off from saying anything for so long, determined to let Marinette decide when and if she wanted to try dating him, but…

He licked his lips. “I wanted to ask you something.”

“I’m not dancing, Adrien! It’s not happening.”

A startled laugh escaped him at her words and he shook his head, snickering. “No, no, it’s not about that.”

“Oh? What is it then?”

This was it. Now or never.

"Doyouwanttogoonadatewithme?" Adrien blurted out in a rush. He took a deep breath. "That is...I-"

Marinette’s eyes widened, her mouth dropping open in shock. Quickly, Adrien began to backpedal, holding up his hands."Uh, obviously it's totally okay if you don't want to, i completely understand and I'll never ask again–"

And then Marinette grinned, wide and happy, stunning Adrien into silence. Surging forward, she enveloped him in a hug, squeezing him tightly. For a long moment, Adrien only stood there, too surprised to move until eventually, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close.

After what felt like an eternity, Marinette drew back just enough to gaze into his eyes, her own glittering with joy. “Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for you to ask me out? I was really worried for a while there.”

"What?!”

*

Marinette didn’t let go of his hand until they got back to set, and even then, they stood together as his makeup and hair got touched up, the two of them sneaking glances at each other, cheeks flushing when they got caught. 

He’d never felt so delighted in his life, so happy and full of energy. He could dance all night and not get tired. Finally, when it was time to get in position, Marinette extricated herself from his side reluctantly. Immediately he felt the loss and couldn’t help but grab her by the wrist, stopping her for a moment.

“I’ll see you later,” Adrien murmured as she looked back at him. Impulsively, he leaned in, and pressed a kiss to her forehead, feeling a thrill go through him at the contact. From Marinette’s dazed expression, she had felt it as well.

“Okay,” she whispered, covering her flushed cheeks with her hands before disappearing into the crowd. Adrien watched her go until she was out of sight, and only then did he notice Shahrukh standing by the fountain in the middle of the square. 

Raising his eyebrows, the actor’s question was clear. Adrien couldn’t help the goofy grin that spread across his face, raising his hand to give a thumbs up.

Thank you, Shahrukh Khan.

[forzasedici]

i love it that you reblogged the “get to know the blogger” post bc i saw you reblog a lot of “le belle et la bete” gifs and was curious about your general taste/favourite films 👁️👁️

this is going to be so long i'm sorry but i just love talking about it so let's start!

i'm going to highlight some of the movies from my favourites list on letterboxd aka the movies that butter my bun:

— Skyfall (2012) and 1917 (2019) both directed by Sam Mendes are honestly great movies with Skyfall for me being the best Bond movie and 1917 as one of the best war movies. What made 1917 one of my favourites was the watching it at cinema experience plus the reveal in the end is just *chef's kiss*

— Tarantino movies. Like that's it. I know a lot of ppl don't like him but for me he's one of the best writers and sure has his problems but you cannot deny his work is great. Inglorious Basterds for me take the cake as his best movie with Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill: Part I being up there as well. One of his underrated movies is definitely Jackie Brown which I've loved.

— Period dramas. Another one of my fave genres. Emma. (2020) being one of my favourite movies. Emma (2009) is also a great adaptation albeit it is a series. Pride and Prejudice (2005) and (1995) are great as well. Little Women has recently grown on me way more and remains my favourite Greta Gerwig movie. Another underrated movie for me is Ophelia which as the title says focuses more on Ophelia from the play Hamlet. It's really well done and I've enjoyed watching it.

— This one is also a period drama but it is a bollywood movie so I wanted to highlight it. Jodhaa Akbar is a MUST watch such a good movie it's insane like I'm sorry you have a sword fight sequence between two lovers and you have won me over.

— Let's get franchises out of the way. Obviously Marvel movies are some of my favourites with Avengers: Infinity War, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Thor: Ragnarok which are in my top 3. Both Black Panther movies and Spider-man: No Way Home are taking honourable mentions. For their series my favourite has been Moon Knight. (Sony gets their cookies for Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse and obviously Venom because come on now eddie and venom are otp y'all don't get it like i do)

— Next big franchise is Star Wars. Original trilogy: Empire Strikes Back. Prequel trilogy: Revenge of the Sith (I'm an Anakin girlie unfortunately) and Sequel trilogy: The Last Jedi (Rian Johnson supremacy). Series: Obi-wan Kenobi (i cried). Honourable mention to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (i also cried).

— Since I mentioned Rian Johnson let's expand on that because the man just gets movies and everyone should watch Looper and Knives Out!!

— Denis Villeneuve. MY MAN!!!! Arrival and Dune *chef's kiss* if you can bear longer movies also Blade Runner 2049 but it isn't one of my favorites exactly because it was long and boring. And since probably someone will say the same for Dune at least Dune has you looking at Oscar Isaac and Timothee Chalamet sure they look miserable but that's when men look the best.

— Spy movies? like idk how to call this but let me list them all. Anna (2019) they succeeded where The Red Sparrow failed like if you're looking for anything similar to Black Widow Anna is the one I would recommend a thousand times. The Nice Guys and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. great comedies I just love them. It's not really a spy but assassin I guess but John Wick franchise is the shit and the best movie is obviously John Wick 2.

— Another director that has me is unfortunately Christopher Nolan. Can I get more basic than that? I do admit his faults and that's sound mixing is fucking awful, I don't understand his movies while I am watching them most of the time and this man cannot write a female character for the life of him BUT 🎶 shapes and colours 🎶. His ideas are what draw me in and it's just visual masterpieces doesn't matter if I can't hear the dialogue if it looks good am I right?

— Smashing musicals and animation together because this is already becoming too long. Singin' In The Rain and The Sound of Music are a MUST watch and also I'm a Phantom of the Opera girlie so if you're going to watch anything watch the 25th anniversary version. I am also unfortunately a Hamilton girlie and the damage to my life caused by that damn musical is irreparable. For animation musical Hercules, The Emperor's New Groove, Anastasia, The Lion King and Tangled and purely animation Howl's Moving Castle, Lilo and Stitch, The Incredibles and Inside Out.

— Now it's time for a quick fire: Ford v Ferrari and Rush are two best movies for my motorsport girlies, Gone Girl and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire for my book girlies, Death at a Funeral and Hot Fuzz for the british comedy girlies, i'm also unfortunately a Titanic girlie probably the movie i've watched most in my life, THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS!!! A. MUST. WATCH. Monty Python movies are great if you ignore some of the outdated jokes. Jackie is one of my favorites just because it's one of Natalie's Portman's best performances and that's also including Black Swan but both movies are also visually stunning.

— The Death of Stalin is one of the best comedies as well. Ready Player One is one of my weirder favourites since many ppl see it as an average movie but i'd recommend it to anyone (literally can't believe it's my favourite Spielberg movie 😭😭). Also add to the video game genre Tron: Legacy because I will also recommend that movie to anyone. The Grand Budapest Hotel is also a must watch like if anyone made the world go through a pink paint shortage before Barbie did then it's this movie and finally The Batman (2022). Let's end on a battinson note just because.

— Crazy to think I haven't even mentioned all of my favourites but I guess this is kinda the jist of it all. Basically my taste is anything as long as I like it I guess jsbsjsbsjs. (I forgot to mention the horror genre but that's just because I don't really have a favourite movie like if I had to say anything it would be The Conjuring movies.)

— As for Le Belle Et La Bête it's one of my new favourites and honestly got me into a french cinema mood so I'll probably find more favourites there. One of my goals has always been to watch more foreign movies but not many have entered my favourites club unfortunately. Also fuck disney live-action remakes (except you cinderella (2015)).

get to know the blogger

[denimbex1986]

In the midst of the controversy surrounding a scene in Oppenheimer, where the titular character is depicted engaging in sexual activity while reciting verses from an ancient Sanskrit scripture, purportedly the Bhagavad Gita, Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut has stepped forward to praise Christopher Nolan’s biographical thriller film.

Taking to social media on Monday, Kangana lauded the movie as “Christopher Nolan’s best work so far” and expressed her admiration for the part in the film referencing Bhagavad Gita and Lord Vishnu. “Most important film of our time… I am so excited I just didn’t want it to end… It has everything I deeply love, I am passionate about physics and politics… For me, this was like a cinematic orgasm… beyond wonderful,” she noted while sharing a selfie video.

“The theme of the film is that when your nationalism rises, it precedes your religion; but when your humanity rises, it precedes your nationalism and you become a problem for the system. And the system that built you, starts disintegrating you. My favourite part is the reference to Srimad Bhagavad Gita and Lord Vishnu when he channelises his inner Vishnu. Go watch it… it’s a lovely film,” the Queen actor said in the video.

J Robert Oppenheimer, regarded as ‘the father of the atom bomb’, had learnt Sanskrit and was said to be influenced by the Bhagavad Gita. In the film, Oppenheimer, played by Cillian Murphy, is shown having sex with psychologist Jean Tatler (Florence Pugh) as she asks him to read a verse from what appears to be a Sanskrit book, whose title or cover is not visible.

The scene involving Gita in Oppenheimer had irked a section of social media users, who demanded the removal of the sequence from Christopher Nolan’s latest film.

Uday Mahurkar, information commissioner, Government of India, wrote an open letter to Nolan, terming the scene a “disturbing attack on Hinduism” and appealed to the director to remove the scene worldwide.

“We urge, on behalf of billion Hindus and the timeless tradition of lives being transformed by revered Geeta, to do all that is needed to uphold the dignity of their revered book and remove this scene from your film across the world. Should you choose to ignore this appeal it would be deemed as a deliberate assault on Indian civilisation. Eagerly await needful action (sic)” Mahurkar, founder of Save Culture Save India Foundation, wrote.

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur has sought an explanation from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) on why it cleared the movie in its present form. According to sources, Thakur has demanded accountability from the CBFC, which functions under the aegis of the I&B Ministry, regarding clearing the movie with the controversial scene, which has hurt the sentiments of a section of the Hindu community.

The Dhaakad actor’s comments come a day after she locked horns with former Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy after the latter questioned her Y-plus security status. He tweeted, “The SPG knows, and has kept a register of her movements. I wonder why since it is no business of SPG to track Bollywood stars. In her case, on a special dispensation, she has a high level of security provided.”

Kangana replied, “I am not just a Bollywood star sir, I am also a very vocal and concerned citizen, I was the target of political malice in Maharashtra, at my expense nationalists could make a government here. I also spoke about tukde gang and strongly condemned Khalistani groups. I am also a filmmaker, writer and producer and my next production Emergency involves operation Bluestar… there is evident treat to my life hence I requested for extended security… Is there something wrong in this Sir?”'

[indiejones]

OF 1940'S BOLLYWOOD'S CHILDHOOD FRIENDS -TURNED- (DIRECTIONLESS & LITERALLY NAMELESS) NEW PESHAWARI KIDS ON THE BLOCK! - OF VASUDEV & RANBIR ! ... OOPS ... YUSUF KHAN & SHRISHTI NATH ! ... OOPS ... DILIP KUMAR & RAJ KAPOOR!

Did you know that the Dilip Kumar- Raj Kapoor friendship goes back not just to their childhoods growing up close by in Peshawar, but to literally several generations back, with Dilip's Dad being best friends with Raj's Grand-Dad ie Prithviraj Kapoor's father, their ancestors in fact having grown up in the same locality all life.

Infact 'tis via this friendship with Raj's grandfather, Lala Basheshwarnath, that Yusuf's father came to crystallize his dislike for the acting profession as a whole, letting no opportunity pass by in unabashedly criticizing his friend's son Prithviraj's wayward ways, in front all & sundry incl Yusuf, in a profession that he regarded of loose moral values & low prestige, this outlook also borne of his staunchly orthodox Muslim views on life, also simultaneously being heavily politically involved in Muslim politics, alongside the Ali brothers, & a big supporter of the Caliphate Raj idea itself.

So anyway, once in Bombay to try his luck (for as he narrates, "any job available whatsoever in Bombay Talkies" (the story leading to which we've already narrated in our Dilip Kumar-Ashok Kumar blog), he landed up bagging not just any, but the main lead's role, for which was also offered a certain pretty handsome salary price. But what really set his interest going, was that this sum, was much much higher than the salary being received by his good friend & only person he really knew even remotely from the movies then, Prithviraj Kapoor's son, Raj Kapoor, who he was in regular touch with, & who'd been working as an Asst Director in the same studios for some time too! Which is why, as he humorously recalls, unaware of the (perennial) hierarchy btwn Assts & Heroes, he had to get it re-confirmed from studio bosses, whether this offered sum was a monthly or yearly figure!

Next problem though, remained in informing his father of this new job placement, which he knew, would be totally & utterly against his express & strongly held beliefs! And so, afraid of his father's wrath, decided to not tell his family of his new job placement, as long as he could avoid, a very important turn of events in the story, to what was to follow next - the naming of the new hero, a routine affair in Bollywood back then!

Studio bosses came up with 2 alternative names, Dilip Kumar and Vasudev!

Dilip recalls his immediate reaction being, "Anything but Yusuf Khan pls!"

He amusingly recalls, how he too, just like the whole world, would learn of his new, & forever re-christened name, from the morning papers of a month later. And Dilip Kumar was born!

Also re-birthing his old childhood bond with Ranbir (birth name Shrishti) now re-christened Raj from their kiddy Peshawar days, a time he would fondly recall in interviews many decades later, of those nascent times of 1945-46, when both these to-be pillars were yet wannabes-

Dilip says: "Both us friends lived in constant fear of what'd happen at the studio each next day. And he (that's Raj, being an Asst Director, & incharge of more petty matters) would keep harping on small things & what all could go wrong, & I'd keep scolding him for always bringing it up & spoiling my mood."

Dilip continues- "I also had a fondness for watching good films, many many times...upto 3 theater shows a day, & that repeated for many days, if a film fascinated me enough. While Raj was not of the same view. He found the repetition confusing, moreover and thought it a waste of time. I always defended myself, by pointing to the quality of films (intl & natl) being watched by us here, & the value of our purpose. Anyway, what I imbibed from my observation, as one starting out, was the minimal amount of acting being done. I recall him saying once, "Listen,what we'll do is change it. Do it differently, this & that..", & I immediately reacted, "NO. I WILL NOT DO IT. I JUST WON'T!" "

How was History to know, while one became the grand "Showman"of Indian Cinema, the other would go on to be called the loveliest & among the Greatest Method Actors the world's ever seen!

[a-film-app]

Exploring the vibrant worlds of the Gujarati, Bhojpuri, and Marathi film industries.

Among the oldest and biggest cinema industries around the globe is found in India. A public screening of an Indian movie occurred at the beginning of 1913. It was called Raja Harischandra. Finding someone to play female characters at the time was quite difficult. It has only recently been questioned whether the middle and lower classes still associate acting with a decline in virtue, female chastity, and credibility.

Gujarati Film Industry

Among the important regional and popular film industries in Indian cinema is Gujarati Cinema. The business has reached its best point over the past ten years thanks to sane and competent directors who have won the audiences' high praise. The movies have original stories, excellent acting, beautiful music, and a wide range of genres, including Family, Tragedy, Comedy, Mystery, Sports, Sci-Fi, Historical Drama, Action, and Relationship.

At the 64th National Film Awards, the movie "Wrong Side Raju" won the National Film Award for Best Motion Picture in Gujarati. The next film, "Reva," took up the 66th National Film Award for Best Motion Picture in Gujarati.

The Gujarati film industry's most admirable quality is that it consistently embraces Bollywood stars who are not Gujarati (Bollywood). Amitabh Bachchan, a Bollywood celebrity, and Jaya Bachchan both had cameo appearances in "Carry On Kesar."

The Gujarati film sector has produced numerous films filmed outside of India, demonstrating the sector's rapid expansion. The industry supports artistic filmmaking and its promotion across various media.

More than 8 crore Gujaratis and a global audience have been reached by Gujarati cinema thanks to innovation and art over the years. Gujaratis are wealthy, and the Gujarati movie business will soon reach new heights of development. There are several Gujarati actors in Bollywood as well.

Bhojpuri Film Industry

In recent years, Bhojpuri cinema has seen a significant evolution. This has enticed numerous prominent Bollywood actors to join the Bhojpuri film industry.

Bhojpuri film was fighting for its life and was on the verge of extinction until lately. However, the collaborative effort of the Bhojpuri film industry's creators, directors, and producers brought the sector back to life by turning it profitable once more.

Bhojpuri cinema has established a niche today, and its popularity on the international market has skyrocketed. There is a worldwide audience for Bhojpuri films, not just in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The Indian diaspora living in Brazil, Fiji, South Africa, Guyana, Suriname, Mozambique, and Trinidad & Tobago enjoys watching Bhojpuri films. To know more about this in detail you can log into our Bhojpuri film industry app.

Marathi Film Industry

The Marathi film industry has continuously produced works of art. The business has developed a reputation for being content-centric and important thanks to movies like Fandry, Court, and Kaasav. A few years ago, the phenomenal box office success of Marathi films like Sairat, Natsamrat, and Lai Bhaari gave the impression that the industry was prosperous. But, the reality of Marathi cinema's box office performance could be better. 2019 witnessed 11 weeks where three or more Marathi films were released on the same day, which is unusual in an industry where even a solo movie struggles to maintain at the box office. This gives these movies no chance at the box office.

The Marathi movie business has its work cut out for it as the pandemic effect on the box office fades over time, and the box office throughout languages starts to rebound. It must address some fundamental structural issues for more sustained success at the box office. To know more about this in detail, you can log into our Marathi film industry app.

Bollywood is acknowledged as having the biggest global film production sector. In all, 2961 films were made in India, including 1602 features in 2012. India offers some of the lowest prices in the planet for movie tickets.

[rookie-critic]

RRR (2022, dir. S. S. Rajamouli) - review by Rookie-Critic

I honestly don't really want to say anything about this movie other than it is one of the most entertaining roller coasters of a film I have ever had the absolute pleasure of watching. I honestly think you should go into this as blind as physically possible, but for the sake of the review I will write some things out and try to keep it all spoiler-free.

I've never really been interested in Tollywood (Telugu cinema) or Bollywood (Hindi cinema) films before, mostly out of a place of ignorance; they just never really seemed like "my thing," or at least that's what I always told myself. I have watched a few before and I've liked them. They're generally very fun, absolutely buckwild movies that are wholly unique to that part of the world, and even before watching RRR I always thought there was something very admirable in that. I had heard about this and remember when it dropped on Netflix back in May, I remember the internet being completely taken over by talk of how amazing this film is. It was 100% on my radar, and I still didn't make it a priority watch, and for that I feel absolutely ashamed. I am going to write this next statement with the full knowledge and awareness that I am completely out of my element with this genre and have absolutely no expertise to speak on it at all, but this has the be the absolute pinnacle of this style. Not just director S. S. Rajamouli's magnum opus, but Tollywood's as a whole. I have never come out the other end of a film so unabashedly joyous at how much fun I had just had. This movie is not only as over-the-top and bombastic as you would expect a Tollywood blockbuster to be (in my opinion, it feels even more so than the few others I've seen), but it is also incredibly emotionally engaging, and Rajamouli has managed to somehow balance both of these aspects in perfect harmony. The emotionally-charged scenes don't feel silly, and the silly over-the-top action scenes seem completely self-aware, it's a perfect mix. There are musical numbers in the film, which normally is a turn off for me, but they're used to such great and entertaining effect while also moving the plot forward. There is one song in the movie that is, and I say this with 100% confidence, the most moving and powerful musical sequence I have ever seen in a film. I was slack-jawed and blown away by it. I would also like to point out that, in a year with so many overstuffed and overlong films (Babylon, Bardo, Avatar 2, Elvis, The Fabelmans, Triangle of Sadness. I could keep going, but I'll stop), RRR is a 182 minute film that, when it's over and the credits are rolling across the screen, you'll wish wasn't. I was fully entertained by every single solitary second of this movie, never once feeling anything even resembling boredom. I was utterly and deeply enthralled by all 3 hours and 2 minutes of RRR, and that's not something I can say for hardly any other movie that is over the 3-hour benchmark.

If I had to say anything, ANYTHING, negative about RRR, it's that, like most non-English language films that utilize English-speaking actors, the English-speaking actors aren't doing... the best job. However, most of them don't take up too much screen time, and part of me wonders if the actors' acting was actually bad, or if it was how they were directed to act. Another part of me also knows that that is just kind of part of the genre, and I'm not sure I want to even hold that against it. Then, even another part of me wonders if I would even have that opinion if the actors weren't speaking English. Regardless, in the grand scope of the film, this feels like an insane nitpick to have. RRR is purely fun and easily one of last year's best films. Watch it as soon as you have the opportunity to. I know I say that whenever I like something a lot, but seriously, set aside 3 hours as soon as you possibly can and watch RRR.

10/10

The Hindi dub of the film is currently streaming on Netflix.

I, personally, found a way watch the original Telugu audio version of the film, and that is how I would recommend viewing it if you can, but I'm sure the Hindi dub is fine, as well.