#fardeen Khan

[theinfinitedivides]

'raat beeti jaaye, din chad aaye, ib ghar jaane toh do… o saiyyaan, ib ghar jaane do… o saiyyaan, hatto jaao tum bade, woh ho…' — saiyaan hatto jaao | heeramandi, 2024, dir. sanjay leela bhansali.

bonus:

[madhoshiyaan]

URMILA MATONDKAR & FARDEEN KHAN in Jungle (2000)

[hollywoodhandle]

Heeramandi Review: Bhansali Brings A Cinematic Experience To The Small Screen.

Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, first announced back in 2022, has been touted as Netflix India’s most ambitious and expensive venture to date for any series. It has been on the top end of my and most others’ most anticipated list, and it is finally streaming on Netflix. The 8-episode series is created by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who also directs all episodes and handles the music for this epic…

[chameli]

omg my two loves 😭🩷

[lyricsolution-com]

Akshay Kumar Shares A Stylish BTS Look From Housefull 5 Set With Jacqueline, Riteish, Dino, And Abhishek | Movies News

Mumbai: Bollywood’s ‘Khiladi’ Akshay Kumar on Tuesday shared an exciting glimpse from the set of the much-anticipated action comedy ‘Housefull 5’, posing stylishly alongside Jacqueliene Fernandez, Dino Morea, Riteish Deshmukh, and Abhishek Bachchan. This fun behind-the-scenes moment has fans buzzing with anticipation for the latest installment of the popular franchise, promising plenty of…

[sleepydreameroncloud9]

[shaadiwish]

Just as Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s much-awaited project Heeramandi dropped on Netflix, the internet went gaga over it. From outfits to jewellery, Heeramandi gave us a glimpse at the royal life of the good old Mughal era.

[djarshaddj]

Akshay Kumar Fronted Comedy film Khel Khel Mein Gets Release Date; Mudassar Aziz Directorial will release in the Birthday Week of Akshay Kumar

Akshay Kumar‘s versatility shines through in the realm of comedy films, endearing him to audiences with iconic hits such as Hera Pheri, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Awara Paagal Deewana, Bhagam Bhag, Garam Masala, Welcome, and Singh Is King, among others. In 2024, the Khiladi Kumar debuted with the sci-fi patriotic action thriller “Bade Miyan Chote Miyan,” collaborating with Tiger Shroff for the first…

[richdadpoor]

Uday Chopra To Tusshar Kapoor, 5 Starkids Who Couldn’t Make It Big In Bollywood

Uday Raj Chopra made his acting debut with Mohabbatein. Despite belonging to film families, these actors failed to create a lasting impact among cinegoers. Bollywood is being questioned and criticised for nepotism. Despite all this, there are many star kids in the industry who have achieved stardom due to their talent and personality. Star kids like Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor and Varun Dhawan…

[movie-titlecards]

Dulha Mil Gaya (2010)

My rating: 5/10

So... I've got some Issues with this script. Like, the bit where one of the female leads basically just straight up says "the only way a woman can ever find any kind of fulfillment is in marrying a man"? That's not great. Also there's the whole "flamboyant gay stereotype flouncing all over the place" bit. On the other hand, the usual Bollywood trappings are there and fairly entertaining to watch, and there are some magnificently goofy moments, which somewhat cover up the loathsomeness.

[zibah-ho]

his movies also have the best songs 😩 i have a whole playlist of fardeen’s songs and it’s always on repeat lol

KAMBAKHT ISHQQQQ (in which he looks mad hot)

He’s hot and his songs are bangers and sometimes his films actually have a storyline

[madhoshiyaan]

Kareena Kapoor & Fardeen Khan in Fida (2004) Dir. Ken Ghosh

[filmokirani]

Heeramandi - The Diamond Bazaar

When I first started this review, I had just finished the show. At that time, not as many reviews had been published, and there was still a lot of hype. Now that I've had some space to really think and sort through my initial reaction, I've added to and rewritten parts of this. The following is a relatively low spoiler review of my overall impression of the show:

Heeramandi is an ensemble show, with multiple actors of different backgrounds. There are industry veterans, fresh faced newcomers, and a number of people in between.

Seeing Manisha Koirala, Farida Jalal, Fardeen Khan, and Taha Shah Badussha (yes, I enjoyed Luv Ka The End when it came out, what can I say) on screen after years certainly made me nostalgic. But more than nostalgia, each of these actor's performances were convincing and each of them were able to hold their own. No surprise for someone like Farida Jalal or Manisha Koirala, but as an audience member, I have not really had the opportunity to see either Fardeen Khan or Taha Shah Badussha's range before.

And of course, theirs were not the only performances I enjoyed. Essentially the entire main cast - Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sanjeeda Sheikhh, Richa Chadha, Shruti Sharma, Jayati Bhatia, and Nivedita Bhargava all played the women of Heeramandi (both tawaif and maid) beautifully.

There were of course, a few performances that stood out, for better or for worse. A lot has been said about Sharmin Segal's performance at this point, and I don't have an interest in piling on. I personally did not enjoy it, and felt that she was miscast in the role. However, I do believe much of the responsibility of her performance falls squarely on the shoulders of her uncle/the director - Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Ultimately, a director has a huge say (and a director like Bhansali generally has final say) over what the project ends up looking like. Bhansali chose to cast Sharmin Segal, he was satisfied with her performance, and chose the scenes and cuts to keep for the show. In interviews, he has very clearly said he was happy with her performance.

If he had not been, he could have directed her differently, or chosen to edit out certain scenes and focus on other plotlines. He did not. This is the final product he wanted to share with the audiences, and so, if there is something lacking in Sharmin Segal or any other actor's performance, that responsibility rests on Bhansali as well.

Image: The Envoy Web

Performances that stood out to me (in a good way) were those of Sanjeeda Sheikh as Waheeda and Indresh Malik as Ustasd Ji. I was not familiar with either's work before the show, and was blown away by just how well they managed to steal every scene they were in. Without giving away any major spoilers, there is a scene between Indresh Malik and Sonakshi Sinha (as Fareedan), where Fareedan pays Ustad Ji with a gold naath. Instead of placing it in his hand though, she hooks it to his nose and turns him to face the mirror. The emotions that cross his face - wonder, happiness, loss, grief, and overwhelm of finally seeing what could have been are so beautifully projected by Indresh Malik in this brief moment. Even in a show dripping in grandeur, this tender scene steals the show.

My issues with Heeramandi are primarily rooted in the story and its pacing. The first six episodes tell a completely different story from the last two. Some plotlines drag on for too long, while others are discarded with barely any resolution. Suddenly, towards the end of episode 6, the tone completely shifts and a new plotline takes center stage for the remainder of the show. Everything else is lost to history (or perhaps a season 2). It is unfortunate, especially with an ensemble cast, because most characters seem wasted on a plot that doesn't know where it wants to go until the end.

Image: Harper's Bazaar

Vague Spoilers for the rest of the review:

A friend of mine mentioned that she believes Sanjay Leela Bhansali likes to see women suffer, and I have to agree. Bhansali may claim that his heroines are strong, but the only way we as an audience are allowed to see that is through their suffering.

They suffer against their status, their fate, the British, the men who claim to love them but torture them instead, and it is only in those moments that the audience is allowed to see them as strong and sympathetic characters.

Even our two "antagonists," Malikajaan and Fareedan, who are portrayed as relentless and calculating, are so because of their past suffering. In order to be shown as worthy of empathy and to emphasize their strength later in the show, they are forced to suffer again.

It is as if Sanjay Leela Bhansali cannot conceive of a world where a women's strength can come from her desires, her talent, her cunning, her community, and own self. Herein likes the greatest letdown of Heeramandi - it forgets the story it promised to tell.

For the majority of Heeramandi, the main charters are shown as little more than catty, selfish, manipulative women, who fight over wealth and status (often unsuccessfully). It isn't until the penultimate episode that the show goes back to what it promised before the initial opening scene. Heeramandi was sold to its audience as a story of the Tawaifs and their connection to the downfall of the British raj. Even in interviews and promotions of the show before its release, we were told this. Yet it almost never shows these women (with the exception of Bibojaan) as competent enough to do anything successfully until episode 7. Attempts to undermine each other often backfire spectacularly. Even then, these women are "strong" and resilient in the last two episodes directly after a terrible ordeal (ie more suffering) galvanizes them and completely ignores any set up of the previous 6 episodes regarding their interpersonal dynamics.

Final Thoughts:

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's signature is extravagant sets and costuming that sometimes take years to create. Having incredible Art and Costume departments to do this work has become a part of his directorial style. In this sense, he fully rises to the occasion. Audience expectation is certainly met and surpassed. Heeramandi is a visual treat. Every frame on screen is filled with intricate details.

While Bhansali exceeds audience expectation in this aspect, he fails to deliver on the story he promised to tell. By the end, everything is so convoluted it's hard to hold onto the threads of the multiple storylines, and major plot points are ignored in favour of a dramatic ending. Even with the (mostly) incredible performances from its cast, Heeramandi is little more than an opulent train wreck.

TLDR: the stories of tawaifs and their connection to the overthrowing of the British raj are important for us to learn, but Sanjay Leela Bhansali was not the right person to tell them.

[chameli]

The real Fardeen actually got a mention in this book omg I am DYINGGG lmao

[desicinema]

i missed Fardeen Khan on big screen i hope he will make comeback on this year

i'm not the biggest fan of fardeen's acting. he's from the 00s era of bollywood where most films had songs that were bangers so i've likely seen all of his movies (ishq hai jhootha is stuck in my head now). his best performance is probably in dev which was surprising. if he does return, hopefully he surprises me again.

[eirenical]

10 🐛

10. Mast Kalandar from the movie Heyy Babyy by Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Fardeen Khan, Riteish Deshmukh, Boman Irani

...and more pertinently to me... from this tumblr post.

OK, SO.

...I can explain.

XD

...no I can't, but I can sum up. November 5, 2020 was A LOT. It was a gift that just kept on giving and this video summed up the psychedelic acid trip that was tumblr on the night of superputinelection so well that I was able to bring that high back for MONTHS just because of this song. Fairly soon after discovering it, I put it on my giant Spotify playlist. Because even without the association to That Night, it's a banger of a song and it's just so much FUN and I LOVE IT. So I listen to it... KIND OF A LOT, APPARENTLY. XD SO GO HAVE SOME FUN WITH IT. XD