#person who hasn’t want to be Pooja

[themovieblogonline]

Not Just “Bhaijaan”, But “Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan” (KBKJ)!

When it’s time for action, no one does it better than Bhaijaan! But this time Bhaijaan is back to prove that he is not just “Bhaijaan” but “Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan”! Of course, he might have got tired with all, including women, addressing him as "Bhaijaan". That’s why he might have wanted to prove to the audience that he is someone’s “Jaan” too, and not just a universal “Bhai”. Introducing The One And Only Bhaijaan! https://youtu.be/K36D16cvum4 Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (KBKJ): Starring Salman Khan! https://youtu.be/bGM490nJoDE Jokes apart! Bollywood’s megastar Bhaijaan is all action in this intense raw action-drama! Directed by Farhad Samji and produced by Bhaijaan himself, this action-packed family drama runs for 2 hours and 30 minutes and made its worldwide theatrical release on April 21, 2023. The Track “Naiyo Lagda Dil Tere Bina” Featuring Salman Khan And Pooja Hegde https://youtu.be/lzEop75AeOk Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (KBKJ) Synopsis: An aging self-defense trainer named Bhaijaan (Salman Khan) hasn’t married yet. He has three younger brothers whom he himself has brought up. In fact, the aging Bhaijaan has vowed never to marry. Bhaijaan’s three younger brothers have nothing to do except for enjoying their lives and hitting on women. The three brothers find their respective love interests but are unable to marry them as their elder brother is still unmarried. So, the three of them decide to find a girlfriend for him. They come across a girl (Pooja Hegde) who seemed to be an ideal match for him. However, that girl's family has an enmity with a local henchman (Jagapathi Babu). Now it is up to Bhaijaan to win her love along with saving her and her family from the dreadful henchman. Let the action begin as Salman Khan single-handedly takes on Jagapathi Babu and his enormous gang of henchmen! Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (KBKJ) Official Trailer: https://youtu.be/bsi8_9EoYyg The Good: Thrilling High-Octane Action! The action sequences in Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan are thrilling to watch. Salman, who is nearing 60, can be seen bashing up goons and henchmen to protect his on-screen love. The henchmen are after his love’s family due to some past enmity, and Bhaijaan goes to every extent to protect her and her family from harm. If you ask me, such action and fight sequences are common in Salman Khan’s films. He bashes up villains in his unique style and throws them helter-skelter. That’s what makes the crowd roar and applaud while watching his films! Salman Khan’s Dialogue Delivery The best parts of Salman are his acting style and dialogue delivery. There is no doubt why he charges a whopping INR 125 Crore for a movie. Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan consists of very absurd dialogues. But the way Salman delivers them is mind-blowing! His attitude, charisma, and style of delivering dialogues are the factors that make him stand apart from any veteran actor in Bollywood. For instance, a charismatic attitude-driven dialogue by Salman from the movie goes, “Mera Koi Naam Nahi Hain, Lekin Main Bhaijaan Naam Se Jaana Jaata Hoon” which means, “I don’t have a name, but people call me Bhaijaan (Brother)”. The manner in which he narrated this dialogue, with his macho expressions and heavy voice, was simply outstanding. Salman's pairing with Bhagyashree in Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan brings back the memories of his early-career romantic movies like "Maine Pyaar Kiya". Bhagyashree has a special appearance in this movie as Bhaijaan's past love interest with whom he was unable to get married due to his personal dilemma. The actors who played the role of Bhaijaan’s younger brothers are some unpopular newbies in the industry. People like them come and go in Bollywood. You see them in one film, and never see them ever again! Besides, when you are talking about someone like Salman Khan, who is a brand in himself, then bringing unpopular guys to the topic is not justified. https://youtu.be/MpIVk-M-tMQ High-Quality Cinematography The camerawork in Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan by V. Manikandan is of high-quality. The backgrounds comprise of exotic locations in Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Ladakh which have been beautifully captured. The Bad: Distorted Screenplay Bollywood, as usual, has now copied the 2014 Tamil-language action-drama Veeram and presented it as Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan in Hindi. In fact, Salman himself happens to be the producer of this film. So, the credits for this adapted screenplay go to him. In Veeram it’s the same story as Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan. An aging man was not getting married. So, his younger brothers decided to get him married so that they themselves can get married! And in Veeram, it was South India’s action-star Ajith Kumar who fought with the villains to save the day. In spite of the intense action, Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan fails to entertain as a family drama! Farhad Samji's adapted screenplay, narrative style, and direction are weak. The adapted script and screenplay are extremely distorted which makes the movie less engaging. The scenes frequently jump from one instance to another which makes the drama lose its flow as well as emotional involvement. The audience may get confused while matching a particular sequence with its following one. In fact, this drama appears as a distorted television program of mini-episodes rather than a film. The narrative style of the Tamil-language action-drama Veeram was weak, which in turn negatively impacts this adapted Hindi drama of Bollywood. https://youtu.be/ZfeofMXu9is Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan was supposed to be an action-comedy drama. However, upon seeing it, you will find it lacking in humor. I mean, there sure is comedy in it but that comedy is poorly scripted, and it fails to make you laugh. Also, this film does no justice to the family-drama genre. The emotions portrayed in it fail to create an impact as the drama, due to its distorted and fluctuating script, fails to involve and engage the audience. In certain scenes, you will see Salman Khan, his on-screen family members, and relatives becoming emotional and crying. But the scripting of the scenes is so weak that you don’t get emotionally attached to the characters. https://youtu.be/5bAxTGjcLs4 Beautiful Actresses But Weak-Looking Villains Actresses like Pooja Hegde, Shehnaaz Gill, and Palak Tiwari appeared beautiful. They had relevant roles as the love interests of Salman and his younger brothers in the movie. However, villains like Jagapathi Babu and Vijender Singh appeared malnourished in front of Salman’s beefy personality. Even if Vijender Singh happens to be a world-class boxing champion; he still doesn’t match up to Salman’s personality in this film. And talking of Jagapathi Babu, he is well above 60. He appears like a thin old man instead of a dreaded villain in front of Salman. If you ask me, having villains like them just for the sake of it makes the storyline lose its impact. If you compare the villains of 1990s Bollywood movies with modern-day villains, they just don't match up. Villains in the 1990s Bollywood movies had such powerful personalities that they could even outnumber the heroes of that era. Indian culture emphasizes that after the older sibling marries, the younger siblings can get married. So, all the tensions aroused just because of this orthodox Indian culture. If you ask me, this is a very ordinary culture-based plot. However, to spice it up with action, villains have been introduced in this family drama. https://youtu.be/B7OUHcz2tEw The Fakeness Involved While Portraying Salman Khan If I start discussing about Salman’s fakeness in detail, it will probably be covered in five to six pages. So, I will cover it in short. If you happen to see Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, you will find Salman, who is actually 57 years old, looking like a 30-year-old guy in certain scenes. The fact is, those scenes have been shot by reforming his facial features using VFX technology to make him look like a young man. He used to look like that 20 years ago. Now, without VFX and make-up, he looks like what you are seeing on the right side of this picture. Salman Khan nowadays is entirely VFX. I doubt which part of him is original. In some instances, his body is beefed up using VFX to make him appear like Brock Lesnar or Braun Strowman. Reports even reveal that his abdominal muscles showcased in movies are fake, and are created using VFX technology. Some other scenes in Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan showcase him to be a brawny man with long hair and an unkempt beard. So, he has sported different looks in this movie and not to forget, everything is possible with the help of VFX technology and make-up! In reality, if you come across Salman, you will find him with wrinkles and sagging skin all over his face as he is aging. But he successfully hides that all in his films! I don’t know whether to address this as Good or Bad! The Famous Lungi Dance: Featuring Salman Khan With Ram Charan And Daggubati Venkatesh! https://youtu.be/xb59o_op8Z0 The Verdict: Almost all the songs in Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan are absurd. They lack rhythm as well as melody. There are some cheesy tracks where the old man has tried to look cool but has ended up messing them up with his awkward dance moves. I would sincerely request him to please have some mercy on us. I know you have the power to do anything you like on the big screens, but please, for God’s sake, do not give us such visual torture. It is torture to see you fold up a towel above your thighs and dance with awkward moves while displaying your aging calf muscles. No offense, but this is very much annoying. However, I personally liked one song from this movie, which is “Naiyo Lagda Dil Tere Bina” where he performed squats in the name of dance moves. https://youtu.be/TxJIfNtvPj4 https://youtu.be/o2GKlm_27co Salman Khan is popularly known as the “Bhaijaan” or “Brother” in Bollywood. Big Bro of all Bollywood stars and his fans, I must say! He makes and destroys careers in Bollywood. The one who messes with him can become victim to his enormous wrath, and will never ever be seen again on the screens. But this Big Bro of Bollywood has a very disturbing fan following. He is a man of the masses. As a handsome aging and angry man, you would expect him to be a heartthrob among women. But no! His crores of fans mostly comprise men rather than women! I am not saying this mindlessly, but I am saying this after having done some surveys. Many young men in India want to beef up like him. In fact, one of them was me. During my younger years, when I saw him dancing shirtless on the stage to the 1998-released “O Oh Jaane Jaana” pop song, I myself decided to build a beefy physique like him. And now, because of the inspiration that I gained from him in the past, today I am a 120 Kg monster. With all regret, I feel that I shouldn’t have taken it this far. Bulking up too much has health consequences. During my younger years, almost all gyms in India used to have his shirtless wallpapers where he would be shown flaunting his beefy physique. One day, when I was working out at a renowned gym, a hue and cry erupted. Salman Khan is going to enter, and vacate the gym immediately! After he entered the gym, he started bench-pressing, and we all watched him from a distance. Coming to the interviews, I asked hundreds of men and women about how they found Salman Khan. Unfortunately, very few women find him attractive. Nowadays, women are mostly into younger stars like Kartik Aaryan, Sidharth Malhotra, and Varun Dhawan. The ones who really find Bhaijaan attractive are men! Some men are so obsessed with him that they want to have an affair with him! I don’t want to elaborate much on the interviews, but yes, they are for sure disturbing. Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, to some extent, signifies the real-life situation of Salman. In real life, in spite of his age, he happens to be an eligible bachelor. A fact is that Salman might appear as a “hero” in films, but in real life, he is the biggest villain in Bollywood. To be precise; What Is Fear, Ask That Deer! Read the full article

[tinseltownie]

I think it’s time for my first ever Bollywood live watch here on tumblr.com

So for your entertainment- tinsel watches Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham

Straight up- it’s 3-1/2 hours long so I may not finish it on sitting but oh my god let’s go

The Raichand house is the magnificent and grand everything is so extra

Rohaan, Rahul, Yash, I’m obsessed with the names

The acting and staging feels very much like theatre acting and staging. They’re performing to an audience, it’s really nice

Omgggg Rani is gorgeous!!!!

THAT SCENE WHEN HE RUNS IN FROM THE HELICOPTER I DIE it’s so extra

I would willing die for early 00s Shahrukh like who could compete

Jaya and Amitabh are actually very cute

HIS CAR NUMBER PLATE IT JUST HIS INITIALS AMAZING

The framing of Amitabh going on about respect and honour to SRK and the movie flashing to Kajol’s character…. Chef’s kiss

They family dynamic between the raichand’s is top tier it’s great.. the weird patriarchal boss man and the mom that just shuts up for him, the sibling fights. Too good

Omg srk slipping cause he saw Kajol for the first time I am soft 🥺🥺🥺

Omg Pooja bullying Rohaan I can’t 🤣

Rani singing hbd like she’s Marilyn or something lol

God Rahul and Anjali for life OTP in every universe

All the dumb rich kids making fun of Pooja HOW CLASSIST

SRK speaking punjabi be still my shaking heart

Some of the dialogue in this is really good

Like how can bangles be so sensual what the hell

AB deciding SRK’s fate is just so typical

Oh no her dad dies and he fully stepped up that’s amazing

I cannot get over how pretty everyone’s eyes are it’s crazy

Rahul: I would literally do anything for you dad.

Also Rahul: but also, eff you.

Oh my god eff Yash Raichand he’s such a manipulative ass

Guess who’s crying over a movie she can recite from memory… it’s me

Rahul’s house in London is top tier

Also the flared trousers, tiny top trend has totally circled back this movie is 20 years old

Yes let the parent trap shenanigans begin

The way the brothers just. Know. Okay they know and I am emotional

The way pooja stops pretending and starts being real because of one reminder of home

I always stand when they play the national anthem how can I not

The way Rohaan is the glue that brings this family together

Yeah okay this is a really good movie. It doesn’t really drag despite it’s time, there’s a really nice emotional payoff, the music still slaps, Shahrukh is at his peak, I’m just so so so fond of this

[bayrut]

Hello Maria!! You have my interest peaked. What's Jatp

Hi Pooja, first of all, thanks for asking. I'm glad someone did. 

Julie and the Phantoms (2020) aka JATP is a new Netflix show based on a Brazilian show of the same name (Julie e os Fantasmas). It's directed by Kenneth John Ortega, the legend who brought us High School Musical, and other masterpieces. It's a show about a 16 year old girl named Julie, who used to love to sing and write music with her mom, but hasn't for a year, since her mom passed away. It's a show about how Julie rediscovers her passion for music, through the power of friendships (both old and new), family, and ghosts. It handles lots of interesting topics such as grief, friendship, trust, found family, etc.  

The cast is lovely (actually Hadiya and I have a real crush on one of the actors, but that's a story for another day), and also very talented. They all sing, dance and play instruments for real. They're also involved in songwriting! The songs are all really good! I've been listening to the soundtrack non-stop! 

In addition, the cast is diverse! And Kenny isn’t restricted by D*sney’s dumb rules anymore, so there are non-straight characters.

I personally think that since HSM is louie culture, then automatically JATP is louie culture too! All of your favorite louies are watching it (or in my case, re-watching for the fifth time). It might sound like a kids show, but I know people aged 15 to 26 who are enjoying it! It’s really good for all audiences.

It's only 9 episodes long, and each episode is between 20 and 30 minutes, so it's really not that long to watch!

Honestly, I'd say try watching the first two episodes, and see if you like it! I'm sure you'll love it and want to watch it.

That was my summary of Julie and the Phantoms, tell your friends!

[fialleril]

replies to the DAV Mara snippet

Instead of reblogging that post endlessly, thought I’d collect my replies here.

@bookwyrmie said: I remember the ask about including Mara in the DAV AU, looks like that turned into yet another thing that was not going to be written and then happened anyway.

Is there anyone that Anakin hasn’t adopted yet? There is the Free Droid Network with Kaydee and friends, the nicer imperial officers and the OBV-Squad, Leia once she becomes a senator, and he is probably keeping an eye on Pooja as well. Now here is a young force-sensitive child, who desperately needs someone to help her learn how to be a person without alerting the Inquisitors. Guess it’s about time he adopted an actual child as well.

Ha ha yeah, I was just waiting for someone to comment about that lol. It’s true I once said I wasn’t going to write Mara in DAV, but three things happened to change that:

1. I promised @astudyinimagination a pick-me-up fic and I knew Sky really wanted a fic about Mara. So I was damn well gonna write one! (The moral here is that you should always make friends with your writers, because then we will happily write you things by request!)

2. I’d been thinking for a while that I needed to somehow address the question of what happened to a Force sensitive kid who was picked up by the Inquisitors before Anakin became a double agent.

3. I’ve said a couple of times that I’ve always liked the concept of Mara, but I’ve always hesitated to write her because I dislike and discard the vast majority of Expanded Universe material and I didn’t particularly want to deal with the inevitable hate I’d get if I wrote my own version of Mara, since she’d essentially be an OC. But eventually I just decided that I get enough hate for not using EU canon anyway, so I might as well just fully embrace my multiverse theory of Star Wars canon and do what I want.

So there you have it! :)

@aeneasoftroy said:# DAV Anakin is a mix of mysterious old wizard and troll dad humor  # and it suits him so well

This is one of my favorite things about writing OT Anakin. Not that he can’t be a troll in PT AUs, too, but just...there’s a kind of settledness to his character in the OT, partly a result of everything he’s lived through but also partly just because of the fact that he’s older now. Though there’s also a bit of tragedy to the fact that he can and absolutely does carry off the Mysterious Old Wizard trope in a fic in which he is (although Mara doesn’t know it) only 32 years old.

@hyratel said: #I am Nobody is CLASSIC   #and delivered perfectly

It is indeed classical. ;)

@elf-kid2 said: This is beautiful and excellent and fantastic, and I love it. Thank You for writing this. 

Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it.

@katharkness said: I like this very much, and would love to see it added to the Double Agent Vader series. I also wouldn’t worry too much about your Mara not fitting with the Legends Mara, because everything the rebooted EU has added, the Inquisitors and such, doesn’t really fit with the original Legends Mara. I suppose this is more like a rebooted Mara.

Thanks! I’m not so much worried about Legends canon, though, since I never am lol. I’m more worried about people who do like and care about Legends being unhappy with the ways I’m...basically beating up the EU in a back alley and rifling through its pockets for loose change. But you make a good point about this take actually kind of working as a rebooted Mara!

I mean, tbqh I actually don’t think the Inquisitors fit in with film canon at all. But I’m working on the multiverse theory here, and they do work really well with the story I’m telling in DAV, so I’ve basically borrowed them from Filoni ‘verse and created my own canon. So I suppose borrowing Mara isn’t a step much further.

@shadaras said: I always forget how much I love Mara as a character  she's the best EU character and so much of that is because her arc is just   'I was brainwashed and then Luke's refusal to believe I wasn't a person made me able to be a person and I chose good once I could'  this AU version is delightful because it stays true to all the essential aspects of her character   it just places them in some new-EU elements (because yes that's what the shows are tbh)  and also within a great AU context that is already all about what Mara's arc always was  it just changes the Skywalker who saves her from the Emperor's brainwashing   and that isn't a big change at all really  anyway the intro implies there will be more of this eventually and that delights me  because that last line is FANTASTIC and so true to the kind of story this is  excellent job perfect story   

Yeah, that bare bones essential aspect of her character arc is why I’ve always really liked the idea of Mara Jade - she basically hits all of my trope buttons. And the themes of her story when distilled like that are a perfect fit with the themes of DAV.

Also I’m delighted that you recognize Filoni ‘verse as EU because it absolutely is!

@figmentera said: I love this fiercely and cannot wait to see the rest! Mara is such a cool character and I love any permutation of her relationship with Vader. I feel like it's barely ever explored but it's such fertile ground. Plus there's some great glimpses at the rest of this universe, I always love that! 

Thank you! I’m having fun exploring their relationship, though because it’s me and this story seems to keep growing, it may be a while before I have it finished. I’m kind of envisioning it as a side story to the main DAV storyline. It’s going to span pretty much the entire timeline, almost from the beginning of Anakin’s double agent career all the way to the death of the Emperor, but Mara’s story line is really running in parallel with the rest, rather than intertwining.

@frostbit-sky said: I still have to catch up, or really I should start again and binge read DAV, but I love 💗  the inclusion of Mara and encourage you to add this to actual fic. 

At this point I’m pretty sure I’ve talked myself into including it, so you will likely get your wish. :)

@clockworktea said: people who care Very Much except they have no idea how to express this even to themselves! finding allies and immediately adopting them as Family! kadee the ex-torture droid turned fiercely overprotective aunt gives me LIFE and ''yes master' she whispered' just OUCH mates the levels of mindscrew (is he her slaveowner or is she his padawan or apprentice) (haha jokes on anakin the answer is up to you as long as it's painful) anyway yes good fia is back MORE ANGSTY GENFIC FOR ME MORE PLATONIC DEEPLY MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS TO ENJOY MORE CHARACTERS WHO ARE TRYING THEIR BEST TO GET HEARTBROKEN OVER ...... hang on a second this was all a trap wasn't it 

*Megamind goattee stroking face* You’ve fallen right into my trap!

In all seriousness, though, I’m delighted to see people getting excited about genfic! I still remember the days in fandom when writing genfic was like releasing words into the void.

Damaged people trapped in horrible circumstances and being insistently human to one another in spite of that is kind of my brand at this point, so I’m glad that’s holding up I guess.

I think basically everything Palpatine does in relation to Vader is a mindscrew on at least one level, but calling him the “Master of the Inquisitors” is definitely a master stroke on his part (if you’ll pardon the pun).

[leftrightleftallthetime]

Episode 21 or Naina starts her tradition of barging into Raj’s room uninvited

Episode link: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ot7oMBcb5KA

undefined

Naina is shocked and frightened but has to make her way to Dr Mishra’s test. Seeing Raj there only increases her nervousness.

Dr Mishra explains that the test is going to be in two parts, the first part will be a word association test. The cadets go through one by one, Naina hesitates when it comes to her and Dr Mishra gives her ‘Joot’ she says No and Dr Mishra dismisses her.

In the second part she will be giving a lie detector test where they have to lie convincingly as this is also a skill. Raj adds that it can mean their life or death if the enemy catches them.

Huda pretends to be a shy software engineer and passes convincingly. Yudi tries to talk like Alekh and fails miserably. Ali says he’s fallen in love and is crazy about a girl and passes, except that it’s not a lie. Alekh says he’s going to become a priest and hates alcohol, lying convincingly. Dr Mishra rather cruelly asks why he couldn’t convince the judge he was a good person then and he leaves angrily. Pooja acts like Lolitaji and is hilarious. Naina tries her best but fails to lie convincingly. She walks off in a daze as Raj gazes after her.

He comments that in a time where those who speak the truth are rare in their country they judge a good soldier as one who lies well. Dr Mishra comments that it was just a test and Raj replies that it’s also often their life’s truth.

The cadets have come to see the board and see the notice for the Fresher’s Ball. Shalini tells them that they need to have dates to gain entry. Huda says he’ll find Yudi a date. Pooja says she’ll go with Ali. Ali worries as Pooja has a boyfriend but Alekh encourages him - telling him she’s not married!

Yudi asks Huda who he’s going to take and he makes a bet that he’ll get Naina to go with him. Yudi doubts his chances of success.

In the mess they tease Ali for having a date already, he explains it nicely but Huda irritates him to the point where he yells he’s not her date just as she walks in. She walks away upset as he chases after her.

In Raj’s room he’s drinking coffee when Bunty comes in to ask why he hasn’t come to eat. Bunty asks if Raj has told the Brigadier and he says no, not yet then asks where Naina is. She also hasn’t come for dinner.

Outside in the rain, Naina stabs the sandbags with the bayonette on her rifle, frustrated, before she begins to cry. She swears to her brother that she’ll fight before storming back to Captain Rajveer’s room and pushing open the doors without any invitation. He tells her he didn’t hear a knock and Naina refuses to knock, instead shutting the doors and striding further inside.

She asks him angrily why he went to her house, why is he after her? What is it that he wants to know about her? She will tell him now, she is Naveen Singh Ahluwalia’s sister, the Naveen who gave his life for the country, not the one that was a traitor. Raj tries to pick up some papers and she grabs them out of his hands, Naina is not leaving until she has said her piece.

She says she knows he probably thinks that Naveen was a traitor but she’ll prove to the entire world he wasn’t. Raj again tries to walk away only for Naina to stand in front of him. She tells him that now he knows everything he can do what he wants but he’ll have to tell them because she won’t.

Naina says that she’ll become best cadet just like her brother was and show them. She walks away and a smile slowly spreads across Raj’s face.

Memorable moments?: Naina’s confrontation with Raj at the end, this really is where everything starts for them.

[slothgiirl]

Y/N AND HARRY STYLES SOULMATE AU PART 3

It's been a month and you’re pretty sure that Harry’s your soulmate. It's stopped itching after that day, when you'd run into each other at a coffee shop. It had already been lucky to run into someone twice in a city of millions, and your luck hadn't held up.

While the letters on your wrist are still pretty blurred, you can make out the H and S, his initials.

You hadn't told anyone either, wanting to keep it a secret. It felt wrong to go about telling people when you hadn't had a chance to talk to the man himself. Not really.

It made for good material to work through in your art studio hours. All the worrying and what ifs and thoughts running through your head as you thought about reaching out on instagram in the hope that it would somehow get to him.

But then you didn't. Not wanting to have to explain and talk to whoever on  his team...of his people, handled that sort of thing.

Many celebrities got people claiming to be their soulmates. Hopefully young girls and boys who really wanted it to be true, who wanted their idols or celebrity crush to be theirs.

Or maybe you were just being old fashioned and letting things happen as they're meant to instead of blasting it on social media like some people did now, counting on the millions of people on social media to connect them.

It didn't matter.

You were fine with just seeing what happened. London wasn't that big. And you were still pretty young. And it might not be him.

Even though you knew in your heart that it was.

Between school, and work, and the little art our able to get done, you collapse in your apartment, Lydia already setting on your couch in a pair of sweats and old t shirt that might be yours actually now that you think about it.

“There's pizza,” she calls out to you, not looking up from her phone, smiling widely as she scrolls, “I think it's cold now but maybe it's like rice where it's less carbs when it's cold.”

“That sounds super fake and cold pizza is really freaking gross.” You utter, having almost died when she made leftover pizza and eggs together like it was an actual breakfast.

“I'm saving the planet by not using the toaster oven technically though.”

You snort, “wow I love an environmentally conscious queen.”

“So about that soulmate mark,” she says, smirking over at you from the couch, easy in your tiny flat while you pop a slice into the toaster oven.

“Don't want to talk about it,” you reply, already feeling the heat rise up into your cheeks.

“But you’re like the first person to get it!” She states, eyes practically sparkling with the idea. She'd never felt the annoying itch that made you scratch until your wrist turn red.

But even then you could feel the butterflies in your belly. It was easy to get lost in the idea of it all.

“Didn’t Pooja and Andy get it when they were still seventeen. Like months after the mark showed up!”

She shakes her head, looking back down at her phone in deep interest, “doesn't count because it happened before we met them. There's so gross together,” she finished fondly, sticking her tongue out.

“I'm going to tell them you said that.” You take a bite out of your reheated pizza, immediately regretting it when the hot steam burns inside your mouth.

“Anyway,” she says, “doing anything next Saturday?”

You shrug, “no. Don't think so. why?” It was your day from school and work. Ignoring all the work you should be doing for your classes. At least your thesis work was next year.

“Just wanted to make sure,” she says nonchalantly, “keep your day clear. We are going out.”

You laugh. There's never a day in which she doesn't want to go out and do something. “Okay. Do I get a say in it?”

“No, lets get lebanese at that one place by hyde park?”

Your mouth is already watering at the thought, “okay. I'm down, especially if we go to Hyde Park right after.”

“Deal,” she says, sitting up, “Now I'm going to go shower for the first time in a week.”

“Lydia that's so bloody disgusting,” you shout after her.

*

You're early. For once you hadn't been held back by anything but your own laziness after a long week. It was nice to have somewhere to be where you actually wanted to be, meeting up with Lydia like you too were still at college.

It wasn't like you'd lived very far from each other back home. And more often than not you'd ridden your bikes around town, resulting in more than a few falls.

You grab a table, order a mimosa while you wait like the semi functional adult you are because ladies who brunch order mimosas or so you've been led to believe. Plus it was bottomless, so it was a steal really.

As long as you drank your heart out. With Lydia you felt safe getting tipsy during daylight hours.

You scroll through your phone, answering texts and send some memes to people you knew were at work. Suckers. Laughing at the group chat for your ethics class now that you finally were actually reading through it. Andy was hilarious as usual.

When Harry walks in, wearing a tigre t shirt and loose pants in a flowery print, more bold than anything in your mainly neutral wardrobe, and raybans.

You swallow, heart speeding up at the weight of him walking through the door like something out of a romcom even though he can't be here for you. It's just a coincidence and yet you've never felt more nervous, the weight of it all lodged in your throat.

Your fingers brush against your mark, soothing the live wire of nerves under your skin.

He's walking towards you. It's unmistakable now but you can't see his expression underneath the black sunglasses. It strikes you as rude, that he hasn't taken them off. The sun's not even beating down hotly today.

You still haven't looked away.  Maybe that's why he's coming over. . .too say hello. Technically you do know him.

People say hello all the time.

“Can I sit down here,” he asks, coming to a stop in front of you, head tilted towards the empty side of the booth.

Predictably, you ramble in shock, “my friend Lydia's coming actually but I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you sat here while you waited-are you waiting for someone?”

Harry slides his glasses off, hands still covered in a few large rings that somehow keep from looking overly tack on him. It must be the large hands.

The perfect kind for drawing really.

“Um,” he says, red staining his well defined cheekbones, “actually I'm meeting you…”

You raise an eyebrow, confusion written on your face.

Harry rushes to explain, flustered, “I had-I looked through a bunch of photos of me tagged on instagram and twitter and figured your friend Lydia might have uploaded and tagged me and then really hoped that she had her profile public,” he says, leaning over to you, bathing you both with an air of intimacy that you mirror as you study his features. The earnestness with which he's speaking to you clear in his mossy green eyes, in a way that paint could never mimic.

“and then I sent her a message and explained,” he trails off softly, looking down at his hands for a second, biting the inside of his cheek, searching for the words he needs.

You cover his hands on the table with yours, meeting his gaze head on. There's something so disarmingly kind about him that all that nervous energy you'd felt when he walked in had dissipated.

“Well I explained about what I think is...y'know maybe...it's too forward innit,” he utters, swallowing thickly as he meets your gaze, leaning back and pulling away from you, the warmth of his hands leaving yours. “I should've talked to your first not-not sprung this up on you.”

“No,” you tell him, “I was glad to see you again. Not that I wasn't also really freaking nervous but mostly glad.” The words feel true enough as you say them. So they must be true.

Harry relaxes against the table in relief, chuckling lightly to himself, looking over at you shamelessly, like he can't stand to lose another minute without you. Not when you might be-when you probably are-

You let out a deep breathe, “We should probably talk.” Someone should state it. Get it out of the way because there's no way you came all the way out here without getting one of your favorite dishes in london.

“We should,” he responds with a smile, small and hopeful and god wouldn't it be something if he is! This kind man who remembered you after a concert. Who went around london like any normal person might and didn't that say a lot about what type of person he is when he could be a complete arse given his fame.

“But first I’m going to eat and bore you with so much random bits of my Mayanist research paper I've yet to finish because I'm still pretending that it's not due next week and that time I had a popsicle made from zapote counted as research.” The popsicle had been interesting. The lackluster research results on your subject for this paper was not.  

It had almost made you change subjects. Almost.

There's flecks of caramel in Harry's eyes when the light hits them, laugh lines deep around his lush mouth as he smiles over at you. “Only if you’re alright with me interrupting you with questions every five seconds,” he responds.

You look away, trying to calm down the warmth spreading throughout you from being on the receiving end of Harry smiling at you, not because he was usually smiling, but because he was happy to see you.

It's then that you notice the quick glances over at your table, the awkward hold of phones in hands and remember just who this man across from you is. You press your lips together, resolving to ignore them.

“Deal,” you tell him with a smile, “now I welcome you to share in my ladies who brunch dream before I squish in as much work as I can get through tomorrow.”

He laughs and you smile because that was you. You made him laugh.

*

Harry is easy to talk to, which you knew from that day in the coffee shop and even that night when Lydia had asked for a picture with him and you'd so easily teased him. What you hadn't expected was how easy it was to slip right into that.

No nervousness or strain arose from your impending talk as you slipped on your drink and ate, talking between bites.

You tell him about a documentary you just watched which was more of a string of thoughts, the type to make any cinephile nod in delight. About your latin american culinary research as your paper focused on important plants during mayan times and how they had translated into modern times. “I mean most people the world over had had guava not to mention the super fruit that avocado has become.”

“Who doesn't love a good guac,” Harry muses. “Though as good as guava is there's too many big seeds. Can't hardly-” He stops.

You smirk, “finish the sentence Harold.”

He sighs already laughing to himself, resolved, “can't hardly swallow.”

“That's what she said.”

“Knew you were going to say that.”

He tells you about his recent trip to the states. To a big awards ceremony with Stevie Nicks who it's clear he adores in the way his voice goes soft when he talks about her. “People always tell you not to meet your idols but,” he shrugs, face glowing as he continues, “it's-she's cooler than I could've imagined and such a good person too. She was really great when I wanted to show her my first album. Gave it to me straight.”

You smile, “It's amazing to know that some people are deserving of all the trust and love that people have in them.”

You split the bill without a fuss, merging into the late afternoon crowd seamlessly, a world away from the weird half hidden glances over at you.

You don't know how he does it. It had set you on edge, an edge the mimosa helped dull.

“Want to go to the Natural History Museum,” you ask him, wanting somewhere that might grant some privacy to talk. Hyde park just seemed to open. And the V&A was always so busy.

“Do you know the way,” he asks, glancing down at you.

You nod and lead the way, easily navigating a street over and up, comfortable in the quiet that had descended around you both.

There was enough sun out now in mid april to warm your skin, a nice change after the winter months of layers and layers.

It makes the walk enjoyable. Spring’s and underrated season you think. Too many people get caught up in summer for school holidays and winter because of winter break but spring was where it's at.

“You come here often,” he asks, as you both aimlessly wander around the museum, passing by people too absorbed in the exhibits to look over at the man by your side.

“When I can,” you readily admit, “I still feel so lucky to live so close to so many amazing museums even if the collections were all stolen.”

He snorts, “your professors must love you.”

“Well my greek professor did not so much my lit prof because english lit is all dead white guys that I think are vastly overrated.”

Harry shakes his head, shoulders shaking with quiet laughter, “and I want to hear them all no matter  how much I might disagree.”

You grin, “well how boring would it be if we all had the same options? I mean I won't budge on Hemingway but art is a dialogue isn't it?”

“And what dialogue does your art say,” he asks as you step into an empty gallery. You suppose that the bird taxidermy collection is hardly exciting when zoos exist.

“That we should talk,” you respond, turning to face him, intimately close, his chest inches from yours.

“We should,” he says carefully, his hand coming up to cup your cheek, solid and warm and your eyes flutter closed. You breath in the smell of him, like sharp clean leather.

“Is this okay,” Harry asks with great care, his eyes searching yours.

You nod, “yeah, I mean,” you pull away unable to think straight so close to him, turning so that your looking at some long dead puffin. “Did you think I might be-when we ran into each other at the coffee shop?”

You hold your breathe as you wait for him to answer.

Harry doesn't move toward you, sighing as he leans against a wall, chewing over his words, brow furrowed. “No,” he finally says, “I didn't. I just remembered you'd been nice and funny about the whole thing with Lydia and then I ran into you and thought it might be a sign from the universe we're meant to be friends so I figured why not and went over to talk to you. My sister tells me I've always been like that. Friendly. Making friends out of strangers.”

You exhale, smiling as you turn towards him, taken by the severity of his expression. His gaze is fixed on you. “I didn't think-not until later when I was at work and my mark,” you offer, nervously brushing your hair behind your ears, “it seemed like too big of a coincidence. I hadn't really bumped into anyone else who's name starts with an H.”

“You didn't reach out,” he states, void of any rapprochement.

“I wasn't sure how to go about these things and I,” you hesitate, “I was still thinking things over. I mean this is sort of a huge thing.”

The corner of his lips perk up, “can I see it?”

You blush furiously, excitement traveling up your spine, “yes.”

Harry moves towards you, closing the distance between you both. He leaves enough space between you both, a step apart. It feels like too much and yet your glad, you don't want to rush. If he's really yours you want to take your time, to get to know him first and foremost.

You don't even know if he's a morning person. Or if he spreads the cream on scones first or the jelly first.

You can feel his gaze tracking your hands as you pull the sleeve of your right hand down, revealing your soulmate mark.

A blurry but legible Harry E. Styles

[tellywoodtrash]

khkt 07 - 09.08.19 lbs

on popular demand................

———————————————————————

07.08.19

i hate the title track of the show with lyrics. it's the singer's neha kakkar-esque voice i think. i only like the piano theme.

sona is too pure. no one in this show deserves her, honestly.

but whew, the way he's looking at her.

ravi bhaiyya is this show's khanna. instantly on bhaabi's side.

cuteass fucks.

the only valid sippys. protecc them.

lmao sona's house is soooooooooooooo extra.

"baarish baahar ho rahi hai, mor ghar mein naach rahein hain!"

lmaoooooooooooooooo. sach mein, yeh ghar hai, ya goliyon ki raasleela - ram leela ki set?????

hahahaha omg the lil headshake. i can't.

hohohohoho, symbolic removal of ghadi.

unfffffffffffff.

aaaaaaaah that little reassuring blink he gives her!!!!!!!!!

so soft.

ouff, he's soooooo moofat, no cushioning words, no sugarcoating.

thank god he had the grace to apologize seeing her face change.

"dost toh aaj bhi nahi hai." oh. my heart. this is whyyyyy i want their relationship to have a solid foundation of friendship firsttttttttttt.

sniff. sob. my heart.

WHAT DID KARAN DOOOOOOOOO? DID HE TAKE HER CAR AND CHADAOFY IT OVER WHOEVER? DID HE MAKE HER DO IT SOMEHOW? WHAT HAPPENEDDDDDDDDDD??!?!? TELL US ALREADYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!???

"karan tumhare life mein abhi toh hai nahi; toh itna kyun affect karta hai tumhe?" says the guy who hasn't stopped dialing his ex's number for the last 4 years, and had a full-on weeping breakdown about her like, 3 hours ago.

aaaaaaaand he's sliding into the next one.

oh boo. oh baby. oh child.

raimaaaaaaaaa. iss show ki madaraati hui zinda (??) bhoot, jiske saamne aane tak koi sukoon nahi.

ugh my heartttttttttttttt. he's so saddddddd. someone hugggg himmmm.

“kabhi wapas aane waali nahi” coz .......... she's dead? in a vegetative state? or just coz she got PR in amreeeka/canayda/austwayyylia and is never coming back to the motherland again coz "eeeeee, yeh kahan aaye hummmmm, how tackyyyyyyyyy"????

aise kaunse heere-jawharaat jade hue the raima mein, hein? ke iske baad hooooooo hi nahi sakta?

sighhhhhhh.

lmao mummy ko bas bahaana chahiye to push her ship together.

hahahahahahahahahahahha she’s worried kpk (sounds more like the plot of diya aur baati hum + roja?) waala scene na ho jaaye rohit ke saath.

vimmi is as usual, my absolute favt. person on this show.

this team-up is the most iconic and amazing ever. i love them both soooooooooo much.

"samajhdaar toh main zyaada hoon nahi." self aware. good.

sfdslksfjdslkfjlsdlfjdslffdj fanfic tropeeeeeee.

hahahahahaha his petty ass. rohit, you very well know you didn't deserve her graciousness then.

spoiltasssssssss malabar hill bratttttt.

bowwwww chicka bow wowwwwwwwww

the way he’s still looking at her even after she’s broken the moment!!!!!!!

tacky ke bacche, teri toh main.....

lol i can't get over it that she has her show's theme as her ringtone.

mummy is calling to ensure her child doesn't ruin the fanfic she's already 3 chapters deep into, in her head...

lololololol malabar hill mein bhi light gayi.

asdlkjdlaskjdlasjk too cuteeeeeeee.

ugh this twit. isko dekhte hi mera saara mood kharaab ho jaata hai.

———————————————————————

08.08.19

lmao wtf rohittttttttt, why are you such an extraaaaaaaaaa freak????

asalkdjsalkdjalkdjals itni jaldi baandh bhi diyaaaaa.

pffffffffffffffffffft.

like, there *is* a grownass dude living in this house, why not give his clothes?????

aslkfjsdlkfjldskfjlsdkjf the jhadoo. lmaoooooo, i can’t with this idiot anymore.

LOL THIS GRUMPYASS FUCK.

pls sona, i'm sure SOMETHING of pulkit's could have fit him!!!!

lmao @ pari bitching about her unicorn slippers, and rohit explaining his weird immune system issues to her.

[doorbell rings]

"main toilet mein nahi chupunga, main keh raha hoon!!!!!!!" hahahahahahahaha

aslkjdsalkdjlaskjdlaskjdlaskj

suman should play desi narcissa malfoy. permanent expression of dung under her nose.

and this dheent fucker tohhhh....

oufffffff no fighting early morning, pls!

i don't get this dad's character.... like he's all happy jolly nice and sweet with everyone, except rohit. it’s plausible of course, but like the polarity is just a little too much.

just seeing this woman's face makes me wanna..........

haaaye their silent communication.

if you come for the Sass King™, you best not miss.

oh ho apology.

when you gonna apologize to sona for shaking her like a ragdoll tho????

suman i need you to pls die at pehli fursat, you're really really really annoying.

sippy breakfast excitement. honestly, waaaay too much enthu in the morning.

lol gaye vimmi ke chances of seeing mahaepisode on large screen.

pari is being a little snitch bitch. ugh i really cannot with these two Asshole Rastogis.

lmao idhar toh ghanghorrrrrrrrrr blackmailing.

ouff ok i do not care about this painting nonsense. fwding.

i do not care about this dude and his wife either. i don't even know the wife's name, that's how less i care.

OMG ANIKA AUR REDUX GAURI KA KURTA GHOOM PHIR KE IDHAR SONAKSHI KE PAAS AA GAYA.

jesus h christ, is shirali styling this show?!?!?!?!?!??!? OH GOD WHY DIDN'T ANYONE WARNNNNN ME????? HOW COULD YOU PPL LET ME FIND OUT LIKE THIS??????

oh shit, now that i think of it, Irrelevant Sippy Brother™’s wardrobe is almost the same as shivaay’s..... all those atrangi suits. shit, i should have known!

oh shiiiiiiiiit girl, you in LOVE love.

ugh don't care about pari and ISB. they give me michmichi.

aye chup bait bey, literally no one is interested in your dumb character or what you have to say. ever.

lol sumit ko KPK mein netflix style prestige tv material chahiye.

dr. sippy has wormed his way into sona's head, and she's questioning the drama of it all.

oh shit that shady neta is calling.

ugh it's an infestation of vile men around this poor girl. i feel like arming her with a can of bug spray to blast them all in their rotten faces.

your wish is granted, sona!

MAKE SOME NOISE FOR THE SIPPY BOYS!

———————————————————————

09.08.19

lmao the voiceover during the vamp's scene. i'm really loving the behind the scenes look at how these shows are made.

hahaha chachu got distracted by the cooking scene. saare ke saare sippys ek hi khet ki mooli.

rohit is like chachu pls, it's not worth it, these ppl realllllly DO NOT care about accuracy, but akash just can't take it.

"is baar MUJHE koi problem nahi hai." snort. medical scene hota toh abhi idhar bakheda khada kiya hota.

rohit, pls know this is the exact emotion others experience when YOU start going on about medicine.

lmao nethra is 1000% done with the sippys.

ajit helpfully listing everyone's professions, in case KPK needs any consultants.

ohhhhhhhhhhh mama, i cannot wait till the sippys get to sumit.

also look at the telepathy going on here.

chachu still ranting about how phitkari will not make cooker explode as he's dragged away by sippy bros ("arre gal gayi aapki dal, yaar....")

the only time i'll support ISB is when he's up against this asshole.

"yeh ranveer singh kaun hai???" lol kuch zyaada nahi hua?

so far chachu has been most impressive with the intimidation.

BUT!!!!!!!!! A NEW PLAYER HAS ENTERED GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"bula; security bula. police bula. aur agar himmat hai, toh army bula."

sumit gets points for trying to be intimidating, but oh man i can feel the tension building. aaj toh phitkari se bhi vispot ho hi jaaye.

i just cannot fathom what its like to have THIS much arrogance and entitlement. must be soooooooo nice to be an upper caste cishet man with money.

....................... sumit. serial mein kaam karte ho aur yeh baaaaaaaaasic sa serial wale plot mein hi phas gaye?????????? laakh lanat.

sona has same question.

ok i have had enough of this sasta rahul roy. koi dafa karo yaar.

"khamakhaa inke mamaji ko kyun disturb karein? iske liye toh hum hi kaafi hain."

asjdlaksjdlaksjdlsk sippy strength.

nethra is THE MOST unrealistic character of this show; coz no tellywood producer would be thisssssssss obliging to these shenanigans. like, can you even imaaaaaagine?

oh pooja's here! i was wondering how come YK didn't come with sippy boys.

waise YK ki jagaah nishi ko aana chahiye tha. i would have loved to see her whoop sumit's ass from here to whatever backward bumfuck hellscape he’s from.

lol adjusted her ring for maximum impact.

TASTE THE SIPPY STRENGTH BITCHHHHHHHHHHH *dhoom theme music*

oh i'm glad this relationship has been repaired!

oh pls rohit yeh ainvayi ki naari shakti speech mat do. i hate when they make men do such performative bullshit. if they just HAD to have this, at least it would have been more believable coming from ajit or akash chachu, who haven't been shown to act like assholes to women around them.............

and this idiot girl is falling for it. oh sona, aim higher pls. the bar is literally on the ground with you.

omg this speech is not ending onlyyyyyy. samajh gaye na bhai, bandh kar. tere ko hospital nahi jaana kya aaj?

ajit is the tiniest sippy, but forever (ง'̀-'́)ง (ง'̀-'́)ง (ง'̀-'́)ง

he needs to meet gauri kumari sharma. they'd make the cutest pint-sized fighting team.

*mais voice* aye challlllllllllllll naaaaaaa.

i meannnnnn...... you coulda fired him at first offence, nethra. you're making this decision now, after his shit got to a whole other level? didn’t sonakshi deserve any of this when he misbehaved with her????? you're kinda responsible for enabling the godawful bastard till this point.

........... were the sippys in a collective coma for the last two decades? like even if they don't watch it, who doesn't know that this is how tellywood handles actor replacements????

rohit is on his high horse again. nethra is like chill tf out bro.

ughhhhhh the fondness with which he's looking at her.

"main dil ka doctor hoon, dil ka patient nahi. mere patients ko yeh sab khaana mana hai, mujhe nahi!"

*takes biggest chomp of a samosa ever*

sona’s reactions are most adorable.

ohhhhhh my heart.

ek thank you pe hi flat. ouffff, kya karoon main is ladki ka.

———————————————————————

ohhhhhhhhhh sheeeeeeeeeeeet, he saw the hoodie!!!

"favourite toh hai, par itni bhi nahi. tum rakh lo." ughhhhhhhhhh cute; but again, girl have SOMEEEEEEE standards. you need to have some criteria other than "Y chromosome, age 30 - 40, occasionally polite to me."

[tanikawrites]

A Very Merry Bollywood Romance: My Personal Favourites

I'm not going to say 'there's nothing like it' merely on account of the fact that I grew up immersed in watching hours upon hours of Bollywood fantasies, but rather because I can say with hand on heart that there's something about Indian cinema that really knows how to make you feel. I don't whether it's the oozing charisma and genuity of the actors; how passions and flavour is woven into every detail and gesture; whether it's the fact that your screen explodes with unapologetic culture and colour, or the way the music surges through you like wine through water. True, it can be ridiculously cheesy (to the point where I've even had to leave the room for cringing), but when it comes to mixing serendipity with the sensuous to equate with an experience of heart-rendering love, then honestly; nowhere but India can do finer.

This admittedly comes a little late after Valentine's day, however I was inspired to collab together some of my favourite Bollywood romances of all time (or at least the last twenty-two years) to share in the hopes of inspiring your next Netflix binge if you feel the itch to dive into something different (and better) than your usual rom-com agenda.

Khabi Khushi Khabie Gham (Through Smiles or Through Tears, 2001)

'If you want to be something in life, want to get something in life, or want to win something in life, then listen to your heart always. And if you don’t get any answer from your heart, then close your eyes; think of your mother and father's names, and see how you will reach your destiny, overcome all your hurdles. Victory will be yours. Only yours.'

 You'd be hard pressed to find anyone in India who hasn't heard of this iconic number, this being India's answer to a cult classic like our own Bridget Jones or Notting Hill. Karan Johar's infamous blockbuster is a millennial Bollywood icon, and if you don't find yourself soaked in your own tears at least five times during the three-hour duration, then I would duly recommend getting your eye-ducts checked. And your conscience.

 Khabi Khushi Khabie Gham (or KKKG as it is also affectionately known) is first on this list as it is as quintessentially Bollywood perhaps as it gets: entourages of lavish dance sequences and ornate cinematography, all the while underlined with emotional questions surrounding obligations not only to one's culture and home but moreover to one's self. It concerns the consequences of when Rahul (Shah Rukh Khan), adopted son of wealthy businessman Yash Raichand (Amitabh Bachchan), dares to forsake the perfectly selected match his father has picked for him for that of the exuberant Anjali (Kajol) from the lower-class sphere of Chandni Chowk. His choice in prioritising love over tradition and duty creates a fracture in the family dynamic over a span of ten years, this only finally being addressed when his younger brother Rohan (Hrithik Roshan) chooses to repair his broken family and reunite a dedicated mother (Jaya Bachchan) with her favourite son.

 KKKG is one of my first choices whenever introducing newcomers to Bollywood as it would be difficult to find much to complain about with it. Yes it has its cheesy moments and a lot of the humour might require some cultural know-how, yet the comedy in question is so perfectly scripted that it doesn't detriment the moments of extreme emotionality - on the contrary, it positively amplifies it. I have additionally always had a soft spot for Anjali and Rahul as their relationship understandingly matures given the circumstances of their union, especially given Rahul's decision to move their small sect of their family out of India entirely. Regardless they still remain hilariously argumentative and flirtatious the whole way through, their more traditional relationship being paralleled through the younger and more westernised dynamic between Rohan and Anjali's younger sister, Pooja (Kareena Kapoor). The film is a package deal for all the emotions and a bonanza of some of the best acting talent in the industry, the love story being not just between one man and woman but towards one's home and family.

 BEST SONG: Title Track

Mohabbatein (Love Stories, 2000)

'Love is like life; it's not always easy and it does not always bring you happiness, but if we do not stop living, then why should we stop loving?'

Now, Mohabbatein has a far more lavish layer of cheese slathered across it than the predecessor on the list, but that may be more down to how the cast is comprised of a camaraderie of newcomers alongside more the more accomplished acting masters. Mohabbatein is the story of three students who each fall in love whilst studying at the prestigious all-male college Gurukul under the lense of the strict headmaster Narayan Shankar (Amitabh Bachchan) - his most iron-clad rule bizarrely being that no-one is to pursue romantic relationships whilst under his roof for risk of immediate expulsion. Whilst all hope seems lost then for these horny *ahem* love-struck adolescents, enter the charismatic and emphatically romantic music teacher Raj Malhotra (Shah Rukh Khan). His presence at first seems innocent enough in his encouragement for the boys to nurture their affections as Robin Williams encouraged his own students in the pursuit of poetry, especially as it soon comes to light that Raj's own great love, Megha (Aishwarya Rai), committed suicide when her father expelled Raj when he learned of their relationship; determined that the two were not allowed to be together. That same father then being the unyielding Narayan Shankar.

 Mohabbatein then makes for such brilliant cinema and engrossing romance as it combines all the freshness and innocence of young love with the intensity of passions that transcend the boundaries of life and death. The sense of pathos invoked by Chopra is interweaved into every detail of the piece, from music to performance; the preposterous and absurd. The confrontations between Bachchan and Khan in this piece are far more enigmatic than in KKKG given the different stakes between a father and son and the different types of love that two men can feel when grieving over the loss of the same woman. It proves one of my favourites time and again given how, for all the playfulness and somewhat ridiculous outlines in the plot, it is the eternalised love that is embodied by Raj and Megha, and the wondrous idea that not even mortality stands as a barrier between those that truly love each other, that will be hard pressed to feel like your heart might physically glow.

 BEST SONG: Humko Humise Churalo / Zinda Rehti Hain Mohabbatein

Hasee toh Phasee (She smiles, she's snared, 2014)

'You are the oxygen to my double hydrogen. Our chemistry flows like water.'

 This more modern film addresses far more contemporary issues than its predecessors, the complex relationship between Nikhil (Siddarth Malhotra) and Meeta (Parineeti Chopra) abandoning perhaps much of the traditional grandeur in place of what one could argue is closer to the standard quirky, slice-of-life style typical of an adolescent British rom-com. What is indisputable is that even without as much of a flair for the dramatic and the abundance of glamour, the film still radiates with a palpable sense of heart, as it invites us to explore what happens when flustered yet well-meaning Nikhil becomes saddled with looking after his fiancee, Karishma's, eccentric sister during the week before their wedding. One can't help but chuckle and squirm as we watch Nikhil's hapless attempts to pass Meeta off as a long-lost friend to his family and friends in his and Karishma's efforts to conceal her from her own family, the reasons for her freakish personality going unspoken except for the ominous pills she keeps popping on the sly.

 We soon realise the reason Meeta has been isolated from her family is due to how she chose to prioritise her academic ambitions over that of the traditional femininity and getting dolled up for the purposes of marriage and domesticity; the disappointment invested towards her paving a way for a natural connection with an equally lost Nikhil in his endless efforts to appease the incessant demands of his more materialistic fiancee. This then is what makes the film even more compelling given how it goes against the culturally ingrained stereotypes of the man managing to be the effortless, seductive hero, able to provide and fight for the woman he loves in conjunction to the beauteous and elusive heroine. Instead, it invokes a relationship about two people who feel lost in the oppression of society's expectations, the result being that despite judgemental relatives and unstable emotionality, the two are able to find something magical that can only be brought out in each other.

 BEST SONG: Ishq Bulaava / Manchala

Pardes (Foreign Land, 1997)

'You've all mistaken me for some innocent little painting that you've framed in gold, and now you want me to hang on these walls in silence and become a part of this false decor! This isn't the dream I came to this foreign land with, is it?'

Now, this is a controversial one. Pardes is probably the most politically charged movie on this list as it is famous for being an incredibly evocative piece of anti-Western propaganda. It concerns what happens when free-spirited Ganga (Mahima Chaudhary) is handed in marriage to the son of a wealthy NRI (Non-Resident Indian), however the vastness of the difference in culture on top of the distance between India and America sees to it that the outcome of such an engagement comes to some horrific consequences. Pardes is primarily then about the clash between cultures when the innocent essence of India is dragged to and exposed within the more confident and lavish shores of America. This premise in itself may seem problematic and would understandably evoke outrage as America is intentionally built up as the criminalised empire in the face of the all-pure India, however, what the viewer must remember when watching Pardes is that it is quintessentially a story about consent and respect. It's about acknowledging the difference in cultures and adhering to ways of life you may not understand, rather than trying to overwhelm and consume that sense of 'otherness' like a tyrannical Frankenstein 'penetrating into the secrets of nature' and causing chaos for everyone. It is fair to say then that Pardes is problematic and the socio-political accuracy of the piece could be spat upon until the cows come home, but it is this sense of duality and complication that makes it so interesting.

The main romantic storyline of the film then may be more of a Trojan horse for the more significant aspects for discussion, but it is more than fair to say that the political stakes are squarely matched by the passions at play. After all, when the wholly Americanised Rajiv (Apurva Agnihotri) proves to be more than a little bit of a disappointment, it is the relationship between Ganga and his adopted brother Arjun (Shah Rukh Khan) that comes to full heart-warming fruition. Arjun's role as the mediator between Ganga and Rajiv in trying to fulfil his adopted father's wish in smoothing the match over quickly escalates to into him becoming Ganga's most trusted confidante and defender. One can recognise perhaps the outdated sense of chivalry in this - especially as the inclusion of the attempted rape scene does appear to be an excuse for tensions to culminate in a traditional, Bollywood-esque full-on fist fight. However, credit has to be duly cast to the writers as they characterise Arjun as possessing a rare sense of compassion and empathy, especially given how his proclamation of love for Ganga is based not on lust but his genuine desire to trust, revere, respect and protect. In addition to this, it is easy to admire Ganga for her perseverance in trying to navigate this foreign land, she becoming all the more engaging for her burgeoning determination without the expense of her self-respect and ingrained love for her home nation. The prioritisation of one another's welfare above their own alongside becoming embroiled in their sense of duty to tradition and family is then what makes their journey towards each other so compelling and heart-wrenching. Pardes is a love story with incredibly heavy undertones that would have to be entered with a particularly open mind, but perhaps once the offences have been fully digested, one can fully appreciate why the film is so renowned; with a love that is all at once devastating as it is wonderful and profound.  

 Devdas (2002)

'Where can I find again my lost innocence? My lost dreams? My lost childhood? What happened to my home in the shade of the trees?'

 If there was ever an answer to the intensity and literary grandeur of tragic romances the like of Romeo and Juliet or Abelard and Heloise, then Devdas slaps back with unparalleled panache. If it wasn't a love story in its own right then Devdas is indisputably an affair for the senses; Sanjay Leela Bhansali's breath-taking production instilling every scene and action with such aestheticism that the Pre-Raphaelites are, no doubt, positively quaking. The story is no doubt a tragedy, following the titular character's (Shah Rukh Khan's) debilitating descent into alcoholism following his childhood sweetheart, Paro's (Aishwarya Rai), marriage after his mother ridicules her family for being descended from prostitutes a long time back down the line of their ancestry. Ironically enough, he seeks relief in leaving his home and taking shelter with a friend who works at a brothel, his emotional deterioration subject to the fruitless effortless of the heartfelt taiwaif (courtesan) Chandramukhi (Madhuri Dixit).

The relationship between Dev and Paro is continuously fraught with psychological manipulation as the two try to progress with their lives whilst undeniably in love with each other, the acting on the parts of Khan and Rai being so invigorating that it would not be surprising to find yourself holding your breath whenever the two are on screen. the interactions between Khan and Dixit are additionally moving as they have a deeper understanding of one another, their relationship perhaps being all the more rueful in the sense of it being a one-sided sense of self-sacrifice as Dev continues to ruminate over a love he can never have. Indeed, though Khan is typically praised for his rigorous performance, it has been disputed that it is perhaps the talent and dynamic between Rai and Dixit in their roles as Paro and Chandramukhi - the aristocrat and the courtesan - is the actual showstopper in this magnificent piece. It was never in the original story after all that the two women should have a relationship outside their original and comparatively brief confrontation over who loves Dev more, so that fact that Bhansali chooses to instal and flesh out the friendship between these two equally fierce and magnetic women is but one of the aspects that makes this film so essential and inspiring.

BEST SONG: All of them omg

Goliyon ki Rasleela Ram-Leela (A Play on Bullets: Ram-Leela, 2013)

'If hatred and pride can make a desert of the sea, then love can make flowers bloom here.'

 Let's establish this from the start -  Baz Luhrmann can choke.

This is how a real Rom-and Jules-adaption is done. As the most sultry addition to the list by far (seriously, phew), Ram-Leela admittedly does take a lot of liberties with the narrative. Nevertheless, any alterations or revisions that have been made are entirely for the better. In fact, even if you were to take the stance that Romeo and Juliet were as young and naive as they are in order to heighten the tragedy of violence and conflict, then it becomes more than reasonable to argue that Ram-Leela actually captures the essence of the play more than the stagnant Western replicas that have plagued us in the past. We still have the warring families, the star-crossed lovers and poetics on steroids, only that the narrative is enhanced by the rawness of rural Rajasthan to bring Shakespeare’s message to better fruition.  Indeed, if you, like me then, have always been able to appreciate the ideologies behind the original play, yet remained impatient with the immaturity and implausibility of the titular characters in spite of yourself, then Ram-Leela provides the perfect amendment to all those irritations. Instead, we see two leads who are far more enthralling and philosophical, the opposition between them being so devastating given how Bhansali interweaves dramatic irony with frustrating relish. It comes down to how the Rajadis and Saneras cause the original Montagues and Capulets to look embarrassingly spineless by comparison; their inconceivable prowess in being able to manipulate even their own playing on our expectations so much that it cements the romance firmly within the boundaries of tragedy.

 Indeed, we are not just treated to a brief separation between the two until the time of death, but rather the stage is reset so that Ram (Ranveer Singh) and Leela (Deepika Padukone) become the respective heads of their families and are forced to war against each other - and not entirely against their own wills either. The film encompasses a similar sense of passionate antagonisation that abounds in Devdas as well then, the irony being that the more fraught and frayed the relationship, the more your heart aches for want of the forsaken lovers to be able to make it. In truth, the film actually starts out ridiculously playfully with bounties of energy and innuendo, the fact that it is able to convincingly transition on its axis to become so emotionally straining being a credit to Bhansali's directorial ingenuity. Of course, the chemistry between the leads in Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone is near indescribable, both balancing refreshing elements of mischief and charm alongside intense vulnerability and ardour. Critics have labelled their performances as probably being still the finest of their careers (which is saying plenty, trust me), the camaraderie between the two hardly being surprising. After all, the two did just get married late last year - and on the anniversary of the film's original release date no less! So if that doesn't convince you of the quality of such a love story, then I'm afraid that you will be convinced by very little else.

 BEST SONG: Lahu Munh Lag Gaya / Nagada Sang Dohl / Laal Ishq

 Kal Ho Naa Ho (Tomorrow might not be, 2014)

'Listen - live, be happy, smile, because who knows? Tomorrow might not be.'

 Honestly, in light of all the films that have been listed before now, with their mind-blowing cinematography, incredibly moving soundtracks and ground-breaking scopes of acting, Kal Ho Naa Ho might seem to fall a little short. It's set in the dreary din of New York, the soundtrack is more constructed towards fun and contemporary glamour, yet it is undeniable that this film is my favourite of the whole bunch. The top of my list of romantic Bops then is the story of Naina (Preity Zinta) and the many complications which taint her family; the pressure being so much that she has been rendered the constant embodiment of irritability. And even forgotten how to smile. Everything turns around when Aman (Shah Rukh Khan) enters the family's life: optimistic, charismatic and caring, he literally breathes new life into Naina's existence, so that before long she finds herself completely devoted to him in place of the unspoken affections of her closest friend, Rohit (Saif Ali Khan). What pans out is that on the verge of telling Aman she loves him however is that he tells Naina that the reason he came to New York was to repair his frayed relationship with his wife, Priya (Sonali Bendre). Unbeknownst to the bereft Naina, this is, in fact, a lie. The truth is that Priya is actually Aman's doctor and he doesn't have much time left to live.

I don't know then whether it's because the characters and scenarios are so well grounded, the dynamics and difficulties within the Kapur family are more relatable, or that the relationships between and constructions of characters are perhaps the most believable, but it's one of those films that you'll agree, once you've watched it, has an inexplicable sensibility that takes the cake every time. A lot of it does seem to be grounded in the healthy and brilliant way the love triangle is handled in the film, as any sense of complication or rivalry between Rohit and Aman is evoked as comedy rather than any serious resentment or envy. It's an incredibly unique love triangle then and this is perhaps why it has garnered so much critical respect, as the love-triangle motif is such a typical motif of Bollywood cinema (with repeatedly toxic and violent confrontations like in Pardes), that it is refreshing to see a love depicted so genuinely and platonically. It's even more heart-warming to watch as Aman does his best efforts to ensure that Naina walks with Rohit down the aisle (or the Saptapadi to be precise) all the while wielding his best façade so that she never realises that he loves her too. In fact, the affections between them are so subtle and few that the effect is paradoxically more intense, as you find yourself latching onto every fleeting sign of love between them that you can. KHNH then is another one that I recommend first and foremost, though in truth it's best not to watch it too often unless you have a few days to spare in which to emotionally recover.

 BEST SONG: Titular track

 And there you have it - they may not be the best according to everyone's taste, but the romances listed above are some of the most critically acclaimed and effective Bollywood masterpieces to ever grace the silver screen. Though they may start as cliched and melodramatic, with too much dance and quirky dynamic, this is always a foil to deep-rooted passions and die-hard affections - each a romantic experience above and beyond any of your expectations.

Tanika Lane

[mukhtaleef]

Nazar

After desperately looking for a good desi TV show I finally decided to give Nazar a chance! This was my first ever experience with desi supernatural genre and I kinda liked it. Let me be clear, I had been following this show through insta clips for past month and totally loved the Chudail character 🙈 and I am not disappointed! She is a fucking trip 😁 I love her! So what did I like about the show? Multiple things!

The main antagonist, Dayan. Mohana is one bitch that I love. One of the best antagonists on ITV. Smart, calculative, cold hearted and a total badass. The show revolves around her and rightly so. Though I intially found her to be a little shouty (I made that up) but the most of the ITV characters are loud like that. Her demeanour has toned down quite a bit since then so its all good!!

The crisp story telling. Maybe because its a finite show, the story is well developed. The basic plot was laid out in first few episodes and that hasn’t much changed over the months. even the changes which probably weren’t a part of the show initially have been integrated quite well. A 4 lions show without plot holes or loose ends? Mashallah!!

The ML isn’t really an asshole. Again a 4 lions/ current ITV ML who isn’t a pain in the ass! What a rarity!! Though Ansh has his moments of being an asshole but there is a solid reason behind it! Its a case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. When he is in his Mr. Hyde avatar, he is bad with everyone. Though generally Ansh is essentially a really good person.

The FL is not a manic pixie dream girl. Another trope that I am so fucking sick of. She is a regular girl who is kind hearted but is focused on her goal and will not hesitate to do anything to achieve what she wants. Though Piya comes from a broken family and traumatic past. But eh, I’ll let it pass.

Ruby aka chhoti dayan. This one was a revelation 😄 I love Ruby and her antics!!!

The styling: I can’t tell you how happy I was to see that not every character is fucking colour coordinated like some band party on day to day basis. And apart from that too, the styling is pretty good! Not sure if its Shirali who is styling this show. But whoever is, keep up the good work!

Brotps: No where close to the Obro bond, but the relationship between siblings and cousins is pretty sweet. I just wish the show focused some more on these relationships.

Of course there are somethings that I don’t like! Will I ever be fully satisfied by something? Only god knows! What I don’t really like:

The heavy religious symbolism. Considering its a supernatural show I was expecting some. But the amount of pooja/prarthana is a bit off putting at times! I just FF through the artis.

Pati/Patni ke pyar ki shakti. Initailly the relationship between the protagonist and antagonist was pretty technical. One was a Dayan and other was a Daivik (basically her antithesis) and that was good enough!! But ever since Piya and Ansh got married the emphasis on typical patnivrata dialogues are increasing. Which is more annoying than the religious connotations.

Hopefully the show stays like this till the end!!

[101percentindia]

Two Girls Accompany Paranormal Experts To A Haunted House

Hunting spirits and busting myths at Panvel.

It was full moon. I was told not to get involved with unknown energies. But I have an unhealthy interest in the paranormal. So I went, and it was nothing like I imagined.

“Media se hain. Photo nikalne aaye hain,” (We are here from the media to take pictures) Sarbajeet says slyly to the security guard who gives us an inquisitive look as we trespass into his property. It’s not a complete lie. The photographer and I are media. But we are also guests of Sarbajeet Mohanty and Pooja Vijay, co-founders of P.A.I.R.S (Parapsychology and Investigations Research Society), who have invited us for a paranormal investigation. Like any other investigation, this one aims to reach rational conclusion through a scientific approach about a supposed paranormal phenomenon – simply put, the presence of a spirit or ghost. These guys are certified experts and we are  outside an abandoned commercial colony in Panvel.

Entry to the haunted house

“Friends tipped me about this location. They felt a certain heaviness here, like someone was lurking around. They think they saw an apparition in the dead of the night,” Sarbajeet states looking around. The 21-year-old who claims to be the world’s youngest certified demonologist doesn’t seem to know much about the place. Neither do we. The bungalow was vacated years ago. Apparently it used to be an office, but was deserted for unknown reasons. Which is why we want to understand the paranormal phenomenon here, create a portal to contact the spirit, hear her side of the story and help her crossover.

Related: At A Small Dargah In Mumbai, You’ll Find Demons, Exorcism, Faith And Fear

It’s a warm night. With just the moon guiding us, we enter the colony. There are no gates, but lots of trees. It is separated from the main road by a short compound wall. A cobbled path leads inside beyond the guard’s room to a tiny temple which lies empty, dilapidated and eerie looking. Dogs bark in the distance to add to the spookiness of the experience. A white cat scurries along the bushes but stops momentarily to give us an evil gaze. I can see the fear on my friend’s face. Perhaps she can see the same on mine. Sarbajeet and Pooja seem unfazed.

Surrounded by bats, rats and ghosts

Sarbajeet tells me the last time he was here he was able to establish contact with the spirit of a lady. “What do you mean by contact?” I ask. Pooja, who is a psychic, past life regressionist, reiki master and an investigator, explains the physics. Apparently, unlike films, it’s not easy for us to see the spirits or hear them. Since they do not have a physical body, it requires a lot of energy to even hear them. “We ask them to give us hints of their presence by making simple actions,” Pooja adds.

Before heading into the house, the duo acquaints us with the equipment. There are two torches to guide us through the night, temperature readers to monitor fluctuations that occur in the presence of the spirits, a pair of walkie-talkies in case we get separated and most importantly EMF sensors to observe earth’s magnetic fields. Sometimes the spirit will use the energy of the earth to establish contact with the living and thereby disturb the earth’s magnetic field. The device will sense that and blink with a red light. “For example, I tell the spirit if you are here, please blink on the sensor three times,” Sarbajeet demonstrates by holding up the device. Suddenly, three red lights blink on the sensor. I am taken aback. Even Pooja seems surprised. “Looks like this is our welcome,” Sarbajeet chuckles.

The equipment used to detect spirits has to be imported from the US or UK

I was nervous and excited. The real investigation hadn’t even begun and I could already sense the presence of someone, or something. We finally make our way into the first abandoned shanty. Most walls are broken. The others are cracked. The ceiling is gone and a huge tree looms over us. Its branches have crept into the house through holes in the wall and window sills. The floor is filled with muck and dry leaves that crumble beneath our shoes. There are spider webs in the corner, and there’s four of us in the centre of what must have been the living room of the house, hoping to catch something.

“If you are here, please give us an indication. Please blink the EMF as you did outside,” Sarbajeet says talking to the supposed spirit in the room. I keep my eyes fixed on the sensor that is placed against the wall. Nothing happens. Pooja repeats the same. Still nothing. There’s an eerie silence. “Umm..can the spirit understand us?” I whisper in Pooja’s ear. Responding in the affirmative, she explains that they connect on a telepathic level. “Language does not matter. Though they may be more forthcoming if they hear a familiar dialect. Why don’t you say something in Marathi?” she suggests, nudging me.

So here’s one of the many firsts. My first conversation with the living dead. “Ithe koni aahe ka. Indication dya. Nusta bhetaila alo. Traas nahi denar. (If there’s anyone here, give us an indication. We are here only to meet you, not to trouble”) I say awkwardly. Nothing happens. Honestly, I am a little disappointed. I would have felt special had the spirit chosen to communicate with me.

After waiting a few minutes, we decide to explore other parts of the house and walk through a narrow corridor. I can feel a mild change in temperature. It is much cooler in the corridor than the living room which is hardly three steps away. Suddenly I hear a rustle of leaves. There’s no wind. Perhaps it’s an insect? Heading back to the living room Sarbajeet again pleads, “If there’s anyone here, please give us some kind of signal.”

THUD! There’s a loud sound from behind. Shaken, I turn around. It sounds like a heavy footstep. Pooja and Sarbajeet spring into action. “If that is really you, could you do it again please?” Pooja requests. Within seconds there is another thud, much lighter than before. “Thank you for responding. Was this house yours? If yes, please blink into the EMF. If not, you may knock.” We wait five minutes and hear another thud in the corridor. Thinking that the spirit has left and perhaps wants us to do the same, we decide to investigate the next house.

Any takers for a haunted one BHK?

Almost at once we notice our fully charged devices including cellphones and cameras are drained of 60% battery. “The spirit has used it.” I shake my head and look at the second house that seems spookier and is accessible only through a path lined with ruined broken walls and bushes. Treading carefully I ask Pooja, “What if the spirit does not want to communicate with us?” “Then it won’t. Just because they are dead does not mean they don’t have moods. They have the same personality they did when they were alive. So they’ll do what they want.”

This was news to me. Reading my mind Pooja continues, “This is why we want to create awareness. Not all spirits are evil. Some are just lingering. Some are confused. They do not know they are dead. Sometimes we need to make them realise that and help them crossover.”

Related: The Old Bastora Road | 101 Great Indian Ghost Stories

The second house was like a one BHK. The ceiling, a tin shed, is intact. There’s just one window which is sealed. Feeling claustrophobic and uncomfortable, I think of all the scary stuff from horror films. Will I see a ghost staring at me from the window? What if something attacks me from behind, or worse, tries to possess my body? Thankfully, my thoughts are interrupted by a squeaking sound. I hear something move amidst the dry leaves. It's a rat. I shriek! This is more terrifying than a ghost.

Sarbajeet initiating conversation with the spirit

I see Puja fumbling with the temperature reader. “Look how fast it is fluctuating,” she says. Withing seconds the reader drops from 26.8 to 25 degrees. Sarbajeet places the EMF on the floor and begins a conversation with the spirit. “Last time, I was here, I had spoken to a lady. Are you still here?” There is no response. “Please give us an indication of any kind,” he adds. I repeat the same in Marathi. Suddenly something falls on the ceiling. Is it the spirit?

“Is that you. Is this house yours?” Sarbajeet asks again. There’s no response. “Do you want us to leave?” Again, something falls on the roof. Probably a bigger rock making a stronger sound. The message is loud and clear. I hurry outside and the rest of the team joins me. We don’t want to anger the dead.

But Sarbajeet is in the mood to play a little more. We turn back to the old house. “Why don’t just the three of you go in? Maybe it will react differently to women.” We walk in, this time with a spirit box which is a mobile app fed with Hindu scriptures that have been reversed. When switched on it continues saying words that don’t make sense. “Are you male or female?” “Female,” it says amidst the gibberish. I am astonished. “How many of us are here?” “Teen,” it says. “Do you want to talk to us?” “Nahi na,” it answers. “Should we go?” “Bye…see… you,” it says in gaps.

The Spirit Box has been created with the help of international paranormal organisations

I hurry out, spooked. We had an actual conversation. This app is genius.

“For our actual analysis, we will listen to the recording of words in slow motion to understand any other messages we may have missed and then make a report of the investigation. But that will take some time and perhaps more visits,” Sarbajeet says.

Related: Marna Mana Hai | 101 Phir Se Ramsay

In my head I am still processing everything, putting faces to words. Yes, this investigation has busted myths. It has made me more accepting about the supernatural. It has made me realise that spirits are not always negative and something to be feared. I head home wishing I had seen the spirit or atleast an apparition. Never mind though. It has seen me. As long as it hasn't followed me back.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are independent views solely of the author(s) expressed in their private capacity and do not in any way represent or reflect the views of 101India.com

By Priyanka Kapoor Photographs by Rashi Arora

[theincorrigiblemagpie]

Rishton Ka Chakravyuh (Episodes 65, 66) - Can we calm down with the Bollywood music?

October 23 & 24, 2017

Listen, all I want to do is keep up with my daily dose of Anami and Satarupa. IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR.

Anyway, we’re doing 2 episodes together, cos whattodo about my asli dunya.

Right off the bat, fucken Harry, nincompoop cousin of the nincompoop Avdhoot, shows his kameenapan by grabbing Poonam with 2 of Avdhoot’s lame friends and trying to rape her in a billiards room.

Hereon, if there was ANY doubt about how they’re subverting (admittedly hamhandedly but I’ll take it) the traditional hero-heroine roles in a desi soap, may they be forever laid to rest.

Anami A) finds Poonam’s bracelet that she’d given her on the floor outside the billiard room.

B) bursts into the room in silent, shaking rage and a teary Poonam runs to her and hugs her for comfort.

C) after the two chelas run away, knowing what’s good for them, thrashes Harry within an inch of his life.

D) grabs a reluctant Poonam’s hand and drags them in front of everyone and makes Harry apologise to Poonam.

(LMAO that girl in blue at the back is the same Mean Girl who’d picked on Anami on her first day of college and later claimed to have befriended her. Good to see we invite friends and not complete randos.)

Ofc Kamini plays the typical upper caste/class bitchy slut-shaming aunty and humiliates Poonam and tries to blame it on her. Anami tries to talk sense into her but Kamini threatens to blow it out of proportion. And THEN.

Everyone’s Godmother Satarupa steps in. She gives Kamini false hope by saying, yes, it was Poonam’s fault.

And then finishes the sentence with “it was her fault ki Poonam didn’t give him a tight slap the very first time Harry tried to molest her and that she didn’t do what Anami did.” (Which is a very problematic thing to say, but very dramatically effective.)

Man, she put the fear of GOD in Harry by stalking toward him. Matlab, I could momentarily SEE a genetic resemblance between Narayani Shastri and Mahima Makwana, I tell you. What powerhouses.

She finished the whole scene by telling Kamini that she should thank her lucky stars Anami found Harry and not Satarupa herself because...

She literally leaves off there and we must infer that Kamini knows about Satarupa’s tendency to quietly get people who sneeze wrong bumped off.

Ofc Pujan tries to smooth things over while Kamini leaves with Harry. Ngl Kamini is a real babe and deserves better than to be married to this useless scheming Pujan and have a useless grown ass son and nephew. She shoulda gotten herself a sugar daddy instead.

Pujan promises deep vengeance (ofc because the Durga idol falling and breaking will be the ultimate apshakun and hence, revenge). Rolled my eyes so hard, they almost fell out of their sockets.

So, we have full band baaja and they’re bringing the idol in with shots that have come out of a white person’s wet dream of colourful, exotic Incredible India.

And OMG IT HAS A HALF OF A SECOND EXPRESSION ON ITS FACE. I mean the very pointless Baldev ofc.

Anami, our local Spiderman, notices a thorn stuck in one of the palanquin bearers feet amid all the chaos and bends to pick it out. Giving herself the perfect vantage point to also hear the loosened screw drop out and immediately dive under the palanquin to save the idol.

After a moment of panic, everyone is reassured as she emulates the Flavour of the Season, Baahubali.

No, seriously.

Like, people don’t even TRY to help this skinny SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD girl who has been FASTING all day to carry this massive idol that probably weighs more than her for the first 5 minutes. For show.

Then, we get Baldev grabbing one end and Satarupa grabbing the other end and Dadaji Vikram clearing the dropped embers in her path with his stick.

Not before he’s had time to process the whole thing and question his entire life and worldview, though.

How Hum Saath Saath Hai. If it was made by Ram Gopal Verma.

This is the face of a man who has messed up very badly all his life and only the tip of the iceberg has become visible to him and he suspects the presence of the Titanic wrecking monster below the surface.

Gayatri makes obvious statements about Anami being deviroop and being sent to protect Lal Mahal etc etc. Lady, I don’t think it’s quite going to pan out like that.

Anami places the idol in its spot and when the pandit wants her to start the pooja, Vikram is all “no, Avdhoot must do the puja.”

Once a chauvinist piece of trash, always a chauvinist piece of trash.

He does look shifty while saying it, though so Gayatri swoops in and tells him that this puja wouldn’t even be happening if not for Anami so he can stop being  a jackass. And also tells Pujan to shut it when he tries to intervene. With the happy result that Anami gets to do the puja. Which we’re made to suffer through with dramatic intercuts of Sudha wild-dancing with dhunuchi at her asylum all set to Jai Maa Kali from Karan Arjun.

I wish I was making this bit up.

Just going to leave these screencaps here because truly what cinematography but what jaatra-level writing, shyah.

(Note that Baldev has reverted to his usual stony glum-face. Like, why do they even pay an actor for his role.)

Dheeru makes a lone entry and skulks around. He joins the family conclave that forms after the puja where the adults talk about the future of Lal Mahal. Gayatri, Satarupa and Dheeru are all heavily and vocally pro-Anami and want Vikram to change his mind about Avdhoot. They use major puja metaphors to make their point. Pujan is stuck because he doesn’t want to be seen rooting for his son for selfish reasons while no one cares about what Baldev has to say (nothing), as usual. The man is an irritating cardboard cutout.

But THEN, I am reminded of why I fucken love this show and am still surprised by it when they tone it all the fuck down and VIKRAM makes the most logical point of all.

He points out that he’s willing to back down from all his prejudices and accept Anami as heir. But that will not change that Anami will not accept this family as her own. Royal Steel and Lal Mahal need stability which she will not provide because she has been uprooted from the only place she considers home (Benaras) and she will leave the moment she is legally able to. They need to accept that.

Yeah, Gayatri, even I hate it when chauvinist men make sorta vaguely legitimate points.

But then, Dheeru points out that he hasn’t given Anami that chance even. He’s sentenced her without allowing her the slightest room to prove herself.

AND THEN, Vikram finally relents because “Dheeru has never made a wrong decision for Royal Steel.” Whoa I think he’s referring even to the unexplained fall Dheeru took and went to jail for.

He says ki since Avdhoot has been given a chance to prove himself (LOL WHAT WHEN DID HE PROVE HIMSELF HE’S LITERALLY DONE THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF PROVING HIMSELF ALL THROUGH GODDAMN SAVARNA PATRIARCHS), Anami should also.

Vikram will personally test the two of them and judge based on their capability (sure) and not their gender and take it from there. I can’t explain how much all this talk of (fake) meritocracy and inheritance gives me intense michmichi.

But it does lead to this hilarious scene which explains exactly how the two main interested parents feel about this situation.

Satarupa is like “I’ve already fucking won this just give Anami the crown and don’t go through this farce.” And Pujan is like “GOD FUCK ME SIDEWAYS.”

Oh btw, while this intense conversation is happening, Adhiraj and Tanya have arrived and all the kids start dancing to Nagada Sang Dhol (INCLUDING ADHIRAJ which is EXACTLY as awkward as you imagine it is). Can’t even screencap, I’m telling you. Avdhoot is genuinely at least in lust with Tanya? (YUCK) Harry is giving him advice upar se! Matlab MEN ARE TRASH. He was beaten up not 4 hours ago for being an almost-rapist. I hope Adhiraj beats both Avdhoot and Harry up solid (I won’t even consider it police brutality). Where is Ila, man? Why is she missing the awkward fun?

Also, I was mistaken. Everyone is aware of everyone’s identities, it seems. There is no surprise at Adhiraj’s appearance and Avdhoot clearly knows Tanya is his sister so they know he’s Dheeru’s son? Dheeru also had figured out that the girl he met on the road is Anami of Lal Mahal. I dunno, I may have missed stuff when I tried to catch up on 40 episodes together. But then why were Pujan and Baldev treating Adhiraj as just a CBI officer when he brought Anami home after the chemistry lab accident? Surely they should’ve brought up his connection to Dheeru to taunt him better?

Possible continuity errors, methinks. ANyWay, tomorrow we have nutty Sudha’s desperate bid to force Anami’s hand and come to Lal Mahal by trying to commit fake suicide. Fun. Not. Honestly, Sudha and Baldev deserve each other and Satarupa needs an intense, powerful, interesting man who has some conflict of interest with her but is also drawn to her. And while we deserve decent women friendships, I also am teetering on shipping Anami and Poonam because that was some relationship-y symbolism in the beginning. 

Whatevs man, just give me Satarupa and Anami (and Gayatri) dealing sick burns to the men and I don’t care about anything else.

[fialleril]

Replies to ‘Flowers for the Emperor’

So I’m hideously behind on my replies. (Seriously. So far behind that the folks I’m replying to probably don’t even remember what they said, lol.) But dang it, I’m getting them done! Eventually.

I’m gonna do a post for each fic I owe people replies to, so I don’t spam people.

Here’s the replies for the last DAV fic, Flowers for the Emperor.

@w3-4r3-th3-f1r3 said

AAAAAAAAAAAAAH OH MY GOD GUYS GUYS THE FLOWERS OH MY GOD

OHHHH MY GOD I LOVE THE IDEA OF THE WHOLE FLOWER LANGUAGE BEING WRAPPED UP IN FOLK HISTORY SO MUCH

AND THAT POOJA COULD RECOGNIZE AND UNDERSTAND IT BECAUSE SHZ KNEW THE STORIES THATS SOMETHING THAT MAKZS MY RESEARCH-HAPPY HEART FUCKING SOAR I SWEAR TO GODDDDD

and Leia’s line, “and we’ll have flowers”.. I PUNCHED THE AIR SO HARD I HURT MY ELBOW BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I HEAR HER SAY THAT CLZAR AS DAY IN MY HEAR. AND IT WAS GLORIOUS

Thank you! :) Apparently the moral of this story (and arguably the entire DAV universe) is that it pays to be a nerd. The revolution is fought (and won) with folk tales and poetry and flowers.

@threadsketchier said

  #I HAVE NEVER HIT REBLOG SO HARD IN MY LIFE    #i'm so thirsty for naberrie family fics  #& my thirst is slaked  #night: made  #crack!fic goals  #majestic    #*flaming elmo gif*  #it's ok that we're still not at bespin   #because we get more quality content like this   #the family that slays together  #say it with flowers  #that may be my new tag for this lol  #lastly  #YAAAASSSSSSSSSS

Ha ha thanks. :) This fic basically turned into a vehicle for all my Naberrie headcanons, with a side of double agent Vader shenanigans, so I’m glad you enjoyed that.

Also “say it with flowers” sounds like a catchy advertising slogan and now I’m picturing Darth Vader doing TV ads, so thanks for that.

@miriannemiri said

fabulous!  absolutely fabulous!  the way he told her to get out was fabulous  and just all the inside jokes possible with this  and the way he almost tested her the first time!  Also   as someone who used flower language in literary analysis while getting my master's   this just tickles me   fabulous addition 

Oh my goodness, I’m delighted to get a seal of approval from somebody who actually knows flower language!

I imagine the scene just after the end of the fic is Pooja telling Ryoo all about the different bouquets, and Ryoo cracking up laughing at each one.

@themoosejthm said

#A NEW FIC  #AND IT'S SO FUCKING GOOD  #READ THE THING  #ALSO THAT FAM REUNION IS GOING TO BE AWKWARD AS FUCK  #we also see more of Anakin being an awkward duck and just...swanning away from conversations midway through them  #the language of flowers on naboo is also a thing of beauty  #also it was really beautiful how present Padme was in this piece even though she's been dead for years  #just...FIA AT IT AGAIN WITH THE GOOD FIC   

Yessss, I’m so glad people are commenting on awkward turtleduck Anakin. He’s so awkward, but he gets away with it because people are so terrified that they think he’s being intimidating, when in fact he just...doesn’t know how to end a conversation.

Padme keeps popping up in dreams and memories because the idea of writing a story without her in it at all is just too terrible to contemplate.

@stereden said

#when someone who married into your culture knows your flower language better than you Palpatine it may be time to admit that you're an idiot #can I just say how much I adore the idea of Ekkreth basically telling Palpatine TO HISFACE that he's acting against him and will kill him #FOR PADME #and using Padme's culture to do so #imagine Anakin and Padme spending time together and Padme teaching him about Naboo and her traditions #and Anakin tells her stories of Tatooine #because for all that he hates the planet and what it represents #he learned a lot there #and in his darkest hours it's those lessons he remembers and uses to free himself #one story at a time #one bouquet at a time 

Thank you for these lovely tags!

Palpatine is a Serious Galactic Political Force, the inane superstitions and provincial traditions of villagers and slaves do not concern him.

By the time Pooja sees her first bouquet, Anakin’s been sending them for several years already and got his delivery down to a science, but I think the first time he sent the flowers he actually thought that Palpatine would be able to read them, and he fully expected his Master to take his anger out on him, even if he didn’t suspect Vader as the sender. Anakin was just too depressed to care. But then to his surprise it turned out that Palpatine couldn’t read the secret language of his own people (which, to an Anakin who’s now thinking largely in Tatooine terms, is practically a moral judgment itself). And once he knew he could get away with it, he got really into it.

Both Pooja and Anakin think of the bouquets as Padme’s flowers, though for different reasons.

kiralamouse said

Y’all, if you aren’t reading Double Agent Vader, you’re missing out. It’s fractally beautiful, the little details mirroring the big picture mirroring the middle-ground means, that injustice must be shattered (and shall be, by the reassembled broken bits reforged into immutable objects). Also, secret admirer flowers being secret death threats. Details.

#best au  #incidentally thanks fia for the fact that i can no longer not see your religious worldbuilding in canon  #no seriously thanks  #this fills the hole so perfectly that canon has yet to contradict

Thank you so much for this really beautiful image, wow. I’m flustered.

Also delighted that you like the Tatooine culture. :)

@thecookiemonster77 said

#!!!!!!!!!! #EEEEEEEEE DAV UPDATE!!!!! :DDDDDDD #IM YELL #I love ani what a nerd #*enters conversation* *doesn't know what to do* #*scuttles away* #same ani #same #but also!!!!!!! padmes family!!!!!! pooja!!!!!!!!!!!! #and flower fic!!!!!! #I'm so excited the hate bouquets became an official part of this installment omg #ani u nerd #I'm just. so in love w how they throw their disdain in palatines face #literally #like???? I just love their resistance and how they take whatever humor they can get #and!!!!!! using tales and flowers for rebellion!!!!!!!!!!! #dex as a part of the rebellion!!!!!!!!! #ITS WONDERFUL 

:D I’m so glad people enjoyed awkward!Vader because honestly, he’s so much fun. A giant terrifying nerd. Someday in the future, once a lot of things have come out, Pooja is going to tease him so hard about this.

There’s an old saying that the thing that infuriates the Devil most is being laughed at. I feel like that’s true for Palpatine, as well. Of course, right now he doesn’t realize he’s being laughed at, but there’s a certain satisfaction in that, too. And it keeps people going. Laughter is important for a rebellion.

Also I am literally incapable of not name-dropping Dex at some point in my AUs, so the biggest surprise here is that he took so long to show up.

@fairandfatalasfair said

This was fantastic.

I love the parallel between Ryoo’s research and the traditional stories of Naboo, ignored because how could romantic poetry be relevant? and the insignificant folk stories that inspired Anakin’s change of alleigance.

I love the awkward conversation between Pooja and Anakin, and her complete unpreparedness for being questioned on the floral arrangements by the emperor’s right hand. (I’m not totally sure whether he’s reminding her not to give away the joke, or just checking whether she shared her aunt’s interest in flower language, or something else entirely, but regardless it’s a delightful exchange.)

I love the flower Pooja leaves behind - a last message for the emperor. It’s so in keeping with the rest of what we see of her in this, very different in tone from the gloating, personal hatred of Vader’s bouquets. That principled declaration of unflinching intent to see democracy victorious, hidden in something fragile and beautiful and insignificant, is exactly what she’s been doing here all along. And Palpatine will never know.

#Stories are important

#And everyone knows this except Palpatine

#I'm not even going to go into the dramatic irony because at this point that's just the defining reality of the AU

#But it's still simultaneously delightful and also killing me

#because Pooja's like inches from putting together who sent the flowers and misses it because it just seems too implausible

#okay maybe I'm going into it a little bit

#anyway beautiful story

Thank you for such an epic comment!

This entire AU is not so secretly centered around the power of stories to inspire and create resistance, so I’m glad people are enjoying that. :)

Also I imagine that to someone like Palpatine, things like flower language and folk tales and poetry are all considered childish and feminine, and therefore unimportant. So there’s a double sense of enjoyment in seeing those things lead to his downfall.

Anakin originally approached Pooja in that awkward exchange because he wanted to see if she really understood the meaning of the flowers - and if that meant he actually had an audience for them now. (Anakin’s a little bit of a showboat, tbh, and he hasn’t really been able to exercise that tendency in a long time. Sending messages to Palpatine that the Emperor can’t understand is satisfying, in its way, but it’s much more satisfying to known someone else does understand.)

Only once he’s confirmed that yes, she definitely can read the message, he has no idea how to end the conversation. So he just kind of...leaves. Like the awkward duck he is.

I’m glad you like Pooja’s flower at the end. :) And the important difference, ultimately, between her (and Leia) and Anakin. Anakin’s doing this in some sense for Padme - she loved the Republic so he’ll fight to bring it back - but ultimately, he still doesn’t really believe in the ideal of the Republic, and democracy is still a pretty meaningless concept to him. He’s out for a personal revenge, and he is actually invested in the Tatooine revolution, but the Rebellion as an organization is a lot more abstract to him.

Pooja, though, is really Padme’s ideological heir, even if she’s crafted her public image to be Padme’s opposite. She is fighting for democracy, for a core set of principles, for the ideal of the Republic she genuinely hopes to create.

@astudyinimagination said

#dammit uncle ani pls talk to your niece like a normal person#honestly when everything finally comes out this is going to be the most awkward family reunion in history#in other news#yes that is a washington post reference#i couldn’t resist#and of course the naboo have multiple flowers representing democracy#of course they do#the lyane rose is the flower padme’s parade dress in tpm is made to look like#also i’m continuing my one person campaign to write fema baab as a master spy#in all universes apparently#and finally it’s possible the bits with mon mothma at the end#conflict in minor ways with rogue one

Well, for starters, this is an AU so if anybody minds that it conflicts with Rogue One, that’s just… silly. (And I adored the movie and I ain’t bothered. ;) )

YES ANAKIN TALK TO YOUR NIECE AND DON’T BE SO RUDE. PADME IS PROBABLY FACEPALMING. HONESTLY, ANAKIN.

And what I probably should have started this sort-of review with is that I’m SO GLAD that one tumblr post snowballed into something that made you want to write something as glorious as this. Thank you so much for actually doing it!

AND POOJA IS SO AMAZING. I just… I love the potential of Padme’s nieces as characters. I bet they were amazing. <3 And I love the way you flesh out the Naberries. *gives them all some much-needed hugs*

Oh yes, and the way that this fic is predominantly female characters is lovely. That’s always a plus. :) (Mon Mothma was great. I loved her. And she’s totally enjoying the knowledge that Darth Vader sent an important message through flowers. :D )

I love Pooja’s assessment that Palpatine had never forgiven Padme for being a better person and not being as ambitious as he was. That’s great. :D

I love Leia and Pooja being friends (oh my gosh, they’re cousins and they don’t even know it and cousins who are good friends is a thing I love). And Leia being so gleeful about her bestie’s symbolic shenanigans is wonderful. (I just… it’s odd, maybe, but I just feel like Leia and Anakin are sort of besties—they have a lot that they share with each other that they can’t share with anyone else. They’re unknowingly biological father and daughter, basically adoptive father and daughter… and they’re besties. And that makes me so happy. :) )

“One day we’ll tell all the stories again. And we’ll have flowers.” —I LOVE THIS LINE.

I have to admit, I wouldn’t have thought that there could be a purge of Senators when the Senate is abolished, but it makes sense. And honestly, that part was truly scary in a way that I haven’t felt from any fics in a long time. Maybe because it was a little more real? Pooja’s amazing, but she’s not Force-sensitive and she doesn’t exactly have the Skywalker luck to get out of Situations. (Heck, maybe it even connected with some old recurring nightmares of mine subconsciously, now that I think about it.) That was genuinely scary. *shivers*

So thank goodness Anakin could give Pooja that message, and thank goodness Pooja and her handmaidens and her family got safely away! Here’s hoping she and Anakin saved a lot of lives!

Oh my goodness this comment is epic! :)

Anakin’s always had an awkward streak, but combined with the additional awkwardness of interacting with someone he hasn’t seen in years, who happens to think he’s dead and to be terrified of the person she thinks he is...and then on top of that the realization that, having determined she can indeed read the flower message, he has no idea where to take the conversation next.... Welp. Better to just nope on out of there.

(Also Darth Vader is frequently awkward in the movies and I feel like fandom doesn’t talk about that enough, so I’m on a quest to write awkward!Vader as often as possible.)

I’m glad you enjoyed all my Naberrie headcanons! I had lots of fun with them and I really need to write them more.

Mon Mothma was great. I loved her. And she’s totally enjoying the knowledge that Darth Vader sent an important message through flowers. :D 

She so is. Honestly she’s probably hoping for The Reveal just so she can finally tell people this ridiculous but true story.

I love Pooja’s assessment that Palpatine had never forgiven Padme for being a better person and not being as ambitious as he was. That’s great. :D 

Thanks! I suspect Pooja is right on the money, too, though of course she doesn’t know that Palpatine also has the joy of tormenting Anakin with his endless parties on the anniversary of Padme’s death. But I think he’d have done the same thing even without Anakin, because he really did hate Padme on her own account.

Pooja and Leia already having a pretty close friendship is going to make at least one part of The Reveal easier. And yeah, I think Leia and Anakin do see each other primarily as friends, with a father-daughter dynamic because it’s a friendship with that level of age gap. It’s not unlike the relationship between Shmi and Anakin, actually: a parent-child relationship that’s really a partnership, a relationship between equals. Leia calls Anakin her teacher, and he does consider her his student (though he’s never actually used that language), but the relationship doesn’t look anything like any teacher-student relationship in his experience. He’s not her master, and neither of them have ever called her his apprentice. He doesn’t give her orders. He doesn’t tell her not to ask questions. They’re friends.

My headcanon for this ‘verse is that the entire Senatorial contingent of the Rebellion got out before Palpatine dissolved the Senate, so this operation, at least, was a resounding success. :) And while Palps must think that someone tipped them off, it certainly couldn’t have been Vader, who was light years away chasing down Princess Leia above Tatooine, and who has always hated politicians anyway.

[starfriday]

Junglee Pictures present ‘Junglee’

About Raj- Vidyut Jammwal

One of the top 6 global martial artists across the globe, Vidyut Jammwal is famously known as the 'New Age Action Hero' of Hindi film industry. Known as one of the authorities on Kalaripayattu in the country, Vidyut believes in art of balancing the mind and body while working out.

His Bollywood innings, has been a super hit with movies like Commando, Force and Baadshaho in the list.

Vidyut has an exciting  line up for 2019. His first film in 2019-Junglee is all set to release.  His next is third instalment of the hit Commando franchise followed by Mahesh Manjrekar's upcoming gangster drama Power.

About his character

A city vet in his early thirties, Raj is single, successful and down-to-earth. He has two passions in life: the martial art of kalaripayattu, and animals. He has a special love for elephants, amongst whom he grew up at his parents' rehabilitation centre in Orissa. He is heroic when it comes to standing up for his values, which are honesty, kindness and courage, and will not back down when confronted by those who challenge these beliefs. He is deeply affected by the premature death of his mother, and still misses her fiercely when we meet him 10 years after her passing. He has some displaced anger to deal with, but he channels this into his daily kalari practice.

About Shankara- Pooja Sawant

Pooja Sawant is a versatile famous actor in the Marathi industry. She started her career in the year 2010 with a multi starrer film called Kshanbar Vishranti. Since then Pooja has been a part of more than 15 Marathi movies and has given hits like Poshter Boyz and Dagadi Chaawl. Apart from films Pooja has been a part of several Marathi shows. This animal lover wishes to start a NGO for animals in future.

With family action adventure Junglee, Pooja is set to make her debut in Hindi films where she would be seen playing role of an elephant mahout- Shankara.

Shankara is a woman that is comfortable in her own skin. She is a rare female mahout - only the second one in all of India. She is physically strong but very gentle. She is fiercely loyal, and would sacrifice her life for a friend. Shankara is very rooted in the world and traditions of elephant sanctuary and hasn’t had much outside exposure. Yet, she’s not naïve or conventional. She is intelligent and informed, and very attractive in an earthy way.

About Meera- Asha Bhat

Asha Bhat is a beauty pageant winner and an engineer from Karnataka. She won the Miss Supranational pageant of the year 2014 and became the first Indian to win the said pageant. Asha is a trained Bharatnatyam dancer for more than 15 years and a trained carnatic music vocalist, Madhubani painting artist and loves to plays musical instrument Veena.

Acclaimed athlete, National level shooter and NCC cadet, the stunner is far more used to walking in boots than high heels! Asha has worked with established brands like Yamaha Motor Company, Close-Up and Femina. She is also a social activist and has founded an NGO called the Astra foundation.

With family action adventure Junglee, Asha is set to make her debut in Hindi films where she would be seen playing role of a wildlife journalist who feels passionately about animals and wants to cover story of elephant sanctuary of Raj’s (Vidyut Jammwal) father.

Born and raised in Mumbai, Meera is a city girl. She has a strong personality who carries empathy for all living beings. She is a compulsive planner and makes sure she’s prepared for any and every situation. She is fashion conscious but also aware of the world and has travelled extensively.

About Junglee Pictures –

Established in 2014, Junglee Pictures is the films division of The Times of India Group. In short span of over 4 years, the studio has achieved unprecedented success with commercially and critically applauded films like Talvar, Bareilly Ki Barfi, Raazi and Badhaai Ho.

Junglee Pictures aims to produce entertaining films for the Indian theatre going audience as well as the ever-growing diaspora market. The company is also co-producing films in collaboration with creative minds across the world.

Spearheaded by able guidance of Ms. Priti Shahani, the studio is ready to present another genre defining film Junglee. A family action adventure, Junglee is directed by Hollywood legend Chuck Russell and stars leading action star Vidyut Jammwal. The film is set to hit the theatres on March 29th, 2019.

[southasia]

        In today’s society,arranged marriages are not as popular or favored by the new generation. They feel it’s important to know their future spouse before hand and not go blindly into a marriage. These ‘love marriages’ don’t usually sit well with the older generation. This script explores the nerve racking process of informing your parents of your potential future spouse. It also emphasizes the importance of family in South Asian culture and how that impacts a person’s life. 

NOT SO ARRANGED 

CHARACTERS:

SAPNA KAPOOR – MAIN FEMALE PROTAGONIST

AYAN CHOPRA – MAIN MALE PROTAGONIST

ANUSHKA KAPOOR – SAPNA’S MOTHER

ARJUN KAPOOR – SAPNA’S FATHER

SADAF CHOPRA – AYAN’S MOTHER

ROHAN CHOPRA – AYAN’S FATHER

POOJA CHOPRA – AYAN’S YOUNGER SISTER

 Sapna and Ayan think it’s time to let their parents know about their relationship. In hopes they’ll allow the two to marry, the loving couple set up a dinner date for their families. With their future on the line, Sapna and Ayan do their best to impress the parents, but things don’t go according to plan. (Comedy) (Drama)

 SCENE ONE:

EX. UNIVERISTY COURTYARD - AFTERNOON

A university courtyard on a spring afternoon. The sun is shining bright while Sapna and Ayan sit on the grass with their books around them. The two are talking intensively about a serious matter which almost breaks into an argument. The birds are chirping in background as students walk around the yard. There are other students sitting on the grass either talking or studying.

Sapna slams her book shut to emphasize her frustration.

SAPNA

    Well why not? We can’t hide this forever. Soon enough they’ll marry me off to some third cousin and you’ll still not say anything. It’s the perfect timing. No one’s past away in our family, my dad’s not fighting with his sister anymore and my grandma and mom are okay with each other.

Ayan makes a hesitating face

AYAN

    What if they don’t like me? They’ll shun me out forever and I’ll never see you again. And you know how strict my parents are. The only girls they’ll let me talk to is my sister or my cousin.

Sapna erupts in laughter.

SAPNA

    Your cousin Neha? Oh, that’s too good!

Ayan nudges her with his elbow

AYAN

    That’s not funny. I can’t even stand to be in the same room as her, imagine us married. It’s like a living nightmare. What if we do get married?

SAPNA

    I’ll be there at your wedding cheering you on. But seriously, you have to tell your parents. If you don’t, I will and I can’t wait to hear how angry your parents get when my parents call them to inform them about our lovely relationship.

AYAN

    Oh, that’s just evil.

Ayan sighs.

    Fine. I’ll tell them, but don’t expect them to like you.

Sapna squeals in joy.

SAPNA

    Oh, great! But who knows, what if everything goes well and we are worrying for nothing.

AYAN

    Ha, what world do you live in?

Sapna looks to the sky.

SAPNA

    I can’t wait to see Neha’s face when she finds out.

AYAN

    And my mom’s face when she realizes what a disgrace I am.

SAPNA

    Oh, and my dad’s face when he finally sees I’m not his perfect daughter.

Sapna and Ayan both turn to face each other.

SAPNA & AYAN

    I want out.

SAPNA

No, Ayan you agreed, I didn’t.

AYAN

    And this is your idea, not mine.

SAPNA

    But now I’m thinking it would be easier to just run away to Alaska and live in the wilderness. We can have some really cute matching camouflage outfits and our parents could think that we’re just dead so we’ll never have to meet them again. And then we’ll have a family and we’ll tell our children their grandparents are shape shifting bears but then something happened and now they’re stuck as bears. So anytime they see a bear they’ll think it’s their grandparents, so they don’t feel left out. And then one day, we’ll……

Ayan puts his hand over Sapna’s mouth

AYAN

    Or we could just tell them?

Sapna pulls Ayan’s hand down to her chin.

SAPNA

    Alaska sounds more fun.

Ayan raises his eyebrows.

SAPNA

    Fine, telling the parents it is. But it has to be done tonight.

AYAN

    Good, we’ve come to agreement.

 SCENE TWO:

INT. THE KAPOOR HOUSE – EVENING

Anushka is in the kitchen cooking dinner vigorously while Arjun is watching a cricket match between Pakistan and India. The noise from the cooking and television surrounds the household. Sapna enters hoping to get past her parents to buy more time.

ANUSHKA

    Sapna! Oh, Sapna is that you! Come here!

Sapna turns on her heels and straightens her back. She stands in the kitchen door way.

SAPNA

    Yes, Mama?

Anushka turns her back away from the cutting board on the kitchen counter.

ANUSHKA

    Did you greet your father, yet?

Sapna turns her head to the living room.

SAPNA

    Hello, papa! I’m home!

Arjun raises his hand in response, but maintains his attention on the television.

ANUSHKA

    How many times do I tell you, you have to go up to your father, not yell across the room. Respect! Come here. Chop the lettuce and tomato for the salad.

Sapna goes to the cutting board and begins to chop.

ANUSHKA

So, how was your day, beta? Did your presentation go well?

SAPNA

    Ya, I did great! My teacher said I was excellent.

Anushka looks over Sapna’s shoulder. She taps her head with her hand.

ANUSHKA

    Chop thinner slices. That’s too big. Your father will choke on these pieces.

SAPNA

    Okay, okay, okay Mama.

Sapna angrily chops the lettuce head into two.

 SCENE THREE:

INT. THE CHOPRA HOUSE – EVENING

    The household is completely quiet. Pooja sits in her room listening to loud music on her headphones while reading a book. Rohan remains at work and is not present. Sadaf is silently sweeping the floor.

    Ayan unlocks the door loudly and jingles the keys out of the lock. He grumbles as he enters, careless of the quiet environment.

Sadaf comes to the entry way.

SADAF

    Hello, beta. How was your day? Was it too cold outside?

Ayan is pulling his shoes off with both hands, while balancing on one foot. He grunts after each shoe comes off.

AYAN

    It was good. The weather was fine.

Ayan manages to pull off this second shoe and leaves them in the entry way. Sadaf picks them up and stores them in the closet.

AYAN

    Where’s Abu? Pooja!! I’m home!

SADAF

Your father is still at work, he’ll be home in half an hour.

AYAN

Good. I have to tell you all…… something important.

Pooja comes through the hallway and hears Ayan’s last words.

POOJA

    Something important? Are you going to drop out of school? No wait, let me guess, your running away to London and gonna live with Saashi Masi. Noooooo. You’re not pregnant are you?

AYAN

    Shut up, Pooja. It’s something else.

SADAF

    Eh, respect, both of you.

Pooja sticks out her tongue and Ayan gives her the middle finger as Sadaf has her back towards the two. Sadaf leaves to continue her sweeping.

POOJA

    So, you’re finally gonna tell them about Sapna.

AYAN

    Yes, I’m gonna tell them, you’re not. Keep your nose out of this.

Pooja squeals in joy.

POOJA

    Oh, I can’t wait! I’m finally gonna have an older sister. You better not mess this up. This is may be my only chance at having a great older sister. I don’t want to have Neha as a sister.

Pooja overdramatically shivers.

 SCENE FOUR:

INT. THE KAPOOR HOUSE – EVENING

The Kapoor family is having dinner. Anushka and Arjun eat at a fast pace, despite there being no hurry. Sapna picks at her food, eating in small bites.

Sapna drops her spoon on her plate to get her parents’ attention.

SAPNA

    I’m dating someone!

Sapna closes her eyes to bear any reaction from her parents.

ARJUN

    Dating? What is this dating? Anushka, what is she talking about?

SAPNA

    (In a quick tone)His name is Ayan Chopra, he has a younger sister named Pooja. His parents are Rohan and Sadaf Chopra. They are a good family, he’s studying to become a neurosurgeon and he’s a good boy. No criminal record, he respects his family and I want to marry him.

Pause.

Anushka and Arjun look at each other and smile wide.

ARJUN

    Sapna, do you have his home phone number? I want to speak to this father.

SAPNA

    Um, uh, yea Papa. But his father is still at work. He’ll be home in about ten minutes. Wait, are you too okay with me dating someone behind your back and wanting to marry him?

ARJUN

    I think I’ll very much like this boy.

Anushka nods her head.

ANUSHKA

    I think he’s absolutely wonderful. What is his name, again? Arvin?

SAPNA

    Ayan, Mama.

ANUSHKA

    Yes, yes, Ayan. Good name too.

 Sapna begins to eat her dinner with pleasure.

SCENE FIVE:

INT. THE CHOPRA HOUSE – EVENING

The Chopra family is eating dinner ever so quietly. Ayan is eating loudly as his nerves are getting to him. Rohan, who recently arrived, has noticed Ayan’s behaviour.

ROHAN

    Ayan, what’s the hurry? Slow down.

Ayan lifts his head form his plate and chews his food.

POOJA

    Abu?

ROHAN

    Yes?

POOJA

    Ayan has something to tell you.

Ayan widens his eyes and tried to kick Pooja who sits opposite him.

ROHAN

    Well, tell us Ayan, what is it?

AYAN

    Well, uh, um, uh.

Everyone waits in anticipation.

    AYAN

    I have been seeing this girl at school and we want to get married.

SADAF

    Who is she?

AYAN

    Sapna Kapoor. Parents, Arjun and Anushka Kapoor.

POOJA

    She’s really pretty, Mama. You’ll like her.

ROHAN

    (To Pooja) You’ve met her.

Pooja nods her head. Rohan begins to mumble, thinking hard about the name Kapoor.

ROHAN

    Okay, when can we meet her?

AYAN

    Here, Friday night at 6:00 over dinner and chai.

ROHAN

    Great. I’ll call to confirm the plans.

AYAN

    (confused) Great.

SCENE SIX:

INT. THE KAPOOR AND CHOPRA HOUSE – NIGHT

Ayan and Sapna are talking on the phone. Arjun and Rohan are also having a conversation over the phone and sound very happy, almost like old friends.

AYAN

    Are you hearing what I’m hearing?

SAPNA

    They’re laughing. This is a good sign right?

AYAN

    Better than good, this is frickin’ awesome! You think our moms will be the same.

SAPNA

    Oh, totally. My mom hasn’t stop kissing my cheek for finding such a good boy. God, I never thought our parents would react like this.

AYAN

    Right, I think my mom is unpacking her wedding dress right about now.

Sapna laughs in response.

SAPNA

    So,

AYAN

    So,

SAPNA

    Everyone seems excited, for the dinner I mean

AYAN

    I am too.

Arjun and Rohan are speaking loudly on the phone, overjoyed with the conversation.

AYAN

    Are they like distant relatives or something?

SAPNA

    More like long lost brothers.

 SCENE SEVEN:

INT. THE CHOPRA HOUSE – AFTERNOON

The day is here, the Kapoors are over for dinner at the Chopra’s. Both families are eager to met, yet nervous.

The doorbell rings while the Chopra’s make last minute adjustments.

POOJA

    Ahhhh, they’re here!

SADAF

    Keep your voice down. Open the door.

Pooja opens the door and the Kapoors enter. Arjun and Rohan embrace each other with open arms, patting each other on the back. Sadaf and Anushka greet each other and are instantly engulfed in conversation about their families. Pooja is clinging onto Sapna while Ayan tries to set her free.

ROHAN

    (To Arjun) introduce me to your lovely daughter.

ARJUN

    (Placing a hand behind Sapan’s back) this is my daughter, Sapna

SAPNA

    Hello, uncle, aunty.

After brief conversations, Arjun and Rohan go to the living room and begin a conversation about Rohan’s business. Anushka and Sadaf enter the kitchen to prepare dinner. Sapna, Ayan and Pooja head upstairs to Pooja’s room. The rest of the evening goes smoothly as the two families sit down for dinner.

SCENE EIGHT:

INT. THE CHOPRA HOUSE – EVENING

Both families are seated at the dinner table.

SADAF

    So, Sapna what are you studying?

SAPNA

    I’m doing a masters in journalism while trying to find an internship at a local newspaper.

ROHAN

    Journalism is a great field to go into.

ARJUN

    That’s exactly why I told her to study it.

Ayan and Sapna look at each other and roll their eyes that their fathers’ obvious attempt to impress each other.

ANUSHKA

    And Pooja, how are you’re classes?

POOJA

    Second year of high school is going great.

AYAN

    Ha, yea right? How about that assignment you failed?

POOJA

    (To Sadaf) Mama, tell him to stop.

AYAN

    So, uncle how do you and Abu know each other?

ARJUN

    (Laughs) How do we don’t. He’s a classmate, neighbour, past business partner and the only friend my father approved of.

Rohan erupts in laughter.

ROHAN

    You forgot about the cleaning lady!

Everyone laughs.

SAPNA

    Papa, you had a business with uncle? You never mentioned it. What was it?

ARJUN

    It was years ago, and it was just small business. Not too important.

SADAF

    I don’t think so, Arjun Bhai. Your Paan Shop was a good success.

AYAN

    (almost spitting his drink) A Paan shop? Ah, ha, ha! What was it called? A & R’s Paan Palace?

Sapna and Pooja erupt in laughter.

SAPNA

    Or, or Papa’s Paan.

Everyone cannot control their laughter and giggles.

ROHAN

    No, no, no

ANUSHKA

    (To Arjun) Do you want to tell them the actual name?

POOJA

    What was the actual name?

SADAF

    It was called ‘PAAN’

Everyone remains silent.

SAPNA

    I like mine better.

Ayan and Pooja smile.

ANUSHKA

    (Smiling) you know, that’s where Sadaf and I met your fathers.

AYAN

    I guess no one could resist the Paan Princes.

ARJUN

    Ayan, make fun all you want, but it was a huge success!

AYAN

    So what happened?

Arjun looks at Rohan and then down at his plate. The parents feel awkward at Ayan’s question.

AYAN

    (Looking around)Did I say something wrong?

Everyone remain silent and continues to eat their dinner. The parents feel awkward after Ayan’s question.

ROHAN

    Some things……… are meant to be short term.

ARJUN

(Chuckles) Short term? I wasn’t the one that left the country.

ROHAN

    I wasn’t going to give up the opportunity for a better business just so I could stand behind a counter and make paan.

ARJUN

     One simple note. You didn’t even leave a simple note. You got on a plane and left. Your milk man was the one who told me the news. But my friend of 20 years didn’t.

Everyone is beginning to be uncomfortable.

ROHAN

    If I told you, you would have never let me go. You would have convinced me into staying and I would not be here today, with my own business.

ARJUN

    You had a business! With me!

ROHAN

    Paan does not feed a family, it barely feeds two!

Silence.

ROHAN

    (Low voiced) You’ve always been jealous of me.

ARJUN

    That’s it! This is why your mother liked me better! And I wasn’t even her son!

Sapna and Ayan look at each other in fear.

SADAF

    Kids, go to the living room.

Sapna, Ayan and Pooja head into the kitchen in order to continue hearing the conversation.

ANUSHKA

    Arjun, keep your voice down.

ROHAN

    (Standing) You’re just sitting on your couch watching T.V., right? Wow, nothing’s changed. Do you still get your mother to feed you?

ARJUN

    (Standing) No, I get your mother to feed me!

ROHAN

    (Outraged) she’s dead!

Silence.

Anushka and Sadaf leave the two and enter the kitchen to continue to hear the conversation.

ARJUN

    (Sitting)When?

ROHAN

    (Sitting)It’s been 7 months. I thought of calling you, but I didn’t know where you were. So, when I heard Ayan say your name, I thought it was a second chance for us.

ARJUN

    25 years. It’s been 25 years since I last saw you.

ROHAN

Nothing has changed. Well, except for your hair loss.

The two giggle.

ARJUN

    So, when’s the wedding?

THE END.

[tellywoodtrash]

ishqbaaz 05.09.18 lb

... so zero resolution to that conversation yesterday??? 

i suppose there was nothing more to be said. 

but man, i’m kinda bitter at anika’s accusations. all mohit was doing was fussing over nancy. shivaay jumped out of a building and walked into one that’s on fire, and then electrocuted himself for this chick here, and she has the gallll to be like oh nancy is so lucky just because mohit is fucking toweling her hair or some shit????? 

anyway...

ouff bed and sofa issues again. itnaaaa bada bed toh hai. just both of you sleep on it and stick to your sides. 

or do you not trust yourself to do that, shivaay? 

lmaooooo shivaay, so she literally gets the WORST part of having a husband? “obeying” one? fuck off, that’s not what she wants. 

OMG OMG OMG OMG THEY’RE PLAYING OLD O JAANA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ASDKJFKJSDH I AM ACTUALLY EMOTIONAL!!!!!!!!! I LOVE OLD O JAANA SO MUCHHHHHHHH

WHY IS SHE SUCH A CREEPY STARER?????????? STOP IT ANIKA. IT’S WEIRD.

there’s someone actually monitoring the cctvs of the house???? 

the images on the screens make no sense though. there’s multiple shots and angles of the living room, some where the lights are on, some where they’re off, so fucking random. 

also, as we’ve long suspected, there ARE cameras in shivaay’s room. but it’s currently showing it as lit up and empty. which is not the case. 

yeah i’d get these cameras looked into if i was you guys.

guess khanna’s not the only nikkamma security staff. they’re all idiots.

oh hello shady person aka mohit. 

lmaoooooooooooooooooo whut? also, what does this accomplish? only the display is damaged. the cameras are still doing their things. 

EEEEEEEE TIME FOR #RIKU OF THE DAY. 

lmao “taj ki titli paani mein kya giri, humare toh poore plan pe paani phir gaya.”

gauri’s hair is so big today. (because it’s full of secrets.) 

caught by di!!!!!!!! 

lol their faces. 

priyanka very valiantly taking the fall for her lady love. 

lol how cute, their excitement that di liked it. 

“par dobara aisa mat karna.”

lolololol at gauri’s “hein???” 

ohhhhhhhhh boy, even these two are getting the bullshit kismat waala lecture. 

lmao she’s giving it to the wrong ppl though, coz these two are kismat writers. they’re not gonna stop meddling. 

JIJU AAYE NAHI, GAURI NE TURANTTTTT PALTI MAARI. INSTANTLY PLAYING IN HIS TEAM AND THROWING HER OWN SISTER UNDER THE BUS. 

i don’t even give a fuck about what’s happening in this scene coz again, they’re playing old o jaana and aaaaaaaaaaah. love ittttttttt. 

ok no lemme rewind and focus. 

“buraai kar rahi thi meri?”

“kyun, itna bhi haq nahi hai mera?’ 

LMAOOOOOOOOOO PRINKU’S FACE AND THE WAY THAT CHESHIRE CAT GRIN JUST GREW. 

gauri can play on team jiju all she wants, but prinku is most definitely on team bhaabi with the rest of her siblings.

“khanna tum jab bhi aate ho, koi na koi problem lekar aate ho, aaj kaunsi nayi baat hai...” 

lmaooooooo wtf. it’s not HIS fault you live in a house of horrors and every single person in the world wants to murder you???? 

oh so you dgaf about your family and their safety, just the guests’ safety????? 

lo aa gaya apna jaadugar saiyaan. 

aur uski corpse bride. 

the newspaper’s name is BREAKING NEWS OF INDIA. snort. 

titli’s face isn’t changing one bit from that placid smile even as her husband talks about how she was harassed. lord. 

when you surprise SHIVAAY with your stories of phenking things... that’s rare. you win, for the day. 

tag yourself. i relate to prinku the most here. 

lmao wow titli’s face changed. from bland smile at sexual harrassment, to this stone face of appreciation. 

ugh can they stop with this “taj ki titli” garbage. it sounds ridiculous. 

every time mandana talks, my brain just starts playing elevator music. 

anika needs to get over this weird idealized crush she has on them as a couple. 

yes, please leave, mohit; you’re very annoying. 

god anika, please also get over this obsession you have with his magic. 

ugh why is he so extraaaaaaaa and weirddddddd?????? 

is shivaay jealoussssssssss of anika’s winning smileeee at paraaya mard? 

lol nope, just suspicious of iske dimaag mein kya chal raha hai.

godddddddd one jaadugar was not enough ki ab anika bhi ussi mein lag gayi hai. 

they’re really bringing back alllll the OU music and i’m so happy. 

LMAO @ ANIKA TRYING TO DO MAGIC WITH A BELAN. 

kaash hermione yahaan hoti to correct her pronunciation. ( “it’s not jhingalalahoo, it’s jhinGAA-LAAlahoo.”)

wow, jhingalalahoo is the spell to summon a husband! who knew?????

“kya kar rahi thi tum?”

“jadoo.”

“woh toh tum waise bhi karti ho.” 

OUFF. WHAT A LINE. WHAT A FUCKING LINE. AND THIS MAN THINKS HE’S NOT IN LOVE WITH HER???????? WHAT A DUMBASS. 

... so a google search was all it took to dispel her impression of magic. 

MAN THIS GROWNASS 35 YEAR OLD MOTHERFUCKER THINKS MAGIC, ESPECIALLY THE AMATEUR BS THAT MOHIT’S BEEN DOING, IS A CHAMATKAAR? 

hey remember when just like 2 months ago, OU shivaay busted siddhi maaiii? i miss him and his rational mind now. 

ughhhhhhhhhhh pyaar ka jadoo. literally fuck offffffffff anika. 

ohohoho, he’s one of those “love is a neurochemical con” kinda ppl. like me. BUT DON’T BE LIKE ME, SHIVAAY. LOOK WHAT A PRETTY WIFE YOU HAVE. I WOULD BELIEVE IN LOVE IF I WAS MARRIED TO SOMEONE THIS PRETTY.

“aap maane ya na maane, lekin jadoo ek din sar charh ke bolega.” 

another one of anika’s challenges. 

and he’s scared. coz so far, he’s lost all of them. every single one. 

MOHIT MOHIT MOHITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT. OUFFFFFFFF. GO FORCE-MARRY HIMMMMMMMM IN THE MANDIR THEN. 

lol aw, him mirroring her hand pat with his belan. too cute!

great, she’s started snooping around mohit’s room. 

GOD SHE’S SOOOOOOOOO NOSY. JUST RANDOMLY OPENING UP ANYONE’S SHIT. 

great, nancy hasn’t learnt her lesson and is fucking around with her magic shit next to the pool again. 

god the setups to lead shivaay into temptation with this zinda laash. soooooooo contrived. 

we already know what’s gonna happen. compromising situation, but anika and her andha vishwaas on his nirdoshta and maasoomiyat will not believe and all this will be pointless. 

SHIVAAY YOU’RE SUCH A DUMBASS. "SOUNDS GOOD LET’S DO IT.” HONESTLY. 

anika you are ruuuuuuuuuuuuude as fuck. who just goes through someone else’s stuff like this??????

lmao the shivika fangirls are nottttttttttttttttttttt going to be happy with this track. i don’t think shivaay’s ever cavorted like this with anyyyyyyyy other “temptation” in the show ever. 

ouffffffff ainvayi ka red herring. i reallllllllllllly don’t care about this bs. 

lmao this poor dumb son of a bitch and his denial. may the lord give him the strength to work through it quickly. 

ISHQ HAI AANSOON ISHQ HAI NAGHMA ISHQ SUKOON HAI RAAHAT HAI. 

NO YOU KNOW WHAT A SUKOON AND RAAHAT IS???? THIS SONG. PLEASE GOD NEVER STOP PLAYING IT I BEG OF YOU. 

god she’s literally soooooooooooooo cute. 

OMFG NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WHAT WHY IS GAURI PULLING A POOJA FROM HAHK AND FALLING DOWN THE STAIRS I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR THIS ADSLKJFLSDKJFLSDKJF

SAME SHIVAAY, SAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

oh thankkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk god she’s okay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

WHY DON’T YOU FUCKERS BELIEVE IN THE CONCEPT OF TAKING PEOPLE TO A HOSPITAL??? 

oh greatttttt the servants are in for it. 

mohit ko raat ki chai yeh kyun de????? ghar mein itne naukar toh hai. tujhe itna shauk hai toh tu jaake de. 

“aapko chehra bhi padhna aata hai?”

“sabka nahi. kissi kissi ka.” 

GOD SHIVAAY. JUST TELL HER YOU LOVE HER. 

UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HE RUINED IT WITH THAT DOST SHIT AGAIN. 

iske baad zindagi mein anika kissi se bhi “dosti” nahi karegi. she’ll have grown sick and tired of the concept itself. 

oufffffffff anika, just accept his nice gesture and the sentiment behind it. stop lecturing him on shaadi. fucking hell man, i try so hard to be on your team and you just... 

he should watch his khud ka cctv ka footage. then maybe he’ll see what a lovesick fool he is for his “dost”. 

yup, nancy is full on chance pe dance maarofying on shivaay tomorrow. 

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh boy it’s looking like a veryyyyyyy rapey situation the way he’s struggling. WHY IS THIS FUCKING SHOW LIKE THISSSSSSSSSSSSSSS????? 

[leftrightleftallthetime]

Episode 44 (45) or Huda realises he’s in love but it’s already too little too late

Episode link: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qiW5wmjYA98

Pooja has not heard Ali’s confession, as the tv is shut off he yells that he’s an idiot, Pooja ends up laughing. Ali tells her that he always wants to see her happy and from today his mission is to find her real Rohit. She tells him she’ll forgive him if Sehwag hits a six, Ali waits nervously and even Pooja prays and as that six is hit, they look at each other.

The next morning Naina knocks on Raj’s door and he invites her in. He’s looking at tarot cards and tells her he regards them as a type of code. Raj asks if she’ll try and she picks up six cards.

Raj looks at the cards seriously and says they tell him that there’s something in her mind that’s disturbing her and she’s come to discuss it with him.

Naina says she shouldn’t have behaved that way in Major Nair’s class, she forgot her mission and lost her way. Raj tells her that only those who are going forward can lose their way, she’ll only lose if she gives up and stops trying to move forward.

Naina asks Raj if there was ever a time when her brother lost his way. He remembers a phone call from Naveen (who calls him Veeru which I think is adorable), and tells him he can’t concentrate on work as there’s someone he can’t get off his mind.

Raj tells Naina that maybe Naveen did, but he had a strong will and knew how to get control of himself again. Naina thanks him and as she’s about to leave asks if there was anyone in her brother’s life. Raj tells her that just as she doesn’t like to discuss her personal life, Naveen also never gave him any details.

Huda is still thinking about what Alekh told him, unable to believe that he might be in love with Naina. He tries to flirt with another girl and fails miserably, remembering Naina shouting at him. He tries again with another girl and again fails. He says he’ll have to take an appointment with Dr Ritu as soon as possible.

At Yudi’s house, Neelu comes bringing water in a salwar kameez. Alekh asks Yudi how many sisters he has. Yudi tells Neelu to ask Alekh whatever she needs to in private, they shouldn’t know Alekh is from jail.

Alekh almost says he’s from jail at the table only for Yudi to turn it into Jaisalmer. Neelu plays footsie with him under the table which starts him off coughing. Alekh tries to nudge Neelu back and accidentally gets Yudi’s Mum.

Neelu takes Alekh to ‘use the washroom’ and he smiles at her.

Lolitaji is lecturing about gallantry awards. Only Naina seems to find it interesting. Yudi asks how Alekh’s interview with Neelu went and he gives an excuse. Ali hands over a list of Rohit’s potential relatives.

Huda asks Naina if she’s seen a change in him and she tells him he’s even more annoying than before. Huda fools Naina into answering and she gives the wrong answer. She says his jokery isn’t going to make a difference and asks to change his seat.

The boys are all gathered in Ali and Alekh’s room. Alekh is drinking and saying the alcohol hasn’t made a difference and Huda says he knows where Alekh’s mind is these days. Yudi asks if they’ll tell him and Ali asks if they can all just go away so he can sleep.

Huda asks if they think girls like ‘ordinary’ guys like Captain Rajveer, or dudes like Huda. Why do the girls like him? Ali tells him it’s because the Captain is a hero and girls like heroes, Pooja has made him into Shahrukh Khan.

Yudi comments that some girls only like bad boys like his sister - she only likes awaara kameena types 😂

Huda asks who they think Naina would like - Ali says ordinary guys, and Yudi agrees. Qualities like loyalty, honesty and integrity are important to Naina, of which Huda doesn’t even know the answer 😂

Huda reminds Yudi that he was going to introduce him to Madonna, who ruined everything for him with Naina. He gives him an ultimatum to bring her by tomorrow. Yudi thinks that he can do something more than that.

Dressed as Madonna he enters the girls’ hostel, knocking on Naina’s door. ‘Madonna’ tells Naina that she is going forever and to give Huda a letter if she can. Madonna and Huda have apparently had a son who has been left at an orphanage and whose face looks like Huda’s.

Yudi’s plan is ruined when Naina insists that they will go and confront Huda together.