Qalandar
I promise somewhat irregular posts on (in no particular order) Indian politics, cinema, and anything else that catches my fancy... Why "Qalandar"? So-called "liminal" religious traditions are a particular interest of mine, and "qalandar" is the sort of untranslatable, ambiguous, yet enormously evocative word that for me touches upon and articulates the experience of the sub-continent's "little" traditions in a particularly memorable way...not to mention the fact that in popular lingo the word has more than a merely religious/spiritual connotation, and can mean a bunch of other things, including a smart alec, wannabe, what-have-you...
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"whether it disturbs you or not isnt my concern "
I wish the admin bans you! You are worse than ...
From being most common bird to their total disappearance from cities within a very short span of time (last 10-15 ...
what i comment about is my prerogative manoj - whether it disturbs you or not isnt my concern :-) 
Ihab,since you like Hrithik, would you like to elaborate on you watching Krrish 16 times in Theatres :cool: 
I have good expectations from Kites. I have enjoyed every Hrithik-Rakesh movie till now (Rakesh is not directing Kites though). ...
Manoj - a better dialogue in Shaadi se Pehle "Anna, chaubis ghante chaukanna" 
Ravi 5 August 2009
05:32:52 am
Nice thoughts Q bhai, as always.
Bash 5 August 2009
08:51:54 am
Junior NTR? So much thought needs to put to analyze the buffoon? Isn’t it he supposed to be just one-among those ‘massy’ heroes who dominate the Telugu film industry?
NTR Jr’s latest massy movie might break a few records. But it doesn’t mean that he is anywhere to close to his grandfather’s legacy. All talk about legacy and franchise are narcissistic dreams of carefully constructed NTR Jr persona and the gang working behind it. Is there anything REAL about it? Do you think people are fooled by it? Didn’t the same Jr star deliver grand flops are few years before?
Whats more confusing is, are you one of the cult followers, Q? You appear sensible from outside. But what is this obsession about legacy, heirloom and family franchise???
Ravi 5 August 2009
11:19:42 am
So, now you are a expert on Telugu films too? Good to know that.
Bash 5 August 2009
08:29:34 pm
Not an expert Ravi. I am clear enough to know that NTR Jr is as much as close to the legacy concept as much as Bachchan’s are with Sarkar raj franchise. I am clear that the Sarkar franchise fans are fans of RGV’s creation. Few among the most creative of the Bachchan fans keep distorting RGV’s brilliance to the legend of Bachchans, lineage and whatnot.
NTR Jr’s success is more in terms of the massy star that he is. The Physical similarity to NTR Sr, might have helped in the initial films. The later films he and his gang have been employing the same technique every other massy hero tries to employ. Damn punchlines, Great action scenes, wasted heroine, comedy track .. routine stuff.
Qalandar 6 August 2009
03:28:34 pm
Re: “But what is this obsession about legacy, heirloom and family franchise”
Given the significance the idea of star sons etc. has in the film industry, I am surprised to see this question — isn’t it obvious? Whatever one thinks of this sort of thing, its ubiquity and importance cannot be denied. Unless I put my head in the sand, it is something I have to account for in my mind. The specific case of NTR Jr. interested me because it seems to me that he’s doing something different with this “legacy” business than (e.g.) a Mahesh or a Hrithik, who are star kids but beyond that the films don’t reflect that fact — a film like Kantri (and even Yamadonga to an extent) ITSELF makes reference to the genealogy.
BTW, this discussion is unaffected by whether or not the “successor” is as successful as the “original” — only a madman would say any such thing about NTR Jr. (in fact, NTR’s success and longevity is not something that I think anyone anywhere else in India has matched; I am no expert on Telugu cinema, but that is my sense).
Qalandar 6 August 2009
03:31:34 pm
On a different note, I must say NTR Jr. is an awesome dancer. Simply outstanding –and he does it while retaining the masala touches, not to mention a kind of goofy delight in the proceedings. Kantri too features some outstanding sequences. [Thank god someone was dancing: Hansika Motwani is appalling in every department, acting, dancing, adaas, whatever].
Qalandar 6 August 2009
03:41:31 pm
Check out these two songs from kantri:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTeHoyE1_h0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....re=related
Bash 6 August 2009
08:27:32 pm
“Given the significance the idea of star sons etc. has in the film industry, I am surprised to see this question — isn’t it obvious?”
Well, actually careers of star sons of Bollywood are clear proofs that audience don’t attach the awe of the parent to the offspring. Its only purely how the star son or daughter handles their career that matters.
Same in the case of NTR Jr. The kind of choices he has made, in caching on the legacy, trying a bit politics on earliest phase of career etc … seems to be his way of managing his career.
Agree that NTR Jr is an awesome dancer. From whatever I had seen of him, he does have a persona, which I didn’t attract me much. Though had Mahesh Babu done the same role, I would have tolerated and even liked.