Still not a real post.

In keeping with the "I'm not posting about movies since I haven't had time to watch any lately" streak, I just wanted to bring all of your attention to my sister's latest livejournal post here, because I think everyone will get a kick out of it. She's a Bollywood fugger all her own.

All Khanned Out.... Over You....

've been tagged! Fifty percent off now through Sunday.

Or not. Rather, I've been tagged by Beth to list my four favorite Khans.

So, in the spirit of horrible puns, who is it that I khan't get enough of?

Well, firstly, I'll list Khan!, a 1975 crime/drama that ran for only one season. It's in first place because, well, EXCLAMATION POINT. Exclamation points for the win!

In second place there's 1982's Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan because my boyfriend likes Star Trek, and he wants his vote to count.

In third place I'll put choreographer Saroj Khan, who created the steps to possibly the world's most basmatic dance number ever, Mr. India's "Hawa Hawaii." Also to her credit: Devdas, Taal, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, and Khal Nayak, among dozens of others.

Tied for fourth I'm going to give some shout-outs to two talented playback singers, Adnan Sami Khan and Sunidhi Chauhan (birth name: Sana Khan). I especially owe Adnan Sami props for the video for "Kabhi Nahin," which features both Sami and Amitabh Bachchan making enormous fools of themselves for, I think, my personal amusement.

Of course, I've also got to wish Shahrukh Khan a very happy 41st birthday. Thank you, SRK, for being what drew me most into Bollywood; there was a time when I refused to watch films that didn't star you. You are the Rahul to my Anjali (Anjali the daughter, of course - I've got enough boyfriends already!). Last year at this time I was stalking you co-starring with you jumping with joy after having the chance to be an extra in KANK. This birthday, sadly, you are without my jumpingly joyful presence, but I hope you appreciate this as much as I do:

Being Cyrus, (2005)

Kamla lent me this film a while ago, and regrettable I’m only finding time now to write about it. She gave it to me, warning me that it’s not your typical Hindi film because, firstly, very little of it is actually in Hindi. Besides that, it has no naach-gaana, no romantic plotline, and characters you’d sooner find in an off-beat Hollywood or European film than in any sort of Indian movie. And all in half the running time of a typical Bollywood film!

Starring Saif Ali Khan, Naseeruddin Shah, Dimple Kapadia, Simone Singh, and Boman Irani, the story follows Cyrus (Khan) as he joins Dinshaw Sethna (Shah) as an assistant. Dinshaw’s wife, Katy (Kapadia), wants more than the laidback life of her pot-smoking husband, and uses Cyrus as a springboard into action. He becomes the catalyst in the downfall of an already dysfunctional family, which also includes the wealthy Farokh (Irani) and his much younger, meek wife (Singh). Nothing turns out according to plan, as people are not who they were made out to be.

Like Dinshaw, the film has a laidback quality that makes it hard to get into at first, but it doesn’t take long for it to evolve into a complex psychological drama with a dose of social commentary. I was particularly affected by the Sethna family’s treatment of their aging patriarch. Suffering from senility and confined to a cramped, dirty apartment with a restricted diet and broken things, despite his wealth, it was hard to feel compassionate for any character but him. This is not only a problem in India, however – neglect and mistreatment of the elderly is common in the U.S. as well.

It’s easy to envision this film being made in America or Europe – all that makes this a distinctly Indian film is the Bollywood cast. Overall, I’d recommend this film for those searching for atypical film fare, whether fans of Indian films or not.