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London Dreams (2009) Review
Arjun (Ajay Devgn) and Mannu (Salman Khan) are best friends since their childhood. Both share a passion for music. Arjun dreams of being a rock star and of performing at Wembley Stadium in England. Mannu is content playing the trumpet for his 'Raja-Rani Band' (lit. the 'King-Queen' Band) in their village in the Punjab. Arjun and his music group called 'London Dreams' (which includes Priya (Asin)) taste success in England, and eventually recruit Mannu to their group.
Mannu's incredible talent outshines everyone in the group, so much so that masses chant his name, TV shows refer to London Dreams as 'Mannu's band', and concert audiences demand more of him than any other performer. Arjun is uncomfortable (to say the least) with being overshadowed thus, and as his popularity declines, his faith and friendship are compromised. He is intent on achieving personal success. Question is, as it often is: At what cost?
This simple story is aided by some rather well-written dialogue and most importantly, by some very powerful performances by the lead cast. That is because the casting is perfect and plays to the actors' strengths. Ajay Devgn is traditionally reliable in roles requiring the quiet intensity of Arjun. Salman Khan, on the other hand, is notorious for his comic timing and fierce loyalty. Asin, in only her second Hindi film, is splendid, in a limited but significant role. Of course, there is a love triangle involved. ;)
Only fair to devote a paragraph to Salman here. His performance is a sheer joy to witness. Give him this -- a lot was said about him playing himself in Wanted earlier this year. While it might be true there isn't an actor who could've better portrayed that character, his performance in London Dreams is a testament to versatile talent he's chosen to not exploit in the recent past. Convincing as ever, and more than enough to not only own the film, but to portray a very different character than he has in a long time.
Good musicians make good music -- the beautiful soundtrack (Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy) is beautifully integrated. Again, the songs are extremely well-written, and sound better after the film. There's not a moment when they (and their lyrics) feel out of place, and that's a tribute to the film crew led by director Vipul Shah. The choreography is noteworthy as well, with Tapkey Masti by far my favorite. There's a sequence in which Mannu sings two couplets in various styles -- filmy, ghazal, hip hop, then rock -- which makes us wish the entire sequence were included in the soundtrack.
The magical combination of a good script, perfect casting, and great music, makes it easy for the audience to unleash the power of imagination to want to immerse themselves in the film and overlook its shortcomings (and there are some; but then, since when did believability become an absolute prerequisite to a film of this genre?). And that's really where London Dreams does its audience justice, and vice versa. Four stars for the finest core Bollywood entertainer of 2009. It's got style. It's got substance. It's got strong potential to make its audience shed tears of joy and sorrow. It's got veteran actors having a fun time, and it shows. And it's films like this that make us proud of and grateful for our unconditional love (one hopes!) of Bollywood! Of course, if you're not a fan of core Bollywood, you might dislike this.
Movie rating: 4/5 (Excellent!)
This would not be the same without Salman.
Music rating: 4/5 (Excellent!)
Cannot say enough of its integration and choreography.
My classification: PG-13 (for language/content)
Official website (and picture source): LondonDreamsFilm.com
Please note: Comparisons to Rock On (2008) are not at all warranted.
And finally...
I had the pleasure of watching this with Shweta of Apni East India Company (here's her review). She enjoyed following the 'Drug Lady' in the film, while I longed to see more of the 'Married Woman'. See the film to appreciate the intrigue! =)
49 comments:
Thank you so much for this wonderful review! This movie is no doubt one of the better ones released this year. I am so watching it again!
- Saturday, October 31, 2009
- veracious said...
Oh, you got to see the film with Shweta? That's awesome. I wish Bollywood bloggers lived in my area.. Er, and that we actually got films in theaters so I could check 'em out. :D
- Saturday, October 31, 2009
- bollywooddeewana said...
Wow you really liked this, some things just didn't suit right with me, i kept thinking of all the plotholes, i'm all for the leave your brains at home movies but such movies were cute back then
How the hell did Arjun fund his way through Music school from Childhood to adulthood
How did he manage to outrun the cops all the way from the airport and even find his way through London
Considering performances Salman was funny for sure and delightful but Asin's character was nothing more than a background character, her role wasn't fleshy enough for me but she did her best with what was given to her
There were some too filmy instances that had me rolling my eyes, like when Asin walked in on the other girl who set up a fake 'Bj' encounter with Salman as well as the scene where her father appears from no where to catch Salman flirting with her
Ok Ok i'm ranting too much but this film was average or should i say below average to me. I give it 4.5/10
- Saturday, October 31, 2009
- dunkdaft said...
Extremely exciting. Thats what i call about the movie. I was concerned about many things first was Ajay for rockstar. But in the first song itself he made me convinced. Also i was worried (silly though) how Gujju director will pull off such subject? That to got convinced in first half an hour . Absolutely engaging screenplay. It got me flattered when near finale, Sallu+Asin talks and at the same time Ajay+Rannvijay are talking.
- Saturday, October 31, 2009
- dunkdaft said...
Each dark scene with Ajay was a treat to watch. His intesity made it perfect. Asin was good too. But style bhai Salman is winner. As u said, i too just can't imagine the movie without him. Actually i get completely annoyed by such out and out loud Punjabi characters. But Sallu made it so perfect i just loved it. And given witty oneliners, he was outstanding. I was in splits during the 'plane' scene. (saara shehar bheeg jata, haha). Also the one 'champa Agni' (for champagne) :-D He has got my Best Actor award for this year after Wanted and this. No, i dont want Aamir to win this time :-/
- Saturday, October 31, 2009
- dunkdaft said...
Though the climax left me hungry for more. I wished if it would have concluded differently. It also ends with my favorite song, which was annoying cause you know indian audience, they start leaving the hall 5 minutes before credit rolls. Otherwise it was really well picturised. Not only that one, but each and every song was perfect. Tapkey Masti is my fav since promo. And 'barso yaro' left me speechless.
- Saturday, October 31, 2009
- Bhargav Saikia said...
London Dreams is not an original film. It's unquestionably a Bollywood take on Amadeus. The makers may deny it but that's the truth. And honestly, it has a kiddish screenplay. very amateurish.
Salman Khan is very good though. I enjoyed his acting after a very long time. Asin is good too. I like her screen presence.
for me, london dreams doesn't even come close to the best of the year.
- Saturday, October 31, 2009
- theBollywoodFan said...
Anonymous: Thank *you* for your visit and comment, glad you enjoyed the film! I'll definitely be getting it on DVD. Heck, I want to go check out 'Main Aur Mrs. Khanna' now, hear it's still playing at a theater not too far away (about an hour out).
Veracious: It's so much more fun to watch any film with someone who has a genuine passion for films! Completely different experience, enhances the film, no doubt. Especially when it's our fellow blogger and great friend Shweta, and we're involved in watching a Salman movie =) She kept me honest throughout, though. I'm a sucker for drama/friendship films with good music, LOL.
It's frustrating to not have places playing Hindi films. Any chances this might change? Is the demand that poor in your region?
- Saturday, October 31, 2009
- theBollywoodFan said...
BollywoodDeewana: Thanks for your take. Interesting. You're right about the plot holes, but I found them easy to overlook or fill in the blanks to. I'm still quite fine with every little detail not being explained/justified. Playing devil's advocate for a second, then...
How the hell did Arjun fund his way through Music school from Childhood to adulthood
Perhaps, just how he funded his way from the streets to the inn?
How did he manage to outrun the cops all the way from the airport and even find his way through London
Those were toy cops! Remember, this was well before security was stepped up all over. :P
Okay, that one pushes it by a lot. :D But you get the point. I find part of the fun lies in imagination.
Agreed on Asin. And those filmy instances too. The bit with the encounter was too filmy. I've always thought about how the solid 'pyaar' they say they have is so fragile. Never understood it. Just like how people aren't firing at wheels in a car chase =) But even Hollywood's supposedly sensible cinema is guilty of that yaar! I'm surprised they didn't take that bit with Asin's father a lot further. Can you imagine the potential?! There's a film within a film waiting to be written there! :D
- Saturday, October 31, 2009
- theBollywoodFan said...
Darshit: No more concerns, then! Glad you liked it, and those Salman one-liners really made it quite a treat. The scene in the plane was howlarious. I swear everyone there was laughing out loud and clapping and just having a merry time. Remember Mannu's reference to Diwali? :D
Ajay was fine. One really started hating him, and that's when we know he did his part more than well.
The bit I didn't like about the climax was all the water bottles. The boos would've sufficed. But still. It had me looking forward to how it would end, and that's a good sign. And you're absolutely right about most Indian audiences leaving early. But we stayed through the end credits (and it had good music, too!).
Not a big fan of awards, you know me, and Aamir could care less too. But it's quite clear Salman deserves to be recognized. He's bringing back the old-school Bollywood hero, and he's only proven he is second to none when he wants to be. This was fun!
Bhargav! I read about the Amadeus connection, and guess this is where my very low Hollywood IQ is an advantage :) Liked bits of the screenplay, especially those involving Salman. Could've been much better, though, yes. I meant best of the year in terms of the core Bollywood/escapist/drama stuff. I guess I'm an ideal audience for filmmakers, easy to please. :)
Really like that Salman has stepped it up this year. He's totally into this performance, and it's a treat to watch his act/antics.
- Saturday, October 31, 2009
- dunkdaft said...
Talking abt howlarious lines, the 'angrez' refrnces wer too good yet harmless. Like 'angrezo se badla lene ja raha hoo' ... Or 'faltu me bhaga diya, 20saal zyada rehte to humare yaha bhi aisa club hota' and yeah, the diwali phatakhe! Cant wait to own this on dvd :-)
- Saturday, October 31, 2009
- theBollywoodFan said...
Those were hilarious, absolutely. Interesting bit is we even talked about how that might be perceived by those who have demonstrated an extreme insensitivity the kind of humor. (Don't support it, but some of it, like here, is, in my view, not malicious at all. Not in a movie such as this, at least.) Of course, we laughed at our thought process, too. All innocent fun. :D
- Saturday, October 31, 2009
- talevizos said...
Not to be mean, but I found this movie almost unwatchable. Ajay Devgan gave a criminally uninvolved performance. They cast him because Arjun does bad things that requiring glowering. Fine, he's great at that. But acting like a pop star? He can't dance, he can't smile, he can't even wave without it looking like he forgot to take his muscle relaxants that morning.
Salman Khan -- who is so steroid pumped and hulkish now that he's simply ugly -- played yet another simpleton.
Asin's character had literally nothing to do. If you're American and of a certain age, perhaps you'll remember Tracy on the Partridge Family? Compared to Asin, Tracy was that band's Lennon AND McCartney. Pathetic.
In addition to rote, off-key, half-ass performances, the plot had way, way too many holes. Fine, lots of Bollywood movies do. But the good ones have an emotional truth or at least a tug that renders the plot contrivances sort of beside the point. This film was so paint-by-numbers as far as character development goes that all one can do is focus on how mindless the plot is. Honestly, I think the director revealed true contempt for his audience in foisting upon us such a hackneyed tale.
Back to Ajay: Can you imagine being a fan of such an insufferable prig of a star? Can you imagine picking up a fan magazine or listening to an interview in which he's expounding so pretentiously on his music. I mean, the guy wanted to be a POP STAR, not a great musician or artist. He wanted to play Wembley. THAT was his ambition (and talk about a lame set-up to explain why, WOW did this movie dish up a load of nonsense). Is it any wonder that the fans and the press would prefer Mannu to him?
I can't help but compare this movie to Rock On, which was fifty times more believable and enjoyable. And by the way, did any of you notice just how slapdash so much of the production was? At the end, when they reunite for their huge concert in the round, the background dancers in those red and white costumes moved with less precision than the cast of a suburban American junior high school musical.
Look, I love Bollywood. I love the joy and the music and the actors and all that. But only during the music video-style production number montages did the film come alive. Maybe it's because when Salman Khan appears in a crowd of 50, he's not close-up enough to recoil from.
Enough ranting. I'd just encourage everyone not to reward filmmakers with undue praise for shoddy work, though.
- Sunday, November 01, 2009
- theBollywoodFan said...
Hi Tim: Thank you for your visit and comment! I don't think anyone would purposefully praise shoddy work by filmmakers. (Or at least hope they wouldn't.)
There is always room -- and you know this -- in any medium as subjective as film, for major disagreements on the viewers' part. Differing points of view are inherent and only make life interesting.
I'm not a big Ajay Devgan fan, but his acting isn't bad at all. Assuming we agree about his uninvolved performance (and we clearly don't, but let's assume, anyway), isn't it true that there are countless egotisitical pop/rock stars out there who have horrible character and aren't very likeable, but who get tolerated and almost accepted because people have a tremendous liking for their voices or their music?! Haven't we seen that play out over and over again with celebrities who lead troubled lives?
And how can anyone vouch for *every* musician who's made it big, having made it big solely because he/she had the genuine ambition to be a great musician and not the ambition to be a pop star?
It's not as black and white in my eyes, and that's why I'm willing to overlook the plot holes that we agree exist. I think the emotional core is effective.
Finally, Rock On was a lot like Dil Chahta Hai. I don't think this is like Rock On at all. If it is, it is like Saajan (a classic love triangle) and Abhimaan (on artists' relationship issues) too. Don't think it's close, but I can appreciate how and why one would be reminded of the similarities.
- Sunday, November 01, 2009
I agree with Tim.This movie wouldn't go any close to being accepted in any departments for being the best.
I like Ajay D acting in general but this one is the worst ive seen.The way he carried his body was pretty awful and in the dance section he totally sucked..you may go on saying he is a singer in teh film and not a dancer then that wud be trying to be realistic..if that can be realstic thr shudnt be chance for imagination which you mentioned.It was like the director decided to get everything done in a single shot and package it and sell it.
Salman was okay and can be said its him who would can be considered to steer it to play for couple more days with some audience hitting the theatres.
- Sunday, November 01, 2009
I went to see this after reading your review. Took my siblings too. We all enjoyed it thoroghly! Thnx, Bolly Fan! THe muziq was fab, sumtimes I think the lyrix just go over the people's heads. Do they ever understand how the songs are so intricately weaved into the story?
Salman rocks! SO sweet.
- Sunday, November 01, 2009
Well, I don't know what to think now. 'A Wide Angle View of India' has just done a really good post on this film, that put me off it completely. But I trust your judgment too, tBF. So, I guess I'll just have to make up my own mind! I shall start by tracking down the music and if that grabs me I'll go to see the movie. If it's set in London that alone is, of course, a big reason to go see it. My home town. So weird when I see Bollywood movies filmed there.
When are you going to review Blue, please? You surely have seen it by now. We're waiting ... :)
- Monday, November 02, 2009
- talevizos said...
Dear the BollywoodFan --
Thanks for responding to my comments, or rather to my rant. I'm honored that you'd take the time to consider my thoughts.
I agree that the movie is quite different from Rock On in many ways, but both films hinged on the viewers being able to put themselves in the place of the fans, as audience members at a concert, as buyers of music, etc. As I recall, Rock On's performance scenes whipped up some excitement; the stars actually radiated charisma. I could have forgiven most everything else if London Dreams had succeeded on that count.
Can I ask you a favor? Can you explain to me the appeal of Salman Khan, or perhaps refer me to an article or posting that addresses it? I'm not trying to be flip. I'm really trying to understand. If you tell me, "Well, you really have to be Indian to appreciate him" or "It's not so much any one performance that people like, it's his body of work and evolution as an actor that engenders such affection," I can easily accept that. Perhaps his appeal simply doesn't cross cultures that way I believe SRKs or Hrithik Roshan's can.
If you told me that SK has become a Govinda-like performer -- silly, energetic, catering to the less sophisticated segment of audience members, not taking himself so seriously -- maybe I can see that. But for the life of me, I find him loud, obvious and (as I said before) very, very difficult to look at. Again, maybe something is lost in the translation; maybe there's a quality to his acting that I can't discern.
And clearly other fans don't find him unattractive the way I do. Actually, it's not even that I find him unattractive; I find him UNHEALTHY. The idea that anyone would want to emulate his diet/exercise/drug regimen distresses me. We shouldn't reward someone who has abused their body like that. Yes, many actors do the same thing, but not quite to the degree that Salman has. He has crossed a line into irresponsible body modification.
Anyway, thanks for reading. I'm going to try to figure out what I'm missing about Salman Khan, and I will treat Ajay Devgan's performance as a "mulligan." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulligan). I won't count this one. Instead, I'll look for his next performance to be a return to form.
- Monday, November 02, 2009
- theBollywoodFan said...
Anonymous: Hi there! You've got it, I have a hard time blaming Ajay for being a bad dancer here. But then, as you say, I would rather have a singer focus on singing than dancing when performing live. Besides, I was probably looking at Asin and the way she carried herself more! =)
The music to London Dreams is the best integrated of any soundtrack this year, from among the films I've seen. The soundtrack is also the best written. And Salman's is one of the best performances I've seen all year. So we'll have to agree to disagree on some of its merits. :)
Tim and Anonymous: Just curious, have you attended a concert in Europe or North America featuring a South Asian band? (E.g. perhaps Junoon or Jal?)
- Monday, November 02, 2009
- theBollywoodFan said...
Jyotika! Really glad you enjoyed it! And Salman does rock, it's great to have him back in form! Completely agree with you on the music. It's in the words -- they're perfectly suited to the situations throughout, from the first song to the last.
Hi Joss! Anyone from London would be a lot more proud of this film when compared to someone from L.A. and a film based here that released earlier this year (that and Blue will be discussed in the next post, you have my word)! That alone isn't saying much. If you don't enjoy the music to London Dreams, and aren't a Salman fan, you're probably better off waiting for the DVD. Those two factors were most influential in my viewing experience.
- Monday, November 02, 2009
- theBollywoodFan said...
(All, please feel free to chime in here.)
Tim! Thanks again for stopping by. See, many of us (and I mean legions!) would say Salman's charisma is his biggest asset, and that he alone radiates more energy through screen presence than the guys from Rock On combined. You've kind of hit the nail on the head with your thoughts. Salman, or 'Style Bhai' as he is fondly known, is simply 'cool'. Good luck defining that!
Here's something to think about: How many Salman Khan or Aamir Khan films can you think of right away in which they played an Indian living abroad? There aren't that many. There's a school of thought (to which I subscribe as well) which says that SRK and Hrithik are more popular outside of India precisely because many of their films (relatively) have targeted Indians living abroad a lot more vertically, by having these actors play a Non-Resident Indian (NRI), living amongst and interacting with non-Indian people.
Of course, that's not to say Salman or Aamir films don't do well (or aren't intended to do well) outside of India, or that SRK and Hrithik films based in India aren't successful. Of course, there have been plenty both ways. And Bollywood is more global today than it's ever been. But this is just to get us started, because I do believe the cross-cultural effects are a big part of it. They will naturally be -- they know their audience well and target them accordingly.
To appreciate Salman's appeal, one must check out his films from 1989 through around 1995. He had super hit after super hit for several years, doing what SRK's made a career of since. Salman was immensely popular in India back then. (I was there to witness it, none from his generation more popular and loved among the masses than the guy in India back then, probably holds true today.) And that's really the spectrum through which the Indian population will always view him, and justifiably so. He's been very well liked, and has always been quite a public darling, despite every imaginable insult hurled at him from all corners.
Anyway, so my theory is that somewhere, he probably got bored with the genre of films he overwhelmingly favored through the first few years of his career, and decided that he'd rather be entertaining the Indian masses with goofy comedies. The comparison to Govinda is not entirely unwarranted. He's done real well since this change came about (which almost coincided with his new, muscular look).
Somehow, without delivering many hits at all throughout this decade, he's managed to only increase his popularity. That's a true celebrity. He now also hosts a TV game show (called '10 Ka Dum') which has consistently garnered much better TV ratings than shows hosted by any other Bollywood celebrity, including one hosted by SRK (the only exception might be Amitabh Bachchan, so don't quote me on the Big B).
As for Salman's physique -- I'll disagree! Might not be the healthiest to be like that because of the sheer amount of time that must be devoted to it, but gosh, he has had among the best built bodies in the business for the longest! (More recently, check out the trailers of Wanted, for example.)
Well, so that's my take. It'd be interesting to get others' opinions too while we're at it! :)
- Monday, November 02, 2009
Nawab! Adab!
OK, well I haven't seen Wanted or London Dreams since I didn't have too big of an interest in those, lekin, my dost Tim went and I have accused him of disliking Salman-bhai so much that perhaps he secretly loves him! So I have made my own small *sorry to Shweta the Salman lover if she's reading :)* list of when Salman's performances made me think he was pretty hot:
1. "Maine Pyaar Kiya" in particular the "I Love What!?" scene:
2. When he's outcast into the desert in "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam" (1999) in the Tadap Tadap number:
3. And I recall even in the movie that wasn't so great to me, "Saawariya" contained a very, very, very attractive Salman. Everytime he appeared I thought he was HOT! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOn5mPuS00A
So there Tim, I hope that helps explain it, from one gori to a gora, since even I am not the biggest Salman fan and found him attractive in these performances. Seems like I like when he plays a serious jerk who has been hurt vs. the wacky Salman roles.
All the best!
- Tuesday, November 03, 2009
p.s. Like theBollywoddFan mentioned, check out Salman on "10 Ka Dum" which I've only seen bits of on youtube and on TV on my brief trip to India, but he was very entertaining on that show. Tim, perhaps you need a set of "10 Ka Dum" shows on DVD to set thing right between you and Salmanbhai. :)
All the best!
- Tuesday, November 03, 2009
- dunkdaft said...
First, Rock On can not be compared with this at all. Its like you are comparing Troy and Pearl Harbor, just because both had 'war' as similar factor between them. No doubt Rock On was really a well made movie. But somehow it did not carry the Bollywood flavor. It looked more like a sophisticated Gloss made exclusively for upper middle class. Never it did gain overall popularity. It could not connect everyone from masses to classes. Which London Dream's scenario does.
Appeal of Salman Khan is visible all over, If you want to see. Very next day I was in an Auto Rickshaw, there was a big poster of him in it. ON the other day, I saw a big crowd of Multiplex audience, especially girls, shouting for him all over the theater. If you ask girls or even women, 80% will say their favorite is salman. Yes, not Hrithik. John is ahead of Hrithik. I do like Hrithik. But I think he has one of the worst body. HIs is very imbalanced body in Bollywood. His biceps are way too big with proportion to his torso. Where Salman has really been maintaining his body, and at age of 43, what more can you expect?? [no 6pack fuss here]
And all the popularity he has got and maintained - after criminal cases against him!! Never has his popularity graph got down.May be that will explain the 'appeal' :)
SRK and at somewhat level Hrithik too, are betting on NRI factors. They have standardized their movies to feature NRI background, Love to India - song and much more. So that they can play safe to get dollars and pounds. On the contrary I find SRK amongst hated guy back here in India. Though I am a fan of his typical Romantic movies, I can say that there are way more fans of Salman then SRK does.
And whats with Govinda? He has not even maintained his body. And how can he match Salman intensity? You ought see Salman in Khamoshi-The Musical, Maine Pyar Kiya, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, Jaan E Mann, Lucky and many more out there. Its a pleasure to see how he can flawlessly act from Happy go lucky guy, to someone who's so mature. He has been so versatile in his career. Which hardly actors of his generation could have done. [read Govinda and others] And never he has got 'bad' style syndrome. he has been named Style Bhai since 1989.
Never he was so loud I think. In a crap movie like Partner, he was so cool unlike Govinda. Also in London Dreams, Salman was so much himself. Unlike rubbish OTT Akshay Kumar in Namastey London. It give me creeps when I see it. I never liked OTT punjabi guys in movies, but Salman made me love the character with his own style.
and Ajay, well, the styling and camerawork made me believe he is a rock star. But yes, he has performed well over here too. Given he is overshadowed by flawless performance of Salman, he has made his presence felt.
Enough said, its your own choice, love him or hate him, Salman is here to stay.
- Tuesday, November 03, 2009
- dunkdaft said...
It would sound silly, but I was not able to sleep when I got a shock in Hum Dil De chuke sanam, when in climax Salman ....[you know what happened]. He was so so real in the scene. Couldn't hold the tears.
- Tuesday, November 03, 2009
- talevizos said...
Thanks, Darshit, for your very thoughtful comments. You're really helping me understand why I should perhaps reserve judgment about Salman Khan. Clearly, he's much loved for very good reasons.
All I can say is that his appeal, sadly, does not necessarily cross the cultural barriers that separate global audiences
You asked me, "What's with Govinda?" Well, through my cultural filter, SK appears to have become Govinda!!
Not physically, of course. Govinda has allowed his body to age in a natural course, whereas SK is killing himself with steroids. The similarity, in my eyes, rests in the tonality of their screen personas: Both SK and Govinda give performances that are broad, loud, somewhat buffoonish (sorry,Darshit!!!), sentimental, guileless, etc.
Of course, I understand that I can only pick up on visual and tonal cues, since I don't understand Hindi, Telugu, etc. When you say that Salman Khan is a good actor, I must defer to your judgment -- or at least reconsider my own judgments.
(That said, I do feel very strongly that I CAN judge the acting skills of certain performers. For example, I think Atul Kulkarni is magnificent. So are Amitabh and Irrfan Khan. I'm not sure if Aruna Irani is that great, but she ROCKED "Beta.")
Anyway, thanks for your very thoughtfully and kindly articulated comments. I have a lot to learn from you (and our friend the BollywoodFan....and maybe even my dostess with the mostest, Sitaji.)
- Tuesday, November 03, 2009
- theBollywoodFan said...
Adab Sita-ji! ROTFL at the accusation, that's got you written all over it! As does the 'I Love What' scene from Maine Pyaar Kiya, with your signature, "All the best!" :D
Love the first half of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, hated the second half. Perhaps London Dreams makes up slightly for that. And 'serious jerk'? Seriously? J/K. :)
Darshit: Couldn't agree with you more on about everything. You're right about the majority of women loving Salman most, I get the sense too. Hey, the guy's dated Aishwarya AND Katrina, kuch toh dum hai ;) Really like the point about bringing the classes and masses together, it's very true.
I really like Partner! And it's interesting (and fair) Govinda credits Salman for resurrecting his career!
- Tuesday, November 03, 2009
- theBollywoodFan said...
Tim: I think comedy, not Salman or Govinda, is inherently more difficult to translate across cultures. (Wrote about some of it in this post on my favorite comedy, Andaz Apna Apna).
Book recommendation here: Great Comedians Talk about Comedy (Larry Wilde) A reader review I agree with:
"A key theme: how "making it" in comedy requires timing, good material, dogged persistence, constant analysis of jokes/laughs and being LIKEABLE to an audience. Copying someone's stage personna or stealing their jokes just won't do it."
I'd say Salman fits each of these! Again, the comedy involves not only the language specifics, but also heavy culture-specific references. Govinda in the 1980s was a top-5 hero, before he switched to silly comedy. If you're really interested, perhaps watching Salman's earlier films might help, since they focus on more universal themes?
Dude, Atul Kulkarni is a phenomenal actor, but his goals are so very different from Salman's! It's all coulda-shoulda-woulda here, but he wouldn't pull off a Salman in London Dreams/Wanted/Partner/Judwaa. Salman's a much better entertainer than an actor, that's his value sell.
Good luck with your Bollywood discoveries! We can all learn so much from each other, it's fun to discuss. So which are your favorite Hindi films? Any genre/actor/director you follow in particular?
- Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Dosto! Adab! Namaste!
BollywoodFan-ji, the great shanti maker, thought provoker of Hindi cinema, shukriya for the platform of discussion, bhai.
Darshit, sitting right there, LIVE in the middle of India said it well: "Enough said, its your own choice, love him or hate him, Salman is here to stay." And Darshit, Salman's acting at the end of HDDCK is fantastic too. The only part I didn't like was his goofy shirtless towel dance. Thanks for all the insight into the
Salman's popularity there. Enjoyed the story about the movie poster swooning women.
Yo Tim! Yaar, ain't no Indian cinema gotta even try to bridge any cultural divide, nor is that the point, we go to them, get it? It's their game, not the ours, that's the attitude that makes the world mad with us. ;)
Now, regardless of our cultural divide, I bet you're all wondering, "Sita-ji, which one of these guys mentioned in the comments above would you like to wrestle with?"
Let me share:
Followed by in this order, which even surprises me:
Who would I like to have a "gori extra on the movie set secret affair" with? (btw, I would NEVER do such a thing, since I have the moral values of my namesake, Sita)
Finally, I'd have my "imaginary arranged marriage" with, in this order:
JOHN (I think a pagal Parsi would best understand this Catholic, wanna be Hindu-Muslim-Buddhist)
Hrithik (yaar, I couldn't explain that thumb all the time to everyone)
Thanks for this platform for my crazy break from work. Back to work!
All the best!
Viva Salu!
- Wednesday, November 04, 2009
- talevizos said...
Sitaji speaks with a degree of cultural sensitivity that I have yet to achieve. All I can do is try to learn, understand and evolve -- and beg forgiveness for foisting my unfortunate combination of ignorance and arrogance upon the BollywoodFan, Darshit, and other readers. I hope as well that I did not embarrass Sitaji. Salman Khan is indeed here to stay; whether I like or dislike him is unimportant; and it was impertinent of me to expect anyone to care whether his appeal crosses the cultural divide between India and the United States. As Sitaji points out, I am missing the point. All I can do is try harder to shed the assumptions, biases and chauvinism that not only make the world mad at America, but irritated with ME! In the meantime, I beg your indulgence. I SHALL evolve!
- Wednesday, November 04, 2009
- theBollywoodFan said...
Adab Sita-ji: Array, shukriya to you for participating! I know (or hope, LOL) you're only kidding about cinema not trying to bridge cultural divides. Not the primary purpose, but art, more than anything, does that job relatively seamlessly!
Interesting lists, I can't believe GOVINDA makes it atop most! I like John for your imaginary arranged marriage, that'd mean Bips and I could hang out at the beach again! Hey, if that guy Uday Chopra (I feel about him what Tim feels about Salman, LOL. Although mentioning the two of them in the same sentence is akin to blasphemy; Salman's sustained Top-3 status for two decades!) had a shot at Bips in Dhoom:2, I truly fancy my chances. =)
Viva Sallu!
Tim: Please, no harm in voicing an opinion myself or others disagree with (as long as it's done somewhat respectfully).
I'd reckon Salman or any other actors who care about the audience would be the first ones to say it matters to them whether film viewers like or dislike them, and why. Drops to an ocean!
Don't think it's impertinent to expect others to care about cross-cultural appeal. Not at all! Although it is, as we'd discussed above, important to formulate opinions based on the filmmakers' or actors' intents. Just like we benchmark performance to preset goals!
And it's always a challenge for *everyone* to shed assumptions and biases. We all have our biases. Acknowledging their existence is probably 80% of battle won! ;)
- Wednesday, November 04, 2009
- theBollywoodFan said...
All: While we're discussing Salman and comedy, here's something that just showed up in my inbox, courtesy Rajshri. The following is verbatim from the e-mail:
Comedy Contest!!
Hi Friends,
Rajshri Media (P) Limited has come up with Duniya Ko Hasao Comedy Contest. All you have to do is shoot a funny video of yourself or your surroundings. Feel free to shoot the way you like - video camera, mobile phone, webcam anything and upload it on Rajshri.com. You can also send us a DVD.
Please visit http://www.rajshri.com/duniyakohasao for more information.
The winner gets an opportunity to act in a Rajshri feature film or TV show.
So who knows you might become a star and all you have to do is to make us laugh!
Watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55eW8dfxuHM
Happy Viewing!
Rajshri Team
- Wednesday, November 04, 2009
@ Tim
And now, All I can think of Tim, is to find the perfect Salman movie for you to see that will turn you into a fan. That's the kind of challenge I'm up for! I'm going to find it and we shall watch it. I like the Bollywood flip best, not liking and actor, and then making the sudden change due to one great role that speaks to me.
All the best!
- Wednesday, November 04, 2009
- Nicki said...
Wow! First of all, I'm jealous that you got to see the film with Shweta. Second of all, another yah for Salman! :) I adore Asin and Ajay is a good actor.
- Wednesday, November 04, 2009
- theBollywoodFan said...
Sita-ji! I like your resolve! ;) Check out the comments at this post on 'Wanted' for some Salman recommendations by me, Darshit and Pitu, several if not all of which I'm sure you've seen.
There's probably a Salman movie for most imaginable preferences (unless those are horror/sci-fi, in which case one might as well not bother with Hindi films).
Nicki: Always fun to catch a movie with Shweta! If you're ever out here, we've got to catch a film together. Salman's been on a roll this year. I've been looking forward to 'Veer' for a while, hear it releases in January! Can't imagine that kind of film wouldn't benefit from his presence!
- Thursday, November 05, 2009
Adab Bollywoodfanji
I saw this movie last night after seeing your 4/5 marks. I read your review this morning only after seeing the movie. Yes it is a good movie. However I found several loopholes including technical ones (though i don't know much about film making and am only a viewer). I don't know if it was the editing or camera angles that Asin did not have much to do in most of the song scenes (yes her role was limited due to the story and screen play). There were moments where you only saw the awkward end part of her dance movements in some of the songs. In the movie she asks "Mein Kya Karrongi"? when she is told she too is part of the band. Vipul Shah could have atleast give some focus on her dance movements on the stage during the songs (she did well in the scene where she switches between Bharatnatyam and Hip Hop). In other scenes also it looked like Vipul wanted to hurry up with key scenes involving Asin. Also she looked tired (esp reflected in a person's eyes) in many of the scenes. No wonder there have been recent press reports about collapsing.
In all Asin was wasted and didn't have an opportunity to show her enormous acting talent. Some of the bollybloggers are right in their observation that movies down south give better a chance to heroines in showing their talent. I will send you some recos on her good movies down south if u r interested.
Yes Salman did a good job (I am not a big fan of his but i do like him in some of his films) and some of the dialgoues were funny like angrez se badla lena ka mauka mila hai said in total jest and also in some of the serious scenes like salman tells the girl that he wants to "drink rasam with chennai express" and not daru.
Anon from DU!
- Friday, November 06, 2009
- theBollywoodFan said...
Hi! I might have said this before, but I'm absolutely very guilty of having stayed away from South Indian films of Asin, Tabu, and Genilia. I recently bought the Tamil Ghajini, so that's upcoming. Definitely, please let me (and others) know of more where Asin especially gets to be in the spotlight!
Completely agree that she doesn't have much to do in London Dreams, besides look good. Really like your idea about perhaps using her more in the dance routines too. Hey, if Michael Jackson could do it in the video to 'Black or White', London Dreams should've found a way! :) That one scene in which she switches between Bharatnatyam and hip hop was a lot of fun. But then, she did say she was more into hip hop and not traditional Indian. Why she needed to slim down, as has been reported, is beyond me. Not all women rock/pop stars are skinny. Oh, well. I hope it's not true about her collapsing on the sets because of her diet for the film. And I hope she gets more and better roles in Bollywood.
Salman totally made this movie worthwhile for me. Those comedy portions were fun to see. Without them, yes, even just *trying* to ignore the loopholes would've been difficult.
Thanks for your visit and comment!
- Sunday, November 08, 2009
I would again strongly recommend Tabu's tamil film "Kadal Desam" with Abbas and Raja. I think it was a 1997 movie (from memory). A refreshing modern tale of true friendship among three young people. Tabu looked really great and did a good job too.
Off hand I can immediately recollect Asin's telugu movie "Amma, Nana and oka Tamil Amayee" (Mom, Dad and a Tamil Girl) with Ravi Teja. I will suggest other movies soon
Anon from DU
- Monday, November 16, 2009
- theBollywoodFan said...
Thank you Anon from DU! 'Kadal Desam' and 'Amma, Nana and oka Tamil Amayee' sound real cool, I hope to be able to find them during my next purchasing bout! Shall hope to keep you posted. Thank you once again!
- Friday, November 20, 2009
Hi, theBollywoodFan, I enjoyed reading your review of London Dreams, with which I agree completely.
However, I am posting here to respond to Tim's request to understand Salman Khan's appeal. I think the best I can do now is to give you a link to a site that extensively discusses his career and his appeal. It's a bit out of date (the last film discussed is Partner), but I think it is still useful reading. It is quite long though, so be warned, but, if you want an exhaustive discussion of Salman, this is a good place to start.
Here is the link: http://www.salmanmania.com/bio.htm
I want to add a couple of other points, but don't have time now, so hope to come back and post again. In the meantime, the above link should keep Tim and other interested readers busy. :)
- Monday, November 23, 2009
Just to add to my previous comment, I realized that link I gave is very long -- for someone who is interested in learning about his roles and films, especially if someone looking for recommendations, it will be good, but if you just want to know about his stardom, I suggest you go to the last part of that write up, at:
And, here's a writeup by someone who is not a Salman fan, from a site that is supposed to be for serious lovers of serious cinema.
It is shorter, but it also acknowledges Salman's stardom, though perhaps doesn't go deeply into the reasons for it:
- Tuesday, November 24, 2009
- talevizos said...
Moi -- THANKS for the link. I'm going to dive right in. Please post again with more thoughts! Tim
- Tuesday, November 24, 2009
- theBollywoodFan said...
Moi: Hello and welcome to the blog! Thank you for your comment, and thank you for the links! Neat tribute you've got going there.
I agree completely on the press coverage against Salman almost always, through two decades now, being extremely (in the true sense of the word) biased against him. (Heck, they haven't spared his family or his girlfriend, which is a shame.) And I also agree that maintaining the level of popularity despite that can only truly be the work of a superstar. Aamir on 10 Ka Dum last year alluded to that.
Do stop by again. And thank you, again.
Tim: Hey there! Thanks for your visit and comment. :) Seen any Hindi films lately?
- Tuesday, November 24, 2009
theBollywoodFan, thank you for your welcome. I have been catching up with your archived reviews, and see that you are very passionate about Hindi films. :)
Tim, I had typed up something like a 1000 word response to you, and, just as I was proofreading it before posting, Windows Vista killed it by abruptly shutting down! :( It is now lost, lost forever. Maybe in a couple of days I will have the energy to try to recreate it. So please excuse me for now.
- Wednesday, November 25, 2009
- Pitu said...
I didn't like much. Were it not for Sallumiya, I would hated it. He was indeed a joy to watch, simply adorable. But hated everything (and everyone else).
- Wednesday, November 25, 2009
- theBollywoodFan said...
Moi: Thank you, hope you find enough to keep you engaged :)
Pitu! I definitely weighed Salman's performance a lot more in this, as you can tell :) London Dreams worked only because of him.
- Saturday, November 28, 2009
- Saadia said...
Moi is a Salman fan, through and through. And let me say, I believe London Dreams was one of his best performances to-date. I thought the storyline was weak, here and there, but overall, a good product and some great input by Sallu bhai.
*thunderous applause*
- Tuesday, December 22, 2009
- theBollywoodFan said...
Yay! Glad you agree on Salman, Saadia (and good to have you back). This movie would have been very different without him. Agree on this being one of his best performances, I like that he did Wanted and London Dreams this year, with Veer upcoming in January. Have you seen the trailers for Veer? I think they are quite good.
- Wednesday, December 23, 2009
- marina said...
Auditions for MTV Cornetto Luv Reel
Do you want to act in a movie or be a playback singer or compose music for a movie?
visit http://www.hojaanede.com/ and upload your audition reels and you could be selected to star in a movie. Cornetto Luv Reels will air 3 movies on MTV in the month of June.
The location of the movies is finalised...they are getting shot in London by Shahrukh Khan company Red Chilies entertainment.
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text:
Illusive London Athlete Zip Through Fade Hoodie – Black & Pink
The Illusive London Fade Athlete Zip Through Hoodie in Black & Pink is a great addition to the Illusive London AW/19 Collection. Pair with the Illusive London Athlete Pants to achieve a fashionable look.
Extended Festive Returns
Items purchased between 1st November 2018 and 14th December 2019 can be returned until the 14th January 2019. Items purchased after 14th December are subject tour normal28 Days return policy.
This delivery policy gives details of the delivery methods, delivery periods and delivery charges that apply to any orders for our products made through our website. This policy is a legally binding document, and forms part of the contract of sale between you and us made under our terms and conditions of sale.
Please note that if your order has been made vie PayPal we are unable to change or amend your address or delivery details
– Please contact firstname.lastname@example.com with the heading Urgent Order Amendment.
Delivery Methods
We will deliver to the following countries and territories: UK, Europe, International.
If the address for the delivery of your order is a UK mainland address, then you will be able to select Standard Delivery or Next Day Delivery from the delivery methods.
If the address for the delivery of your order is not a UK mainland address, then you will be able to select Worldwide Shipping from the following delivery methods :
Standard Delivery
Next Day Delivery - Track 24
Worldwide Shipping
Dispatch Periods
Standard delivery may be dispatched up to 5 working days after the order is placed, these periods run from the close of business on the day the order is placed. If you place your order after 3pm on a working day, or on a non-working day, these periods run from the close of business on the next following working day.
These periods are indicative only, and whilst we will make every effort to ensure that you receive your delivery in good time, we do not guarantee delivery before the end of the specified period.
For international delivery the delivery period if 5-7 working days after dispatch.
Delivery Charges
Delivery charges will be calculated and automatically applied to your order during the checkout process.
Below indicates the applicable charges / how charges are calculated for the different delivery methods. All amounts are stated in GBP and are inclusive of VAT.
Delivery method
Delivery Period & Charges
Standard delivery £3.50 2nd class Royal Mail 2-5 working days, after dispatch
Next Day Delivery: £4.95 Track 24 -Track 24 aims to delivery your item(s) the next working day and includes full online tracking, (Next working day excludes weekends and bank holidays) Mon-Fri up until 3pm. Orders after 3pm will be processed on next working day.
World Wide Shipping: £5.00 - The Duty and Import Tax is payable by the customer
Saturday: £7.50 Saturday Delivery (Order before 3pm Friday)
Sunday: £7.50 Sunday (Order before 3pm Friday)
These periods are indicative only, and whilst we will make every effort to ensure that you receive your delivery in good time, we do not guarantee delivery before the end of the specified period.
Additional deliveries and collection
If the delivery attempt is unsuccessful, our delivery service providers will leave a card at your address, with instructions on how you may collect your product. The Duty and Import Tax is payable by the customer.
Delivery problems
If you experience any problems with a delivery, please contact us by email to firstname.lastname@example.com or contact our Customer Service Team on 01723 861447.
If our delivery service provider is unable to deliver your products, and such failure is your fault and you do not collect your products from our delivery service provider within the time specified on the card left at your address, then we may agree to arrange for re-delivery of the products, providing that we reserve the right to charge you for the actual costs of re-delivery. An indicative list of the situations where a failure to deliver will be your fault is set out below:
We understand that from time to time you may wish to return a product to us. We have created this 28 day returns policy to enable you to return products to us in appropriate circumstances. Please note we can not accept any returned items without their original tags.
This returns policy applies to customers all our customer world wide.
This policy does not affect your statutory rights (such as your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000) .
Where you have no other legal right to return a product and receive a refund or exchange, then you will nonetheless be entitled to return a product to us where:
Returns procedure
European & International Returns – Not including PayPal (see below for free PayPal returns)
Log into your Illusive Londonaccount, go to order history and click on the relevant order number left hand side.
On the right side of the order you will see a return tick box, tick the box and select the reason for return.
Click continue. You will then receive an email to confirm the return.
Return the package along with the invoice to us at the address below:
DBS Clothing Limited
Unit 8A Plaxton Park
Cayton Low Road
North Yorkshire
United Kingdom
Please retain the proof of postage from the courier you use.
Royal Mail: At Illusive London We now offer free returns for the UK via Royal Mail
Log into your Illusive London account, go to order history and click on the relevant order number left hand side.
On the right side of the order you will see a return tick box, tick the box and select the reason for return.
Click continue.
You will receive an e-mail to confirm your return.
Click on the hyperlink on the return email from Illusive London to access the free returns portal.
Follow the step by step guide to fill in the returns form on the royal mail portal. (It is recommended to have adobe Acrobat Reader installed for the download)
Send the package back to us via royal mail
Please retain the proof of postage form the post office.
Illusive London do not accept responsibility for any missing returns packages.
Free PayPal Returns:
Only to purchases made directly through PayPal are eligible for free returns via PayPal.
Log into your Illusive London account, go to order history and click on the relevant order number left hand side.
On the right side of the order you will see a return tick box, tick the box and select the reason for return.
Click continue.
You will receive an e-mail to confirm your return.
You will need to return the parcel the below address and pay for the postage.
DBS Clothing Limited
Unit 8A Plaxton Park
Cayton Low Road
North Yorkshire
United Kingdom
Please retain the proof of postage from the courier you use – this is needed as proof so you can request your return through PayPal.
Log into your PayPal account and click the 'Request Return Shipping Refund' Link- enabling you to fill out a request refund request. You will need to provide your posting receipts to the PayPal return shipping on us service.
The balance for the postage will then be refunded by PayPal – subject to their approval process – you will need to upload the receipt for the return to the PayPal portal. Please note that Illusive London will not refund the postage for any Return Requests which have been rejected by PayPal.
PayPal Returns FAQ
Does the purchase have to be made through Paypal.
Yes. Only to purchases made directly through PayPal are eligible for free returns.
How do I Activate my free returns?
On the PayPal homepage select Benefits form the top banner – From here click activate returns on me. From here you will be able to request your refund by uploading the receipt for the return
How long do I have to request a refund from PayPal?
You have 30 days from the date the return is sent back to the seller to request a refund.
How do I request a refund?
To ask for a refund, you will log into your PayPal account, select the transaction, and click the 'Request return shipping refund' link enabling you to fill out a refund request and provide your posting receipts to the PayPal Return Shipping on Us service.
How will I be refunded and how long does it take?
If your request is accepted, you will receive the corresponding funds directly into their PayPal account. It can take up to 10 days from the time the you submit the refund request form for a refund to go through.
Does it work with all shipping methods?
Yes, Paypal accept returns from local post regular mail, courier, or any other regular shipping options or services.*
Is there a cap on the refunds offered?
Yes. There is a maximum amount allowed per refund depending on the buyers country and currency, but this is typically around €30 per request in mainland Europe and £15 per request in the UK. See full UK terms and conditions. If the cost of the return is greater then this the buyer will have to cover any additional costs themselves. for more information please see; https://www.paypal.com/uk/webapps/mpp/refunded-returns/general-conditions
Can all customers benefit from this service?
This service is available to customers who have opted into the service and reside in one of the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, USA and UK.
The following products may not be returned under this policy: Goods that have been used, worn, washed, modified or damaged in anyway or do not have their original tags attached to the garment.
We will give you a refund for the full price of any product properly returned by you in accordance with the terms of this returns policy (excluding the original delivery charges and excluding the costs of returning the product to us).
We will usually refund any money received from you using the same method originally used by you to pay for your purchase.
We will process the refund due to you as soon as possible and, in any event, within 30 days following the day we received your returned product.
Unless the item you are returning to us is deemed to be faulty you will not be refunded the postage cost on that order.
Please note that if you have placed an Order and received a free promotional item in return for spending in excess of a certain amount, please be aware that if you return an item for a refund which takes the value of this Order under the specified amount, you may be required to pay in full for the free item unless this item is returned at the same time as the item giving rise to the refund (this will be deducted from any refund due)
Improper returns
Where you return a product in contravention of this policy (and where you do not have any other legal right to return the product):
We will not refund or exchange the product
If we do not receive payment of such additional amount within 14 days of issuing a request for payment, we may destroy or otherwise dispose of the returned product in our sole discretion without any liability to you.
Our email address is firstname.lastname@example.com
How Can I Pay?
You can use any of the payment types listed below to pay for your order. Your details are safe with us as we take security very seriously indeed.
We also take fraud very seriously so all credit and debit cardholders are subject to validation and authorisation by both the card issuer and us.
You can upgrade your delivery by calling customer services up on 01723 588096 and giving payment over the phone.
How do I use my discount/promo code?
You need to enter your discount/promo code on the order summary section of the 'confirm & pay' page. Under your order details, you'll see Promo Code - simply click on this and enter your code in the drop down box.
Once you've entered the code, click on 'Update' and it will apply to your order. You'll be able to check this underneath the items as the discount value will have been removed and the price amended. You must enter the discount/promo code when you are checking out as it can't be applied later.
· Only one discount/promo code can be used per order
· Discount/promo codes cannot be used for gift vouchers.
· As our discount/promo codes vary so do the terms and conditions of each, so make sure you check when you receive any codes
If your discount code is not working then please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com. We aim to respond to all emails within 12 hours and welcome all feedback. Alternatively, if you prefer to speak to somebody you can reach us on 00 44 1723 588096


text:
When I first started to eat gluten-free, grocery shopping became a very tedious, time consuming task. I dreaded it. I compiled a very large 3-ring binder full of foods that were safe for me to eat. I had my list of companies that clearly label gluten, but what about store brands? I typically do all my shopping at Meijer, but occasionally will shop at Wal-Mart, Kroger or Giant Eagle. Meijer has a great list of all of their GF store brand items. It is nice to have the choice of buying the store brand to try and save a little money. One thing that the gluten-free diet isn't is cheap. Kroger has some great info on the gluten-free diet and their Private Label gluten-free list. They also have a list of available gluten-free specialty items offered in their stores (I am sure that this can vary by store, but you may be able to have them get something specific for your location). They have really come a long way in making it easier to shop at a mainstream grocery store. Wal-Mart's Great Value brand labels their products now. It is so nice to turn over a package and see "gluten-free" staring right back up at you! It really makes shopping so much less stressful. Giant Eagle does offer some gluten-free specialty products and deli meats. I don't usually buy meat from the deli due to cross contamination risk. I do occasionally buy some of their specialty items, especially the Chebe bread mixes when I need them.
When I can't get the specialty items I am looking for in the mainstream grocery stores, I will venture over to Trader Joe's, Whole Foods or Raisin Rack. Trader Joe's has a gluten-free list. They have some great pancakes, waffles and pastas. They are nicely priced for gluten-free foods too. Whole Foods has great lists for special diets. Their Whole Foods Bakehouse frozen pie crusts are amazing and even my picky glutenoid relatives were amazed. They are a little on the pricey side, but it is nice to have options out there. Raisin Rack is an amazing store. They have the largest gluten-free specialty food selection in the state of Ohio and some surrounding states. They will order in products upon request (loved the GF Conte's Ravioli). I am going to work on them for this Rustic Crust pizza crust very soon. I do some shopping online, mostly at Amazon.com for items in bulk. This is where I buy my Pamela's bread mix and pancake & baking mix. I buy in bulk and signed up for the subscription service. This makes the mixes between $3 and $4/each. Very reasonable and if you are going to be using them a lot, well worth the cost. Also, you always get free shipping when using the subscription service through Amazon.
So, since I started the gluten-free diet 2 and a half years ago, grocery shopping has become much easier and much less stressful. Part of it is the experience, part of it is better availability of products and the growing knowledge and incidence of Celiac Disease and the gluten-free diet.
Filed under: Gluten-Free, Gluten-free Products | Tagged: giant eagle, Gluten-Free, grocery shopping, kroger, meijer, wal-mart | 4 Comments »


text:
Cities: Iligan City, Lanao del Norte; Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental
No Hidden Fees, Service Charge Included
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This particular booking request is specifically designed for Toyota Vios Manual Sedan, which is offered by MVB Rent A Car in Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental. Limousine company will send you a free quote, that you can accept or reject. Limoscanner imposes on any obligations to purchase any of the services. And the quote submitted is totally complimentary.
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text: Dogs love to play. In fact, they need to play! Playing with toys helps dogs to release pent-up energy and bond with those who play with them. We have dog toys for puppies and tiny dog breeds as well as tough dog toys for large dogs and heavy chewers. Give your dog the mental stimulation they need and a healthy outlet with our durable chew toys such as the PetSafe Busy Buddy dog toys. For dogs that prefer a plush friend, try our goDog® dog toys with Chew Guard Technology™ for a lasting play experience. We carry the most irresistible dog squeaky toys anywhere, including the Hear Doggy Dog Toys with silent ultrasonic squeakers to give your pup all the fun without driving humans crazy! For clever dogs, try our puzzle dog toys that make pets solve problems to get a tasty treat. Does your dog hate getting their teeth brushed? Try our Dental Dog Toys and let them clean their teeth while they play! Rope dog toys, Hip Doggie Loofa dog toys, and DOGO and OoMaLoo handmade crocheted dog toys gently floss your dog's teeth, which does wonders for your pooch's breath. Have a ball with our interactive fetch dog toys - from classic Air KONG tennis ball dog toys to the Orbee-Tuff Ball Dog Toys By Planet Dog. Limit the mess with our Stuffing-Free dog toys like the Zanies Unstuffies for dogs that love to shred their toys. You'll find the perfect dog toys for any sized pet at BaxterBoo.com!


text:
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© GetHuman Inc.
DeepDiscount.com Help Pages
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DeepDiscount.com Online Help at deepdiscount.com - Info & Stats
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DeepDiscount.com Help Pages: What to Know
This is the DeepDiscount.com help page where most customers begin when they have a customer service problem, plus information about what the turnaround time is for helpful responses and how to find assistance for your specific problem. If you are looking for DeepDiscount.com's best customer help page or faq or forum, this is the best entry point according to 54 GetHuman users in the last 12 months. If you can't call on the phone or don't want to wait on hold right now, using their online help desk is a good way to call, but they also do have a phone number (800-264-5076) which we show above. Sometimes when you dig through the various help topics and volumes on deepdiscount.com, you end up needing to go back and forth with somebody in their customer service department, in which case they may switch to email as the medium for communication. In the event that your search here on their help pages turns into an email conversation, you can expect the turnaround for fixing the issue to be a bit on the slower side. You may go several hours or a day without getting a reply from DeepDiscount.com agents. But on the bright side that back and forth can turn out to be less time overall, than, say, getting on the phone with a customer service representative.
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DeepDiscount.com has a page or online help desk for customer service, but you can also call them on the phone. In total, you can communicate with DeepDiscount.com using 2 different media: phone, web. And again, if you didn't realize it was an option and you'd rather have a dialog with somebody, you can actually phone them. But check out our information about their phone number 800-264-5076 to get more specifics there, such as the average wait time or to check if a real live human being actually picks up the phone. If you see any errors in this information, be sure to let GetHuman know. We try to gather and share the best information we can from the millions of customers that visit every month and tell us about their experiences with companies like DeepDiscount.com.
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text:
NL's fiscal outlook is official: 'Negative'
New London's financial struggles have gotten the attention of a credit rating agency responsible for evaluating its ability to pay off loans on time. Fitch Ratings recently informed the administration that the city's AA- rating for general obligation bonds, which dropped a notch last March, is in peril of sinking further. Fitch now lists New London's rating outlook as negative.
This clear-eyed, dispassionate assessment of the city's financial standing is more evidence (not that more was necessary) that its fiscal problems are real and developed over several years. There still appears to be a sizable faction in the city that wants to dismiss these problems as the wild imaginings of the current administration, the first since the change to the mayoral form of governance. No mere belt tightening, elimination of waste, or making government more efficient - pick your budget cliche - will fix it.
It is primarily a revenue problem, not a spending problem.
"The shortfall in budgeted revenues was the primary driver for the deficit," states the Nov. 12 Fitch report.
With its limited tax base, high density of untaxable public and nonprofit institutions, and limited room for new growth, it is a challenge for this city to raise the revenues necessary for basic services.
The tax increase that did win final approval hardly fixed the problem, but the rating agency saw it as a necessary step, along with budget cuts.
"Management prudently approved a 5.1 percent tax increase ($2.3 million in additional revenues) for fiscal 2013 and budgeted $2 million less in expenditures compared to fiscal 2012 spending to help mitigate the structural imbalance," states the report.
Yet the credit agency remains concerned that the administration is operating without much of a safety net - the unrestricted fund balance, or fiscal cushion, which dropped from $6 million to about $1 million in just a couple of years, according to preliminary audit figures.
To allay its concerns, Fitch received assurances from Mayor Daryl Finizio's office "that further expenditure cuts, including additional staff reductions, can be made if necessary to help maintain balanced operations."
It appears those assurances will now be put to the test. Last week Finance Director Jeffery Smith told the council that revenues are coming in lower than expected, expenses higher, and if that trajectory is unchanged it could lead to a $1.1 million budget shortfall. Mayor Finizio may indeed have to find more reductions to "maintain balanced operations."
Which leads back to the negative outlook. What does the city have to do to avoid a rating downgrade that would raise the cost of borrowing and make it more difficult to restructure debt? A lot.
"The city's historic level of financial flexibility served as a key credit offset to the weak economy. A return to positive operations and meaningful progress in restoring available reserves in the near term is fundamental to maintain the current rating level," concludes the Fitch report.
In other words, it will not be enough to keep the budget in balance, the city has to start rebuilding that reserve fund. With taxpayers still trying to fight the tax increase that was approved; the likelihood of cuts in state aid to municipalities looming as the state legislature deals with its own fiscal problems; and little room for deeper cuts in city spending, it is hard to imagine the path to that destination.
But one year into his four-year term that is the challenge Mayor Finizio faces. It's probably not how he pictured things turning out.
Paul Choiniere editorial page editor.
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text: Are you trying to understand data from your research? Learn how and when to conduct mediation, moderation, and conditional indirect effects analyses? Or, perhaps, how to theorize and test your theoretical models? If so, this is the course for you! We will walk you through the steps of conducting multilevel analyses using a real dataset and provide articles and templates designed to facilitate your learning. You'll leave with the tools you need to analyze and interpret the results of the datasets you collect as a researcher. By the end of this course, you will understand the differences between mediation and moderation and between moderated mediation and mediated moderation models (conditional indirect effects), and the importance of multilevel analysis. Most important, you will be able to run mediation, moderation, conditional indirect effect and multilevel models and interpret the results. Note: This course is based on Version 2 of SPSS. You can still apply it to the latest version, but it's no longer an exact match to the current interface. This course is supported by the BRAD Lab at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, which studies organizational behavior, marketing, business ethics, judgment and decision-making, behavioral operations, and entrepreneurship, among other areas. More: http://www.darden.virginia.edu/brad-lab/


text:
AboutI'm Scott Pittman and welcome to my site. This site is my blog and portfolio which I will try to keep it updated with all my new adventures as a photographer. Feel free to click on the about page to learn more.
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text:
Nassim Taleb, a former options trader who coined the term Black Swan in his book of the same name, delivered the lunchtime keynote at IMCA's annual conference in Seattle on Monday. His presentation touched on the fragile nature of economies and markets and why volatility is a good "stressor" that is critical to minimizing catastrophic events.
"It took me 21 years to figure this out," Taleb, professor of risk engineering at New York University Polytechnic Institute, began. "Tea cups are fragile. Although they are perfectly sturdy in a normal state, they can't handle volatility and won't benefit form a random event like an earthquake."
The same can be applied to investing, he continued, arguing that fragility is more important than risk when evaluating markets, and noting that options, in particular, are fragile; They can perform perfectly well until volatility is introduced.
He then conducted a simple though experiment: Fragile packages are labeled "handle with care." But there is no opposite of fragility. For it to be the opposite, the sender would have to beg the post office to mishandle their packages. There is no word in any language for antifragile, he said. Antifragility benefits from disorder and uncertainty.
"Think about air travel. Planes benefit from uncertainty, in that a plane crash will lessen the likelihood of the next crash from happening, in that they analyze what happened and take appropriate action. It is the opposite with banks. If one bank crashes, it increases the chances that the next bank will crash."
His point was that economies and cultures need stressors, and pointed to a number of examples to prove his point:
- Alan Greenspan tried to micromanage the economy and remove all risk. He only succeeded in making it worse.
- Syria had no political variability for 50 years, and "now it is a mess."
- Trying to prevent forest fires from happening only results in a buildup of debris that make it that much worse when a fire finally does happen.
- If a child is locked in a room for 15 years to avoid illness, it will work until he finally takes a ride on the New York subway.
He then defined antifragility as the "acceleration of harm, which eventually leads to Black Swan events."
"There are 4 million earthquakes each year that are below a 2.0 on the Richter scale. If they were linear in harm, the world would blow up, but the slow release of pressure make them negligible. The same can be said of the investment portfolio, which can adjust for small shocks, but not those that are big."
In order to prevent catastrophic events like the 2008 crisis from happening, there needs to be "skin in the game."
"In ancient Pompeii, if a house collapsed and killed the owner, the architect was put to death. It resulted in architects and inspectors that knew everything about the house," Taleb concluded. "Planes rarely crash with the pilots on board. This is what drives superior performance; it's a better predictor than all the Nobel/shmobel theories."
His latest book is "Antifragile: Things That Gain From Disorder."
Read Meredith Whitney: I'm a 'Growth Chaser,' Not a 'Doom and Gloomer' on AdvisorOne.