tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post6472281728225556270..comments2023-11-10T08:26:51.182-06:00Comments on Beth Loves Bollywood: the Unforgettable Tour - now with varying degrees of unforgettableness!Beth Loves Bollywoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05540154833326987567noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-70145916923617161862008-11-20T11:17:00.000-06:002008-11-20T11:17:00.000-06:00PS. just saw the tour promos on one of the blogs y...PS. just saw the tour promos on one of the blogs you linked to, oh my, they sure are sparkly!Majahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03612706096369112723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-80070418984907120302008-11-20T11:16:00.000-06:002008-11-20T11:16:00.000-06:00Ahh this was great to read, Beth, thanks for all t...Ahh this was great to read, Beth, thanks for all the details! I've had a major soft spot for Riteish ever since Bluffmaster so I was pleased to read about his unforgettableosity. And I admit I had to supress a couple of squee-like noises while reading the bit about Abhi ;)Majahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03612706096369112723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-67865901877122331022008-08-19T18:39:00.000-05:002008-08-19T18:39:00.000-05:00Reviewer - I miss tons of movies in the theater du...Reviewer - I miss tons of movies in the theater due to geography - so writing up the few events I do get to see is the least I can do to help other locationally-challenged folks like myself. <BR/><BR/>Nida - Yay!<BR/><BR/>Pitu - Yours too! We were definitely misled about Mads - she was in all the posters!<BR/><BR/>Reema - Yay! He was so enjoyable - I for one will scream loudly for him anytime in the future since he has proven himself so well!Beth Loves Bollywoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05540154833326987567noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-22974992333779695332008-08-15T22:23:00.000-05:002008-08-15T22:23:00.000-05:00I'm glad you liked Ritesh, I wanted to go to the s...I'm glad you liked Ritesh, I wanted to go to the show just to scream and cheer for him, because I know he's the least popular star.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-76550438662564161652008-08-15T02:37:00.000-05:002008-08-15T02:37:00.000-05:00Fun write-up and ty for linking to my bloggityblog...Fun write-up and ty for linking to my bloggityblog. Am still bummed abt the whole no-show thing tho :-(Pituhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02438422220019928853noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-54042214335654630262008-08-13T21:10:00.000-05:002008-08-13T21:10:00.000-05:00Ahh, Beth, I knew he would be!! ;)Sounds great--I'...Ahh, Beth, I knew he would be!! ;)<BR/><BR/>Sounds great--I'll keep my eyes peeled for any news on the next concert!NidaMariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03979527736140327136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-17744540133909376302008-08-13T13:45:00.000-05:002008-08-13T13:45:00.000-05:00Hey Beth,thanks for sharing your experiences.This ...Hey Beth,thanks for sharing your experiences.This show does not come to my neck of the woods,so reading such a detailed account of your experience is the only way I am going to experience this....sigh :(<BR/><BR/>About Aishwariya,I always felt that she is a little overrated and overhyped.Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08846053745873823751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-13928860872415458072008-08-13T12:23:00.000-05:002008-08-13T12:23:00.000-05:00Neha - Do it! It's only 4.5 hours of your life! An...Neha - Do it! It's only 4.5 hours of your life! And you could even bring some books for the down time in between numbers (and during the interminable pre-show).Beth Loves Bollywoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05540154833326987567noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-84602501629881819202008-08-13T12:03:00.000-05:002008-08-13T12:03:00.000-05:00Wow! I was half contemplating booking tickets for ...Wow! I was half contemplating booking tickets for the London leg of the tour, but am kinda caught up with school work. But your description makes me want to go see it. Education be damned! :)neha vishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16549996517146151040noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-34247788022386177782008-08-13T09:21:00.000-05:002008-08-13T09:21:00.000-05:00PS to Nida - YES, he is as hot in person. :)PS to Nida - YES, he is as hot in person. :)Beth Loves Bollywoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05540154833326987567noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-69729095773653412042008-08-13T09:12:00.000-05:002008-08-13T09:12:00.000-05:00Nida – No Madhuri, even though she was in some of ...Nida – No Madhuri, even though she was in some of the posters. Next time there’s a Chicago show you want to see, let me know! Although this one was solidly fun, I can’t say you missed anything life-altering :)<BR/><BR/>CanadianKen - I <I>long</I> to see SRK on stage. I have no doubt he'd be the best possible person to see live, and now I'm just lying in wait for something to bring him to Chicago :)<BR/><BR/>I'm a little bit envious of all the great shows and performances you've seen! <BR/><BR/>I know what you mean about the screens - I split my viewing time between them and the stage about evenly. <BR/><BR/>As for your impressions of the Unforgettable Tour...we definitely had a different MC. Ours reminded me of the guy who does the ads for B4U on DVDs. I totally agree with you about those intros – they were beyond silly and made it hard for anyone to live up to the praise, and they went on for so long that it was hard to maintain your enthusiasm for the appearance of the person they endlessly hyped. Re: Aishwarya: one of the stars (I think she) said that their plane had only landed about 8 hours earlier and that they were wiped out, and I agree that there are many good reasons why anyone should be tired. In comparison to the others, though, her solo set, which if memory serves consisted of songs from <I>Dhoom 2</I> (bleh), was unexpressive and dull at this particular performance. I’m very happy to hope she was more lively at other stops. That’s a good point about Abhishek as the glue – he was certainly cheery, and he was on stage a lot.<BR/><BR/>PPCC – I KNOW. All the proceeds could go to cancer research! And stage theater! Pleeeeeease?<BR/><BR/>As for Don, it was fab. It was not the full-scale lunacy of the film number, of course – how could it be without the mask? – but it was still really fun. <BR/><BR/>Anarchavist – Nothing indeed! <BR/><BR/>Filmi Girl – Maybe there will happen to be a show in NYC during a certain weekend in May…. Ritesh was fantastic. I’m definitely going to seek out his movies. Re: Unforgettable Dude: I think if it had been anyone else styled like that, I would have been eye rolling too. I am somehow convinced that Abhishek embraces it with a hefty dose of self-awareness and irony; if I weren’t, I don’t think I’d buy it for him either (or at least not as much as I do). It’s like those great ads he does, when he is out-cooled by his phone, acts like a doofus dancing along to his music when he should be working, or cuts loose with the moves in the men’s room. I LOVE THOSE. <BR/><BR/>Aspi – Yeah it was! I loved that he sang so much.Beth Loves Bollywoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05540154833326987567noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-54317729620668232062008-08-13T08:30:00.000-05:002008-08-13T08:30:00.000-05:00Amitabh singing Main Hoon Don in his own voice - p...Amitabh singing Main Hoon Don in his own voice - priceless!<BR/><BR/>That image of Shashi on a bunch of cushions holding court cracked me up.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08060207061740733110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-28793071958799164322008-08-13T08:24:00.000-05:002008-08-13T08:24:00.000-05:00I'm so jealous! Why couldn't they come to DC?! *...I'm so jealous! Why couldn't they come to DC?! *sigh*<BR/><BR/>I'm glad Ritesh was fun; I've always liked him and he definitely deserves better roles. (He was my favorite part of <B>Bluffmaster</B>.) On the other hand, I don't quite buy into Abhi's Unforgettable Dude persona, which means I would have been rolling my eyes 100% of the time when he was on stage...<BR/><BR/>Yay for the Big B, though!Filmi Girlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09292362161639177666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-7039321235746989852008-08-13T07:14:00.000-05:002008-08-13T07:14:00.000-05:00Now I'm going to be singing "Main Hoon Don" all da...Now I'm going to be singing "Main Hoon Don" all day, and there's nothing wrong with that. :)<BR/><BR/>"Abhishtick" is going straight into my everday vocabulary.<BR/><BR/>And, hey, Canadian Ken -- did you go to Convergence in Bloomington this year? Not that there weren't probably a billion people who've seen Shah Rukh in concert in Toronto...Anarchivisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06599522097057431891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-51963583570627361132008-08-13T04:30:00.000-05:002008-08-13T04:30:00.000-05:00Shashi ji on stage would make my LIFE. That would ...Shashi ji on stage would make my LIFE. That would be so awesome.<BR/><BR/>That said, hearing that Amitabh did Main Hoon Don makes my day - what was it like? Details!<BR/><BR/>Sigh, you are so lucky.the PPCC is a big fat idiothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16288839284512965083noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-54668720332934390072008-08-13T01:05:00.000-05:002008-08-13T01:05:00.000-05:00Enjoyed reading your reactions. Yes, calling it "T...Enjoyed reading your reactions. Yes, calling it "The Unforgettable Tour" reeked of hubris and self-congratulation. I caught the Toronto stop on the tour. And of the ten or so star shows I've seen, I'd probably rank this one at number 10 satisfaction-wise.<BR/>First of all, I paid a fortune for a lousy seat. Had to depend on the (not that) jumbo screens to see any facial detail. Two years ago, the same amount of money got me a terrific up-close vantage point at Shah Rukh Khan's HEAT show. It also happened to be maybe the best Bollywood show I've ever seen. Simply spectacular. Shah Rukh really has no peer when it comes to hosting these things. He's amazing. Preity and Rani were sensational too - especially together. And the whole presentation was put together with real non-stop flair. I also have great memories of The Millennium Tour about eight years ago. Akshaye Khanna and Aishwarya were unbelievably effective, riding a euphoric post-TAAL wave. Aamir Khan was on that tour too. And he scored again with the LAGAAN show a year or two later. Aishwarya was on board for that too - and she was marvelous. Over the years Mahima Chaudhary,Bobby Deol and Sushmita Sen have all made terrific in person impressions as well. But there was really nothing that memorable about this latest show. The Toronto MC was a very pretty young woman with a nice speaking voice. But she didn't have a humorous bone in her body. And with a repertoire of about six stock phrases that she repeated ad infinitum, the girl made zero connection with the audience. In the end she succeeded only in making the awkward pauses between numbers seem even more interminable. The onscreen intros for each star were so fawning and over the top that they actually wound up undermining the reputations they were so bombastically trying to extol. Also -along with the price of tickets - Bollywood music's moved a little beyond me. I loved it best in the 90's and early 2000's, a perfect east-west blend of the melodious and the exotic. Too much techno and rap now. I realize time marches on and the movies want to appeal to the kids. But, believe me, a massive segment of the audience at these live shows are older people who like their music a little mellower. I think you were hard on Aishwarya. She did seem tired at the Toronto show. But I'm always amazed when someone with a schedule as crippling as hers DOESN'T look exhausted. And that techno-number she opened with was not the best way to introduce someone essentially famous for her grace and beauty. Maybe Preity wasn't as sensational as she was on the Shah Rukh tour (I still smile when I remember how dazzling she and Rani were when they recreated a number from the film CHICAGO). But I still thought she was a joy -with charisma and talent to spare. And - like Aishwarya - she's a sensational dancer. I wasn't doing the kind of handstands you were about Ritesh, butI thought he did a fine job. Abhishek's never been a favorite of mine, but he exuded an easy confidence and I kind of got the feeling he may be the one that's holding the whole troupe together, morale-wise. I've seen Amitabh before - but he was in particularly good form this time. Impressive energy. And - even though I barely understood the words of his movie dialogues, his beautiful, impassioned delivery brought tears to my eyes. Brilliance that went a long way toward counteracting the effect of those pompous on-screen intros. They had him all but walking on water. No one in the audience needed to be told he was a legend. Clubbing us over the head with endless restatements of that fact merely dampened the crowd's mood. Our leg of the tour had Akshay Kumar on the bill, too. Needless to say, a major addition of star-power. I love Akshay onscreen - but he's never seemed able to master the ability to modulate his personality and voice in arenas. Even his friendliest speeches tend to sound like harangues. But he looks amazing - and few can touch him as a dancer. So in the end he was one of the evening's definite plusses. No doubt they've retooled and improved things as the tour progressed. But I got the impression there was less actual interaction between the stars than I'd seen in previous similar extravaganzas. And, yes, if there was one moment that WAS unforgettable (for all the wrong reasons), it was Mrs. Bachchan plodding onstage to deliver her mechanical little piece with all the enthusiasm of someone emptying bedpans at a hospital.CanadianKenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12240756292929779255noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-2255284407718708452008-08-12T22:14:00.000-05:002008-08-12T22:14:00.000-05:00Thanks for the detailed write-up, Beth! I'm glad y...Thanks for the detailed write-up, Beth! I'm glad you got to go and was looking forward to your review :)<BR/><BR/>But..Wait, no Madhuri? I thought she was added into this at the last minute...<BR/><BR/>I was very, very sad that I couldn't afford to go to this--I would have went by myself if I had the funds, but times are tight now!--But am hoping to catch the next tour that comes around (which I heard will be Shahrukh's). Chicago is a lot closer to me than New York is (where the Desi half of my family lives) so it really felt like I was missing the closest I'll ever get to the stars I've grown to love in the past year. <BR/><BR/>But wow, what a disappointment about Ash! I'm one of those people who <EM>have</EM> called her "ice princess" before but have softened to her recently...and, well, she's Ash. My expectations would have been high, and I would have been bummed if she would have given anything less... <BR/><BR/>Anyways, I'm glad you enjoyed Amitabh, Abhishek (is he just as hot in person?) and Riteish, and overall an 8's not bad. <BR/><BR/>Thanks for the post!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com