Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Fighting Femmes, Fiends, and Fanatics Episode 5: Rani aur Jaani

It's time once again for Steve Mayhem's Fighting Femmes, Fiends, and Fanatics, once again hosted by that lovable scamp, Todd from 4DK! This time around I wax rhapsodic over the 1973 Bollywood action classic Rani aur Jaani, in which Aruna Irani and Jyothi Laxmi spend a good deal of time beating the living shit out of one another. Enjoy!

8 comments:

Tars Tarkas said...

Was that one of the vcd commercials at the end?


Also time to move Pistolwali way up on the watching queue!

Steve Mayhem said...

The closing clip (post credits) comes from the 2008 Telugu movie, Magadheera. The DVD does have English subtitles, but that bit of business doesn't need translation.

Pistolwali is something special too, as is K.S.R Doss's Gun Fighter Johnny AKA Mosagaallaku Mosagaadu (in somewhat different form and language if I'm not mistaken...which is a distinct possibility).

Todd said...

Tars Tarkas don't need no stinkin' subtitles!

I'd also recommend Doss's James Bond 777.

Todd said...

I believe -- though I may be wrong -- that Gunfighter Johnny is a Hindi remake of Mosagaallaku Mosagaadu, which is a Telegu film.

Beth Loves Bollywood said...

I know I often leave comments like this, so I should probably just say "insert Beth Standard Comment #1" instead of "OMG I HAVE TO SEE THIS RIGHT NOW!!!!"

I too love Aruna Irani and the idea of her in kick-ass mode is too pleasing for words! You're converting me to Jyothi Laxmi as well, though I must admit I can't even recognize her under that tower of curls (even though it is reminiscent of the Telugu hero pompadours with which I loosely assocaite her). FAB.

Todd said...

What can I say? Yes, you DO have to see it! That clip of Jyothi with the "Here's Lucy" curls is actually from Ratna Dakoo, not Rani aur Jaani. I would say that one is throughly skippable, as that one musical number is her only appearance. The rest of the film is carried by Superstar Krishna, and we all KNOW how you feel about him.

Beth Loves Bollywood said...

Heehee! Po. Ta. To.

I'm going to Chicago's Indian neighborhood next weekend and will be emptying my wallet in a DVD store or two. Somehow I won't be surprised if I can't find this, but on the other hand, the very day I was looking for Khoon Bhari Maang (aka Rekha Gets Eaten by a Crocodile, for those who have not seen it), it all but leapt off the bargain bin into my hands, so who knows!

Todd said...

If they carry VCDs they might have it, otherwise I know Induna does (or, at least, did). Sadly no subtitled DVD yet exists, but I keep my fingers crossed!