lunchtime poll #3: all in the family

Because the recent ice storm and cold snap find me buried under a tv-on-DVD wave, with dozens of episodes of the Gilmore Girls, the OC, and DeGrassi Junior High (both old and new school) (yes, I love teen dramas, and no, I can't explain why) piling up, I don't have much to say these days, Bollywood-wise. But I miss being here, as it were, so instead of me boring you with yet further thoughts on my rewatching of 36 China Town, I'm going to take up a suggestion from alert reader Aspi, whom I like very much even though he mysteriously finds himself needing to chuckle at the thought of my FPMBF, but never mind.

Aspi proposes that we examine Bollywood parent/child pairs with regard to various factors (the first three are his ideas, and I added a few more):
  1. child who most let down parent
  2. child who did/is doing better than parent
  3. "What was Dad/Mum thinking?" (I'm not sure what this means, exactly, but you may interpret as you wish, or Aspi can post in to clarify.)
  4. child who is likely to out-do parent in an arena unrelated to on-screen performance
  5. parent who has a level of superwowness that could never be touched by a child's abilities, no matter how great the child becomes
  6. child who has a character, dialogue, picturization, or costume eerily similar to a parent's
  7. parental scene you would most like to re-cast with the child
You are encouraged to write in some of your own questions too.

Aspi adds that sticking to father/son and mother/daughter pairs only "would eliminate us from having to evaluate Saif against Sharmila, which is only fair," which is a goal I fully support, but in the interest of livelier discussion, I'm opening it up to all combinations.

Technically I'm supposed to be working right now, so quickly, while it's in my head, I'll say in response to #3 (and maybe #1): I don't know if Tanuja is to blame for the career of Tanisha, but if so, then Tanuja, please take your younger daughter off the screen immediately. I have only seen her unmemorable turn in Sarkar and in the dreadful Neal N Nikki, which should never have been made, cameo by Abhishek aside.

Oh and also, because I like them enough to justify their reapperance, #6: sentimental softie leading man bubbles from Muqaddar Ka Sikandar and Dil Chahta Hai:


Tee hee. Bubbles. Thanks, Bollywood!

Update to post (December 6, 2006):
Answering #7 and winning an award for the coffee coming out my nose, Vinod and Akshaye. Thanks, Cutting the Chai!

Comments

Anonymous said…
Well, needless to say, Helen is seven thousand kinds of fabulous -- and (step) son Salman "What steroids?" Khan is not!
Anonymous said…
I had so much fun thinking through this that I did a cross post on my blog. But in the interests of completeness here is what I ended up with.

child who most let down parent: Any of Raj Kapoor's sons although I'm going by general feeling here more than my own opinion. I genuinely believe that I had as much fun watching a pot-bellied pushing-30s Rishi Kapoor trying to pass off as a college senior as I did in any of the senior Kapoor's movies.

child who did/is doing better than parent: Hrithik Roshan's star burns brighter than his Dad's ever did (as an actor anyway). And Karishma and Kareena have proved to be most famous in the Kapoor clan.

"What was Dad/Mum thinking?" (Beth, you got the interpretation right). In this category I nominated Vinod Khanna's youngest son Rahul. It's all relative, of course. If I had a dad like VK, I'd refuse to act because it would all be downhill from there.
Anonymous said…
Work motivation is low, so what better than this!

1. child who most let down parent - My vote goes to Esha Deol...after her mother's incandescent charm, and her father's acting (I really like the young Dharam) Esha is *such* a damp squib...why didn't she stay with the dance? She is a decent dancer.

2. child who did/is doing better than parent - Hritik's already been mentioned, so I'll say Shahid Kapoor. Though I also think Kareena&Karisma are doing better than either of their parents.

3. What was Dad/Mum thinking? OK, this is a category MADE for Yash Chopra w.r.t. Uday. Gah!

4. Child who is likely to out-do parent in an arena unrelated to on-screen performance -

5. parent who has a level of superwowness that could never be touched by a child's abilities, no matter how great the child becomes - Hema (Esha), Dharam (Sunny/Bobby), Amitabh (Abhishek)...actually many of the current crop of bolly-kids.

6. child who has a character, dialogue, picturization, or costume eerily similar to a parent's - can't think of one....

7. parental scene you would most like to re-cast with the child - nothing in particular, though I would like to see Sharmila and Saif, or Sharmila and Soha as mom/kid.

Bitterlemons
Cathy - OMG. I had no idea Salman was her stepson.

Aspi - I've only seen Rahul in two things, I think, and he was great in both. And I guess I've only seen Vinod in three things, so I can't really judge. You better be nice to my in-laws though! :)

bitterlemons - oh exactly re: #1. I was going to say that earlier and forgot. Esha's awful. I personally don't like her dancing either, although I haven't seen her in much. And I too would love to see Sharmila and Saif together - I adore them both.
Anonymous said…
Beth, isn't it enough that I equate your father-in-law with a demi-god? Do I have to love his sons as well :)

Indeed, Salim had a long standing affair with Helen - who is one of the true goddesses of Indian cinema. From the Wikipedia:

"In 1964, he married a non-Muslim woman, a Hindu from Maharashtra. She changed her name from Sushila to Salma when she married. Salma's Hindu family was unhappy that she had married a Muslim. Her father refused to speak to Salim or Salma for seven years after the wedding.

Salim and Salma have had four children: Salman (b. 1965), Arbaaz (b. 1972), Alvira, and Sohail. They also adopted a daughter named Arpita.

In the late 1970s, Salim took a second wife, the dancer/actress Helen, who lives in a separate household. Relations between his two families were rumoured to have been tense at first, but Salim's children by his first wife are now said to be fond of his second wife as well."
Anonymous said…
1. child who most let down parent

Hmm. A few contenders: Dev Anand's son Suneil Anand, Raaj 'Jaani' Kumar's son Puru
Raj Kumar, (Pooja Bhatt?), Jeetendra's son Tus(s)har, MoonMoon Sen's daughter Riya
(also Suchitra Sen's granddaughter),Shashi Kapoor's son Karan, Kabir, and Manoj Kumar's
son Kumar Gaurav. But in terms of success, I'd think Twinkle & Rinke Khanna never
came close to achieving the kind of success their mom Dimple and super-star dad
Rajesh Khanna enjoyed.

2. child who did/is doing better than parent

Hrithik, Hrithik and more Hrithik :-) Also, Kajol and Vivek Oberoi and Rekha
(Gemini Ganesan's daughter)

3. "What was Dad/Mum thinking?" (I'm not sure what this means, exactly, but you
may interpret as you wish, or Aspi can post in to clarify.)

Ok, I can't top Uday Chopra. But if siblings are allowed then I'd nominate
Kishan 'Unibrow' Kumar (brother of slain T-Series head honcho Gulshan Kumar).

4. child who is likely to out-do parent in an arena unrelated to on-screen
performance

Hmm..I think Sanjana Kapoor has done a better job managing Prithvi Theater than
her parents (Shashi and Jennifer) ever did.

5. parent who has a level of superwowness that could never be touched by a
child's abilities, no matter how great the child becomes

No matter WHAT everyone says, I still think Abhishek can never ever ever penetrate Amitabh's force field. No, seriously.

6. child who has a character, dialogue, picturization, or costume eerily similar
to a parent's

Hmm..tough one. Isn't Fardeen due to act in the remake of Qurbaani (spent Kurbaani this time).

7. parental scene you would most like to re-cast with the child

None, thank God!

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