Shameful Pleasures: Time to Champion my Unloved heroes!

Just look at that dard-e-disco expression! Himmmmmesh needs someone just like me!

I thought I should start off the week, with an unabashed love-in for the many men who make me happy in the  filmi love that darenot speak its name! Of course, plugging someone like Himesh is going to make many people question my taste and sanity. But so be it, I had to air my shameful laundry at some point. Even worse was when I looked at my overflowing dvd shelf, the ones categorized by the Good at the front, the timepass to the side, and the shameful and awful gathering dust at the back. I had quite the collection of wonderful rubbish that I sneakily take out and watch and hoot at on the laptop, usually peak time is the middle of the night. Quite a lot of it, has to do with my nonsensical teenage years where any young hero with a cute face and passable acting ability caught my feverish attention, hello Ashish Chaudhary! So this is quite a revisit to my teenage brain that has never really stopped shamefully loving these men!

1. Himmesh Reshammiya - I cannot fight it or resist that OUUUWWHHH-nasally to some, wonderfully distinctive to me- voice so I come running back every time to Himmmmesh! I do have Aap Ka Suroor on my shelf, and the soundtrack on CD, while getting surprised and dismayed looks from the uncle dvdwallah who would usually recommend the soppy crap like 'Kyon Ki' onwards. I can't help it, I tried to have a Himesh drought, which most people are commendably maintaining till the power of the nasal voice comes back! It was definitely Radio, the film that spawned this week that got me started on loving Himmesh as an actor. Sure he read his lines in monotone and sometimes overdramatic fashion in Karzzzzzzz and APS but I still liked them because he was earnest. Earnestness always wins in my books, and with Radio he acted really well, and my new gem Damadamm! He just goes on making films and music for the select group of masses who will kinda love or guiltily adore his style of acting and music. I'm definitely going to be horrendously excited inwardly when Khiladi 786 comes out with him and Akshay Kumar. My boy has cracked it to the mainstream!

Yep I went with Zayed and a cute puppy in furthering my shameful propaganda! 

2.  Zayed Khan - Okay, this is one of the ones I feel really guilty and iffy about shouting my pyar about, because my inner 13yr old adored the pants off him. I've never really broken that streak, which is why half of the shameful shelf is most of his career! I don't know what it is about Zayed that I like so much, again earnestly trying to act in a convincing manner that often doesn't work, that cute face, and his ridiculously cute early millennial movies. I did love in Main Hoon Na as the grungey cool kid Lucky, where he got a bit of exposure with SRK, but he never really bounced back from that. I will readily admit that he's not the best actor but he tries hard at it, which is why I may love him for that nostalgia factor. I think he's another example of being a star kid where it doesn't pay off to well. It also helps that he's been in films with another fave hero and star kid cousin Fardeen Khan.

3. Fardeen Khan - Now I'm going to go out on my own plank and say this guy can really act and his early movies like the serious Dev and his early films with Ram Gopal Verma's company were very good.  Again I have quite a few gems of his career on my shelf, as he did his best work when he was working for RGV films. It might good if he does revive that Qurbani project just because it would feature him and he could do something different with that epic bromance. I'm pulling at straws I know, but he's quite a dedicated actor and if he did a lot more films that weren't the comedy ones it might be better for his flailing career. 

An added bonus, he looks good with a mush!

4. Tusshar Kapoor - Again, a star kid who has the resources to keep churning out movies whether people see them or not. I unequivocally adore Tusshar (because he's cool on enough like Cher and Prince). He's just very cute to me, and my 15yr old self. Thankfully, Ekta gives him the best roles when she's being the producer, with Shor, The Dirty Picture, and Shootout at Lokhandwala. But he's done his most popular work in the Golmaal series where he mostly does his schtick and keeps out the way and lets the biggies like Ajay and Arshad do the work. Most people tolerate Tusshar, he's a part of that series but they wouldn't venture out and see how he falls flat in his solo projects. But again, I do seek out some of his solo hero work which ranges from the underappreciated gem (I think so) or nonsensical pervy Mr, India in Gayab or the fun Char Din Ki Chandni. 

Honourable mention goes to Aftab Shivdasani, another kid from the RGV good days who latched onto Vikram Bhatt films, but hey he was a cute kid in Mr India, and I just like him!

Wherever there is an under appreciated star kid doing mindless nonsense, you could probably bet that I may like it or own it. I think that the films are these guys star in are often so shoddy or so surprisingly good in a way that only you can appreciate and champion. Look out tomorrow for the apples horror film Darna Mana Hai!!