tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24951479034537538512011-12-07T10:51:11.997+05:30(Formerly, Bombay Talkies)SVHnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1841100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-11160856567875793332011-12-05T17:33:00.002+05:302011-12-07T10:51:12.008+05:30

A discussion with my friend Holly about the film 3 idiots last week reminded me that I’ve been meaning to write about it. But since its release, I’ve seen it maybe twenty many more times. Every viewing brings new insights. The draft of my blog post about it was turning into a thesis.When Indians would pooh-pooh Bollywood masala to me, I used to cite a list of great Bollywood films to make them

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-48331346615929828842011-11-21T16:39:00.004+05:302011-11-21T16:56:39.150+05:30

Catching up on my Indian film reading...interesting how so much of the groundbreaking cinema (and television) these days, comes from potent male-female partnerships, notably: Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao at AKP, Anurag Kashyap and Kalki Koechlin, Farhan and Zoya Akhtar at Excel, Ekta and Tushar Kapoor at Balaji. So Indian, so organic.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-64752593031477891862011-10-27T09:49:00.003+05:302011-10-27T09:51:53.780+05:30

(Satellite photo of India at night during Diwali via NASA)India celebrates the festival of lights.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-71338415821699069592011-09-10T11:26:00.003+05:302011-09-10T11:44:01.402+05:30

Amitabh Bachchan has been tapped to co-star with Leonardo Dicaprio and Tobey Macguire in Baz Luhrman's 3D Great Gatsby, in a juicy character role as Meyer Wolfsheim, inspired by real-life gangster Arnold Rothstein.More proof that America is starting to take India very seriously.... The Wall Street Journal has revamped and beefed up their India coverage and added a Bollywood blogger to their India

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-60337662552033005242011-09-02T08:18:00.002+05:302011-09-02T08:21:39.934+05:30

"Shoaib Mansoor is rapidly becoming the flag-bearer for new Pakistani cinema." "The film is a tour de force, both in terms of the performances by the two main protagonists, daughter Humaima and father Manzar and in the narrative which spills over with umpteen twists and turns, geared to shock and shake you up, with their horrific tenor. If Humaima Malik is picture perfect as the

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-64156268785771284662011-08-31T08:59:00.016+05:302011-08-31T11:03:48.968+05:30

The Dirty Picture, the Silk Smitha biopic, is generating much chatter after the release of the official promos. Smitha, a South Indian movie heroine, died in 1996, a probable suicide at age 36, and draws comparisons to Marilyn Monroe for that and other reasons. Normally, I dislike those E!nglish parallels ("He's India's George Clooney!" "She's India's Meryl Streep!") But in this case, it's

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-63818946760868947232011-08-29T14:44:00.001+05:302011-08-29T14:46:47.256+05:30

Stumbled into a great blog today. Read about Bollywood's impact on one British-Pakistani woman. Enjoy.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-68354220975410246622011-08-22T07:55:00.007+05:302011-08-23T23:58:37.529+05:30

First song from Breakaway, aka Speedy Singhs, Akshay Kumar's Indo-Canadian production about a Sikh ice hockey team, opening soon, with Akki, Russell Peters, Ludacris, Rob Lowe, Anupam Kher and newcomer Vinay Virmani, who also co-wrote the script: And here is the trailer: Opens in India September 23rd, 2011. Co-Produced by Akshay Kumar and Paul Gross (Canada's Akshay Kumar). Trivia: There

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-31815507975811086172011-08-20T14:48:00.000+05:302011-08-21T15:12:15.092+05:30

The Guardian is now taking Hindi cinema seriously... for the non-Desi audience. Here's Gilbey's superb reviews of Zindagi Na Milegi Doba and Sangham.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-77965525685354264692011-07-21T21:46:00.001+05:302011-07-21T21:48:03.408+05:30

He is watching me write. Our eyes meet and he squeals quietly. The rains have let up, briefly, and the monkeys are everywhere, looking for food. Yesterday, I took my trash to the dumpster up the hill and when I threw it in a large monkey jumped out the other side. I put potatoes and cucumbers out on the road for them, away from the building so as not to tame them or get too close. Wild monkeys,

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-75647266356665748522011-07-17T11:10:00.004+05:302011-07-17T11:27:53.412+05:30

Reviews for ZNMD, Zoya Akthar's new movie from Excel Entertainment, look great across the board. Since the dialogue, written by Zoya's brother Farhan, is noted in the reviews I'll have to wait for a subtitled version. The Hindi will be too nuanced for me. Excel shook up the masala formula at the turn of the century with Dil Chahta Hai, another film about three young men finding themselves, and

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-56805435228804359802011-07-12T13:35:00.005+05:302011-07-13T08:56:06.357+05:30

I ran into a French artist hiking with a monk. She said: "It is cheaper to travel than to rent an apartment in Paris, so I travel." A horde of other European backpackers have the same idea, many more than I've encountered before on the road, outside of Europe bien sur. European backpackers are a different breed from the more upscale tourists-- not as fussy or standoffish, generally speaking1

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-83123013885153033582011-07-05T10:29:00.003+05:302011-07-05T11:36:27.345+05:30

"There are so many ‘caste no bar’ ads in the matrimonials now," I said to my friend Pramod."Yeah, ‘Caste no bar. Must make minimum six figures a month,’" he said.(100,000 rupees=1 lakh=$2275 approx.)Still thinking about Delhi Belly. Kurt: “Hollywood couldn’t get away with some of that stuff.”Pramod: “Only Aamir Khan could.1”The burqa sequence is comic genius. Imran Khan breaks out of his ‘

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-72131397941059544962011-07-03T23:51:00.008+05:302011-07-04T03:16:55.319+05:30

GAME CHANGER. Funniest movie I've seen in I don't know how long. Should translate well in most markets. Young audience, laughing nonstop. The Censor Board must have been drunk (and thank God). This movie does things Hollywood couldn't get away with, notes American friend Kurt. Written by Akshat Verma, directed by Abhinay Deo, and well acted all around. Watch for a wicked turn by Vijay Raaz (who

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-8302250257226580422011-06-26T19:26:00.003+05:302011-06-26T19:30:22.607+05:30

I just finished R.K. Narayan's The Ramayana, one of three books I bought as seed books to trade with other travellers (but now don't want to part with). Recommended.Narayan's bio here.Narayan and the Chelsea Hotel. (Page down for the story)

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-43971712761511449272011-06-21T03:00:00.013+05:302011-06-24T00:51:45.833+05:30

I am reading a book called Night in Bombay by Louis Bromfield, first published in 1940 and recently republished by Penguin India. It is one of the best books I've ever read. Set in Bombay during the 1930s, it looks at the lives of ex-pats and Indian royals--and the Indians who work for them. He is one of the few writers I can say has genuine understanding and empathy for all his characters--not

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-21462871705722026402011-06-14T18:54:00.003+05:302011-06-14T18:58:34.701+05:30

Flare, a Canadian magazine for women, has done a who's who feature on Bollywood in advance of the IIFA Awards in Toronto (in no particular order). They've missed quite a few, like Dharmendra and Hema Malini, but still, a good primer.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-24241684472106113962011-06-12T06:21:00.002+05:302011-06-12T06:27:19.663+05:30

Toronto is really going all out for the upcoming IIFA awards. Flash mobs, dance contests, and plenty of media coverage. Wish I could be there but I had a choice, TO for a week or India for six months, and I chose India. It seems surprising Akshay Kumar isn't on the list of attendees, as he is huge in Canada and has this movie coming out in the fall:Yeah. I'm there.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-58579324396305467062011-06-10T03:49:00.005+05:302011-06-10T06:24:47.699+05:30

Rani made the smart move, ducking out of Bwood, and Romcoms, for a while to re-emerge in a smart, sophisticated role in No One Killed Jessica. This is the perfect role for her. Good movie, great cast, Rani shines and Vidya Balan is superb as usual. Based on the true story of the murder of Jessica Lall.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-57594193166225983402011-06-09T23:26:00.002+05:302011-06-09T23:38:47.598+05:30

Going back and forth to India makes the change here stand out dramatically. It has been a year, and things jumping out at me:Streets are much cleaner in Delhi, traffic more orderly and everything much more expensive. Must be the Commonwealth Games effect.Much more coverage in the media of political and business scandals, much less of sex scandals.Following: Ramdev black money movement.Watching:

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-49910780297368795342011-05-27T20:36:00.005+05:302011-05-27T20:40:49.439+05:30

Here is the first music vid from Delhi Belly, a dark comedy coming soon from ground shakers Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao and Ronnie Screwvala:

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-78465110753074592252011-05-26T18:25:00.002+05:302011-05-26T18:26:24.246+05:30

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-44898057343920292782011-05-20T21:29:00.008+05:302011-06-10T19:00:10.579+05:30

Mixed reviews for the Bollywood tribute at Cannes, critics divided but audience reportedly enthusiastic. Reading the reviews makes me want to see it even more. 81 minutes of the best of Hindi film's musical numbers would be heaven to me--like an uber-wonderful YouTube playlist on the big screen. Orgasmic. For Bollywood greenhorns, however, it could be baffling, I imagine.I learned a long time ago

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-73095999722339064522011-05-10T22:21:00.002+05:302011-05-11T01:23:30.903+05:30

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-10297954829077614082011-05-10T01:12:00.005+05:302011-05-17T08:35:15.119+05:30

A ”love affair between almost two billion people.” Shekhar Kapur

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-29970808620831115662011-04-27T22:11:00.006+05:302011-04-27T22:49:40.113+05:30

Shor in the City, a dark comedy from producer Ekta Kapoor. Reviews from a few exclusive screenings verge on ecstatic. Yet more to look forward to from Ekta Kapoor...she's producing a film about tragic South Indian vamp Silk Smitha.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-3023384976573676462011-04-24T17:14:00.005+05:302011-04-24T19:16:55.958+05:30

If you are in the tri-state area, make time for the NYIFF. The programming is inspired, from the opening film, a graceful updating of the masala formula, to arthouse to shorts from the Whistling Woods film school to crowd-pleasing documentaries like The Bengali Detective to the centerpiece film, a new Aparna Sen movie. More information here.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-70801244212157957782011-04-23T01:47:00.001+05:302011-04-23T01:50:08.728+05:30

Tribute to Bollywood made by Shekhar Kapur ("Elizabeth") especially for Cannes will be shown out of competition at the festival. Here.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-11004145560114984512011-04-06T18:56:00.008+05:302011-04-22T21:55:05.178+05:30

I Am, the new film by Onir ("My Brother Nikhil"), opens in India April 29th after about a year of wet kisses from world film festivals. It's co-produced by actor/producer Juhi Chawla, the most understated but effective powerhouse in Indian Film. Onir's films explore sexuality, identity, class and personal politics in an India still largely bound by tradition, but rapidly changing and forcefully

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-36229975164367699652011-04-03T20:31:00.000+05:302011-04-03T20:33:44.338+05:30

Here.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-37885089694851199602011-03-10T16:31:00.005+05:302011-07-21T22:04:31.365+05:30

According to screenwriter Mushtaq Sheikh, as quoted by numerous news outlets and blogs now, Leonardo DiCaprio and Shah Rukh will co-star in Xtreme City, written by Sheikh, to be directed by Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver), and co-produced by Martin Scorsese and SRK's Red Chillies Entertainment. DiCaprio and SRK would play friends who served together as UN peacekeepers in Somalia, and went their

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-21278832892744788422011-03-07T01:31:00.005+05:302011-03-07T01:47:13.624+05:30

Shah Rukh ropes in Scorsese to produce Xtreme City? Rapid Eye picks up Dhobi Ghat in Berlin.Tipping Point Films to make "edgy" youth-oriented movies.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-2541766755486674712011-03-01T08:02:00.001+05:302011-03-01T08:02:50.564+05:30

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-27435129636684992092011-02-26T06:44:00.001+05:302011-02-26T06:47:03.694+05:30

Indian Film Industry Bets on Global SciFi Market.(One quibble: Endhiran is not actually Bollywood, it's Kollywood.)

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-68101084008453022742011-02-24T22:57:00.001+05:302011-02-24T22:57:50.632+05:30

Banned in Pakistan.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-24924638735363554542011-02-23T21:07:00.005+05:302011-02-23T21:20:51.637+05:30

Shah Rukh Khan has been so quiet lately--but it's not cause for concern I hope. When the man has something to say he says it (see "My Name is Khan.") I expect the silence now is due to the secrecy of his upcoming scifi epic Ra.One. Advance publicity for this is just a couple of stills. Also on tap for 2011, Excel's Don 2.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-80095405939519027742011-02-22T18:56:00.007+05:302011-02-22T21:26:16.985+05:30

University of South Carolina is partnering with Indians to foster more film education in India. There are two prestigious film schools that I know of, one in Delhi and then Whistling Woods in Mumbai, plus arts programs with film components in other places. (Not sure about Bangalore.) It goes both ways. In the west, more courses are now offered on Indian film. All good.I wonder if film schools

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-75521294582301513802011-02-04T23:09:00.003+05:302011-02-04T23:15:24.865+05:30

It's confirmed. Aamir will play the villain in the third installment of the Dhoom series. Earlier, reports said Hrithik Roshan, who played the anti-hero in Dhoom 2, would also be in 3, but I see no mention of that now. Previous Dhoom director Sanjay Gadhvi has moved on and 3 will be directed by Dhoom screenwriter Vijay Acharya.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-12166933146672531432011-01-27T07:07:00.015+05:302011-02-03T22:26:11.718+05:30

...from Vishal Bhardwaj (Omkara), based on story by Ruskin Bond:I'm told Priyanka Chopra's performance is virtuoso. 7 Khoon Maaf is one of three films out of India going to the Berlin Film fest, along with The Bengali Detective and Gandu (note to self: must see Gandu --the word is Hindi for 'asshole.').And from Aamir Khan Productions (featuring the voice of Amitabh Bachchan):I'm hooked.Elsewhere.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-31077263057090987372011-01-25T20:03:00.004+05:302011-02-08T16:10:11.785+05:30

Fox Searchlight acquires worldwide remake rights to Bengali Detective.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-15000356835955620702011-01-24T02:51:00.016+05:302011-02-03T22:25:35.804+05:30

Dhobi Ghat grabbed lavish praise on the world cinema circuit, but is getting mixed reviews from Indian critics who either love it or dislike it--nobody seems to hate it. (I haven't had a chance to see it, but I generally love what Khan-Rao do.) This happened a lot this last year, with My Name is Khan, Ravaan, and Kites--exuberant reviews from foreign critics, and a mixed bag from the reviewers at

SVHnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-35363990022133080652011-01-17T10:04:00.006+05:302011-01-25T20:12:05.705+05:30

Because there is a television show called Bombay Talkies, and I've discovered, several other blogs with the same title, I've decided to find a new name for this one and am taking suggestions. (The url will remain the same.)

SVHnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-59803202768200870312011-01-16T09:28:00.007+05:302011-02-03T22:17:29.814+05:30

Based on the true story of the Jessica Lall murder, and how two women galvanized a movement to get justice. The Economist gives it a very good review and commends the "lighter touch" it takes.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-2599254372101261932010-12-30T22:32:00.037+05:302011-04-27T22:25:56.519+05:30

2010 was a watershed year in Indian cinema, which saw, notably: the rise of the Hindi Indie; a profusion of new directors, screenwriters and actors with fresh eyes and attitudes; awards and raves from the world cinema circuit; and massive international dealmaking. Here are the first roundups I've seen:This is the Way it Ends from the Indian Express.365 Days to the Arc Lights, from Outlook.2010:

SVHnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-77473137957168894562010-12-29T02:14:00.003+05:302011-01-13T12:38:15.857+05:30

There are some fresh-ish entries I missed at Paagal Subtitle so I've been going through the archives and LMAO. This and this are classic. Small advice.Timeless wisdom.(This, my friends, is how I sound in French.)

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-83253306000715376362010-12-21T17:20:00.006+05:302010-12-26T17:19:08.251+05:30

Turning 30, billed in the media as India's first "chick flick," opens next month. About 3/4 of the visits to this blog come looking for it, along with the star, Gul Panag, This is remarkable for a couple of reasons: until recently, there was only quiet publicity about the film and most of the chatter has been word-of-mouth; and, aside from today's post, I haven't written about it since June,

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-8608175659882839832010-12-20T20:42:00.002+05:302010-12-20T20:46:40.769+05:30

Kiran Rao's directorial debut (IIRC), Dhobi Ghat, continues to get great reviews from world festivals:

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-23747482055435047212010-12-20T01:18:00.010+05:302011-01-04T00:45:38.072+05:30

Katrina Kaif and Akshay Kumar, together again in the upcoming Tees Maar Khan, the latest from Farah Khan and Shirish Kunder. If it's anything like Khan's other directorial efforts, there should be great choreography,costumes and action, along with a silly but (hopefully) fun plot and some hammy acting. Akshay and Katrina have a lot of pop as an onscreen couple when they have a script and a

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-19335296008854126612010-12-18T00:26:00.000+05:302010-12-18T00:27:06.395+05:30

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-81461253939112737372010-12-07T13:51:00.008+05:302010-12-20T20:36:48.426+05:30

I agree with this journalist's reviews almost all the time, and think Rajat Kapoor is greatly underrated and Manu Rishi was terrific in Mithra and Oye Lucky, so I shall be looking for this. From director/writer Subhash Kapoor:(Bollywood needs to get with it and release trailers with English subtitles too.)

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-18000841001099327612010-11-28T06:31:00.003+05:302010-11-28T06:38:01.043+05:30

Fun with English subtitles in classic Bollywood films via Beth Loves Bollywood.The subject header above refers to one of the perfect subtitles on this page.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-1877484815234521552010-10-18T08:36:00.001+05:302010-10-18T08:38:13.138+05:30

Slackistan:(Lollywood-Lahore-based film industry in Pakistan.)

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-21000499127165985092010-10-05T01:34:00.009+05:302010-12-22T23:30:06.345+05:30

In honor of Rekha month, which is headquartered at Beth Loves Bollywood, here's one I had not seen before, Rekha and AAAAAAArshad Warsi*:"My anklets chime..."*You thought I was going to say Amitabh, didn't you? :)More Rekhatober Posts:HereHereand Twitter thread here.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-31481752306083632912010-10-01T01:21:00.004+05:302010-12-20T20:34:25.997+05:30

Udaan got a lot of nice coverage on the festival circuit, but has been largely overlooked by all but the critics:. For pure fun, Salman is terrific in Dabangg, a winking entertainer:

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-91511652329229592222010-09-27T08:22:00.004+05:302010-10-24T03:01:13.793+05:30

Wow. Rajni, Ash, Danny, insane special effects plus music by A.R. Rahman. Look out America. (Hat tip to Lauri Hart for leading me to the trailer.)

SVHnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-63545158382361795232010-09-15T00:30:00.001+05:302010-09-15T00:32:07.544+05:30

From 1934, when Hollywood still made brilliant musicals:

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-58457876475188770752010-09-14T04:13:00.003+05:302011-02-06T00:20:19.425+05:30

Salman is back with dabangg.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-90156988294683199042010-09-10T10:53:00.006+05:302010-09-14T23:05:08.970+05:30

Two "non-masala, non-singing and dancing" Bollywood films are getting a lot of press in advance of screening at the Toronto International Film festival, Dhobi Ghat and That Girl in Yellow Boots. Both films are collaborations by offbeat Bwood couples. Dhobi Ghat comes from writer/director/producer Kiran Rao and her husband Aamir Khan, who produces and stars in the movie. TGIYB is the result of

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-77662955101877473482010-08-07T07:19:00.001+05:302010-08-24T04:00:37.465+05:30

The latest offbeat film from dark star Anurag Kashyap and the very interesting Kalki Koechlin.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-10806313136824632592010-08-02T21:02:00.006+05:302010-12-21T17:38:23.573+05:30

Watching for Peepli Live and Aisha, both opening soon. Haven't seen Tere Bin Laden or Once Upon a Time in Mumbai (not playing near me). Intrigued by upcoming Rahul Bose starrer Mumbai Chakachak (fall 2010). (Uh, Mr. Bose, what's going on with Moth Smoke?) Still waiting for confirmation on Dhoom 3 cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Hrithik Roshan, Uday Chopra, Bipasha Basu and.... drum roll.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-21038252191197069982010-07-31T17:36:00.008+05:302010-08-24T04:02:14.744+05:30

I want to write more extensively about the 'uncategorizable' films, not really arthouse per se, not Bollywood masala either, even if they employ masala ingredients in innovative ways:That's from Vishal Bhardwaj's Omkara (2006), a stunning retelling of Othello set in gangland Uttar Pradesh. The word I am hearing now for the Hindi Indie film movement is 'hatke,' which is Hindi for 'off-beat' etc.,

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-10231517332710454692010-07-28T22:00:00.003+05:302010-07-31T18:18:33.977+05:30

That's white as in the lights on Broadway, not white as in gori. :) Column here.Another column, on the Great Date Movie, here.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-5846123170246467102010-07-20T21:12:00.005+05:302010-12-19T02:40:45.066+05:30

From the late, great Guru Dutt (and sung by the late, great Geeta Dutt):Netflix listing for Aar Paar here.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-29705459418994837052010-07-11T21:33:00.003+05:302010-08-24T04:00:37.490+05:30

Advance word from international screenings = all praise. Here's the trailer. (No subtitles on the trailer alas.)

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-80164560428713872592010-07-09T00:24:00.021+05:302011-01-21T05:48:58.809+05:30

1. How did you end up in Bollywood?Alex Sutcliffe interviewed me for her website on the subject.That’s an abridged version but you’ll get the picture. I should add that I stayed with Bollywood all these years for the stories and characters, for the way the movies depict social and political changes, and for the sheer joy of the music and choreography. No other cinema does unbridled joy like

SVHnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-2177530417923611552010-07-08T00:42:00.008+05:302010-08-01T20:11:50.046+05:30

Ossining Public Library last year promoted a Best of Bollywood film series with delightful (there is no other word) vids here on YouTube. This tasty sampler includes one of my top ten, Lage Raho Munnabhai, a romantic musical comedy about Gandhi:This is a film that should have crossed over -- all over the world. I just wrote something about how wonderful LRMB would be on Broadway too. (No link for

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-3946050356377234782010-07-06T18:15:00.003+05:302010-07-06T18:19:01.901+05:30

"Fearless Nadia, a fair-skinned Australian with not a skerrick of Indian ancestry, earned her own place in Bollywood history by literally whipping and beating the baddies into submission, then lecturing them on the values of female equality and literacy in schools. She became known as "the Sultana of Stunts' and 'Hunterwali' (Hunterwoman), after her most popular and daring film, shot in 1935, in

SVHnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-35341191038463879692010-06-17T04:56:00.009+05:302010-10-24T03:01:13.806+05:30

Sita-Ji from Bollywood Food Club tipped me off to The Bollywood Fan's Lagaan Week. Shell's Bollyworld has a great post, Everything I know about cricket I learned from Lagaan.for those in the new world who find the game incomprehensible.I have been thinking about this movie a lot in terms of "crossover." While it wasn't the kind of blockbuster hit we think of now when we talk about Bollywood

SVHnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-5910592818739322322010-06-09T23:25:00.004+05:302010-06-09T23:36:34.888+05:30

Good piece on "crossover" in Mumbai Mirror this week. Read here. It argues that a film has to be distinctly Indian in order to crossover, and emulating Hollywood is a mistake (one made by the Canadian film industry for years). I agree, Bottom line is, in the words of Billy Wilder, "tell a good story." This doesn't mean all good stories that are distinctly Indian can crossover and win the

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-1981199178319511312010-06-05T19:04:00.006+05:302010-08-01T09:03:44.318+05:30

This is fairly radical for Bollywood, but it represents a lot of young women I know, and stars one of my favorite actresses, Gul Panag (Dor, Fashion). It's in English, so apparently aimed at the urban multiplex market, but this will also make it big with the NRI audience and may give it some crossover appeal:Directed by Alankrita Srivastava, and produced by Prakash Jha who has been bringing some

SVHnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-9512515070762512802010-05-31T19:21:00.003+05:302010-07-14T17:46:28.877+05:30

The LA Times' very nice review of Brett Ratner's recut of Kites for an international audience is here.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-72518765395531229872010-05-24T21:04:00.010+05:302011-02-06T00:42:31.396+05:30

August 13th release date announced for Peepli Live, which has already received rave reviews from advance screenings at Sundance and Cannes. Variety weighs in here:"A peppy screwball comedy with elements of social satire, 'Peepli Live' suggests a rural Indian take on Billy Wilder's 'Ace in the Hole.' A big carnival of media and politics swirls around farmer Natha (Omkar Das Manikpuri) when he

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-31144506103012786312010-05-22T05:51:00.021+05:302010-07-14T17:46:28.884+05:30

Kites has opened in America, and reviews there for the 130-minute Indian version are exuberant. New York Times: "The result is a lovers-on-the-lam blast of pure pulp escapism, so devoted to diversion that you probably won’t even notice the corn....Mr. Roshan requires viewing uncut: writhing on the dance floor or just gazing into space, the man was made to drive women crazy, one movie at a time.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-64712129863082068732010-04-14T17:24:00.001+05:302010-08-24T04:00:37.507+05:30

The latest by Aparna Sen is a dream you want to live in. Shot in Japan and in the incredible Sunderbans of India, it stars Rahul Bose and Raima Sen. Go see it.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-52612068202622898522010-04-14T16:29:00.010+05:302010-05-23T13:29:40.306+05:30

A very cool woman,starting a new website for expats, interviewed me about my Hindi film experience. Thanks to author Alex Sutcliffe for asking me to participate and doing the interview for Expat Everywhere. There is a lot I love about Bollywood and India not touched on here, but I am saving that for a book/script I am working on, set in the world not of stars so much as strugglers: the writers,

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-26396671748675335592010-03-15T10:46:00.004+05:302010-03-15T11:13:58.772+05:30

In honor of Shashi Kapoor's 72nd birthday this week, Beth Loves Bollywood is hosting a week of tributes. In addition to starring in dozens of big Bollywood films, he appeared in a couple from Merchant-Ivory and did theatre work. He now runs a theater in Mumbai, named after his father Prithviraj who founded an acting dynasty still going strong in Bollywood with great-grandchildren Ranbir and

SVHnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-71913597535620833922010-03-05T20:12:00.002+05:302010-08-01T09:03:44.329+05:30

Here.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-60387127277494310162010-02-20T17:40:00.003+05:302010-02-26T23:31:45.073+05:30

Akshay Kumar wants to make a movie about Canada and how hockey bridges the cultural divide.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-72730971889992158512010-02-19T23:19:00.007+05:302010-08-01T09:03:44.335+05:30

... Peepli Live from Aamir Khan, Dev Benegal's Road, Movie with Abhay Deol and Tannishtha Chatterjee, The Japanese Wife from Aparna Sen, starring Raima Sen, Chigusa Takaku and world arthouse darling Rahul Bose.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-40186456947726054292010-02-17T23:12:00.006+05:302010-10-24T03:01:52.976+05:30

Been meaning to write something on MNIK but no time right now. The Guardian and the New York Times gave it nice reviews. Not this year's best movie so far, but certainly the most important. More later.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-51575025725732940442010-02-10T23:48:00.004+05:302010-02-11T00:01:38.214+05:30

This looks promising. Mallika Sherawat, one of Bollywood's bolder, sassier, yet still-under-the-radar heroines, stars in the upcoming "Love Barack," a comedy inspired by the many true love stories that bloomed on the Obama campaign. She reportedly has another Hollywood production in talks, in addition to doing Jennifer Lynch's film Hisss, with Irrfan Khan of Slumdog fame (as well Life in a Metro,

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-63483468856360884692010-02-06T02:08:00.005+05:302010-08-01T09:03:44.341+05:30

The latest Aamir Khan/Kiran Rao production, Peepli Live, the first Indian film invited to the Sundance festival, is getting great reviews from American critics (and reportedly got a standing ovation from the Sundance audience). Here's one review. Directed by first-time director Anusha Rizvi. Saw Ishqiya last night and both my movie friend Mantu and I gave it five stars. A gem that will change

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-6906073342467454172010-01-30T01:25:00.003+05:302010-08-01T09:03:44.348+05:30

Can't wait to see this.Calcutta Telegraph Review here.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-18079615507152796022010-01-02T21:21:00.006+05:302010-02-19T23:19:12.073+05:30

Here. Most interesting to me is the Holly-Bolly dealmaking, and that Kites will have two edits, an Indian version and an international version: "Hopes are high from Kites as its international version is being edited by Brett Ratner, best known for the Rush Hour series and for Family Man. He is currently at work on the English version of Kites and is tailoring it to appeal to an international

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-11575404825360280602009-12-31T16:19:00.003+05:302009-12-31T16:26:12.124+05:30

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-75408245546218065922009-12-29T21:23:00.002+05:302009-12-29T21:26:17.284+05:30

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-24982710301185468342009-12-13T12:01:00.004+05:302010-01-29T02:05:35.610+05:30

I chanced into a funded project on arts education for underprivileged children in India and am now on the subcontinent visiting a few of the many innovative schools here. The perennial debate in North American education -- are arts essential or elective - is more pressing with the recession. In India, there is an explosion of schools and programs for poor kids in which the arts are a core part of

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-42935527732708583412009-11-03T06:05:00.005+05:302010-01-29T02:06:10.300+05:30

My Name is Khan to release February 12th, 2010, reuniting Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol after eight years, and a Holly-Bolly co-production of Fox Star Studio, Dharma Productions and Red Chillies entertainment. Karan Johar of Dharma is certainly doing some interesting things these days, and displaying a much more delicate, and slyer, emotional touch it seems, which could help this one crossover. The

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-44886109759096855122009-10-21T08:21:00.006+05:302010-01-27T20:19:09.333+05:30

Kylie Minogue does an item number for the new Akshay Kumar-Sanjay Dutt starrer Blue, said to be Bollywood's most expensive film yet:

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-49996651255997313732009-10-08T03:45:00.007+05:302010-01-27T20:20:26.060+05:30

Between the Producers' strike and swine flu, it has been a dreadful year for Bollywood. But things are picking up:New York Times review here.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-4913294695892155822009-05-01T19:50:00.001+05:302009-05-01T19:51:31.189+05:30

Khan is remembered here.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-77569008922635030262009-04-13T08:04:00.002+05:302009-04-13T08:06:00.971+05:30

Irrfan Khan, Katrina Kaif, John Abraham, and Neil Nitin Mukesh star.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-7204452608739632762009-04-11T05:51:00.004+05:302010-02-06T23:15:34.277+05:30

This 1960 film was a megahit unrivalled until Sholay came along in the 70s. Filmed in both color and black and white (this song is one of three color sequences), it starred Madhubala and Dilip Kumar. Lata Mangeshkar, the most recorded singer in history according to the folks at the Guinness book, sings (Madhubala lip syncs and dances here as the rebellious slave girl in the Moghul court.)

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-16154931374696807192009-04-09T12:58:00.005+05:302009-04-10T10:35:48.859+05:30

Kumar is one of the most interesting, and best-paid, Hindi stars. He flew under the radar for a long time, and then burst into top-tier films like a supernova. He's had a string of superhits (Chandni Chowk to China notwithstanding), not just in India but abroad. Like Hrithik Roshan (pre-knee surgery), he does his own stunts in movies, and the trickier, the better. He comes from a very humble

SVHnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-18104455322669708412009-02-16T01:27:00.004+05:302009-05-25T08:33:52.870+05:30

This is the incomparable Helen. In addition to dancing in over 500 movies, she was also the subject of a Merchant-Ivory documentary Helen, Queen of the Nautch Girls. This one is for the pink chaddi girls.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-8464264463729664692009-02-14T19:14:00.006+05:302010-01-27T20:28:40.012+05:30

Shah Rukh Khan's item number with Kareena Kapoor.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-64240017769520112772009-02-08T20:59:00.006+05:302010-08-11T03:05:58.915+05:30

Anurag Kashyap's modern retelling of the now-classic story of Devdas..

SVHnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-25560055233064159442009-02-07T13:37:00.007+05:302010-07-22T23:53:12.298+05:30

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, a Hindu, a Muslim and a Christian, are behind some of the best soundtracks in Hindi cinema*. They did this, and this, and also this song from the Hindi version of High School Musical. They also did this, this, and they wrote this anthem for India.And more.Amar Akbar Anthony.* Hindi cinema is what is known as Bollywood. People who work in it prefer the term Hindi cinema, but

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-25339214115629590292009-02-06T07:06:00.005+05:302009-02-06T11:05:17.286+05:30

This looks much better on the big screen, but this will give you a taste of Hrithik Roshan's big song in Luck By Chance, a gentle satire on the Hindi film industry (more popularly known as Bollywood). Lots of cameos in this.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495147903453753851.post-33411265886138625182009-02-04T13:52:00.007+05:302009-02-05T05:43:24.020+05:30

Luck by Chance, Zoya Akhtar's directorial debut, has opened in the US (at the same time as in India) and the reviews from mainstream American critics are great. The movie stars Akhtar's brother (also a director) Farhan Akhtar, Konkona Sensharma, Rishi Kapoor, Sanjay Kapoor and has a host of Hindi film stars appearing in smaller parts, including Dimple Kapadia, Juhi Chawla and Hrithik Roshan.

SVHnoreply@blogger.com0