Rainy days are for Bollywood! Stood up by knitting!

Just got home, I have lots to do--but I had wanted to just stay home today and watch the films that had come from Nehaflix!! I had gotten Rab Ne Bana di Jodi, Billu Barber & Luck by Chance. The first two I have seen--on the big screen no less! I am anxious to see Luck by Chance, which did not get international release out in the wilds of Massachusetts. I had seriously contemplated calling in sick to stay home and watch them. My knitting students had ditched me--well it was raining as if a monsoon, so I kind of did not blame them. My son was at work-he will tolerate a Bollywood-he zones out on his computer or does something else. As I had finished up watching SRK and Aish in Devdas Sunday afternoon after yard work, he asked which movie, then he saw the DVD box-'oh the one where he drinks himself to death'! I kind of suspect Alex is a closet Bollywood fan, for he knows all the plots, including some we rented from Netflix that were kinda bad! He even recognized the DDLJ references in the item number that SRK did with Anupam Kher did--he laughed just as hard as I did to the comment that SRK (Raj) had been left at the altar, and was looking for a bride!
Humm, maybe I will do the work I need to do, and pop in a movie! A rainy day is perfect for a Bollywood.

Devdas

After some conversation on various forums about this movie--I feel it is time to put my 2 cents out there. I am a major Shahrukh Khan fan, as if you have not been able to tell from the various movies I have talked about, and was introduced to this movie by one of my dear friends(Andrea) who had seen it for Hindi film class. Well I fell in love!! When I love something, I become a terrier worrying a rat! I looked for and found the Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay novel from the early 20th century. I read the book with relish, and found that I loved the book as much as the Bhansali version of the movie. I began to read reviews that said the movie was overblown, prententious and not well done, even though it had debuted at the Cannes film festival.
I recently read an article "Dancing to an Indian Beat" by Sangita Shresthova in Global Bollywood, Travels of Hindi Song and Dance that discussed the intricacies of Indian dance that Bhansali had used to portray emotional connection between Paro and the prostitute Chandramukhi made me want to view the film yet another time. Once I realised, back after I had seen the 2002 Devdas, that there were other versions--I hunted down the 1955 version with Dilip Kumer and Vyjayantimala--this black and white film is just as wonderful as the lush, colorful version. I have found that there are many, many layers to Hindi films--they not only reference other films, traditional Indian culture, current Indian culture and Hollywood!
Please, when you delve into Bollywood--watch it more than once--first time for the impact and story--then go back and look behind the curtains, you will find more than just a wizard!

Bollywood Randomness

I know I tend to see Bollywood everywhere-but now one of my Bollyconverts has begun to spread the word. This particular convert had originally seen Bollywood films when in Nigeria(without the benefit of subtitles-but all in the theatre sang along). I have been feeding her movies, articles and other random Bollywood and she has begun to interest friends about Bollywood. I have found when I tell folks that I am into Bollywood, they instantly bring up the Oscar winning movie Slumdog Millionaire. I then try not to go off on a rant that it is not really Bollywood. Sure, there were 2 great stars of Bollywood in the movie, Anil Kapoor and Irfan Khan-as well as some other 2nd tier players that I recognized the face but not the movie. The book that the movie is based on is Q & A by Vikas Swarup (he did not like that the name was changed, so I am using the original title out of respect), who is an Indian diplomat, it is about a slumkid. But hey, Danny Boyle is a cutting edge English director! I sure hope, as do many of us that love Bollywood, that this wonderful movie will bring more attention to all the wonderful films that Hindi cinema has to offer. Let us just hope!