Yes, another day of working overtime and watching Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.... I felt cheated--Anjali takes a minor role in the second half of the film, but even then she is much more enticing than her half dressed sister. Um... don't tell my wife I said that.

Labels: Bollywood, commentary, life, movie

I just want to say, for the record, that I did not miss posting yesterday--I blatantly skipped posting yesterday. Instead I wrote a couple of overdue e-mails, read a Nitpicker's Guide and watched part of a Bollywood movie. No, not the same Bollywood movie. Soon after I took Baghban back to the Library, I received word that Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... was waiting on hold for me. Unlike Baghban, which stars Amitabh Bachchan as a father in conflict with his grown sons, Kabhi stars Amitabh Bachchan as a father in conflict with only one of his sons. At least I think it's only one. I'm only part way through the film, so maybe he starts squabbling with his other son as well. Even so, it's still only two sons compared to the four in Baghban.

In all seriousness, Kabhi is a cut above Baghban, though it still is a bit surreal to this American boy. I wonder if that's not part of what's behind this Bollywood kick of mine--trying to capture a bit of the confusion of living overseas, where you're never quite sure what's going on. Of course, it isn't quite the same. China didn't have subtitles. Or the big dance numbers.

Labels: blogging, Bollywood, life, movie

A film by Ravi Chopra
Starring Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Salman Khan, Mahima Chaudhary
(and others not listed on the DVD case)

(Today's blog post is a movie review.)

I checked this Bollywood flick out of the Library this weekend. It was over 3 hours long, so I figured it would contain a dance number or two. It's the tale of a devoted father, Raj Malhotra (Amitabh Bachchan), who is on the verge of retirement. He is rich in happiness and reputation, but his financial savings have gone to build a good life for his family and friends. When retirement comes, he and his wife Pooja expect his four sons to provide for him--a reasonable expectation in traditional Indian society. The sons and their spouses have a slightly different idea. that conflict and its resolution make up the rest of the film. (Well, that and the musical numbers.) (They're very nice musical numbers if you're into Bollywood.) It was an enjoyable film, though it kind of reminded me as an emotional comic book film. In a comic book film, the action is larger than life with way cool special effects and feats that would be beyond belief if you hadn't leave your logic at the door. In Baghban, the drama is also beyond belief. The characters of Raj and Pooja are all but demigods of kindness and generosity. Everybody loves them, everybody treats them with respect and similar generosity... except those few characters slated to be the bad guys. Those benighted souls are awash in selfishness and pettiness. Once Raj has made his request to live with his kids, the love of his sons and daughters-in-law vanish. They seem suddenly incapable of showing the smallest bit of respect or affection, even as total strangers continue to bend over backwards for the couple. I wonder if it's some sort of cultural thing, some nuance that is invisible to an American like myself but is totally obvious to an Indian viewer. Or maybe it's just like an American comic book film--you watch it to engage your emotions, not your intellect. As an emotional ride, Baghban is very fulfilling, with moments of joy, sorrow, humor and anger. And you can dance to it.

Labels: Bollywood, commentary, crossculture, film, review