Articles tagged with: Bollywood
Cinema and Television, February 2009 »
This year’s pseudo-foreign import — just in time for Academy Awards season! — is a Horatio Alger story (called a “fairy tale” by some), Slumdog Millionaire, whose mouthful of a title may make usage in conversation a bit of a self-conscious affair, but whose supposed “momentum” in the Oscar race is unsurprising. Slumdog Millionaire is rooted in the detritus of India, but like any good former-colonialist-turned-tourist, director Danny Boyle takes Mumbai and universalizes the struggle of its impoverished inhabitants.
Cinema and Television, January 2009 »
One of my New Year resolutions (and probably the only one I will be able to keep) is to watch more masala movies. Masala is the Hindi word for spice or, in practice, a mixture of spices; the often complex blend of flavors that makes a dish taste just right. Masala movie making also uses a variety of flavors – including melodrama, comedy, action and musical numbers – hopefully in a combination that proves delicious, or at least doesn’t give you a stomachache.
The masala philosophy can be seen in many, …
Cinema and Television, December 2008 »
ave you ever outgrown a friend? Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan has a friend like that. This guy has used many names, but let’s just call him Raj. Shahrukh and Raj have been inseparable for years – ever since Raj burst onto the scene in 1995, in Aditya Chopra’s Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge – but their relationships seems strained in the new film Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.
Cinema and Television, Oct/Nov 2008 »
Let’s face it, it takes a lot of energy to care about things. For instance: I was getting very worried about how much cheap gin I was drinking, so I just started buying the stuff by the case. That way I only have to worry about it once a month.
Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar has a lot more stamina for caring than I do. In his film Chandni Bar he explored the exploitation of women, the cycle of poverty, organized crime and police corruption. In Page 3 he exposed the cult of …
