Bollywood/Hollywood
A film by Deepa Mehta
Starring: Rahul Khanna, Lisa ray, Moushumi Chatterjee, Dina Pathak, Kulbushan Kharbanda, Ranjit Chowdhry, Jessica Paré, Rishma Malik, Jazz Mann, Arjun Lombardi-Singh, Leesa Gaspari, Neelam Mansingh.
Running Time: 103 minutes
Released in the UK on 14th February 2003
Click here to buy the DVD.

Bollywood/Hollywood is a romantic comedy about a diverse group of Indian Canadians, ranging from a millionaire to a car mechanic, from a high-attitude escort girl and a radically conservative grandmother to a rebellious teenager. As different as these characters are, they share a common passion - Bollywood. When people from a culture largely defined by Bollwyood find themselves in an environment that is saturated with Hollywood, the result is a state of mind that celebrates these two seemingly disparate worlds. A seemingly "Bollywood/Hollyood" state of mind. The film Bollywood/Hollywood is a madcap love-song to both East and West with Bollywood music, Hollywood choreography and North American locations.

Rahul Seth (Rahul Khanna) is a dashing young millionaire who believes he is "western" enough to rebel against his mother (Moushumi Chatterjee) and grandmother (Dina Pathak). They are not too keen about his Caucasian girlfriend Kimberly (Jessica Paré) who, to make matters worse is a pop star. Before you can say "karmic intervention," Kimberly dies in a freak accident and Rahul is devastated. Instead of allowing him to mourn in peace, Rahul's mother sees the opportunity she's been waiting for. She threatens to cal off his sister's (Rishma Malik) wedding unless he finds himself a "nice Indian girl."

Rahul enlists the services of Sue (Lisa Ray), a fiercely independent escort who he believes to be Hispanic, and therefore not "married" to the conventions taught to young Indian women. With a wink in her eye, Sue accepts the deal to pose as his Indian bride-to-be. She needs the money and having never been a fan of the typical Indian male, she feels her heart is safe. The charade begins and this match borne out of necessity seems like it might work until things take an unexpected turn.

Emotional chaos ensues when Sue endears herself to Rahul's family. She cracks a tough nut like his grandmother, becomes friends with his sister and younger brother an even calls the shots with his chauffer (Ranjit Chowdhry). It seems that everyone is falling in love Sue. Even, perhaps, Rahul.

During the course of his sister's wedding celebrations, Sue breaks through Rahul's tough exterior and helps him find his heart again. And through all this, Rahul helps Sue realise that not all Indian men are insensitive, sexist chumps. Heartbreak is imminent. Rahul begins to question himself. Can he accept Sue for who she is and what she represents? Someone who is so far removed from who he finally realises he is - a traditional India man. Can true love triumph over social convention?

BOLLYWOOD/HOLLYWOOD - THE MOVIE

This movie represents Deepa Mehta's playful tribute to the conventions of Bollywood cinema. Take the use of captions prior to song sequences - e.g., Rahul's Song of Lament - this is a definite Bollywood no-no as the caption injects humour, thereby negating the song's melodramatic impact. Similarly, the caption - "The Family that Prays Together, Stays Together. God Knows" - makes gentle fun of all the recent Bollywood blockbusters that have all too earnestly portrayed the family prayer ritual.

While Deepa Mehta uses the archetypes of Bollywood, they are familiar but not quite entirely so. No self-respecting Bollywood matriarch would quote Shakespeare; no ma'am, she would draw her darts from the quiver of Indian scriptures. Another lovely character in the film is the female protagonist's father. While he craves for tradition, the tradition that he proudly draws sustenance from is old Bollywood films!

The very plot line of the film, while initially seeming to conform to the traditional Bollywood storyline of a struggle between the forces of change and convention, departs significantly from it when the female protagonist's identity and actions become the engines that propel the narrative. That's when Hollywood takes over.

Bollywood/Hollywood is a film that captures the lives of the Indian community - both local and diasporic. Stereotypes are evoked, only to be demystified; tradition is defined only to be challenged. "Nothing" - as the film's tag line quite appropriately proclaims - "is what it appears to be".

INTERESTED IN KNOWING MORE?

Click here to read about The Background to Bollywood/Hollywood.
Click here to read about The Casting of Bollywood/Hollywood.
Click here to read about The Production of Bollywood/Hollywood.
Click here to read about development of The Storyline for Bollywood/Hollywood.

BANANAS OVER BOLLYWOOD?

If you are simply "bananas" over bollywood, then you might like to read the following:

• Bollywood In Love - catch it while you can (ends January 2003)
• Bollywood Dreams - a digital homage (end May 2003)
• Bollywood Homes - Abu Jhani & Sandeep Khosla's interior design benediction. Sadly only the pictures remain now!
• Bombay Dreams - A R Rahman's theatrical tribute to the industry is a must see.
• The Rough Guide to Bollywood - DJ Ritu's musical guide to the Hindi Film Industry.
• Bollywood Books - our selection of some of the best books on the subject.
• Bollywood Boy - our review of Justine Hardy's pursuit of Bollywood heart-throb Hrithik Roshan.
• Bombay Time - Thrity Umrigar's simply brilliant book about the Mumbai Parsee community. Absolutely nothing to do with Bollywood...but a great novel about the city!
• Lagaan - surely you've seen the movie by now? Read our review and see if you agree.
• Devdas - Sanjay Bansali's remake of this classic 1917 tale.
• Bollywood Calling - Nagesh Kukunoor's comedic tale about a white actor turning to Bollywood to save his career.