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Top articles
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Guru
Everybody is talking about it… Or rather, was talking about it, and well, I’ve seen that movie too! It’s a good movie. In fact, very good in a non-Bollywood sense, because it’s good in terms of Western criteria: the subject, the rhythm, the acting, the...
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Bollywood delight
It’s been some time I’ve wanted to speak about the delight to be found in Bollywood cinema. I have already spoken about its optimism, its positive attitude towards life and humanity, but this time I want to focus more especially about this dimension of...
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The phenomenon Abhishek
I’d like to share a few words about Abishek Bachchan. I must say he’s not my favourite actor, he’s probably not a very talented actor (as yet), but what interests me is that he’s a Bollywood phenomenon. That combination of past and future. Heritage and...
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Amitabh's power
Hmm… Difficult ! The very fact of writing about « Big A » is daunting. Not only is the actor so impressive, but the person seems to demand respect, and of course the sheer length and scope of his career as a professional is amazing. I’ve seen films with...
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Answer to the quiz...
This hasn’t got much to do with Indian culture, but… I don’t know whether many of you were really interested about the “little quiz” which I had posted at the beginning of May. Well, anyway here’s the answer; the text in Gujarati was from the Pater Noster...
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Bollywood actors (of today)
After actresses, actors. It seems to me more difficult to speak about Bollywood actors – the men - in general than actresses, perhaps because I see more individualism and differences there. Not that actresses are all from the same mould, but being women,...
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"Hating" K3G
I had a good laugh yesterday reading in BollyWhat? about all those BW fans giving their reasons why they « hated » Kabhi khushi khabi gham, that 1999 Karan Johar family saga which, it says, “is all about loving your parents”. Here’s the link for those...
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Is Aishwarya Rai a good actress?
And does she get the reviews she deserves? Looking through them, it seems to me she’s either derided for being too bland, too superficial, or she gets the surprised concessions of people who think she’s “in fact a good actress” – obviously her merits...
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Kareena Kapoor: her strength ...and her weakness
When I think of Kareena Kapoor, what comes to mind first is her strength, her instinct, her femininity. She strikes me as unabashedly feminine, pleased with her sex, proud of her sex. Her physique is very feminine, and first those amazing lips of hers,...
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Saif Ali Khan: the Indian mafioso
I have always liked Saif Ali Khan, ever since Kal ho Na ho, in which I first saw him squint and sidle towards the camera, like an Indian Mafioso, with his Italian airs, his raspy voice. He was a welcome difference from the Salmans, the Shahruhks, and...
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The painter of signs
R.K. Narayan’s “The painter of signs” is a real pleasure to read. Set in the imaginary Southern Indian town of Malgudi, this novella captures the mind by its evocative aloofness, its lighter-than life clarity. It is the story of Raman, a sign-painter,...
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Hum tumhare hain sanam
Is friendship possible between men and women? This is the question which sprang to my mind while watching Hum tumhare hain sanam. Old question, of course, but well, since it seemed to have been important for the director (K.S. Adhiyaman), and that his...
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Should Hrithik Roshan rule?
Have you visited this website ? It’s got this quote : « for most people money becomes the end in itself. People want money for the sake of having money. For me it’s a means to an end. I want to work hard and make a lot of money.” What do you think? Materialistic?...
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Salman Khan, the Playboy of the Eastern world
Facts we should remember about Salman before we start criticising him: - Let’s face, if Sallu didn’t exist, Bollywood would be incomplete. - You can’t love Bollywood and not give at least some credit to Salman. - He can’t be that badmash, he actually...
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Welcome to B(H)ollywood! (Ta Ra Pum Pum)
Er… I thought I would have stopped reviewing films like this one ! But Ta Ra Pum Pum by Siddharth Anand is interesting in fact, as a Bollywood phenomenon (are those of you who read me not tired of this treatment of Indian films?!). BUT: before I go any...
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Crying
Very quickly after I had started watching Bollywood movies, I started crying, often at the end, and I felt somehow justified in my crying, pleased in my crying. I can’t even remember when I last cried, or if I ever cried, after having watched an occidental...
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Anupam Kher, the adorable comedian
Film after film, I have learnt to rejoice when they feature this delightful comedian, Anupam Kher. He went at first unnoticed, in the shadows, at the back. He was part of the sets. Then role after role, I remember I started smiling to myself: hey, it’s...
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Society vs genius (Pyaasa 1957)
Guru Dutt’s Pyaasa (thirsty) is so consistently lauded that it’s rather daunting to start talking about it. All the reviews I’ve read about it were superlative. Everybody says what a landmark it has been, what wonderful music it displays, what poetry...
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Untouchable
Mulk Raj Anand’s small fiction volume « Untouchable », which dates back to 1935, evokes the life of a young sweeper called Bakha, through the description of a day’s happenings, from the morning when, only half awake, and after a cold night (due to his...
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Socha na tha, a successful little romance
As boy-meets-girl Bollywood stories go, well, I don’t know whether I’ve not seen the best so far (1)… Socha na tha, directed by novice director Imtiaz Ali in 2005 (he’s done Jab we met since), and starring beginners Abhay Deol and Ayesha Takia shows that...
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Is 34 the age of wisdom?
I was wondering whether I should « do » something for Ash’s birthday… Well, as you can see, I am, in spite of misgivings coming from … various parts. Looking for something to say, I have watched some videos again, and… there! I thought that if you didn’t...
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Aamir Khan, mister perfectionist
Let's start by saying I don’t like Aamir Khan. I don’t like him because he’s bossy, because he’s arrogant, because he’s superior. Somehow I never feel at ease with him. He makes me tense; he obliges me to rise to his level, whereas I prefer actors who...
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The god of small things - and a criticism of Bollywood
Of Arundhati Roy’s very personal novel, no doubt much has been said. In the edition that I have, reviews have been put on the first pages, celebrating its magic, its mystery, its powerful rhythm, its innovative structure. Well, I must say I was slow at...
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Rang de Basanti: is sacrifice enough?
Rakesh Mehra’s cult movie left me in two minds. I certainly appreciated the fact that for Indians in today’s society, something urgent and drastic has to be done if the democracy must move away from the scourge of corruption and nepotism. We’ll come back...
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Amu: the need for history
Here’s an unassumingly important little film. Shonali Bose's Amu is a kind of a detective-story, with young Indian expat Kajju coming back to the country she’d left when she was 3, and discovering about her past. We follow her as she little by little...