I read an article about Bollywood being in competition with Hollywood these days, so it will be interesting to watch.
By the way, I think you tried to email me once and it never go through (?) If you'd like to stay in touch, try the "send email" link up above. I try not to publicize my email address on general posts. Eebs has convinced me that there are eyeballs and ears everywhere.
> I watched a wonderful foreign film on TV this weekend called
> Monsoon Wedding. It's partly in English, partly in Hindi with
> English subtitles. One way I judge how good the movie is: If it
> stays with me for 24 hours...Of I'm remembering scenes,
> characters, and themes the next day...then the movie has done a
> good job.
> The film is directed by Mira Nair, who also directed Salam
> Bombay!, Mississippi Masala, and The Namesake.
> What's it about? I'd say it's broadly about family bonds and
> more narrowly about Punjabi culture as it adapts to the modern
> world. It has a lot of the upbeat entertainment of a Bollywood
> film, but is more western in its realistic sensitibilities.
> Here's a paragraph about the film that sums up what I liked so
> much:
>
Aditi is a modern woman, but chooses for the arranged
> marriage. Monsoon Wedding is about the melding of two cultures,
> traditional Indian and Western (well, maybe not
> "Western" per se). Henna painting and traditional
> wedding garb mix with cell phones, GRE studybooks and cooking
> shows on tv. Everybody speaks like true multiculturals,
> switching effortlessly between English and their native
> languages. The older members of the family do not fathom why the
> younger members think the way they do. The younger members are
> headstrong, want to go in less traditional career directions,
> and do not feel the same about issues like respect. The arguing
> between family members is constant throughout the entire movie.
> Nevertheless, Nair and writer Sabrina Dhawan ensure that the
> conflict is superficial. Underneath lies a great amount of love
> that cements this family together. Part of the reason Monsoon
> Wedding is so much fun to watch is because there is such a
> feeling of hope and optimism, supplemented by the music.
> For more, see: www.haro-online.com/movies/monsoon_wedding.html