I know I just said in my last post that I have about 40 of these saved up. To be totally accurate however I have thirty-seven. (Clerks joke goes here.) And now, I have a new one. Ladies and gentleman, for the first time anywhere I'm pleased to bring you...
Tonight's Episode:
Trouble in the Workplace
Stay tuned for our next thrilling installment!
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
In the beginning/Bolly Follies, Episode 1
Clearly those first two posts took a lot out of me. Anyway.
I don't know where I first heard the term "Bollywood." It feels, and though this may sound cheesy it's the truth, like I've simply always been aware of it. My guess is I picked it up while working for a music/video chain back in the 90's. The definition has been refined in my head quite a bit since then-- I used to think all Indian films qualified as Bollywood for example, I know now that isn't the case-- but again, it seems to have been a part of my lexicon from day one.
I can however tell you the first time I saw real Bollywood in action, and guess what, there's a chance you might have seen it too. Remember the movie Ghost World? Does this look familiar?
This is the number Thora Birch's character Enid is dancing to when we first meet her. The song is "Jaan Pehechaan Ho" from the film Gumnaam. I admit unfortunately that I didn't know this was Bollywood when I first saw it. I can however say I dug what I heard and it was a big reason I ended up getting the GW soundtrack. Watching it again now, it's still fun, and I still get a kick out of the slightly psychadelic, Adam West Batman vibe it gives off, but there's another rockin' 60's Hindi freakout I've come to appreciate more: "Aaja Aaja Main Hoon," from 1966's Teesri Manzil.
I could write an entire entry on Teesri Manzil, and eventually I will. For now though let's skip back to the present. Well, about a year ago anyway, when I was putzing around Fazed and came across what sounded like an amusing time-killer.
The link led to a site called Bombay TV. I looked around for awhile and eventually turned out the first of what I've come to call my "Bolly Follies."
Ravi's Confession
As of today I've got about forty saved up; I'll be posting them now and then for some comic (?) relief.
At the time the website didn't give credit to the movies the clips came from, and it would be six more months before I stumbled across the DVD for Don at a local video store. But that, ladies and gentleman, is a tale for another day.
I don't know where I first heard the term "Bollywood." It feels, and though this may sound cheesy it's the truth, like I've simply always been aware of it. My guess is I picked it up while working for a music/video chain back in the 90's. The definition has been refined in my head quite a bit since then-- I used to think all Indian films qualified as Bollywood for example, I know now that isn't the case-- but again, it seems to have been a part of my lexicon from day one.
I can however tell you the first time I saw real Bollywood in action, and guess what, there's a chance you might have seen it too. Remember the movie Ghost World? Does this look familiar?
This is the number Thora Birch's character Enid is dancing to when we first meet her. The song is "Jaan Pehechaan Ho" from the film Gumnaam. I admit unfortunately that I didn't know this was Bollywood when I first saw it. I can however say I dug what I heard and it was a big reason I ended up getting the GW soundtrack. Watching it again now, it's still fun, and I still get a kick out of the slightly psychadelic, Adam West Batman vibe it gives off, but there's another rockin' 60's Hindi freakout I've come to appreciate more: "Aaja Aaja Main Hoon," from 1966's Teesri Manzil.
I could write an entire entry on Teesri Manzil, and eventually I will. For now though let's skip back to the present. Well, about a year ago anyway, when I was putzing around Fazed and came across what sounded like an amusing time-killer.
The link led to a site called Bombay TV. I looked around for awhile and eventually turned out the first of what I've come to call my "Bolly Follies."
Ravi's Confession
As of today I've got about forty saved up; I'll be posting them now and then for some comic (?) relief.
At the time the website didn't give credit to the movies the clips came from, and it would be six more months before I stumbled across the DVD for Don at a local video store. But that, ladies and gentleman, is a tale for another day.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Before I forget
I would very quickly like to take the time to thank my best friend Carolyn for doing all the grunt work on what I believe is a very kick-ass banner sitting at the top of this page. I made an excuse of not starting this project until she finished it, an excellent way of procrastinating while at the same time harassing her into unleashing her mighty Photoshop skills, even if for all her tinkering Shahrukh Khan (all the way to the left; learn that name because you'll be seeing it a lot) does still look a bit like Prince.
Namaste.
First posts are such a hassle.
Hi, my name is Jesse and I love Bollywood movies, despite the fact I'm a geeky white guy living in Madison, Wisconsin and Bollywood films are the colorful singing dancing over-the-top and yet somehow it all still works extravaganzas produced in Mumbai, India. And even though I know I'm not alone (Bollywood plays to one-sixth of the world's population, and that's just in its home country), the fact that I'm the only person I know here who's really into it and the fact that the closest theater that plays any new releases is an hour away, makes it feel that way sometimes. That's why I've started this blog, to talk about movies, music, actors, singers, cultural observations and all the other things that catch my interest every time I hit 'Play' on the remote. Hopefully it'll end up as comically entertaining as it will boringly informative, but no promises.
So yeah, I think that about covers it. Now let's get this show on the road.
PS: See what I mean? Total hassle.
Hi, my name is Jesse and I love Bollywood movies, despite the fact I'm a geeky white guy living in Madison, Wisconsin and Bollywood films are the colorful singing dancing over-the-top and yet somehow it all still works extravaganzas produced in Mumbai, India. And even though I know I'm not alone (Bollywood plays to one-sixth of the world's population, and that's just in its home country), the fact that I'm the only person I know here who's really into it and the fact that the closest theater that plays any new releases is an hour away, makes it feel that way sometimes. That's why I've started this blog, to talk about movies, music, actors, singers, cultural observations and all the other things that catch my interest every time I hit 'Play' on the remote. Hopefully it'll end up as comically entertaining as it will boringly informative, but no promises.
So yeah, I think that about covers it. Now let's get this show on the road.
PS: See what I mean? Total hassle.
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