Bollywood/Hollywood

When you don't expect much from a movie and it makes you smile, laugh and gaze – then it can be said that it is a has been worth while.

What made me smile? Well it was really the whole concept of BH. English dialogue being spoke by Indians and them dancing to Indian songs. It was a reminder that 2002 was definitely the year off bollywood in the UK. I saw BH at the same time as seeing the West End production of Andrew Lloyd Webbers ‘Bombay Dreams' and they both made me sit up and look twice. Also the director has purposely ensured that it is a simple story line, easy to follow and easy to relate to. A plus point is that it is the length of an English movie rather than an Indian one (90 minutes compared to 240).

What made me laugh? Definitely the grandmother and her quotes. Dina Pathak definitely did a good job on this and was good to she her outside her Indian movies. The over the top mother was also very good, typical of some mothers.

No need to guess what made me gaze? Well it was Lisa Ray. This movie really made me look up and take notice of her. Her performance is good, though with some room for improvement. She looks really good in the song ‘Sona Sona'.

Overall, a good entertainment movie to watch on a night in.

One caveat: if you have never seen a Bollywood movie, you probably won't find this very funny. The point is, director Deepa Mehta has taken just about every Bollywood cliché, exaggerated it, swirled it around and mixed it with a Hollywood love story and created a perfectly funny Bollywood parody that had me in giggles from the weepy deathbed scene at the beginning through most of the movie.

Depth? Don't expect any. This is about as lightweight (and sometimes silly) as comedy can get, with the usual suspension of disbelief necessary for Bollywood movies.

The title doesn't really have anything to do with the plot; it's more of a programmatic statement, as Mehta tries to intertwine Bollywood and Hollywood elements into a musical romantic comedy.

The Bollywood bits are the more successful, as Mehta sems to have the necessary expertise to exploit them for parody and quirky humour; sadly, the weakest point of the movie is when the Bollywood/Hollywood formula shifts too much towards the Hollywood side and tries to incorporate too much of the typical Hollywood 'romantic comedy' storyline. All of a sudden the script seems to take itself too seriously, and the whole thing, which had been very fresh and entertaining up until then, suddenly tastes very stale, and we get the umpteenth reprise of "love in danger through misunderstanding", and whereas the Bollywood melodrama had been masterly turned into brilliant parody, the Hollywood drama just stands as it is and is presented at face value, which is a major disappointment.

However, the 75 minutes of hilarious Bollywood parody will more than compensate for those 15 minutes of Hollywood lameness. So will the excellent Bollywood-inspired (and Hollywood-compatible) music. Just don't expect depth.

I enjoyed this film immensely, and found it a humorous take on second-generation Indo-Canadian life. The songs were enjoyable (my only complaint about the film is that the songs weren't subtitled - a bit frustrating for those of us that don't speak Hindi!), and I recommend the film highly - great fun!

Nice attempt at a combination of Bollywood *and* Hollywood spoof, plus gentle fun being poked at the Indian-Canadian community. But too amateurish a production, and TOO LONG! After introducing the characters, the story drags and drags till you lose interest.

The silent subtitles are sometimes funny ("Non-veg scene. What to do?") but mostly just annoying and trying too hard. Similarly, uneven quality and terrible delivery by the young characters makes the dialogue embarrassing.

The biggest problem is the movie's own utterly predictable storyline. Just because it's spoofing Pretty Woman and numerous Bollywood movies doesn't mean its own story has to be such a cliche.

I gave it a 6 out of 10 for trying, but I think I was being too generous.

I am a fan of satire, and this movie has not been appreciated for what it is - a spoof, not only of the high flying Bollywood musicals with weeping widows and on-cue dance routines in full costume but it is also a subtle rendition of Shakespeare's own comedy plays of mistaken identities and the "play within the play" feature which was witfully alluded to by the comic relief Indian Grand-ma in sneakers who bemoans "All the world's a stage" often enough to wrangle out a grin. I found it delightful and light which doesn't disappoint in wrenching out a smug smile and leaving one feeling good. Much needed therapy for all sub-continents nowadays. Don't expect Bollywood - or even Hollywood - when settling back to take in the action as it flies at you full throttle - but a magical space in between in suspended disbelief.