Bollywood Calling

Bollywood Calling is a great introduction into Indian cinema. It's not a typical Indian movie, but its story is of the creation of a typical Bollywood potboiler. The film is enjoyable on a number of levels, and the more one knows about Indian culture, Indian movies, and filmmaking in general, the more fun it becomes.

You need to grow in India to grasp the subtlety of the satire this movie portrays. A semi retired B grade actor of Hollywood is driven by deprivation agrees to act in a Hindi movie. Through his experience is the tale of total lack of professionalism that has almost all aspects of Indian industries. But the movie is very sensibly made and does not offend any one. There is great performance by Om Puri, which alone makes this movie worth watching.

Hyderabad Blues was an experimental film that got lucky, Rockford was a pathetic filmmaking exercise and Bollywood Calling is finally a bonafide movie.

It has maturity, good plot lines, well-developed characters, humor and realism (though a little exaggerated at times). Even though it seems like a movie for a niche audience (people who are interested in the filmmaking aspect of movies), it's not just about that - it's a regular movie for regular audience.

It's a better-made movies than most of the junk we see lately. Watch it - it's fun! BTW, Om Puri is extremely funny. I've always seen him poor and dying but this role is particularly refreshing!

I've been laughing out loud on the street today remembering this movie which I lost sleep watching last night. The funny scenes are really funny, especially maybe if like me you're just acquainted enough with Bollywood and its conventions to shriek with recognition as they are put before you.

For me the real laughs started with the great Om Puri's narration of the plot of the movie he wants Pat Cusick to come to India for: family is travelling on a train--they have two sons--train attacked by dacoits, dacoits kill mother, take baby . . . I forget how it is that one brother in this family is "half American," one is Indian, then years later . . .but having recently enjoyed Waqt (family with 3 sons separated by earthquake, all think others dead, to be reunited through a combination of love rivalries and crime 20 years later) and Amar Akbar Anthony (family with 3 sons separated by crime and poverty, one son raised Christian, one raised Hindu, one raised Moslem, until 20 years later) . . . I was delighted by this

Another delight -- the scene where the (not so slim) Cusick in a blue blouse and yellow harem pants, singing (="singing") a Hindi song, leads a dance with his identically-dressed 60 year old "brother" on a sloping lawn invaded by hundreds rolling Easter-egg colored balls.

And for all the silliness, the movie has a heart and a message about love and human connections; the jokes about Bollywood OTT emotions give way to a showing of a more important, and related, capacity for deep feeling, glycerine tears to true tears, which ultimately reaches the embittered Cusick.

Bollywood Calling is one of the most underrated comedy movies of all time. It's a satire on 80s & 90s commercial films of Bollywood. The whole movie is a laugh riot. You'll thoroughly enjoy the film.

All acted well but undoubtedly Om Puri stole the show with his amazing comic timing. Navin Nischol was also amazing. Nagesh Kukunoor, the director should be celebrated more. It was showcased at the Rome Film Festival and the MAMI Film Festival. Give it a watch, you'll not be disappointed.