Billu

Billu is a recent Shah Rukh Khan movie; but, he is not the hero in this. Rather, Billu, the barber (Irrfan Khan?) takes the leading role. Billu lives in a little village with his wife and two children. He runs a barber shop, the walls of which are filled with posters of a superstar (Shah Rukh Khan) whom he claims to have known as a youth. When the superstar comes to the village to film, the villagers urge Billu to reconnect. Billu, however, is hesitant to disturb his childhood friend and shyly avoids contact. The movie is about the villagers response to Billu's recalcitrance (which they perceive as mendaciousness) and the superstar's character. Both exhibit a profound humility and humanity. This is a fine story about the endurance of friendship.

Offside foreign film - Persian/Farsi

Offside is a fascinating film about a handful of women who are determined to view a world cup soccer game in Tehran. We learn the stories of the women who are caught and detained by soldiers while trying to sneak in to see the game. The women are collected in a roped off area on the second floor of the landing outside the stadium proper. People who are walking to their seats occasionally stop to speak with the soldiers or the women. The women do everything in their power to try to see the game, follow a play by play account, or attempt subterfuge to escape the confines of their pen. Just before the game is over, they are escorted and loaded on to a bus on their way to confinement in the city jail. The story is fascinating because we, as humans, are and aren't alike. Whether we like it or not, all of us are more and more affected and changed by our interactions with others in this world. We reflect the Spirit of our time which has become increasingly global.

Deewana

Deewana was Shah Rukh Khan's first released motion picture. He had been in two or three television series, and two other movies that were not released. Shar Rukh does not appear until after the intermission in this movie. The movie begins with Ravi, a popular singing idol, falling for Kajol, a country lass groupie. They finally marry and begin to enjoy marital bliss when an evil uncle hunts them down, kills Ravi, tries to kill Kajol and Ravi's mother, and attempts to inherit the substantial fortune that would be left behind. Kajol, after witnessing Ravi's death, finds her way back to her mother-in-law and they both relocate to escape the uncle's plans.

Time passes. Kajol is disconsolate and then Shah Rukh Khan's character runs them down in the street with his motorcycle. He is smitten with one look at Kajol and begins to follow her around like a lost puppy. He carves her name in his arm with a knife. With persistance and sound reasoning, he persuades the mother-in-law to give him Kajol's hand in marriage. She is unwilling, but acceeds to her mother's wishes. The rest of the story shows (Shah Rukh) Deewana's courtship of Kajol and her eventual response to his character. There is an unexpected twist at the end. This movie, reportedly, put Shah Rukh on the road to stardom. The initial audiences vociferously and enthusiastically loved him in this movie.

Zamaana Deewana

Zeemaana Deewana has elements of Romeo and Juliet, the Pink Panther, and West Side Story all rolled in to one potentially ridiculous package. The plot is about the son and daughter of two enemies who are shooting up Mumbai over their rivalry. The police force is concerned with the violence and hire a specialist to figure out a way to stop it. The bumbling over-acted inspector comes up with an idea to make the two youngsters fall in love, thus healing the rift between the two families. This was more easily imagined than done. What starts out with some over the top acting ends up being a heart-warming and memorable story about friendship, the price of greed, and police intelligence. One grows to enjoy the bumbling inspector and to sympathize with him.

Raju ban gaya gentleman

Faju ban gaya gentleman is one of Shah Rukh Khan's first movies. Directed by Vijay Sippy, Shah Rukh plays Raj, a young man relocating to the city to make it big in engineering. On the way he meets a friend who helps him find a place to stay and a lovely girl who becomes his love interest. After an initial period of unemployment, Raj finds a job, gets promoted due to (it seems) his indomitable spirit, rises fast in the business world only to fall harder due to the machinations of jealous colleagues. I base this on body language as the movie was in Hindi with no sub-titles. Usually, I would turn a movie off if I couldn't understand it, but it was so interesting watching Shah Rukh Khan that I watched until the end. Anupama Chopra, his biographer, states that his co-star didn't want to work with him on this movie. She didn't think he was leading man material....(King of Bollywood, 97). His style has become more nuanced and less flamboyant as the years have gone on.

My Life in France, by Julia Child

With the buzz about the movie Julia and Julie, I thought I'd review my used copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, et. al., and then I saw this book and just had to read it. It turns out that Julia Child grew up in Pasadena, right next door to La Crescenta, where I grew up. She was a 6'2" Smith girl who married later in life to a man ten years her senior. He was posted with the US diplomatic service to Paris, France. Julia was introduced by her husband to some great restaurants, great food, and great wine. She decides to take classes at the Cordon Bleu cooking school. The rest is history.

The book was an easy and interesting read. It definitely made me hungry. Julia Child had a unique perspective on life and lots of verve. Julia's humor is quirky, matter of fact, and scattered, all at once. She comes across as very feminine and very competent-what a combination! This was enjoyable reading.

Shame, by Salman Rushdie

Shame is a book about choices, gender, power, and the feelings attendant upon these things. Shifting between settings in Pakistan and India, Rushdie examines the governement and the choices of those in power. What are the consequences of the exercise or non-exercise of power and how do people experience and cope with shame? The story is stylized as a fairy tale, not meant to be a chronicle of India/Pakistan relations. The characters are interesting, odd enough to be memorable, and richly detailed. The story begins with three sisters in a huge house deciding to create a son between them. To accomplish their plan, they throw a huge party and invite mainly the British from the cantonment, thus creating a major rift in feeling between themselves and their fellow villagers. They do, infact, conceive a son. The book follows his life story and the people he meets along the way. His three mothers send him on his way with the advice, "Feel no shame."

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham

Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham is a Yash Johar film with Karan Johar writing and directing. This team puts out a very thoughtful, polished, cinematographically sound product. Plus, with Shah Rukh Khan's talent contributing to the acting, it's hard to fault it. This movie explores family relationships, traditions, and expectations. A stellar cast, including: Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Kajol, Kareena Kapoor, and Rani Makherji, explores the dynamics of what happens when one loses the favor of beloved parents. Rahul (Shah Rukh Khan) is attracted to the mischievous Anjali (Kajol). When her father dies, Rahul marries Anjali and welcomes her younger sister, Pooja (Kareena Kapoor) to live with them. Unfortunately, Rahul's father (Amitabh Bachchan) had made arrangements for him to marry Naina (Rani Makherji). The father disowns Rahul, leaving the family in ruins. 10 years later, little brother Rohan (Hrithik Roshan) takes it upon himself to bring a smile back to his mother's lips. His attempt to reunite his family is the subject of the movie. Very well acted and moving, this is a must see.

Monsoon Wedding

I know this film is popular, but it's not one of my favorites. I had never seen it and I'd heard that it was a good movie, so when my friend lent it to me, I watched it right away. I was disappointed. While well acted and interesting, with some good dramatic moments, it didn't move me in the way that many of the other movies (that I've reviewed here) have. The movie is basically about the preparations and ceremonies involved in a traditional wedding. The marriage was arranged; the bride and groom have differences that they work out before their wedding. This generates the plot. In addition, we have a sub plot revolving around the sister of the bride, and another sub plot involving the wedding planner. The final ceremony is a wet one (hence the title) but all end up happy. Monsoon Wedding is worth seeing.

Lagaan: Once upon a time in India

Lagaan is a story about bravery and hope in the face of adversity. This is not a bollywood movie, although there are a few songs with dances. A small village is undergoing a drought and the people are unable to pay their lagaan (taxes levied by the British government to pay for the presence of the army). Because they were forgiven the lagaan the previous year, the captain of the British cantonment expects double lagaan to be paid. Bhuvan (Aamir Khan), a village farmer, is trapped into a bet wherein the stakes are too high to lose. The bet is placed on the outcome of a cricket game, to be played in three months. If the villagers win, the lagaan will be forgiven and will not be levied for the next two or three years to follow. However, if the villagers lose to the British team, then they will be forced to pay triple the lagaan. Seems straightforward, but there is a twist. The villagers have never played cricket before and are very angry that Bhuvan took it upon himself to make the bet. The movie is about Bhuvan winning over the villagers to participate in the game and then the game itself. If you have no idea how to play cricket and the enthusiasm that the game generates in British influenced countries, then this is an interesting movie. The acting is also good and the contrast between British and Indian culture telling. By the way, this film was first offered to Shah Rukh Khan, but the producers couldn't get the financing together, so SRH ended up turning it down. Lagaan did very well in the box office and was the third Hindi film ever to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film.