tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post1421495686674955518..comments2024-03-09T15:11:29.350-08:00Comments on Exotic and irrational entertainment: Bollywood Babylon, and two other books with Bollywood in the titlePessimisissimohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04223566131580795337noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post-82819391208352573342012-06-30T23:43:39.184-07:002012-06-30T23:43:39.184-07:00Hi, Hans:
Sorry for my belated response to your c...Hi, Hans:<br /><br />Sorry for my belated response to your comment, but I just reread this post and realized that I'd left it unanswered.<br /><br />No one is banned from E & I, whatever that would mean. I did write that "[Salman's] real-life violence against women (alleged, of course) has landed him permanently on the E & I blacklist" (in <a href="http://www.exoticandirrational.blogspot.com/2010/05/top-10-bollywood-love-stories.html" rel="nofollow">The Top 10 Bollywood Love Stories?</a>). All that means is that I don't tend to watch or write about his films—with some exceptions, as longtime readers probably realize, such as <a href="http://exoticandirrational.blogspot.com/2008/01/chori-chori-chupke-chupke.html" rel="nofollow"><i>Chori Chori Chupke Chupke</i></a> (Secretly, Silently, 2001), <a href="http://exoticandirrational.blogspot.com/2012/03/top-10-shah-rukh-khan-movies.html" rel="nofollow"><i>Kuch Kuch Hota Hai</i></a> (Something is Happening, 1998), and <a href="http://exoticandirrational.blogspot.com/2011/06/bollywood-rewatch-1-hum-dil-de-chuke.html" rel="nofollow"><i>Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam</i></a> (My Heart Is Yours, 1999). Salman gets plenty of attention from other quarters, and I'd rather devote my energies elsewhere.<br /><br />As for Subhash Jha and Sonu Nigam, I was unaware of the controversy before you called it to my attention. For those who, like me, don't tend to follow Bollywood gossip, Nigam has accused Jha of making sexual advances towards him and then retaliating against him in print when those advances were rebuffed. These allegations, if true, would make Jha guilty of serious ethical lapses. However, as serious as these allegations are, I wouldn't equate them with violence against women.<br /><br />So no one is banned from E & I. However, I make no apology for following my personal tastes and preferences in choosing what and who to write about. I hope that clears up any misunderstanding.<br /><br />Best,<br /><br />P.Pessimisissimohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04223566131580795337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post-70058694567019707432010-08-08T23:42:22.762-07:002010-08-08T23:42:22.762-07:00Of the books mentioned i only know Jha's and f...Of the books mentioned i only know Jha's and find you sum it up perfectly - just like Jha manages to sum up a movie in two paragraphs. Even though i'd say that Jha's commentary is best enjoyed after viewing the respective movie. <br /><br />Read that you have a ban on Salman Khan. Wonder if you know about Jha's controversy with Sonu Nigam and plan on banning him too.Hans Meierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04675553770565339630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post-74110711672074139102010-07-07T19:33:42.547-07:002010-07-07T19:33:42.547-07:00Filmbuff, many thanks for the recommendations!Filmbuff, many thanks for the recommendations!Pessimisissimohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04223566131580795337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post-57249785365509060862010-07-06T21:55:45.798-07:002010-07-06T21:55:45.798-07:00I would recommend Ankur, Manthan, Kalyug (Sashi Ka...I would recommend Ankur, Manthan, Kalyug (Sashi Kapoor's home prod), Junoon (Sashi Kapoor's home prod and set in British Raj days), Mandi, Mammo. Mammo is excellent and Farida Jalal has done a great job as the lead character in Mammo! She usually playes the role of a mom in many commercial hindi films like DDLJ (Kajol''s mom), KKKG (she is Hritik's nanny. <br /><br />I haven't seen Zubeidaa and Sardari Begum.Filmbuffnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post-73824714578290021642010-07-06T21:09:17.567-07:002010-07-06T21:09:17.567-07:00Filmbuff, I haven't been able to see any of th...Filmbuff, I haven't been able to see any of the films you mention except <i>Bhumika</i>, which I thought was tremendous. I'm really looking forward to seeing some of Benegal's other films. I'm particularly curious about the two films he did with Khalid Mohamed before <i>Zubeidaa</i>, <i>Mammo</i> (which you recommend) and <i>Sardari Begum</i>.<br /><br />Thanks for your comment!Pessimisissimohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04223566131580795337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post-64220235333170427612010-07-06T21:03:14.775-07:002010-07-06T21:03:14.775-07:00theBollywoodFan, Jha classifies KKHH as "Dram...theBollywoodFan, Jha classifies KKHH as "Drama" while DDLJ is in the "Romance" section. "Family Drama" includes <i>Hum Aapke Hain Koun...!</i> and <i>Kabhi Kushi Khabie Gham</i>, of course. It all seems pretty arbitrary. I think skipping categories entirely, as Dwyer does (especially since Bollywood films often gloriously combine action, comedy, drama, and romance) is the best strategy.<br /><br />Thanks for your comment!Pessimisissimohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04223566131580795337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post-83326433571775033762010-07-06T20:48:22.985-07:002010-07-06T20:48:22.985-07:00Bollyviewer, my apologies for the delay in posting...Bollyviewer, my apologies for the delay in posting your comment--it wasn't forwarded to me by e-mail for some reason, and so I didn't see it until I logged on to write another post. I'll try to figure out what went wrong.<br /><br />I'll take the opportunity to say that the only comments I don't allow are spam, in non-Roman characters (probably spam), or are way, way off-topic (also probably spam--I sound like a Monty Python routine!).<br /><br />Thanks very much for mentioning the Benegal interviews in Fantasies of a Bollywood Love Thief and Bollywood: A History. I read and enjoyed Stephen Alter's book a few years ago; I'll have to track down Mihir Bose's.<br /><br />Online at the British Film Institute website you can read an interview with Benegal conducted by his friend and collaborator Girish Karnad. The interview is a retrospective of Benegal's entire career to that date (2002).<br /><br />You're right that Benegal is not only very knowledgeable, but is extremely generous with his time and a very gracious man. Thanks to another knowledgeable and gracious Bollywood fan, I was recently able to contact Benegal regarding some questions I had about Bhumika. To my astonishment (Well Done Abba! had just been released, and he must have been extremely busy) he responded immediately and in detail. I'm grateful for a chance to thank him publicly for his kindness.<br /><br />Thanks for your comment, and once again my apologies for the delay!<br /><br />Best,<br /><br />P.Pessimisissimohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04223566131580795337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post-83273854360262846052010-07-05T23:28:02.279-07:002010-07-05T23:28:02.279-07:00Thanks for posting that link to Shyam's interv...Thanks for posting that link to Shyam's interview. Very interesting to read. I am a fan of Shyam Benegal especially of his earlier movies like Ankur, Manthan, Bhumika and also Mammo. I also like Govind Nihalini's Akrosh and Ardh Satya.<br /><br />I may seen Well Done Abba sometime soon as my twin said that it is a good movieFilmbuffnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post-84944974306816321392010-07-05T21:46:31.880-07:002010-07-05T21:46:31.880-07:00I did not really think that you disapproved of my ...I did not really think that you disapproved of my comment, just thought that blogger had swallowed it up, but thought I'll check, just in case... :D <br /><br />And I am so glad to hear that Benegal is as generous and unassuming as he appears to be in his interviews.Bollyviewerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17270927806254662068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post-66586377778671554932010-07-05T15:21:22.893-07:002010-07-05T15:21:22.893-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Bollywoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11296407098387050782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post-37727340312456095042010-07-05T07:40:29.483-07:002010-07-05T07:40:29.483-07:00Bollyviewer, my apologies for the delay in posting...Bollyviewer, my apologies for the delay in posting your comment--it wasn't forwarded to me by e-mail for some reason, and so I didn't see it until I logged on to write another post. I'll try to figure out what went wrong.<br /><br />I'll take the opportunity to say that the only comments I don't allow are spam, in non-Roman characters (probably spam), or are way, way off-topic (also probably spam--I sound like a Monty Python routine!).<br /><br />Thanks very much for mentioning the Benegal interviews in <i>Fantasies of a Bollywood Love Thief</i> and <i>Bollywood: A History</i>. I read and enjoyed Stephen Alter's book a few years ago; I'll have to track down Mihir Bose's. <br /><br />Online at the British Film Institute website you can read <a href="http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/interviews/benegal.html" rel="nofollow">an interview with Benegal</a> conducted by his friend and collaborator Girish Karnad. The interview is a retrospective of Benegal's entire career to that date (2002).<br /><br />You're right that Benegal is not only very knowledgeable, but is extremely generous with his time and a very gracious man. Thanks to another knowledgeable and gracious Bollywood fan, I was recently able to contact Benegal regarding some questions I had about <i>Bhumika</i>. To my astonishment (<i>Well Done Abba!</i> had just been released, and he must have been extremely busy) he responded immediately and in detail. I'm grateful for a chance to thank him publicly for his kindness.<br /><br />Thanks for your comment, and once again my apologies for the delay!<br /><br />Best,<br /><br />P.Pessimisissimohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04223566131580795337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post-68525771849219637832010-07-04T23:18:41.943-07:002010-07-04T23:18:41.943-07:00What happened to the comment I left on Friday (or ...What happened to the comment I left on Friday (or maybe Saturday)? Did blogger ingest it, or you did not "approve" it? ;)bollyviewerhttp://bollyviewer-oldisgold.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post-76601025242396031462010-07-03T11:09:53.195-07:002010-07-03T11:09:53.195-07:00Shweta, I'm a big fan of Benegal's, too, a...Shweta, I'm a big fan of Benegal's, too, and <i>Bollywood Babylon</i> is a fascinating look at the process of making each of his films. I think you'll really enjoy it. <br /><br />I thought that the book would also answer some of the questions I had about some of his films--for example, whether Zubeidaa deliberately crashes the plane in which she and the Maharaja are flying, or who the father of Usha's daughter is in <i>Bhumika</i>. But in general when something in one of Benegal's films is ambiguous he means it to be so, and in the book he declines to resolve things one way or another.Pessimisissimohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04223566131580795337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post-82871133940103501902010-07-03T07:58:31.970-07:002010-07-03T07:58:31.970-07:00Thanks for writing up Bollywood Babylon! Shyam Ben...Thanks for writing up <i>Bollywood Babylon</i>! Shyam Benegal interviews are always interesting, and he seems to be a favorite with interviewers. I remember at least two books where he is interviewed and/or quoted extensively (<i>Fantasies of a Bollywod Love Thief</i> by Stephen Alter and <i>Bollywood: A History</i> by Mihir Bose). I wonder if its because of his extensive knowledge of Bombay film world, his accessibility to interviewers, or both!bollyviewerhttp://bollyviewer-oldisgold.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post-72609159197151554072010-07-02T22:03:22.951-07:002010-07-02T22:03:22.951-07:00I totally NEED the Babylon book- sounds perfect!!!...I totally NEED the Babylon book- sounds perfect!!! I love Benegal very very much, and I'd like to know what he was thinking, before changing his usual style with his last 2 movies. Thanks for the rec!Shweta Mehrotra Gahlawathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13543438271055378809noreply@blogger.com