The Bollywood Ticket
Americans are jumping on the Bollywood bandwagon, but it isn’t easy to figure out this fantastic foreign entertainment. The Bollywood Ticket looks at Hindi films from an American perspective, helping U.S. fans—Desi and non-Desi alike—explore India’s fascinating cinema with relatable news, reviews, and commentary. But our readers aren’t just Americans—they hail from all over. Our social network, the Global Hub for Filmy Fans, is the place for the world’s three billion Bollywood fans to connect.
The American guide to Indian movies
Kashmir is the most beautiful place on earth, many say, and the most dangerous. Its heaven/hell dichotomy—from soaring snowcapped mountains and serene valley waters to barbed-wire coils and bombed-out buildings—is captured with moving effect in Lamhaa by the cinematography of James Fowlds. In fact, the images say more than the story, and the extras more than the leads. (more)
Debutant director Punit Malhotra’s film I Hate Luv Storys is all about love in Bollywood versus love in reality. It stars one of the industry’s latest favorites Imran Khan and the desperately-in-need-of-a-hit Sonam Kapoor. The combination doesn’t make for a winning team. (more)
Jennifer Hopfinger,
editor of The Bollywood Ticket, spotlights all things filmy in her column, Open to Interpretation
Remakes are nothing new in Hollywood, so why does Bollywood get such a bad rap for remaking Hollywood films when Hollywood is guilty of the same thing?
If Shahrukh Khan is king, then Amitabh Bachchan is God. His 1975 film, Sholay, the first “Curry Western” (the Indian version of the Spaghetti Western), is one of the most beloved Bollywood films ever. That same year, he appeared in Deewaar, a groundbreaking film that established him as the “angry young man,” a character type that reflected the frustration and disillusionment of the times. Amitabh went on to excel in drama, action, romance, and comedy, making him the quintessential “masala” actor. For many years, he was practically a one-man industry. After he was nearly killed in 1982 from an injury sustained during a fight scene, he made unsuccessful forays into politics and business and then struggled for years to make a comeback in film—but comeback he did. In 2000, he became the host of India’s version of the TV show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and film success followed, including Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), Sarkar (2005), Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006), and Paa (2009).
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