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
Superhero action-adventure Ra.One—the most expensive Indian film to date and boasting special effects that are equal to that of any Hollywood production—is a quintessential Indian family film that absorbs sci-fi into its panoply of genre with ease. It's exuberant, goofy, thrilling, and sweetly touching, with a conflict that's not really about the epic struggle between good and evil. The protagonist's mission is personal—he's not out to save the world, but rather a family, specifically a little boy, and he does so more through love than physical heroics. That makes him a different kind of superhero—an incredibly relatable one. (more)
Jennifer Hopfinger,
editor of The Bollywood Ticket, spotlights all things filmy in her column, Open to Interpretation.
Appreciating the artistry of Bollywood is simply a matter of understanding India’s unique way of filmmaking. Jennifer Hopfinger explains the basics.
Hrithik’s 2000 film debut as the romantic lead in Kaho Naa…Pyaar Hai made him an instant star—and his dreamy green eyes and buff bod have made him an enduring sex symbol. He’s the son of director Rakesh Roshan, who’s directed Hrithik in some of his most important projects. Hrithik received accolades for his turns in Mission Kashmir later in 2000 and in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham the following year. After a series of flops, he made a comeback in 2003 with the sci-fi film Koi…Mil Gaya. He took a break from acting and returned in 2006 as a superhero in Krrish, the sequel to Koi…Mil Gaya. His next two big films were the hit action flick Dhoom 2 (2006) and the award-winning historical drama Jodhaa Akbar (2008), both opposite Aishwarya Rai. In 2010, he starred in Kites opposite Mexican actress Barbara Mori, and the film garnered overwhelmingly positive reviews from U.S. critics and became the first Bollywood film to crack the North American box office top 10 during its opening weekend. He subsequently appeared in Guzaarish (2010), Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011), and Agneepath (2012).
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