Hair India -- a Documentary

I live in Mexico now and Bollywood movies are scarce. While I watch Erosnow, many of my favorites and some of the latest releases are not available.

When I saw Hair India, a documentary, listed on the calendar of LA68, a cafe in Merida that shows international documentaries, I was thrilled. I suspected Hair India would be a visual tour of India while the story was being told and I was right.

The modernization of an ancient tradition of shaving your head and donating your hair at a temple to repay the debt of god Vishu is at the heart of the documentary.

A family wants to bring their children to the Simachalam Temple to participate in the family’s religious tradition of donating their hair. In the past, the donated hair was burned; today, the hair is collected and processed by Indian and Italian vendors to create expensive hair extensions for those seeking the latest fashion trends in beauty.

Sangeeta, the executive editor with Hello magazine is preparing to attend several fashion events in Mumbai and wants to get hair extensions.

Temple authorities manage the hair contracts which can cost as much as $100,000USD. Hair extensions can cost as much as $4,000USD.

Indian and Italian vendors process the hair in factory-like settings.

The filmmakers juxtapose the life of those living in poverty with the modern life of Mumbai including upscale malls and a variety of fashion events. The documentary follows the route the donated hair at the temples takes as it passes through various hair factories where the hair is processed by hand and sorted into batches based on length, quality and color until it is shipped out as hair extensions to hair salons worldwide.

Hair India takes the viewers from Bengal to Bangalore to Rome where the hair extensions are created and distributed worldwide by “Great Lengths.” Many international movie stars use them. Hair extensions are so closely incorporated into the client’s natural hair it is hard to tell that extensions are being used.

Bollywood stars figure prominently in the documentary. The faces of well-known stars jump out from magazine covers, posters, wall art, TV screens, and more. Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Aamir Khan are just some of the faces glimpsed in magazine inventories, beauty shops, offices, fashion events, and more.

Hair India briefly discusses beauty trends such as the extensive use of “fairness” creams in India which highlights the preference for lighter skin tones. Sangeeta cites a survey where lighter-skinned models sold more magazine copies than dusky-skinned models. The mother in the family notes that an Indian woman’s hair is her crowning glory. Here in the Yucatan, ancient Mayans used methods to deform the shape of their heads and cross their eyes in the name of beauty. In addition, they pierced their genitalia.

The most surprising part of the documentary for me was the distance the family had to travel to make the gift of their hair. They traveled for two days; they walked and took various modes of transportation to reach the temple. They hoped their sacrifice would improve their family’s fortunes.

In essence, a multi-million dollar beauty business has evolved from a religious offering.

For a in-depth story about the production of Hair India, see the interview with Director Raffaele Brunetti on Aljazeera at: http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/witness/2010/01/2010127121316920743.html

Raffaele Brunetti, Director, Producer

Carmen Gonzales, Executive Producer

Marco Leopardi, Director, Cinematographer

Gianni Maitan, Cinematographer

Marco Pasquini, Cinematographer

Ilaria De Laurentilis, Editor

Released: 2008

Sirf Tum

Jumping right to the story.

An educated young lady, Aarti (Priya Gill) is having trouble finding a job in Delhi. As she leaves Delhi on the train to return home, her purse is stolen. Obviously, she is devastated because the purse contained all of her necessary employment papers.

A young man, Deepak (Sanjay Kapoor), an orphan, finds her purse on the train where the thief has tossed it. He mails it to her.

They begin a correspondence and fall in love over a series of letters. All around them secondary characters do not understand how they could fall in love through letters without having met each other.

Jhankar Bachchan, the cinematographer deserves a good deal of credit for this lovely movie. The photography is slow and luxurious. It is like a travelogue featuring a swath of wide-ranging landscapes and fantastic locations...waterfalls, beautiful buildings, lakes, war memorials, mountains, and more, in Kerala, Nainital, Cochin and more. Plus, Sanjay Kapoor looks great in a tailored white shirt and black pants.

A first for me, an “I am in love” song where the two lovers dance and sing in two different locations and they have never met.

The couple have several setbacks in their attempts to meet.

When Deepak's employer sends him to resolve an issue with dock workers, they attack him. In a fight scene reminiscent of Kung Fu fights, Deepak fends off multiple attackers.

Deepak and Aarti continue to pine for each other. As Deepak wanders off in a song and dance, I got to see another first, an item number with trained elephants!!!

Deepak takes a transfer to Delhi. At the same time, Aarti has returned to Delhi for another job interview at the company where Deepak works.

Now, both Aarti and Deepak are in Delhi

A rickshaw driver, Pritam (Jackie Shroff) befriends Deepka. He is a better friend than most because he believes in Deepka’s love for Aarti.

Beedi Cigarettes

In one scene, Pritam and Deepka are talking and Pritam pulls out a pack of beedi cigarettes and the two smoke as they talk. The cigarettes intrigued me, so I looked them up (wikipedia) and got a history of the beedi cigarettes. Basically, beedi cigarettes were created by tobacco workers using leftover tobacco flakes rolled in leaves. Beedi cigarettes are more popular than regular cigarettes in parts of Asia and the Middle East. Plus, beedi cigarettes deliver more toxins than regular cigarettes.

As the movie cautions: cigarettes are injurious to your health.

At this point in the story, after meeting his new boss, Neha (Sushmita Sen), a high-powered female, the story evolves from a sort of You’ve Got Mail into a kinda of Disclosure, where Deepak’s new boss, Neha, takes a fancy to him and is aggressive about pursuing him. She openly says, “I am a very liberated woman.” She tries to entrap him, to seduce him, to charm him, to threaten him,  and finally to worship him. She is fascinated by his resolve to save himself for his love, Aarti. The idea of male virginity being prized is an interesting turnabout.

All around Deepka are people misbehaving but he remains strong.

Enter Prem (Salman Khan) (wasn’t Salman Prem in another movie?)  -- the brother-in-law has arranged a marriage for Aarti with Prem.

Aarti has turned down a job that would have taken her out of the country because she wants to meet Deepak.

While Aarti and Deepak actually met without knowing it, their exchange is not positive. But, they continue to meet again, again, and again....

As the pressure of events builds to separate the two lovers, Aarti tries to find Deepak as she travels about Delhi in a rickshaw to places where he might be and to other locations hoping someone can tell her where he is. The rickshaw driver tries to help her.

In essence, the movie is about how love can grow between two people who have never met and that love is sacred. The idea that love can be sacred is so often held up to ridicule and disbelief in a materialistic world.

This is what is at the heart of pornography -- they debase the female in an effort to kill that which is sacred.

While this movie has all the elements of a masala Bollywood movie, its tone is softer and sincere.

Director: Ahathian

Screenplay: Ahathian

Producer: Bonny Kapoor

Choreographer: Ganesh Acharya

Cast: Sanjay Kapoor, Priya Gill, Sushmita Sen, Mohnish Bahl, Jackie Schoff, Telj Sapru, Shagufta Ali, Salman Khan, Johnny Lever and more.

Date: 1999

The Passing of Roger Ebert, Movie Lover and Critic

Roger Ebert of Siskel and Ebert fame, passed away on Thursday, April 4, 2013.

Just two days before his death, Ebert had announced he was taking a "leave of presence" from his writing.

While I can only briefly speak of Ebert's impact on the art of moviemaking, personally, for me, Ebert elevated the art of movie reviewing. In some of his reviews he would weave classic literature into what may have seemed like a modern movie and make me appreciate it.

I remember waiting for the next Siskel and Ebert show because they were fearless in their joy and criticism of movies. Ultimately, a movie is a story and everyone loves a good story.

Only recently, I was lucky enough to have followed Ebert's Tweets on Twitter. His tribute to his friend and fellow critic, Gene Siskel was touching and powerful. Passion seemed to be Roger's middle name.

I appreciated the breadth of Ebert's movie reviews. Of course, anything Bollywood was important, too, and Ebert's scope of movie reviews always included international movies.

For example, in April 2012, he invited Nawazuddin Siddiqui, a Kahanni actor, to the Eberfest where Siddiqui's film, Patagis, would be shown.

http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/1431566/Kahaani-actor-gets-special-invitation-from-Roger-Ebert

A quote from the article:

"Nawazuddin Siddiqui, the actor who lately made a resounding impact as an intelligence officer in Kahaani, is going places.

One of America's most avidly read film critics Roger Ebert has personally invited Nawazuddin to attend the Eberfest, Roger Ebert's annual film festival in Illinois, Chicago. 

The unassuming actor can't believe he actually got a call from Roger Ebert. "It took me a while to realize the invitation came from THE Roger Ebert. My film Patangis the only Indian entry in Ebert's festival. In fact I think it's the only Indian film that has ever been shown at this festival. That he's aware of my work is a big compliment." "

RIP Roger Ebert

TEZZ

This is an Indian movie not a Bollywood movie. I say this because many Indian directors and producers want to create “western” style movies. Movies that have dynamic, economical dialogue; sharp, clean, fast-moving action scenes; and classic dramatic tension between protagonists and antagonists with few to no songs, no dances, no multi-plots, and no comedic characters. This is considered a remake of The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.

Criminals have planted bombs on two London trains and a game of cat and mouse with the authorities begins as one of the trains blows up as proof of their threat.

As the Railway Superintendent played by Boman Irani works to control the situation, a retired detective returns to lead the police investigation to catch the criminals and defuse the bomb.

What you don’t know is the purpose for the crime. There appears to be an underlying reason for their actions. It can’t be just for the money.

The criminals are three Indians. As the chase ensues, you learn they are illegals. Each has a story about how their illegal status destroyed their lives and hopes for the future.

In addition, legal Indians play major roles in the pursuit of the criminals and the movie shows the stress in their lives as they fight for acceptance in their new country.

Scenes are shot on the streets, waterways, trains, hospitals, garages, alleyways, malls and sewers of London with a wide mix of Indian and British actors.

Zayed Khan, Sameera Reddy and Ajay Devgan play the criminals, Aadil, Megha, and Aakaash respectively and admirably. While I felt that all the actors were excellent, Zayed Khan’s acting crackled. When Khan was in a scene, his energy oozed across the screen.

One by one, the first two are caught after many fast and fancy chase scenes on motorcycles, skateboards, speed boats, police cars, and helicopters cinematographically shot Tony Scott-like.

While the British police are shown in full force, the fire power seemed excessive.

As the detective, Arjun, played by Anil Kapoor, closes in on the last criminal, Aakaash, and the train speeds along the rails, tempers flare, and prejudice and pride erupt. You learn that the criminals wanted the ransom money for a brother’s eye operation and to put their lives back together.

Ajay as Aakaash is a man who has lost his family because his request for citizenship was denied.

The contest of wills between Aakaash and Arjun is central to the story as both present sympathetic characters with matching intelligence and skills. Arjun’s professional experience gives him an edge. Yet, even as a legal citizen, he faces prejudice while doing his job trying to catch his fellow countrymen.

As Aakaash pleads for his life asking “Do you have any idea how many people and families have been ruined because they can not get citizenship? All I wanted was my wife, my child, my hopes, my future.

Director: Priyandarshan

Screenplay: Robin Bhatt

Producer: Sanchita Chatterjee

Cinematography: Riki Butland, S. Timu

Cast: Anil Kapoor, Ajay Devgan, Zayed Khan, Sameera Reddy, Boman Irani, Kangana Ranaut, and more.

Release date: April 2012

1942: A Love Story

While this is my February/Valentine Movie, it is an innocent love story played out against the backdrop of India’s brutal struggle for independence.

The combination of Director Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Screenwriter Sanjay Leela Bhansali promises a story of depth and beauty.

India won its independence from Britain in 1947. This story reflects many of the struggles and abuses Indians faced during the turbulent years before independence.

The British with their Indian allies brutalized the Indian population. As the fight for independence grew, many were lynched, tortured, and killed. Ordinary citizens were forced to become protestors and freedom fighters.

Jai Hind!

I have watched this movie several times but I always have to close my eyes during the first few minutes because I can not watch Anil Kapoor be harmed.

Anil Kapoor plays Narendra Singh, the young son from a rich Indian family. Narendra or Naren as he is called is naive. While unrest grows, he remains neutral. He accompanies his father on a visit to Major Hisht, the Indian Army officer in charge of the troops in town to discuss the arrival of the British General Douglas. Mr. Singh wants the crowd of protestors dispersed.

As the soldiers begin to push back the crowd, a child breaks away to rescue a fallen Indian flag and soldiers began to beat him. Naren jumps from his car to protect the child. He covers the boy with his body. As the boy escapes, Naren glances up to catch a glimpse of a young girl in the window of a bus. He is smitten. She disappears, leaving behind one earring.

Here’s the best part: Naren awakens the next day throwing back the covers and rolls in his bed in red pajamas singing. He dances around his bedroom pondering that his love is like a poem, like a flower, like a dream. Yes, Anil Kapoor is dreamy as he dances with his pillow singing with joy. This is my favorite “I am in love” song and dance routine!

Manisha Koirala plays Rejeshwari Pathak, the young girl. She also joyfully greets the day as she goes about her tasks. The cinematography captures tremendous natural scenes of beauty.

With the gold earring in hand, Naren goes in search of the mysterious girl. He seeks the help of his chauffeur and finds the girl and her father are visiting with his chauffeur's aunt and uncle.

Naren seeks to charm the girl, so he goes to met her at the town library. Again, Anil Kapoor dances like a dream as he skips across the top of bookcases and rolls across the card index files as Rajeshwari tries to avoid him.

Being a book lover, I was in heaven. I had read that Anil Kapoor took dancing lessons in his early acting years. Those lessons paid off. Kapoor cuts a beautiful figure as he kicks up his heels and skips across the cabinets and down the library aisles teasing Rajeshwari or Rajjo as he calls her. Naren is willing to make a fool of himself to make Rajjo smile.

While Naren is wooing Rajjo, her father, Raghuvir Pathak, played by the universal actor, Anupam Kher, is meeting with fellow freedom fighters to develop a plan to kill General Douglas when he arrives in town.

Rajjo does not know about her father’s activities. He sends her to the local playhouse to help with the production of a play for the General to divert her from his activities.

Naren eagerly joins the group once he learns Rajjo is part of the production. But, Chanda, Major Hisht’s daughter is also interested in Naren.

The play is Romeo and Juliet. Naren as Romeo addresses his dialogue to Rajjo. Later that night, in her room, Rajjo realizes she has fallen in love with Naren. Then, Naren comes to visit her and like Romeo climbs to her balcony to express his undying love.

More love song and dances play out in sunny, soft, dreamy and panoramic landscape shots.

Manisha Koirla has a wonderful ability to look beautiful, mysterious, and joyful. Her “I am in love”  song and dance routine is shot against a gorgeous mountain backdrop. Her song is interrupted as soldiers march down the road.

Major Hisht has been trying to rout out the freedom fighters as he learns of a plot to kill General Douglas.

In another love song, Naren asks Rajjo to marry him. They sing and dance in the rain. I love the song and dance routines done in the rain. Rain is like an actor in Indian movies.  At times, I think the rain songs are like a prayer to the rain. While Naren pursues, Rajjo must remain demure. These are two photogenic actors, the camera loves them.

As the sun breaks through, the beautiful green forest scene is broken by an army patrol rides by. They are closing in the freedom fighters.

While Danny Denzongpa as Major Hisht, and Chandni as his daughter are secondary actors in this movie, every secondary actor plays a major part in this story.

Sadly, Naren’s father has soldiers follow Naren on his way to ask Rajjo’s father for permission to marry her. As the soldiers attempt to capture Mr. Pathak, Rajjo escapes with the gun. As she runs away, her father blows up the house and himself to avoid capture.

Enter the mysterious stranger. Jackie Shroff, who plays Mr. Pathak’s secret weapon in their fight against the British and in the plot to kill the General.

While the story has focused largely on the innocent love between Naren and Rajjo, you now see them quickly mature into sober, determined adults who choose to fight for their country.

Because of his love for Rajjo, Naren sides with the freedom fighters. Yet, they see him as the enemy.

The freedom fighters plans are thwarted time and again as the General’s arrival approaches. Naren unwitting hinders their original plan, then injects himself into the plot to protect Rajjo.

Naren is captured as the General arrives. The merciless General wants to make an example of him and orders Naren to be hung in front of the crowd of protesters from the top of the government building.

As the climax unfolds, the secondary characters from the street cleaner to the bus driver and more play a part in defeating the General’s plans.

Jai Hind!

Director: Vidhu Vinod Chopra

Producer: Vidhu Vinod Chopra and H.L. Saluja

Screenplay: Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Shivkumar Subramaniam

Cast: Anil Kapoor, Manisha Koriala, Anupam Kher, Danny Denzongpa, Jackie Shroff and more.

Cinematography: Binod Pradhan

Release Date: 1994

Watch the 1987 Hindi Superman on I09

Found this link in a tweet. See link below.

You can watch the whole movie for free. As the article notes, it's a really bad remake of Superman: The Movie. The reuse of the original Superman movie's special effects is obvious.

Because I am such a Bollywood fan, I watched this movie. It was a trip back in time to the fashions, dances and music of the late 1980s, both everyday and traditional.

The paper is: ?
The city is: Mumbai (I think)
Lois is: Gita, a childhood sweetheart of Superman
Jimmy is: Towffle
Villan is: underworld don, Verma
Superman played by Puneet Issar is: Shekkar


Surprises:
Michael Jackson's Beat It plays as superboy dances and spins in Michael-Jackson fashion.

Bachau -- help!!


http://io9.com/5983178/watch-the-bizarre-1987-hindi-superman-film-in-its-singing-dancing-flying-entirety

Shirin Farhad ki toh nikal padi

Ok, ok, I loved this movie because I am of a certain age. I just loved the idea of a love story for a "mature" audience. I am aware that the movie was not a "financial" success.

That said, it was also a pleasure to see Farah Khan, the famous choreographer, onscreen. Plus, I love Boman Irani. Every time I see him on screen in a new role, he blows my mind with how he inhabits his characters. Plus, he's a sweetie.

Shirin Farhad ki toh nikal padi is a love story about two unmarried, middle-aged Parsis who never found their true love. Farhad (Boman Irani) is a women's underwear salesman much to the chagrin of his family and friends, but he is a good salesman and he loves his job. While he can sell women's undergarments, he is unable to sell himself to women. He is gentle and shy and he lives with his mother and grandmother.

Shirin is the Secretary of the Parsi Trust which like a homeowners association has rules on what can and can not be done in Parsi buildings and apartments. An illegal water tank brings the two together but also separates them.

Shirin and Farhad first meet when Shirin goes to Tem Tem, the women's undergarment shop where Farhad works, to buy a gift. A humorous exchange sparks an interest in both. But, no contact information is exchanged.

They meet again later at a Parsi matrimonial social. You see, the ethnic Parsi community is shrinking due to a low marriage and birth rate, so they are doing everything they can to unite suitable Parsi singles. Farhad attends and at his turn to introduce himself states his situation in plain terms. Eyes roll and he is crossed off everyone's list. But, Shirin is there, too, and later they share a few congenial moments.

Enter the illegal water tank and mama. This movie has many delightful characters to illustrate the joys and frustrations of community and family life. Farhad's mother, Nargis, wants Farhad to meet a girl and marry. She lovingly but excessively meddles in everyone's life. When she receives a letter from the Parsi Trust about the removal of their illegal water tank, histrionics are on full display. Farhad is sent to tell the Trust Secretary a thing or two. Instead, he meets Shirin who is the Secretary and they go out for coffee and more dates follow.

Now, both Shirin and Farhad know they have found someone special. In comes the "I am in love" song and dance scenes which are delightful and funny. I must say for me the most joyous "I am in love" song and dance scene is Anil Kapoor in 1942. Who could forget him in his red pajamas as he awakes and rolls on the bed and dances around the room quoting poetry! Well, Boman Irani almost beat out Anil Kapoor with his enthusiastic, charming "I am in love" song and dance. He rolls on the floor. He jumps and sings as if he were playing a guitar like a rock star. He rolls on his bed and dances around his room enough to shake the house.

Then there's Farah Khan's "I am in love" song and dance scene. Farah has a great sense of humor. In her song and dance scene you see bits of dances she choreograhed for other movies. When she dances in the rain like Kajol in DDLJ and then closes the number with a sneeze, it's funny.

Enter disaster. Farhad brings Shirin home for dinner. Soon, Shirin is regaling the family with a story from her work about a woman who kept harassing her office about the removal of an illegal water tank. Shirin is not at a loss for derogatory words to describe this woman. As you can imagine, mama is not happy. She is so shocked, she looks like she is choking. Shirin then adds injury to insult by pounding on mama's back to try and help her. Unable to stop Shirin, Farhad watches in shock as he sees his dreams fall apart. Later, mama says to Farhad, it's either her or me. So, Farhad must hide the fact he continues to see Shirin.

After another date, Shirin invites Farhad home for coffee. Hmmm, Farhad has no idea what to expect, so with the encouragement of a co-worker, he believes this is his moment to be a man. The results of this misunderstanding will surprise you.

Later, you learn Shirin is caring for her father who is in a coma. I did wonder about this actor who had to lay still during several scenes.

As these two continue to date, there are more romantic song and dance routines that parody famous scenes from movies where Farah Khan was the choreographer. DDLJ and KKHH are a few of the movies referenced as Shirin and Farhad do their own take on the song and dance numbers.

Of course these dreams are disrupted by family dramas, surprises, and conflicts as familial relationships strain Shirin and Farhad's growing romance often testing their loyalties.

The ending is sentimental and sweet with more wedding song and dance numbers.

I love writing Bollywood reviews because of the research I need to do, not just about Bollywood and Indian movies, but often about topics that arise in the story or from the cast and crew.

In this movie, I found the main setting, a Parsi community, interesting. In short, Parsi history dates back thousands of years. Parsis follow the Zoroastrian (or Zarathushra) religion and originally lived in the Parsa province, in ancient Iran. They fled the country after it was taken over by Arabs. Parsis resettled in many countries but over time most lost their cultural identity, but a group of Parsis in India have managed to retain their community and cultural identity even though their population is shrinking.

Here's a link to an NPR article about the Indian Parsi community http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4223182

Another topic to research at another time is how does an older movie, Shirin and Farhad, relate to this one?

Also, I found Farah Khan's comments that she would never act again because being onscreen was time-consuming and hard work, harder than being a choreographer, amusing.

Director: Bela Segal
Producers: Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Sunil Lulia
Writers: Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Vibhu Puri
Cinematography: Mahesh Aney
Cast: Farah Khan, Boman Irani, Kavin Dave, Kurush Deboo, Daisy Irani, Mahabanoo Mody-Kotwai, Shammi and more.