Indian Movie Night

We got our first taste of Bollywood on Saturday night, compliments of our ISB friends Pushkar and Johnson. First, they were able to borrow another student's car so they could drive us into town in style. I have to say Pushkar is a most considerate driver. He didn't honk at anyone! What a treat :) We were planning to see Guru, which is probably the most popular movie in India right now. Needless to say, tickets were hard to come by. So we ended up seeing one called Bhagam Bhat, a slap-stick comedy with some dark twists. Pushkar was kind enough to offer a synopsis from time to time, but even with the language barrier it was a fun experience overall.
The movie started at 10:30 pm, a bit late for those of us that got up at 6:30 that morning for community service! But I thought a cold coffee from McDonald's would help me make it through the three hour event. I was wrong. I shamefully admit that I dozed off near the end. But please, this is after 12:30 am and I was tired! I think Geo managed to stay awake through the whole film...amazing. The theatre was nice enough (although Geo said it had a bit of a stinky feet odor to it, only noticeable when you first walked in). There had to be at least 200 seats, all of them filled (although not on time, people showed up until 15 minutes into the film). I won't even begin to describe the premise of the movie (you can see the movie's web site though at www.bhagambhagthefilm.com) so watch the trailer on your own...it's on the website.
The evening was great from beginning to end, despite getting home at 2:15 in the morning. I was exhausted...but it was worth it to experience fine Indian cinema. Everyone thought we were nuts for going to the film, especially without subtitles or any English. One thing ironic about this film: it was filmed in England. There were a handful of sentences in English, and the one non-Indian actor who only spoke English is probably the worst actor I have ever seen in a movie. Ever.
And a few comparisons can be made quickly. One: the audience laughed out loud continuously. That rarely happens in the states. Two: there was an intermission half way through, but it was barely long enough for Geo to get some popcorn. Three: there were lots of children and babies in the theatre. Four: the movie was 3 hours long! Five: tickets were only 100 rupees and popcorn was 20. Great deals!
And the best part? We're even willing to go again :) Guru, here we come.