Bollywood/Hollywood (2002)

Bollywood Hollywood is a delightful, cross-cultural parody of both India's and America's musical film traditions. Directed by Deepa Mehta (Earth), Bollywood Hollywood concerns the desperate effort of wealthy businessman Rahul (Rahul Khanna) to get his mother and grandmother off his back when it comes to his romantic life. In love with a white pop-star girlfriend (Jessica Paré), Rahul's fortunes change when she dies. Still grieving, he is told by his mother that Rahul's only sister won't be allowed to marry until he finds a nice Indian girl to wed. The solution: hire a beautiful, dark-skinned, allegedly Spanish escort named Sue (Lisa Ray) to pose as his Indian fiancée. With tongue firmly planted in cheek, Mehta pokes fun at a number of Bollywood cinema clichés, especially that familiar mix of modern luxury and old world traditions, melodramas involving the saddest of character backstories, and spontaneous musical numbers that remind one as much of Hollywood's Golden Age as Bollywood's current one. --Tom Keogh Amazon.com

speedy with quality

i had no problems getting my order. in fact they were faster than i thought they'd be, usually this means it's a horrible product but it was in great condition. April 18, 2008

Creative, but fell short on expectations.

Having watched her filmography in reverse, this project does not compare to the better funded and more experienced films of the present. But it was interesting to watch the beginnings of a very good film director's career. Deepa showed that she would not be anchored down by the bindings of some eastern cultures. February 8, 2008

Good, if a bit sickingly sweet

Bollywood/Hollywood is a playful, fun film that will leave you feeling somewhat good, if a bit akin to gorging on too much cotton candy. It's superficial, to be honest, and a romance that is all-too imaginary and contrived, but hey, who am I to judge? Maybe out in this great world of ours such things do happen.

I would highly recommend this only if you are already a fan of Indian films, otherwise, you may be confused, and, you may also not enjoy this film is you're not a fan of more ethnic fare, as there are many references to Indian lifestyle and culture in this. February 2, 2008

Same wood, different tree

I'm a big fan of Bollywood now and this film ranks high on my list. Lisa Ray is beautiful (rivals the Bollywood beauty Aishwarya Rai) and seems very at ease in front of the camera. Rahul Khanna may not be in as many films as his famous brother, but he certainly holds his own.
The film is quirky and pithy and simply a lot of fun. Grandma-ji has great words of wisdom like, "I don't say what I don't mean." Words to live by.
Check it out if you love "the sing-song and melodrama" of Bollywood, as Lisa Ray's character says. September 6, 2007

Bollywood/hollywood

This tries to be a tongue in cheek or wisely knowing commentary on the whole Bollywood phenomen as transferred to and experienced by NRIs (non resident Indians) in North America (specifically Canada). There is a dominating grandmother, weepy and manipulative mother, good elder son, dead father, Canadianized and pregnant engaged sister,and lost younger brother. This family is kept in comfort by their cross dressing chauffeur cum butler. Then into the mix enters Sue, a NRI who works as an escort to thumb her nose at the expectations of her culturally traditional father. She poses as Rahul's, the elder son,fiancee in order to make his mother happy and to enable his sister's marriage to go forward. The movie, in the true tradition of Bollywood, is pretty straightforward in terms of plot and there isn't a lot of depth to the characters. The exception is Sue, though by the end she has conformed to the most basic expectations of any good Bollywood heroine. While the movie is cute, has likeable characters, and pokes self knowing fun at the role of Bollywood in the lives of NRI Indians, it isn't as unique or special as it would like you to believe. There is little of the Hollywood element to be found anywhere. Several things that are meant to be satirical dramatic devices, such as screen overwriting to introduce songs, etc., turn out to be annoying distractions. Also, less forgiveable is the low quality of the music, in particular the dancing. One of the great pleasures in watching a Bollywood film is the amazing and colorful musical interludes. This movie has its characters doing dancing that any average person could do as an underlying support to its overall themes; but thereby losing an important aspect of a Bollywood film. The music often seemed to be remixes from other Bollywood movies which makes the viewer wish that she was actually watching THAT film! January 10, 2007

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