Indian Writing

It’s already 6 a.m. and I’ve been awake for ages…

I loved it. Loved it, loved it, loved it. I loved the almost-not-there story and its quirky, playful, over-the-top telling. The sassy romp through Bollywood nostalgia. And the sheer look of the film (and this must be the first time I’m using the word “look” in this sense). AB wearing brilliant plumes and BabyB & Bobby in Bobby hats… AB turning up every now and then in the railway station with his cool guitar and electrifying threads (listen up, Anurag Basu, this is how you use a sutradhar kind of guy in a film, not by bringing on Pritam and Co every time we turn a corner). Preity’s shifting butterfly tattoo, Lara Dutta’s French-accented Hindi, Bobby’s Superman stunt, and the pictures of Baby B and Preity’s multiplying family in front of the Taj Mahal…

I loved the songs and dances (though I should say that the music could have been much better - does Yashraj Films not want to use Rehman’s music at all?) but the way the songs were filmed, they worked. The music in Bunty aur Babli was miles better, but in Jhoom… I especially loved Ticket to Hollywood and Kiss of Love. I loved the costumes that the extras wore in the song-and-dance sequences. Loved the detailing in everything! After such a long time, a real Hindi film musical in the style of a desi, funny, light-hearted Bob Fosse.

I had liked Saathiya even more than the Tamil original Alaipayuthey; I loved everything about Bunty aur Babli; and now with Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, despite my earlier misgivings about the promo, Shaad Ali has become one of my two or three favourite Indian film-makers of today. His films are witty, intelligent, gorgeous to look at, and just so much fun.

*****

P.S. We’ve moved back from the service apartment to our regular apartment where most of the restoration has been completed. We’re still waiting for our broadband connection to start working again. My mobile phone has also mysteriously stopped working since two days. So if you’ve tried to call or sms, this is why I’ve been unreachable. If you need to reach me, you can call on the home phone (I’m mostly at home since I’m on adoption leave), or email me. But please be patient because I’m still using dialup and may not be able to reply immediately.

The Beamish Boy, meanwhile, is doing well. His eyelid infection has cleared up and he’s back to his packed schedule of bouncing, dancing, and calling out to Whisky to come and play.