After the success of Moulin Rogue and the growing anticipation for the upcoming adaptation of Chicago, all signs point toward Bollywood-style films being the next big thing in Hollywood. With their bright colours, elaborate musical numbers that come out of nowhere and light, romantic themes, Bollywood ensures that the viewer is an active participant as they watch. Indian-born director Deepa Mehta (Fire, Earth) is more aware of the genre’s conventions than most North American filmmakers and with Bollywood Hollywood, she provides an accessible introduction as well as some intelligent observations on the success of Bollywood in the Western world.
Rahul (Rahul Khanna) is an Indo-Canadian living in Toronto. After his white girlfriend (Jessica Paré) is killed in a freak accident, the pressure is on for Rahul to find a suitable Indian girlfriend. Wanting to oblige his mother’s wishes as his sister’s wedding approaches, Rahul hires Sue (Lisa Ray) to pose as his girlfriend, who may be Indian or she might be Spanish. Heck, Sue’s happy being anyone Rahul wants her to be given the amount she’s paying him. From there things go Pretty Woman as Sue and Rahul go about courting one another at a distance.
As the title suggests, Bollywood Hollywood is a synthesis of movie making styles. At face value, the movie is your typical Hollywood romantic comedy that follows the Sandra Bullock-Julia Roberts-Hugh Grant formula to perfection. But Mehta frames it all in the format of a Bollywood production. The importance of familial respect is stressed. Rahul knows the importance of his grandmother’s advice and his mother’s desires. At the same time, he’s grown up in the West where morals have become more relaxed.
More than once the film breaks into extravagant singsong. Sometimes it’s built into the story, such as a practice; other times it’s completely out of the blue in true Bollywood fashion. Mehta does this with a wink, pointing out that she’s playing with conventions by literally spelling out the purpose of the song on screen as it applies to the Bollywood format.
Constant references to specific Bollywood titles and stars may confuse Bollywood virgins, but don’t fret, it’s easy to get along without them. By no means am I an expert on the subject but because the references were so blatant, I found it easy to ignore them. However, for those well versed in Bollywood, these references may add to the humor.
Often, a film’s backdrop can be interchangeable, but in Bollywood Hollywood the setting is important to the movie’s message. Toronto is Canada’s largest and most diverse city. More than 100 different languages are spoken by residents every day. The melting pot is an obvious choice to set a film about clashing cultures. Toronto is also becoming an increasingly visible player in the production of both Hollywood and Bollywood productions.
Just as the film’s tag line suggests, “nothing is as it seems” in Bollywood Hollywood. The films has many layers ready for dissection. But it’s still accessible to those who just want to enjoy a light comedy that’s a slight diversion from the norm.
