BW: Swades, RNBDJ

I've been busy busy busy w/ the fam 'cause of Whit's wedding on Saturday (we didn't even have Bollywood night!), but never fear, I will update you on recent Bollywood-ness.

I can't believe I didn't mention yet that I saw Swades: We, the People on Saturday night. It was AMAZING!!! one of SRK's best performances, no doubt, b/c of the subtleness. It was just phenomenal. And he looked so good in all his plaid shirts and wife beaters. My favorite scene: when he takes a drink of the Indian water on the train and the subsequent look of despair that is so marvelously displayed on SRK's face. That's hard core micro acting (I don't know if that's a term, but I'd imagine that it would be a descriptor for very finely tuned, detail oriented, tip of your head to your toes acting). It was just amazing!

I did get Bollywood goodness in this week. Marth and I watched Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi!! It was, needless to say, AMAZING. I can't think of very many more descriptors. SRK was fantastic, leading me to my next point; that I believe Shah Rukh Kahn to be the best actor now living. The sheer volume of performances he puts out, coupled with his ability to play many different characters, connect with the audience and have a new way of crying every time he cries (at least 3 times per film) is astounding. And let's not forget his ability to turn his, let's face it, pretty goofy, big nosed face into the most attractive thing this side of sliced bread, and at 43 no less! Watch RNBDJ, a lot of micro acting, a lot of crazy emotional paradoxes that I couldn't even imagine beginning to act. Good gravy, what an actor.

UPDATE: After having watched more SRK films I still accept his awesomeness as and actor, but have realized that unless he's given a script and director like Swades or Chak De! his performances can be v. similar. And RNBDJ has many plot holes, and Anushka Sharma is NOT my cup of tea in the acting or personality department (watch the extras). Basically SRK's Suri carried the film, and when Suri leaked out of Raj.

If I haven't said, I want to go to India during my masters program and research and write my thesis on the disparities and similarities between Bollywood costuming and folk, religious, and everyday Indian dress, while examining Bollywood's influence on these and vice versa. I also want to PA (production assist (gopher)) a major Bollywood production (pref. a Yash Chopra or Farah Kahn film)

Shelby out.