Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with bollywood

Bollywood-themed Party!

mahoganyslide — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 01:12:57 -0800

How can we make a Bollywood-themed party the best party ever?! The student co-op I am a part of is hosting a Bollywood-themed party and we're at a loss for ideas regarding specific theme components other than inviting a Bollywood dance group and playing Bollywood songs.

Do you have any suggestions on how we can make this party shine and dazzle?

We're located in Berkeley, CA (Bay Area).

(The last time we asked for theme suggestions, we received wonderful answers. Please hivemind, come to our rescue yet again!)

Thank you in advance!

Aaeenaa humei dekh ke hairaan saa kyon hain?

Baron von Noodlehausen Jr. — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 23:26:33 -0800

Can any Hindi speakers out there translate this song? It is a song by Suresh Wadkar entitled Seene Mein Jalan. Here are the lyrics, but I am not certain if they are correct. The song is from the 1978 Bollywood film Gaman.

seene mein jalan aankhon mein tufaan saa kyon hain ?
is shahar mein har shaks pareshaan saa kyon hain ?

dil hain to, dhadakane kaa bahaanaa koee dhoondhe
patthar kee tarah beheesa-o-bejaan saa kyon hain ?

tanahaee kee ye kaunasee, manzil hain rafeekon
taa-hadd-ye-najar yek bayaabaan saa kyon hain ?

kyaa koee nayee baat najar aatee hain hum me
aaeenaa humei dekh ke hairaan saa kyon hain ?

Bollywood action movie recommendations and Amitabh Bachchan

joelf — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:37:36 -0800

In Slumdog Millionaire, we were shown a bunch of Amitabh Bachchan clips from some of his older moveis. What were they? - I'd like to hear your other Bollywood action movie recommendations too! There was one clip he was threatening someone with his own prosthetic leg. WTF? That looks AWESOME!

I'm also looking for recommendations of any action movies from India that are just plain awesome. Guy movies. Action and explosions, martial arts and cheese.

Getting in shape for a dance?

abdulf — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 22:51:46 -0800

I have about a week to get in shape to do a 6 minute choreographed dance. What exercises will help me with endurance? I have been drafted into dancing at a close relative's wedding. I am concerned I will not be able to keep up. I've been told to "get in shape" for the dance number.

I have no dance experience. I am 6ft, 230 pounds, and pretty pudgy. That's not to say I don't exercise. I am active and do olympic style weight lifting, full court basketball, and jogging among other things. What I'm concerned with is the extra weight I carry.

I have not seen the actual dance so I can't practice that. I am supposed to learn it in a day. I've been told it's the kind of dance you'd find in a Bollywood film.

What kind of exercises, besides the actual dance, would increase my agility and stamina to successfully dance at a high tempo for about 6 to 9 minutes?

On a related note, how do you keep your cool when performing in front of fairly large audience (600)? Dancing and performing are way outside my comfort zone.

What's essential to have in a HD movie collection?

thewalrus — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 08:06:47 -0800

What do you consider to be the best or most important movies of the past 20 years, whether Hollywood or international? I'm rebuilding much of my movie collection in 720p H.264 (approx 5GB each) or 1080p and want to be sure I don't miss anything. There's a lot of content from the 1990s I want to keep on hand in a high quality format, from a variety of genres... Everything from Gattaca to Baraka. Can anyone suggest some 'essential film' lists or provide input from their personal collections?

This one is another hit song.

grapefruitmoon — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 20:28:49 -0800

Identify This Song Filter: My friend made me a mix CD that included this wicked awesome song - it's a Bollywood/Reggaeton mashup and I love the hell out of it. I would like to find more songs like it, and it would certainly help if I perhaps knew something about the song. Like, anything. The song.

Warning: HIGHLY ADDICTIVE.

Where to rent "Devdas"?

amtho — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 16:11:58 -0800

Where in Durham or Chapel Hill, North Carolina, can I rent a copy of "Devdas" on DVD? I already checked the VisArt in Chapel Hill and they don't have it. An Indian food store?

Movie Suggestions?

Squid Voltaire — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 09:00:31 -0800

Which Bollywood movie should I watch on my birthday? As part of my birthday celebration next week, I'll be heading down to West Devon St., Chicago to get some Indian food, some bhangra, and some Bollywood DVDs. Thanks to methylviolet I have some idea of what sort of music to look for, but I know nothing about Indian Movies. Except that, apparently, they rock.

So I'm looking for somethign to purchase there, to watch that night, on a big screen, with a bunch of folks. Something that is pretty indicative of the genre, but still fun for total novices to enjoy. Something that I'd be able to find in the US, with English subtitles.

What should I look for?

What Indian film am I looking for?

ktoad — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 13:31:45 -0800

Help me identify a Bollywood film please. When I was in Japan for a year from 1999-2000, a Bollywood film came out on video there. It got a surprisingly big release so I assume it's a well-known title in the Bollywood pantheon. It seemed like it was possibly a period piece, as everyone rode around on wagons. A mustachioed lead actor was attempting to woo a woman who lived in a huge country estate (for all I know it was his wife, since there were no subtitles). He kept busting out some kung fu on people between the songs, including once or twice when he whipped off his sash and wielded that as a weapon. I'm afraid that's all I can recall. Thanks for any help you can provide!

Bollywood poster?

jca — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 10:24:57 -0800

Can anyone identify this movie poster of Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai? Can anyone tell me the name of the film poster in the background of this recent press photo of Aishwarya Rai?

bollywood, anyone?

defmute — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 10:02:12 -0800

Does anyone know the title of this movie?

hindi music help!

echo0720 — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 08:36:17 -0800

MusicFilter: Can you recommend some fun, mixed up modern-ish sounding hindi music? In what I consider a totally odd twist*, my swedish roommate asked me (her completely non-Indian indian-american roommate) for recommendations for songs similar to that chaiyya chaiyya song that's on the Inside Man soundtrack. I know nothing about hindi music except for Monsoon Wedding, Bollywood Dreams and one or two old school mix CDs I listened to after college. I saw that there was some music recommended in this thread (I even did some of the recommending!), but I'd appreciate any other suggestions you might have. Personally, I'm against the whole mixing rap into hindi music thing, but she LOVES that stuff, so recommend away...

*I say odd, because I recently gave her copies of my Dungen and Jens Lekman CDs and she totally wasn't into them. What kind of a swede is she??? Oh wait.

Suggestions for gifts of Indian origin

Atreides — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 05:07:58 -0800

Birthday gift filter: My sister has an interest in India and Bollywood, what gifts could I find her online for her birthday in just under two weeks? My sister has her birthday in 13 days and I've yet to find a present for her. For the last six years, she's maintained an interest in India and Bollywood films (helped by having many friends from the culture, including a visit two years ago). However, I'm completely clueless to whats the most interesting items or best movies produced recently (out side of the major promotions like Bride and Prejudice). Would anyone have any suggestions for presents? Bonus points if its found through Amazon.com (free shipping for me there).

Artifacts of India

I EAT TAPAS — Mon, 24 Apr 2006 08:29:51 -0800

What makes the older recordings of Indian music sound so distinctive? There's a certain quality of older (pre-digital) Indian music -- a distinct type of distortion and equalization -- that gives it a particular sound. The closest analogue might be old (20s or 30s) recordings of Delta Blues musicians, which have a particularly scratchy, distinctive sound given the recording techniques and microphones used -- but the sound of Indian music is much different, and the recordings are much more recent. It almost sounds like the recordings were re-recorded from the analog optical soundtrack of feature films, but I'm not sure if that's the case. Does anyone know what specific equipment or recording techniques gave it this sound?

How do I dress Bollywood?

web-goddess — Sun, 11 Sep 2005 17:50:37 -0800

What can I do to easily whip up a "Bollywood" costume for myself and my husband in the next three days? We're going to rather unconventional wedding this Friday - the ceremony is taking place in a cave - and the bride and groom have invited everyone to this Bollywood-themed dinner Saturday night. We're supposed to come in costume. Unfortunately I've never even seen a Bollywood film so I've got no idea which things are iconic and essential and which aren't. Is it just as simple as throwing on a sari and putting a dot on my forehead? Is there anything more original that wouldn't necessitate spending a lot of money? There is a costume shop nearby that I plan to check out but the only time I can get down there is right before we leave, and besides, they're hella expensive. So I'd prefer to put something together myself if possible. We're in Sydney, Australia if anybody has any specific shop suggestions...

Deja vu and Bollywood

Methylviolet — Tue, 30 Aug 2005 14:24:55 -0800

Talk to me about references in one Bollywood movie to another movie.
Is it really as common as it seems? why? I think I'm seeing this all the time... All those scenes, or shots, or dialogue bits in one Bollywood movie that seem to refer to another are part of this incredibly rich intertextual dialogue with the Bollywood audience... like the American movie "Scream," only every freakin' movie.

What is going on?

Pick one, you Bollywood fans:
(1) It's there -- another reason Bollywood is the best cinema in the world.
(2) You're going to dance around a tree, there are only so many ways to film that. It's there, but mostly or entirely accidental.
(3) I am seeing something that's not there and
I need some kind of Bollywood methadone program.

Bollywood Buffet Suggestions?

anastasiav — Thu, 21 Jul 2005 16:27:04 -0800

Authentic Indian Finger Food Suggestions Needed for a Bollywood Party - I'm looking for menu suggestions for light, easy-to-serve, easy-to-eat finger foods for a Bollywood party we're hosting. Items I'm looking for help with include fresh fruits, cold quenching drinks for hot weather, and some sweets. Bear in mind that I live in Maine, so any advice that starts with "Pop out to your local Indian Grocery and buy..." won't work for me.

Counterfeit Bollywood CDs?

PinkStainlessTail — Tue, 31 Aug 2004 19:57:07 -0800

Bollywood soundtracks on Amazon marketplace seem suspiciously cheap, like US$4-6:

Lagaan
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai[labeled CD single but appears to be the full soundtrack]

However, I can't google up any information indicating that these are bootlegs/counterfeit. Anyone know?

What's the canon for Bollywood films?

ook — Thu, 26 Aug 2004 09:01:31 -0800

Bollywood films, for the curious white boy. What's the canon? Which ones best represent the for lack of a better word genre? Where should an interested outsider start?

Marching to the see!

misteraitch — Tue, 25 May 2004 10:45:49 -0800

Bollywood movie recommendations? [more inside] My wife finds she has a liking for Bollywood movies (she enjoyed a couple she happened to see on TV, loved the Bollywoodesque Monsoon Wedding and lately we've ordered some from Amazon (UK): Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam for starters, followed by Dil Chahta Hai, which just arrived today). I quite enjoy them too, & would like to order more, but am still very ignorant on the subject. What are the must-see mainstream Bollywood blockbusters? Who are the actors/directors to watch out for? Are there any good on-line resources in English for non-Indians wanting to find out more about Indian movies? Are there better (i.e. cheaper) places to buy English-subtitled Bollywood DVDs than Amazon? Are there any movies where Salman Khan gets the girl?