I watched Milenge Milenge yesterday (well like the last half hour) and realised how much I love Indian movies. I literally find myself smiling afterwards because most of the time it has a happy ending and 9 times out of 10 it's a love story. Whether the main story line is about a romance or it's a side-story - it's there.. err'time. Along with these storylines; there are the catchiest songs (performed in streets, cars, on rooftops, middle of class; whatever tickles their fancy) which are always included in the movies. Despite the somewhat overdramatised scenes at times, I just love them and can't get enough of them. Whatever Bollywood is doing, they're doing it right and they've been doing it for years.
This quote probably sums up why Bollywood movies make you so happy whilst watching.
"The suspension of disbelief in India is prompt and generous, beginning before the audience enters the theater itself. Disbelief is easy to suspend in a land where belief is so rampant and vigorous. And not just in India; audiences in the Middle East, Russia and Central Asia are also pre-cynical. They still believe in motherhood, patriotism, and true love; Hollywood and the West have moved on." - Suketu Mehta in "Maximum City"
Aaand one of my favourites that I thought I'd share. Stay stylish!
So as you can gather this is not a post about the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics because I didn't watch it. Whilst these festivities were under way, I was at another show - Northwood Eastern Evening. It was an equally amazing show, in it's own way. The show was all about Indian dancing and boy could some of those people dance. The people who participated were boys from Northwood and I think it was just girls from Danville and Northlands. It was really cool to see all the Hindi songs that I know being performed too. Also it was the one place where I wasn't the only one who knew all the words to some of the songs as half the audience were all singing along to their favourite songs and anticipating their favourites to be performed to. The hosts of the show became pretty dry and more cliched as the evening progressed but fortunately there was less of them and more of the dancing. They also had boys modeling traditional Indian outfits and girls modeling too. Northwood has a reputation for putting on spectacular Eastern Evenings, this was the first that I attended and it was truly spectacular. They had bursts of fire on the sides of the stage, main dancers entering from cranes, descending from the ceiling and a cast of talented dancers. It was really profesh and every year they get accomplished choreographers for the show and apparently they practice for six months leading up to the one night only show.
Sadly I only had my Blackberry camera phone with me so I didn't take any photos of the show, the quality would't have been that great anyway so you'll just have to rely on my description and your imagination to picture the show. Oh and if you were wondering why Gateway and Pavillion were so quiet last night it was because the majority of Durban's Indian teenage population were sitting at Northwood dressed in their formal or traditional attire watching the show.
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