Bollywood/Hollywood Review
by Shannon Patrick Sullivan (shannon AT morgan DOT ucs DOT mun DOT ca)March 5th, 2003
BOLLYWOOD/HOLLYWOOD (2002) / ** 1/2
Directed by Deepa Mehta, from her screenplay. Starring Rahul Khanna, Lisa Ray, Moushumi Chatterjee. Running time: 103 minutes. This film is not yet rated by the MFCB. Reviewed on March 4th, 2003.
By SHANNON PATRICK SULLIVAN
Synopsis: When his sister becomes engaged, Rahul (Khanna) -- eldest son of a rich Indian family living in Canada -- receives a grave pronouncement from his emotional mother (Chatterjee): if he is not himself in a stable relationship by the wedding day, the ceremony will be called off. In desperation, Rahul turns to Sue (Ray), a woman he believes is of Spanish descent but who can pass as Indian. As Rahul and Sue embark on their elaborate masquerade, they find themselves growing closer. But will the truth about Sue's past prove an insurmountable obstacle?
Review: Bollywood, for those unfamiliar with the term, is the name accorded the enormously popular Hindi-language film industry arising out of Bombay, India. "Bollywood/Hollywood" pokes gentle fun at Bollywood by filtering one of Hollywood's most famed melodramas of recent years -- "Pretty Woman" -- through the cliches of the Indian genre. So here we get all the typical Bollywood standards -- from peculiar musical numbers to reluctant romantic liaisons -- yet set right in the heart of Toronto, with the characters worming their way through a very familiar storyline. Mehta -- clearly having a lot of fun with this light-hearted offering -- is most keen to explore the struggle of her protagonists between their Indian heritage and North American culture. This is most clearly embodied in Sue/Sunita, whose very name treads the border between the two worlds, but many of the characters are similarly conflicted: even the elderly grandmother (Dina Pathak, in her final performance) is prone to (mis)quoting Shakespeare. "Bollywood/Hollywood" is not always successful; the humour is sometimes rather tepid, and the musical numbers, while engaging, never quite fire up the audience. But with solid performances from Ray and Pathak -- and a delightfully absurd cameo by Canadian actress Jessica Paré -- "Bollywood/Hollywood" offers plenty of laughs.
Copyright © 2003 Shannon Patrick Sullivan.
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