Bollywood's Bad Boy

In Bollywood, the words Salman and scandal often go together. Much of the drama stems from his relationship with ex-girlfriend, Aishwarya Rai, who has accused the actor of abusing her. Rai's neighbors complained that Salman would come to her home late at night and pound on her door for hours, demanding that she'd talk to him. The Rais made an official complaint to the police, accusing Salman of vandalizing their property. Salman rushed onto sets of Aishwarya's films thrice and disrupted filming. In one incident he threw her to the ground in front of witnesses and was forced to leave, but not before he backed his car into Aishwarya's. In another incident, Shah Rukh Khan came to Aishwarya's defense and Salman verbally attacked SRK, which resulted in the two stars not speaking to each other for years. The third incident, again on a SRK movie, Salman's behavior got Aishwarya kicked off the film.

But Salman doesn't need Aishwarya to get into trouble. He's been accused of killing an endangered black buck on protected ground with other co-stars during a film shoot. This case is still pending. Salman also is also accused of killing a man. One night, many believe he was drunk when it happened, he ran over three men sleeping on the road, injuring two and killing the other. He didn't even stop the car to see if they were OK. This case, too, is still pending.

Most recently (a couple weeks ago), a prominent Indian newspaper released tapes recorded in 2001, allegedly from conversations between a drunk Salman and Aishwarya Rai. In them he threatens her to perform in a show for a mafia leader, flaunting his connections with the mob. Salman has denied the voice on the tape is his; Aishwarya claims she doesn't know if it's her voice. The police have taken voice samples of both the actors and are investigating the tapes.

Scandal aside, Salman is not my favorite Bollywood actor because I don't find him convincing on screen. His performances are often silly and over-the-top and lack honest conviction. He is, however, good eye candy, especially when he takes off his shirt--he has one of the best bodies in Bollywood. But Salman seems almost insistent about showing off his upper body in his films, so this too has become a bit of a joke.

You might have the opportunity to see Salman in a film in 2006. He's starring in Marigold: An Adventure in India, a film about a struggling Hollywood actress who finds herself stranded in India and must act in a Bollywood film to help her pay her way home, directed by Willard Carroll and starring Ali Larter (Legally Blonde). Salman will be the first Bollywood hero to star in a role in a Hollywood film. It's an amusing coincidence that Aishwarya was the first Bollywood heroine to star in a Hollywood film in this year's Bride and Prejudice.

My favorite Salman films:
Hum Aapke Hain Koun...! (1994)--with Madhuri Dixit
Karan Arjun (1995)--with SRK and Kajol
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998)--with SRK, Kajol, and Rani Mukherjee
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999)--with Aishwarya Rai and Ajay Devgan
Chori Chori Chupke Chupke (2001)--with Rani Mukherjee, Preity Zinta

**I must thank BollyWHAT.com's biography page in helping me write this piece. If you'd like to know more about Salman or any of the actors I've written about, please follow the link I provide on this page to BollyWHAT.**

Next up (just for Scott--no, not really): Rani Mukherjee

The Most Beautiful Woman in the World?

If you've paid the slightest bit of attention to entertainment buzz in the last few months, you've probably heard of Aishwarya Rai. She's been featured in Time magazine, ABC's Nightline, appeared on The Early Show, David Letterman, 60 Minutes, and Oprah. She's the winner of the 1994 Miss World contest and has served as a jury member at Cannes. Julia Roberts has called her the most beautiful woman in the world. Roger Ebert places her at #2, while Richard Roeper thinks she's 17th [Tangent: Richard Roeper has a list this extensive? And Aish is only 17? I'd love to see this list, Mr. Roeper].



But while she might be the face of Bollywood in the West, she's not the most popular Bollywood actress among fans. She's been involved in her share of scandal, mostly from her relationship with Salman Khan. There were reports he abused her, which she originally denied. Suspicions of abuse grew louder when she appeared at an awards show with bruises on her face. She was even kicked off of a movie because an angry Salman stormed onto the sets and disrupted filming. She later admitted he was abusive and threatened to harm her and her family on multiple occasions. He, of course, denies all these claims, so it becomes her word against his. And this might be some of the reason she's not entirely well received in Bollywood.

Of course some of the Aish bash might stem from Aishwarya's recent attempts to make it in Hollywood. Some fans view this move as a stab in the back, leaving the industry that made her a star. But Aishwarya is adamant she's not abandoning Bollywood and will continue to star in Indian productions. She's kept her word. Aish is set to star in two Indian films next year: Dhoom 2 with Hrithik Roshan and Saamna with Ajay Devgan and Akshay Kumar.

Aishwarya, however, is a force to be reckoned with in Bollywood. In a recent poll of the most influential stars in India, Aishwarya made the Top 10 and was one of only two women on the list (the other was Kajol who ranked higher than Aish). As an actress, she's not the most memorable, but she is good. As a dancer there isn't anyone better, except maybe Madhuri Dixit, but she's not currently working in the industry, taking time to be wife and mother. As an ambassador for India, she's a brilliant choice. I can't help but like Aishwarya Rai.



My Favorite Aishwarya Films:
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999)--with Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan
Kandukondain Kandukondian (2000)--with Tabu, Ajith, Mammootty
Monhabbatein (2000)--with Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan
Devdas (2002)--with Shah Rukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit
Raincoat (2004)--with Ajay Devgan
Bride and Prejudice (2005)--with Martin Henderson

Next up: Salman Khan

Happy Birthday, Linsey!

Linsey turns 24 today. Turning 24 was rather momentous in my life because it symbolized my official entrance into adulthood. Look at it this way. You graduate from college when you're 22, and you never feel like an adult in college because you're too busy experiencing a kind of lifestyle that is different to anything you'd lived before and anything you'll experience afterward. You just spent four years of your life sleeping in until 10, going to a class or two, eating lunch--a long lunch, then taking a nap, maybe you have another class, and then you eat dinner, and then you putz around until you eventually fall asleep into the wee hours of the morning. Once you graduate from this fantasy world, you're expected to do something with your life, but you're still 22 and don't feel adult enough to be an adult. 23 comes along, and you convince yourself that it's still you're early 20s. You can push off adulthood for at least another year. But then 24 comes and you realize that you're officially entering your mid-20s. And although your childhood ended at 20, you've only just realized that a) it's time to grow up and b) life will never be the same again. So Linsey, let me officially welcome you into adulthood. Have fun with Duran Duran tonight. My childhood babysitters would be jealous.

As for me, I'm headed to the library to escape the insufferable heat that's plaguing the Midwest right now. I moved here from California because I wanted cold weather. Well, Fall, Winter, and Spring in SW Ohio are gorgeous. Summer? I'd rather be in California--plus there are beaches in CA. Rather than pay for air conditioning, I'm going to camp out in King Library, work on my thesis, and avoid the world wide web. Let's just hope my car gets me there and gets me back to my apartment.

Big B and Lil B

I know I said Shah Rukh Khan was the biggest movie star you've never heard of, but that's not entirely true. SRK would come in second only to Amitabh Bachchan. I know, most of you can't even read the name nonetheless recognize this man's face. But I'm not lying. In a recent BBC online poll, Amitabh Bachchan was voted the greatest star on stage or screen, beating out Sir Laurence Olivier, Sir Alec McGuinness, Charlie Chaplin, Homer Simpson, Robert DeNiro, Cary Grant, Buster Keaton, and Marylin Monroe.

There's really no one to compare him to. My first instinct would be Al Pacino because they sort of look alike and were both big in the 70s. But Al Pacino hasn't done a decent film in years, whereas Amitabh keeps producing hit after hit. Honestly, I don't know why he's so popular, but I haven't seen films like Sholay, Don, or Amar Akbar Anthony--movies that established him in Indian cinema. I have, however, seen him in many movies, and he always delivers an outstanding performance. When I saw Bunty aur Babli in the theater, the women went nuts when the credits rolled and Amitabh appeared in a rap video to close the film. And these aren't women in their 50s or 40s, they were teenagers and twenty somethings. Clearly this man still has it, whatever it is.


Abhishek and Amitabh Bachchan

It, for me, would be his son, Abhishek. As the son of Amitabh and Jaya (Badhuri) Bachchan (she's also big in Bollywood. She and Amitabh played many onscreen couples in the 70s), it was inevitable Abhishek would become an actor and superstar like his parents. Well, it hasn't been easy for him. His first few performances were subpar and not well received, but he's since improved. Today, he's high in demand, just won an award for Best Supporting Actor for his difficult-to-watch performance in Yuva, and is a bankable star. He's also considered Bollywood's most eligible bachelor. [Ladies, I know what you're thinking. But I didn't understand Abhishek's appeal until I saw him in a movie. Now, I'm totally smitten.] He just may be Bollywood's answer to lift it out of its slump, but we'll have to wait and see if that's true.

My Favorite Amitabh Movies:
Monhabbatein (2000)--with SRK and Aishwarya Rai
Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001)--with Jaya Bachchan, SRK, Kajol
Veer-Zaara (2004)--with SRK, Preity Zinta, and Rani Mukherjee
Black (2005)--with Rani Mukherjee
Bunty aur Babli (2005)--with Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukherjee

My Favorite Abhishek Movies:
Hum Tum (2004)--with Rani Mukherjee and Saif Ali Khan
Yuva (2004)--with Rani Mukherjee
Bunty aur Babli (2005)--with Rani Mukherjee

My next Bollywood Blog will feature Aishwarya Rai.

why can't I write this chapter?

I'm attempting to write the final chapter of my thesis. Actually, it's my first chapter sequence-wise, but it's the last one I have to write. I went to bed early last night (I think before 7 pm--it might have been right before 8pm), so I could wake up and write before glancing at my French homework and going to French class. I will have the chapter completed by tomorrow and have the entire draft complete before next Wednesday (there, I just publicly challenged myself). So tomorrow I'll be locking myself up somewhere deep in the stacks of King Library and will not let myself leave until it's complete or the library closes. Either way, it will be done tomorrow!

And the sooner I finish the draft, the sooner I can have fun. Linsey is currently taking her exam, so it'll be tempting to go to Hamilton and mess around and subject myself to Buffy torture. OK, it's not torture, but I still don't get the Buffy craze.

Let me praise my friend Scott for a bit. Few people can boast about having such a good friend. We've been through a lot together--the good, the bad, and everything else in between. If I need help, he's the first person I call. If I want to share something I'm really excited about, he's the first person I tell. If I'm frustrated or mad (even at him), he's the first person I complain to. He's usually the first person I'll share anything with, and he's always willing to listen to me ramble. And I like to ramble, especially about my quirky obsessions--and I have lots of them. Well, Bollywood is my current India-sized obsession, and while most of my friends tolerate my ramblings, he's my only friend who's been open-minded about Bollywood (and Kari--I can't forget Kari!) and has willingly watched a handful of BW films and has discussed them (in greater detail than he probably wants to) with me. So while I often find myself part of a world programmed to misunderstand me, I know that Scott's always there for me, even when he doesn't understand me. Scott, you're the best! I love you dearly!

The First Mukherjee

"Kajol is hardly the kind of heroine you think should be a romantic heroine, you know? She's not your regular kind of heroine. She's quite demented." --Shah Rukh Khan



No discussion of contemporary Hindi cinema can take place without the mention of Kajol. A fourth generation actress, Kajol's rise to the top of Bollywood came as no surprise. What is surprising is her apparent ambivalence about the movie industry, walking away into a semi-retireship after dominating Bollywood for a decade, still at the height of her career and popularity. None of this seems to bother her. She's happily married to Bollywood A-lister Ajay Devgan and enjoys motherhood so much she's unsure if she'll ever pursue acting again.*

Brash, uncensored, and confidently unapologetic about what she says, Kajol will tell you she's not a good actress because she can't do a shot if she doesn't believe it's honest, or something she feels the character would really do. However, she is widely believed to be the best commercial actress in India, winning awards for some of Bollywood's biggest hits. Directors and actors often speak of her uncanny ability to pull pranks and joke around on film sets one minute and then effortlessly do an emotional or serious shot the next. She says she's merely doing what she's paid to do, but this natural acting ability has stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan and countless directors begging for her return to film. Rani Mukherjee, Kajol's second cousin, might be the current reigning queen of Bollywood, but Kajol has an entire nation under her spell, hoping she'll return to film with at least sporadic consistency.



*Kajol hasn't starred in a film since 2001, and except for a brief special appearance in Karan Johar's Kal Ho Naa Ho, Kajol has remained absent from Bollywood. However, Kajol has signed to star in Kunil Kohli's next film, opposite Aamir Khan, with an expected 2006 release. She's said she's using this film to determine how much she wants to be involved with films in the future. Fingers crossed that this goes well.

(I should probably mention something about her trademark unibrow before I close this post. Kajol refuses to wax, pluck, or shave it, saying that it's a part of who she is. And somehow she pulls if off, remaining absolutely beautiful.)

My favorite Kajol films:
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995)--with Shah Rukh Khan
Sapnay (1997)--with Prabhu Deva and Arvind Swamy
Gupt: The Hidden Truth (1997)--with Bobby Deol
Ishq (1997)--with Ajay Devgan
Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha (1998)--with Ajay Devgan
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998)--with Shah Rukh Khan
Dil Kya Kare (1999)--with Ajay Devgan and Mahima Chaudhary
Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001)--with Shah Rukh Khan

Up next in my Bollywood series: Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan

Terrorism

I get sick to my stomach thinking about what happened today in London.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the people of London and in England.

Terrorism sucks.

King Khan

Meet Shah Rukh Khan (hereafter SRK).*

He's the biggest movie star you've never heard of (or if you have it's because I've told you about him). Ever since I stumbled upon Bollywood, I've had a SRK dilemma. My dilemma is that I can't conclude what I feel about him. To many, he's the sexiest man to ever grace celluloid. Some consider him India's best actor today. His economic power is unparalleled in Bollywood--merely a special appearance in a film will virtually guarantee the film's box office success. But I am not so easily sold. Or maybe I am, and that's what bothers me.

To see a SRK film is to be captivated by an awkward looking charismatic power. One poster on Bollywhat.com said of first seeing SRK in a film: "Who's that? He sure is ugly, but I can't take my eyes off him." By the end of her second SRK experience, she was convinced he was "the sexiest thing ever." This is the strange power SRK has. Even men like this guy. And undeniably, SRK has a certain something that makes you take his side, that forces your eyes to follow him every time he's on screen. What he lacks in movie star good looks, he makes up by his charm and screen presence. Did I mention he can dance, too?

I could accept his manipulating screen presence if he wasn't heralded as one of India's finest actors. Charisma and acting ability are two different things, and while the man is a competent actor, Humphrey Bogart he is not. He can't cry convincingly on screen, and for some reason, directors make him cry. He can't laugh with any sense of truth. I often find him over the top, obnoxious--the boy next door who desperately wants to be bad. And yet, if I counted my DVD collection by the actors who star in the films, I own more movies with SRK than with any other actor, including my favorite, Kate Winslet.

The biggest problem I have with SRK is that no matter how conflicted I am by the man, I can never really dislike him because to be a Kajol fan is to be a SRK fan. You can't like her and not like him. Their celluloid jodi (relationship) is the most talked about in Bollywood (think Tom Hanks-Meg Ryan, Spencer Tracy-Katherine Hepburn). A movie starring SRKajol (as they're called on internet fan forums) will be a superhit in India. Their third film together, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ), is the most successful movie in the history of Indian cinema and has yet to leave the theater since it was first released on May 13, 1995.


SRK with Kajol

So I give up. SRK may not be my favorite Indian actor. He may not be the best looking man in India. I may not completely understand the fanfare behind him. But even I can't deny that a star like SRK comes only once in a great while, and I'm going to do my best to enjoy the phenomenon that is King Khan.

A list of some of my favorite SRK films:
DDLJ (1995)--with Kajol
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998)--with Kajol and Rani Mukherjee
Kabhi Khushie Kabhie Gham (2001)--with Kajol
Devdas (2002)--with Aishwarya Rai
Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003)--with Preity Zinta and Saif Ali Khan
Veer-Zaara (2004)--with Preity Zinta and Rani Mukherjee
Dil Se (1998)--with Manisha Koirala and Preity Zinta
Main Hoon Na (2004)--with Sushmita Sen

*This is the first in a series I'll be doing to introduce you to the wonderful world of Bollywood. Next up: Kajol.

The week that was

The week has finally come to an end, thankfully. Here are the highlights:

Monday: Thesis progressed by a giant leap. I was optimistic about working somemore. First day of French part deux. Begin watching Otis (a puppy yellow lab.).

Tuesday: 4:00 walking down the stairs in the dark and roll my ankle. Didn't know if I could walk, but I had to leave. Puppy was waiting and had to work. Otis pees all over his bedding. I'm ineffectual at work and go home early. Linsey takes me back to Otis who messed his cage up again, only this time it was, er, more complex. Give Otis impromptu bath on my bad ankle and go home. Dinner at Linsey's: yummy taco salad made by Kari. Tommie Mommie makes me promise to go to the doctor.

Wednesday: Otis makes a mess again! Luckily this time he didn't roll around in it. Work. Doctor (but I can't get X-Rays because the tech only comes in 1-3:30, the same time I have class). French. Special mention to Renee for carting me around! Back to Otis.

Thursday: Otis. Then French. Then Otis. Then Saathiya, an amazing BW movie starring Rani Mukherjee and Vivek Oberoi!

Friday: Otis. Work. Otis (for the last time). Linsey to the rescue: lunch, library, doctor, laundry, dinner! X-Rays: foot not broken! Had a nice conversation with Mipa from Sri Lanka. A long deep sleep!

Saturday: Thesis and relaxation. It was wonderful. Highlight was the GORGEOUS orange sari Scott purchased in honor of the promise of completing my MA! He really outdid himself!

This week, while my parents are only hours away enjoying spending time with Brody (my nephew), I'll be working on the thesis somemore. Until I have something better to post...