The Indians Abroad

Overseas Living: NRIs & India abroad

Posts Tagged Bollywood

Top 20 Bollywood Movies of 80’s

Mar 4

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment

Samita Patil was still alive, Dilip Kumar still in action, the Big B showed no signs of grey hair, Naseeruddin Shah was in his prime, Pran was still the bad guy to beat…..you got the idea…

Choosing top 20 movies from 80s is almost an impossible task. Should you go with the mega hits from mega stars like Big B and Dilip Kumar, or should you go with the artistic movies supported by Naseeruddin Shah, Samita Patil, Shabana Azmi…? The list below is not perfect by any means, but a good mix of the both styles. Depending on your tastes, likes and dislikes, the choice may vary, but here are my top 20 movies from 80s, arranged in a chronological order, by the year of movie-release date:

1. Aakrosh (1980): This is an acclaimed art film. The star power comes from all around brilliant acting of Naseeruddin Shah, Samita Patil, Om Puri and Amrish Puri. The movie is a satire on the corruption in the Indian judicial system, and power abuse of the rich against the poor.

2. Qurbani (1980): A very entertaining family movie, also known for an ensemble of super-stars, excellent music and great songs. The film stars Feroz Khan, Vinod Khanna, Zeenat Aman, Amjad Khan, Shakti Kapoor, Aruna Irani, Amrish Puri and Kader Khan.

3. Sparsh (1980): Not a movie for uplifting atmosphere, but if you are looking for a movie with realistic acting, this is the one for you. It stars Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi playing the characters of a blind principal and a teacher in a School of the Blind.

4. Ek Duje Ke Liye (1981): This movie is among the most popular films of early 80s. The songs and the music support the romantic storyline. Kamal Haasan and Rati Agnihotri lead the cast.

5. Lawaaris (1981): This is a super-hit movie of the 80s – a story of an orphan in search for his parents – with twists and turns. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Amjad Khan, Zeenat Aman and Raakhee Gulzar. Read the rest of this entry »

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Desi ideas but foreign winners – Jai Hind?

Feb 26

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Consciousness & Awareness, Entertainment, Non-Resident Indian

American Skaters deliver Hot Bollywood delivered on cold ice !  

American Skaters in Desi Costume

Olympic Ice Skating pair Meryl Davis and Charlie White is a hot topic of discussions among Indian social circles for their spell-bound performance to the tunes of Bollywood music. Dressed in Desi costumes, the American skaters delivered a spectacular presentation on the ice. 

If you have not heard, the same pair received a second place Silver medal in the ‘Mixed Figure Skating’ Olympic competition.  

The Indians areproudly passing around the Youtube videos of this performance and claiming a victory of Indian culture of folk music. While the pair basks in the Olympic glory, their performance to the Bollywood tunes is a water-cooler topic of Indian pride and how great the Bollywood music is.  

Yes, the pride of Indian folk music deserves the applause, but we forget that it took an American couple to deliver the performance worth the Olympic consideration.  

If you think, we have been watching Shammi Kapoor for ages,dancing on the mountains and in the gardens alike, followed by the modern day heroes who are addicted to the on-screen dance – a necessity of Bollywood movies. 

No doubt, the Indian dance is a world recognized art and is progressively exposed in the western society. However, one wonders, a country of one billion Indians cannot produce a pair of ice-skaters who can represent India in the winter Olympics. We need an outsider to utilize Indian art – the Indian concept of folk music – to reach the medal podium! Read the rest of this entry »

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10 Best Movies with NRIs and India Abroad Theme

Feb 7

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad

There are lots of movies – many made in Bollywood, some abroad – that explore the lives of NRIs and Indians living overseas. There are lots of films with ‘India Abroad and NRIs’ theme. However, not all the NRIs stories of overseas are well told, well played or worth the time. Some of the best movies that actually leave a lasting impression of the life abroad include:

1. Monsoon Wedding:Directed by Mira Nair, this is romance, comedy and drama – all together – depicting the lives of NRIs and the NRI weddings. An extravagant Punjabi wedding and the family traditions are beautifully directed throughout this movie. The touch of folk music is very refreshing. Naseeruddin Shah’s acting is solid once more, and plays a father who is organizing an enormous, chaotic, and very expensive wedding that involves NRI families coming together from different parts of the world.

2. East is East:This is a very comic and funny movie with a dark side of NRI story based out of England. Om Puri delivers one of the best acting of a conflicted father with double standards. Married to a white woman, the father forces his kids to live the traditional and strict desi lifestyle. The children, born and grown up in UK, see themselves as British and reject their father’s rules on dress, food, religion and arranged marriage.

3. Bend it like Beckham:Starring Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightley, the title comes from the soccer player David Beckham’s skill at scoring from free kicks by “bending” (curving) the ball past a wall of defenders. It is a beautiful depiction of a Punjabi family’s life in England. The film explores the lives of Indians abroad and how NRIs ‘bend’ the social and traditional rules to adapt to the local culture. It has a lively music, with a touch of folk genre, including ‘Rabbaa Rabbaa Meeh Barsaa’.

4. Bride and Prejudice:This is a Bollywood style adaptation of the novel ‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austen. It is filmed primarily in English, with some Hindi and Punjabi dialogue. The lead cast of Aishwarya Rai, Martin Henderson, Nadira Babbar, Anupam Kher and Naveen Andrews plays well in the desi adaptation of an old classic story of west. The wedding and party scenes, the complicated feelings of love, the dance numbers and culture depiction….are all nicely integrated. Read the rest of this entry »

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Bollywood Quiz 5 – The Idiots and a Dog

Jan 7

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment, Trivial Stuff

The Bollywood Quiz 5 is based on the recent Bollywood news and movies, as of January 10, 2010.
The previous 4 Bollywood quizzes, if you want to try, can be found as linked below:
3-idiots252x218
Bollywood Quiz I: Know your Bollywood?:A Bollywood quiz about old movies of yesteryears!
Bollywood Quiz II – Bollywood News and hit movies :A quiz on hits from earlier part of 2009 or from 2008
Bollywood Quiz III-Related to Bollywood movies or stories from August 2009
The Bollywood Quiz IVis based on the movies or related Bollywood stories as of November 2009.

Here is the latest – Bollywood Quiz 5; Good luck: :)

According to Eastern Eye's list of the '50 Sexiest Asian Women’, who retains the top spot in their recent annual rank - as the most sexiest Asian woman:





In the Bollywood circles, who is known as the 'perfectionist'?





Chetan Bhagat claims that the movie '3 Idiots' is loosely based on his book titled:





Releasing in February, this upcoming movie, is one of the biggest anticipated movies of 2010:





According to his blog, Aamir Khan used to have a dog named Shahrukh!





SHahrukh Khan, the King of Bollywood can be found on Twitter and most recently ‘tweeted’ advice on how to stay healthy and fit.





According to the media reports, at least one person left the '3 idots' movie theater in tears and very upset:









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20 Best Bollywood movies of 90s decade

Dec 25

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment

20 Best Bollywood movies from 1990 to 1999
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Here we go again. Many may disagree, others may consider their own list much better – we all do. But, here is a list of movies that made a splash in the 90s. The brief description includes main/lead cast, year of release and general genre of each movie. The 90s decade brought us some of the very memorable flicks, here are 20 of them:

1. Ghayal (1990): Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, this popular thriller starts Sunny Deol and Meenakshi Seshadri in the lead role. It was one of the blockbuster of the year and also won the Filmfare ‘Best movie’ award.

2. Dil (1990): This is a lovable romantic comedy; it has some of the best music of its time. Aamir Khan, Madhuri Dixit, Anupam Kher and Saeed Jaffrey lead the cast and a very superior acting all around.

3. Diksha (1991) Meaning ‘initiation, the Hindi film is based on a novel by famous Kannada writer U. R. Ananthamurthy. The film depicts a complicated story of a Guru and his widowed daughter it is infused with Indian culture and local traditions. A well told story of human emotions and willpower.

4. Lamhe (1991): This is a classic Yash Chopra film. It stars Anil Kapoor, Sridevi, Waheeda Rehman and Anupam Kher in the main cast. The film is critically acclaimed, and has exceptionally good music. This romantic drama received the well deserved ‘Best Movie’ Filmfare award.

5. Beta (1992): The film featured the popular pair of its time – Madhuri Dixit and Anil Kapoor. This is a very entertaining movie with some very good music numbers, including popular song “Dhak Dhak Karne Laga”.

6. Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992): This is Mansoor Khan directed movie; he is more famous for another hit ‘Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak’. Aamir Khan and Pooja Bedi star in this romantic drama. It was a blockbuster flick of its time and a winner of ‘Best movie’ Filmfare award..

7. Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke (1993) Directed by Mahesh Bhatt, the movies has a wonderful musical score by Nadeem-Shravan. Aamir Khan, Juhi Chawla pair well in the lead role. This romantic film has some of the best acting from Juhi Chawla and was very popular among critics and laymen alike. Read the rest of this entry »

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20 Best Bollywood movies of last 10 years

Dec 2

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment

The top 20 Bollywood movies from 2000 to 2009

Aishvarya and Madhuri in Devdas

Aishvarya and Madhuri in Devdas

Everybody has a different taste, a different like, and a different dislike. Based on overall success and general popularity, here are 20 best Bollywood movies from 2000 to 2009.

1. Lagaan (2001): A refreshing drama, it is a well told story of modern Bollywood days. Set in the Victorian period of the British Empire, the movie is cortically acclaimed all around the world. It became the selected few Hindi film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Produced by Aamir Khan, he also plays the lead role.

2. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham(2001): Very successful romantic and emotional drama. The cinematography, music and costumes are brilliant. A musical blockbuster, the movie is well received at home and abroad. The star-studded cast includes Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Kajol, Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor.

3. Rang de Basanti(2006): A movie with great acting and direction. Aamir Khan, Soha Ali Khan, Madhavan, Kunal Kapoor, Siddharth Narayan, Sharman Joshi, Atul Kulkarni and British actress Alice Patten is the main cast. A.R. Rahman music adds to the appeal of this light-hearted flick.

4. Devdas (2002): A love story, it is a beautiful remake of old Devdas, based on a famous short novel by the same name. Acting, direction and music are equally admirable. Devdas is one of the most expensive Bollywood films ever produced, with a reported budget of Rs 50 crores. Shahrukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, and Aishwarya Rai star in the leading roles.

5. Veer Zaara (2004): Directed by Yash Chopra – a refreshing acting combines with good story telling and tasteful direction. It is set in the background of India and Pakistan conflict; the romantic film tells an unfortunate love story across the borders. . This popular movie stars Shahrukh Khan, Preity Zinta and Rani Mukerji in the leading roles.

6. Singh is Kinng (2008): Another light hearted drama set in Australia for better part of the story. Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif star in the lead role. The movie has nice comic scenes and good dance numbers. It is a Punjabi style comedy, at the cost of a Singh. Read the rest of this entry »

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Unrealistic dreams are dangerous for mental health!

Nov 29

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment, Non-Resident Indian

Are you a Bollywood heroine material? :)
bride2
There is and interesting observation made in an Article published in the Times of India: The Bollywood actresses are inclined to marry the NRIs abroad. “Why Bollywood beauties are starry-eyed about NRIs” goes into the past history of heroines settled with with NRIs overseas.

Over the years, Mumtaz, Madhuri Dixit, Meenakshi Sheshadri and many other have followed the trend of looking outside Bollywood – or even outside India – to find their hubbies in the foreign lands. And, along the same path, Shilpa Shetty married London-based businessman Raj Kundra earlier last week.

So what is it that these beautiful women with millions of fans cannot find a suitable match in India? What is it that makes these beauties to sacrifice their careers in many cases, leave behind everything and move overseas? Could it be that the abundance of attention and excessive spotlight become a burden for these celebrities and the only way to escape all this is to head abroad? Or may be, like rest of us in India, the lure of foreign land is too much to ignore.

Well, the reasoning may vary from one heroine to another, the logic may differ – not that true love needs logic – the NRIs abroad is certainly an enigma where many celebrities look for their future.

Take a lesson from all this, my fellow NRIs! Next time you put out a matrimonial ad, make sure to mention: ‘Bollywood heroines are welcome’; you never know. :)

So, do you think you are a Bollywood heroine material? Do you have what it takes to hook up with the glamour girls of Indian films? The question is lame, egocentric and may be borderline crazy, but come on! we – men – like to dream, don’t we? Read the rest of this entry »

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Bollywood Need to Move Beyond Song and Dance: Amitabh Bachchan

Nov 21

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment

Amitabh “Big B” Bachchan : Bollywood needs to adapt beyond song and dance.
Amitabh Bachchan in his prime

It is hard to imagine a Bollywood movie without songs and dance numbers. The songs and music has often played a key role in the success or failure of a movie. A Hindi flick without songs and dance is like an Indian curry without masala, the spices.

Many have been saying this for a while, more quietly than in a vocal way, that it is about time for Bollywood to evolve beyond the song and dance routines. The most criticism, so far, has come from outsiders -those outside the Bollywood film Industry of India. Now, a reality check comes from a Bollywood Mega star; a bombshell from Amitabh Bachchan.

Amitabh “Big B” Bachchan in an interview with CNN said that it is about time for Bollywood to adapt to the global film market. He pointed out that Indian cinema needs to move beyond traditional song-and-dance musicals amid increasing international competition in the Mumbai studios’ domestic market.

He said that Indian audiences exposed to Western television and cinema expected Indian movies to be “at least on a par with what is happening in other parts of the world.”

“Technology means the common man has access to the very best in entertainment from other parts of the world almost instantly,” said the mega star. Read the rest of this entry »

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“Thank you, Paji!” – Canada to Punjabis

Nov 20

Posted by admin in Culture & Society, India, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad

Canada owes its prosperity to Punjabi settlers: Prime Minister Harper

Following the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper took a trip to Punjab and visited Amritsar to pay his obeisance at the Golden Temple – the Sikh holy shrine.

Pointing out the contributions from Punjabi immigrants in Canada, the Prime Minister admitted that his country owes its prosperity to the perseverance and work ethics of more than a million Punjabi.
“1.2 million Punjabis out of which more than eight lakh are from Indian Punjab are settled in Canada and making significant contribution to strengthening the Canadian economy,” Harper said.

Recognizing the Punjabi settlers as partners in the Canadian progress, the Premier said that Punjabis have been contributing to the country’s development through their hard work and grit for more than a century.

The Canadian government is fully committed to preserve and promote the Punjabi culture and the Punjabi language in Canada, he added.

Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary are three main cities of Canada with large population of Indians, majority of them of Punjabi origin. Read the rest of this entry »

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Bollywood to the rescue: Australian attacks on Indians abroad!

Nov 11

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment, Non-Resident Indian, Race Relations, Trivial Stuff

Friendly warning: To avoid mental indigestion, please take this post with a grain of salt and in light spirits. The intended humor does not – in any way – take away the seriousness of the Australian situation. Enjoy:

Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan and Dara Singh are getting old; otherwise we would not even be talking about this. We would not be worried about some group of kids attacking Indians in broad Australian daylight.
In good old days Dharmendra alone, may be with some help from ‘Big B’, could have taken care of this crisis. And a dance number in between – to prove his cool – would have been just the expected icing on the cake.
But those golden days of unbeatable magic are gone!

Singh is Kinngh to the rescue?

Singh is Kinngh to the rescue?

We do have Salman Khan, Shahrukh Khan and rest of the modern day Bollywood heroes. They are a force to reckon with, no doubt. The movie ‘Om Shanti Om’ is a living proof that they are no less than their ‘elders’ – the previous generation of Bollywood heroes! However, it is a troublesome that they have been a bit shy of the Immigration officers abroad recently. So, it may be hard to convince them to board a plane for overseas, if that’s how they ‘fly’!

So, there is the problem, there lies the dilemma – the real challenge! Which Bollywood star should go over to Australia and ‘fix’ those hooligans and thugs, who don’t really understand how good we Indians are?

Bigger challenges demand better solutions, some new ideas. We need a new Bollywood star (or two) to rise to this occasion, and go fix it, once and for all. We need some fresh Bollywood blood who can take over this challenge.

Which Bollywood stars to the rescue?
Who could it be? Read the rest of this entry »

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Bollywood Quiz IV : Which two stars…

Nov 7

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment

Kurbaan-2009 250x250The quiz is based on the recent movies or related Bollywood stories as of November 2009.
The previuos quizes can be found as linked below:
Bollywood Quiz III-Related to Bollywood movies or stories from August 2009, (and originally published in August 2009)
Bollywood Quiz II – Bollywood News and hit movies :A quiz on hits from earlier part of 2009 or from 2008
Bollywood Quiz I: Know your Bollywood?:A Bollywood quiz about old movies of yesteryears!

And, here is the latest quiz: Quiz IV: Which two stars..
Please go to Bollywood Quiz IV : Which two stars… to view the quiz

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Big screens welcome Bollywood abroad

Oct 27

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad

Growing overseas trend of Bollywood movies on big screens

A flock of girls, probably in their 20s, – giggling and talking – briskly walked into the theater complex. Quickly checking the movie times, followed by a quick look at their cell phones, they laughed and giggled some more.
“Thanks God, I thought we were late”, Kavita said. Jiggling the car keys in her hand, she went on, “Friday night is our Bollywood night; many of us drive for more than an hour to meet here for the movie date”
“The boyfriends or husbands are not allowed”, interrupted Rupa while her fingers still busy texting.

The ‘Golf Glen 5’ movie complex is conveniently located in the north-west suburbs of Chicago. For Indian movies, today’s choices include ‘Aadhavan’ Starring Nayana Tara and Surya; and ‘Blue’ starring Sanjay Dutt and Akshay Kumar in the lead roles.

The Bollywood is becoming more and more popular in America. Instead of the limited option of renting a DVD from your local Indian store or burning an illegal copy, the ever increasingly popular option of big screen is now available in your nearest cities!
Yes, more and more theatres are showing Bollywood movies on regular basis. Though not many but the choices are there. In so many theaters nationwide, you can choose between a Hollywood movie or a Bollywood flick, depending on what the mood strikes.

Big Cinemas– a division of Reliance, India – is cashing in on Bollywood movie fans among Indian Americans in USA. Spanning across New York, Virginia, California, Georgia, New Jersey…..Big Cinemashas 18 theaters all over America, catering to the growing population of Desis. The posters, the advertisements and the leisurely strolling Indian Americans inside the theater resemble a scene of an upscale theater in India.

The USA has a fast-growing and affluent population of Indian Americans, an estimated 2.5 million strong. For the cities with high density of Indians, Bollywood movie theaters seem obvious and profitable business choice.

“Does it have English subtitles?” inquired a white woman with short blonde hair at the ticketing booth. Read the rest of this entry »

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The Bollywood Love Story on Oprah Show

Oct 3

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment, India

AishWarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan’s appearance on Oprah Show

Aish and Abhi (Oprah.com)

Aish and Abhi (Oprah.com)

As mentioned earlier, Aishwarya Rai along with her hubby was in Chicago, the Windy City, for Oprah Winfrey show. The show featuring the couple – Aish and Abhishek Bachchan, was telecasted worldwide on Monday Sep. 28. It also included a live link to China, to the audience of Chen Lu Yu – the talk show host who is also known as the Chinese Oprah.

 

Here are the synopses of their introduction by Oprah:

“Ash and Abhi, as they’re known to their 5 billion fans around the globe, were Bollywood superstars long before they fell in love and got married in April 2007. Abhi, Ash’s leading man, was born into India’s film industry. Both of his parents are famous Bollywood actors, and over the years, he’s starred in more than 40 films.

After being crowned Miss World in 1994, Ash became Bollywood’s breakout star. Since then, this emerald-eyed actress has landed dozens of endorsement deals and starred in more than 40 movies. She reportedly earns more than $15 million per film….. “

When asked by Oprah about his marriage proposal to her, Abhi shared:

“I was filming in New York for a movie,” he says. “And I used to stand on the balcony of my hotel room and wish that, ‘One day, wouldn’t it be nice if I was together with her, married.’”

Years later, in New York City as a couple, they were there for the premiere of Guru…. Read the rest of this entry »

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The best Bollywood movies of all times!

Sep 18

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment, India

Bollywood Movies- The best of best!

The opinions vary, the tastes differ. When it comes to the best of Bollywood movies, it depends; It depends on who you ask and in what mood they are in. There are way too many VERY good movies out there. Here are some of the best ones:
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Sholay: Needs no explanation. The dialogue, the story, the cast, the acting…everything is so refreshing. The story moves at its own natural pace. It has everything you would expect in a drama movie or an action film or a romance flick.

Pakeezah: Beautifully directed, this movie is a combination of good artistic tastes, a great storyline, excellent settings and a brilliant music.

Mother India:The first Indian movie to be nominated for Oscar, this is one of the highest ranked movies in the international film festivals, and for a reason. The cast of Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar and Raj Kumar is lead by a brilliant acting and timeless direction all around.

Mera Naam Joker:Raj Kapoor spent every penny he had on this movie, and it flopped during the first release – it was just too long with run time over 5 hours. The second release, the re-edited and compressed version, ended up as one of the most successful film of all times. It has something for audiences of all ages.

Mughal-e-Azam :This is one of the most expensive movies ever made of its times. It took more than 9 years to finish this beautifully filmed feature. The star cast is ultimate; the dance sets are unparalleled for its time. Some of the famous dance sequences of Madhubala are filmed in the Shish Mahal -The Palace of Mirrors- in Lahore Shahi Qila. Read the rest of this entry »

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Bollywood Abroad: Aishwarya Rai on the Oprah Show

Sep 11

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment, india abroad

Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan to appear on Oprah Show!

Aishwairya Rai in 'Devdas'

Aishwairya Rai in 'Devdas'

The most influential woman in the world, Oprah Winfrey, is back with 2009 season of her world famous and the highest rated talk show. The downtown Chicago area – the Magnificent Mile- was closed to traffic last week as she kicked off the 24th season of Oprah Winfrey Show.

When it comes to the influence of this billionaire, Oprah is a force beyond comprehension. She has single-handedly popularized and revolutionized the tabloid talk show genre. Oprah has a very loyal world wide fan base, especially among women. A book lands on the ‘best seller list’ just by her mentioning of it on the show; the cattle ranchers in Texas get nervous if she promotes vegetarian food or says something against beef…..When Oprah talks, people listen!

And look, who is coming back to the Oprah show again- Aishwarya Rai! The popular Indian actress and former Miss World is no stranger to the show; and this time she brings her husband, Abhishek Bachchan, with her.

Aishwarya Rai is supposedly in Chicago with her beau preparing and shooting for the show. It is ‘rumored’ that the couple has been in USA for more than a week. Obviously, they did not get stopped by the immigration, otherwise we would have heard of it. :) Read the rest of this entry »

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‘Bollywood Heroes’ Vs ‘US Customs and Immigration’ : The duel goes on!

Sep 2

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment, India, india abroad

The US Customs and Immigration affects Bollywood travels to US

Shahrukh Khan

Shahrukh Khan

SRK stopped by US Immigration office for additional questioning; he blame US immigration for profiling based on Muslim name!….. – 8/11/09
Salman Khan is concerned about the US Immigration office; cancels his US trip!…- 8/28/09

Salman Khan has cancelled his upcoming trip to New York. The bollywood star was planning to visit USA to promote his upcoming movie ‘Wanted’. One of the main causes for this cancellation is quoted to be the recent incident where US immigration stopped Shahrukh Khan for additional questioning at Newark airport.

There has been much reported on this SRK immigration incident. The whole thing is blown way out of proportion by the media with so many twists and turns. Many are of the opinion that the agenda was to promote ‘My name is Khan’, his upcoming movie about experiences of a Muslim in USA in post-9/11 era.

The US Customs and Immigration denies any profiling and called it a routine stop, mainly because his baggage was delayed. You decide- who is right and who is wrong.

Salman Khan

Salman Khan

As a part of security measure of modern days, every country including USA is being extra careful as to who crosses their borders.We all know, the US Immigration and Customs check-point is last place to find friendly faces. The custom officers’ job is to probe everyone who enters the country and try to separate the good guys from bad ones. They frequently stop all kind of travelers –white, black or brown- for additional questioing and screening. The officers do tend to be a bit authoritative, and many may consider them ‘rude’; but that is the nature of their job.

So there you have it! Two Khan’s-the Bollywood mega stars vs. the US Customs and Immigration…. It is hard to fathom that Bollywood is so much worried about ‘not-so-friendly’ US Immigration officers. These Bollywood heroes, whose daily job description is to overcome the hurdles and fight big bad bullies in the movies, seem to shy away when it comes to passing through US Immigration and Customs. Is it that the real life drama is more intimidating than a Bollywood script with a pre-planned favorable outcome?

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Come on our Bollywood heroes, you can do better than that! We are so used to your bigger-than-life persona, your bare-hand fights against evils of all sizes! You can single-handedly kill an army of villains in those movies; demolish anything that crosses your path, or that of your love-interest! You can jump out of high rise buildings, dash out of flying planes and come out winners without a scratch on your body. And yet, you are scared of an immigration officer at a US check-point? Where is all that bravery that we are so accustomed to witness on the big screens? We all thought that you are tough enough to put up with some questions from a non-smiling customs officer in real life! Read the rest of this entry »

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The Bollywood Quiz: III

Aug 29

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment, Non-Resident Indian

love-aaj-kal-review
The other quizes on this site can be found as linked below:
The Bollywood Quiz IV is based on the recent movies or related Bollywood stories as of November 2009
Bollywood Quiz II – Bollywood News and hit movies :A quiz on hits from earlier part of 2009 or from 2008
Bollywood Quiz I: Know your Bollywood?:A Bollywood quiz about old movies of yesteryears!
The Quiz III below relates to Bollywood movies or stories from August 2009, (and originally published in August 2009):

Please go to The Bollywood Quiz: III to view the quiz

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Shahrukh Khan is god; so is US Immigration Office: The lessons learned

Aug 19

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment, India, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad

Shahrukh Khan

Shahrukh Khan

“It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” ~ Mark Twain

This incident of SRK’s additional questioning and detentionis in Newark is still getting so much coverage in the news. Actually, this was the main topic of discussion during Independence Day celebration.

Here are the lessons we learned from the whole thing:

USA Immigration and Customs Office is god:Yes, god, but still with a lower case ‘g’. Nobody worship them, but they don’t care. So lets not tangle with someone with this kind of attitude. We can admire them or hate them from a distance. When going through the customs,  if you are over-friendly or over-nervous, they will suspect something is wrong. ‘Suspicion’ is their middle name.

Shahrukh Khan is god:Many worship SRK, so no quarrel here. Problem starts when our Desi god collides with a foreign god, like an Immigration personnel in this case. While you can decide which one of the two would be villain (I think I know your answer :) ), you don’t have to. This is no epic battle of Mahabharata where good and evil are already defined; sometimes nobody wins in these battles of today. In this incident, I think both sides won, in their own words of course.

VIP Treatment not everywhere: VIP treatment in US is very limited. Actually people get very upset when they see a VIP getting special treatment in a public place. Totally different culture, let us not fuss about this. Remember, most of immigration officers don’t know much about our big shot celebrities. Read the rest of this entry »

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SRK, “My Name is Khan”…umm… too bad!

Aug 17

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad, politics

Shahrukh Khan goes thorugh additional questioning at USA Customs and Immigration

SRK and Kajol to star together in 'My Name is Khan'

SRK and Kajol to star together in 'My Name is Khan'

Shahrukh Khan (SRK), the iconic Indian Movie Star and the king of Bollywood, was subject of additional inspection and questioning by the immigration officers at the Newark airport, New Jersey. He was en route to Chicago to attend an event related to Indian Independence day celebrations.

SRK claims that he was singled out due to his Muslim last name – Khan. He added that the immigration officer was not convinced with any of his explanation about the trip.

The US Immigration and Customs office denies that his last name had anything to do with the additional questioning; he was stopped due to missing baggage. As per the statement from the Customs, everything was done professionally and by the book. It is common for a customs officer to ask someone to step aside for additional inspection if they are not satisfied with the interview.

It is ironic that SRK was in USA earlier this year shooting a Hindi movie titled ‘ My name is Khan’. The film is about the experiences of a Muslim in America.

Another remote possibility is that it was all planned by SRK; a thought that I could not resist.Considering how good an actor he is, he may have staged the whole drama. This incident turned out to be a very good publicity for him and his upcoming movie. Everybody is now talking about ‘My Name is Khan’ all of a sudden, which will be released worldwide soon. Read the rest of this entry »

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Hire a Bollywood star for your party: Aaja NachLe!

Aug 5

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Culture & Society, Entertainment, India, Marriages & weddings

Who would you hire from Bollywood for your wedding party?

Madhuri and Aishvarya in film Devdas

Madhuri and Aishvarya in film Devdas

Have money?… Looking for the knockout punch at your party?….
Well, look towards Bollywood.
Everything has a price, they say. For the right price, you can get almost anything.
So, what is the price for the Baadshah of Bollywood Shahrukh Khan to dance at your party? How about Rs 3 Crores to start with. Shahrukh Khan agreed to put up a show at the wedding of real estate giant Kanti Govani’s nephew for this large sum of money.

Who would you hire for your party?

From yesterday’s stars I personally like:

  • Amitabh Bachhan:- I won’t mind watching him perform to the tune of ‘Pag Ghungroo bandh Meera Naachi thi..’ from Namak Halaal.
  • Helen: The queen of dance numbers..’Mehbooba Mehbooba…’ from Sholay is my personal favorite since childhood :)
  • Hema Malini: The ‘dream girl’, a trained classical dancer….

    • Read the rest of this entry »

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