Thursday, June 15, 2006

HEPATITIS HEAVEN

Today's Vocabulary Review:

Bandh = strike
Fillum = movie
Talkies = cinema
Interval = intermission
Frooty = addictive mango drink


Today I and P and a packed house sweated through three hours of Fanaa, the Hindi fillum that was banned in Gujarat (this would be the state on the middle left of the map where many bad things like earthquakes, riots, etc. seem to happen). Apparently male lead Aamir (Lagaan) Khan offended people's sensibilities by saying something to the effect that the poor people being displaced by a massive Narmada dam project should receive compensation from the government. The other day someone seeing the fillum at a Gujarat talkies started himself on fire during the interval -- thus closing the filllum.

Anyways...... It only occurred to me today, halfway through the fillum, that Mr. Khan is a Muslim -- a fact which may in fact have added fuel to the fire (Gujarat is the state where there were massive riots and killings (Hindu v. Muslim) over a dispute in Ayodhya, a spot that some fundamentalist Hindus say was / should be the site of a Ram temple because it's his birthplace, but which also happened to be the site of a mosque. Long story but it led to thousands of (mostly Muslim) deaths and the nationwide bandh that I experienced in Mysore itself back in March 2002 -- when everything was closed the city was a ghost town). It probably didn't help that he played a Muslim Kashmiri separatist terrorist in the fillum, which kicked ass; it took place in Kashmir (probably shot in Switzerland) and the women did all of the important killing.

Unfortunately Aamir Khan is starting to take on the craggy countenance of a latter-day Tom Hanks. Not a good look, by the way. But his character did kill guys while driving a snowmobile and ate chicken with his left hand -- which sure trumps talking to a volleyball.

4 comments:

  1. You have to get me a bootleg street DVD of that movie, please please please???

    'latter-day Tom Hanks, not a good look, by the way'

    LOFL

    Btw, much trouble in Sri Lanka.
    Sri Lanka bus blast kills dozens
    At least 64 people - many of them children - have been killed in a mine attack on a Sri Lankan bus, police say.
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/
    south_asia/5082026.stm

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous7:01 AM

    Ah! Many fillums to watch at home! Fanaa supposed to be a good one too. Your blogname is my phrase for the next 30 hours :-) I start travelling today for Mysore

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm afraid the Rolfer is only availalbe at his address.. which is krishna house 6th cross, 3rd stage.... he is at tinas for breakfast quite a lot why don't you come tomorrow and i will introduce
    The Doc

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  4. PSUMysore;
    please contact me when you arrive.
    I'd love to go to a fillum:
    chaigirl@india.com or 9945399506 (those calling internationally put "91" in front).
    CK

    ReplyDelete