The Secret of Making a Bollywood Superhit
By Paul
Young and talented Bollywood director Karan Johar has a new film out;
“Bollywood is set to take a big leap this week with the opening of a blockbuster set around marital tensions, a brave departure by an industry known more for showcasing marriage as the heart of Indian family values."Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna" (Never Say Goodbye), an extra-marital potboiler which opens on Friday, is one of the most eagerly awaited releases of the year.
The story begins where most traditional Bollywood plots end -- after a couple hold hands and walk happily into the sunset -- and explores what happens to relationships after marriage.
"The alarming statistics of failing marriages in recent times often made me wonder about the relevance of the institution to our society today," said director Karan Johar.”
In this interview Karan Johar explains his style of film making, including some of his regrets of portraying Hindi patriotism over enthusiastically in one of his earlier movies. I had commented earlier about this aspect of some Hindi movies.
New York Times review takes a different view of the film;
“A French version would have a lot more sex and cigarette smoking. An American one would probably end with a letter opener in someone’s back. But only in Bollywood would the standard-issue marital-infidelity tale include disco-style musical numbers and clock in at almost three and a half hours.”
For Discussion; How important is artistic criticism of a culture for a society? Is Bollywood moving in the right direction or just aspiring to be a clone Hollywood?
Related;
Bollywood Dreams- a short film about the book by Jonanthan Torgovnik
Naveen’s recent post on Indian Cinema
Some videos about the making of the film; Part 1, Part 2
BBC review of the film.
Some blogs with Bollywood coverage; Prasadu, Beliefs, Blackness and Bollywood
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