Bollywood/Hollywood
A film by Deepa Mehta
Starring: Rahul Khanna, Lisa ray, Moushumi Chatterjee, Dina Pathak, Kulbushan Kharbanda, Ranjit Chowdhry, Jessica Paré, Rishma Malik, Jazz Mann, Arjun Lombardi-Singh, Leesa Gaspari, Neelam Mansingh.
Running Time: 103 minutes
Released in the UK on 14th February 2003
Click here to buy the DVD.

ABOUT THE ACTORS AND CAST

When the draft of the story was complete, Deepa Mehta started to assemble her ensemble cast. This cast is an interesting combination of veteran performers and newcomers to the industry.

While creating the lead role of the millionaire Rahul Seth, Mehta had one actor in mind - Rahul Khanna. "Rahul was in Earth, my last film. I've always wanted to do work with him again. Rahul has an incredible range and control as an actor - qualities essential to play a character weighed down by tradition and duty. To be the 'centre' of the cyclone, so to speak. And the fact that he is drop-dead gorgeous doesn't do any harm either."

Khanna welcomed the chance to work with Mehta again. "There's several things that I like about Deepa. The most important is that she's a wonderful director for an actor because I think she really understands actors and she knows how to get the performance out of you in the right way. And because we've worked together before, we understand each other and know how each other works."

Khanna continues, "The Seth family in the film is very much an average Indian family in Toronto, kicked up a few notches - though it's purposely slightly exaggerated and over the top. We really had a lot of fun creating characters that have their roots, in what people call, a Non-Resident Indian family."

For the role of Sue, the woman from the other side of the tracks, who would win Rahul's heart, Mehta chose Lisa Ray. "Lisa grew up in Toronto, she was born here in Canada. She moved to India in the 90's and made her film debut in a Bollywood movie. She's intimately acquainted with both worlds. Lisa exudes attitude and spunk, and was ideal to play Sue. Bollywood/Hollywood is her first film in North America."

Ray was immediately drawn to the characters in the film. "Actually the reason why I was so excited about this film, besides working with Deepa Mehta, was that I could completely relate to each and every character. I have been living in Bombay for the past 10 years, so I have enough experience to pinpoint the differences families there and here in Canada."

Her deep connection to the characters made Ray even more interested in bringing the role of Sue to the screen. "Sue is very much a girl of today. Sue was brought up with a strong Indian heritage, but at the same time, is very much a Canadian and proud of it. She takes her destiny into her own hands. She analyses and makes choices as opposed to accepting what tradition dictates ….and I can relate to that. She isn't obviously Indian but she definitely has an Indian heart to her. Theses qualities give her a lot of layers for me to play with."

The relationship between Rahul and Sue flounders and stumbles, due to a series of misunderstandings before they are able to unite in the classic romantic tradition. Ray likens their relationship problems to that of a culture clash. She explains, "It's almost a representation of a culture clash. Rahul comes from, not a more traditional family, but he has embraced his cultural traditions more wholeheartedly than Sue has. But even so, he is a bundle of contradictions. And I think that's the point … that there's a lot of contradictions in the community, there's no one way to be Indian."

Mehta decided to cast the senior roles with Moushumi Chatterjee who plays Ruby Seth and Dina Pathak who plays the irrepressible Grandma Ji. Both Chatterjee and Pathak are legends within the Bollywood star system.

Working with them was a source of great pleasure for Khanna. "It's been a really great experience. We've got to play with legends from Bollywood. Moshumi, who plays my mother on the film, was actually a leading lady with my father, who was an actor in Bollywood while I was growing up. My brother is also an actor and recently she played my brother's mother in a film and now she's playing my mother. She's just this amazing actress who's got this huge body of work behind her and is extremely well respected. Dina, who plays my grandmother in the film… she's one of the veterans in Indian films."

Mehta explains, "I looked at a lot people from Canada, because my first choice was obviously to cast everybody from here. But for the mother and grandmother, I needed mature and older actors and in that generation there aren't many actors in Canada. Especially women actors, nobody migrated to Canada 30 years ago from India to become actors."

Both Chatterjee and Pathak liked the challenge of working outside of the Bollywood system. A Bollywood heroine since the '70's, Chatterjee is known for her talent. She describes Ruby Seth as "very funny. She has the uncanny ability to burst in to tears when she isn't getting her own way. She also faints at the drop of a hat. "I have never played a character like her before." Chatterjee feels that Mehta was able to capture the dynamics that occur with in a family. "The family born outside of India, the relations between the members of the family - the children with the grandmother and the mother… They want to maintain their culture, there are good job opportunities in Canada, but they haven't forgotten the good family values from India…I think that's the most important thing. And Deepa shows it in a comic way."

One of India's foremost character actors, Dina Pathak has acted in more than 100 films. Here she plays Grandma Ji, the Shakespeare spouting matriarch of the Seth family. Pathak sees Grandma Ji as the moral force of the story. "In India, grandmothers are considered very wise and that's what she represents in the film. She is genuinely interested in Rahul, even though she doesn't express it often." At first Pathak was cautious when the rest of the world began to show an interest in the Bollywood film culture. "I thought it was a passing fad. But now I appreciate it, because it feels like a sincere interest from the outside world in what Bollywood represents."

Rising Canadian star Jessica Paré was Cast as Kimberly Stewart, Rahul's blond pop star girlfriend. Paré describes Kimberly as "the white girl. She's a pop star---the Canadian equivalent to Britney Spears. She is very sincere and very earnest and quotes a lot of Deepak Chopra." Like the other actors, Paré was given intensive dance lessons from choreographer David Connolly . She also watched MTV constantly to prepare herself to shoot the video that appears in the film. "It was so much fun. It was part Britney Spears and part Faith Hill. Playing with the camera was great."

Ranjit Chowdhry is a familiar figure in Mehta's films, having appeared in her first Canadian feature, Sam and Me, and also in Camilla and Fire. Here, Chowdhry is cast as Rocky, the Seth's chauffeur. Rocky suspects that Sue is not all that she appears to be, but as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that neither is he.

Rishma Malik was cast as Twinky Seth. "Twinky is rebellious but has a great amount of respect for her family. She likes to go out and taste life, and she did and got pregnant. As a result, she has to get married. If Rahul doesn't get married first, then the Indian community will know that Twinky is pregnant and doesn't have a husband. This kind of thing is still a very big deal in India. The film really explains how it is in the Indian family and between the siblings."

One of the topics that Mehta explores in the film is the changing nature of cultural standards and values. Malik explains, "We were raised here and our parents expect us to adhere to a strict set of cultural values, which are not even used in India anymore. It's almost like they've been brainwashed that you must stay Indian. In the film, Grandma ji really represents that you don't have to do that. Here is this old woman, who is watching television and getting up to dance."

Malik credits Mehta for exposing the Indian culture to the public in all its nuances. "I hope that this will demystify what people will think when they see an Indian family. They are just like any other family - fun, funny, and with universal problems." As a young girl growing up in Canada, Malik did not share her love of Bollywood films with her school friends. "Bollywood was our secret…back then in the 70's. Although Grease was the biggest Hollywood movie at the tie and there were many parallels between Grease and Bollywood…it was still a secret because Bollywood was bizarre." Malik feels liberated by the advent of Bollywood/Hollywood. "From my perspective as a kid who grew up in Toronto, being a Canadian and also being Indian and having the influence of Bollywood in the house, this is incredibly liberating and exciting. Now, we can revel in it all."

"And I hope that the audience will look forward to the songs in the film. The magic of Bollywood films was always about the songs and the music. But, those dance breaks give you a breath especially when story lines get heavy. To break into something like that, in reflection, is a nice thing. Audience members tapping their feet…that's always a good thing."

About The Cast

Rahul Khanna (Rahul Seth) will next be seen, later this year, in Universal Pictures' The Emperor's Club' with Academy Award winner Kevin Kline. Khanna made his feature film debut in Deepa Mehta's Earth. His performance earned him several major Indian acting awards, including the prestigious Film fare and Bollywood awards for Best Debut (2000). He was named one of the 'Best and Brightest New Talents' of the Toronto International Film Festival (1998) by the Toronto Star newspaper. Khanna was born and raised in Bombay (now Mumbai), India. He and his brother (Akshaye Khanna) are second-generation actors, their father being Bollywood Matinee idol (and now Minister of State) Vinod Khanna. After studying at the famed Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute and The School of Visual Arts in New York, Khanna began his career as a VJ with MTV Asia. Khanna has also appeared on the New York stage. He made his theatrical debut in the New York production of the hit play, East is East, directed by Scott Elliot. Khanna continues to work in India and internationally.

Lisa Ray (Sue Singh) - one of India's top supermodel's with over ½-million web sites devoted to her - makes her North American feature film debut with Bollywood/Hollywood. She recently finished her second English-language film, directed by Shiraz Jafri in Austin, Texas. Born and raised in Toronto, Ray moved to India in 1992to pursue a career as a model and an actor. An instant hit as a model, she emerged, as a rising star in Mumbai's thriving film industry after her debut film Kasoor directed by Vikram Bhatt became a hit. She then appeared in Afeen, a music video for the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Ray has also anchored television and live shows. Ray is the current spokesperson for L'Oreal and Rado watches.

Moushumi Chatterjee (Mummy ji/Ruby Seth) made her film debut in 1972 with the hit film Anuraag and immediately secured her place in Bollywood. In the '70s, she starred opposite leading stars like Vinod Khanna (Rahul Khanna's father) in Kachche Dhaage and Amitah in Roti Kapada Aur Makaan, Benaam and Manzi. In the '80s and '90s, eschewing glamorous parts for good scripts, Chatterjee went on to play the sister-in-law or, lately, maternal roles, plying mother to Akshaye Khanna (Rahul's brother) in Aa Ab Laut Chalen (1999). She also demonstrated her talent for comedy in Angoori (1982) and in the television series Albeli, in which she played the title character. Most recently she starred in Na Tum Jaano Na Hum.

Dina Pathak (Grandma ji) is one of India's foremost character actors. Now in her 80s she has appeared in more than 100 films. Selected credits include Mere Sapno Ki Rani, Zakhmi Sipahi, Sab Se Bada Khiladi, Tarpan, Antarnaad, Saudagar, Yateem Ek Pal, Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho!, A Passage to India, Dil E-Nadaa, Bawi-O-Bawi, Naram Garam, Umrao Jaan, Bhavni Bhanvi, Khubsoorat, Gol Maal, Meera, Badatte Rishte, Do Ladke, Dono Kadke, Anurodh, Chit Chor and Mausam.

Kalbushan Kharbadna (Mr Singh) is one of the most flexible and well-respected professional actors working in India cinema today. He has performed in over 50 major films and is a popular choice among the most talented directors in Bollywood. Kharbanda has starred in three other Deepa Mehta films: Earth, Fire and Sam and Me. His recent credits include Monsoon Wedding (2001) and Lagaan: Once upon a Time in India (2001).

Ranjit Chowry (Rocky) most recently appeared in King of the Jungle with John Laguizamo, Rosie Perez and Marisa Tomei, and Autumn in New York with Richard Gere and Winona Ryder for director Joan Chen. He will be seen in Sony Pictures' upcoming feature film His and Hers. Chowry's diverse list of North American film credits includes Such a Long Journey, Boozecam, Kama Sutra, Fire, The Perez Family,Girl 6, I'm Not Rappaport, It Could Happen to You, The Night We Never Met, Camilla, Mississippi Masala, Lonely in America and Sam and Me directed by Deepa Mehta from a script written by Chowdry. The film was the co-winner of the Camera D'Or at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival. For television, he has appeared in such productions as Third Watch, Falcone, The Beat, Cosby, My Own Country, and NYPD Blue. In India Chowdry's film credits include Hunhamma Bombay Style, Basu Chatterjee's Khatta Meetha and Baton Baton Mein, Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Khoobsoorat, Robin Dharmaraj's award-winning film Chakra with Naseeruddin Shah and Smits Patel, and Kaalia with Amitabh Bachchan.

Chowdry trained in the copy departments of Lintas, Trikaya-Grey and J. Walter Thomson - three of Bombay's leading advertising agencies. He went on to head the television departments of two of the above. At Trikaya, he wrote 13 teleplays for Mr. Or Mrs? - India's first situation comedy based on the reversal of traditional family roles. At JWT he adapted Malgudi Days, an award-winning series based on the stories of the late R.K Narayan. The series continues to be seen in over 52 countries worldwide. He is currently writing Animal Times, an animated television series and The Hail Mary Pass, a feature film set in India.

Jessica Paré (Kimberly Stewart) is quickly becoming a young actress to watch in Canadian cinema. After a few small television credits, she was handpicked by Denys Arcand to star in his celebrity satire, Stardom. Pare followed that up with several diverse projects: a European feature film called En Vacances, directed by Yves Hanchar; a CBC Mini-series about the first settlers on a remote part of Newfoundland, Random Passage, directed by John N Smith; and finally Lea Poole's haunting tale of love, Lost & Delirious. Most recently. Pare shot a small role in Yves Simoneau's epic mini-series, Napolean, and a lead role in Posers, a Canadian independent film.

Rishma Malik (Twinky) recently completed production on the short film, Fatima's Hand directed by Radha Menon. In 1996, Malik was crowned Miss India Canada and travelled to Bombay a part of the prize. Within five months, she had landed a lead role in the Bollywood film Love You Hamesha. Malik worked for a year as a VJ for MTV Asia, and for the Fox affiliate Channel V. On her return to Canada, Malik joined City TV's Nightly News as an entertainment reporter. In addition, Malik collaborated with Gardner Cole, and recorded the vocals for the title track for M-Path, a world music disc by the label Triloka, which is now distributed in Canada by BMG. She has also worked as a publicist for Nusrat Revealed, a decorative book of translations of the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's qawaali music, accompanied by previously unreleased recordings and commentary from such rock legends as Pearl Jam and Joan Osborne.

Jazz Mann (Bobby) is well known as a stand-up comedian, with bookings at such venues as Yuk Yuks, Comedywood, New York's Comedy Kitchen and Vancouver's Comedy Cave. Mann played the lead role in the short film Raju's Blind Date. Jazz Mann was born in Toronto and raised in Vancouver.

Deepa Mehta (Director) produced and directed her first feature film Sam and Me, which won the very first Honourable Mention by the Critics in the prestigious Camera D'Or category in the 1991 Cannes film festival.

Her second feature film, Camilla, a Canadian/UK co-production, starred (the late) Jessica Tandy, Bridget Fonda, Elias Koteas, Maury Chaykin, Graham Greene and Hume Cronyn. Fire, which was written, directed and produced by Mehta, opened the Perspective Canada Program at the 1996 Toronto International Film Festival, where is tied with Fly Away Home for the Air Canada Peoples Choice Award. It was also one of 229 films selected from over 1,400 for the prestigious New York Film Festival that year. It went on to win numerous awards at festivals, including the Federal Express Award for Best Canadian Film as chosen by the audience (Vancouver), two Silver Hugo awards for Best Direction and Best Actress (Chicago), the Jury Award (Manheim) and Favourite Foreign Film (Paris).

Mehta followed with Earth, the second film in her trilogy of the elements Fire and Water. The screenplay is based on Bapsi Sidhwa's critically acclaimed novel, Cracking India, and was shot in New Delhi, India. It had its world premiere as a Special Presentation at the 1998m Toronto Film Festival. Earth won the Prix Premiere du Public at the Festival du film asiatique e Deauville, France, in March 1999, and the Critics' Award at the Schermi d'Amore International Film Festival, Italy, in April of the same year. Water, the third in the trilogy, is currently on hold.

For television, Mehta has directed Benares, a one-hour episode of the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, (The adventures of Indiana Jones as a boy) produced by George Lucas for ABC television. She also directed Travels with Father, the final episode of the series on location in Prague and Greece.

Mehta was born in India and received a degree in philosophy from the University of New Delhi. She lives in Toronto.

David Hamilton (Producer/Executive Producer) previously worked with Deepa Mehta on the critically acclaimed feature films Fire and Earth. He also has produced Lunch With Charles, A Hong-Kong Canadian co-production starring Sean Lau, Theresa Lee. Nicholas Lea, and Bif Naked.

After completing his undergraduate studies at McGill, Hamilton went on to Harvard for a Masters Degree. At Harvard, he wrote a book on decision theory that was published by MIT press. A Harvard Sheldon Travelling Fellowship enabled him to travel and study for one year in the Middle East, Iran and India. His business ventures have taken him to every corner of the globe and span a variety of enterprises, including communications, publishing, and feature film production.

A strong supporter of the arts, Hamilton is an active member of the Board of Directors of the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, School of Dance and the Ottawa International Writers Festival.

Ajay Virmani (Executive Producer) has had a significant presence in the film industry, producing the Bollywood films Mr. & Mrs. Khiladi and International Khiladi.

As a producer he is also pursuing in tandem with Deepa Mehta, by completing Water and developing Komagata Maru.

Virmani has enjoyed a tremendous business career - as President and CEO of Canada's largest cargo airline, Cargojet - and truly defines the word "entrepreneur."

Camelia Freiberg (Executive Producer) is well known as one of Canada's most accomplished and celebrated producers. Her association with director Atom Egoyan began with his first feature and continued through Exotica and The Sweet Hereafter, two of the most honoured Canadian films of all time.

Known for developing new talent, Frieberg produced Jeremy Podeswa's first feature, Eclipse, then followed up this with his The Five Senses. The Five Senses was the fourth film she produced to win the City TV's "Best Canadian Feature Film" prize at the Toronto International Film Festival, the fifth to receive a theatrical release in the United States, and the fifth to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where it received a standing ovation. Freiberg has recently produced Daniel MacIvor's Past Perfect.

Bob Wertheimer (Co-producer) has worked with Deepa Mehta on the films Water and Sam and Me. The veteran producer of film and television productions has produced such projects as the upcoming Jane Doe for U.S.A Films and You Stupid Man, a romantic comedy starring Milla Jovovich, William Baldwin and Denise Richards. Other credits include HBO's Stiletto Dance and Winslow Homer: An American Classic, and Journey Beyond the Bermuda Triangle for Paramount Pictures.

As a line producer, Wertheimers credits include Windsor Protocol for Showtime Networks, Touched By an Angel, a Celine Dion concert segment for CBS, and the feature film Margaret's Museum starring Helena Bonham Carter. Other selected credits include Due South, F/X, Friday the 13th, War of the Worlds, Prom Night II and Little Gloria…Happy At Last. Wertheimer is currently in development with the series Charlie Jade.

Tamara Deverell (Production Designer) most recently completed the feature film Blizzard directed by LeVar Burton. She is currently working on the remake of the classic feature film Sounder. As a production designer , Deverell counts Degrassi, The Next Generation, The Feast of All Saints, The Last Witness and Aviators among her growing list of credits. Other selected credits include Mind Games, My Teacher Ate My Homework, Lulu, Eclipse, The Burning Season and Masala. As an art director, Deverell has worked on such projects as Death to Smoochy. X-men, eXistenZ, 54, Mimic, Crash and Canadian Bacon.

Douglas Koch (Director of Photography) has worked on such productions as Secret Service a pilot for 20th Century Fox, the short film A Word From the Management and the feature Last Night, both directed by Don McKellar.

Koch shot When Night is Falling and I've heard the Mermaids Singing for Patricia Rozema. Other film credits include Fellini & Me, Collateral Damage, Battle of the Bulge, The Falls, Heartsongs, Friends, Lovers and Lunitics, Dear John, Martha, Ruth and Edie and Night Friend. In addition, Koch has worked on several award -winning commercial campaigns. He has shot music videos for several artists including Big Sugar, Tom Cochrane, Bruce Cockburn, Crash Vegas, The Philosopher Kings, The Rankin Family and Spirit of the West.

Ritu Kumar (Indian Costume Designer) is one of India's foremost designers, with a background in art history and museology. Kumar, who began her work 30 years ago with four hand-block printers and two tables, was the first woman to introduce "Boutique" culture to India. Today she has 12 "Ritu" boutique outlets in major cities in India.

While Kumar's forte lies in traditional Indian clothes, she has also redefined Indian fashion to meet the changing needs of the new generation. Her inspiration here is basic Indian motif's print and embroideries, but in a wide range of western silhouetted mingled with Indian styles. Kumar has designed the wardrobes of three Miss India's who went on to win their respective international pageants. (Miss Universe, Miss World and Miss Asia Pacific). Her outfits have also been patronised by such style icons as the late Princess of Wales and Jemima Khan. In 1999, Christies published her book Costumes and Textiles of Royal India, which chronicles the history of textiles and art designs in India

Anne Dixon (Costume Designer) is currently redesigning Stravinsky's Firebird for the National Ballet of Canada. She recently completed work on Perfect Pie, a feature film directed by Barbara Willis Sweete for Rhombus Media. Dixon also worked on the upcoming feature, Interstate 60, starring James Marsden, Gary Oldman, Michael J. Fox, Ann-Margaret and Kurt Russell.

A graduate in Art and Design from London, England, Dixon has designed for theatre, dance, opera, film and television. Her designs were featured in Don Giovanni's Revenge, Karen Kain - Dancing in the Moment, Sarah Polley's directional debut Don't Think Twice and I Shout Love. Other credits include Margie Gillis: Wild Hearts in Strange Times and Tara Lipsinki - In the Moment, a CBS skating special.

Dixon has collaborate with such directors as Kathy Bates, Bob Gale, Robby Benson, Joan Tosoni and Barbara Willis Sweete. She has also worked with such choreographers as James Kudelka, Dominique Dumais, Veronica Tennant, Christopher Dean and Margie Gillis. She is the recipient of the Tom Patterson Award for most promising designer.

Sandeep Chowta (Composer) is a talented young music director with a wide range of styles. Much in demand for films, he's known for his brooding treatment of Satya and Kaun, and his fusion of western melodies and eastern sensibilities in Mast and Jungle. Recent credits include Asoka and Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya.

In his earlier days, Chowta was devoted to jazz, which led him to form the band Pulse with Sivamani and Suresh Thomas, which struck gold right away, winning the Channel V Viewers Choice Award for his album "Reaching Out."

David Connelly (Choreographer) was performing on Broadway at age 19. He has subsequently worked as a choreographer for every major American television network, including ABC's Life Without Judy Garland Me and My Shadows, three years of NBC's Miss America Pageant (Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography and Bob Fosse Award Nomination) and CBS' Jerry Lewis Telethon (Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Choreography); and for musical artists including KD Lang, Deborah Cox, Geri 'Ginger Spice' Halliwell and Chicago -The Band.

Connolly has also directed and choreographed the North American musical theatre productions of Chess, Crazy for You, 42nd St, Mame, and Bye Bye Birdie, Swingtime Canteen, Evita and this past summer, the New York premiere of a show he wrote called Another Op'nin, Another Show.

His charity work includes self-producing a solo CD whose proceeds go to benefit The Shriners Hospitals for Children, choreographing Naked Spin, the pre-show to Elton John's APLA Benefit Concert at the Universal Amphitheatre, and co-producing/choreographing Fashion Cares/MAC Viva Glam for 6 years in both Toronto and Vancouver. He was also one of the inaugural producers of the Stratford Festival's Night For Life and for the closing ceremonies of The Greater Las Vegas Inner City Games to benefit inner city youth.

Connolly is the recipient of the Premier's Award for Excellence for outstanding contribution to the field of Applied Arts and commitment to his community. He is an adjunct professor of music Theatre at his alma mater, Sheridan College, where he is also benefactor of the David Connolly Apprenticeship Training Program Award for aspiring Directors/Choreographers.

INTERESTED IN KNOWING MORE?

Click here to read about The Background to Bollywood/Hollywood.
Click here to read about The Casting of Bollywood/Hollywood.
Click here to read about The Production of Bollywood/Hollywood.
Click here to read about development of The Storyline for Bollywood/Hollywood.
Click here to return to the Bollywood/Hollywood article.

BANANAS OVER BOLLYWOOD?

If you are simply "bananas" over bollywood, then you might like to read the following:

• Bollywood In Love - catch it while you can (ends January 2003)
• Bollywood Dreams - a digital homage (end May 2003)
• Bollywood Homes - Abu Jhani & Sandeep Khosla's interior design benediction. Sadly only the pictures remain now!
• Bombay Dreams - A R Rahman's theatrical tribute to the industry is a must see.
• The Rough Guide to Bollywood - DJ Ritu's musical guide to the Hindi Film Industry.
• Bollywood Books - our selection of some of the best books on the subject.
• Bollywood Boy - our review of Justine Hardy's pursuit of Bollywood heart-throb Hrithik Roshan.
• Bombay Time - Thrity Umrigar's simply brilliant book about the Mumbai Parsee community. Absolutely nothing to do with Bollywood...but a great novel about the city!
• Lagaan - surely you've seen the movie by now? Read our review and see if you agree.
• Devdas - Sanjay Bansali's remake of this classic 1917 tale.