filmi first: Fanaa

This is going to be a completely inelegant post, not at all worth its subject matter, but I couldn't sleep last night, so please forgive me. Last night I went to a theater in Delhi and saw Fanaa. I wish I had liked the movie more, but I am very happy to say that the experience of watching it was fantastic. The very best part was seeing Aamir and Kajol dance around the sites of Delhi, some of which we had just seen two days prior, including a tree at Qtub Minar, helpfully pointed out by one of the cool ladies who works for Fulbright India, who is also a movie junkie. She told me "They did a song at that tree! Get a picture!" Clearly she understands me.

Update to post (July 4, 2007 - the anniversary of my first movie in India): here's the tree.

(Okay, back to the rest of the post as originally written.)

We have a very funny tour guide on our trip - really he is more of a shepherd, making sure we get from place to place and answering our stupefying range of idiotic questions - who loves Bollywood too (his favorite is DDLJ, seen 26 times in the theater, I think he said). He organized the movie outing after hearing the groundswell of support; I'm not sure if he really wanted to or not, but either way it was incredibly gracious, and it was fun to sit next to someone who caught all the dialogue, and I enjoyed exchanging knowing glances with him when certain things were done or said. Anyway, of course it is extra fun to see Fanaa with a tour guide. I think I'm going to knit him a tiny scarf when I get home. I sure hope he isn't a terrorist.