filmi bits and bobs

Finally did some serious movie shopping today, accompanied by Rajan, who maybe just went with me to make sure I could cross the street safely, I'm not sure. There is a very crowded, very crammed movie and music store just down from the hotel. Once again, I was the only woman in the place - where are all the women in Kolkata, I wonder? Anyway. Their selection of DVDs was okay, although not great - much better was the range of VCDs but I've heard mixed reports on how those tend to work on US players so I have only bought a few. So today I got things I know will work, namely remix CDs, for as great as the Raaga.com remix section, I've heard my favorites...well, let's just say "quite a few times by this point," and it's time to branch out. And I did find two DVDs that were necessary: Muqaddar Ka Sikanddar, of which I saw a bit on tv the other day and had identified for me by Obi Wan, and a collection called Everybody on the Dance Floor, which clearly has to be genius based on its name alone.

The thing is, despite the great prices on movies here, I still have to carry them home, and when it comes to DVDs that I can in fact get at home, even if at a higher prices, or books that I cannot, even I choose books.

I know, I know. I can still be in the official Bollywood fan club, though, right?

My hotel is also just a block or so - separated by a death-defying street-crossing, of course - from a big theater. But there's no time to go, and I'm thinking Omkara without subtitles would be a disaster.

Today we drove all over Kolkata and into Barrackore (that's spelled wrong, I'm sure) and I took a zillion photos of movie ads and movie stars in ads. No matter how hard I try, something keeps popping into the frame of my attempt to capture Sunny Deol advertising underwear, but have faith, I will triumph. I saw some great hand-done posters for the standard fare - Krrish, Phir Hera Pheri - and some more unusual-looking things called Playboy and Night Sin. Trivandrum too had a few posters for things that looked eyebrow-raising, most of them featuring non-Indian women. Hmmm....

Aside to Michael: has my postcard come yet?