Yesterday, I watched a Bollywood movie that involved–I kid you not–actual kissing.
I doubt I shall ever recover.
The movie was Band Baaja Baaraat, via Netflix, which is of course where I get all my viewing entertainment. (Screw cable.) The romantic leads–because 99.9% of all Hindi movies are love stories, it’s a scientific fact–start up a wedding planning company together and heartwarming antics ensue. Now, I love heartwarming antics, especially when combined with vibrant costumes and song-and-dance numbers. Bollywood has this joy and earnestness to it that is mostly vacant in American filmmaking. I love it in spite of myself, really.
That means I’m used to a certain level of piety in my Hindi film experience. So are Hindus, from what I understand; love stories and kama sutra stuffs abound, but the depiction of lip locks is totally taboo. It does not happen.
But it happened here:
For thirty seconds, they’re hovering slowly around each other’s face, which is usually the only thing that happens. Just face-floating. But then, there’s a tiny little connection of lips, and I’m like oh God, no! No they di’nt! That kiss–nothing I would bat an eye at if it were an American movie–downright scandalized me.
I’m sitting on the floor, staring up at the TV, my jaw hanging open and I think Make it stop! But they kept going–the actors just started making out, right there on the screen, moving straight into a suggested sex scene. Again, nothing I’d bat an eye at if it were American; just a bare shoulder here and there, some smooth musak. But, in a Bollywood movie, where the genre is defined by explosive emotional love stories that result in nothing more than a poignant hug, such half-naked rolling around felt so obscene.
I wasn’t sure I could go back to my beloved Hindi film habit. Everything felt dirty. I felt dirty.
But then I watched Aja Nachale, which is about a joyful theater director enriching the lives of her fellow villagers through dance and song–and everything was better.
Come and dance with me, my friend! The sounds of jewelry chiming!
Thank you for the LIke on my blog. I hopped right back and nearly thought this was a porn blog!
Glad that good sense prevailed and I rested awhile. Worth the trip!
I look forward to revisiting.
Thanks for moving past the name. What was a silly impulse and stupid joke four years ago is now a shadow cast over my blogging career.
You’ve got cool stuff on Haphazard Linkages, so I’ll be keeping an eye on you, too!
Lorna! There’s no correlation between name and content.
Don’t worry about the nomenclature, You have some interesting content here!