Tales from the Cob

Billu Barber February 17, 2009

Yesterday, I saw “Billu” with Haze, Eric and a couple of their friends at the Naz8 theatre in Lakewood. It was my first true Bollywood movie experience!! It was quite exciting…it was, as expected, quite cheesy with lots of singing and dancing numbers, but it was a feel-good, happy kind of cheesy. The kind you readily acknowledge and submit to. And they were so upfront and honest with the cheesiness that you just had to give it to them. Also, they kept throwing one frenetic, over-the-top, synthesizer-heavy, pelvic-thrusting pop extravaganza at us after another, that by the time I walked out, I was temporarily deaf, but it was part of the appeal I s’pose. Only, it seemed like all that bombarding of your senses will sooner or later dullen them, or they’ll have to keep uping the dosage, which is kind of a scary prospect. *imagines Bollywood movies 10 years on*

I guess the story was quite predictable, and we felt like the beginning was a bit on the long side. But, later I thought about it, and maybe it was necessary because it has to express how everything snowballs and how the passage of time kind of causes events to blow out of proportion and people to lose their bearings and senses and themselves in all the hype. I was ok with it though, because it being my first B’wood movie, there were plenty o’ cute moments, witty remarks and interesting visuals to keep me in it.

Also, I’m beginning to see why most cinematographers don’t work in the country they’re from or why so many of the best cinematographers in the US are from somewhere else. There is something about how people see things differently from culture to culture that’s really interesting. A lot of the camera movement and compositions (when they weren’t being blatantly cheesy) looked really (at the risk of sounding clichey) fresh and different. They weren’t things I feel DPs here would necessarily do, unless they were purposely going for some effect. They tend to draw more attention to the camera I guess. I kept trying to make mental notes in my mind, but I rapidly lost track and decided that following the movie was more important. And this probably wasn’t even a movie that would be acknowledged for its cinematography. But I think there’s something to be said about how even a regular so-so shot film from another culture can seem innovative and interesting. Or…after all is said and done, maybe I’m just easy to impress.

Oh yea! It was also cool because there was actually an intermission in the middle, like the Hollywood movies of yesteryears. I don’t know why the idea of an intermission was so exciting to me, but it was. I spent my time (unwisely) getting popcorn from the lobby. Probably $3 that shouldn’t have been spent, but eh, it was my first trip…I’ll be a savvier intermissioner next time. I think I might also be a Shah Rukh Khan convert =(