User reviews

B/H stands up as a comedy AND an affectionate parody of Bollywood formula romances. The very title underscores the love-hate relationship many contemporary South Asian filmmakers feel about the Hollywood hegemon (see http://www.thefilmjournal.com/issue9/bollywood.html ). As such, it offers a sly reworking of the Pretty Woman formula, with an Indian twist – which raises the question of why Mehta's writers chose THAT Hollywood movie to build a comic plot upon. One answer requires examination of how women, especially young women, are depicted in Bollywood movies, which valorize – even enforce – Ramayana-like ideals of female purity versus the reality and problems of female identity in a modern world. Compare Mehta's Fire. The comedy and parody in B/H offers a different take on a Mehta theme. The Shakespeare-quoting grandmother reflects another aspect of the film's comic concern with the clash between tradition and modernity – here, the kind of British-inspired education the grandmother would have received, which often required students to memorize whole scenes from Shakespeare (whose plays were and are very popular in India). The comic turnabout at the end might be examined in light of equally sudden turnabouts in movies like DDLJ, the difference being that the main blocking character at the end of B/H is Sunita herself. Her father, minutes before, reverses himself BECAUSE he has seen movies like that one. A very "filmi" intrusion into the comic plot, but (true to Mehta's sympathies) it is Sunita herself who becomes – for a moment – the blocking character whose needs must be recognized. It's a matter of HER identity, albeit within the framework of Bollywood comic romance. As such, her situation offers, for the perceptive, a bittersweet comic take on a question Mehta raises more seriously elsewhere. B/H is a parody, yes, but it has a serious side as well. Think about this while you laugh.

I see some of the reviewers here describe this as a parody of or satire on Bollywood musicals. Having seen nothing of Bollywood except a few music clips, I can't talk about that. I have to take this movie at face value, and on its face this is a moderately diverting musical with a few good moments amidst too many rather drab ones.

The story is somewhat interesting, the character of Sue, who fulfills the role of shaker-upper-of-things is quite appealing, and some of the musical numbers are pleasant (surprisingly, no one sang in that helium-junkie pitched style the girls all seem to have whenever I see clips from Bollywood musicals, although I don't know if this is because they were trying to make the movie more appealing to the west by having a more western-style voice singing these Indian songs or whether that high-pitched voice isn't as common as it seems to be). But the movie feels underdeveloped (even though I found it a little dull, I still felt it needed to be longer to flesh itself out) and most of the characters are overly generic (except for the grandmother and Sue's father). Ultimately watchable but nothing more, unless you're a fan of Bollywood films in which case this may work on a whole different level I don't see.

Nice attempt at a combination of Bollywood *and* Hollywood spoof, plus gentle fun being poked at the Indian-Canadian community. But too amateurish a production, and TOO LONG! After introducing the characters, the story drags and drags till you lose interest.

The silent subtitles are sometimes funny ("Non-veg scene. What to do?") but mostly just annoying and trying too hard. Similarly, uneven quality and terrible delivery by the young characters makes the dialogue embarrassing.

The biggest problem is the movie's own utterly predictable storyline. Just because it's spoofing Pretty Woman and numerous Bollywood movies doesn't mean its own story has to be such a cliche.

I gave it a 6 out of 10 for trying, but I think I was being too generous.

One caveat: if you have never seen a Bollywood movie, you probably won't find this very funny. The point is, director Deepa Mehta has taken just about every Bollywood cliché, exaggerated it, swirled it around and mixed it with a Hollywood love story and created a perfectly funny Bollywood parody that had me in giggles from the weepy deathbed scene at the beginning through most of the movie.

Depth? Don't expect any. This is about as lightweight (and sometimes silly) as comedy can get, with the usual suspension of disbelief necessary for Bollywood movies.

The title doesn't really have anything to do with the plot; it's more of a programmatic statement, as Mehta tries to intertwine Bollywood and Hollywood elements into a musical romantic comedy.

The Bollywood bits are the more successful, as Mehta sems to have the necessary expertise to exploit them for parody and quirky humour; sadly, the weakest point of the movie is when the Bollywood/Hollywood formula shifts too much towards the Hollywood side and tries to incorporate too much of the typical Hollywood 'romantic comedy' storyline. All of a sudden the script seems to take itself too seriously, and the whole thing, which had been very fresh and entertaining up until then, suddenly tastes very stale, and we get the umpteenth reprise of "love in danger through misunderstanding", and whereas the Bollywood melodrama had been masterly turned into brilliant parody, the Hollywood drama just stands as it is and is presented at face value, which is a major disappointment.

However, the 75 minutes of hilarious Bollywood parody will more than compensate for those 15 minutes of Hollywood lameness. So will the excellent Bollywood-inspired (and Hollywood-compatible) music. Just don't expect depth.

If you enjoyed Greek Wedding, you'll like Bollywood/Hollywood. It's a boy (Rahul Khanna) -meets-girl (Lisa Ray) story with a cast of over-the-top supporting characters, including a Shakespeare-spouting grandmother (Dina Pathak) and a cross-dressing chauffeur (Ranjit Chowdhry). Darker and more exotic than Wedding, Bollywood/Hollywood is equally funny. The musical scenes -- a staple of the Bollywood melodramas this film spoofs-- are a treat for ear and eye.

I'd never seen an Indian musical when I went to see this. And really, I'm still not sure I have. There is some singing and dancing in this movie (the dialogue is in English, the songs in Hindi), but not much. And that's a shame, because the musical numbers are the least clumsy, most entertaining aspect of the film. This is more of a Bollywood homage than an example of it. And as such, the cliché plot and characters are par for the course. It would have been nice, however, if the jokes had been sharper (some of them will make you cringe). They say humour is the hardest thing to translate, and despite a few good laughs, Indian-born, Toronto-based director/writer Deepa Mehta's script makes it obvious that English is not her first language. Another problem is the feeling that she's trying way too hard to be outrageous. Gasp at the grandma's brutal honesty! Gasp at the oversexed housekeeper with the big bosom!! Gasp at the drag queen limo driver!!! Maybe Mehta should stick to drama.

But all that being said, there is some fun to be had here, and sometimes good intentions count for something.

Rahul Seth (Rahul Khanna) is so used to his Westernised lifestyle. Unless he got himself a nice Indian girl, his mother and grandmother will not see the marriage of his sister happening.

So he hired a Spanish escort Sue (Lisa Ray) to act as his girlfriend in front of his family, even teaching her some of the common Indian practices as well.

But along the way, he is starting to think that he may be getting more than what he wanted.

Those Bollywood dance moves and the music are often a joy to watch and it appears in this movie as well. Kind of always bring me back to the days whenever I watched those Bollywood movies on the television. Songs and dances...both are always a common feature in Bollywood movies.

Watch out what happens during the credits. It's quite refreshing.

I was intrigued by the storyline potential and catchy phrases/ songs from the trailors. There was a lot of exposure given to this movie, both in Indian media as well as local media. When the movie came to an end, I couldn't believe that this was a Deepa Mehta's movie. All the best scenes are covered by the trailers. Believe me, it was horrible! The movie was characterized by lack of depth, overuse of cliches, and creativity - without any originilality! That was two hours of my life I could have spent digging a ditch to India. I wouldn't see this movie again even if somebody paid me. If this was a quick way to exploit current interest in Indian cinema and Bollywood to make a fast buck, the makers of this movie succeeded.

This homage to Bollywood movies is actually a melodramatic farce with vibrant colors and a just dose of romance. The movie does have some charm and is funny in more than one way. But more musical numbers would have been nice. Good to get a taste of what life is for the Toronto's East Indian community. Nice way to address the culture clash of Toronto's multi-cultural facade. The acting is good by Rahul Khanna and gorgeous Lisa Ray.

Out of 100, I give it 80. That's good for *** out of ****.

Seen in Toronto, at the Alliance Atlantis Cumberland Cinemas, on November 3rd, 2002.

Deepa Mehta takes a break from her much more serious Earth, Fire, Water trilogy to present a very light bit of Indo-Canadian fun filmed in Toronto.

Boy has to find a date to fill a family obligation, boy/girl fall in love-forget obligation, boy loses girl, boy gets girl again. Of course.

Even so, the female roles are quite strong and cultural norms (the little I understand them) are pushed and, in some cases, shattered. That doesn't change from Mehta's other films that I've seen. Consequences in this go around, however, are much more fun. Family remains central.

Did I appreciate it? Very much.

Do I know Indian culture? Very little.

It holds up very well to other light, large-family-oriented (aunts, uncles, 3rd cousins, grandparents, etc.) comedies. A terrific break from fare that makes one think a great deal.

Also recommend Monsoon Wedding if you liked this one.

I do wonder, though, if there are comedies from Indian culture that present other than rich folk. In spite of one character identifying himself as "middle class", I have to say that in my experience "middle class" doesn't mean chauffeured limo.

Wow!!! I could not believe this was a Deepa Mehta film. As a young Indian growing up in the U.S. and living the very culture clash this movie was supposed to be about, I was looking forward to this movie. Instead, I found a movie filled with unoriginal and unfunny jokes and some of the worst acting I have ever seen. The movie was excruciating to watch from the very beginning and I found myself embarrassed for the actors and Mehta. Please do not waste your time or money to watch this movie - even if you are a Deepa Mehta fan. If you would like to see a recent English Indian film of quality, go rent Monsoon Wedding.

I am a fan of satire, and this movie has not been appreciated for what it is - a spoof, not only of the high flying Bollywood musicals with weeping widows and on-cue dance routines in full costume but it is also a subtle rendition of Shakespeare's own comedy plays of mistaken identities and the "play within the play" feature which was witfully alluded to by the comic relief Indian Grand-ma in sneakers who bemoans "All the world's a stage" often enough to wrangle out a grin. I found it delightful and light which doesn't disappoint in wrenching out a smug smile and leaving one feeling good. Much needed therapy for all sub-continents nowadays. Don't expect Bollywood - or even Hollywood - when settling back to take in the action as it flies at you full throttle - but a magical space in between in suspended disbelief.

I am a devoted fan to Deepa Mehta's Earth, Water, and Fire trilogy which I have found deeply moving. However, this film I could barely sit through. I have seen a few (quite a few) Bollywood films and it would be difficult to create a send-up of a genre that is already a send-up itself. Bollywood films are already exaggerated, colorful, and dramatic and brimming with stereotypes. Deepa's film, I'm sad to say, was a terrible disappointment. It lacked any kind of originality, insight, or even good dance/song numbers (the best part of the film I thought was the rooftop number)which is the essence of Bollywood films. Given the power and intensity of her other films, this was an embarrassment. What was she thinking???

For all those who felt the film was not the most fabulous or felt it wasn't a representative of the Bollywood industry etc., then you need to know this:

1) This movie was sold as a spoof of the Indian film industry like 'Not another teen movie' was a parody of 'Chick Flicks' and as the 'Scary Movie' series are for horror films; this film was meant to be exaggerated and outrageous.

2) Also to understand the humour of this film, you need to a know a lot about the Indian film industry and the references to the 'gossip' and films; even the music that is played as a score are insinuations to various Indian films. The transvestite driver, 'Killer Khalsa' sequence are a citation to a lot of stereotypes; Indian movies have transvestites as they are a part of society and as for the 'Killer Khalsa' sequence, the allusion to the food and the absurdity of the matchmaking are ever present in Indian films.

3) The segments of the film where it is obvious that Deepa Mehta's first language is not English are the segments where there are references to Indian sayings or style of speaking and that is true of many N.R.I's.

I am astonished at the people who disliked it; the audience should be aware of the context of this movie because admittedly there are people who appreciate Indian style films (in which case that audience should not have watched this film). Deepa Mehta is renowned for her art films ('Fire' (1996), 'Earth' (1998) and the upcoming 'Water') and this movie was created for a satirical view of the current films, especially the N.R.I. films.

What is commonly seen as a flaw of this movies is actually a part of the sardonic look at Indian films; of course if there are are filming discontinuities, I have not noticed. I give this film a 9 out of 10 due to the technical flaws (for example, 'Kim's' accident and the 'ghost' sequence) and also because of Lisa Ray's stylists' lack of fashion IQ as she was made to look pretty horrid through out this movie.

I love the guys on IMDB.com. The reviewers, I mean. Give them any plain old film that is as formulaic as heck, predictable from beginning to end, and laughably written, acted, and directed -- but as long as it doesn't have an all-white cast and they'll go ga-ga over it. What a riot!

BOLLYWOOD/HOLLYWOOD is such a ridiculous movie that the director should be embarassed. The screenplay is so trite and utterly ridiculous. Granted, it's all in the name of "parodying Hollywood romantic comedies and Bollywood", but when your parody doesn't do anything BUT COPY what you're parodying, does it matter if you wink here and there to let us in that it's all a joke?

Point is, BW is a bad, bad movie. Give some white filmmakers the same concept (parody of romantic comedies) and throw in an all-white cast, and the pretentious IMDB.COM reviewers would be up in arms!

Silly, silly kids. IF it's a bad movie, it's a bad movie, even if the big bad meanie Hollywood people aren't beind it. Get a grip. Better yet, develop some objectivity.

If you like Lisa Ray and Rahul Khanna, this film is totally for you. I first saw Rahul Khann doing VJ work for AVS and I saw him in "Earth" with Aamir Khan and was totally blown away by his performance. When I first heard about B/H I thought it was going to be completely stupid and senseless, but, even though it can be called a spoof of Indian cinema, it is any but the aboved mentioned. It was a nice light laugh, especially with the Shakespeare-rattling grandmother called the first girlfriend a "white whore" and always referring to the "levitating accident". I couldn't stop laughing. Some of the characters were extremely stereotypical, but that's okay, because it only adds to the films appeal and a light hearted refreshing approach to an east-west fusion film. This is definitely much better than "American Chai" and merits up there with the likes of "Bend it Like Beckham". For another great Lisa Ray film, definitely check out "Kasoor", she'll blow you away. After seeing a film like "Raaz", it really makes you think that Bipsha Basu's performance was somehow based or gathered closely from Lisa's in "Kasoor". A definite step into dramatic/crime Indian cinema. Bollywood/Hollywood is a great film, and you should check out the films from the director too, "Earth", "Water" and "Fire."

This movie was so pointless and boring. It has nothing of the lust for life that makes real Bollywood cinema so inviting. The film is full of cliches and the story is downright dull. The script and cinematography are nothing special. Don't bother with it.

Humour is obviously not Deepa Mehta's forte as she ambles through a painful comedy that barely has any humour in it. The production values of the movie are low. The movie is intended to poke fun at traditional Indian value systems like arranged marriages and Bollywood masala movies and songs. But the dialogues and situations are so humourless it becomes a pain to sit through the movie. The dialogues also give away the fact that it was written by a non-native English speaker. The first 20 minutes are slightly funny with Dina Pathak quoting Shakespeare and Moushmi Chatterjee weeping. But this continues right throughout the movie. As for the positives, there is one good song in the movie. Lisa Ray is beautiful, well endowed and not coy about kissing. Thats just about all you get.

I enjoyed this film immensely, and found it a humorous take on second-generation Indo-Canadian life. The songs were enjoyable (my only complaint about the film is that the songs weren't subtitled - a bit frustrating for those of us that don't speak Hindi!), and I recommend the film highly - great fun!

Is Deepa Mehta a US-born or settled Indian? Is she US citizen or Green card holder? Does she have the faintest inkling about the lives of US-based Indians, let alone their kids? How on 'Earth' is she qualified to address this topic? She ought to be 'Fire'd from her job for this lousy portrayal of Indian Americans. There is NO merit to this story and the characterization. The plot (?) doesn't hold 'Water', the actors better attend class before their next flop (might redeem their sorry souls).

There! Its so easy to make up a cliché of a review to show how easy it is to dish out crap.

Just because it is supposed to be a spoof, does not mean the technical aspects, production and all else should be flushed down the toilet. Dipa Mehta thinks people will enjoy her movie, no matter what, just because of her name. Wrong! C'mon, a person like her shouldn't take for granted the sensibilities of her audiences and display utter contempt. The NRI crowd is at least proud of, and loyal to, its culture despite all the cheap potshots taken at NRIs by just about every 2-bit roadside director. What about Mehta??

This is a third-class film even by Bollywood standards. Avoid it.

Bollywood/Hollywood is a parody of Bollywood musicals, which are a Bengali version of the old Hollywood musicals. Therefore, everything is intended to be either stereotypical, zany, melodramatic or trite etc. One must be prepared to accept the unlikely and even the outright contradictory, when watching parodies. The film's comedy aspect may at times seem obvious but is still clever and subtle in it own way. The director, Deepa Mehta, made this film in the wake of being thrown out of India because the Indian government felt that they could not guarantee the safety of her or her crew because of the rioting of Hindu fundamentalists inspired by her two great but controversial (in India), dramatic films, 'Fire' and 'Earth'. This zany film may have been a reaction to the reception, in India, of her heavy dramas.

About an hour into "Bollywood/Hollywood," Rahul (Rahul Khanna) tells Sue (Lisa Ray), "You're so unpredictable." Really? Because there's nothing she does in the film, and nothing in writer-director Deepa Mehta's script, that's even remotely unpredictable. Sue's about as unpredictable as the sunrise.

The premise: Forced to find a nice Indian bride before his sister gets married, westernized Rahul Seth meets Sue in a bar. And in a deal stolen right out of "Pretty Woman" (1990), she agrees to pose as his bride in order to satisfy his mother.

Well, it doesn't take a genius to figure out what will happen.

It's obvious Mehta set out to make a lighthearted parody of romantic comedies and meld the genre into the suddenly popular Bollywood movies. I enjoy good Bollywood films. But in trying to find the best of both worlds, Mehta falls horribly short.

The romantic-comedy aspect of the story doesn't work because the characters aren't all that interesting. The outcome's a foregone conclusion and both Khanna and Ray have such poorly defined characters that, although they look nice, there's nothing beneath the surface. Ray has screen presence to spare. But Mehta needed to give the poor girl a stronger role.

The film's Bollywood angle does worse. What's fun about good Bollywood movies is that their songs are peppy and the song-and-dance sequences are fun to watch. Here, there's just one song-and-dance number - Sue's routine - that comes close to emulating a Bollywood number. The rest are unimaginative and completely forgettable.

Mehta tries to gently poke fun of and respect Bollywood films and Indian culture. Unfortunately, she does a lousy job straddling that fine line. Subplots and characters, including a bit about men in drag and a grandmother who quotes Shakespeare, make no sense and one female character keeps popping up in various scenes repeating the same line of dialogue: "What a bunch of losers." Why? Mehta also tries to capture the Bollywood essence with some ridiculous supertitles, including one during a kiss that says, "Kiss to end all kisses. No debate." It's a horrid, desperate attempt at humor, trying to force laughs out of us because nothing in her story makes us chuckle.

Intermingling western and eastern genres could have made for a fun, exotic, unpredictable film. But Mehta doesn't seem to quite know what she's doing. I'm certain the initial idea sounded terrific and the film likely looked good on paper. But it suffers when translated on to the screen.

"Bollywood/Hollywood" is the kind of film that makes "The Guru" (2002) seem like a masterpiece.

I just saw this movie and loved it. When i read the negative comments a lot of people seem to be giving this movie i was a little disappointed. I'm just writing this to clarify for the folks who are being overly critical that this movie is a SPOOF. In other words, its making fun of Bollywood-style movies. All the cliches have been intentionally placed there. The random songs with troupes of dancers that materialize from nowhere are as artificially placed as in any Bollywood movie. Heck, the little comments that appear every so often are a dead giveaway. It's not that the writer/director doesn't know English... comments like "Non-veg scene. What to do", and "Indians live next to Airports. Sue also" are things that have been well thought out and are intended to evoke laughter, not the grammar police. They're supposed to remind us of ourselves (I'm speaking as a South Asian). Most Indians dont actually speak in the Queens English (surprise!), and all the characters that did speak in heavily Indianized English were the appropriate characters to do so... the Mother, Grandmother and so on.

I realize that this is not the most coherently laid out comment, but what i'm trying to say is, dont go into this movie expecting a Bollywood movie in English, because you're going to be disappointed. What you will see however, is a very amusing caricature of Indian Culture in the West... with a generous helping of over-the-top Bollywood cheezyness, intended as just that... Bollywood cheezyness - to make fun of it.