Devdas, etc.

Considering this is my first entry for this blog, I figure I should try and explain myself. And considering it's not my first time having to explain myself, this should be somewhat easy. I've realized that, short notes which lack the formality of a real email aside, Facebook is more or less useless to me. I never really quite understand it. For someone like me, it doesn't really serve the purpose or offer the freedom that an online medium of today should: that is to say, there is too much noise for me to listen to, and not enough of me making noise for others to listen to. And, entry comments aside, a blog is the perfect way for me to sit back and make more and more noise for you to listen to, without having to listen to any of your noise in return. Though, since this blog is dedicated to a subject that I am very, very much interested in, any sort of remarks or criticisms are more than welcome.

With that crap out of the way, let's get down to the blog itself. Obviously the title gives some indication as to the topics to be covered: Bollywood topics, that is. As a serious fan of all things Bollywood, and a collector of Bolly films, I thought that it would be useful for me to, instead of just trying to talk about this fanaticism with everyone individually, just put it all in one place where one can access it and read as they wish and say what they want without the threat of impending violence that could be the result of an in-person disagreement. That is also to suggest that yes, I'm extremely passionate about this genre and all that goes along with it, and will defend my views to any end necessary. So...I'm really just writing all of these thoughts in a blog for your safety.

No more disclaimers, I promise. Well maybe some tomorrow. I think it would be best to give a little background on the genre and the industry itself in order to really appreciate the productions that are made. But for those of you who are into the third paragraph of this now and still are scratching your head with the question, "Bollywood? Does she just keep mispelling Hollywood?", let me put your confusion to rest.

Bollywood is not a place. It is a nickname given to the Hindi movie industry in India, which is mainly located in Bombay...some Einstein out there thought, given the success of the industry, and the fact that Bombay begins with b, that naturally this genre should be christened with the name "Bollywood". Don't shoot the messenger, I didn't think it up.

SOOooooOOOooo what are Bollywood movies? Is there anything that really makes them stand apart from other movies BESIDES the fact that they are all produced in the city of Bombay? Of course, idiot, why else would I dedicate a whole blog to them? Like I have said and will say again and again until you get it into your brain, Bollywood is a genre not like "Hollywood", but in the same way that "Romantic Comedy" and "Suspense/Horror" are genres. They have a flavor. Certainly one can (hopefully) distinguish the differences between When Harry Met Sally and Halloween. By the time you've been reading this and viewing movies for a while, you also will be able to distinguish in the same way differences between Bollywood movies and...well, anything else.

I realized that I titled this entry "Devdas, etc" with the intention of going somewhat into the film Devdas, however I'm already pretty much done talking to you for now, and Devdas deserves more analysis than a two-sentence-add-on-at-the-end-of-this-entry can provide.

I hope that this intro has given you some interest in reading future entries. I have a vast and still growing collection of movies, and ususally get these pirated copies the very week they are released in Indian theatres. My collection ranges from old (nothing predating 1995, lets say, but still, this is Bollywood, folks) to the newest of the new. Also, the cinema in Manchester, CT has begun showing one Bolly film every week. This week was U, Me, Aur Hum. I would have gone to see it but...I had already illegally purchased it. Until next time!