Bollywood Calling (2001)

Thanks for the memories!

Such a frustrating disappointment

Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Bollywood Calling is a great introduction into Indian cinema. It's not a typical Indian movie, but its story is of the creation of a typical Bollywood potboiler. The film is enjoyable on a number of levels, and the more one knows about Indian culture, Indian movies, and filmmaking in general, the more fun it becomes.

The script carries the day and with OM Puri and Navin giving superb performances, the movie endeared itself.Reminded me a bit of "The Player" by Altman (insiders view of Bollywood). The seriousness of Bollywood and the irony of the "Chalta hai status quo attitude of the mainstream movies in India" is portrayed truthfully and in a thought provoking way. To hear dialogues of the movie being repeated by people I talked with, shows a universal appeal. I would say it is a "must see" for the "Industry People" of the Bollywood".Most of all, the success of Lagaan and films like these may make Bollywood evaluate itself and take itself less seriously and evolve past the personalities based movies to issue based ones.

You need to grow in India to grasp the subtlety of the satire this movie portrays. A semi retired B grade actor of Hollywood is driven by deprivation agrees to act in a Hindi movie. Through his experience is the tale of total lack of professionalism that has almost all aspects of Indian industries. But the movie is very sensibly made and does not offend any one. There is great performance by Om Puri, which alone makes this movie worth watching.

Hyderabad Blues was an experimental film that got lucky, Rockford was a pathetic filmmaking exercise and Bollywood Calling is finally a bonafide movie.It has maturity, good plot lines, well-developed characters, humor and realism (though a little exaggerated at times). Even though it seems like a movie for a niche audience (people who are interested in the filmmaking aspect of movies), it's not just about that - it's a regular movie for regular audience.It's a better-made movies than most of the junk we see lately. Watch it - it's fun! BTW, Om Puri is extremely funny. I've always seen him poor and dying but this role is particularly refreshing!