“Welcome to US and many congratulations on your wedding.” One of the agents (a native European) at Honda Showroom, welcomed me after knowing I was a week old here.
“Thankyou so much.” I smiled.
“Oh Weddings in India are so vibrant and enormous.”, he exclaimed with an excitement,
I had known this exhilaration in people about weddings in India.
“You bet, they are an extravagant affair, filled with high energy and lot of enthusiasm.” I added.
“Do you really dance in weddings as shown in Indian movies?” He asked with curiosity.
“Haha absolutely! She danced a lot in her wedding.” said GK, smiling and looking at me.
“Really!” He chuckled, “You look like a Bollywood actress.”
GK and I looked at each other.
GK and I looked at each other.
“Really which one?”, came from the curious husband.
He tried to recall the name, “I don’t remember her name, I can tell you the movie she starred in. She played twin sister…Sita….”
“Seeta Geeta” GK was amused.
“Hema Malini”, by now my eyes popped out a little in a disbelief. “That came for the first time to me.” Though I thanked him, manage to hide the shudder I felt.
“Have you seen any other movie”, we had become a curious couple trying to know more from him.
“Yeah, many. But I do not remember all the names. There was a movie where second husband of a lady pushes her in a lake of crocodile and she gets plastic surgery and comes back for a revenge…”
“Khoon Bhari Mang.” I guessed a few seconds before GK.
He continued, “and I have seen a movie of that man who lost his memory. It had this song…Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy, Aaja Aaja Aaja…” He sang the words in his foreign accent, moving his hands imitating the dance steps.
I was gazing at him in disbelief, while GK amusingly answered “Mithun!”
“That is impressive. You look so young how do you know about the classic Bollywood Era?” I was inquisitive.
“We used to watch a lot of Bollywood movies with Russian subtitles, when I was a kid.” He told us. He had some Russian connection while he was from Europe as per my hazy memory from our conversation. “I haven’t seen any lately; life is busy now.”
Today, in the era of globalization, it is common for people to know Shah Rukh Khan or Madhuri Dixit in other countries, but we gathered Bollywood had its mark on international audience two decades back as well. This man didn’t know anything about movies today though.
P.S. I came across a few more Bollywood fans after that, with a playlist any Indian would love to have any day…
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| B is for Bollywood Fan, on April 2 . |
Image Courtesy: Buzzfeed
Oh wow..
ReplyDeleteI too have some narratives from such encounters. Your posts are giving me so many story ideas though given the compliments I got I feel it will appear as self boasting posts. So I will only discuss them with a few near and dear ones.
I am smiling while reading this post. Keep it up
Shine would love to read some of your work if you or shesha could share a link for your blog.
DeleteYeah Shine I know. And that is why I have mellowed it down too, to get the desired article which everyone along with me can enjoy. What I loved most about this guy was he had seeen all the movies of classic period and he was still younger than me. :)
Delete@Shweta sharing it here again- its www.blog.shinekapoor.com
DeleteI didn't find this a self boasting post!
DeleteThis is not self boasting. Did I say that?
DeleteOk let me rephrase it..
As for I am concerned I could not put it together so well. So I feel my write up will appear self boasting. Not Shesha's. It is perfect!
This is not self boasting. Did I say that?
DeleteOk let me rephrase it..
As for I am concerned I could not put it together so well. So I feel my write up will appear self boasting. Not Shesha's. It is perfect!
"Hema Malini"! :-D lol
ReplyDeleteBut nicely narrated! Great job!
Keep sharing.
Hahaha Hema Malini was first time for me. "Dhaaaano chal bhaag aaj teri Basanti ki ijjat ka sawal hai...." :D
DeleteThat guy was interesting, we talked about lot of other interesting stuff as well
I am glad u enjoyed the post :)
:-D
DeleteGo anywhere outside India and you'll still find India, Indians and everything Indian following you everywhere you go ;)
ReplyDeleteI bet you'll find Rajnikant fans somewhere. Hema Malini huh? Kent deta hai sabse shuddh pani :p
Hahaha I agree. People love our culture, cinema and beauty of land... They are curious to know more too :)
DeleteMithu, Hema Malini , its really an awesome feeling when you realize that our very own Bollywood is so popular abroad .
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely Akshat. Somewhere it defines our society and reclects our lives :)
DeleteRussians love Bollywood. My friends from Russia ask me to get autograph of Bollywood actors :D Such is their love for Bollywood. Even my Romanian Aunty loves Aishwarya and talks about her every time we discuss something.
ReplyDeleteThis discussion sounds something cool. :) Good to see that people like Bollywood!
B - The Eye of the Beholder
hehe really she likes Aishwarya that much!!! I too figured that out after our conversation that bollywood is quite popular in Russia. :D
DeleteGlad you enjoed it :D
Hello Seeta, I mean Shesha!! That man had watched some really old movies and remembered the story too... how cool and a proud moment indeed.
ReplyDeleteIn Kuwait, they dont have their own films so they are big Bollywood movie enthusiasts too. In our training workshops, the participants would sing songs and can you believe that they knew all the lyrics of all popular songs. No marks for guessing, I didnt know more than 1-2 opening lines!
Woww!! That is so awesome and cool indeed.
DeleteHaha same is the case with me Shilpa, there are a few bollywood songs which I remember upto first stanza else 1-2 opening lines were good enough for antakshari sessions we had back at home.
What surprised me more is that songs from Indian movies get translated to local language in Tanzania. You will hear famous punjabi numbers in most of their pubs...probably in more countries than we know!! U must be happy after knowing that u look like Hema Malins ;)
ReplyDeleteReally they do translate the songs too? That is interesting Hemant!
DeleteActually I was taken aback frankly when I heard that compliment because somewhere I was hoping to hear what I used to hear in India and then deny it thinking there is something wrong with people's vision. But Hema Malini came as a surprize!!! I know I dont look like Hema Malini :P
No wonder Hindi cinema has a global brand appeal. I enjoy this post about our movies:)
ReplyDeleteI am glad You did enjoy it Vishal :)
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ReplyDelete