Shakalaka Baby

A few years ago, I saw the musical “Bombay Dreams” in London. It’s a simple story created in the mirror of Bollywood movies where a poor man from the slums falls in love with a rich girl whose father is a movie director but is also the fiancé of another man.

Those of you who know anything about Bollywood know that the bulk of the movies produced are formulaic – romance between a boy from the wrong side of the tracks with rich girl, whose father dislikes the boy on sight. There is drama abound with at least 3 or 4 musical sequences, one of which involves the boy and girl being stuck in the rain while the poor girl is stuck in a white outfit of sorts. Despite this, the movies are quite chaste and kissing in movies has only just started in the last couple of years and is quite minimal. You NEVER see anything more than that, although it may be hinted at in the most obvious of ways (girl and boy come out of barn pulling hay out of their hair and clothing etc.)

I was thinking about the musical (and its catchy but very cheesy tune, Shakalaka Baby - http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=shakalaka+baby&docid=278041985602&mid=00A452628FB5CECE678E00A452628FB5CECE678E&FORM=LKVR13#) last night on my way to another musical. This one was called Zangoora – about a prince rescued at the last minute during the murder of his parents, only to grow up as a gypsy - being shown at a new venue called the Kingdom of Dreams. Zangoora ultimately falls in love with a princess and has to battle evil on his way to regain his rightful title. It is marketed as India’s answer to Broadway and the Biggest Bollywood Musical Ever!

Now the truth is that musical theater is not very popular as far as I can tell, so I’m not sure there is a need to answer “Broadway”. And, I’m not sure how you qualify as the biggest Bollywood Musical, but – the show was entertaining, even if the acting and storyline were a bit cheesy. It delivered a fun evening and included a number of songs that have been popular through the ages, including “Laila” from one of my favorite movies “Qurbaani” which I saw over and over and over again when I was a child (and one whose song lyrics I still pretty much know by heart).

While I enjoy seeing action/adventure movies or ridiculous rom/coms or comedies in general, I can wait to see those movies when they come to HBO. I generally go to the movies to see something that is going to make me think or say something about the human condition or the human spirit. Movies like that are not the norm in India. I find that most movies here are made to provide an escape from the everyday. Lighthearted or action films where disbelief is constantly surrendered – since the plot and dialogue are often incredulous and people don’t just break into musical sequences. I think this makes sense here. Movies have for a long time been the sole source of entertainment for the common man. Television was not something everyone could afford and only the wealthy got “channels” or cable. Movies were cheap and new movies are and were constantly released. So even the day laborer who worked in the fields for wages could afford a weekly break to the movies. In a place where life can be difficult and the gap between the haves and have nots can be so great – movies became the one thing that all people could share. And why would you pay to go see a depressing movie about war – when for a relatively paltry sum, you can spend three hours in a world that looks like yours but is airy and fun – and where, when it’s over, you can come out whistling Shakalaka Baby.