Bollywood time, baby!!!
This one coincides with the 65th birthday of its star, Rajinikanth. This man has been super-popular in India since the 1970's, playing the lead in more than two hundred movies.
Wow.
I can certainly understand the attraction! The man has excellent comedic timing and knows how to work a camera to his advantage. In "Lingaa", he plays two roles, including his own grandfather. (Yeah, there's a joke in there, for sure!) The title character is a thief on the path to redemption, saving not only himself and his compatriots but also his family home from destruction. What I really liked? Its historical perspective, working in the past and present relationships between India and England. And I don't usually like history lessons!
There were only five songs in this movie. Generally, there are considerably more, including much dancing, but I guess the nature of the film (adventure/history) simply didn't offer those opportunities. Still, it's available in three languages, so you can check it out.
Three languages, you say? English, Indian, Spanish?
Hahaha haha!
Not hardly!
No, here is how it works. India, which is a little less than half the size of Australia, but has more than a hundredfold that country's population, has no national language.
Let me repeat: India has no national language.
I first became aware of that during my years as a graduate student for Leo Mandelkern. Rakesh and Nandi were postdoctoral students in our polymer chemistry lab. Both were from India, but different regions, and neither could talk to the other in their native tongues. I don't know which of the 22 languages in India they spoke. They had to communicate in English. Interesting, yes?
"Lingaa" reflects that multicultural aspect of life in that country. Made using the Tamil language and starring the Tamil mega-star Rajinikanth, it also featured key players who spoke two other major dialects, Telugu and Hindi. The distributors released the film in both Tamil and Telugu, both dubbed in English. I attended the latter version, as the time better coincided with my schedule.
One other person, a man, was in attendance. During a glitch in the film, we talked to pass the time. The reason he had chosen this version over the other? Telugu was his native tongue. His best friend spoke Tamil and was attending the other version of the film, two screening rooms from us at the Carmike Wynnsong cinema.
Sure, they could have opted to watch the movie together... but which would get to enjoy hearing the language and which would have to simply read the subtitles?
No problem. Since both versions were in the same cinema, the two men had opted to each enjoy the Indian film as it would be if they were in their hometowns.
How very cool that they even had that option here in tiny Savannah!!!
I'm telling you, I am so fortunate to have grown up in a seaport! There's nothing like it for broadening one's relationship with the world.
Oh, before I go, here's a joke. (Well, not really, but work with me, okay?)
Q: Why did the man from India sit in the upper rows at the cinema?
A: Because, back home, those are the expensive seats!
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