Archive for 'Film & Theater'
India’s Picasso – M. F. Husain Posted by Nicole Herbert Dean on Mar 11, 2022
I remember looking at a piece of art कला in Mumbai. This art was extraordinary in the fact that it did not look like the ancient Mughal paintings one often sees in India. This was a time when radical मौलिक artists were slowly emerging in the big cities. One such artist was M.F. Husain –…
Lata’s Sister – Asha Posted by Nicole Herbert Dean on Feb 22, 2022
Bollywood lost two luminaries this past month. Lata Mangeshkar and Bappi Da. The nation went into mourning while tributes poured in. Asha Bhosle – another luminary paid a tribute to her sister बहन and long time rival प्रतिद्वंद्वी in the music industry. She reminisced on their closeness निकटता through childhood, the school years and parallel…
Bappi Da – Bollywood Disco Pioneer Posted by Nicole Herbert Dean on Feb 18, 2022
Back in the eighties if you were to walk down the street उस रास्ते पर चलो in Mumbai, you would hear disco music wafting out of the windows. Now, mind you, India’s windows are always open except in inclement weather खराब मौसम. This was a time that John Travolta and the Bee Gees were still…
Lata, India’s Nightingale Posted by Nicole Herbert Dean on Feb 8, 2022
A quick search खोज with the words, Lata Mangeshkar displays results mostly of her musicसंगीत. But her fan base is so huge and dedicated that there are even journals called, “Don’t Disturb Me When I am Listening to Lata Mangeshkar”. This week India lost their beloved nightingale. Lata Mangeshkar was the recipient प्राप्तकर्ता of the…
Ae Mere Vatan Ke Logo Posted by Nicole Herbert Dean on Jan 31, 2022
Kavi Pradeep mulled over the Indo Sino war as he walked along the beach in Mahim, Mumbai. The poet, and songwriter, was deeply disturbed at the losses. It was 1962 and China overwhelmingly defeated India during this intense conflict at 18,000 feet high in the mountainous region of Tibet. Many soldiers lost their lives during…
Bombay Lokal and Hindi Hip Hop Posted by Nicole Herbert Dean on Jan 20, 2022
Nalasopara, Mumbai is a little slice टुकड़ा of American rap culture in India. Nalasopara is located about 30 miles north उत्तर of Mumbai city. Easily accessible by train रेल गाडी it is a short half-hour ride. The price per square foot also makes it highly desirable among migrant प्रवासी laborers who work in the city…
The Transformation of Hindi Films Posted by Nicole Herbert Dean on Jul 23, 2021
While growing up in Bollywood, literally सचमुच, I did not watch Bollywood movies. That’s because theaters were usually packed with men, yelling चिल्ला, whistling, and catcalling at the screen. For my safety’s sake, I refrained परहेज from going to movie theaters that showed Hindi movies. However, I did watch the occasional प्रासंगिक movie that was…