I know of only a few people in the world doing pop art or Web design 
incorporating Bollywood kitsch, and we had at least two of them at the wonderful Brooklyn meetup on Sunday. (Arzan the hobbyist chef played heeeero. He slaved over the stove for four hours making dhansak, kebabs and delicious flan-like custard.) An ill-fated piece of Skylab could have taken out a significant part of the worldwide Bollykitsch talent pool. And then where would we be without snarky, arty, phillum-referencing tees?
There’s a dark side to all this. Like the children of atheists and their relationship to religion, Turbanhead’s babies will never know Bollywood irony-free. Like the preacher’s daughter, Pardon My Hindi’s future kids may rebel and turn into weepy Chunky Pandey fans. How ironic that would be. I spy, with my little eye, something that starts with K. There’s no escaping the ferric fate of the children of the kitsch.
I bring this up because one of my very favorite Bollykitsch artists, a Dutchman named Johan Manschot who did Diesel’s kitsch Indian theme a couple of seasons ago, has just sold out published a mainstream coffee table book on Bollywood. It’s called Behind the Scenes of Hindi Cinema:
… I’ve published a brand-new book… about Indian Cinema… [it] has been launched on the international press conference of the IIFA awards in Amsterdam… [I] was the one who [presented] the book to Mr. Amitabh Bachchan! And… presented the first signed copy to the alderman of Amsterdam…
The Web site, which uses a Bombay street scene theme, has song snippets and video clips from some of the classics. Here are some book samples. You can buy the glossy, $35 book here.
Whether or not you’re into the coffee table format, you must check out Manschot’s art.
Wow that post’s linktastic. I was about to suggest a bunch of websites having read your first line, but I think you’ve got them all!
Kitsch is kool and you know it.
Okay, this is some of my most favoritest stuff on SM, ever.
But (you know it was coming),
what’s with all the sell-out stuff (I know you’re joking, but abhi used the sell-out charge on another post, too)? Dude, he took some pictures, it got made into a book, and now he’s selling it. Hooray! Please, let me sell-out that way some day 🙂 Oh, wait. I’m already a sell-out. Nevermind.
Oh, and I should have added my standard: not a snark comment! Really, when is something a sell-out and when is it not?
And back to the original topic of the conversation, I love, love, love the initial graphic of the Indian street scene. It’s inspired.
the girl on manschot’s cover reminds me of saheli. 🙂
What a compliment– that’s Rekha!
Rekha’s how old?!
My shopping list: moisturizer eye cream sunscreen
😉 good for her
Rekha was beautiful in the 1980s during the Silsila and Umrao Jaan era.
Lately though she looks a little… weathered.
Thanx for all the nice words about the book ‘ Behind the Scenes of Hindi Cinema ‘. Check for more recent work my updated website at: http://www.echt-johan-manschot.nl
See y’all!
then please, whichever deity is in charge of this, may i look so “weathered” when i’m her age. she’s still beautiful to me.
timepass….u must be kidding when u say she is weathered.
She rocks maan !! Even in that pic. and according to me is one of the sexiest woman in Indian movies. A class act.
Yeah, really, timepass, that’s just not a very flattering photo. IMHO, she just looks overmadeup, which is how she looked in the number she did in Parineeta (and don’t get me started on that unflattering costume), but I wouldn’t say weathered.
I’ve seen film of her going into a movie premiere this summer and she looked fab, and she must be in her 50s, na?
I’m with Anna…. would that I look that good at that age…
i heart arzan. he’s a fantastic cook, a generous host AND he appreciates older vomen. 😉
Nice to see the author on SM! Word seems to get around fast.
Here’s the Amazon page in case anyone is interested — a lot of additional background on the book.
Rekha’s obviously still beautiful, but a little past her prime compared to how she looks on the book’s cover. That looks like a screen capture from one of the “courtesan” type of songs picturised on her in movies like Umrao Jaan, Muqadar ka Sikandar, etc..
I just read what everyone’s saying after my last post. Well I wasn’t expecting folks to defend Rekha so vocally! Just expressing an opinion — I can watch her older movies to my heart’s content — has anyone seen how amazing she looked and acted in Gulzar’s Ijaazat?
I’d much rather watch the oldies-but-goodies than her latest stuff like Bachke Rehna Baba with Mallika — Rekha looked terrible. She looked a lot more dignified and classy in Zubeidaa.
And again, these are just opinions, folks. 🙂
Since when did weathered mean flawless skin. Rekha has aged beautifully, probably with a help from her plastic surgeon. And she can still bust a move. She brought the house down last year at Lincoln Center, I’m told. For a non-canonized Rekha vehicle, check out the late 90’s film AASTHA where she plays a middle class woman who’s “lured” into prostitution. It’s weirdly ambiguous.
The ‘girl writing on chalkboard’ from Pardon my Hindi has been my screensaver for years. Gorgeous.
Nice to see a Tamil actress (people often forget Rekha is Tamil) on the cover
Timepass, yes, BRRB is another example of a recent film where she was just made to look way too tarted up.
And yeah, ex-Lawyer, let’s hear it for southern beauties. If only Ramya Krishnan would get cast in a role where she doesn’t have to be in bad make-up and ill-fitting slutty clothes… she’s quite pretty too.
On the subject of beautiful Bollywood actresses, did anyone see page 32 of the New York Times watch supplement magazine? I did a doubletake because her head is bowed, but when I looked again and then peered at the tiny print at the inner edge by the binding, it confirmed what I suspected…
Is she really? Wow! If thats true, this compares to the time I realized Bata is not Indian.
Rekha weathered! She is like a good wine; gets better with age.
clicked through johan’s page and saw some trailers – the first one was some generic ‘kabhi khushi etc.’ song – the last one from ‘pithamagan’ had … well i’ll leave that to you to check out 🙂 i’ve always felt tamil cinema is way more mature than hindi cinema, plus i get fashion tips — i am getting that outfit the next time i go to india – a lungi with a leather belt – frig man… these desi designers dont know squat about manhood – they put all these frills and pimp out the guy – all i need for christmas is a lungi and a leather belt with a bigass buckle
Manschot, gorgeous book. I got a copy today on my way home.
I love the way you have layers on the pages, and little surprises in unexpected corners and angles.
Beautifully done!