Comments on: Is This Seat Taken? http://filmiholic.com/2006/12/30/is-this-seat-taken/ Meri duniya - bilkul filmi Sat, 22 Nov 2008 23:39:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: filmiholic http://filmiholic.com/2006/12/30/is-this-seat-taken/#comment-21683 Wed, 10 Jan 2007 21:23:00 +0000 http://filmiholic.com/2006/12/30/is-this-seat-taken/#comment-21683 Gautham, Celtic/Slavic. Meera, interesting to hear about things over on your side of the globe. There's been a notable increase in the last few years in the number of Bollywood flics shot there too, right? To say nothing of Salaam Namaste... Gautham, Celtic/Slavic.

Meera, interesting to hear about things over on your side of the globe. There’s been a notable increase in the last few years in the number of Bollywood flics shot there too, right? To say nothing of Salaam Namaste…

]]> by: Meera http://filmiholic.com/2006/12/30/is-this-seat-taken/#comment-21562 Tue, 09 Jan 2007 04:51:45 +0000 http://filmiholic.com/2006/12/30/is-this-seat-taken/#comment-21562 Hi I read this intersting post and the comments. Here is my two bit on this. Out here in Down Under, until recently we had that problem of one or two small theatres showing bollywood movies which were usually far away. Lots of desis crowding trying to get a ticket first and then a seat in the hall. Samosas were not sold but the usual popcorn and drinks as is the case for Hollywood movies. One noticed the the school/uni kids working at the popcorn bar or ticket counter on weekends patently unhappy at seeing such large number of people at desi movies coz hollywood movies generally do not attract such large crowds in Australia. Things have, however, been better for the past 2 years. Now most of the mainstream multiplex chains like Greater Union, Hoyts and Reading Cinemas screen bollywood movies regularly. These theatres are spread across different suburbs esp in the case of a big city like Sydney. Desis now can choose the nearest cinema and have a good time. However no samosas yet in sight!!!! cheers Meera Hi

I read this intersting post and the comments. Here is my two bit on this.

Out here in Down Under, until recently we had that problem of one or two small theatres showing bollywood movies which were usually far away. Lots of desis crowding trying to get a ticket first and then a seat in the hall. Samosas were not sold but the usual popcorn and drinks as is the case for Hollywood movies. One noticed the the school/uni kids working at the popcorn bar or ticket counter on weekends patently unhappy at seeing such large number of people at desi movies coz hollywood movies generally do not attract such large crowds in Australia.

Things have, however, been better for the past 2 years. Now most of the mainstream multiplex chains like Greater Union, Hoyts and Reading Cinemas screen bollywood movies regularly. These theatres are spread across different suburbs esp in the case of a big city like Sydney. Desis now can choose the nearest cinema and have a good time. However no samosas yet in sight!!!!

cheers

Meera

]]> by: Gautham http://filmiholic.com/2006/12/30/is-this-seat-taken/#comment-21532 Mon, 08 Jan 2007 17:30:11 +0000 http://filmiholic.com/2006/12/30/is-this-seat-taken/#comment-21532 what ethnicity are you anyways? what ethnicity are you anyways?

]]> by: Jay http://filmiholic.com/2006/12/30/is-this-seat-taken/#comment-21440 Sun, 07 Jan 2007 23:21:58 +0000 http://filmiholic.com/2006/12/30/is-this-seat-taken/#comment-21440 Priya that was a hilarious story --- you get that in England too although sadly those fleapit cinemas are dying out here and everything's becoming shiny new multiplexed, but that made me smile because it is so recognisable! :-) Priya that was a hilarious story — you get that in England too although sadly those fleapit cinemas are dying out here and everything’s becoming shiny new multiplexed, but that made me smile because it is so recognisable! :-)

]]> by: filmiholic http://filmiholic.com/2006/12/30/is-this-seat-taken/#comment-21219 Sat, 06 Jan 2007 23:58:40 +0000 http://filmiholic.com/2006/12/30/is-this-seat-taken/#comment-21219 Tee hee, Priya, thanks for sharing, that's a hilarious story! Tee hee, Priya, thanks for sharing, that’s a hilarious story!

]]> by: Priya http://filmiholic.com/2006/12/30/is-this-seat-taken/#comment-20906 Fri, 05 Jan 2007 22:52:41 +0000 http://filmiholic.com/2006/12/30/is-this-seat-taken/#comment-20906 I live in Denver and they show Indian movies at this ancient looking movie theatre in this really sad mall. The terrible bathrooms and oily samosas sound really familiar. They also sell some strange lukewarm watery thing that’s supposedly chai. The movies never start on time. Every movie I’ve been to starts at least a half hour late. Now I’ve learnt to just show up thirty minutes late. The guy who is in charge of showing the movie always turns up super late. This one time we had been waiting for over twenty minutes and he strolls in and starts a conversation with his friend. This group of auntyjees got really mad and started yelling at him. It was quite a sight! He also charges a different rate each time… a couple of dollars extra for the not so popular movies! In spite of all this and the fact that it takes an hour to drive to the freaking place I still go cause I miss home and the other option is worse - watching pirated DVDs. I also secretly enjoy watching desis at family outings. :) I live in Denver and they show Indian movies at this ancient looking movie theatre in this really sad mall. The terrible bathrooms and oily samosas sound really familiar. They also sell some strange lukewarm watery thing that’s supposedly chai. The movies never start on time. Every movie I’ve been to starts at least a half hour late. Now I’ve learnt to just show up thirty minutes late. The guy who is in charge of showing the movie always turns up super late. This one time we had been waiting for over twenty minutes and he strolls in and starts a conversation with his friend. This group of auntyjees got really mad and started yelling at him. It was quite a sight! He also charges a different rate each time… a couple of dollars extra for the not so popular movies! In spite of all this and the fact that it takes an hour to drive to the freaking place I still go cause I miss home and the other option is worse - watching pirated DVDs. I also secretly enjoy watching desis at family outings. :)

]]> by: Jay http://filmiholic.com/2006/12/30/is-this-seat-taken/#comment-20884 Fri, 05 Jan 2007 21:29:54 +0000 http://filmiholic.com/2006/12/30/is-this-seat-taken/#comment-20884 filmiholic -- when I was a kid, there were no multiplexes, all the Hindi movies would show at real fleapit, grindhouse cinemas, and we'd take samosas and kebabs in paper bags (the multplex people hate it because all the desis bring their own food and nobody buys popcorn!) --- it's all part of the fun. filmiholic — when I was a kid, there were no multiplexes, all the Hindi movies would show at real fleapit, grindhouse cinemas, and we’d take samosas and kebabs in paper bags (the multplex people hate it because all the desis bring their own food and nobody buys popcorn!) — it’s all part of the fun.

]]> by: filmiholic http://filmiholic.com/2006/12/30/is-this-seat-taken/#comment-20863 Fri, 05 Jan 2007 20:39:39 +0000 http://filmiholic.com/2006/12/30/is-this-seat-taken/#comment-20863 Indeed, Jay. And there are are those of us - gori/vellai/firangi/however you want to call us - who begin to adapt to our Indian surroundings and, at times, will do things like carry in a packet of moong dal or banana chips from home. Hey, when in Rome.... :-) Indeed, Jay.

And there are are those of us - gori/vellai/firangi/however you want to call us - who begin to adapt to our Indian surroundings and, at times, will do things like carry in a packet of moong dal or banana chips from home.

Hey, when in Rome…. :-)

]]> by: Jay http://filmiholic.com/2006/12/30/is-this-seat-taken/#comment-20860 Fri, 05 Jan 2007 19:22:03 +0000 http://filmiholic.com/2006/12/30/is-this-seat-taken/#comment-20860 The noise, the children running around, the loose shaggy ambience, the teenage girls giggling when the hero takes off his shirt, the happy vibes and joy when the songs come on (which everyone already knows and can sing along to because they've been playing on Zee TV for weeks already), the unembarassed crying at the sad scenes, the sight of Indian families, grandparents, parents, children, couples, uncles and aunties, all together, groups of teenage boys and girls flirting, all of these things are part of what makes me venture out to watch a Bollywood film here in the UK. It is part of the fun. So we talk out loud unlike in movies where it's mostly white people watching. SO WHAT? Don't you know that the best bit is going to the right shows to see a Hindi masala movie is that going to the cinema becomes an EVENT? And so what if we do things that way --- we are emotional, heart-on-our-sleeves people, and this is one of the only things that living in the West we can do together with our families, across generations, hold hands and share something and be united in the drama and joy and dance and sadness we see on the screen. But obviously, when I go to watch the latest Michael Haneke or whatever in a central London arthouse, I expect different behaviour, but hey ;-) The noise, the children running around, the loose shaggy ambience, the teenage girls giggling when the hero takes off his shirt, the happy vibes and joy when the songs come on (which everyone already knows and can sing along to because they’ve been playing on Zee TV for weeks already), the unembarassed crying at the sad scenes, the sight of Indian families, grandparents, parents, children, couples, uncles and aunties, all together, groups of teenage boys and girls flirting, all of these things are part of what makes me venture out to watch a Bollywood film here in the UK. It is part of the fun. So we talk out loud unlike in movies where it’s mostly white people watching. SO WHAT? Don’t you know that the best bit is going to the right shows to see a Hindi masala movie is that going to the cinema becomes an EVENT? And so what if we do things that way — we are emotional, heart-on-our-sleeves people, and this is one of the only things that living in the West we can do together with our families, across generations, hold hands and share something and be united in the drama and joy and dance and sadness we see on the screen.

But obviously, when I go to watch the latest Michael Haneke or whatever in a central London arthouse, I expect different behaviour, but hey ;-)

]]> by: filmiholic http://filmiholic.com/2006/12/30/is-this-seat-taken/#comment-20172 Thu, 04 Jan 2007 19:49:31 +0000 http://filmiholic.com/2006/12/30/is-this-seat-taken/#comment-20172 Kamal, thanks for the Chi-town info and the URL. Vi, ah yeah, I'd say give it a try. It's a fun experience when it's a big film that's been anticipated. Sharon, in all fairness to the little moviegoing tykes and their folks, my experience hasn't been as extreme as Ashweeta's.  And the dancing toddlers in the aisles, I actually find amusing. Lucky you, Maja, it must be great! And to answer your question, I don't think I've ever seen a non-Indian going into any of these films (aside from <strong><em>KANK</em></strong> in Manhattan) and I guess I do still get some curious looks or stares, but have made it a point to try not to notice. (Otherwise I'll get too self-conscious and trip going up the stairs to the seats.)  :-) Beth, you'll have a blast in London, for sure. And you'll maybe even see an episode of Big Brother with Shilpa Shetty! I'm always amazed how they manage to get celebrities to some of these threadbare theaters here for an appearance; even back at the time of <strong><em>Ghulam</em></strong>, Aamir was a huge star. More recently, for the release of <strong><em>36 Chinatown</em></strong> Kareena and Shahid were by for a visit to a cinema in Jersey not too far from Manhattan (the theater was written about in the NY Times this week). Hi Raj, with regard to the ambience, I'm very much in the school of Beth, in that, for me, it's a fun social outing and I like to peoplewatch too. And yes, I'm sure that given the flops-to-hit ratio, these cinemas are <strong>not</strong> goldmines for the men who own/run them. If I won the lottery, I'd love to buy one of these multiplexes, re-do it with quality furnishings and show a huge gamut of films, both filmi and arty, in as many languages as prints I could get my hands on (hey, I'd like to see that Amitabh Bachchan film in Bhojpuri!). It's probably the only way you could do it, 'cos I'm sure it would be a fun but money-losing endeavour....Ah, but a girl can dream.... Kamal, thanks for the Chi-town info and the URL.

Vi, ah yeah, I’d say give it a try. It’s a fun experience when it’s a big film that’s been anticipated.

Sharon, in all fairness to the little moviegoing tykes and their folks, my experience hasn’t been as extreme as Ashweeta’s.  And the dancing toddlers in the aisles, I actually find amusing.

Lucky you, Maja, it must be great! And to answer your question, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a non-Indian going into any of these films (aside from KANK in Manhattan) and I guess I do still get some curious looks or stares, but have made it a point to try not to notice. (Otherwise I’ll get too self-conscious and trip going up the stairs to the seats.)  :-)

Beth, you’ll have a blast in London, for sure. And you’ll maybe even see an episode of Big Brother with Shilpa Shetty! I’m always amazed how they manage to get celebrities to some of these threadbare theaters here for an appearance; even back at the time of Ghulam, Aamir was a huge star. More recently, for the release of 36 Chinatown Kareena and Shahid were by for a visit to a cinema in Jersey not too far from Manhattan (the theater was written about in the NY Times this week).

Hi Raj, with regard to the ambience, I’m very much in the school of Beth, in that, for me, it’s a fun social outing and I like to peoplewatch too. And yes, I’m sure that given the flops-to-hit ratio, these cinemas are not goldmines for the men who own/run them. If I won the lottery, I’d love to buy one of these multiplexes, re-do it with quality furnishings and show a huge gamut of films, both filmi and arty, in as many languages as prints I could get my hands on (hey, I’d like to see that Amitabh Bachchan film in Bhojpuri!). It’s probably the only way you could do it, ‘cos I’m sure it would be a fun but money-losing endeavour….Ah, but a girl can dream….

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