by MATTHEW HAYS

How could something so much fun come out of such a miserable experience? But as director-writer Deepa Mehta tells it, her latest, the often-hilarious romantic comedy musical Bollywood/Hollywood, was inspired in large part by her own dire moviemaking fiasco.

The bad news began on the set of a much different film the Toronto-based Mehta was shooting in Varanasi, India. The project was the third in Mehta’s thoughtful trilogy, Water, coming after Fire (’97) and Earth (’99). Never averse to controversy, Mehta was making a film about a wealthy widow who falls for a lower-caste man. After hearing of the film’s content, 500 angry residents stormed the set, throwing equipment and set pieces into the Ganges River. The government body that grants permission for film shoots then reversed its position on Water, meaning the filming could not go on. Devastated by the mess, Mehta returned to Canada.

Comedic comeback

“I really needed to do something fun after that, which I think is quite understandable,” says Mehta with a laugh from her Toronto home. “David Hamilton, my producer, and I were just so out of it. I was out of it for a few months. So we said, next time, let’s just make it fun.”

And fun it is. Bollywood/Hollywood recounts the story of one young Indo-Canadian man’s struggle to find a wife—not just any wife, but one he actually loves who will also please his staunchly conventional Indian family. The results are great, cool, and truly international, with Mehta mixing numerous conventions of national cinemas. She steals liberally from the Bollywood musical, while packing in Hollywood conventions. The results are downright Canadian—a diplomatic melding of the best of various global ingredients.

Yet another ethnic comedy about nuptials—but Mehta says she wrote the film long before the other recent successes with similar content hit the screens. “I hadn’t seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding nor Monsoon Wedding. Which helped enormously, because I wouldn’t have wanted to be worried about that. What I really wanted to write about was what happens when one culture is imposed upon another. I didn’t want to conform to any one cinematic genre. Mixing it up like this gave me tremendous freedom. I think my main points of inspiration were Capra, Billy Wilder and Bollywood style itself.”

Comedies are tougher than dramas, Mehta says, confirming the conventional wisdom. On top of that, Mehta was shooting the first musical she’d ever tackled, joining many of her cast members as a virgin in that genre. “Musical numbers are a real challenge. The music comes first, then the choreography, then action, then lip synching. Some actors simply don’t enjoy doing them. On most Bollywood films it takes seven or eight days to shoot one song. We only had one day. We had to be very efficient.”

Divine debut

Mehta has been pleased by the response to the film, which had its premiere in September at the Toronto Film Festival. (Bollywood/Hollywood drew standing ovations and critical raves.) “It’s such a discovery that some Canadian film critics have a funny bone. They’re used to such dark films. Some people also think the melodrama is a lapse in taste. Obviously, it’s not. I guess I’m surprised by how much people get the film. It’s not limited to the Indian diaspora, that’s for sure. This could be a Jewish family. People have said to me, ‘That grandma, I know her so well!’”

Now that Mehta’s had some time to frolic in what are seen as lighter genres, is she considering a return run at Water? “Oh yes, absolutely,” she responds, without pause. “I will definitely make that film. I’m not going to allow thoughtful protests like that to stop me.”

POST-SCRIPT: In a sad bit of news, it must be noted that one of the stars of the film, Dina Pathak, passed away on Oct. 11 at the age of 82. She is entirely lovable in Bollywood/Hollywood, playing the film’s sardonic wisecracking grandma. She was also a famous actress in Bollywood’s star system, appearing in over 200 films, including Gol Maal, Khubsoorat and A Passage to India, among many others. Both India’s film industry and the international film community suffer a tremendous loss with her passing. :

Bollywood/Hollywood opens Friday, Oct. 25

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