As goes Adam’s favorite refrain, "I don’t feel like reading a movie tonight"  In his one month absence, I have enjoyed two different Netflix choices — Monarch of the Glen — another BBC drama, and Bollywood movies.

After two greatly enjoyable evenings with Salaam Namaste and Dil Chati Hai, I did some Internet research on other well rated Bollywood movies.

What made those two movies so enjoyable was that they were cute romances, without any white people or Kate Hudson, and with catchy musical interludes that fit well within the movie structure a la Sound of Music.

In the past my experience with some Indian movies had been too much in the way of saccharin, fanciful interludes where perfectly formed, light brown women were always nearly nude, or in the water with clinging saris, or dancing like sprites.

I’m not saying I think dancing in the middle of a Melbourne street is not entirely un-fanciful — but it was pleasing and fun to sing and dance along to — because there always needs to be a distraction from the boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back, paradigm.

So, I decided to delve into far more serious subject matter — because learning a little about the world outside California is always good.  I got two movies, Sehar, about the Indian ‘mafia,’ and Yahaan, about the conflict in Kashmir.

Both movies started with gritty camera work and brutal murders.  I thought for sure there would be no singing and dancing, it just didn’t seem appropriate.  Boy was I wrong.  Singing about love at first sight was not exempted from nearly colorless film noir.

Not my cup of chai.  I’m not saying a cloud can’t have a silver lining, but from a revolver or AK-47 to beautiful women dancing in saris or blue jeans (don’t ask) was too jarring for me.

Just right, was a movie called Swades which dealt with a NRI (non resident Indian) who came back to India, and subsequently a small town to be reunited with his nanny — and of course find love.

His American-like observations of abject poverty, corruption, and crumbling infrastructure melded perfectly with his discovery of love in spite of all that.

Now that Adam’s coming back, I’ll be off ‘reading’ movies for a while.  But I shall return hoping for a dose of love, laughter, and music.

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