Project #501: The Goras' Guide To Bollywood And Beyond

“Shortly after my mother passed away, I discovered a crumpled, dog eared ‘thank you’ note that she had been keeping for years. The note was written by myself and addressed to my Grandparents in recognition of their Christmas present. The note went on to mention the fact that I was also very excited that Mum and Dad were going to allow me to stay up past my bed time in order to watch ‘The Towering Inferno’. I was four years old. My lifelong love affair with the silver screen had already begun. Some forty years later, having tied the knot with my Indian wife Anandita, through the course of one particular conversation, it came to light that despite my continued unwaveringly fanatical dedication to world cinema, I’d never actually had the pleasure of witnessing the 2001 Indian Oscar nominated feature ‘Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India’. And the explanation for this purposeful omittance being ‘well, we all know what those Bollywood films are like now don’t we? Four hours long and nothing but singing and dancing about and whatnot’. Anandita was appalled by my blissful ignorance, and I was sentenced to my room until I’d watch every single last second of the film. And crikey me if I were not completely wrong. ‘Lagaan’ is quite simply, a magnificent film. Which got me to thinking. ‘What else might I be missing out on here? What other cinematic wonders have I foolishly been turning my back toward?’ And more importantly, what am I going to do about it? A ponderance that gave birth to a self-inflicted, monumental cinematic challenge. ‘Project #501’. In order to redeem myself and restore my position as a self-confessed, obsessed cinephile, I set myself the task of watching 501 Indian films in a quest to see what I might learn about Indian life, culture and spirit as seen and portrayed through the ‘Bollywood’ lens. And the result of this cinematic pilgrimage? A hilariously comedic, yet poignant and heartfelt in-depth journey along the highways and alleyways of a town called ‘Bollywood’. And then, much... much further beyond” Charles Misra ‘Project #501 – A Goras’ Guide To Bollywood And Beyond’ is an absolutely unique and mesmerising examination of not only the Indian film industry, but of every single aspect of Indian life and culture. Grappling with the likes of everything from the battlefields of education, the potential headaches, mishaps and pitfalls of your wedding day, dealing with the terrifying horror of a wrongful arrest, and all the way through to the successful dispatching of a dastardly ‘churail’. And of course, everything in between. Sincerely, yet enthusiastically presented as a humorous and heartfelt collection of fully illustrated lectures, anecdotes and observations, ‘Project #501’ rummages so deeply and intensely under the skin of ‘Bollywood’ Indian cinema, society and the very conscience of the nation. Unearthing astounding truths and shocking revelations, the likes of which are guaranteed to amaze, dumbfound, delight, stupefy, intrigue, baffle and amuse not just curious Western film fans, but ‘Bollywood’ and India itself.