Golden Globes

So, I read the full Meryl Streep speech in a Washington Post article, not because she bashed anybody, but because I have liked her acting for so long. She has been the Fidel Castro of Hollywood, in how long she has dominated. She is easily the best actor of her generation, male or female. She has this range that no one else has had in the industry. She does her thing. And is a joy to watch. And I thought she was also looking fabulous.

The two Bollywood mavens were both looking golden. I looked up on Google Images. Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone. I am sure both were much watched back in India. I believe they are just getting started. I expect them to do very well over the years. Bollywood needs to start making movies for the mainstream American audiences. India, after all, is the largest English speaking country in the world.

The sheer volume of PC's work is mind boggling.

Barackface: Golden Globes: https://t.co/zKjlMNs8zE @priyankachopra @deepikapadukone

— Paramendra Bhagat (@paramendra) January 9, 2017

Quoting my favourite #MerylStreep, as I call an end to this night...when you have a broken heart...make art. You are astounding! #FanGirl

A photo posted by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on Jan 9, 2017 at 12:42am PST

#GoldenGlobes @sofiavergara

A video posted by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on Jan 9, 2017 at 1:14am PST

Snowed in...#delayed #nyc #LA #goldenglobes #nosleep #asusual #flysafe #grrrr #zzzzz

A photo posted by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on Jan 7, 2017 at 8:43pm PST

प्रियंका, वंशाली और विश्व

Priyanka Chopra set to produce a Nepalese-Sikkimese film titled Paua 

PC is not the only or even the first Bollywood biggie with her own production house but her foray into regional movies does stand out, and I have watched it with interest. Bhojpuri and now Nepali. I am conversant in both! I attended high school in Kathmandu after all.

Diversity is a good thing. It is like would you rather have one giant paddy field where the Amazon is, or do you like the forest better? That is not even a question.

Technology is fast catching up with diversity. It is only a matter of time before Artificial Intelligence will be able to translate from every language to every other language. Which means your first language spoken by only 10 million people will be as good as English for science and commerce. Is that big? I think so. The point is the languages are not going away and that's a good thing.

Another disruption is digital technology. Why does a movie have to be two or three hours? Why can't it be 20 or 30 minutes? Why do you need a movie theater? Why can't movies have online releases only? When you start asking those questions you realize there can be a movie industry in every town in India. The costs go down drastically. So you make a Bhojpuri mini movie and post it online and next thing you know you have a global audience. There are tiny pockets of Bhojpuri speakers all over the world. The YouTube ad revenue might not be enough though, a pay per view model might work better. One dollar per movie? How about 10 cents?

Perhaps PPP (Purple Pebble Pictures) ought to build that platform. It would be like the Apple app store. It is pay per view, it is global, the platform has strict editorial guidelines, the revenue split is 30-70, something like that.

I look at Sanjay Leela Banshali and I think, this is a global level talent, but his heart is still colonized. Why could he not cast someone like Priyanka Chopra and make a movie in English for the mainstream American audience? एक मानसिक दासता है जिसे उतार फेंकने की जरूरत है।

There is no dearth of story writers. You fish for stories in the global exploding literature market. And you buy movie making rights and you adapt.

इन्डिया में कहते हैं, अरे देखो प्रियंका तो अमेरिका चली गई। किधर अमेरिका चली गई? हॉलीवुड उन्हें वापस इन्डियन मार्केट में ला रही है। सारे दुनिया ले जा रहे हैं और पैसे छाप रहे हैं।

बाजिराव मस्तानी वुडी एलेन की वैसी ही कहानी वाली विकी क्रिस्टीना वार्सिलोना से बेहतर है। तो टैलेंट तो है। लेकिन मानसिक दासता भी तो है।

Priyanka Chopra, The Media And The Bigger Picture

Priyanka Chopra Loves Big Diamonds and Yachts: ‘I Work Very Hard to Spoil Myself’

Mumbai, New York City, Toronto, London, Shanghai, all these megacities are perhaps more like each other than the rest of their own countries. And if you want a slice of India in New York there's always Little India, or full blown Jackson Heights, which is more like Sitamadhi (Bihar). Plus, after doing 50 movies in India, I doubt Priyanka Chopra did not feel prepared enough facing the camera in the US. In fact, it looks bad on Bollywood, at least the corporate aspects. Hollywood is taking the PC show all over the world and minting money. Why could not Bollywood make movies for the mainstream American audience?

A movie star acts as per the script. It is the writer who decides. The director shapes the presentation. And the 24/7 media saturation topped with social media omnipresence, and you see this constant feed. The society feeds the art feeds the society. It is an ongoing conversation. To quote PC: "Alex is nothing like me."

A few days back I blogged on the topic of the media in two countries as seen through this crossover movie star.

Seeing Priyanka Chopra On The Kapil Sharma Show

Only one episode earlier he goes full blown sexist on some TV news anchor, a new name and face to me.



I am sorry to make note, because I greatly admire Kapil Sharma, who I once called the funniest Homo Sapien on earth. He is the king of comedy globally right now. I like him much.

I actually have a news section on my Google News page for Priyanka Chopra. I also have one on Modi.

One news item today presents PC in a full Meterial Girl Madonna mode.

Priyanka Chopra Loves Big Diamonds and Yachts: ‘I Work Very Hard to Spoil Myself’

It is in sharp contrast to a news clip on YouTube from years ago where she says, I don't enjoy shopping.

The more famous you get bigger the mess the media makes of you. Take Amitabh Bachchan, a genuinely nice person. The media ran with the Amitabh Rekha non story for literally decades.

In politics I have seen this happen to Bill Clinton, or the Clintons. There is this political spectrum. And every point on that spectrum needs its own angle. And there is a media outlet to feed every such expectation.

@priyankachopra, The Media And The Bigger Picture https://t.co/yXwCeqpAw5

— Paramendra Bhagat (@paramendra) January 6, 2017