Bollywood Dreams

I am just back in Ahmedabad for a day between a bit of travel with my friend Rose and another trip to Rajasthan for research. I leave tomorrow morning at 530am for about a week in the field with my assistant. I feel totally unprepared, but deep down I know that I have been planning and thinking this through for months and that I have a pretty good idea of what I am doing. For now everything seems to be falling into place and the contacts I made on the last trip are expecting us. I am hoping to do several focus group discussions with workers and some interviews with others. I feel so grateful to have two really intelligent and energetic Indian women helping me with this work!

I spent the past few days in Bombay showing Rose around the city. On the second day we were approached on the most touristy street in the city by someone trying to cast a shot on an airplane for a Bollywood movie. We decided to go for it - what better way to get to know this city than to participate in the huge and booming local film industry for a day? We were picked up in the morning by a bus, in all 20 foreigners were rounded up. It took about an hour and half to arrive at the location - a training facility for Air India. My friend was chosen almost immediately to play a flight attendant and swept off to get dressed. A little while later I was also selected and was given an identical outfit to wear. Two other women were also dressed as flight attendants and we were all sent to have the hairstylists and makeup artists transform us. After that we sat around for several hours, until we thought for sure we would not be used after all. And then we were called to change our costumes. When we returned to the set they told me that I would have a line! I had to walk up to the two lead actors with a bouquet of flowers and say to the actress, "Mrs. Khanna, Mr. Khanna has sent these flowers for you. Have a great flight." We practiced it several times and then I did it in just one take. I'm really hoping it doesn't get edited out. Rose is behind me handing a magazine to someone. The movie is called Main aur Mrs. Khanna (Me and Mrs. Khanna) and is supposed to be coming out next month! It stars two famous Bollywood actors (Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor).

It was totally exhausting, but well worth it. We were all paid 500 rupees (10 US) and sent on our way. Rose took some amazing pictures, and I have posted two of mine until I can get some of the better ones from her.