Blogger interviews

Should have mentioned this before. Gaurav Mishra of Gauravonomics was kind enough to include Jabberwock in his "Desi Blog of the Day" section a couple of weeks ago, and then to invite me into his Desi Blogging Cafe to answer a few questions. Here's the link.

Another mini-Q&A session I participated in recently, but one that I’m feeling embarrassed about now, can be found here – it was for an online magazine that wanted to discuss Bollywood. Going through my responses again, I see that some of them come across as trite (partly because they involve explaining Hindi cinema and its mass audience to someone who isn't Indian) and patronising. My views on Hindi films are much more complex than this exchange suggests, and it's unsettling to see one's carelessly spoken/written words set in stone like this – helps me empathise with people who get interviewed frequently and then have to see their quotes in print in the clear light of day.

P.S. Recently, I’ve had reason to think about what my writing conveys about my attitude towards mainstream Hindi films. A few weeks ago, a blog-acquaintance with whom I’ve had many rewarding email discussions made an offhand reference to my “contempt for current Bollywood”. This was startling to hear. I’m certainly very ambivalent about Bollywood, I did “grow out of it” around the age of 14, returning to it only a decade later, and the film pedant in me gets annoyed with people who have only been exposed to Hindi films and love them indiscriminately – but “contempt” is a word I would never use in this context. Even when I don't think highly of a mainstream Hindi film, I usually don't regret having seen it – maybe because I've grown up with these movies and their presence still makes me feel secure on some level. Or maybe there’s a deep-rooted cultural connection that one isn’t consciously aware of. (Related posts here and here.)