Bollywood Queen Review

Bollywood Queen
Geena may be 19, but her Indian family keep a close eye on her, and they're not happy when she starts seeing wheeler-dealer white boy Jay.

by Jane Howdle |
Published on
Release Date:

17 Oct 2003

Running Time:

90 minutes

Certificate:

PG

Original Title:

Bollywood Queen

Anglo-Indian East End girl falls for Somerset bumpkin in love-against-the-odds romance - it doesn't sound the most inspiring of plotlines, and in many ways it's not. Until you get to the impromptu Bollywood-style singing and synchronised dance-athons, that is.

In his debut feature, James Wooding has combined a troubled romance with shades of mysticism and the kitschy, over-the-top glamour of a Bollywood musical to come up with a pleasantly original mix. The odd spot of lame acting lets the side down slightly while a few of the usual character stereotypes are allowed to spout their overdone geezer lingo (this is the East End, after all). But luckily James McAvoy is on hand to save the day, with his believable dewy-eyed lustings for Preeya Kalidas' Geena - and just wait till you see Ian 'Lovejoy' McShane in action. A flawed delight.

Any potential clash between the magic realism of Bollywood and the social realism of London's graffiti-covered streets is brushed away by sunny songs and extremely likeable performances.
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