Bombay Talkie (1970)

Lucia Lane, an English writer by way of the US, arrives in Bombay to watch the filming of one of her novels. She's nearing middle age, she's had several husbands, she's lonely and ... See full summary »

Director:

James Ivory

Writers:

Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (screenplay) (as R. Prawer Jhabvala), James Ivory (screenplay)

Stars:

Shashi Kapoor, Jennifer Kendal, Zia Mohyeddin

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Shashi Kapoor	...	Vikram
Jennifer Kendal	...	Lucia Lane
Zia Mohyeddin	...	Hari
Aparna Sen	...	Mala
Utpal Dutt	...	Bose
Nadira	...	Anjana Devi
Pinchoo Kapoor	...	Swamiji
Helen	...	Heroine in Gold
Usha Iyer	...	Cabaret Singer
Ruby Mayer	...	Gopal Ma (as Sulochana)
Prayag Raj	...	Director (as Prayag Raaj)
Jalal Agha	...	Young Man
Anwar Ali	...	Young Man
Mohan Nadkarni	...	Young Man
Sukhdev	...	Man at Bar

Storyline

Lucia Lane, an English writer by way of the US, arrives in Bombay to watch the filming of one of her novels. She's nearing middle age, she's had several husbands, she's lonely and self-absorbed. Hari, a screenwriter, offers to show her around. She's interested only in the film's leading man, Vikram, younger than she, married, and building a career as a matinee idol. Lucia takes every opportunity to be near "V," making scenes in front of his wife, demanding his attentions. Hari is long-suffering, carrying Lucia's messages to V, helping her out when the affair gets out of hand. Meanwhile, V's career suffers, with unpleasant repercussions. Who will bring things to a halt?

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Plot Keywords:

traveler | selfishness | novelist | filmmaking | culture clash | 

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Genres:

Drama | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

GP

Did You Know?

Trivia

The enormous typewriter song and dance sequence was filmed on a sound stage at K. Asif Studios in Andheri, Bombay.

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Crazy Credits

The film opens with the movie title shown on a carpet that is being carried across the street. The credits are then shown on billboards in different parts of town.

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Connections

Referenced in The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

User Reviews

Poor stuff

A sad take on Bollywood. The plot is predictable, the space lethargic and the characters off-putting. Worst of all it is dubbed, and dubbed badly. In the second half of the C20 there was no excuse for such shoddy work, especially from film makers of such fame: compared with Shakespeare Wallah and other fine movies made by the same team it is dismal. It should have been called Bombay Dubbie. It is little consolation that many great creative artists have their lapses. Curiosity value apart the film has little or no merit.

Details

Official Sites:

Criterion Collection Merchant Ivory Productions [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 October 1979 (Portugal)

Also Known As:

Drama sti Bombay

Filming Locations:

Bombay, Hyderabad, Telangana, India

Company Credits

Production Co:

Merchant Ivory Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1