tant for doses of artificial sweetener. Kapoor’s stardom was rooted in a Punjabi dynasty, founded by his grandfather, that has dominated Bollywood for five generations – his father, Raj, and uncles, Shammi and Shashi (who married Felicity Kendal’s sister, Jennifer, in 1958) were all stars, as are his nieces, Kareena and Karisma, and his son, Ranbir. All power in India is dynastic, from the Gandhis to the Tatas. Bollywood is no different. Outside the room, a crowd seethed to get a sight of the action; the security guards were having trouble keeping control. One woman claimed it was her birthday to try to get on to the set, then burst into tears when she was not believed. Her husband, almost as tear124 the india issue / bollywood west
ful, piously implored: “Why would she lie in a house of God?” The extent of the obsession Indians have with movie stars became clear the next day, when shooting moved to a corner shop. An even bigger crowd gathered, filling the pavement outside and across the street, colonising a traffic island. I met Irfan, a 25-year-old student, who’d waited all day for a glimpse of Akshay, who wasn’t even his favourite star. That position belongs to Shahrukh Khan. “I’m crazy about him,” he gushed. “I think about him 24-7. The way he speaks, the way he looks, the way he carries himself. He’s like a god. When I see him I will cry, I won’t be able to hold my emotions. I take it really bad
when people talk crap about him. Last night, my friend abused Shahrukh and I punched the wall.” Pondering his bruised knuckles, I asked if he might fancy Shahrukh – just a bit. “No. I love him because he’s a great guy, not because I am a gay.” I caught the director, Nikhil Advani, and asked him what makes Bollywood different. “When you make a film in the West, you can make a pure comic film or a pure drama, or a period film. In India you have to put everything into the same pot,” he said. “Indians are a very passionate people, they’re extremely expressive, they don’t keep their feelings to themselves. In the typical day of an Indian, they go through various emotions, and that’s what they want to