The reason to watch "Bombay Talkies" is because of its incredible cast--most of which you don't see until just before the final credits. As for the rest of the film, it's a highly uneven set of four short films by four different directors--some are excellent, others seemingly pointless. It's a shame, as I really wanted to love this film.
The four stories are as follows:
1. A professional woman and her husband have a very distant relationship. Despite being quite well off financially, they are having problems. When the wife gets a new intern who happens to be gay, sparks fly because the gay man sees a very kindred spirit in the husband. The connection to films is that both men love classic Indian film music. I'd rate this one a 7 or 8. It's well done.
2. An out of work guy happens upon a movie being shot. Out of the crowd, he's picked for a bit part. When it's all over, he just walks away without the money or letting them know who he is. The film has a few bizarre moments when the guy talks with his dead mentor but to me this was by far the weakest of the four films. I'd rate this one a 3, as it didn't seem to have much of a point and didn't leave much lasting impact.
3. A young boy is being pushed too hard by his father to play sports--when it's obvious the boy isn't interested in the least. What he is interested in doing is cross-dressing as his favorite Bollywood starlet (Katrina Kaif) and entertaining others with his very impressive dancing. This one is cute...and a bit sad. It'd give this one a 7.
4. The final is by far the best and has a very light, comedic touch. A father tells his son a strange tale about his father. It seems the old man was given 6 months to live by his doctor but ended up living 6 years--all due to his eating honey that had been touched by a famous Indian movie star. Now, the father wants his son to get Amitabh Bachchan (probably the biggest name in Indian films over the last four decades) to eat part of a murabba (an incredibly sweet but delicious treat soaked in honey and a bit like a donut hole) so that the old man can also eat from it and gain healing through Mr. Bachchan's mojo! This one is weird and I really loved the ending. It's give this one a 10, though I doubt if Mr. Bachchan is really THAT approachable consider he has one billion fans!!
Following this final segment, there is a huge song and dance number featuring many big Indian actors and actresses. I recognized many of them but being an American who has only seen perhaps 150 Indian films (more of less) I am a total novice. Plus, the Indians put out something like 800 films a year--so keeping up with all these personalities is for the true devotee of these films. Well worth seeing if you are this devoted. For the uninitiated, I'd try something else first like "I Have Found It" or "Three Idiots" (two of my favorites off the top of my head).
By the way, this film bears no relation to the early 1970s film "Bombay Talkie" by James Ivory. Of the two, the newer film is far superior in just about every way.
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