The quickest and cheapest way to get to India is to drive Downtown Saturday night, head to the Fox Tucson Theatre, and purchase a $50 ticket to the third annual Bollywood at the Fox, a night of India-themed film, merriment and festivity that serves double duty as a fundraiser for the Fox.
The ringleader is 58-year-old India native Neelam Sethi, a member of the Fox Tucson Theatre Foundation board who has lived in Tucson for 20 years. Sethi said she sees the event as a way to bring the spirit of her homeland to her adopted community.
The centerpiece of the night is "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gha. . . ." (2001), a musical about a rift in an Indian family caused by a son who disagrees with his father's plans for an arranged marriage.
Congress Street will be shut down so the area outside the theater is safe for a Mela (Indian street fair) with music, food and dancing. We caught up with Sethi last week on the phone.
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Why do you stage this event?
"Two years ago when the Fox reopened, I thought it would be a way to share Indian culture with friends in Tucson. I can think of nothing better than to share culture and heritage with friends and at the same time bring lots of people to Tucson Downtown to the Fox Theatre to raise money and have a good time."
How has the attendance been?
"The first year we had 540 people. I thought that was wonderful. When I started this, I never intended for it to be a yearly event. It was just something I wanted to do to share and give back to the people of Tucson. Let them experience a different culture and traditions, with the language, the food, the dress and the movie, and bring people in to see the gorgeous Fox Theatre and raise money for it.
"It was so well attended that the Fox board said, 'Please, let's have it again.' Last year 619 attended."
What is Bollywood?
"The Bollywood name is taken from Hollywood. It's a combination of Bombay, now called Mumbai, which is the movie capital of India. Most Indian movies are musical, with drama and romance, some violence in some movies. They are very beautiful films. Very awakened and heighten every sense — sound, color. . . . All the movies have messages.
"They are telling you something. There is no nudity in Indian movies. There is no sex or explicitness. They are very verbal and emotional because that way you can see a lot more than what you can show physically. They're very different films and very enjoyable. They are always musical extravaganzas."
Why did you select this year's movie?
"I chose this movie because it shows human values. It shows loyalty. It shows commitment. It shows the lifestyle of the very, very wealthy and average families. . . . It's just a beautiful film."
What do you think of Tucson?
"I love Tucson. I just love everything about it. I find it so spiritual. No matter where you look, every moment the scene is changing. It makes me think of God. You can never be in a bad mood, because the sun makes a smile on your face."
If you're involved in filmmaking and would like to be featured in a Q&A, write to pvillarreal@azstarnet.com.
If you go
Bollywood at the Fox
• When: 5 p.m. Saturday
• Where: Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress St.
• Admission: $50.
