3 February 2015 - We go to the cinema - a Bollywood experience

We are still wrangling with the very slow and frustrating Wi-Fi which is a problem particularly for Tim and Annika who are trying to do their distance education work.  We have had a successful Skype call with Annika's teachers and will speak to Tim's teachers tomorrow.  I, too, am very frustrated with the slow internet as my blog takes AGES to download photos and I don't want to leave out any of the photos as they are all significant to us!  Grrrrrr....and yet we have laptops and emails and so much more than those around us.

Finally by lunchtime, it was time for a break from it all and we headed out!  Destination: Central Park to play footy and run around unharassed! The kids had great fun and an ice cream and some kulche before we set off for our main activity of the day which was a Bollywood film at the Raj Mandir Cinema.  

Ceiling dome inside the Raj Mandir cinema

Looking down from the mezzanine floor

More ceiling detail

The grand Raj Mandir Cinema

We lined up for the cheap "Ruby" seats for 120 Rupee each and entered the grand Art Deco style cinema foyer.  It was like stepping into the 1950's complete with the pale pinks and pale blues of the era and sweeping curves to the mezzanine floor.  We ordered popcorn, chips and water which were later delivered to our seats during the first half of the movie.  Such service!  We even had an interval half way through at a gripping moment!!  The audience roared and clapped when one of their famous actors came on for a guest appearance! 

Dolly Ki Doli, released very recently, thrilled us to the Bollywood max!  The story whilst in Hindi was quite clear to follow and a simple, fun plot.  Dolly, the main character, was a beautiful girl who married many hopefuls, then robbed them and ditched them on her wedding night working in cahoots with her family as she sets her eyes on wealthier and wealthier men! Finally, she is confronted by previous husbands who band together and Dolly is arrested.  But the story continues as her first husband was a policeman, and she pledges her love to him, and for a moment you think she has changed her wicked ways, but once again she takes off deserts him.  He smiles wryly, burns her police record and gives her the freedom she desires.  The End! 

Jaipur street scene with fort in distance.

Walking home with our cornettos (30 Rupee)!

Central Park as the sun goes down over Jaipur

Indian flag and silhouetted parrots

Who would believe there are peaceful places here in the middle of the hectic chaos?

We wandered back through the Central Park catching the fireball of sun as it set with the huge Indian flag fluttering gently.

We were home by darkness walking by the light of a full moon.  Another day of noise and wonder in India.  Dinner, as usual, was fantastic and made even more enjoyable by a nice chat with Manoj from New Delhi is working in Jaipur on a fracking project.