Bollybob Links

Helpful links for:

* Getting the movies

* Finding out more

* and other unrelated stuff

Where to get the movies

Well, most towns of appreciable size will have an Indian spice shop in them, and they're good places to start. In larger cities you're bound to come across a rental store or two. But if you're forced to resort to the internet (as I am), here are my tips for buying Indian DVDs.

Please note: while I love a good movie as much as anybody, I'm not a videophile...I'm not too concerned with the particulars of the transfer, sound quality, etc. While some will surely disagree with my suggestions -- based on release politics or quality of their products -- I'm making these suggestions mainly for those who just want to see the film...even if it has a digital artifact or two in it. Also note that what's worthwhile for me in Canada isn't necessarily worthwhile for people in other countries...I am routinely slaughtered when it comes to paying duty.

Indiaplaza	Indiaplaza is, invariably, my first choice. They have the biggest online selection of Indian DVDs I've found, and carry a hefty load of VHS tapes and CD's as well. The downsides, however, are pretty big: they're slow, they are sometimes perpetually "out of stock" on some items, and they ship their products in cheap Fed-Ex envelopes. When you order from Indiaplaza, expect some shattered jewel cases. On top of that, they're murder when it comes to duty.
ValueIndia	My second choice...their selection isn't as big as Indiaplaza's, but they sometimes carry things that Indiaplaza doesn't have. They're not very quick. They ship your DVDs in sturdy boxes, and often feature reasonably-priced collections of related (or, sometimes, unrelated) films.
Eros Entertainment	If you're only ordering Eros DVDs anyway, you might as well just go to the source: incredibly fast and efficient, cheaper than anywhere else, and -- maybe this was just a fluke -- they shipped my order to me via FedEx, even though I didn't request it (or pay for it). Definitely worth checking out (though I admit, I've only placed that one order).

Cool Bollywood Stuff
The Hot Spot Online	Movies! Movies! Movies! And more movies! Clever, insightful reviews of Bollywood films (and the illusive "Pushto" phenomenon as well) written by reviewers who know their stuff. Umm, oh yeah...and ice cream too.
Indofilms	I don't know anything about their rental service, but consider this an excellent source of information about Indian films. An extensive database cross-referencing actors, directors, songs...and villains and comedians too! They don't have everything (who could?) but they come very close.