[Mike_D]

Allright y'all.  Been meaning to do this for a while but I'd like to do a thread on all things India.  I spent 7 months there (6 on a Bullet) and if it weren't for India I wouldn't even know a what Royal Enfield is (and may not even be riding a motorcycle).  I know a few of you are from there and AgentX you are in Hyderabad?  Sweet.  Let's face it we all wouldn't be here if it weren't for India so let's go:

I found these documentaries on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpdoRUMeshw

It's a three part series from the BBC titled Welcome to India 2012.  They are all amazing and well worth the time invested.  Taken from the human perpective -- how people hustle and get by in a country that is modernizing quickly.  And if you watch closely in part two you'll see that our friend the battered Bullet makes a brief cameo....

For a good historical documentary try this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amnevwW0MJo

A BBC documentary about the partition.  Great history lesson, a little sad but a must watch IMO.

For books, I think AgentX mentioned Maximum City by Suketu Mehta.  A must read for anyone interested in politics/gangs or just wants a great read about the craziness that is Mumbai/Bombay.  Highest recommendation.

For straight politics In Spite of the Gods by Edward Luce is the go to.  Dude wrote for the Times of India and offers a pretty complete picture of what is going on politically.  I generally find other country's politic's to be boring but India's fascinates me.

For fiction it seems that in the backpacking crowd everyone reads White Tiger by Aravind Adiga and Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts.  Both I liked quite a bit.  Shantaram is quite epic and a little self indulgent but the dude does ride a Bullet so just read it.  I also just finished Adiga's newest book, Last Man in Tower which I would also recommend but White Tiger would be the obvious first choice.

Movies.  Gotta say I'm a little lacking in my Bollywood flicks.  I saw Zindagi Na Milega Dobara in India which I did like (but man, so long, so silly).  Seems like everyone has seen Slumdog Millionaire so no need to mention here.  And Once Upon a Time in Mumbai was OK....And I was almost in Don 2 -- went to the set but they didn't film that day.  But that's all I got, anyone got any Bollywood suggestions?

What do y'all got.  Let's talk India....

[Blltrdr]

Great subject! Will have to check out your links.

There is a movie from 1988 starring Pierce Brosnan that I thought was quite good. The movie, "The Deceivers", takes place in 1820's India. Fact based story about a secret society of murders.

[Sunbeem]

Great post nycbullet21, I'm looking forward to what it turns up. When I think of India, (once I've overcome my cringing colonial guilt) there is one name which always rises to the top. Unfortunately, like many of his ilk, he was too dangerous to take seriously, so since we've got past the "nailing to a tree" phase of our development, we ridiculed and misreported his message. Turned him into a sex-mad charlatan, and gave our attention to those who seriously mis-understood his message. So what's new?
His books have affected me like no other, I read them again and again and they are always new.
Without their input and effect, my life would be an even greater muddle, and I would not be the fine woolly-minded, middle of the road, liberal anarchist that I am today. (Yes, he does humour too).
His appeal is very limited, so I don't expect anyone here to share my view, but thank you India, for Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, latterly known as Osho.

Sunbeem.

[AgentX]

nevermind.

[1 Thump]

(Yes, he does humour too).
 Osho.

Sunbeem.

Here is one from him, in his own voice. Disregard the silly picture though:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Bx4yaVYWC8