Al Abut

Holy cow! Literally!

Check out what my friend Tyler's been up to - he's in India turning a friend into Bollywood box office sensation and making a documentary about it along the way. How rad is that?

Begin forwarded message:

From: Tyler MacNiven
Date: January 15, 2010 11:52:25 PM PST

I am breathing in hot steam clouds of chai tea from the street stall next door. The rumbling of 2-stroke rickshaw engines fills my head. I don't remember the last time I changed my tshirt. A street dog is gnawing at my ankle. This is Mumbai, India.

Here's the thing..

Deep down within each of us is a Bollywood music video producer clawing to get out. Your fascination with over-sized sunglasses, running around trees in the rain, and breaking into spontaneous song and dance at the dinner table...is no accident. Close your eyes as you read this email, and imagine that special place in your heart that yearns to leap through fields of technicolor tulips dressed in over sized yellow saris wearing lavender lip gloss. Take a deep breath. Yes, it is time. You are ready. Ready to become a Bollywood music video producer.

Some close friends and I have been in Mumbai, India for the last 5 weeks working on a documentary called Big in Bollywood. We are tracking the success of our actor pal Omi as moves from Hollywood Zero to Bollywood Hero. He stars in the recently released film 3 Idiots, which has smashed all box office records and become the largest grossing Bollywood film in history. When Omi landed in India a month ago he was just your average Jaihoe. Now, only three weeks later, he can't walk down the street without fans circling him to snap cell phone pictures and shake his hand. It is truly a remarkable moment in Indian cinema, and we have had our cameras rolling from the start.

We intend for this documentary to be your introduction to Bollywood, and the only natural way to end our film is with an over-the-top Bollywood-style music video featuring us. We've already had the song composed by some talented local artists. For several thousand dollars we can arrange a full production outfit with onset location at an insane James Bond-villain mansion, crew, crane, costumes, and a dozen backup dancers...and shoots it this weekend!  This is where your internal Bollywood producer wakes up. You can open your eyes now. We are asking our friends and family for $20 each to help produce the next Bollywood hit. I know I'd pay 20 bucks to see you embarrass yourself in a Bollywood dance number. Would you do the same?

Here's a video plea if you need more convincing: http://www.youtube.com/user/iambillbowles?feature=chclk#p/a/u/0/Ur2amKT8SK0

click here to go to our paypal donation page. (note: the money gets sent to Bill Bowles)

Many thanks in advance! You're internal producer can confidently sport those over-sized Italian sunglasses now.

India says hello, and the dog at my ankle growls its regards.

Chicken tikka masala!

love always
Tyler

again....click here to go to our paypal donation page. (and if you're not seeing this email til Monday...it's not too late to donate!)

(posted via email)