New York ad man Arun Krishnan's very funny podcast series, "Learn Hindi from Bollywood Movies," has been written up in the Guardian. The series - 52 cheeky-looking episodes so far - draw from movies like Deewar, Namak Halaal, Guru and Muqaddar ka Sikandar. Within just a few podcasts you can master such utilitarian phrases as 'For you tea will I make' (Aapke liye chai banaoonga) and 'Then your bathing water I will heat' (Phir aapke nahaane ka paani garam karoonga). Or, if it's the language of love that lures you, try these, phirang one: 'Come closer no' (Paas aao na), 'By the river side come my beloved' (Nadiya Kinaare aao jaana), or, more debatably, ''Now, at this instant' (Abhi, isi vakt)
From the Guardian, "Crib sheet":
The weekly podcasts use snippets of Hindi from Bollywood films, with English translations, to teach vocabulary ranging from the everyday (ordering tea; watching cricket) to the surreal (the Indian "Hari" Potter; a melodramatic lament about the demotion of Pluto's planethood). Each podcast is bookended with bursts of Bollywood music.
Krishnan thought it might be fun to teach people Hindi the way he learned it growing up in Mumbai. Coming from a non-Hindi speaking south Indian family, Krishnan absorbed the language from the weekend-long Bollywood movie marathons he and his neighbours watched ("the sorts of films where the characters seek revenge before breakfast").
Most of his listeners, according to the article, are in LA and New York, with a growing contingent in the UK and Middle East:
About a fifth of listeners are in India, says Krishnan. Bollywood fans feature prominently, and some listeners have made their way to a fan club on the online network Facebook, where they can post comments and discuss lessons. New Yorker Nina Rothe, who listens to the podcasts on the subway, describes them as "priceless gems that keep me amused for days". The lessons also mean she can communicate with people she meets on her travels to India.
Krishnan's podcasts can be downloaded from his website, Cutting Chai. He also has a novel called "The Loudest Firecracker," coming out in January, 2008.
To join the Learn Hindi from Bollywood Facebook group, go here.
