Bollywood Movie House in Jaipur, India … and, yes, that’s a camel amidst the traffic

Sukhi, our fabulous tour guide, asks, “Want to see a great Bollywood film while in Jaipur? It’s three hours and quite a spectacle.” Almost all ten of us say, “Sure – let’s do it.”

Here we are in a majestic movie house that you don’t find anymore in the USA multiplex film houses. The theater is packed with people from India… because we are in India. (Yes, I’m redundant here, but hang on.)

The film begins. There’s a battle scene, a love triangle and lots of drama. The BIG problem is that the film is in Hindi. I do not understand one word.

I march over to Sukhi about 30 minutes in and whisper, “Ummm, Sukhi, where are the subtitles? This is crazy!” He replies calmly, “You’re right, there are no subtitles.” I retreat back to my chair and think about how long these three hours will be.

What’s the Most Important Skill when You Communicate?

Meeting the needs of your audience. An Indian film, shown in India, will be in Hindi.

How did I screw this up in India? By assuming an Indian film would meet MY language needs.

Do American films, shown in America, have Spanish or Italian or Hindi subtitles?

It took awhile for me to realize my lack of perspective. As for this movie, the costumes and dance scenes were great and the plot became somewhat discernable but without the nuances. While I didn’t stay the entire time, I loved the audience reactions and the grand movie house itself.

PS: Thanks, Judy Dedmon, for your broader perspective on this experience, this photo, and for the popcorn.

Karen Cortell Reisman, M.S., author of 3 books and President of Speak For Yourself®, works with decision makers on how to speak with gravitas. It’s all in how you speak for yourself. Karen also speaks about her cousin, Albert Einstein, in a message about hope, resilience and brassieres.

Read more at www.SpeakForYourself.com/blog