Bollywood

As someone who loves to dance, I sometimes find it difficult to motivate myself and push the limit outside of a classroom environment. If you can relate, then you'll want to check out The Doonya Bollywood Workout ($25 for three DVDs). I can say with confidence it's one of the most fun dance DVD series I've worked out with to date.

Bollywood-style dance workouts have caught on for good reason, and the two Doonya instructors, Kajal and Priya, are the perfect ambassadors for this high-energy cardio craze. Their infectious smiles and positive energy transcend the screen, but more importantly, quality instruction keeps you connected to your workout from start to finish. The Doonya Workout is a three-part series, so keep reading to learn what to expect from each of the three DVDs.

After two Indian actresses were arrested for prostitution last month, an old story has made new rounds: actresses are available for the right price.

It starts with demand. Men love the Bollywood actresses who gyrate across screens barely clothed. They're the polar opposite of the country's real women, who are covered from neck to toe in baggy pants and tunics. And it doesn't help that the actresses are known for living with men outside of marriage, which to the uninitiated is one step away from prostitution.

Pimps capitalize on the myth. They approach potential clients with a book of A-list actresses to choose from. Of course, she's never available — "stuck on set" — so the pimp suggests an up-and-coming actress who's really a prostitute. They make their money, and the client falls asleep thinking he could have bedded a big name. I bet when he retells the story he does!

If that's not enough, pimps have connections in the film industry. They buy ad space and create advertisements for fake films to glorify an "actress" in the lead role. The movie never gets made, of course, but the sex worker's rate goes up a whole lot of rupees.

The real victims are B- and C-level actresses, though, who buy into the myth. While I'm sure they go into it for money, they also try it because they're told to. It's falsely considered part of the journey, like waiting tables or doing aspirin commercials. Maybe it isn't all that different from Hollywood?

Bet you never thought the words Hitler and Bollywood would be in same sentence intentionally. First-time director Rakesh Ranjan Kumar is set to start filming My Dear Friend Hitler next month. Named for how Gandhi once began a letter to the former führer, it reveals the surprisingly friendly German-Indian relationship.

Hitler praised India during World War II in an attempt to woo loyalty away from the British, and the movie plans to show how Hitler contributed, indirectly, to India's independence in 1947. As for Hitler's obscene glorification of the Aryan race? Bygones, I guess.

While the movie won't be filled with the song and dance we've come to expect from Bollywood, it won't be a straight-up war movie either. It will focus on Hitler's last days and his relationship and marriage to Eva Braun, which was kept a secret from the public until after his death.

“It will be a romance but not in the typical sense,” the director said, it “aims to capture the personality of Adolf Hitler." Whatever it is, he's got our attention.

Last week we talked about the new workouts you wanted to try and today we're adding another to the list: Masala Bhangra. For those of you not familiar with Masala Bhangra, it's similar to the energetic dance numbers seen in Bollywood cinema and the worldwide hit Slumdog Millionaire.

Created by expat Sarina Jain, the hour-long cardio workout incorporates sliding steps, squats, jumps, turns, and lots of hand and wrist movement set against upbeat modern Bhangra music — a percussion-based genre that sounds like a mash-up of hip-hop and classical Indian music. The instructors are extremely motivating and the class environment feels more like a fun party than a workout regimen.

Jain first introduced the workout through a series of tapes in the 1990s but as she sensed the growing interest in Indian culture, she decided to teach classes as well. If you are a fan of dance workouts, give Masala Bhangra a try. It's a great way to burn 500 calories.

If you have done this workout, I'd love to hear what you think of it . . .