Hooray! No terrorists in Bollywood!

Bollywood Star Guilty of Arms Possession, but Cleared of Terrorism

By AMELIA GENTLEMAN
Published: November 29, 2006
NEW DELHI, Nov. 28 — Indians were entranced by Sanjay Dutt’s portrayal of a middle-aged mobster in this year’s biggest movie, “Lage Raho Munnabhai.” Whether they will be as enchanted by his conviction Tuesday for real-life arms possession is less certain.
Mr. Dutt, one of Bollywood’s top stars, was playing himself when, looking even more disheveled than usual, he arrived Tuesday for a high-drama courtroom scene in Mumbai to hear the verdict. He was found guilty of illegally possessing weapons, which he was accused of buying from gangsters suspected of planning India’s worst terrorist attack. But he was acquitted of the more serious charges of involvement in the terrorist conspiracy itself.
The case stems from the 1993 bombings in Mumbai, formerly Bombay, in which 257 people were killed. Mr. Dutt faces up to 10 years in prison, but a time for sentencing has not been determined.
“I have not found that he was a terrorist or was destructive,” Judge Pramod Kode said. Later, the judge told Mr. Dutt, “I have said that you are not a terrorist.” ....


Bollywood?

This article from the New York Times caught my eye as we (obviously) have been talking about globalization. The Hollywood-Bollywood comparison was rather interesting...

Through the Michael Jordan book and the borderless internet book, we've been discussing how the spread of American culture affects other countries. We've asked what goals selling our goods and occasionally our celebrities, through film and television, have in other countries. I wonder who started Bollywood and when, whether or not it was American led, or Indian led through the influence of American films.