A slew of bad movies- and a few rare gems

I have now been away from India long enough to feel emotionally about all things Indian. The sunshine and spice, I cannot do anything about. But thanks to a fast, streaming connection and ample free time, I can certainly make an effort to be on top of the latest in B-town. That is how I ended up watching Aisha and IHLS. Strange what boredom can do to a person of general good taste :P I feel obliged to say a few words of caution, maybe you'll learn from my mistakes :p
Aisha: A word of advice to all those who think they can make chick flicks. Chicks have brains too, you know. They will ogle at nice clothes but 2.5 hours is too long a time to ogle at clothes. Some kind of a plot would have been appreciated.
I Hate Love Stories: Infact, any story which meanders through its screen time in such a vapid and aimless way. Music- forgettable. Acting- wooden. Romance- whatzzat? Comedy- Irritating (some scenes attempt to caricaturize K Jo's oldies to garner laughs. Bad idea-even those over-the-top scenes are far more watchable)
Anjaani Anjaani- I really should have gone to bed, 5 minutes into the movie, like the husb.
On the bright side, through my determined plodding into Indian movies,I discovered quiet gems in 'Outsourced' and 'Peepli Live'.
Outsourced is a small, witty movie about an American executive who has been shunted to India to manage a call centre. His initial desperation and ultimately, respect and affection for the country makes for a story which is entertaining and easy on the senses. I had avoided Peepli...thus far, wary of the grim subject it dealt with. Reviews from friends who had watched it had not been encouraging either. But we were in for a pleasant surprise. The movie deals with the serious subjects of farmer suicides and political incompetence efficiently and poignantly. Here was a subject which could easily have gotten weepy and despondent. That it refrains from doing so and doesn't get heavy is to the director's credit. Glad that this one wasn't relegated to the dusty backshelf of arthouse movies.
Wonder if I should plan a Bollywood Nite for my non-indian pals. It might be time to wean them off Shahrukh Khan and his antics :P
Sayonara till next month!