Bollywood sur Seine

Just as the Met is finally starting to catch up, a Euro house moves up the ante: Apparently Bollywood director Sanjay Leela Bhansali has signed on to direct a French opera at the Châtelet in Paris. We'll probably crash back down to earth when reality comes knocking (no news as to what the opera will be, or even if it's already written—scary considering the piece is scheduled for 2008) but on paper this strikes me as a stroke of genius. Bollywood and opera share a taste for extravagant situations and hyper-heightened sentiments, so the jump isn't as drastic as it looks. And Bollywood directors tend to know how to move crowds—which is good, since Bhansali has said that the show will involve a huge cast. Exciting times we live in.