Bollywood in Monrovia

There's a cinema in Monrovia. Actually, I think there's two, but I'm not sure if the 'Relda' is open. The Rivoli is though, and it's across the street from work. It's a dilapidated building; the stairs are crumbling, as is the facade. The sign out front says 'Rivoli' in big red letters. I had wondered if it was a cinema.

It is indeed a cinema, and it plays Bollywood movies! We went to see a movie the other day: 'Goal', a Bollywood movie set in London, and about...you guessed it, football/soccer! So I got my fix of movies, Bollywood and London in one go. The theatre's quite big, with orchestra and balcony seating. It hints at what Monrovia might have been like long ago. While the seats are mostly still in place, some are replaced with white plastic chairs. Little kittens roam the stage by the screen.

It was a Monday night, so not a big movie night. Movies are only 40 Liberian Dollars (about 60 cents). There must have been only about 20-30 people in the theatre, but audience participation was definitely in. They got right into the movie; talking back to the screen, cheering, berating, yelling. It was all I expected of a Bollywood flick. There was the requisite song and dance scene, the 3 hour slow-moving plot, and luckily English subtitles. It was definitely an experience. I had fun! I might just go again.