Today’s recommendation: Om Shanti Om.

Non-Bollywood viewers may be a little lost with this one, but it’s well worth the viewing. Lush colors, broad comedy, likable actors and a sentimental story that mixes comedy, fantasy, and romance and manages to avoid being sappy (Oh, okay, it’s really sappy. But I like it) make it one of the better movies-about-making-movies that I have ever seen.

Actors interested in improving their comedy could do much worse than to take notes on Shah Rukh Khan, whose dance skills, handsome look, and knack for physical comedy put me in mind of Charlie Chaplin. Directors can get a glimpse of how to use cartoon colors without overusing them. Filmmakers in general will see how to take one of the most boring ideas for a plot ever and spice it up with a few twists on the topic.

Got a Netflix account? they have it for rent.

Shop at Amazon? They have it on DVD. Also at Amazon, third-party sellers offer it on Blu-Ray for less than the cost of the DVD (for those of you who already have the player). The visuals in Om Shanti Omare so significant to the style of the movie, I think it’s worth the HD. Yes, those two are affiliate links. If you buy them from this entry, I make a few pennies.