Nate Rabe in Scroll.in:

Bob Dylan, unlike many of his contemporaries, seems to never have been drawn to India. There were no pilgrimages to Rishikesh, no gurus, no lost years by the Ganga and, to date, I’ve not detected any Hindustani musical influence in his music.

Dylan was far more curious and thirsty for the deep folk roots of Appalachia, Scotland, Mexico and England. Though he had an enduring and close friendship with the most “Indian” of the Beatles, George Harrison, chappatis and ragas were sadly not one their shared interests.

And yet, though the Bobster never ventured to South Asian shores, he has no lack of fans and interpreters on or from the subcontinent.

More here.

Over at The Wire (India):

When Omar Sharif, as Sherif Ali, rode on a camel on to the shimmering desert in Lawrence of Arabia, the world discovered a new movie star. Cast opposite Peter O’Toole, who played the eponymous T.E. Lawrence, Sharif quickly became a heartthrob among female fans and continued to be one for years afterwards.

Sharif was already a big name in Egypt’s movie scene, having attained fame from his very first film Siraa Fil-wadi (The Burning Sun) in 1954. He had trained in the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA), but it was his swarthy good looks that captivated audiences.

Legend has it that India’s own Dilip Kumar was offered the Lawrence of Arabia role by David Lean but he turned it down and Sharif was selected. Sharif later confessed he did not understand why Lawrence was such a success, since it only had shots of people on camels walking from one side to the other.

More here.

Excellent talk by Namit Arora. Make the time to see it if you can.

Note: Thanks to Dara Shaikh. Please take 5 minutes to watch this stunning video.