Marigold

In Marigold, a light romantic comedy billed as the first United States-India co-production, India provides one of its biggest stars (the bad boy Salman Khan), gorgeous scenery (Goa, Bombay, Rajasthan), a genre (the Bollywood musical) and even the daughter of a Nobel Prize winner (the actress Nandana Sen, whose father is the economist Amartya Sen).

The United States contributes a television star (Ali Larter of Heroes), a writer-director (Willard Carroll, whose credits are mainly in childrens film and television) and an aspiration to capture the spirit of Bollywood that would have been considered a head-scratcher in Hollywood just a few years ago.

Ms. Larter plays Marigold, a bratty American C+ movie star stranded in Goa. Lickety-split she is cast in a Bollywood film, providing the occasion for songs and dances, and lickety-split she tumbles for the films suavely sincere choreographer, Prem (Mr. Khan, with his honeyed voice and winning smile).

Marigold isnt quite the lark it could be. It doesnt really have Bollywoods antic, anything-goes quality, and Mr. Carrolls script lacks punch and dimension. Worse, Marigolds transformation from arrogant starlet to woman in love is more baffling than believable.

But Mr. Carroll knows his Bollywood stuff and, refreshingly, doesnt apologize for, or waste time explaining, an industry and a style that most Americans still regard as silly. Instead, he honors them.

MARIGOLD

Opens today nationwide.

Written and directed by Willard Carroll; director of photography, Anil Mehta; edited by Anouradhaa Singh; music by Graeme Revell, with songs by Shankar Ehsaan Loy, lyrics by Javed Akhtar and Truth Hurts; choreography by Vaibhavi Merchant and Remo; production designers, Jon Bunker and Nitin Desai; produced by Charles Salmon and Tom Wilhite; released by Hyperion Pictures and Adlabs Films. Running time: 110 minutes. This film is not rated.

WITH: Ali Larter (Marigold Lexton), Salman Khan (Prem Rajput), Nandana Sen (Janvi), Ian Bohen (Barry) and Helen Khan (Roopa).