*Not A Bollywood Show*
(Posters without a photo shoot by legend @tanine.dunais !)
*Bollywood* (from *B* ombay H *ollywood*) is the Hindi-language film industry based out of Mumbai (Bombay)
After years (at least 2) of trying to bring these 2 loves of mine together, I realised it is not possible to showcase what an entire film-industry has to offer within a show (or 2, or even 3).
Instead, in this run of 3 shows (which are *categorically NOT Bollywood shows* ), we will provide a taster for what makes (and breaks) some genres of Bollywood (and Tollywood, Kollywood).
- Prepare to fall in love in `Not a Bollywood RomCom show` taking inspirations from `Imtiaz Ali and Aditya Chopra` – 15th May 19:30 - /program/not-a-bollywood-show-romcom-show/
- Then re-prepare to fall, off a cliff?, a tower?, a moving helicopter? — in `Not a Bollywood Action show`, inspired by `Siddharth Anand, Lokesh Kanagaraj and Atlee` – 16th May 15:00 - /program/not-a-bollywood-action-show/
- And finally, prepare to fall for anything and everything, all at once in `Not a Bollywood Masala show`, drawing from `Farah Khan, Rajinikanth and Vijay` movies. – 16th May 19:30 - /program/not-a-bollywood-masala-show/
*Featuring:* Angel Pelaez, Emil Struijker Boudier, Fer Rodil, Jenny Hasenack, Kelly Agathos, Kiki Miller-Hohnen, Liron Barre, Niharika Iyengar
*Co-director, lights and effects (and posters):* Tanine Dunais
*Director and music*: Gurbakshsingh Khalsa (That’s me!)
Want to meet another member of the #IA2026 Festival Ensemble? Good cause that's what we're doing right now!
Next up on our local cast launch is the wondrous Gurbakshsingh Khalsa!
This is Guru's first time as a member of the ensemble, but he performed at IMPRO Amsterdam 2023 with H.U.M.A.N.S. He's also also performed at festivals in Lisbon and Karlsruhe. Guru's been playing with both easylaughs and Flock Theatre as a cast member for the last seven years, among other shows. He feels comfortable with most forms of improv, particularly favouring narrative long-forms, but also happy with general themed shows.
Say your favorite things about Guru in the comments below and mark your calendars for #IA2026 from February 21st to the 28th so you catch every single one of his magnificent appearances!
August + first week of September:
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I took care of cats. But I like to think they took care of me.
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I played a show with Ollie. But I like to think Ollie played show with me.
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I lost all my friends by demolishing them at lasertag. But I like to think they just suck.
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A wonderful team lunch with the absolute best team.
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The most graceful video of anything I’ve ever recorded. I know a real life princess, and her and her husband (real life prince) invited me to play improv with the most talented people at their wedding!
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The wedding also marked the first day of my sabbatical.
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Hugs and kisses! Khalsa cares.
Too much happening this year to stay restricted to one post per half-year.
Think of this as me paying dividends to you (my shareholders) from the “too much happening”.
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July update:
Egypt Liveaboard was the main highlight. The images accurately depict my internal conflict as while I am with Viki (pause for awws), my heart truly and completely belongs to Bob (pause for “Yeah, I get that”s). He is also the best pouter I have ever seen!
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I think Viki understands, she’s cool that way, but Bob is playing hard to get.
2024 H1 in pictures.
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If you prefer descriptors, I’ll try, but will need 10,000 words because a picture is wo… You know the adage.
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Okay, here’s what happened.
1. I got my Dutch passport.
2. I turned 32 (I can fold my life into half 5 times!)
3. I went skiing with some amazing people.
4. Who took some awesome photos of me.
5. Impro Amsterdam - I taught.
6. Impro Amsterdam - I learnt.
7. Impro Amsterdam - I gave the camera the look.
8. I had movie nights with amazing people.
9. I attended a BEAUTIFUL wedding.
10. I sjoeled at the flock festival.
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Other highlight moments left to the imagination of the reader.(imagine me riding a horse or flying a space ship or something cool, please)
In Non-improv updates:.
- Traveled with Viki for a change (attending a wedding).
- Got a sleep study done for my snoring (they still don’t know how to help).
- Started some ski lessons (fell. A lot.)
- Cooked Indian food with NO chili at all (Insta crops Laura from the picture, but I love her and she was there (and clicked the photo)
- Became Dutch.
- FINALLY met Sarah (and Akshay again)
- Spent time with cousins (they be cool. Highly recommend. 5/5 cousin rating)
- Got Kabir to call me Mama (that’s uncle and not mom for non-hindi speakers)
Other updates:
- Gained some weight with some unhealthy diet and skipping gym/cycling practices.
- Retook Padel and enjoyed it.
- Therapist helping with fun realisations and growth. Not terrified of strangers as much as earlier.
- Struggled with low motivation and constant low energy, but it’s getting better.
2023 H2 Improv highlights:.
- My beginners graduated. (Including friends of mine).
- I was a human. (Twice).
- I directed some of the most talented people I know. (I realised directing ain’t easy and took a bit of a break to recover😁).
- I taught an Imtiaz Ali inspired improv workshop. (At the flock escape).
- I returned to stage as a graduate.
Not in photos:.
- I wrote an article for a global improv magazine (Status).
- I went on stage and said just the words semantic satiation on loop for 5 whole minutes.
- Overall learnt a lot about improv and my relationship with it.
2023-H1 eh? What can I say that has not already been said. It has been one of the H1s in my life.
It was a half full of (swipe for each one to make sense)
ART.
ACTION.
LOVE.
DRAMA.
OLD DRAMA, NOW WITH PHOTOSHOP JENNY.
FLUIDITY.
SOLID-ARITY.
CUTENESS.
FRIENDSHIPS.
And LEARNING TO STAND UP FOR MY HANDSOMENESS!
You will be missed, 2023-H1. As much as my memory shall permit. And then I shall move on. As I have 62 times before you.
Hugs and kisses.
Khalsa cares.
Drive fast and take chances.
Hydrate.
(This post is sponsored by Big Water, Big Care, Big Health Insurance and the Big Show)
Hi, I’m beginning my teaching journey with @flock_theatre this May as a guest teacher for beginners.
It’s scary AF to potentially be someone’s first touch point to improv, but also so exciting to be a teacher and learn about myself!
(Fun fact: Guru literally means teacher)
Tell new improvisers about it?
It’ll be good. It’ll be bad. But it’ll be real and that’s, all it will take… in the end. ALL THAAAT MATTERRRS! IF YOU FEEEEEELLLL..
Anyway, Link in bio!
Now we take a moment from our regularly scheduled lives to remind ourselves why we love this city so much!
Remember the XOXOXO in hugs and kisses is incomplete without the Amsterdam XXX (also the poutface OOO) #deep
