Bollywood Blues

'To an outsider, I would be the ideal daughter: I never disoblige my parents and respect them. I go to school, do my best and never go out.' Says 24-year-old Monique. She is the youngest daughter of Surinam-Hindu parents, with whom she still lives and who run a garage in the Netherlands. When she graduates, they expect her to get married soon - just like her sisters. But she had rather go on a holiday with her friends, go out and become a Bollywood star. The film follows Monique during rehears for a musical, at work and at home, where she tries to start discussions about leading an independent and unattached life. In the voice-over, she shares her thoughts with the viewer. She explains she does realise that her parents' strict upbringing is mainly brought forth by love. Although she, very sensibly, considers getting married soon, so her parents can 'get on with their lives', she still has fantasies about a Bollywood career. The dilemmas she struggles with are illustrated by Indian film excerpts and the theme of the musical she is working on.