Picture, if you will, the bustling city of Kolkata, India suddenly united by an unlikely phenomenon – a frenzy around the arrival of Moulin Rouge! It’s been 20 years since the jukebox musical was released, and I can’t disassociate the film from the hype surrounding it in my home city. It’s not like we didn’t have access to Hollywood films, but most people seemed less interested in pop culture than I was. As far as I could tell, my family were the only voracious consumers of English-language films and television shows, and we were the rare people who spent hours discussing what we’d watched. But Moulin Rouge! was different.

There was a great deal of discourse and excitement around the film within my social circle alone.

Baz Luhrmann’s third entry in his Red Curtain Trilogy stars Ewan McGregor as a naïve young writer named Christian who falls in love with Satine (Nicole Kidman), a courtesan at the Moulin Rouge. The film was inescapable in Kolkata in 2001, especially when we learned that a Hindi song was part of the soundtrack. I had already planned to watch it because McGregor was the star, and I’d been a fan of his since his performance as Obi-Wan Kenobi. But I could hardly avoid the film when all my classmates were talking about it. Back then, we found out about new films mostly through posters plastered on unsuspecting walls, trailers on film-related news shows (like BBC’s Talking Movies), and music videos on MTV. Moulin Rouge! was featured on all three, and when the trailers included a snippet of “Chamma Chamma” from the Bollywood film China Gate, suddenly the film was on everyone’s watchlist.

moulin-rouge-nicole-kidman-ewan-mcgregor
Image via 20th Century Fox

RELATED: Watch Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor Share Delightful Memories from 'Moulin Rouge'

Nowadays, discussions about representation in cinema are common, but we didn’t have that language in the early noughties. People were just excited that an Indian creation was in a Hollywood film. That in itself seemed to propel Moulin Rouge! to high esteem in many people’s eyes until it became the talk of the town. My fellow classmates went and watched it, arriving at school the next day with a full review to share with their friends. Every time I listen to “Come What May,” I recall our collective youthful outrage that the song was disqualified from the Oscars.

My relationship with Moulin Rouge! is certainly complicated, mostly because of that initial hometown hype surrounding the film. But musical romances weren't my favorite anyway, so young me wouldn’t have cared for the film in any case. I finally watched it well after most of my peers had seen it, and I cringed throughout. The film was overwrought, bawdy, and hugely melodramatic. I rolled my eyes, unable to understand the fascination with this tonally-confused film. Now, of course, I know that was precisely the point - Moulin Rouge! is an amalgamation of operas and Greek tragedies, hence the massive tonal shifts throughout its runtime. At the time, though, the film’s style was the opposite of what I enjoyed.

moulin-rouge-nicole-kidman
Image via 20th Century Fox

Moulin Rouge! has a Bollywood-esque style of storytelling and over-the-top characterization. Luhrmann was inspired by watching a Hindi film while in India, and those influences are strong in the musical. In addition to the inclusion of “Chamma Chamma,” the play within the film is set in India, and the costumes are inspired by that setting. Luhrmann even employed close-ups reminiscent of Bollywood films. All he had to do was throw in a few Dutch angles and he could have been an honorary member of the Indian film fraternity. (I’m joking!) Moulin Rouge! also follows a similar pattern to classic Indian films, not just Hindi ones. A couple meets, they’re torn apart by outside forces, one half pretends to betray the other, they sing a song that brings them together, and either they ride off into the sunset or someone dies. You can see why not everyone is a fan of the formula, but also, I recognize the appeal. Luhrmann’s storytelling was enough of a novelty that Moulin Rouge! bagged multiple Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. But anyone living in India already had Bollywood films to turn to for high drama, and since I’d given up on Bollywood films by that time, Moulin Rouge! was just an unexpected reminder of why.

Of course, there’s also the question of cultural appropriation. When the film first came out, we didn’t really acknowledge this concept. For many of us in India, it was a matter of pride that the country was being represented in a way that had nothing to do with slums and poverty. Even during my most recent re-watch, I guffawed at the mix of Indian ingredients thrown in to flavor the film, but I didn’t hate it. I found it comforting. Nostalgia played a part in that, but part of the appeal of the film is how far removed it feels from reality. So, it’s understandable that young Bohemians in Montmartre, France, would cobble together a flamboyant idea of the country; just as it is believable that an Australian filmmaker would be taken in by the glitz and glamour of an Indian film and use it as inspiration for his next project. After all, Moulin Rouge! is a fantasy and India is part of that fantasy. I say this with a caveat. It’s very different growing up in a country where you can choose to opt out of the local entertainment scene in favor of Hollywood. For anyone who hates the complete lack of Indian representation in this film, I agree with you. I can’t imagine Moulin Rouge! being made for the big screen today without more cultural sensitivity. But I also can’t imagine the film being remade without any Indian elements in it at all. The musical is still a Broadway favorite, so I guess not that many people are perturbed by the elements of appropriation. I’ll admit though, “Hindi Sad Diamonds” still makes no sense as a song title.

moulin-rouge-cast
Image via 20th Century Fox

I have other issues with the film too, mostly because of Satine and Act Three. The fact that the central – and only – female character of note in the film is a courtesan robs Satine of her agency. In the third act, the Duke (Richard Roxburgh) practically forces himself on Satine before he’s knocked out. As much as “El Tango de Roxanne (Medley)” is a heart-thumping mix, I’ve always been disturbed by the casual inclusion of an attempted sexual assault (another trope from older Bollywood films). Christian also becomes unlikeable in the third act. He turns from being caring and concerned to jealous and unkind, which feels completely out of character.

When I sat down to re-watch Moulin Rouge! prior to writing this piece, I did so with great trepidation. I’d just heard a podcast that dissected the problematic elements of this film, and my most vivid recollections were of all the worst bits. But I found myself grinning from ear to ear. I sang along to the medleys that I now know by heart. I slapped my knee at genuinely hilarious moments. And yes, I was heartbroken that Satine couldn’t realize her dream of being an actress and that Christian lost his first love.

Time and distance have mellowed my point of view. I’ve watched the film several times over the years, mostly by accident while flipping channels. Every time, I’ve been surprised at how much fun Moulin Rouge! is. Of the three films in the trilogy, Moulin Rouge! is Luhrmann’s most accomplished. The performances are riveting. They’re campy when needed and nuanced at other times. You can see Luhrmann perfecting his art through Strictly Ballroom and Romeo + Juliet, the first two chapters of his Red Curtain Trilogy, to land on the slick direction of this final installment.

moulin-rouge-nicole-kidman-ewan-mcgregor-moon
Image via 20th Century Fox

Yet, the film never forgets that it is entertainment, and I think that’s a huge reason why it’s easy to love Moulin Rouge! The cinematography and melodrama give the film its fantasy vibe. The unique camera movements, flamboyant sets, and larger-than-life characters draw you into the world and keep you there. The film is cleverly written, too – the entire story is foreshadowed in the very first act, but the way the plot unfolds is seamless. I love how Satine uses her wits to get Christian and herself out of hot water on numerous occasions. And the songs are wonderful earworms. While I think Moulin Rouge! was the first jukebox musical I watched, I knew most of the songs and Luhrmann used each medley to move the story along. This is where the Bollywood influence on me comes in. I may not have liked the stories and characters in Hindi films, but when you watch enough Bollywood, you start to miss characters breaking out into song from time to time. Moulin Rouge! fills that void perfectly.

The film has flaws, and it is dated at times, but Moulin Rouge! is an imperfect comfort watch, especially after multiple re-watches. It’s been a complex journey to realizing I can enjoy something which is problematic in parts, but incredibly diverting as a total experience. Despite my initial skepticism, I can’t help but love this film, come what may.

KEEP READING: The Best Movie Musicals of the 21st Century