Bollywood | Wikipedia audio article
Hindi cinema, often known as Bollywood and
formerly Bombay cinema is the Indian Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai (formerly Bombay).
The term is a portmanteau of “Bombay” and “Hollywood”. The industry is related to other
regional industries, making up Indian Cinema – the world’s largest by several feature
films produced. Indian cinema is the world’s largest film industry in film production,
with an annual output of 1,986 feature films in 2017. Bollywood is its largest film producer,
with 364 Hindi films produced in 2017.
Bollywood represents 43 percent of the Indian net box-office
revenue; Tamil and Telugu cinema represent 36 percent, and the remaining regional cinema
constituted 21 percent in 2014. Bollywood is one of the largest centers of film production
in the world. In 2001 ticket sales, Indian cinema (including Bollywood) reportedly sold
an estimated 3.6 billion tickets worldwide, compared to Hollywood’s 2.6 billion tickets
sold. Bollywood films tend to use a colloquial dialect of Hindi-Urdu (or Hindustani), mutually
intelligible by Hindi and Urdu speakers, and modern Bollywood films increasingly incorporate
elements of Hinglish. The most popular commercial genre in Bollywood since the 1970s has been
the masala film, which freely mixes different genres including action, comedy, romance,
drama, and melodrama along with musical numbers.
Masala films generally fall under the musical
film genre, of which Indian cinema has been the largest producer since the 1960s when
it exceeded the American film industry’s total musical output after musical films declined
in the West; the first Indian musical talkie was Alam Ara (1931), several years after the
first Hollywood musical talkie The Jazz Singer (1927). Alongside commercial masala films,
a distinctive genre of art films known as parallel cinema has also existed, presenting
realistic content and avoidance of musical numbers. In more recent years, the distinction
between commercial masala and parallel cinema has been gradually blurring, with an increasing
number of mainstream films adopting the conventions which were once strictly associated with parallel
cinema. == Etymology ==
“Bollywood” is a portmanteau derived from Bombay (the former name for Mumbai) and Hollywood,
California is the center of the American film industry. Unlike Hollywood, Bollywood is not
a physical place; its name is criticized by some film journalists and critics, who believe
it implies that the industry is a poor cousin of Hollywood. According to OxfordDictionaries.com,
the word “Bollywood” originated during the 1970s, when Indian cinema overtook Hollywood
in film production.
Several journalists have been credited by newspapers with coining
the word. According to a 2004 article in The Hindu, journalist Belinda Collaco coined the
word; a Telegraph article the following year reported that Amit Khanna was its creator. According
to Madhava Prasad, author of Surviving Bollywood, the term “Bollywood” was preceded by “Tollywood”,
which then referred to the cinema of West Bengal. The Bengali film industry, based in
Tollygunge, Calcutta, was referred to as “Tollywood” in a 1932 American Cinematographer article. == History == === Early history (1890s–1940s) ===
In 1897, a film presentation by Professor Stevenson featured a stage show at Calcutta’s
Star Theatre. With Stevenson’s encouragement and camera, Hiralal Sen, an Indian photographer,
made a film of scenes from that show, The Flower of Persia (1898). The Wrestlers (1899)
by H. S. Bhatavdekar showed a wrestling match at the Hanging Gardens in Bombay. Dadasaheb Phalke’s silent Raja Harishchandra
(1913) is the first feature film made in India. By the 1930s, the industry was producing over
200 films per year. The first Indian sound film, Ardeshir Irani’s Alam Ara (1931), was
commercially successful. With a great demand for talkies and musicals, Bollywood and the
other regional film industries quickly switched to sound films.
The 1930s and 1940s were tumultuous times; India was buffeted by the Great Depression,
World War II, the Indian independence movement, and the violence of the Partition.
Although
most Bollywood films were unabashedly escapist, several filmmakers tackled tough social
issues or used the struggle for Indian independence as a backdrop for their films. Irani made
the first Hindi color film, Kisan Kanya, in 1937. The following year, he made a color
version of Mother India. However, color did not become a popular feature until the late
The 1950s. At this time, lavish romantic musicals and melodramas were cinematic staples.
Before the 1947 partition of India, which divided the country into the Republic of India
and Pakistan, the Bombay film industry (now called Bollywood) was closely linked to the
Lahore film industry (now the Lollywood industry of Pakistani cinema); both produced films
in Hindi-Urdu (or Hindustani), the lingua franca of northern and central India.
Another
center of Hindi-Urdu film production was the Bengali film industry in Calcutta, Bengal
Presidency (now Kolkata, West Bengal), which produced Hindi-Urdu films and local Bengali
language films. Many actors, filmmakers, and musicians from the Lahore industry migrated
to the Bombay industry during the 1940s, including actors K. L. Saigal, Prithviraj Kapoor, Dilip
Kumar and Dev Anand; playback singers Mohammed Rafi, Noorjahan, and Shamshad Begum. Around
the same time, filmmakers and actors from the Calcutta film industry began migrating
to Bombay; as a result, Bombay became the center of Hindi-Urdu film production in the
The Republic of India after partition. During this period, actors such as Shantaram,
Paidi Jairaj and Motilal have made their mark. For decades after partition, the Bombay
industry was dominated by actors, filmmakers, and musicians from Bengal, Punjab (particularly
the present-day Pakistani Punjab), and the North-West Frontier Province (present-day
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa).
=== Golden Age (late 1940s–1960s) ===
The period from the late 1940s to the early 1960s, after India’s independence, is regarded
by film historians as the Golden Age of Hindi cinema. Some of the most critically acclaimed
Hindi films of all time were produced during this time. Examples include Pyaasa (1957)
and Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959), directed by Guru Dutt and written by Abrar Alvi; Awaara (1951)
and Shree 420 (1955), directed by Raj Kapoor and written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, and Aan
(1952), directed by Mehboob Khan and starring Dilip Kumar.
The films explored social themes,
primarily dealing with working-class life in India (particularly urban life) in the
first two examples. Awaara presented the city as both nightmare and a dream, and Pyaasa critiqued
the unreality of urban life. Mehboob Khan’s Mother India (1957), a remake of his earlier
Aurat (1940), was the first Indian film nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language
Film; lost by a single vote. Mother India defined conventional Hindi cinema for decades.
It spawned a genre of dacoit films, in turn, defined by Gunga Jumna (1961). Written and
produced by Dilip Kumar, Gunga Jumna was a dacoit crime drama about two brothers on opposite
sides of the law (a theme that became common in Indian films during the 1970s).
Some of
the best-known epic films of Hindi cinema were also produced at this time, such as K.
Asif’s Mughal-e-Azam (1960). Other acclaimed mainstream Hindi filmmakers during this period
included Kamal Amrohi and Vijay Bhatt. The three most popular male Indian actors
of the 1950s and 1960s were Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, and Dev Anand, each with a unique
acting style. Kapoor adopted Charlie Chaplin’s tramp; Anand modeled himself on suave Hollywood
stars like Gregory Peck and Cary Grant, and Kumar pioneered a form of method acting that
predated Hollywood method actors such as Marlon Brando. Kumar, who was described as “the ultimate
method actor” by Satyajit Ray, inspired future generations of Indian actors. Much like Brando’s
influence on Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, Kumar had a similar influence on Amitabh Bachchan,
Naseeruddin Shah, Shah Rukh Khan, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui.
Veteran actresses such as Suraiya,
Nargis, Sumitra Devi, Madhubala, Meena Kumari, Waheeda Rehman, Nutan, Sadhana, Mala Sinha, and Vyjayanthimala have had their share of influence on Hindi cinema. While commercial
Hindi cinema was thriving, the 1950s also saw the emergence of a parallel cinema movement.
Although the movement (emphasizing social realism) was led by Bengali cinema, it also
began gaining prominence in Hindi cinema. Early examples of parallel cinema include
Dharti Ke Lal (1946), directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and based on the Bengal famine of 1943,
Neecha Nagar (1946) directed by Chetan Anand and written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, and Bimal
Roy’s Do Bigha Zamin (1953).
Their critical acclaim and the latter’s commercial success
paved the way for Indian neorealism and the Indian New Wave (synonymous with parallel
cinema). Internationally acclaimed Hindi filmmakers involved in the movement included Mani Kaul,
Kumar Shahani, Ketan Mehta, Govind Nihalani, Shyam Benegal, and Vijaya Mehta. After the social-realist film Neecha Nagar
received the Palme d’Or at the inaugural 1946 Cannes Film Festival, Hindi films were frequently
in competition for Cannes’ top prize during the 1950s and early 1960s and some won major
prizes at the festival. Guru Dutt, overlooked during his lifetime, received belated international
recognition during the 1980s. Film critics polled by the British magazine Sight & Sound
included several of Dutt’s films in a 2002 list of greatest films and Time’s All-Time
100 Movies lists Pyaasa as one of the greatest films of all time. During the late 1960s and
early 1970s, the industry was dominated by musical romance films with romantic hero leads.
=== Classic Bollywood (the 1970s–1980s) === By 1970, Hindi cinema was thematically stagnant
and dominated by musical romance films. The arrival of the screenwriting duo Salim-Javed (Salim
Khan and Javed Akhtar) was a paradigm shift, revitalizing the industry. They began the
genre of gritty, violent, Bombay underworld crime films early in the decade with films
such as Zanjeer (1973) and Deewaar (1975). Salim-Javed reinterpreted the rural themes
of Mehboob Khan’s Mother India (1957) and Dilip Kumar’s Gunga Jumna (1961) in a contemporary
urban context, reflecting the socio-economic and socio-political climate of 1970s India
and channeling mass discontent, disillusionment, and the unprecedented growth of slums with
anti-establishment themes and those involving urban poverty, corruption, and crime. Their
“angry young man”, personified by Amitabh Bachchan, reinterpreted Dilip Kumar’s performance
in Gunga Jumna in a contemporary urban context and voice of the anguish of the urban poor. By
the mid-1970s, romantic confections had given way to gritty, violent crime films and action
films about gangsters (the Bombay underworld]]) and bandits (dacoits).
Salim-Javed’s writing
and Amitabh Bachchan’s acting popularised the trend with films such as Zanjeer and (particularly)
Deewaar, a crime film inspired by Gunga Jumna pitted “a policeman against his brother,
a gang leader based on real-life smuggler Haji Mastan” (Bachchan); according to Danny
Boyle, Deewaar was “absolutely key to Indian cinema”. In addition to Bachchan, several
other actors followed by riding the crest of the trend (which lasted into the early
The 1990s) Actresses from the era include Hema Malini, Jaya Bachchan, Raakhee, Shabana Azmi,
Zeenat Aman, Parveen Babi, Rekha, Dimple Kapadia, Smita Patil, Jaya Prada and Padmini Kolhapure. The name “Bollywood” was coined during the
The 1970s, when the conventions of commercial Bollywood films were defined.
Key to this
was the masala film, which combines several genres (action, comedy, romance, drama,
melodrama, and musical). The masala film was pioneered early in the decade by filmmaker
Nasir Hussain, and the Salim-Javed screenwriting duo, pioneering the Bollywood-blockbuster
format. Yaadon Ki Baarat (1973), directed by Hussain and written by Salim-Javed, has
been identified as the first masala film and the first quintessentially Bollywood film.
Salim-Javed wrote more successful masala films during the 1970s and 1980s. Masala films made
Amitabh Bachchan is the biggest Bollywood star of the period. A landmark of the genre was
Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), directed by Manmohan Desai and written by Kader Khan, and Desai
continued successfully exploiting the genre. Both genres (masala and violent-crime films)
are represented by the blockbuster Sholay (1975), written by Salim-Javed and starring
Amitabh Bachchan.
It combined the dacoit film conventions of Mother India and Gunga Jumna
with spaghetti Westerns, spawning the Dacoit Western (also known as the curry Western)
which was popular during the 1970s.Some Hindi filmmakers, such as Shyam Benegal, Mani Kaul,
Kumar Shahani, Ketan Mehta, Govind Nihalani, and Vijaya Mehta, continued to produce realistic
parallel cinema throughout the 1970s. Although the art film bent of the Film Finance Corporation
was criticized during a 1976 Committee on Public Undertakings investigation which accused
the corporation of not doing enough to encourage commercial cinema, the decade saw the rise
of commercial cinema with films such as Sholay (1975) which consolidated Amitabh Bachchan’s
position as a star. The devotional classic Jai Santoshi Ma was also released that year. By
1983, the Bombay film industry was generating an estimated annual revenue of ₹700 crore
(₹7 billion, $693.14 million), equivalent to $1.74 billion (₹11,133 crores, ₹111.33
billion) when adjusted for inflation. The most internationally acclaimed Hindi film
of the 1980s was Mira Nair’s, Salaam Bombay! (1988), which won the Camera d’Or at 1988
Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language
Film.
=== New Bollywood (the 1990s–present) === Hindi cinema experienced another period of
stagnation during the late 1980s with a box-office decline due to increasing violence, a decline
in musical quality, and a rise in video piracy; middle-class family audiences began abandoning
the cinema. The turning point came with Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988), directed by Mansoor
Khan was written and produced by his father Nasir Hussain and starred his cousin, Aamir Khan,
and Juhi Chawla. Its blend of youthfulness, family entertainment, emotional intelligence, and strong melodies lured audiences back to the big screen.
It formed a new template for
Bollywood musical romance films defined 1990s Hindi cinema. Known since the 1990s as
“New Bollywood”, contemporary Bollywood is linked to economic liberalization in India
during the early 1990s. Early in the decade, the pendulum swung back toward family-centered
romantic musicals. Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak was followed by blockbusters such as Maine
Pyar Kiya (1989), Chandni (1989), Hum Aapke Hain Kaun (1994), Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge
(1995), Raja Hindustani (1996), Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998),
introducing a new generation of popular actors, including the Three Khans: Aamir, Shah Rukh,
and Salman, who has starred in most of the top ten highest-grossing Bollywood films.
The Khans have had successful careers since the late 1980s, and have dominated the Indian
box office for three decades. Shah Rukh Khan was the most successful Indian actor for most
of the 1990s and 2000s, and Aamir Khan has been the most successful Indian actor since
the mid-2000s; Action and comedy films, starring such actors as Akshay Kumar and Govinda, were
also successful. The decade marked the entrance of new performers in art and independent films,
some of which were commercially successful; the most influential example was Satya (1998),
directed by Ram Gopal Varma and written by Anurag Kashyap.
Its critical and commercial
success led to the emergence of a genre known as Mumbai noir: urban films reflecting the
city’s social problems. This led to a resurgence of parallel cinema by the end of the decade.
The films featured actors whose performances were often praised by critics. The 2000s saw increased Bollywood recognition
worldwide due to growing (and prospering) NRI and Desi communities overseas. The growth
of the Indian economy and a demand for quality entertainment in this era led the country’s
film industry to new heights in production values, cinematography, and screenwriting as
well as technical advances in areas such as special effects and animation. Some of the
largest production houses, among them Yash Raj Films and Dharma Productions were the
producers of new modern films.
Some popular films of the decade were Kaho Naa… Pyaar
Hai (2000), Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001), Lagaan (2001), Koi… Mil Gaya (2003), Kal Ho Naa
Ho (2003), Veer-Zaara (2004), Rang De Basanti (2006), Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006), Dhoom
2 (2006), Krrish (2006), and Jab We Met (2007), among others, show the rise of new movie
stars. During the 2010s, the industry saw established
stars such as Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, and Shahrukh Khan making big-budget masala films
like Dabangg (2010), Ek Tha Tiger (2012), Rowdy Rathore (2012), Chennai Express (2013),
Kick (2014) and Happy New Year (2014) with much-younger actresses. Although the films
were often not praised by critics, they were commercially successful. Some of the films
starring Aamir Khan have been credited with redefining and modernizing the masala film
with a distinct brand of socially conscious cinema. Most stars from the 2000s continued
successful careers into the next decade, and the 2010s saw a new generation of popular
actors in different films.
Among new conventions, female-centered films such as The Dirty Picture
(2011), Kahaani (2012), and Queen (2014) started gaining wide financial success. == Influences on Bollywood ==
Moti Gokulsing and Wimal Dissanayake identify six major influences which have shaped Indian
popular cinema: The branching structures of ancient Indian
epics, like the Mahabharata and Ramayana. Indian popular films often have plots that
branch off into sub-plots. Ancient Sanskrit drama, with its stylized
nature and emphasis on spectacle in which music, dance, and gesture combine “to create
a vibrant artistic unit with dance and mime being central to the dramatic experience.”
Matthew Jones of De Montfort University also identifies the Sanskrit concept of rasa, or
“the emotions felt by the audience as a result of the actor’s presentation”, as crucial
to Bollywood films. Traditional folk theater became popular
around the 10th century with the decline of Sanskrit theater. Its regional traditions
include the Jatra of Bengal, the Ramlila of Uttar Pradesh, and the Terukkuttu of Tamil
Nada. Parsi theatre, “blended realism and
fantasy, music and dance, narrative and spectacle, earthy dialogue and ingenuity of stage presentation,
integrating them into a dramatic discourse of melodrama.
The Parsi plays contained crude
humor, melodious songs and music, sensationalism, and dazzling stagecraft.”
Hollywood, where musicals were popular from the 1920s to the 1950s.
Western musical television (particularly MTV), has had an increasing influence since
the 1990s. Its pace, camera angles, dance sequences, and music may be seen in 2000s Indian
films. An early example of this approach was Mani Ratnam’s Bombay (1995). Sharmistha Gooptu
identifies Indo-Persian-Islamic culture as a major influence. During the early 20th century,
Urdu was the lingua franca of popular cultural performance across northern India and was established
in popular performance art traditions such as nautch dancing, Urdu poetry, and Parsi
theater. Urdu and related Hindi dialects were the most widely understood across northern
India and Hindustani became the standard language of early Indian talkies. Films based
on “Persianate adventure-romances” led to a popular genre of “Arabian Nights cinema”.Scholars
Chaudhuri Diptakirti and Rachel Dwyer and screenwriter Javed Akhtar identify Urdu literature
as a major influence on Hindi cinema. Most of the screenwriters and scriptwriters of
classic Hindi cinema came from Urdu literary backgrounds, from Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and Akhtar
ul Iman to Salim-Javed and Rahi Masoom Raza; a handful came from other Indian literary
traditions, such as Bengali and Hindi literature.
Most of Hindi cinema’s classic scriptwriters
wrote primarily in Urdu, including Salim-Javed, Gulzar, Rajinder Singh Bedi, Inder Raj Anand,
Rahi Masoom Raza and Wajahat Mirza. Urdu poetry and the ghazal tradition strongly influenced
filmi (Bollywood lyrics). Javed Akhtar was also greatly influenced by Urdu novels by
Pakistani author Ibn-e-Safi, such as the Jasoosi Dunya and Imran series of detective novels;
they inspired, for example, famous Bollywood characters such as Gabbar Singh in Sholay
(1975) and Mogambo in Mr. India (1987). Todd Stadtman identifies several foreign influences
on 1970s commercial Bollywood masala films, including New Hollywood, Italian exploitation
films, and Hong Kong martial arts cinema. After the success of Bruce Lee films (such
as Enter the Dragon) in India, Deewaar (1975) and other Bollywood films incorporated fight
scenes inspired by 1970s martial arts films from Hong Kong cinema until the 1990s. Bollywood
action scenes emulated Hong Kong rather than Hollywood, emphasizing acrobatics and stunts
and combining kung fu (as perceived by Indians) with Indian martial arts such as Bhawani.
== Influence of Bollywood == ===
India === Perhaps Bollywood’s greatest influence has
been on India’s national identity, where (with the rest of Indian cinema) it has become part
of the “Indian story”. In India, Bollywood is often associated with India’s national
identity. According to economist and Bollywood biographer Meghnad Desai, “Cinema actually
has been the most vibrant medium for telling India its own story, the story of its struggle
for independence, its constant struggle to achieve national integration and emerge
as a global presence”.Scholar Brigitte Schulze has written that Indian films, most notably
Mehboob Khan’s Mother India (1957), played a key role in shaping the Republic of India’s
national identity in the early years after independence from the British Raj; the film
conveyed a sense of Indian nationalism to urban and rural citizens alike.
Bollywood
has long influenced Indian society and culture as the biggest entertainment industry; many
of the country’s musical, dancing, wedding, and fashion trends are Bollywood-inspired.
Bollywood fashion trendsetters have included Madhubala in Mughal-e-Azam (1960) and Madhuri
Dixit in Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994).Bollywood has also had a socio-political impact on Indian
society, reflecting Indian politics. In classic 1970s Bollywood films, Bombay underworld crime
films written by Salim-Javed and starring Amitabh Bachchan such as Zanjeer (1973) and
Deewaar (1975) reflected the socioeconomic and socio-political realities of contemporary
India. They channeled growing popular discontent and disillusionment and state failure to ensure
welfare and well-being at a time of inflation, shortages, loss of confidence in public institutions,
increasing crime, and the unprecedented growth of slums. Salim-Javed and Bachchan’s films
dealt with urban poverty, corruption, and organized crime; they were perceived by audiences as
anti-establishment, often with an “angry young man” protagonist presented as a vigilante
or anti-hero whose suppressed rage voiced the anguish of the urban poor.
=== Overseas ===
Bollywood has been a significant form of soft power for India, increasing its influence
and changing overseas perceptions of India. In Germany, Indian stereotypes included bullock
carts, beggars, sacred cows, corrupt politicians, and catastrophes before Bollywood and the
IT industry transformed global perceptions of India. According to author Roopa Swaminathan,
“Bollywood cinema is one of the strongest global cultural ambassadors of a new India.”
Its role in expanding India’s global influence is comparable to Hollywood’s similar role
with American influence. During the 2000s, Bollywood began influencing musical films
in the Western world and was an instrumental role in reviving the American musical film.
Baz Luhrmann said that his musical film, Moulin Rouge! (2001), was inspired by Bollywood musicals;
the film incorporated a Bollywood-style dance scene with a song from the film China Gate.
The critical and financial success of Moulin Rouge! began a renaissance of Western musical
films such as Chicago, Rent, and Dreamgirls.Indian film composer A.
R. Rahman wrote the music
for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Bombay Dreams, and a musical version of Hum Aapke Hain Koun was
staged in London’s West End. The Bollywood sports film Lagaan (2001) was nominated for
the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and two other Bollywood films (2002’s
Devdas and 2006’s Rang De Basanti) were nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the
English Language. Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire (2008),
which won four Golden Globes and eight Academy Awards, was inspired by Bollywood films and
is considered an “homage to Hindi commercial cinema”. It was also inspired by Mumbai-underworld
crime films, such as Deewaar (1975), Satya (1998), Company (2002), and Black Friday (2007).
Deewaar had a Hong Kong remake, The Brothers (1979), which inspired John Woo’s internationally
acclaimed breakthrough A Better Tomorrow (1986); the latter was a template for Hong Kong action
cinema’s heroic bloodshed genre. “Angry young man” 1970s epics such as Deewaar and Amar
Akbar Anthony (1977) also resembles the heroic-bloodshed genre of 1980s Hong Kong action cinema. The
influence of film may be seen in popular music worldwide.
Technopop pioneers Haruomi
Hosono and Ryuichi Sakamoto of the Yellow Magic Orchestra produced a 1978 electronic
album, Cochin Moon, based on an experimental fusion of electronic music and Bollywood-inspired
Indian music. Truth Hurts’ 2002 song “Addictive”, produced by DJ Quik and Dr. Dre, was lifted
from Lata Mangeshkar’s “Thoda Resham Lagta Hai” in Jyoti (1981). The Black Eyed Peas
Grammy Award-winning 2005 song “Don’t Phunk with My Heart” was inspired by two 1970s Bollywood
songs: “Ye Mera Dil Yaar Ka Diwana” from Don (1978) and “Ae Nujawan Hai Sub” from Oprah
(1972). Both songs were composed by Kalyanji Anandji, sung by Asha Bhosle, and featured
the dancer Helen. The Kronos Quartet re-recorded several R. D. Burman compositions sung by
Asha Bhosle for their 2005 album, You’ve Stolen My Heart: Songs from R.D. Burman’s Bollywood,
which was nominated for Best Contemporary World Music Album at the 2006 Grammy Awards.
Filmi music composed by A. R. Rahman (who received two Academy Awards for the Slumdog
Millionaire soundtrack) has frequently been sampled by other musicians, including the
Singaporean artist Kelly Poon, the French rap group La Caution, and the American artist
Ciara.
Many Asian Underground artists, particularly those among the overseas Indian diaspora,
have also been inspired by Bollywood music. == Genres == Bollywood films are primarily musicals, and
are expected to have catchy song-and-dance numbers woven into the script. A film’s success
often depends on the quality of such musical numbers. A film’s music is often released
before the film itself, increasing its audience. Indian audiences expect value for money, and a good
film is generally referred to as paisa vasool, (literally “money’s worth”). Songs, dances,
love triangles, comedy, and dare-devil thrills are combined in a three-hour show (with an
intermission). These are called masala films, after the Hindi word for a spice mixture.
Like masalas, they are a mixture of action, comedy, and romance; most have heroes who can
fight off villains single-handedly. Bollywood plots have tended to be melodramatic, frequently
using formulaic ingredients such as star-crossed lovers, angry parents, love triangles, family
ties, sacrifice, political corruption, kidnapping, villains, kind-hearted courtesans, long-lost
relatives and siblings, reversals of fortune, and serendipity.
Parallel cinema films, in and outside Bollywood, tended to be less popular at the box office.
A large Indian diaspora in English-speaking countries and increased Western influence
in India have nudged Bollywood films closer to Hollywood.According to film critic Lata
Khubchandani, “Our earliest films …
Had liberal doses of sex and kissing scenes in
them. Strangely, it was after Independence the censor board came into being and so did
all the strictures.” Although Bollywood plots feature Westernised urbanites dating and dancing
in clubs rather than pre-arranged marriages, traditional Indian culture continues to exist
outside the industry and is an element of resistance by some to Western influences.
Bollywood plays a major role, however, in Indian fashion. Studies have indicated that
some people, unaware that changing fashion in Bollywood films is often influenced by
globalization, consider the clothes worn by Bollywood actors as authentically Indian.
== Casts and crews == Bollywood employs people from throughout India.
It attracts thousands of aspiring actors and actresses hoping for a break in the industry.
Models and beauty contestants, television actors, stage actors, and ordinary people come
to Mumbai with the hope of becoming a star. As in Hollywood, very few succeed. Since many
Bollywood films are shot abroad, many foreign extras are employed. Very few non-Indian actors
can make a mark in Bollywood, although many have tried.
There have been exceptions,
however, and the hit film Rang De Basanti starred the English Alice Patten. Kisna, Lagaan,
and The Rising: Ballad of Mangal Pandey also featured foreign actors and Australian-born
actress Emma Brown Garett has starred in a few Indian films. Bollywood can be insular,
and relatives of film-industry figures have an edge in obtaining coveted roles in films
or being part of a film crew.
However, industry connections are no guarantee of a long career:
competition is fierce, and film-industry scions will falter if they do not succeed at the
box office. Stars such as Dilip Kumar, Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna, Rishi Kapoor,
Anil Kapoor, Sunny Deol, Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit, and Shah Rukh Khan lacked show-business
connections. == Dialogues and lyrics == Film scripts (known as dialogues in Indian
English) and their song lyrics are often written by different people. Scripts are usually written
in an unadorned Hindi-Urdu, known as Hindustani, which would be understood by the largest possible
audience.
Bollywood films tend to use a colloquial dialect of Hindi-Urdu, mutually intelligible
by Hindi and Urdu speakers. Most of the classic scriptwriters of what is known as Hindi cinema,
including Salim-Javed, Gulzar, Rajinder Singh Bedi, Inder Raj Anand, Rahi Masoom Raza and
Wajahat Mirza, primarily wrote in Urdu. Salim-Javed wrote in Urdu script, which was then transcribed
by an assistant into Devanagari script so Hindi readers could read the Urdu dialogues.
During the 1970s, the Urdu writers and screenwriters Krishan Chander and Ismat Chughtai said that
“more than seventy-five percent of films are made in Urdu” but were categorized as
Hindi films by the government.
Urdu poetry has strongly influenced Bollywood songs, whose
lyrics also draw from the ghazal tradition. Some films have used regional dialects to evoke
a village setting or archaic Urdu in medieval historical films. In her book, The Cinematic
Imagination, Jyotika Virdi wrote about the presence of Urdu in Hindi films: “Urdu is
often used in film titles, screenplay, lyrics, the language of love, war, and martyrdom.”
Virdi notes that although Urdu was widely used in classic Hindi cinema decades after
partition because it was widely taught in pre-partition India, its use has declined
in modern Hindi cinema: “The extent of Urdu used in commercial Hindi cinema has not been
stable …
The decline of Urdu is mirrored in Hindi films … It is true that many Urdu
words have survived and have become part of Hindi cinema’s popular vocabulary. But that
is as far as it goes … For the most part, popular Hindi cinema has forsaken the florid
Urdu was part of its extravagance and retained a ‘residual’ Urdu”. However, Urdu
continues to be used in Bollywood films for dialogues and (particularly) songs. Contemporary
mainstream films also use English; according to the article “Bollywood Audiences Editorial”,
“English has begun to challenge the ideological work done by Urdu.” Some film scripts are
first written in Latin script.
Characters may shift from one language to the other to
evoke a particular atmosphere (for example, English in a business setting and Hindi in
an informal one). The blend of Hindi, Urdu, and English sometimes heard in modern Bollywood
films, known as Hinglish, has become increasingly common. Cinematic language (in dialogues or
lyrics) is often melodramatic, invoking God, family, mother, duty, and self-sacrifice.
Song lyrics are often about love. Bollywood song lyrics (especially in older films) frequently
use the poetic vocabulary of court Urdu, with several Persian loanwords.
Another source
for love lyrics in films such as Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje and Lagaan is the long Hindu tradition
of poetry about the loves of Krishna, Radha, and the Gopis.
Music directors often prefer working with certain lyricists, and the lyricist and composer
may be seen as a team. This phenomenon has been compared to the pairs of American composers
and songwriters who created classic Broadway musicals. == Sound ==
Sound in early Bollywood films was usually not recorded on location (sync sound). It
was usually created (or re-created) in the studio, with the actors speaking their lines
in the studio and sound effects added later; this created synchronization problems. Commercial
Indian films are known for their lack of ambient sound, and the Arriflex 3 camera necessitated
dubbing.
Lagaan (2001) was filmed with sync sound, and several Bollywood films have recorded
on-location sound since then. == Female makeup artists ==
In 1955, the Bollywood Cine Costume Make-Up Artist & Hair Dressers’ Association (CCMAA)
ruled that female makeup artists were barred from membership. The Supreme Court of India
ruled in 2014 that the ban violated Indian constitutional guarantees under Article 14
(right to equality), 19(1)(g) (freedom to work) and Article 21 (right to liberty). According
to the court, the ban had no “rationale nexus” to the cause sought to be achieved and was
“unacceptable, impermissible and inconsistent” with the constitutional rights guaranteed
to India’s citizens. The court also found illegal the rule which mandated that for any
artist to work in the industry, they must have lived for five years in the state where
they intend to work.
In 2015, it was announced that Charu Khurana was the first woman registered
by the Cine Costume Make-Up Artist & Hair Dressers’ Association. == Song and dance == Bollywood film music is called filmi (from
the Hindi “of films”). Bollywood songs were introduced with Ardeshir Irani’s Alam Ara
(1931) song, “De De Khuda Ke Naam pay pyaare”. Bollywood songs are generally pre-recorded
by professional playback singers, with the actors then lip-syncing the words to the song
on-screen (often while dancing). Although most actors are good dancers, few are also
singers; a notable exception was Kishore Kumar, who starred in several major films during
the 1950s while having a rewarding career as a playback singer. K. L. Saigal, Suraiyya,
and Noor Jehan were known as singers and actors, and some actors in the last thirty years have
sung one or more songs themselves. Songs can make and break a film, determining
whether it will be a flop or a hit: “Few films without successful musical tracks, and even
fewer without any songs and dances, succeed”. Globalization has changed Bollywood music,
with lyrics an increasing mix of Hindi and English.
Global trends such as salsa, pop, and hip-hop have influenced the music heard in Bollywood films. Playback singers are featured
in the opening credits, and fans who will see an otherwise-lackluster film hear
their favorites. Notable Bollywood singers are Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Geeta Dutt,
Shamshad Begum, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Sadhana Sargam, Alka Yagnik, and Shreya Goshal (female),
and K. L. Saigal, Talat Mahmood, Mukesh, Mohammed Rafi, Manna Dey, Hemant Kumar, Kishore Kumar,
Kumar Sanu, Udit Narayan and Sonu Nigam (male). Kishore Kumar and Mohammed Rafi have been
considered the finest singer of Bollywood songs, followed by Lata Mangeshkar (who has
recorded thousands of songs for Indian films in her six-decade career).
Composers of film
music, known as music directors, are also well-known. Remixing of film songs with modern
rhythms is common, and producers may release remixed versions of some of their films’ songs
with the films’ soundtrack albums. Dancing in Bollywood films, especially older
films, is modeled on Indian dance: classical dance, dances of north-Indian courtesans (tawaif)
or folk dances. In modern films, Indian dance blends with Western dance styles as seen on
MTV or Broadway musicals; Western pop and classical-dance numbers are commonly seen
side-by-side in the same film.
The hero (or heroine) often performs with a troupe of supporting
dancers. Many song-and-dance routines in Indian films contain unrealistically-quick shifts
of location or changes of costume between verses of a song. If the hero and heroine
dance and sing a duet, it is often staged in natural surroundings or architecturally-grand
settings. Songs typically comment on the action taking
place in the film. A song may be worked into the plot, so a character has a reason to sing.
It may externalize a character’s thoughts, or presage an event in the film (such as two
characters falling in love). The songs are often referred to as a “dream sequence”, with
things happening which would not normally happen in the real world. Song and dance scenes
were often filmed in Kashmir but, due to political unrest in Kashmir since the end of the 1980s,
they have been shot in western Europe (particularly Switzerland and Austria). Contemporary Bollywood
dancers include Madhuri Dixit, Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Sridevi, Meenakshi
Seshadri, Malaika Arora Khan, Shahid Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, and Tiger Shroff. Older dancers
include Helen (known for her cabaret numbers), Madhubala, Vyjanthimala, Padmini, Hema Malini,
Mumtaz, Cuckoo Moray, Parveen Babi, Waheeda Rahman, Meena Kumari, and Shammi Kapoor.Bollywood
producers have been releasing a film’s soundtrack (as tapes or CDs) before the film’s release,
hoping that the music will attract audiences; a soundtrack is often more popular than its
film.
Some producers also release music videos, usually (but not always) with a song from
the film. == Finances ==
Bollywood films are multi-million dollar productions, with the most expensive productions costing
up to ₹1 billion (about US$20 million). The science-fiction film Ra. One was made on
a budget of ₹1.35 billion (about $27 million), making it the most expensive Bollywood film
of all time. Sets, costumes, special effects, and cinematography were less than world-class,
with some notable exceptions, until the mid-to-late 1990s. As Western films and television are
more widely distributed in India, there is increased pressure for Bollywood films to
reach the same production levels (particularly in action and special effects).
Recent Bollywood
films, like Krrish (2006), have employed international technicians such as Hong Kong-based action
choreographer Tony Ching. The increasing accessibility of professional action and special effects,
coupled with rising film budgets, has seen an increase in action and science-fiction
films. Since overseas scenes are attractive at the
box office, Mumbai film crews are filming in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United
Kingdom, the United States, Europe, and elsewhere. Indian producers have also obtained funding
for big-budget films shot in India, such as Lagaan and Devdas.
Funding for Bollywood films often comes from private distributors and a few large studios.
Although Indian banks and financial institutions had been forbidden from lending to film studios,
the ban has been lifted.
Finances are not regulated; some funding comes from illegitimate
sources such as the Mumbai underworld, which is known to influence several prominent film
personalities. Mumbai organised-crime hitmen shot Rakesh Roshan, a film director, and father
of star Hrithik Roshan, in January 2000. In 2001, the Central Bureau of Investigation
seized all prints of Chori Chori Chupke Chupke after the film was found to be funded by members
of the Mumbai underworld. Another problem facing Bollywood is the widespread copyright infringement
of its films. Often, bootleg DVD copies of movies are available before they are released
in cinemas. Manufacturing of bootleg DVDs, VCD, and VHS copies of the latest movie titles
is an established small-scale industry in parts of south and southeast Asia.
The Federation
of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) estimates that the Bollywood industry
loses $100 million annually from unlicensed home videos and DVDs. In addition to the homegrown
market, demand for these copies is large amongst portions of the Indian diaspora. Bootleg copies
are the only way people in Pakistan can watch Bollywood movies since the Pakistani government
has banned their sale, distribution, and telecast. Films are frequently broadcast without compensation
by small cable-TV companies in India and other parts of South Asia. Small convenience stores,
run by members of the Indian diaspora in the US and the UK, regularly stock tapes and DVDs
of dubious provenance; consumer copying adds to the problem. The availability of illegal
copies of movies on the Internet also contributes to industry losses.
Satellite TV, television and imported foreign films are making inroads into the domestic
Indian entertainment market. In the past, most Bollywood films could make money; now,
fewer do.
Most Bollywood producers make money, however, recouping their investments from
many sources of revenue (including the sale of ancillary rights). There are increasing
returns from theatres in Western countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United
States, where Bollywood is slowly being noticed. As more Indians migrate to these countries,
they form a growing market for upscale Indian films. In 2002, Bollywood sold 3.6 billion
tickets and had a total revenue (including theatre tickets, DVDs, and television) of $1.3
billion; Hollywood films sold 2.6 billion tickets and had total revenue of $51 billion. == Advertising ==
Several Indian artists hand-painted movie billboards and posters. M. F. Husain painted
film posters early in his career; human labor was found to be cheaper than printing and
distributing publicity material. Most of the large, ubiquitous billboards in India’s major
cities are now created with computer-printed vinyl. Old hand-painted posters, once considered
ephemera, are collectible folk art. Releasing film music, or music videos, before a film’s
release may be considered a form of advertising.
A popular tune is believed to help attract
audiences. Bollywood publicists use the Internet as a venue for advertising. Most bigger-budget
films have websites on which audiences can view trailers, stills, and information on the
story, cast, and crew. Bollywood is also used to advertise other products. Product placement,
used in Hollywood, is also common in Bollywood. == International filming ==
Bollywood’s increasing use of international settings such as Switzerland, London, Paris,
New York, Mexico, Brazil, and Singapore do not necessarily represent the people and cultures
of those locales. Contrary to these spaces and geographies being filmed as they are,
they are Indianised by adding Bollywood actors and Hindi-speaking extras to them.
While immersing in Bollywood films, viewers get to see their local experiences duplicated
in different locations around the world.
According to Shakuntala Rao, “Media representation
can depict India’s shifting relation with the world economy but must retain its ‘Indianness’
in moments of dynamic hybridity”; “Indianness” (cultural identity) poses a problem with Bollywood’s
popularity among varied diaspora audiences but gives its domestic audience a sense of
uniqueness from other immigrant groups. == Awards ==
The Filmfare Awards are some of the most prominent awards given to Hindi films in India. The
Indian screen magazine Filmfare began the awards in 1954 (recognizing the best films
of 1953), and they were originally known as the Clare Awards after the magazine’s editor.
Modeled on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ poll-based merit format, individuals
may vote in separate categories.
A dual voting system was developed in 1956.The National
Film Awards were also introduced in 1954. The Indian government has sponsored the awards,
given by its Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF), since 1973. The DFF screens Bollywood
films, films from other regional movie industries, and independent/art films. The
awards are made at an annual ceremony presided over by the president of India. Unlike the
Filmfare Awards, which are chosen by the public and a committee of experts, the National Film
Awards are decided by a government panel. Other awards ceremonies for Hindi films in India
are the Screen Awards (begun in 1995) and the Stardust Awards, which began in 2003.
The International Indian Film Academy Awards (begun in 2000) and the Zee Cine Awards, begun
in 1998, are held abroad in a different country each year.
== Global markets == In addition to their popularity among the
Indian diaspora from Nigeria and Senegal to Egypt and Russia, generations of non-Indians
have grown up with Bollywood. Indian cinema’s early contacts with other regions made inroads
into the Soviet Union, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and China.
Bollywood entered the consciousness of Western audiences and producers during the late 20th
a century and Western actors now seek roles in Bollywood films. === Asia-Pacific === ==== South Asia ====
Bollywood films are also popular in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal, where Hindi-Urdu is
widely understood. Many Pakistanis understand Hindi, due to its linguistic similarity to
Urdu. Although Pakistan banned the import of Bollywood films in 1965, trade in unlicensed
DVDs and illegal cable broadcasts ensured their continued popularity. Exceptions to
the ban were made for a few films, such as the colorized re-release of Mughal-e-Azam
and Taj Mahal in 2006. Early in 2008, the Pakistani government permitted the import
of 16 films. More easing followed in 2009 and 2010. Although it is opposed by nationalists
and representatives of Pakistan’s small film industry, it is embraced by cinema owners
who are making a profit after years of low receipts.
The most popular actors in Pakistan
are the three Khans of Bollywood: Salman, Shah Rukh, and Aamir. The most popular actress
is Madhuri Dixit; at India-Pakistan cricket matches during the 1990s, Pakistani fans chanted
“Madhuri dedo, Kashmir Lelo!” (“Give Madhuri, take Kashmir!”) Bollywood films in Nepal earn
more than Nepali films, and Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, and Shah Rukh Khan are popular in the
country. The films are also popular in Afghanistan
due to their proximity to the Indian subcontinent and their cultural similarities, particularly
in music. Popular actors include Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgan, Sunny Deol, Aishwarya Rai,
Preity Zinta, and Madhuri Dixit.
Several Bollywood films were filmed in Afghanistan
and some dealt with the country, including Dharmatma, Kabul Express, Khuda Gawah and
Escape From Taliban. ==== Southeast Asia ====
Bollywood films are popular in Southeast Asia, particularly in maritime Southeast Asia. The
three Khans are very popular in the Malay world, including Indonesia, Malaysia, and
Singapore. The films are also fairly popular in Thailand. India has cultural ties with Indonesia,
and Bollywood films were introduced to the country at the end of World War II in 1945.
The “angry young man” films of Amitabh Bachchan and Salim-Javed were popular during the 1970s
and 1980s before Bollywood’s popularity began gradually declining in the 1980s and 1990s.
It experienced an Indonesian revival with the release of Shah Rukh Khan’s Kuch Kuch
Hota Hai (1998) in 2001, which was a bigger box-office success in the country than Titanic
(1997). Bollywood has had a strong presence in Indonesia since then, particularly Shah
Rukh Khan films such as Mohabbatein (2000), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham… (2001), Kal Ho
Naa Ho, Chalte Chalte and Koi… Mil Gaya (all 2003), and Veer-Zaara (2004).
==== East Asia ====
Some Bollywood films have been widely appreciated in China, Japan, and South Korea. Several
Hindi films have been commercially successful in Japan, including Mehboob Khan’s Aan (1952,
starring Dilip Kumar) and Aziz Mirza’s Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman (1992, starring Shah Rukh
Khan). The latter sparked a two-year boom in Indian films after its 1997 release, with
Dil Se.. (1998) a beneficiary of the boom. The highest-grossing Hindi film in Japan is
3 Idiots (2009), starring Aamir Khan, received a Japanese Academy Award nomination.
The film was also a critical and commercial success in South Korea. Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar
Kahani, Awaara, and Do Bigha Zamin were successful in China during the 1940s and 1950s, and remain
popular with their original audience. Few Indian films were commercially successful
in the country during the 1970s and 1980s, among them Tahir Hussain’s Caravan, Noorie, and Disco Dancer. Indian film stars popular in China included Raj Kapoor, Nargis, and
Mithun Chakraborty. Hindi films declined significantly in popularity in China during the 1980s. Films
by Aamir Khan have recently been successful, and Lagaan was the first Indian film to
a nationwide Chinese release in 2011. Chinese filmmaker He Ping was impressed by Lagaan
(particularly its soundtrack) and hired its composer A.
R. Rahman to score his Warriors
of Heaven and Earth (2003). When 3 Idiots was released in China, China was the world’s 15th-largest
film market (partly due to its widespread pirate DVD distribution at the time). The
pirate market introduced the film to Chinese audiences, however, and it became a cult hit.
According to the Douban film review site, 3 Idiots is China’s 12th-most-popular film
of all time; only one domestic Chinese film (Farewell My Concubine) ranks higher, and
Aamir Khan acquired a large Chinese fan base as a result. After 3 Idiots, several of Khan’s
other films (including 2007’s Taare Zameen Par and 2008’s Ghajini) also developed cult
followings. China became the world’s second-largest film market (after the United States) by 2013,
paving the way for Khan’s box-office success with Dhoom 3 (2013), PK (2014), and Dangal
(2016). The latter is the 16th-highest-grossing film in China, the fifth-highest-grossing
non-English language film worldwide, and the highest-grossing non-English foreign film
in any market. Several Khan films, including Taare Zameen Par, 3 Idiots, and Dangal, are
highly rated on Douban. His next film, Secret Superstar (2017, starring Zaira Wasim), broke
Dangal’s record for the highest-grossing opening weekend by an Indian film cemented Khan’s
status as “a king of the Chinese box office”; Secret Superstar was China’s highest-grossing
foreign film of 2018 to date.
Khan has become a household name in China, with his success
described as a form of Indian soft power improving China–India relations despite political
tensions. With Bollywood competing with Hollywood in the Chinese market, the success of Khan’s
films has driven up the price for Chinese distributors of Indian film imports. Salman
Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Irrfan Khan’s Hindi Medium were also Chinese hits in early
2018. ==== Oceania ====
Although Bollywood is less successful on some Pacific islands such as New Guinea, it ranks
second to Hollywood in Fiji (with its large Indian minority), Australia, and New Zealand.
Australia also has a large South Asian diaspora, and Bollywood is popular amongst non-Asians
in the country as well.
Since 1997, the country has been a backdrop for an increasing number
of Bollywood films. Indian filmmakers, attracted to Australia’s diverse locations and landscapes,
initially used the country as a setting for song-and-dance scenes; however, Australian
locations now figure in Bollywood film plots. Hindi films shot in Australia usually incorporate
Australian culture. Yash Raj Films’ Salaam Namaste (2005), the first Indian film shot
entirely in Australia, was the most successful Bollywood film of 2005 in that country. It
was followed by the box-office successes Heyy Babyy, (2007) Chak De! India (2007), and Singh
Is Kinng (2008). Prime Minister John Howard said during a visit to India after the release
of Salaam Namaste that he wanted to encourage Indian filmmaking in Australia to increase
tourism, and he appointed Steve Waugh as tourism ambassador to India. Australian actress Tania
Zaetta, who appeared in Salaam Namaste and several other Bollywood films, was eager to
expand her career in Bollywood. === Eastern Europe and Central Asia ===
Bollywood films are popular in the former Soviet Union (Russia, Eastern Europe, and
Central Asia), and have been dubbed into Russian.
Indian films were more popular in the Soviet
Union than Hollywood films and, sometimes, domestic Soviet films. The first Indian film
released in the Soviet Union was Dharti Ke Lal (1946), directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas
and based on the Bengal famine of 1943, in 1949. Three hundred Indian films were released
in the Soviet Union after that; most were Bollywood films with higher average audience
figures than domestic Soviet productions. Fifty Indian films had over 20 million viewers,
compared to 41 Hollywood films. Some, such as Awaara (1951) and Disco Dancer (1982),
had more than 60 million viewers and established actors Raj Kapoor, Nargis, Rishi Kapoor, and
Mithun Chakraborty in the country. According to diplomat Ashok Sharma, who served in the
Commonwealth of Independent States, The popularity of Bollywood in the CIS dates
back to the Soviet days when films from Hollywood and other Western cinema centers
were banned in the Soviet Union. As there was no means of other cheap entertainment,
the films from Bollywood provided the Soviets with a cheap source of entertainment as they were
supposed to be non-controversial and non-political. In addition, the Soviet Union was recovering
from the onslaught of the Second World War. The films from India, which were also recovering
from the disaster of partition and the struggle for freedom from colonial rule, were found
to be a good source of providing hope with entertainment to the struggling masses.
The
aspirations and needs of the people of both countries matched to a great extent. These
films were dubbed in Russian and shown in theatres throughout the Soviet Union. The
films from Bollywood also strengthened family values, which was a big factor in their popularity
with the government authorities in the Soviet Union.
After the collapse of the Soviet film-distribution system, Hollywood filled the void in the Russian
film market and Bollywood’s market share shrank. A 2007 Russia Today report noted a renewed
interest in Bollywood by young Russians. In Poland, Shah Rukh Khan has a large following.
He was introduced to Polish audiences with the 2005 release of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham…
(2001) and his other films, including Dil Se.. (1998), Main Hoon Na (2004), and Kabhi
Alvida Naa Kehna (2006), became a hit in the country. Bollywood films are often covered
in Gazeta Wyborcza, formerly Poland’s largest newspaper. === Middle East and North Africa ===
Hindi films have become popular in Arab countries, and imported Indian films are usually subtitled
in Arabic when they are released.
Bollywood has progressed in Israel since the early 2000s,
with channels dedicated to Indian films on cable television; MBC Bollywood and Zee Aflam
show Hindi movies and serials. In Egypt, Bollywood films were popular during the 1970s and 1980s.
In 1987, however, they were restricted to a handful of films by the Egyptian government.
Amitabh Bachchan has remained popular in the country and Indian tourists visiting Egypt
are asked, “Do you know Amitabh Bachchan?”Bollywood movies are regularly screened in Dubai cinemas,
and Bollywood is becoming popular in Turkey; Barfi! was the first Hindi film to have a
wide theatrical release in that country.
Bollywood also has viewers in Central Asia (particularly
Uzbekistan and Tajikistan). === South America ===
Bollywood films are not influential in most of South America, although their culture and
dance are recognized. Due to significant South Asian diaspora communities in Suriname and
In Guyana, however, Hindi-language movies are popular. In 2006, Dhoom 2 became the first
Bollywood film to be shot in Rio de Janeiro. In January 2012, it was announced that UTV
Motion Pictures would begin releasing films in Peru with Guzaarish. === Africa ===
Hindi films were originally distributed to some parts of Africa by Lebanese businessmen,
and Mother India (1957) continued to be screened in Nigeria decades after its release. Indian
movies have influenced Hausa clothing, songs have been covered by Hausa singers, and stories
have influenced Nigerian novelists. Stickers of Indian films and stars decorate taxis and
buses in Nigeria’s Northern Region, and posters of Indian films hang on the walls of tailoring
shops and mechanics’ garages. Unlike Europe and North America, where Indian films cater
to expatriate markets, Bollywood films became popular in West Africa despite the lack of
a significant Indian audience.
One possible explanation is cultural similarity: the wearing
of turbans, animals in markets; porters carrying large bundles, and traditional wedding celebrations.
Within Muslim culture, Indian movies were said to show “respect” toward women; Hollywood
movies were seen as having “no shame”. In Indian movies, women are modestly dressed;
men and women rarely kiss and there is no nudity, so the films are said to “have culture”
which Hollywood lacks. The latter “don’t base themselves on the problems of the people”;
Indian films are based on socialist values and the reality of developing countries emerging
from years of colonialism.
Indian movies permitted a new youth culture without “becoming Western.”
The first Indian film shot in Mauritius was Souten, starring Rajesh Khanna, in 1983. In
In South Africa, film imports from India were watched by black and Indian audiences. Several
Bollywood figures have traveled to Africa for films and off-camera projects. Padmashree
Laloo Prasad Yadav (2005) was filmed in South Africa. Dil Jo Bhi Kahey… (2005) was also
filmed almost entirely in Mauritius, which has a large ethnic-Indian population.
Bollywood, however, seems to be diminishing in popularity in Africa. New Bollywood films
are more sexually explicit and violent. Nigerian viewers observed that older films (from the
The 1950s and 1960s) had more culture and were less Westernised. The old days of India avidly
“advocating decolonization … and India’s policy was wholly influenced by his missionary
zeal to end racial domination and discrimination in the African territories” were replaced.
The emergence of Nollywood (West Africa’s film industry) has also contributed to the
declining popularity of Bollywood films, as sexualized Indian films became more like American
films.
Kishore Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan have been
popular in Egypt and Somalia. In Ethiopia, Bollywood movies are shown with Hollywood
productions in town square theatres such as the Cinema Ethiopia in Addis Ababa. Less-commercial
Bollywood films are also screened elsewhere in North Africa. === Western Europe and North America === The first Indian film to be released in the
Western world and received mainstream attention were Aan (1952), directed by Mehboob Khan and
starring Dilip Kumar and Nimmi. It was subtitled in 17 languages and released in 28 countries,
including the United Kingdom, the United States, and France. Aan was praised in the contemporary
The British press and The Times compared it favorably to Hollywood productions. Mehboob Khan’s later
Academy Award-nominated Mother India (1957) was a success in overseas markets, including
Europe, Russia, the Eastern Bloc, French territories, and Latin America. Many Bollywood films have
been commercially successful in the United Kingdom. The most successful Indian actor
at the UK box office has been Shah Rukh Khan, whose popularity in British Asian communities
played a key role in introducing Bollywood to the UK with films such as Darr (1993),
Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995), and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998).
Dil Se (1998) was the
first Indian film to enter the UK top ten. Several Indian films, such as Dilwale
Dulhaniya Le Jayenge and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), have been set in London.
Bollywood is also appreciated in France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia. Bollywood
films are dubbed in German and shown regularly on the German television channel RTL II. Germany
is the second-largest European market for Indian films, after the United Kingdom. The
most recognized Indian actor in Germany is Shah Rukh Khan, who has had box-office success
in the country with films such as Don 2 (2011) and Om Shanti Om (2007). He has a large German
fan base, particularly in Berlin (where the tabloid Die Tageszeitung compared his popularity
to that of the pope). Bollywood has experienced revenue growth in
Canada and the United States, particularly in the South Asian communities of large cities
such as Toronto, Chicago, and New York City.
Yash Raj Films, one of India’s largest production
houses and distributors, reported in September 2005 that Bollywood films in the United States
earned about $100 million per year in theatre screenings, video sales, and the sale of movie
soundtracks; Indian films earn more money in the United States than films from any other
non-English speaking country. Since the mid-1990s, several Indian films have been largely
(or entirely) shot in New York, Los Angeles, Vancouver, or Toronto. Films such as The Guru
(2002) and Marigold: An Adventure in India (2007) attempted to popularise Bollywood for
Hollywood. == Plagiarism ==
Pressured by rushed production schedules and small budgets, some Bollywood writers and
musicians have been known to plagiarise.
Ideas, plot lines, tunes, or riffs have been copied
from other Indian film industries or foreign films (including Hollywood and other Asian
films) without acknowledging the source. Before the 1990s, plagiarism occurred with impunity.
Copyright enforcement was lax in India, and few actors or directors saw an official contract.
The Hindi film industry was not widely known to non-Indian audiences (except in the Soviet
states), who would be unaware that their material had been copied. Audiences may not have been
aware of plagiarism, since many in India were unfamiliar with foreign films and music. Although
copyright enforcement in India is still somewhat lenient, Bollywood and other film industries
are more aware of each other and Indian audiences are more familiar with foreign movies and
music. Organizations such as the India EU Film Initiative seek to foster a community
between filmmakers and industry professionals in India and the European Union. A commonly-reported
justification for plagiarism in Bollywood is that cautious producers want to remake
popular Hollywood films in an Indian context.
Although screenwriters generally produce original
scripts, many are rejected due to uncertainty about whether a film will be successful. Poorly-paid
screenwriters have also been criticized for a lack of creativity. Some filmmakers see
plagiarism in Bollywood as an integral part of globalization, with which Western (particularly
American) culture is embedding itself into Indian culture. Vikram Bhatt, director of
Raaz (a remake of What Lies Beneath starring Bipasha Basu) and Kasoor (a remake of Jagged
Edge), has spoken about the influence of American culture and Bollywood’s desire to produce
box-office hits based along the same lines: “Financially, I would be more secure knowing
that a particular piece of work has already done well at the box office.
Copying is endemic
everywhere in India. Our TV shows are adaptations of American programs. We want their films,
their cars, their planes, their Diet Coke, and also their attitude. The American way
of life is creeping into our culture.” According to Mahesh Bhatt, “If you hide the source,
you’re a genius. There’s no such thing as originality in the creative sphere”.Although
very few cases of film-copyright violations have been taken to court because of a slow
legal process, the makers of Partner (2007) and Zinda (2005) were targeted by the owners
and distributors of the original films: Hitch and Oldboy. The American studio 20th Century
Fox brought Mumbai-based B. R. Films to court over the latter’s forthcoming Banda Yeh Bindaas
Hai, which Fox alleged was an illegal remake of My Cousin Vinny.
B. R. Films eventually
settled out of court for about $200,000, paving the way for its film’s release. Some studios
comply with copyright law; in 2008, Orion Pictures secured the rights to remake Hollywood’s
Wedding Crashers. === Music ===
The Pakistani Qawwali musician Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan had a big impact on Bollywood music,
inspiring numerous Indian musicians working in Bollywood, especially during the 1990s.
However, there were many instances of Indian music directors plagiarising Khan’s music
to produce hit film songs. Several popular examples include Viju Shah’s hit song “Tu
Cheez Badi Hai Mast Mast” in Mohra (1994) was plagiarised from Khan’s popular Qawwali
song “Dam Mast Qalandar”, “Mera Piya Ghar Aya” used in Yaarana (1995), and “Sanoo Ek
Pal Chain Na Aaye” in Judaai (1997).
Despite the significant number of hit Bollywood songs
plagiarised from his music, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was reportedly tolerant of plagiarism.
One of the Bollywood music directors who frequently plagiarised him, Anu Malik, claimed that he
loved Khan’s music and was showing admiration by using his tunes. However, Khan
was reportedly aggrieved when Malik turned his spiritual “Allah Hoo, Allah Hoo” into
“I Love You, I Love You” in Auzaar (1997). Khan said “he has taken my devotional song
Allahu and converted it into I love you. He should at least respect my religious songs.”Bollywood
soundtracks also plagiarised Guinean singer Mory Kanté, particularly his 1987 album Akwaba
Beach. His song, “Tama”, inspired two Bollywood songs: Bappi Lahiri’s “Tamma Tamma” in Thanedaar
(1990) and “Jumma Chumma” in Laxmikant-Pyarelal’s soundtrack for Hum (1991). The latter also
featured “Ek Doosre Se”, which copied Kanté’s “Inch Allah”.
His song “Yé ké yé ké” was
used as background music in the 1990 Bollywood film Agneepath, inspired the Bollywood song
“Tamma Tamma” in Thanedaar. == See also.
