An Introduction to Bollywood

Recently, a friend and I were talking about Indian movies. It turns out that he had never watched a Bollywood movie. Even without seeing a single movie, he knew that "Bollywood" movies are different.

What is "Bollywood," and how is it different from "Hollywood"?

Bollywood is one of the oldest film industries in the world. Its origins can be traced back to 1913, when Phalke's "Raja Harischand" (King Harischand), the first full-length feature film, was released in India . . . a year before D.W. Griffith's "The Squaw Man" appeared in Hollywood. In the book <i>Temples of Desire</i>, Vijay Misra interchangeably uses "Bollywood" and "Bombay Cinema" for Hindi-based films released in Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay). Moreover, "Bollywood" is a postmodern term that has become increasingly popular in the last 15 years due to its comparison to "Hollywood" and the emergence of India as a global force. Nonetheless, the need to promote "Indian Cinema" against its western counterpart, "Hollywood", gained momentum with the introduction of MTV in India in the early-1990s.

Considering the size and population of India, the Indian film industry is huge both in terms of ticket sales and the number of films released in a given year. The Central Board of Certification of India states that over 3 billion people flock to movie theaters every year. An average of 850-1000 films are released in India, including not only films in Hindi but also films in other regional languages, mostly "Bombay Cinema" and films from South India.

<b>Bollywood movies</b>

Filmmaking techniques used in Bollywood differ greatly from those used in Hollywood. A typical Bollywood movie has several dance numbers, the use of which can be traced back to musicals from "Hollywood" during the period from 1920 to the 1960s. Also, Indian filmmakers convey different stylistic and thematic attributes through the use of dance numbers. The songs depict characters' emotions, such as sadness, happiness, and sexual innuendos. It can be a "boy-meets-girl sequence," or it can be an "I love you" moment. The song lyrics can be complex or simple, depending on the narrative. Mostly, these sequences are energetic, colorful, and visually beautiful. A look back at a few blockbuster Bollywood movies reveals that their songs are major contributors to their successes. For example, one of the hits from 1995, "Rangeela" ("Colorful"), had eight songs that became big hits even before the movie was released. The hit song "Mehbooba Mehbooba" ("Lover o' Lover") from "Sholay" ("Flames," 1975), the biggest Indian blockbuster of all time, is still played in dance clubs and parties.  The song has been remixed and parodied countless times. Apparently, a Bollywood film is incomplete without songs as they form the heart and soul of a Bollywood production.

Apart from songs, there are other filmmaking ingredients that characterize Bollywood. At times, the narrative can be fragmented or encapsulated within a fantasy world with touches of realism. Usually, a Bollywood movie can get overly melodramatic. Sex is still not shown in Indian movies, although Indian audiences have come in terms with kissing on the screen. (This is where songs can fill in the void!)

Traditionally, most Bollywood filmmakers feel the need to show a love story within the main script. The main hero rarely dies, and happy endings are the expected outcomes. In most films, the script is written around the male characters, although younger directors are changing this aspect. The actresses are hired mainly for the dance sequences in which they shake and show their bodies

The average moviegoer expects full value for their money. A good entertaining movie is usually referred to as "Paisa Vasool" ("Money's worth"), and a "Paisa Vasool" has melodrama, comedy, action, songs, and a love story all packed in three hours with an intermission.

Bollywood movies & directors in the West

In 1957, "Mother India" was the first Bollywood movie to garner an Oscar nomination for the Best Foreign Film category. Since then, Mira Nair's 1998 debut film "Salaam Bombay" ("A Salute to Bombay," 1988) and Aushutosh Gowariker's 2001 debut film "Lagaan" ("Land Tax," 2001) have also received Oscar nominations. Even before "Mother India," the famous director Satyajit Ray was already creating waves on the art-house circuit. His first film in the Apu Trilogy, "Pather Pancali," was released in 1955 to rave reviews in the US and Europe. The second film in the trilogy, "Aparajito" ("The Unvanquished"), won the 1957 Golden Lion award in Venice. The realism portrayed in Ray's movies can be compared to the works of the neo-realist director Vittorio De Sica ("The Bicycle Thief"). In 1992, Satyajit Ray received a "Lifetime Achievement" Oscar award for his contributions to motion pictures and humanity. However, these nominations alone do not make Bollywood movies immediately recognizable within the foreign film community in the U.S.

A new filmmaking movement was started by the late Ismail Merchant (of Merchant Ivory fame) and has now been followed by a new wave of Indian diaspora directors such as Mira Nair ("Monsoon Wedding," "The Namesake"), Gurinder Chadda ("Bend it Like Beckham"), Shekar Kapur ("Elizabeth"), Tarsem ("The Fall") and Deepa Mehta ("Fire, Earth, Water").  These "new wave" diasporic filmmakers are responsible for a dramatic increase in the number of Indian films released in the West.

Seeing the success of these films, Western studios are willing to provide funding for these projects. Recently Warner Bros. co-produced "Chandini Chowk to China" with an Indian film company. With the large pool of Indian immigrants in the U.S., Warner Bros.' strategy to tap into the Indian diaspora population could reap long-term rewards for the studio and should also encourage other studios. Also, Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks Pictures was in talks with the Indian company Reliance Entertainment to form an alliance that could be worth $2 billion.

The West takes on Bollywood

Mira Nair once asked a question in TIME Asia magazine (Issue 12th June, 2006), "Why is it that India arrives when the West says it does?" That question is relevant again with the recent release and Oscar success of Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire." This movie, directed by a Westerner about India, has become a box-office hit in the U.S. and won 8 Oscars, including "Best Picture." It is no surprise that, in economic times like this, an underdog story struck a chord with audiences worldwide. However, I fail to understand why when a Western director paints a gloomy and hopeless picture of poverty in India it is hailed as an artistic masterpiece. Will the West respond in the same way if talented directors such as Deepa Mehta or Mira Nair were to make a movie about drug problems in Baltimore? Mira Nair's "Salaam Bombay" is grittier than Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire," but it didn't become a major hit. Is it because an Indian diaporic director created a movie about Mumbai? Or is because with globalization, Western audiences are more in tune with the emerging countries such as India and China?

Bollywood Films to Watch

Just like Hollywood, Bollywood has a large percentage of duds. Still, there are some gems released every year. Here are the Bollywood movies that are high on my list:

--Ramesh Sippy's "Sholay" ("Flames," 1975), Rating 10/10 - This is the essential Bollywood movie to watch. Its dialogue and songs have become cultural icons. This movie played for 5 years in one theater.

--Shah's "Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron" ("Don't Mind Folks," 1983), Rating 10/10 - A take on corruption in Indian society.

* Mani Ratnam's Bombay (1995), Rating 9/10 -Controversial for its depiction of the 1992 Bombay riots and inter-religion relationship.

--Gowariker's "Lagaan" ("Land Tax," 2001), Rating 10/10 - A grassroots take on British rule through the sport of cricket

--Akhtar's "Dil Chata Hai" ("The Heart Desires," 2001), Rating 10/10 - A great story about three friends.

--Varma's "Sarkar" ("An Overlord," 2005), Rating 9/10 - Verma's tribute to "The Godfather."

--Vishal Bardwaj's "Omkara" (2006), Rating 9/10 - A film adaptation of Shakespeare's <i>Othello</i>.

--Mehra's "Rang De Basanti" ("Paint it Saffron," 2006), Rating 9/10 - A take on Indian politics as perceived by youths.

--Dholakia's "Parzania" ("Heaven & Hell on Earth," 2007), Rating 10/10 - A brutal portrayal of the 2002 Gujarat Riots.

--Sriram Ragahavan's "Johny Gaddaar" ("Johnny Traitor," 2007), Rating 8/10 - An homage to Hollywood film noirs of 1940s.

--Khan's "Gandhi, My Father" (2007), Rating 9/10 - A touching story about the relationship between Gandhi and his son.

--Kamath's "Mumbai Meri Jaan" (Mumbai, My Life, 2008), Rating 8/10 - A movie about the 2006 Mumbai train bombings.

These movies can be easily obtained from any Indian grocery store or Netflix. Netflix has an impressive collection of Bollywood movies. The DVDs have passable subtitles, although you might giggle at the English translation of songs.  There are even some Bollywood titles on Blu-ray, such as "Sawariya."

Notable Bollywood Directors and Stars

Directors:

Satyajit Ray (Apu Trilogy), Mira Nair ("The Namesake"), Deepa Mehta (Elements Trilogy), Mani Ratnam ("Bombay"), Ram Gopal Varma ("Sarkar," "Rangeela," "Satya"), Sanjay Leela Bansali ("Black," "Saawariya" ), Shyam Benegal ("Mandi," "Ankur")

Actors:

Amitabh Bachchan ("Sarkar," "Sholay"), Aamir Khan ("Lagaan"), Shah Rukh Khan ("Chak De India"), Irfan Khan ("The Warrior," "The Namesake"), Naseeruddin Shah ("Monsoon Wedding"), Saif Ali Khan ("Omkara," "Race")

Of these, Amitabh Bachan has the undisputed status of being the biggest superstar and actor in the Indian film industry. From the mid-1970s to the early-1990s, Bachchan has held this crown for almost 15 years. Shah Rukh Khan seems to be the current superstar, although Bachchan is still a crowd puller. Aamir Khan is very selective in the roles he does. He is more of an actor star than a superstar.

Actresses:

Madhuri Dixit ("Tezaab," "Gamini"), Tabu ("Maqbool"), Shabana Azmi ("Fire"), Aishwarya Rai ("Mistress of Spices," "Sarkar Raj")

Madhuri Dixit is an enigmatic actress whose skills single-handedly changed the Bollywood landscape. In Hollywood, where audiences will flock to watch male leads in the Bourne Trilogy, the James Bond series, "The Lord of the Rings," etc., a swarm of Indian audiences will go to theaters to watch Madhuri Dixit on the opening day. She was a superstar for almost 15 years starting in the early-1980s until her departure in the late-1990s.