Bollywood is exactly what it sounds like. A cross section between
Hollywood and Bombay, Bollywood has gone through a lot throughout its
history.
While some people might actually believe Bollywood is just another
extended wing of Hollywood and that nothing is different between the two of
them, they can't be more wrong.
Bollywood is a growing movie industry in
Asia (and the Western Hemisphere too!) which produces a mass production of
films. In fact, Bollywood creates the largest number of films in the world.
Not to mention the fact that they also hold the highest number of tickets
sold internationally.
Bollywood Hollywood
I want to purchse this Double-sided poster.
Bollywood actors, Bollywood films, Bollywood DVDs, and even Bollywood
ringtones. Is there anything Bollywood can't do?
Bollywood is popular to
many people in Africa, Asia, and even the Middle East. With their Hindi
music, the Bollywood movies serenade the audience into their exciting plots.
Yes, I said serenade. Many movies in Bollywood are musicals, therefore a lot
of singing is required.
However, the Bollywood films are not the usual song
and dance with an occasional jig on the streets of New York. Instead, there
are a lot of drama within the musical to entertain the audience with the
deep plots and loving music. Many plots often include betrayal, confused
lovers lost in each other's lives, kidnapping, and whatever adventure you
can name.
If you are looking for movies that capture your interest, these
are the films with a little zazz to them. However, like other movie genres
from film industries, Indian films do not all contain weird coincidences and
forbidden love. There are films that focus on the realistic side to life.
So, whatever the mood the audience feels, there are a variety of Hindi films
to choose from.
Bollywood has gone through a material of change. Not unlike many Asian
cultures, the movies that were produced were restricted from showing various
things. Nudity was a huge deal in the movies. The actors and actresses were
not allowed to undress themselves for their role and were very restricted.
Sexual relationships were also at the top of the list with nudity. Kissing
was banned from the movie screens of Bollywood.
Western culture has
started to influence Hindi film culture. Nakedness is not a problem in Hindi
cinema anymore.
The Western culture is also seen on the plots of Bollywood
films. When the plot used to focus on marriages arranged by parents, the
plots of movies now focus on the dating scene of India. You can say that the
past Bollywood has been "westernized" into the present. Although some people
love the change or "reformation", there are two sides to a story. Others
miss the past days of Hindi films where their Indian culture was more
prominent.
A BIG part of Bollywood is the music. Bollywood music is what sets Indian
films from the rest of the world. Their distinctive sounds are treasured
through the world. In fact, when I'm going through the television channels
to find out what is on during Sunday mornings, I tend to stop at the
television station where they are playing Hindi music videos. A Hindi MTV if
you will.
When the scene calls out for an actor or actress to do a song and
dance sequence, the directors find a background singer called a "playback
singer". A majority of Bollywood films have songs sung by playback singers.
They record these singers first, and then film the actors (or actresses)
dancing to the song that they supposedly sung. Of course some
actors/actresses have sung their own songs, but it depends on you to judge
how well they did.