The Bollywood Background

By Fuad Omar.

Bollywood is not just for India. Overseas territories are big money earners for producers and distributors and so many films are now made with a view to be seen internationally. This week, I thought I'd write about Bollywood in general after something that occurred earlier this past week.

I had a chance meeting with a very interesting journalist who follows the film festival circuits and writes on and about international film. He caught Lagaan at one of the recent ones and we ended up getting into a lengthy discussion about the movie and Indian cinema in general. As we parted ways and exchanged numbers, he asked if I could recommend a resource or magazine which would give him an introduction to the industry or possibly be a good background basic piece on Indian cinema and where its heading, as we had discussed. I thought about recommending he pick up one of the film magazines, but remembered how they have less information about film and more gossip. I pointed him in the direction of some books but they seemed to be too focussed on a person or film to give him what he was searching for. I ended up directing him to the Asiangigs website telling him my interviews are mostly written with some non-Bollywood fan-friendliness and promised him I'd write something to help him this week. So this one's more a Bollywood for beginners, because you don't have to be a Bollywood veteran to like Indian cinema, and so if you're jumping on the train at whatever stage, here 's the lowdown!

The Indian Film Industry, or Bollywood as it's more popularly known as, is the largest in the world and the following it has generated is phenomenal. Indian cinema is regularly acclaimed for its lavish production sets and traditional musical interludes. The three hour song and dance films are creating huge waves across the globe, and particularly in Britain where every week eager audiences of over two million await the next blockbuster release.

The locations used in an Indian film are typically India, Switzerland and more recently the UK and US. Two most recent films that were shot in Scotland were Rajiv Rai's Pyaar Ishq aur Mohabbat and David Dhawan's Kyoon kii Main Jhoot Nahin Bolta. Artistes from the world of Bollywood are now recognised globally as part of an ever-growing industry and are being scouted by various industries, with Indian film stars being wanted by Hollywood (Sushmita Sen was to be a Bond girl in Goldeneye had it not been for her Miss Universe contractual obligations, and Hrithik Roshan was offered a part in an updated Hamlet), technicians (Santosh Sivan is constantly offered work from Hollywood) and even dancers, such as for Andrew Lloyd Webber's Bombay Dreams musical, which debuts next Summer.

Indian cinema's era began in the early nineteenth century when India as a country was still experiencing major social and political reforms. In 1931 the first Indian film with sound, Alam Ara was released by the Imperial Film Company in Bombay.

This new form of entertainment was warmly received by millions throughout the country and the revolution had started. The general public everywhere needed a distraction from reality, and they found solace in cinema. Escapism from the poverty around them, from their daily routines and escapism from the future, which was written in their hands, based on the place they were born, for most, Indian Cinema couldn't have come any sooner.

Soon enough, Indian cinema was a phenomenon attracting huge viewing figures be it on the big or small screen. Hits such as Sholay, Qayamat se Qayamat Tak, Maine Pyar Kiya, Baazigar, Hum Aapke Hai Koun, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai dominated the last few decades as stand out films that did outstanding business in comparison to other movies released in the same era. The last decade has also seen a mass revival of quality Indian cinema after a lacklustre 70s and 80s, when films began to be valued on their star merit rather than content, but Hum Aapke Hain Koun, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and more recently Lagaan have changed that and films again began to be appreciated as narratives that were progressing the medium.

Last years blockbuster Mohabbatein outperformed Hollywood films such as 'What Lies Beneath' and 'The Blair Witch Project 2' in multiplex cinemas nationwide and we began seeing more of Bollywood on Film 2000 and now get reports every once in a while on Film 2001. Overseas territories were also becoming big business and technically the movies had improved in such a way that they had firmly made their mark on international cinema. Kuch Kuch Hota Hai was a huge international success and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's debut film Khamoshi found an appreciative audience in the UK, despite his film being rejected by the masses of India. More recently the Sony Pictures release Lagaan was played at all Odeon cinemas with English subtitles and brought in a mixed audience from every background. The film featured British actors such as Paul Blackthorne and Rachel Shelley as well as one of India's top actors Aamir Khan, who stepped into production with this film, which took the world by storm.

The regular appearance of Indian films in the UK Top Ten are thanks to the growing Asian audience in the UK and the increasing popularity of Indian films amongst the youth, while still packing in the family crowds, much to the box office's delight. Traditionally family values and cultures are both passionate issues for West-bred Asians, and producers and directors whilst realizing this market, produce and promote their films in a way that appeals to their exact target audience. Gone are the days when just the mums and dads used to nip out for a movie to be reminded of home, now missing the latest blockbuster can leave college and university students with nothing to talk about at lunchtime! The youth essentially drive the industry at this point because they seemed to have made watching movies a part of their inherent culture. As British Asians a part of their identity is a comfortable mix of East and West and Bollywood is catering to this need by having films like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, which has a young fresh cast and subject, but at its core instills Indian values which leave the viewer with a feelgood factor of high numbers. Indian youth are now presented as people who may sport DKNY tops and the latest Nike trainers, but they'll also be making it to their pilgrimages and are present at the family Pooja ceremonies.

Foreign locales are parts of the dreams Bollywood has to offer, many recently released films have been shot in their entirety in places like Scotland and parts of London. The UK as a whole is firmly established as the second home of Bollywood after Mumbai as more and more Asians are investing into and providing returns for Indian films. Foreign countries are viewed as a fresher environment and one, which also appeals greatly to British Asians, and having the British Tourist Agency's backing helps.

The format of a typical Indian film will have key characters such as the main male lead, often referred to as the 'hero', his romantic counterpart, the 'heroine', a villain who'll represent evil or at least some sort of obstacle to overcome and occasionally the vamp who'll be in the guise of an alluring temptress dancing in a seductive song or two. The film will almost always be a musical, since music is a huge part of Indian heritage and the lyrics to the songs will sometimes be like poetry in motion. With the desire to make different films and experiment with cinema, we have some films which are absent in some ingredients and some have succeeded, whilst others failed. Hum Aapke Hain Koun took the risk of having fourteen songs and exceeding the three hour mark, which was unprecedented at the time, and to top it off the wafer thin plot was weaved together through the songs. It did however spurn the biggest hit of Indian cinema, and is to this day deemed a true Bollywood classic and cultural phenomenon, combining all the ingredients of Indian culture in a family entertainer which re-establishes the joint family system.

Ramgopal Verma, after having a massive hit in Rangeela which had the major plus points of good music and a lot of skin, chose his next project to be devoid of songs, have no skin and made a film shot in real time. The thriller which had only three nameless characters and was shot in one house, was called Kaun and can be seen as an example of alternative Bollywood.

Despite the new breed's occasional venture into the unknown, the format remains the same but the locations have changed. Whereas yesterday the films were shot in India, today the latest blockbuster such as Karan Johar's Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham is shot in Egypt, Switzerland and London, enticing those who feast on visual spectaculars and lap up family drama by the drop.

Indian films themselves have improved tenfold in the last twenty years. Even the classics are worthy of repeat value and still pack the cinema houses in India, but the new breed of directors like Karan Johar, Aditya Chopra and Sooraj Barjatya are the ones to watch because like Spielberg and Lucas were in the 70s and 80s and Night Shyamalam is now, these people are the new Bollywood. They are injecting into the industry new ideas and new techniques, coming up with films that are making enormous amounts of money based on their mass appeal and heart warming subjects.

The films are no longer made to appeal just to a home-grown audience. Overseas territories provide big returns at the box office and so films are taken to these places to give them a more international feel.

So there you have it, for those who watch and didn't know and for the new and curious, welcome to the wonderful world of Bollywood!