Bollywood's Hollywoodisation
You probably guessed from the title of this post that I am not American: and you're right. However this post isn't about my origins, it's about Bollywood and the utter waste it is churning out. I personally believe Bollywood is hitting new lows, they are doing this through a superficial pursuit to become "Hollywood" standard. I have no objections in advocating better production values and so on, but I do have a problem when Indians start acting as though they are American. To everyone from Shah Rukh Khan to Priyanka Chopra - look at yourselves, regardless of your 1% market share outside the country, you are Indian: so act it.
Since about 2001 (pretty much since Dil Chahta Hai) every Bollywood film has had some reference the US orUK in one way or other. The film Black is a recent example: A POST MODERN INDIAN SETTING? What was Bhansali thinking? Is this supposed to be his vision of the future? Because it certainly isn't the present. Amitabh's english, what is going on? To attract an overseas audience he uses some 2bit Americanised english - I didn't know whether to laugh.... or.... laugh harder.
Bollywood can try as hard as it might to paint some Utopian vision of India in it's films. One in which girls ride water-skis, and cops come chasing crooks during street motorcycle races singing "Dhoom machale...". Fact - it doesn't happen. I don't mind accepting it if it was some ostensibly obvious scifi flick, but not an action adventure movie. 2 Fast 2 Furious just doesn't work on Indian streets which generally use NOS to do welding, not super turbo charging an autorickshaw or perhaps a cycle rickshaw. (Forgive me about the last sentence, I know very little about car modification).
Kal Ho Naa Ho, DCH, K3G, VeerZaara, Bride and Prejudice - all products of an industry so self absorbed and devoted to image, its a real pity because Bollywood has the talent to make some good films. Autocracy: it rules Bollywood. No one is given a chance unless they are somehow magically linked to Yash Chopra. He doesn't fund the movies, he owns the industry. Basically you want to be successfull in Bollywood, go and fall at his feet, do a few favours and hell you might even get a role. Get over image Bollywood, its high time you became called the "Hindi Film Industry" not Bombay Hollywood. As far as I'm concerned you are pretty much BSollywood.
This year all we have seen is skin shows in Bollywood. There have been very very few films of any quality available to the mainstream viewer (but what do they care, as long as it has Preity Zinta dancing around some tree its fine). The industry does have some good filmmakers using novel ideas or (gasp) relevant ideas. However, they are crushed under the weight of the Yash Chropra FACTORY. The Rising, another one of those crossover appeal movies - why is it funded 40crore, when the same movie could be made for under 15? Why- well because Mr Khan and Mr. Chopra, want to fatten their pockets.
Oh I just realised, I went off on some tangent. Well coming back to the issue at hand. Wearing 1inch of makeup and revealing some skin isn't going to change Bollywood into Hollywood. In fact it's going to do nothing but making Bollywood more of a laughing stock. Laughing stock - that reminds me of Aishwarya Rai. She hasn't had a hit in 3 years (and Devdas wasn't even exclusive to her) yet she thinks she can conquer Hollywood and in the process modernise Bollywood. FAT CHANCE. The perception is, B&P was a stuck up Bollywood actress trying to do a role. Most westerners automatically differentiate between their movies and ours. (I hate to call it ours but since I am Indian, I have no option).
Fact: - Bollywood pumps out close to 150films a year. Fact: - maybe 10 of them are watchable. Fact: - Bollywood isn't going to get an oscar by including homosexual jokes in their movies (though maybe a Hollywood movie could). Fact:- By showing slums which seem to be lifted out of a palace, it's not going to change the reality of India. People will still travel on a train supposed to carry 500 but carrying 5000, the probability that more than 50% of the population will go hungry tonight is 100%. The point is, Bollywood is trying to brainwash Indians into believing they live a completely devloped society. We don't.
I could go on and on, (I probably have), Bollywood needs to wake up to itself. It's not in the middle of New York or LA or London. It's in India. India means different parameters, values and styles to that of Hollywood. Thanks to various other film industries, some of our traditions are being kept alive. I will be scared if and when the day comes when India decides to change its name to Indiawood.
This entry was posted by Blogpur, on
Wednesday, August 17, 2005.
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3:39 AM
Nice post Venkat.I don't understand why ppl want everything to be Americanised.I hate such things to the core.
2:29 PM
This americani'z'ation has been on since Bollywood started, you just have to take a look at some of the big budget films from the 40's and 50's. They resemble most of the mammoth films from the major hollywood studios. Bollywood isn't going to wake up. You have trash like 'Page 3' winning National Awards and what about 'Mr and Mrs. Iyer'? Aparna Sen had something nice to say in 36, Chowringhee Lane, though she had no clue as to how to say it, but 'Mr and Mrs. Iyer'????? Spare me the crap, please. Parallel cinema in India is as publicity and money driven as mainstream cinema. The directors do not want to do what they set out wanting to do. Take the case of Iran, could you imagine a country like that producing Kiarostami, Makhmalbaf and Majid Majidi? But it has, India won't learn. 'Page 3' was made on a 'shoestring' budget of 2 crores. Give me that budget and I'll come with 20 films.
3:12 PM
Well written post Venkat. You have expressed the same sentiments that I have on bollywood. Bollywood is often reffered to as Indian Cinema.The IIFA awards is a case in point
5:17 PM
Cipher, thanks for reading
Abbas, I don't have a very detailed knowledge of Bollywood, but from what i have seen this trend is very obvious. Forget page3, i just want to know how saif ali khan won the national award!!
I wholeheartedly love your last comment "give me 2 crores and i will shoot 20 films". I think good small budget films should be encouraged. The Rising is an absolute waste of money. BTW, are you a filmmaker?
Prahbu, I really hate it aswell. More films outside bollywood are made in India each year than bollywood, but due to the propoganda of bollywood, they don't get recognised.
Writesetting, i am looking elsewhere for my kicks, at the moment its Chinese film as well 1940's film noir in hollywood. what do you like?
10:22 PM
My name is not Abbas Kiarostami (no, I wouldn't like to be him) the answer to the riddle I asked yesterday was Abbas Kiarostami.
10:45 PM
and please don't call me sir.
8:57 AM
i am so sorry mr writetrack, i didn't know who abbas kiarostami was until now,
8:41 PM
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