Bollywood is a new emerging film industry in India. In fact, it is the largest film industry in the world and has released more than 600 films and is also produced in more than 10 languages. Despite getting its name from Bombay (now Mumbai) and Hollywood – Bollywood, the films made in Bollywood were not like the typical Hollywood films. Bollywood films called masala films, literally meaning “spicy films”, have many long and eloquent song sequences, comedies, thrills and love triangles.
Movies often have magical ingredients such as misadventures of lovers, love triangles, angry parents, family ties and wealth, sacrifices for lovers both emotional and physical, corrupt politicians who seem to have it all, rookie kidnappers, gangsters who smuggle gold and ammunition, criminals. cunning, prostitutes with hearts of gold, relatives and twins separated by fate or by villains, dramatic reversals of fortunes and events, and convenient coincidences make masala films very appealing to the masses. Movies are made to appeal to the masses but there are some movies that try to create new trends.
Bollywood is not only popular in India but also among the large Indian Diaspora in English speaking countries and the middle east. Russia and Japan also have huge fan bases for Hindi Films, particularly Raj Kapoor and Rajni Kanth.
Bollywood music is called ‘filmic music’ where the stars on the scene sync a pre-recorded song. Playback singers are more popular than the average star and have a huge fan base who often go to the movies just to hear songs from their favorite singers. Kishor Kumar has a huge fan base and official fan club not only in India but worldwide where Bollywood movies are popular. The lyrics are written by professional poets and not by the singers themselves.
As with the lyrics, there is a “dialogue” written to appease the masses. If you’re watching a movie in theaters, don’t be surprised by people throwing “coins” at the screen when their favorite star delivers lines like “Kute, Tera Khun Pi Jayuga”, meaning, “Bloody Dog!, I’ll suck blood from you. “Aspiring stars come from all over India to try their luck and become Bollywood’s biggest Celebrities. Some of them are former miss world, Aishwarya Rai, former bus conductor Rajni and former cooks Akshay Kumar and Shah Runk Khan. Bollywood loves stars and their gossip.
Like Bollywood, there is Kollywood, Tollywood and Lollywood, taking their names from Hollywood and major Indian cities where they shoot major films in regional languages. Like the Oscars, Bollywood has its own set of awards and celebrations. The Zee Awards, IIFA awards to name a few are very popular and celebrations are often held outside India.
In the latest trend, there is an increasing number of Bollywood movies brought by video rental shops in the US, such as blockbusters. So what are you waiting for? Rent some great movies like “Hum Aapke Hain Koun” (1994) and “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge” (1995) and immerse yourself in the magical world of Bollywood.