What is the first thing you would think about when talking about a movie? In my opinion, the first things I would consider are the genre, plot and character. However, ask me about Bollywood movies and I would immediately begin to tell you about the spontaneous, synchronized public dancing and action scenes that defy the laws of physics.
When I walk out of a movie theatre I want to be able to look at my friends and family and say, “Jeez! That was crazy! It almost seems like something that could happen!” No one finishes a Bollywood movie and says “That’s highly probable.”
The first Bollywood movie to ever be released was a black-and-white silent feature film in 1913. Around 17 years later, the industry was producing hundreds of movies per year. By 1931 the first sound film appeared in cinemas, and so we were able to hear the over dramatized sound effects. Bollywood movies were known to be long. Sometimes, they would last well over three hours, but, in the past, producers have reduced the amount from around two to two and a half hours.
In order to be famous in the Bollywood industry, it isn’t your education that matters; it’s mostly your appearance. In Bollywood people can become stars just by having a pretty face. Hollywood stars must continuously work until they finally catch a break but Bollywood stars just simply have good facial and physical features? Take for example Aishwarya Rai. Roughly half of the population claims that she is the queen of the industry while the other half says she is nothing but “a bimbo and a talentless woman” whose beauty gave her such popularity. It doesn’t help her story that she married Abhishek Bachchan, actor and son to one of the most famous Indian families to be known. In terms of Hollywood, they are the Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, excluding the fact that Angelina Jolie deserves her fame.
Throughout the years Bollywood has been criticized for plagiarizing from Hollywood movies. This isn’t a lie. Originally, many original ideas are scripted but then rejected due to insecurities of audience and financial certainty. The industry is so unoriginal it even uses the little ideas, rather than just changing them. Producers should understand that just because a movie had been glorified in the past doesn’t mean the Indian remake of it will turn out just as well.
The most well-known aspect of Bollywood is the dancing and the singing that appears throughout the movie, as I’ve mentioned earlier. Imagine an overly-dramatic scene in a movie in which the protagonist is either extremely ecstatic or extremely miserable. These are usually the points in the movie where they will begin an impromptu, yet well-coordinated song and dance that everybody around coincidently knows the words and steps to in order to join in. Having being to India, I can assure you that the public will not join your singing and dancing and they will not stop their cars for you. Instead they will push past and you might get run over before you sing the first five words.
Compared to Hollywood, Bollywood is a small and strange industry that is liked by millions. The former usually has a plot and scenes that are more realistic than seen in the latter. Throughout my years of watching Bollywood films with my family, I have noticed a few things to support this. Firstly, it was drawn to my attention that the hero of the movie will hardly ever appear to show pain while being beaten up, but when his love interest treats his wounds that is when he begins to hiss and feel discomfort. Another thing I have found to be quite unbelievable is seen in the scenes where the female protagonist travels to Europe in an attempt to change her life. How is it that across the world, everybody she meets just happens to be fluent in Hindi? If I went to London and spoke Hindi to the locals, I wouldn’t get very far.
Overall, the Bollywood industry is one that is very amusing, but perhaps not in the way intended. Bollywood is loved by thousands of people; most of whom I will presume are not in their right senses or have never seen a good Hollywood movie. Whether it is reciting the national anthem or having a 15 minute interval half-way through, I do not understand why people pay good money to see these movies in theatres. Perhaps they are the reason the country is overpopulated as Bollywood gives the impression that love is easy to find and it will usually be found in the very first man you meet. However, I do, however, also believe that Bollywood has its perks and it shall continue for many generations to either loathe or admire.
When I walk out of a movie theatre I want to be able to look at my friends and family and say, “Jeez! That was crazy! It almost seems like something that could happen!” No one finishes a Bollywood movie and says “That’s highly probable.”
The first Bollywood movie to ever be released was a black-and-white silent feature film in 1913. Around 17 years later, the industry was producing hundreds of movies per year. By 1931 the first sound film appeared in cinemas, and so we were able to hear the over dramatized sound effects. Bollywood movies were known to be long. Sometimes, they would last well over three hours, but, in the past, producers have reduced the amount from around two to two and a half hours.
In order to be famous in the Bollywood industry, it isn’t your education that matters; it’s mostly your appearance. In Bollywood people can become stars just by having a pretty face. Hollywood stars must continuously work until they finally catch a break but Bollywood stars just simply have good facial and physical features? Take for example Aishwarya Rai. Roughly half of the population claims that she is the queen of the industry while the other half says she is nothing but “a bimbo and a talentless woman” whose beauty gave her such popularity. It doesn’t help her story that she married Abhishek Bachchan, actor and son to one of the most famous Indian families to be known. In terms of Hollywood, they are the Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, excluding the fact that Angelina Jolie deserves her fame.
Throughout the years Bollywood has been criticized for plagiarizing from Hollywood movies. This isn’t a lie. Originally, many original ideas are scripted but then rejected due to insecurities of audience and financial certainty. The industry is so unoriginal it even uses the little ideas, rather than just changing them. Producers should understand that just because a movie had been glorified in the past doesn’t mean the Indian remake of it will turn out just as well.
The most well-known aspect of Bollywood is the dancing and the singing that appears throughout the movie, as I’ve mentioned earlier. Imagine an overly-dramatic scene in a movie in which the protagonist is either extremely ecstatic or extremely miserable. These are usually the points in the movie where they will begin an impromptu, yet well-coordinated song and dance that everybody around coincidently knows the words and steps to in order to join in. Having being to India, I can assure you that the public will not join your singing and dancing and they will not stop their cars for you. Instead they will push past and you might get run over before you sing the first five words.
Compared to Hollywood, Bollywood is a small and strange industry that is liked by millions. The former usually has a plot and scenes that are more realistic than seen in the latter. Throughout my years of watching Bollywood films with my family, I have noticed a few things to support this. Firstly, it was drawn to my attention that the hero of the movie will hardly ever appear to show pain while being beaten up, but when his love interest treats his wounds that is when he begins to hiss and feel discomfort. Another thing I have found to be quite unbelievable is seen in the scenes where the female protagonist travels to Europe in an attempt to change her life. How is it that across the world, everybody she meets just happens to be fluent in Hindi? If I went to London and spoke Hindi to the locals, I wouldn’t get very far.
Overall, the Bollywood industry is one that is very amusing, but perhaps not in the way intended. Bollywood is loved by thousands of people; most of whom I will presume are not in their right senses or have never seen a good Hollywood movie. Whether it is reciting the national anthem or having a 15 minute interval half-way through, I do not understand why people pay good money to see these movies in theatres. Perhaps they are the reason the country is overpopulated as Bollywood gives the impression that love is easy to find and it will usually be found in the very first man you meet. However, I do, however, also believe that Bollywood has its perks and it shall continue for many generations to either loathe or admire.