Bollywood

Indian moviemaking industry that began in Bombay (now Mumbai) in the 1930s and developed into an enormous film empire Bombay !alkies" laun#hed in 193$ by %imansu &ai" spearheaded the growth of Indian #inema !hroughout the years" several #lassi# genres emerged from Bollywood' the histori#al epi#" notably Mughal-e-azam (19(0) *!he +reat Mughal*)) the #urry western" su#h as Sholay (19,-) *!he .mbers*)) the #ourtesan film" su#h as Pakeezah (19,/) *0ure %eart*)" whi#h highlights stunning #inematography and sensual dan#e #horeography) and the mythologi#al movie" represented by Jai Santoshi Maa (19,-) *%ail 1antoshi Maa*) 1tar a#tors" rather than the films themselves" have a##ounted for most bo23offi#e su##ess 1tandard features of Bollywood films in#lude formulai# story lines" e2pertly #horeographed fight s#enes" spe#ta#ular song3and3 dan#e routines" emotion3#harged melodrama" and larger3than3life heroes 4t the beginning of the /1st #entury" Bollywood produ#ed as many as 1"000 feature films annually" and international audien#es began to develop among 4sians in the 5 6 and the 51 Bollywood (%indi' " 5rdu' 7 89:;) is the informal name given to the popular Mumbai3based %indi3language film industry in India !he term is often in#orre#tly used to refer to the whole of Indian #inema Bollywood is only a part of the Indian film industry !he name is a portmanteau of Bombay (the former name for Mumbai) and Hollywood" the #enter of the 4meri#an film industry !hough some deplore the name" arguing that it makes the industry look like a poor #ousin to %ollywood" it seems likely to persist and now has its own entry in the <2ford .nglish =i#tionary Bollywood is #ommonly referred to as %indi #inema" even though %industani" the substratum #ommon to both %indi and 5rdu" might be more a##urate Bollywood #onsists of the languages of %indi" 5rdu and .nglish !he use of poeti# 5rdu words is fairly #ommon !he #onne#tion between %indi" 5rdu" and %industani is an e2tremely #ontentious matter !here has been a growing presen#e of Indian .nglish in dialogue and songs as well It is not un#ommon to see films that feature dialogue with .nglish words and phrases" even whole senten#es !here is a growing number of .nglish films 4 few films are also made in two or even three languages (either using subtitles" or several soundtra#ks)

Genre conventions

!ypi#al Bollywood Movie 0oster in the 19-0s Bollywood films are generally musi#als" and are e2pe#ted to #ontain #at#hy musi# in the form of song3and3dan#e numbers woven into the s#ript 4 film>s su##ess often depends on the ?uality of su#h musi#al numbers @1A Indeed" a film>s musi# is often released before the movie itself and helps in#rease the audien#e Indian audien#es e2pe#t full value for their money" with a good entertainer generally referred to as paisa vasool" (literally" *money>s worth*) 1ongs and dan#es" love triangles" #omedy and dare3devil thrills B all are mi2ed up in a three3hour3long e2travaganCa with an intermission 1u#h movies are #alled masala films" after the %industani word for a spi#e mi2ture" masala Dike masalas" these movies are a mi2ture of many things Bollywood plots have tended to be melodramati# !hey fre?uently employ formulai# ingredients su#h as star3#rossed lovers and angry parents" love triangles" family ties" sa#rifi#e" #orrupt politi#ians" kidnappers" #onniving villains" #ourtesans with hearts of gold" long3lost relatives and siblings separated by fate" dramati# reversals of fortune" and #onvenient #oin#iden#es !here have always been Indian films with more artisti# aims and more sophisti#ated stories" both inside and outside the Bollywood tradition (see 4rt #inema in India) !hey often lost out at the bo2 offi#e to movies with more mass appeal Bollywood #onventions are #hanging" however 4 large Indian diaspora in .nglish speaking #ountries" and in#reased Eestern influen#e at home" have nudged Bollywood films #loser to %ollywood models Film kisses are no longer banned 0lots now tend to feature Eesternised urbanites dating and dan#ing in dis#os rather than arranged marriages Film #riti# Data 6hub#handani writes"* our earliest films @hadA liberal doses of se2 and kissing s#enes in them 1trangely" it was after Independen#e the #ensor board #ame into being and so did all the stri#tures *@/A

Bollywood song and dance

1ongs in Bollywood are sung by professional playba#k singers" rather than a#tors" who lip3syn# the lyri#s 0i#tured here is Mukesh" a famed playba#k singer Bollywood film musi# is #alled filmi musi# (from %indi" meaning *of films*) 1ongs from Bollywood movies are generally pre3re#orded by professional playba#k singers" with the a#tors then lip syn#hing the words to the song on3s#reen" often while dan#ing Ehile most a#tors" espe#ially today" are e2#ellent dan#ers" few are also singers <ne notable e2#eption was 6ishore 6umar" who starred in several maGor films in the 19-0s while also having a stellar #areer as a playba#k singer 6 D 1aigal" 1uraiyya" and Hoor Iehan were also known as both singers and a#tors 1ome a#tors in the last thirty years have sung one or more songs themselves) for a list" see 1inging a#tors and a#tresses in Indian #inema +oing by the ?uality as well as the ?uantity of the songs they rendered" most notable singers of Bollywood are 1uraiyya" Hoor Iehan" Data Mangeshkar" 4sha Bhosle" +eeta =utt" 1hamshad Begum" 4lka Jagnik" et# among female playba#k singers and 6 D 1aigal" !alat Mahmood" Mukesh" Mohammed &afi" Manna =ey" %emant 6umar" 6ishore 6umar" 6umar 1anu" 5dit Harayan" 1onu Higam among male playba#k singers Mohammed &afi is often #onsidered the arguably finest of the singers that sung for Bollywood" followed by Data Mangeshkar" who" through the #ourse of a #areer spanning over si2 de#ades" has re#orded thousands of songs for Indian movies !he #omposers of film musi#" known as musi# dire#tors" are also well3known !heir songs #an make or break a film and usually do &emi2ing of filmi songs with modern beats and rhythms is a #ommon o##urren#e today" and produ#ers may even release remi2ed versions of some of their films> songs along with the films> regular soundtra#k albums !he dan#ing in Bollywood films" espe#ially older ones" is primarily modelled on Indian dan#e' #lassi#al dan#e styles" dan#es of histori# northern Indian #ourtesans (tawaif)" or folk dan#es In modern films" Indian dan#e elements often blend with Eestern dan#e styles (as seen on M!K or in Broadway musi#als)" though it is not unusual to see Eestern pop and pure #lassi#al dan#e numbers side by side in the same film !he hero or heroine will often perform with a troupe of supporting dan#ers Many song3and3dan#e routines in Indian films feature unrealisti#ally instantaneous shifts of lo#ation andLor #hanges of #ostume between verses of a song If the hero and heroine dan#e and sing a pas3de3deu2 (a dan#e and ballet term" meaning *dan#e of two*)" it is often staged in beautiful natural surroundings or ar#hite#turally grand settings !his staging is referred to as a *pi#turisation* 1ongs typi#ally #omment on the a#tion taking pla#e in the movie" in several ways 1ometimes" a song is worked into the plot" so that a #hara#ter has a reason to sing) other

times" a song is an e2ternalisation of a #hara#ter>s thoughts" or presages an event that has not o##urred yet in the plot of the movie In this #ase" the event is almost always two #hara#ters falling in love Bollywood films have always used what are now #alled *item numbers* 4 physi#ally attra#tive female #hara#ter (the *item girl*)" often #ompletely unrelated to the main #ast and plot of the film" performs a #at#hy song and dan#e number in the film In older films" the *item number* may be performed by a #ourtesan (tawaif) dan#ing for a ri#h #lient or as part of a #abaret show !he dan#er %elen was famous for her #abaret numbers In modern films" item numbers may be inserted as dis#othe?ue se?uen#es" dan#ing at #elebrations" or as stage shows For the last few de#ades Bollywood produ#ers have been releasing the film>s soundtra#k" as tapes or M=s" before the main movie release" hoping that the musi# will pull audien#es into the #inema later <ftentimes the soundtra#k is more popular than the movie In the last few years some produ#ers have also been releasing musi# videos" usually featuring a song from the film %owever" some promotional videos feature a song whi#h is not in#luded in the movie

Dialogues and lyrics

Main article Bollywood songs !he film s#ript or lines of dialogue (#alled *dialogues* in Indian .nglish) and the song lyri#s are often written by different people =ialogues are usually written in an unadorned %indi or %industani that would be understood by the largest possible audien#e 1ome movies" however" have used regional diale#ts to evoke a village setting" or old3fashioned #ourtly 5rdu in Mughal3era histori#al films Montemporary mainstream movies also make great use of .nglish In fa#t" many movie s#ripts are first written in .nglish" and then translated into %indi Minemati# language" whether in dialogues or lyri#s" is often melodramati# and invokes +od" family" mother" duty" and self3sa#rifi#e liberally Musi# dire#tors often prefer working with #ertain lyri#ists" to the point that the lyri#ist and #omposer are seen as a team !his phenomenon is not unlike the pairings of 4meri#an #omposers and songwriters that #reated old3time Broadway musi#als (e g " &i#hard &odgers and <s#ar %ammerstein II" or 4lan Iay Derner and Frederi#k Doewe) 1ong lyri#s are usually about love Bollywood song lyri#s" espe#ially in the old movies" fre?uently use 4rabo30ersi# 5rdu vo#abulary %ere>s a sample from the 19N3 film Hero" written by the lyri#ist 4nand Bakshi' Bichhdey abhi to hum! bas kal parso! "iyoongi main kaisey! is haal mein barson# Maut na aayi! teri yaad kyon aayi!

Haaye! lambi "udaayi$ %indi' * " "* * " O* * " O* *" P* 5rdu' QRST UV W; XY QZ 8;\ [; ]QRS; ` _^:a b[ Xc^V _^8d Q^e ]8fg Q^V h:i jS^Z X8fg k lQ_ P8f[me 8no9 X: !ranslation' Ee have been separated Gust a day or two" %ow am I going to go on this way for yearsO =eath doesn>t #ome) why" instead" do these memories of youO <h) this long separationP 4nother sour#e for love lyri#s is the long %indu tradition of poetry about the mythologi#al amours of 6rishna" &adha" and the gopis Many lyri#s #ompare the singer to a devotee and the obGe#t of his or her passion to 6rishna or &adha

Cast and crew

for further details see %ndian movie actors! %ndian movie actresses! %ndian film directors! %ndian film music directors and %ndian playback singers Bollywood employs people from all parts of India It attra#ts thousands of aspiring a#tors and a#tresses" all hoping for a break in the industry Models and beauty #ontestants" television a#tors" theatre a#tors and even #ommon people #ome to Mumbai with the hope and dream of be#oming a star Iust as in %ollywood" very few su##eed 1tardom in the entertainment industry is very fi#kle" and Bollywood is no e2#eption !he popularity of the stars #an rise and fall rapidly =ire#tors #ompete to hire the most popular stars of the day" who are believed to guarantee the su##ess of a movie (though this belief is not always supported by bo23offi#e results) %en#e many stars make the most of their fame" on#e they be#ome popular" by making several movies simultaneously <nly a very few non3Indian a#tors are able to make a mark in Bollywood" though many have tried from time to time !here have been some e2#eptions" one re#ent e2ample is the hit film &ang de Basanti" where the lead a#tress is an .nglishwoman 'isna" (agaan" and )he &ising Ballad of Mangal Pandey also featured foreign a#tors Bollywood #an be very #lannish" and the relatives of film3industry insiders have an edge in getting #oveted roles in films andLor being part of a film>s #rew %owever" industry #onne#tions are no guarantee of a long #areer' #ompetition is brutal and if film industry s#ions do not su##eed at the bo2 offi#e" their #areers will falter 1ome of the biggest stars" su#h as =harmendra" 4mitabh Ba#h#han have su##eeded despite total la#k of show business #onne#tions For film #lans" see Dist of Bollywood film #lans

Finances
Bollywood films are multi3million dollar produ#tions" with the most e2pensive produ#tions #osting up to p10 million More ambitious proGe#ts are reportedly planned" the most e2pensive of whi#h is an epi# film Mahabharata" by &avi Mhopra" estimated to #ost up to p30 million and will start rolling in /00N 1ets" #ostumes" spe#ial effe#ts" and #inematography were less than world3#lass up until the mid3to3late 1990s" although with some notable e2#eptions 4s Eestern films and television gain wider distribution in India itself" there is in#reasing pressure for Bollywood films to attain the same produ#tion levels In parti#ular" in areas su#h as a#tion and spe#ial effe#ts &e#ent Bollywood films have employed international te#hni#ians to improve in these areas" su#h as 6rrish(/00() whi#h has a#tion #horeographed by %ong 6ong based !ony Mhing 4nd Dove 1tory /0-0(/00,) has - international studios doing the spe#ial effe#ts for it" in#luding the <s#ar winning E.!4 !he in#reasing a##essibility to professional a#tion and spe#ial effe#ts" #oupled with rising film budgets" has seen an e2plosion in the a#tion and s#i3fi genres 1e?uen#es shot overseas have proved a real bo2 offi#e draw" so Mumbai film #rews are in#reasingly filming in 4ustralia" Manada" Hew qealand" the 5nited 6ingdom" the 5nited 1tates" #ontinental .urope and elsewhere Howadays" Indian produ#ers are winning more and more funding for big3budget films shot within India as well" su#h as (agaan" *evdas and other re#ent films Funding for Bollywood films often #omes from private distributors and a few large studios Indian banks and finan#ial institutions were forbidden from lending money to movie studios %owever" this ban has now been lifted @3A 4s finan#es are not regulated" some funding also #omes from illegitimate sour#es" su#h as the Mumbai underworld !he Mumbai underworld has been known to be involved in the produ#tion of several films" and are notorious for their patronisation of several prominent film personalities) <n o##asion" they have known to use money and mus#le power to get their way in #inemati# deals In Ianuary" /000" Mumbai mafia hitmen shot &akesh &oshan" a film dire#tor and father of star %rithik &oshan) it had been reported that he had rebuffed mob attempts to meddle with his film distribution In /001" the Mentral Bureau of Investigation seiCed all prints of the movie +hori +hori +hupke +hupke after the movie was found to be funded by members of the Mumbai underworld 4nother problem fa#ing Bollywood is widespread #opyright infringement of its films <ften" bootleg =K= #opies of movies are available before the prints are offi#ially released in #inemas Manufa#turing of bootleg =K=" KM=" and K%1 #opies of the latest movie titles is a well established >small s#ale industry> in parts of 1outh 4sia and 1outh .ast 4sia Besides #atering to the homegrown market" demand for these #opies is large amongst some se#tions of the Indian diaspora" too (In fa#t" bootleg #opies are the only way people in 0akistan #an wat#h Bollywood movies" sin#e the +overnment of 0akistan has banned their sale" distribution and tele#ast) Films are fre?uently broad#ast without #ompensation by #ountless small #able !K #ompanies in India and other parts of 1outh 4sia 1mall #onvenien#e stores run by members of the Indian diaspora in the 5 1 and the 56 regularly sto#k tapes and =K=s of dubious provenan#e" while #onsumer #opying

adds to the problem !he availability of illegal #opies of movies on the Internet also #ontributes to the pira#y problem 1atellite !K" television and imported foreign films are making huge inroads into the domesti# Indian entertainment market In the past" most Bollywood films #ould make money) now fewer tend to do so %owever" most Bollywood produ#ers make money" re#ouping their investments from many sour#es of revenue" in#luding selling an#illary rights !here are also in#reasing returns from theatres in Eestern #ountries like the 5nited 6ingdom" Manada" and the 5nited 1tates" where Bollywood is slowly getting noti#ed 4s more Indians migrate to these #ountries" they form a growing market for ups#ale Indian films >Foreign> audien#esBin .ast 4sian and Eestern #ountriesBare also growing" if more slowly @citation neededA For an interesting #omparison of %ollywood and Bollywood finan#ial figures" see this #hart It shows ti#kets sold in /00/ and total revenue estimates Bollywood sold 3 ( billion ti#kets and had total revenues (theatre ti#kets" =K=s" television et# ) of 51p1 3 billion" whereas %ollywood films sold / ( billion ti#kets and generated total revenues (again from all formats) of 51p-1 billion

Advertising
Many Indian artists used to make a living by hand3painting movie billboards and posters (!he well3known artist M F %ussain was a poster painter early in his #areer ) !his was be#ause human labour was found to be #heaper than printing and distributing publi#ity material How" a maGority of the huge and ubi?uitous billboards in India>s maGor #ities are #reated with #omputer3printed vinyl !he old hand3painted posters" on#e regarded as ephemera" are be#oming in#reasingly #olle#tible as folk art &eleasing the film musi#" or musi# videos" before the a#tual release of the film #an also be #onsidered a form of advertising 4 popular tune is believed to help pull audien#es into the theaters Bollywood publi#ists have begun to use the Internet as a venue for advertising Most of the better3funded film releases now have their own websites" where browsers #an view trailers" stills" and information about the story" #ast" and #rew Bollywood is also used to advertise other produ#ts 0rodu#t pla#ement" as used in %ollywood" is widely pra#ti#ed in Bollywood @$A Bollywood movie stars appear in print and television advertisements for other produ#ts" su#h as wat#hes or soap (see Melebrity endorsement) 4dvertisers say that a star endorsement boosts sales

History

&a"a Harishchandra (1913) was the first silent feature film made in India It was made by =adasaheb 0halke By the 1930s" the industry was produ#ing over /00 films per annum !he first Indian sound film" 4rdeshir Irani>s ,lam ,ra (1931)" was a super hit !here was #learly a huge market for talkies and musi#als) Bollywood and all the regional film industries ?ui#kly swit#hed to sound filming !he 1930s and 19$0s were tumultuous times' India was buffeted by the +reat =epression" Eorld Ear II" the Indian independen#e movement" and the violen#e of the 0artition Most Bollywood films were unabashedly es#apist" but there were also a number of filmmakers who ta#kled tough so#ial issues" or used the struggle for Indian independen#e as a ba#kdrop for their plots In the late 19-0s" Bollywood released its first #olor films) however" the maGority of films #ontinued to be bla#k3and3white until the mid319(0s 4t this time" lavish romanti# musi#als and melodramas were the staple fare at the #inema 1u##essful a#tors in#luded =ev 4nand" =ilip 6umar and &aG 6apoor and a#tresses like Hargis" Meena 6umari" Hutan and Madhubala In the late 19(0s and early 19,0s" roman#e movies and a#tion films starred a#tors like &aGesh 6hanna and =harmendra In the mid319,0s" romanti# #onfe#tions made way for gritty" violent films about gangsters and bandits 4mitabh Ba#h#han" the star known for his *angry young man* roles" rode the #rest of this trend with a#tors like Mithun Mhakraborty and 4nil 6apoor" whi#h lasted into the early 1990s 4#tresses from this era in#luded %ema Malini" Iaya Ba#h#han and &ekha In the mid31990s" the pendulum swung ba#k towards family3#entri# romanti# musi#als with the su##ess of su#h films as Hum ,apke Hain 'aun (199$) and *ilwale *ulhania (e Jayenge (199-) making stars out of a new generation of a#tors (su#h as 4amir 6han" 1alman 6han and 1hah &ukh 6han) and a#tresses (su#h as 1ridevi" Madhuri =i2it" 6arisma 6apoor and 6aGol) In that point of time" a#tion and #omedy films were also going strong with a#tors like +ovinda and 4kshay 6umar and a#tresses su#h as &aveena !andon and 6arisma 6apoor !his de#ade marked an entry of new performers in the art #inema area" some of whi#h were su##esful at the bo23offi#e as well" with new #riti#ally a##laimed performanes by a#tors of this generation (Hana 0atekar" 4Gay =evgan" Manisha 6oirala" !abu and 5rmila Matondkar) In the /000s" the industry fa#ed a strong renovation from its new filmmakers !his de#ade meant the spreading of Bollywood>s popularity in the world !he in#reasing popularity of Indian #inema" often #alled rBollywood Manias by the press" was the main #ause driving Indian filmmaking to new heights in terms of ?uality" #inematography and innovative story lines as well as te#hni#al ?uality advan#es" moviegoers #ome in ever in#reasing numbers to wat#h the latest movies arriving from India>s largest #ity Big produ#tion houses" among them veteran ones like Jash &aG Films and =harma 0rodu#tions were the

produ#ers of new modern films !he opening up of the overseas market" the more Bollywood releases abroad and the e2plosion of multiple2es in big #ities" led to the growth of national and international hits like *evdas" 'oi--- Mil .aya" 'al Ho /aa Ho" 0eer-1aara and *hoom 2 delivering a new generation of popular a#tors (1aif 4li 6han" %rithik &oshan" 4bhishek Ba#h#han) and a#tresses (4ishwarya &ai" 0reity qinta and &ani MukerGi)" and keeping the popularity of a#tors of the previous de#ade !he Indian film industry has preferred films that appeal to all segments of the audien#e (see the dis#ussion in +anti" /00$" #ited in referen#es)" and has resisted making films that target narrow audien#es It was believed that aiming for a broad spe#trum would ma2imise bo2 offi#e re#eipts %owever" filmmakers may be moving towards a##epting some bo23offi#e segmentation" between films that appeal to rural Indians" and films that appeal to urban and overseas audien#es

Controversies
Accusations of plagiarism
Main article Bollywood and plagiarism Monstrained by rushed produ#tion s#hedules and small budgets" some Bollywood writers and musi#ians have been known to resort to plagiarism !hey #opy ideas" plot lines" tunes or riffs from sour#es #lose at hand from other Indian regional films or far away (%ollywood and other Eestern movies" Eestern pop hits) 1ome films (in#luding musi#) in 0akistan are also inspired by Bollywood In past times" this #ould be done with impunity Mopyright enfor#ement was la2 in India 4s for the Eestern sour#es" the Bollywood film industry was largely unknown to Eesterners" who would not even be aware that their material was being #opied 4udien#es also may not have been aware of the plagiarism" sin#e many in the Indian audien#e were unfamiliar with Eestern films and tunes Ehile #opyright enfor#ement in India is still a little hit3and3miss" Bollywood and %ollywood are mu#h more aware of ea#h other now" and Indian audien#es are more familiar with foreign movies and musi# Flagrant plagiarism may have diminishedB however" there is no general agreement that it has

Awards
!he 3ilmfare ,wards #eremony is one of the oldest and most prominent film events given for %indi films in India @1A and is sometimes referred to as the *Indian <s#ars * @/A !he Filmfare awards were first introdu#ed in 19-$" the same year as the Hational Film 4wards and gave awards to the best films of 19-3 !he #eremony was referred to as the

+lare ,wards after the magaCine>s editor 4 dual voting system was developed in 19-( @3A 5nder this system" *in #ontrast to the Hational Film 4wards" whi#h are de#ided by a panel appointed by Indian +overnment" the Filmfare 4wards are voted for by both the publi# and a #ommittee of e2perts * @$A 1in#e 19,3" the Indian government has sponsored the Hational Film 4wards (whi#h first began in 19-$)" awarded by the government run =ire#torate of Film Festivals (=FF) !he =FF s#reens not only Bollywood films" but films from all the other regional movie industries and independentLart films !hese awards are handed out at an annual #eremony presided over by the 0resident of India 4dditional #eremonies held within India are'

1tardust 4wards 1tar 1#reen 4wards

Meremonies held overseas are'

Bollywood Movie 4wards 3 Dong Island" Hew Jork" 5nited 1tates +lobal Indian Film 4wards 3 (different #ountry ea#h year) IIF4 4wards 3 (different #ountry ea#h year) qee Mine 4wards3 (different #ountry ea#h year)

Most of these award #eremonies are lavishly staged spe#ta#les" featuring singing" dan#ing" and lots of stars and starlets

Bollywood Training

4sian 4#ademy <f Film t !elevision Film 4nd !elevision Institute <f India 4sian 1#hool <f Media 1tudies 1atyaGit &ay Institute <f Film 4nd !elevision