The unique Bollywood

Hollywood sign

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hollywood_Sign_PB050006.jpg

Tom Brook wrote on BBC that ‘Hollywood is like an octopus with tentacles extending across the globe’ (Brook 2013). That is true. In a globalised world, Hollywood’s influence is spread worldwide. Hollywood movies have high-grossing box office recorded over the world, posing a threat to local industries. Viewing Hollywood’s success, many try to copy its production formula, leading to Hollywoodisation. That raise fear of cultural imperialism, for not only industries are being Hollywoodised, it helps spread of America values. But I think that is not necessarily the case as seen by success of Bollywood. Bollywood imitate Hollywood’s production style, but to a small extent it is Hollywoodised. For unlike most other film industry that just copy from Hollywood, Bollywood adapted and absorbed, as shown by the film 3 idiots. It insisted in its traditions like song and dance which defines uniqueness of Bollywood film.

Hollywood dominated the majority market share of film industry. Its competitive advantage lies in large budget production, advanced technology and massive capital. Globalisation further consolidates its position in world cinema. With the world becoming more connected, barriers between nations are break down, which helps the export of movies to countries around the world (Mazumdar 2013, p.47). Hollywood films receive high box offices. Looking at top-grossing film of 2012, Marvel’s The Avengers, Skyfall, The Dark knight Rises, they are all Hollywood blockbuster films and produced by America media conglomerate like Walt Disney and Warner Brother. The films each grossed more than $1000 billion worldwide (Box Office Mojo 2013), giving Hollywood large economic benefits. Facing Hollywood’s prominent status, local films can’t compete. To survive in industry, many try to follow Hollywood’s production format, leading to Hollywoodisation. It refers to incorporation of Hollywood’s typical film elements (Rampal 2005, p.195). Also transplanting of America ideas, for the adoption of Hollywood production is not just an export of a story but an ideology and culture, America values (Schaefer & Karan 2013, p.51). Bollywood is an exception that still retains its culture.

Bollywood refers to India’s film industry based in Mumbai (Schaefer & Karan 2013, p.51). The word is the combination of Bombay, the earlier name for Mumbai, and Hollywood. It is the largest film industry in the world in terms of number of movies produced and viewership (Schaefer & Karan 2013, p.29). In India, Bollywood movies are more popular than Hollywood one. Bollywood films is often said to be copying Hollywood. That is true when looking at its aesthetic which can easily see influence of Hollywood, but Bollywood is actually just Hollywood in style blended with Indian culture. That can be seen in top-grossing India film 3 idiots produced in 2009. (Click here to view the trailer)

3 idiots poster

http://sasa.princeton.edu/2012/04/04/3-idiots-viewing/

3 idiots followed typical Hollywood genre of drama romance-comedy. It is about two friends, Frahan and Raji searching for their long-lost friend Rancho. Through their journey, they meet their classmate Chatur who reminded them of their days in college of engineering. It is conventional Hollywood inspirational story about college life, friendship, love and dream. Classical Hollywood happy ending is adopted (Olson 2000, p.11). In the last scene, Rancho, who has become a well-known scientist, reunites with Farhan and Raji who both realized their dream. And Rancho and Professor Viru’s daughter Pia confess their love. That is happily-ever-after Hollywood ending.

The love story of Rancho and Pia showed Hollywood usual quarrelsome lovers. Pia doesn’t like Rancho in the beginning, though after spending time with each other, she has feelings for him and they fall in love. But Rancho suddenly disappears and Pia is engaged. In the end, Pia finds ‘Rancho’ and they confess their love. It follows the usual pattern which boy meets girl. They discover they have feelings for each other, face obstacles, at last overcome and fall in love. The kissing scene at the end showed Hollywood’s influence. In the past the kissing scene was usually cut-away, but that is changing which kissing are now shown (Rampal 2005, p196).

The casting of famous Indian actor Aamir Khan to play lead role Rancho and beautiful Kareena Kapoor play Pia, shows influence of Hollywood star system. One of Hollywood’s main reasons to success is its use of stardom, which well-known, handsome actors are often chosen to play the lead and there is always presence of an attractive girl, who falls in love with character.

The cast of 3 idiots
From left: Sharman Joshi (Raji), Aamir Khan (Rancho), Kareena Kappor (Pia), Madhavan (Farhan)
http://www.xvidbox.com/film-incelemeleri/komedi/3-idiots/

The film adopted Hollywood formulaic plot which involved conflicts. Farhan parents expect him to be engineer so he studies engineering, but his dream is actually taking photos. With Rancho’s encouragement, Farhan takes up courage and tells his father he doesn’t want to be an engineer. His father is angry at first, but after hearing Farhan’s words, he understands and they hug. It follows Hollywood norm of including conflicts when talking about relationship, especially family. That is also typical Hollywood way of telling audiences to overcome their challenges, like Farhan fear of his father, and chasing their dream.

Hollywood's cinematic style is seen in the film. The last scene pictures characters running which slowly fade out, with long-shot of beautiful sea and blue sky in background. Another example is when introducing Raji’s family. The camera show house with man riding pedicab passed by, and gradually turn from colour to black-and-white. Then in medium-shot, showing a father in bed, a mother cooking and coughing, a depressed sister, broken sofa and a bucket holding leaking water. That imitated Hollywood old movies in the 50’s. The film also adopted Westernised visual styles (Matusitz & Payano 2012, p.128). It is glamorous which people wear colourful costumes. That is especially seen in wedding, also singing and dancing scene.

The wedding scene
http://www.aainabridal.com/2011/02/bollywood-bride-kareena-kapoor-in-3.html

The above seems to prove that the film is being Hollywoodised, but unlike most of Hollywood films that have linear narrative, the film adopted circular form of narration. It is set on present with three friends looking for Rancho, adding flashback of characters’ college life, slowly revealing Rancho’s family background. Gokulsing and Dissanayake (2004, p.31) noted Bollywood movies ‘does not progress in a linear fashion but meanders, with detours and stories within stories’. That is characteristics of Bollywood movies.

Bollywood films show Indian values instead of America ones. It shows ‘uniquely Indian’ content (Mazumdar 2013, p.52). The film is presented from Indian’s point of view. It shows India’s history, culture and religious. Like the scene of Raji praying to Gods reveal India religion Hinduism, also traditional and modern clothing. Custom is shown like concept of men being engineer while women as a doctor. It explored India social problem like suicide rate being highest in the world. Gokulsing & Dissanayake (2004, p.27) noted ‘social issue are treated with a characteristically Indian flavour cinematically’.

The emotional story is another special feature of Bollywood films. Paranjape (2012, p.30) noted ‘Hollywood is a cinema of action, while Bollywood is still a cinema of feelings, moods, emotions, and sympathy’. Hollywood movies focused on techniques, while Bollywood tries to adopt that, it focused more on content to build up emotions. The film use of humour brings joy to audiences. Like Rancho changes a boy’s speech that is praised as model student for achieving high marks and he just memorized and read that out. That makes audiences laugh and at the same time reflect on academic system. The film also bring tear, like Rancho and Farhan tried to wake up Raji who attempted suicide because he was threatened by Professor Viru to choose either himself or Rancho drop out. Audiences will feel touched by the scene.

The song-and-dance number

http://feedmesubtitles.com/2013/01/23/3-idiots-day-23/

And more importantly, is film incorporation of song and dance sequences which is most distinguishing feature that defines Bollywood (Schaefer & Karan 2013, p.52). Singing and dancing is an Indian tradition. The use of music and dancing in film is actually an influence of early Hollywood melodrama which Bollywood absorbed, improved and developed into its own unique features. The film has three song-and-dance numbers. Hindi dialects are used, with a mix of modern street dance and traditional Indian dance that let audiences to view Indian culture. The sequences are used as ‘natural expressions of emotions and situations emerging from everyday life’ (Gokulsing & Dissanayake 2004, p.23). Like the scene where Pia dreamed of herself together with Rancho. (Click here to view the scene) The catchy music helps to express Pia’s feelings of being in love with Rancho, which vividly illustrate one’s heart bumping when meet someone they loved. It also entertains the audiences. The unrealistic sequences provide audiences an escape from life.  Paranjape (2012, p.30) noted that ‘without song and dance, there is no Bollywood’. That is where Bollywood essence lies in.

Bollywood is popular in India but not overseas. But with the Oscar winning film Slumdog Millionaire, co-prouduction of Hollywood and Bollywood, more people are starting to notice Bollywood films. Bollywood films are now producing film not just for Indian but for global audiences. It is now reducing its running time by cutting down song sequences that is unrelated to the plot. 3 idiots is successful example of Bollywood expansion to international market.

Facing huge influence from Hollywood and invasion of western ideas, many local industries have lost their characteristics and being Hollywoodised. Bollywood successfully absorbed and adapted Hollywood production format while insisting on its tradition, nationality and culture. Every Bollywood movies that exported to other countries let audiences to see India culture.


References
Box Office Mojo 2013, ‘2012 Worldwide Grosses’, Box Office Mojo, accessed 1 October 2013, <http://boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?view2=worldwide&yr=2012&p=.htm>
Brook, T 2013, ‘How the global box office is changing Hollywood’, BBC, 20 June, accessed 2 October 2013, <http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20130620-is-china-hollywoods-future>
Gokulsing, KM & Dissanayake, W 2004, Indian Popular Cinema: a narrative of cultural change, new revised ed, Trentham Books Limited, Great Britain
Paranjape, M 2012, ‘Cultural Flows, Travelling Shows’ in Roy, AG & Huat, CB (ed.), Travels of Bollywood Cinema Travels of Bollywood Cinema, Oxford University Press, India
Rampal, KR 2005, ‘The Hollywood Factor in the Reshaping of the Asian Film Insutry’ in Taher, N & Gopalan, S (ed.), Indian Film Industry: An Overview, The Icfai University Press, India
Matusitz, J & Payano, P 2012, ‘Globalisation of Popular Culture: From Hollywood to Bollywood’, South Asia Research, July, vol.32, no.2
Mazumdar, S 2013, ‘Transnational elements in the Hong Kong and Hindi film industries’, in Schaefer, DJ & Karan, K (ed.), Bollywood and globalisation: the global power of popular Hindi cinema
Olson, SR 2000, ‘The globalisation of Hollywood’, International Journal on World Peace, December, vol.17, no.4
Schaefer, DJ & Karan, K (ed.) 2013, Bollywood and globalisation: the global power of popular Hindi cinema, Routledge, USA and Canada