Movie Mondays: Bollywood or Bust

I propose we start Movie Mondays where each Monday we create a new post about a different genre, craze, actor/actress or individual movie. Let me know what you think!

To kick things off, I have been exploring the wonderfully wacky world of Bollywood Films.

"Bollywood" (a spin off of "Hollywood"), is the largest film producer in India and one of the largest centers of film production in the world. Bollywood films are mostly musicals, expected to contain catchy song-and-dance numbers woven into the script. A film's success often depends on the quality of its musical numbers. Oh yes! Although they are mostly produced in Hindi (with some sporadic English catch phrases ie: Hey baby, Ok, Bye and the like) and subtitled, they are being increasingly produced in English.

Here is an example of a Bollywood take on Pride and Prejudice (produced in English)
In this scene, the Bennetts have just met Mr. Collins (or Mr. Kholi as he is referred to here)


Poor Mr. Kholi! He has no life without wife :(

Sometimes the songs (like the one above) behave similarly to those in Broadway musicals, advancing the plot or expressing emotions; but most of the time they are kind of random fantasies often having nothing to do with the plot other than expressing wild imagination of the characters.
For example, in the movie Kandukondain Kandukondain (which is a Hindi version of Sense and Sensibility set in modern day) the main characters have a fantasy about living in Medieval times.




Most films are romantic and melodramatic, but some Bollywoods that focus on difficult social issues are more serious. Lagaan, for example, is about a village's struggle against imperialists from England. You can also find movies like Doom, which is your classic "good guy vs. bad guys" action movie. Whether you are looking for something serious or just a feel-good film, Bollywood's light-hearted style has something for everyone.

Bollywood: HIT!

Recommended Watching List:
(these are some of my favorites)
Slumdog Millionaire- in English
Lagaan- Subtitles and some English
Bride and Prejudice- in English
Kandukondain Kandukondain- Subtitles
Doom- Subtitles