Big Bang Bollywood

I am very well aware that India, as a country, is incredibly rich in culture and heritage. And movies there are just reflections of this unique Indian culture. More often than not, Indian cinemas (as we have come to know as Bollywood) show the hopes and dreams of people living in India, dealing with almost all types of genres such as comedy, action, adventure, romance, horror and even more. If I were to put it, I will call almost all the Indian movies I’ve watched a truly one-stop-shop.

If one would ask me what Bollywood movies are like, I’ll say that they are usually known to last 3 to 4 hours long, which usually include dozens of songs and dances, and feature storylines with happy endings.  Most of the time, there will be a love story even if it’s not the main plot of the movie. In Rajkumar Hirani’s 3 Idiots, we can see Viru’s beautiful daughter, Pia, falling in love eventually with the rascal Rancho. Although the film puts heavier weight in the follow-excellence-and-success-will-chase-you theme, this love story definitely added up spice to the movie, making it extra colorful, energetic, and highly entertaining. What makes romance subplots in most Bollywood films really cute and different is the way they use songs and musical performances to explain various emotions between a couple. I figured out that in most Indian films, anything that can’t easily be acted out (for example, themes of love and sexuality) will be played out through a song and a dance. I learned to love these cute and fancy sequences because they suggest a temporary departure from reality, giving emphasis on the dream-like feelings of pure happiness. Perhaps this is one of the angles why a number of critiques say that Bollywood movies are superficial. For me, Bollywood films need not always intend to show realistic views of Indian culture, but are meant as pure entertainment for many Indians who, that we are all aware of, live difficult lives. Just as other films from other countries give their people an opportunity to breathe, Indian films’ fancifulness and beautiful stories also give them a break from the dull and harsh realities of life. I know for many Bollywood aficionados, the best Indian films are those that integrate all of these theatrical variables. For unlike other western film industries, Bollywood film industry continues to retain its local flavor and essence, without having to go with and be influenced by the Hollywood mainstream.

For so long, I hold on to just that whenever we talk about Bollywood. Little did I know that there is yet another angle on how to look at the Indian film industry. Apparently, besides all the fancifulness of Bollywood movies that we are used to seeing, there are a number of Indian movies that define and challenge some aspects of its identity: from gender, sexuality, and even to any person’s disability. These types of films also open up and provoke dialogue about what it means to be Indian, and are transformed yet again as they are distributed to international audiences around the globe. This is especially true for those films that treat themes that are unfamiliar to viewers such as us. Far from being just a mere entertainment, Bollywood can also represent a powerful means of self and community expression, which Indians are using to define themselves in front of the rest of the world. I was extremely awed as I witnessed Sanjay Bhansali’s Black.

Black is indeed an offbeat film in concept and visualization. After the film is over, I cannot forget the scenes and the turbulences I’ve seen on the screen during the 2 hours of the film. The director takes a fresh look at Hellen Keller’s life and times, and introduces us to the quest of the deaf-blind Michelle McNally towards ‘seeing’ into the light through her teacher Debraj Sahai. Contrary to our notion of Indian cinemas, Black is undoubtedly a class apart. I myself don’t expect a film like this coming from the Bollywood industry. With the director’s daring decision to depict a story like this, I think Indian cinema will never be the same again. Veering passionately away from the norm, the film creates an entirely new definition of entertainment, giving us a work of art that transcends every given qualification of the motion-picture experience. Despite the movie being very grim and depressive, it is the realism that keeps you glued to the screen; it is the realism that makes you relish each dialogue, each sign-spoken word, each facial expression you can possibly find in the movie. If I were to think of it in terms of story, I don’t think one can compare this movie to any other. Sure, there have been a host of movies that deal with the disabled, but this movie just enthralls every single aspect of you. Every scene tells a story and the treatment of the film is what leaves anyone spell bound. This movie just tells us that the Bollywood industry is dynamic and still has a lot to offer us. I guess it must’ve been really true that apart from the influences of the Hollywood biggies, Bollywood can still stand on its own; it can still find a special place in everyone’s hearts.

Truly, Bollywood is a great way of getting a sneak peak view of India. While the depictions in Bollywood of India are not often entirely accurate, they are a fun way of experiencing a bit of Indian life. Kudos to the Indian artists and producers who boldly accept and challenge not only their cultural norms, but also the notion of having to go mainstream to reach that peak of success.

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Paper on Indian Cinema, Film Class in Ateneo de Manila University