Production Glossary
Bollywood
The Hindi-language film industry with its home base in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India is known as Bollywood. Officially known as Hindi cinema, Bollywood is one of the largest film making hubs in the world and dominates the production of films in India. Bollywood got its name from the combination of two important locations, Bombay (now known as Mumbai) and Hollywood.Bollywood is known for its musicals. The captivating music and well choreographed dance numbers fuel the plot of the film, which is almost always melodramatic. Typically as long as three hours, with intermission included, masala films (named for the Indian dish that mixes many different spices together) employ elements of suspense, thrill, love triangles, and comedy. The musical numbers often transport the viewer to an over-the-top location unrelated to the setting of the story. This feature is known as “picturisation”. For example, a song between the male and female leads will take place on a mountain top in Switzerland with multiple changes in costume to keep the audience intrigued.
In order to reach the largest audience possible, dialogue and lyrics are written in Hindustani, the most common dialect. Actors and actresses of Bollywood films are required to give two performances because of the method of recording sound for the film. Sound is not put to tape until after the film has been shot. So, an actor must perform for the camera and then record their lines in the studio as they watch the action on screen. This often creates disparity between the emotion portrayed through action and voice. The songs are produced in the same way. And, oftentimes, a “playback singer” will record the song in studio and then the actor will lip sync on camera.
Music is so popular in Bollywood films that the composer is usually quite famous. In some cases, songs are released before the picture in order to drum up interest. Remixes of Bollywood songs are common and are even added to the films’ soundtrack.
The number of films produced in India is extensive, but film making got its start in 1913 with the silent film Raja Harishchandra. Bollywood followed the same trends in film making as America, particularly with the introduction of sound and musicals in the 1930s. The first color Hindi film was produced in 1937 and titled Kisan Kanya. Indian film making was greatly influenced by the events of the world. The Bollywood films produced during the Depression and WWII were highly romanticized to provide an escape from the realities of war and poverty. The 1940s to 60s are considered Bollywood’s “Golden Age”, initially ushered in by India’s independence.
Bollywood films are expensive endeavors, costing up to 20 million US dollars (or 100 crores rupees). With dreams of stardom, many men and women seek to work in the industry. Actors and actress, models, pageant contestants, and even ordinary people flock to Bollywood in hopes of finding steady and profitable employment. Unfortunately, nepotism is quite prevalent, eliminating many jobs due to family members recommendations. And, an actor who becomes famous in one film will typically film several movies at the same time, releasing them back to back, further shrinking the pool of opportunity for newcomers.
Bollywood faces a few challenges. Money to produce such extravagant films must be raised through private connections, or receive backing from one of the few studios. Until recently, studios were not allowed to get loans from banks or other financial institutions. The second challenge Bollywood faces is the expansive copyright violations of their films. Bootleg copies of films are often sold before the movie has even debuted in the theaters.
