If you're anything like I was before Bollywood stole my heart, just the thought of reading subtitles makes you groan. Foreign film? Bleh. Why bother with Bollywood — or any other film industry — when you have Hollywood at your disposal?
First let's back up and make sure you know what Bollywood is. You probably have a vague idea that it's the Hollywood of India. That's both right and wrong. India has many different film industries, one of which is Bollywood. Bollywood is the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai; the term "Bollywood" comes from blending Bombay (Mumbai's former name) with Hollywood. India's multilingual film industry also includes Kollywood (Tamil), two Tollywoods (Telugu and Bengali), Mollywood (Malayalam), and so on.
Now, there are many reasons why you shouldn't feel confined to the Hollywood box — or even the English-language films box — in this globalized day and age. But here are some particular reasons that you should give Bollywood a shot:
India has the world's largest film industry by output. An estimated 1,200 to 1,300 films are produced every year in India — of which Bollywood films are the largest faction — compared with about 700 to 800 films produced annually in the U.S.
With some 1.2 billion people, India is the world's second-largest country, forecast to overtake China as the world's largest country within the next two decades. You should probably know something about it.
Hindustani (the language whose two halves are Hindi and Urdu) is the world's fourth most widely spoken language. And actually, you'll find that most "Hindi" films are actually Hinglish — that is, the dialogue is a mixture of Hindi and English. Some linguists believe that the number of native Hinglish speakers may already or may soon outnumber native English speakers.
With such breadth, Bollywood is understandably varied, but most Bollywood films are inevitably upbeat, happy and have a wholesome message. Hindi cinema is considered "pre-cynical," still clinging firmly to values from which Hollywood has moved on. Hindi cinema, if you will, is generally a cinema of the good ole days: Good things happen to good people, bad things happen to bad people, family is of the utmost importance, religion is crucial, and patriotism is central.
Bollywood is also music-driven as a whole. Music is a central part of Hinduism, and music is a central part of Hindi films, in which soundtracks are known to make or break a film. You could call most Bollywood films well-crafted musicals, and who doesn't love a good musical?
Reading subtitles may seem a nuisance to you, but here's a crazy truth: Reading subtitles is almost its own appeal with Bollywood. Why? Because the subtitles can be hilarious. For many, many examples of what I mean, check out the blog Paagal Subtitle [Crazy Subtitle].
Well, now hopefully you've been enlightened and you're willing to step out of that Hollywood box and give Bollywood a shot. And let me momentarily burst your bubble: "Slumdog Millionaire", "Bend it Like Beckham" and "Bride & Prejudice" don't count.
But here are some good places that do count to start with Bollywood:
"3 Idiots" (2009): In the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time (adjusted and unadjusted), three college students stumble their way through classes, friendship, love, losing classmates and dealing with their parents' expectations, all with rollicking humor, excellent music and provocative questions about education. This film has something for everyone. This is also the most accessible film on this list: It's in Redbox, on Netflix, on-demand for some cable/satellite providers and available in most stores.
"Dostana" [Friendship] (2008): In this remake of "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry," two non-gay men decide to play a gay couple to secure a nice apartment in Miami. But complications ensue when both men fall in love with their gorgeous female roommate. (Check out a blog post I did about the reasons Dostana is funnier than Chuck and Larry.) Available on Netflix.
"I Hate Luv Storys" (2010): You may not get all of the "filmi" (things uniquely Bollywood) jokes this film makes, but you'll get a taste of Bollywood conventions while watching them be good-naturedly mocked in this film. Available streaming on Netflix and here on YouTube.
"Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi" [Match Made in Heaven] (2008): Because I couldn't go without recommending a film from Shahrukh Khan, my favorite actor, I present you with this romantic comedy about geeky office worker Suri who falls in love with vivacious young dancer Tania and adopts the fun-loving persona "Raj" to secretly win her love. Available streaming on Netflix or for $2.99 on YouTube.
Actresses Madhuri Dixit and Aishwarya Rai perform "Dola Re Dola," a dance from the 2002 Bollywood superhit "Devdas."
