A2, Team 12: Ettore Fantin-Yusta and Abigail Strub

Bollywood is on the Ball 

Ettore F.

In 1911, India attempted to create an imitation of the American Hollywood in India.  This new hollywood was to be placed in a city called Bombay.  In Bombay, they decided to name their movie producing area to Bollywood by combining the words Bombay and Hollywood.  After some years of conflict rivalry, Bollywood was able to surpass Hollywood in the amount of movies produced per year.  Today,Bollywood produces over 800 movies per year!  That is nearly two times more than Hollywood's production of 450 movies per year (43.75% exactly).  Bollywood produces movies are generally longer that Hollywood movies lasting an average of 3-4 hours each.  Today, nearly a century after Bollywood first began, Bollywood continues to gain popularity in other nations as they are now more commonly shown in the United States of America and United kingdom than before.   This topic becomes increasingly interesting with the aid of the arrivals of Bollywood movies such as "Slumdog Millionaire" which became a huge hit in the United States.  Although India had so much success, conflict has begun within India.  Some people believe that movies westernize India and that they introduce new ideas that disrupt Indian culture.  Despite the problems, Bollywood still continues to produce strong.  Thanks to Bollywood, India is the worlds largest movie producing country with a great lead over the United States of America which comes in second place.

 

India, "Bollywood." Bollywood 2009 Web.4 May 2009. <http://www.bollywood.com/>.

The Cast and Creaw of Slumdog Millionaire recieving a grammy.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_r3lL3uFAWmc/SaLSLnnSO_I/AAAAAAAAAD8/OjC4xtwXEJk/s400/Slumdog-Millionaire_l.jpg

 

Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif in traditional dress

<http://www.desicolours.com/traditionally-dressed-bollywood-beauties/08/02/2009>

 

 

INDIA WIKI DIALOGE

Characters: Sunita and Abhinav (Abby and Ettore, respectively)

Sunita holds the traditional view, Abhinav the modern.

 

(Begin scene. Sunita is seated on a chair reading a book. Abhinav enters from the opposite side in excitement.)

 

A: Hey Sunita! Want to come down to the movies with me? We could see Slumdog Millionaire together.

 

S: (glares up from book) No way! (returns to reading – continues reading until her fifth line)

 

A: (gesturing with hands and body appropriately throughout) Why not? I hear it’s really great, and we can always pretend to be 17 to get in. I’ll borrow Dad’s clothes, and you take one of Mom’s sari—

 

S: I said, NO!

 

A: Oh come on, don’t tell me you’re still boycotting Bollywood.

 

S: I’m not. I’m boycotting movies that disrupt our culture!

 

A: Do you even know what that means?

 

S: Yes! Just don’t ask for the exact definition—or change the subject! I won’t go.

 

A: It’s a dumb boycott. Hating all movies with English in them—

 

S: Not just English, Abhinav! Any Western influence, dancing, music, content . . . Doesn’t anyone see what this is doing to India? All these foreign things showing up in the movies are crowding out Indian things. It’s like the West is trying to take us over from the inside.

 

A: You’re paranoid. Bollywood is helping India. What about all the money and prestige we’ve gotten because of it? And what about all the things you can learn in them? It’s not all Western stuff, just some of it. Most things come from Indian myths and sacred writings in Bollywood.

 

S: Who cares about that stuff when it’s diluting our culture? Just the name makes me sick! It’s a bad take off on Hollywood.

A: Names aside, it’s helping modernize India, Sunita. Just come to the movie.

 

S: No! It’s making India into some sort of . . . of second America. I refuse to contribute.

 

A: Fine, sit at home and read or something. I’ll go enjoy myself. (starts to walk away)

 

S: And I’ll read something cultural. (looks back into book)

 

A: Fine. (turns back on Sunita)

 

S: Fine. (Abhinav leaves Sunita alone. End scene).

 

ÛžÛžÛžÛžÛžÛžÛžÛžÛžÛžÛžÛžÛžÛžÛžÛžÛžÛžÛžÛžÛžÛžÛžÛžÛžÛžÛžÛžÛžÛžÛžÛžÛž

 

TUG OF WAR: The views

Traditional view: The movies bring in Western influences through language, dance and music, ideas which disrupt Indian culture.

 

Modern view: The movies help modernize and Westernize India, and bring in enough revenue to allow it to improve itself even more.