Danielle Crone and Alicia Mercado Bollywood Danielle Crone and Alicia Mercado

Bollywood Film Culture Gaze Practice of “Borrowing” Indianization Evolution of Indian Cinema

Gaze in Cinema Seeing is complex He both respects and lusts after her. In Hollywood cinema when a man looks at a woman, there is an implied sexual meaning In Bollywood cinema when a man looks at a woman, he both objectifies her in a Western sense and adores her. He both respects and lusts after her.

“Borrowed” Content Bollywood has a playful attitude toward borrowing from other film cultures

Indianization and the Curry Western One of the ways that Bollywood producers create new hits is by remaking Hollywood films for Indian viewers. Filmmakers often watch films that were successful in America and determine if they can be conformed to fit Indian morals and values. The films are not mainly chosen because of their success, but rather based on the originality of their plots and ability to become culturally ready for India.

Indianization and the Curry Western cont. Sholay (1975) is considered the first “curry western” Adopted from the ideal of American “spaghetti westerns”, Sholay has an Old West setting, horses, gun fights, train bandits and outlaws.

Sholay http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIjX8FUe7zg

Evolution of Indian Cinema The male film stars of the past were passive, gentle, honorable role models in the cinema, heroes who sang philosophically of life, love and death Western influences become more apparent then ever, starring a new representation of Indian masculinity, Amitabh Bachchan While films before 1950 represented gentle, romantic ideals, cinema after needed numerous fight scenes, some tragedy, some comedy, fast action, a few songs, and a happy ending