Bollywood to Budapest: Transnational Circulation and Film Culture Mallika Padmanabhan Communication Honors Thesis Advisor: Nitin Govil

Introduction Why Bollywood? Why Bollywood? Why Hungary? Why Hungary? Value in studying the link Value in studying the link between film industries and economic transformations

Main Questions How has Bollywood used broader Indo-Hungarian relations to emerge in a context with virtually no diasporic demand? How does Bollywood function differently in an environment when it is dependent on policy rather than popularity?

Argument I argue that policy shifts towards neoliberalism in both India and Hungary have enabled Bollywood’s recent emergence in Budapest, but the politically and economically-focused flows behind this emergence have led to problems of representation on-screen.

Method of Argument Understanding the impact of similar deregulatory shifts Understanding the impact of similar deregulatory shifts Critical moment in the 1980s Critical moment in the 1980s Seeing the relationship between neoliberalism and media flows Seeing the relationship between neoliberalism and media flows Analyzing contexts of Bollywood film production and culture in Hungary today Analyzing contexts of Bollywood film production and culture in Hungary today Film festivals Film festivals Location shooting Location shooting Observing effects of economic decisions on cinematic products Observing effects of economic decisions on cinematic products

My Research Blog

History of Indo-Hungarian Relations 1950s-1970s: Limited bilateral trade (Soviet influence) 1950s-1970s: Limited bilateral trade (Soviet influence) 1980s-1990s: Deregulation in both countries 1980s-1990s: Deregulation in both countries Neoliberalism as a way to boost transnational trade Neoliberalism as a way to boost transnational trade 1998: Bollywood as “Industry” 1998: Bollywood as “Industry” 2000: First Indian Film Festival held in Budapest 2000: First Indian Film Festival held in Budapest 50 th Anniversary Celebration of Indo- Hungarian relations,

Film Festivals and Media Flow Government collaborations dependent on policy, not popularity “Mediascapes” and “financescapes” Film festivals in a transnational context

Bollywood in Hungary Location shooting Location shooting Hungary: Act II on Motion Picture, 2004 Hungary: Act II on Motion Picture, 2004 Aks (“The Reflection”), 2001, dir. Rakeysh Mehra Aks (“The Reflection”), 2001, dir. Rakeysh Mehra Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (“Straight from the Heart”), 1999, dir. Sanjay Bhansali Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (“Straight from the Heart”), 1999, dir. Sanjay Bhansali Hungarian settings for South Asian audiences Hungarian settings for South Asian audiences

“National Erasure” Displacement of a film location’s national signs through the filming or editing process Displacement of a film location’s national signs through the filming or editing process “Italy” “Italy”

“National Erasure” in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Dir. Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Perf. Salmaan Khan, Aishwarya Rai, and Ajay Devgan. Bhansali Films, 1999.

Conclusion Cultural policy facilitates Bollywood’s presence in Budapest Cultural policy facilitates Bollywood’s presence in Budapest Cultural flows that are dependent on economic flows enable disjuncture (Budapest’s presence in Bollywood) Cultural flows that are dependent on economic flows enable disjuncture (Budapest’s presence in Bollywood) Characteristic tension in global media today Characteristic tension in global media today Aks screenshot acknowledging government linkages involved in film production Aks. Dir. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. Perf. Amitabh Bachchan, Raveena Tandon, and Manoj Bajpai. Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited, 2001.