HIGHLY OFF TOPIC: Bollywood questions...

[ChrisSolomon]

I love to frequent the Indian restaurants close to work and home and like that they all seem to show Indian programming. After watching the programs quite a bit now, I have two questions.....

(1) Why do they all seem to end up having lots of singing and dancing parts in them? They all seem like musicals no matter what the story is. 😃

(2) What is the purpose/root/background of the "mobster" type character that seems to be in every movie? He comes by and shakes down the people for protection payment or whatever. I think he is always called "da da" or something like that.

Just curious.....and thought I'd add another way off topic post around here in the CC. haha

[ChrisSolomon]

Thanks, Ajay! 😃

Just found out yesterday that Hollywood is re-doing two of my favorite childhood movies...."Tron" and "the Last Starfighter".....WHY!!??!?!?!?! =(

[Former Member]

A remake of Tron and The Last Starfighter! geeks everywhere should rightly be up in arms.... when things were done right the first time they should be left alone.

They should have asked my opinion before they remade Wicker Man, The Italian Job, Get Carter to name but a few.

[ChrisSolomon]

I don't think it's any big secret that Hollywood has lost all originality. That's why the companies put the big bucks behind the formulaic crap just because they assume it is guaranteed money in the bank (pair a couple of big stars together around some half-baked story and they can count on at least a reasonable ROI)...which is why a lot of very good independent or truly original films rarely get released(and when they do, many become big successes...like "Juno"!) It has gotten so bad in these recent years that they are even pillaging all the old, classic 1970's/1980's TV shows to turn into movies (Miami Vice, Starsky and Hutch, etc....and coming soon...the A-Team!!! Arggg!!!!). A lot of this kind of unoriginality and bilking of moviegoers is why I have very little sympathy for Hollywood's cries over pre-release leaks and piracy.

But I digress...back to Bollywood.....or what should it actually be called then?

[Former Member]

The name is Indian Cinema, which is singularly unappealing. Bollywood has kind of stuck so one has to live with it.

In general, these movies, whatever be the genre, are all based on one theme - 'so bad it is good'; we, the regular customers, watch it for that. If anything original comes along, we treat it with scorn it richly deserves. The escapist fare high in decibels and melodrama is what we want and is what we get. Of course we also want good to win over evil, and to do so in three hours, no less.

I would say the thursts and shakes in the songs of late have been bit inspired by 'Michael Jackson' and the likes.

Thank god now the dancers are good-looking; if only you had to sit through a chorus song of 70s or 80s

[Former Member]

>

> Thank god now the dancers are good-looking; if only you had to sit through a chorus song of 70s or 80s 

Specially with their "bell-bottoms"!

[former_member194669]

Recently i watched a South indian Tamil movie, having a hero (Aged more than 60) I was astonished in the stunt sequence the hero smashing around 30 villains like pumkins,

a®

[pokrakam]

Well, the [Worst Movie Scenes Ever|http://youtube.com/watch?v=Z3OfXJddqQU] features an Indian movie in the "Worst Stunt" category...

Edited by: Mike Pokraka on Dec 24, 2007 2:28 PM: Removed quotes from hyperlink. They confuse the foum software.

[KjetilKilhavn]

How can they... That's one of the best stunts I have ever seen! Anyone can slide a motorcycle under a moving truck - don't we all on our daily commute to work - but a horse! That takes a real stuntman. I vote for that as the funniest stunt ever!

Favourite movie from India (not that I have seen very many): Dhoom II - and it isn't so much because of the story...

[Former Member]

Like it. Hate it. But u just can't ignore it!

[Former Member]

in some cases.. movie is utter crap, but music is a hit.

Producers make money from selling the music rights...and get extra bucks.

singing and dancing is the USP of any indian film...most movie goers consider it as an entertainment factor, and its a movie manthra ... to make a movie hit, it shld have mix of comedy,action, and hot actresses doing a sizzling dance number.

everyones happy.

and as someone mentioned earlier its time to take a break and go for smoke etc as most bollywood movies are 3 hrs long, u need a break.

[Former Member]

>in some cases.. movie is utter crap,

In SOME cases?? I find about 99% of Indian movies a mindnumbingly stupefying experience. The songs are the worst of all.

What (for example) was the need for songs in a great movie like Sarfarosh or Swadesh? I can understand the fun in having those funny songs in Munna Bhai or something, but it really gets on my nerves...I think I have managed to see about 24 movies in my 24 years on this planet

Sameer

[Former Member]

24 movies in 24 years...that's reason..you have missed the good ones and thats why you feel 99% are not good. With that ratio i.e.watching 1 movie a year I will not comment on the whole Bollywood industry. At the end of the day its part of us. I didnt want to post more on this topic in this forum but after checking your message I couldnt stop myself.

Edited by: Sanghamitra on Dec 20, 2007 11:13 AM

Edited by: Sanghamitra on Dec 20, 2007 11:13 AM

[Former Member]

i myself m not a very big fan of Bollywood,watch only 1-2 movies in a year but before watchin i make sure that i have done my research and find it to my liking.

latest one i watched was Bhool Bhulaiya and just fell in love with it.

it was so hillarious,specially Paresha Rawal and Rajpal Yadav.

lolz:))

Thanx

Aamir

[Former Member]

Yeah Paresh Rawal is also one of my favourites. One of the best movies was Golmaal though - the old one I mean. With Uppal Dutt. Everytime he went "EEEEEEESSHHHHHH", I went into fits of laughter..

The greatest ever is of course the old Sholay. Of the 4 Hindi DVDs I own, Sholay and Don (also the old one) are my ultimate favourites. I don't think any movie could come even close to those two...

Sameer

[Former Member]

  I find about 99% of Indian movies a mindnumbingly..  

Looks like there arent a lot of bollywood movies getting released in Germany. Hence watching movies on the Internet is marring the real fun (which are mostly copied from pirated CDs).

I understand that there are streotypes and run of the mill movies gettng released every week, but I feel that there are easily at least 10-12 really good movies (Watch the flimfare nominated movies) releasing every year.

And comming to the songs its like a bonus, we are paying for the Movie and the songs are for free...

or taking a break is also not a bad idea....

Cant stop myself from commenting in this Bollywood thread though it is quite an old one...

[Former Member]

Hi ,

It's not just with the Bollywood Movies. Even most of the Hollywood movies have the same story line. 99% of the Hollywood movies involve in rescue operations or supernatural things. Saving the world from the BAD. They all involve sex and violence and nothing else. Only a few movies have something new in them. I've seen I AM LEGEND a few days before. It seemed to be just like another Resident Evil and many other movies in which all the citizens are sick except the Hero!!!. So there's nothing to blame on the Hindi Film Industry ( I hate calling it Bollywood : Guys let us have our own name !!!) .

Regards,

Sai

[Former Member]

Very well said Sai !!!

[Former Member]

Music Directors and choreographers should survive , so are the songs and dance )

They live only through movies.....

[Former Member]

Good to see this discussion is finally moving ahead....

[Wil_Wilstroth]

In Malaysia, Bollywood movies are popular among the people.

Movies starring Shah Rukh Khan, Amitab Bachan, and some other hot actors and actress are the main attraction for moviegoers here...

[Former Member]

I've seen a bollywood movies where they swap back and forth between a dancing number and the actual action of the movie (a bank robbery in this case)

Afterwards I've heard from a colleague that this was primarily done in order to prevent people from taking a break (and getting snacks, a smoke, fresh air) instead of wathcing the dancing acts

Dagfinn

[Former Member]

"dada" actually is a form which you use address an elder brother in Marathi. Although I myself am from Maharashtra (the state where Marathi is spoken, the people are called Maharashtrians), I have no idea why the word is also used for a goon..

Sameer

[Former Member]

1a. The songs are included to provide some respite to the audience from all the melodrama...

1b. The maker can still make money even if one of the 2 - movie and songs - was crap.

1c. An opportunity to show case good scenic spots around the world.

1d. Sometimes they will be included for the invocation of some Divine power.

1e. Stretch and portray emotions of the characters for the benefit of those who cannot comprehend the plot, etc. etc.

2a - Dada aka Bhai, is a small time thug inserted to portray the leading male character - a 'Hero' - in better light...

2b. Sometime the good guy may start up as a Dada but end up doing good when he meets a girl, sings some songs, gets more 'civilised' then he would be something like a Robin Hood...

Feel free to post as many questions as you can but remember that all this may make us jump into a song and start prancing around, and as the other respondent, we Indians just like to drop everything and start singing! LOL!

[Former Member]

Hi Chris,

The subject of your post caught my attention. It’s nice to see that you have observed the Bollywood movies so closely. There is no reason or may be its hard to explain - why all movies end up having lots of singing and dancing. Let me try - Mainly the Indian movies are like story-telling. Its the narrative that's different then the movies of the rest of the world. The characters grow with the story.The singing and dancing are part of life i.e. to express the happy-state of mind. We in India have so many festivals and we observe most of them with song and dance. Its part of life and we feel good about it. Of course we like to see those reflected in our movies and feel good about it.

Dada or Bhai ...:) the small time goon of the steet. Not every movie has a Dada but its pretty true in some parts of India, they do exist and threaten the neighbourhood and then someone will protest and end up as the Robin hood (soon the next dada)...

Sanghamitra

Message was edited by:

Sanghamitra