Film, Fashion and Food in India - Essay Example

FILM INDUSTRY IN INDIA Introduction Forget Hollywood as the glamor and dazzle of the film industry, Bollywood is fast growing to be the world’s movie capital in India. Bollywood is a nickname for the movie industry in India that is located in Mumbai that was formerly known as Bombay. Most Indians love movies, and their format is exclusive adopting a mixed genre that is commonly known as masala that is a collocation of spices that are commonly used in cooking Indian cuisine. Indian movies are choreographed to include dozens of songs and dancers, the story line between the songs where boy meets girl, however, there is no kissing or any sexual contact. They are filled with lots of action and mostly they have a happy ending. With its fast expansion Bollywood produces vast numbers of films each year, and it has transformed itself from the simple silent movies in the early years to sound films and recently colored films that are technically advanced. The Indian film industry encompasses other language film industries because of the high number of languages spoken by most Indians hence most portions of the Indian film industry are fragmented. Although Bollywood leads India in the production of the film, its specialty is mainly Hindu movies other regions such as Chennai that was formally known as Madras produces films in Tamil and Kolkata is the Bengali movie capital. English, Hindu, and Urdu are among the popular languages in most Bollywood movies where you find an amalgamation of these languages in a single film be it a dialog, soundtracks or subtitles1. Of significance however in these Indian films is the art of music that makes the films typically musicals that have catchy music interwoven in the script. Typically the plot of the Indian films is always melodramatic with features like unlucky lovers, love triangles, sacrifice, family attachments, devious villains, crooked politicians, and kidnappers, courtesans with golden hearts, theatrical rehearsals of destiny, opportune coincidences and siblings estranged by fate. However, the pattern is changing with the industry advancing to the production of technically advanced films with hilarious stunts in line with global changes in the movie industry. Evolution of the Indian film industry The major part of the creative isolation of early Indian cinema and development of their rules largely differ from the rest of worldly film mainly due to the regulations established by the British government during the colonial period. Post-independence the film industry that was already aesthetic remained relatively static based on the foundations that were already laid. Apart from the aesthetic impact of politics on the industry the thematic content of many Indian films reflects Indian politics and history. Majority of the films capture the rebellion against the Britons and similarly the division between India and Pakistan makes an important subject theme as well with the tensions between the nations providing plots of everything from cold war style espionage between them to doomed relationships between an Indian boy and a Pakistani girl. The history of Indian film dates back to the time when Lumieres first exhibited cinematography in Paris. A year later after the exhibition the first moving pictures were shown in Bombay on July 7, 1896 the very day that has become a significant day in the Indian peoples social and cultural history2. The first ever Indian feature movie was released in 1913 and it was 3700 feet long and was made by Dadasaheb Phalke who brought together elements from Sanskrit epics to produce the first ever Indian movie Raja Harishchandra that was a silent film in Marathi. The plot of the movie is based on a Mahabharata story stirring a film concerning honor, sacrifice, and grand deeds. From the inception, there has been a lot of development in the movie industry with films addressing social issues such as class, cast and relations between sexes. The films have adopted a modernistic outlook over time with many directors showing significant innovations. For instance the Marathi director, V Shantaram pays attention to global trends in filmmaking through the intelligent deployment of expressionist effects in his works as Amrit Manthan. Devdas film of 1935 remains one of the most significant pieces of Indian film history. Pramathesh created an astounding edited climax to a romance frustrated by masculine ineffectuality and social distinction thence revitalizing the art of film industry in India. The film was released in Hindi, Bengali, and Tamil creating an oddly ambivalent hero. In the early 1950s Calcutta became the vanguard of the art cinema as a result of the film society formed in the 1940s and (the song of the road) Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali that was produced through the support of the West Bengal state government3. After independence regardless of a relatively sympathetic government inquiry the film industry became the moral scrutiny and censure was subject to stern taxation. However, there emerged a covert consensus between the proponents of art cinema and focusing on the imperative of creating a better cinema. The film and television institute was established in 1959 at Pune with the objective of developing technical skills that had been lacking in the industry. Most radical cultural organizations that were associated with the Indian communist party teamed up with all Indian Progressive Writers Association give birth to the Indian Peoples Theatre Association. The progressive writers association had produced Dharti ka Lal in 1943 and its effect on the industry could be seen in the works of radical writers such as Abba, directors such as Bimal Roy and lyricists such as Sahir Ludhianvi. Besides director like Raj Kapoor created films that reflected passionate concern on social injustices4. In the era, the films were largely studio-based, and they were incorporated with vivid stylistic experimentations, influenced by a global wave in filmmaking. Notable influences are evident in Raj Kapoor’s 1951 Awara and Zia Sarhady’s 1961 Awaaz. The first international film festival held in 1951 showed Italian works for the first time in India thus the influence of Neorealism was borrowed, and that could become evident in the movies such as Do Bigha Zamin 1953. Mehboob Khans 1949 style of an upper-class love triangle founded on tragic misunderstanding drew on codes of psychological representation. However the emergent of Indias art cinema led by the Bengali directors Ray, Sen and Ghatak had a different reaction to the spectacle. Rays subsequent works on urban middle class existence demonstrated his rational humanist vision at his home city that was repulsed by it while relying overarching estrangement through images of cynical corporate schemes, futile job interviews and murky deals. In the 1960s, Indian cinema industry shifted to social concerns inclining towards romantic genres starring stars such as Shammi Kapoor and Rajesh Khanna. The period is moreover notable for the assertive Indian nationalism as a result of the of the 196os Indo-Pakistan wars where the Indian officer became a rallying point for national imagination in films such as Raj Kapoor 1964’s Sangam. However the following decade political and economic upheavals were accepted as the turning point in the popular Prakash Mehra’s 1973 Zan jeer film that was fed by the fretfulness and frustrations that resulted from the quickening lopsided pace of industrialization and urbanization. In the Zanjeer movie, the careless killing of a witness in Bombays commuter train conjures with the dangers of life in Bombay. In the 1980s, there was diversification of the art cinema from the Bengali moorings of the early period under the sponsorship of the film finance corporation. Major works of Gautam Ghose, Shyam Benegal, Saeed Mirza , and many others actively addressed social injustices of the era such as bonded labor, problems of land exploitation, the oppression of women, corruption, criminal extortion and political manipulation. The most remarkable directors who specifically champion for their culture and the possibilities of change include Aravindan from Kerala and Adoor Gopalakrishnan. The main contributor to the productivity of South Indian Movie Industry was the general development of film culture in Kerala. In 1990, s the Tamil and Telegu film industry with directors like Mani Ratnam and Ram Gopal Varma were at the fore front of such moves demonstrating lively interests in new techniques5. Varma Shiva and Raat in the 90s showcase the use of Steadicam to the exclusion of any serious narrative in the latter with Ratnam making a major breakthrough with Roja. The 21 century, however, has brought the immense popularity of Indian movies a since they appeal to all to audience of all segments. India celebrated a centennial in 2013to mark a century since the first film Raja Harishchandra was first launched that was an adaptation of Sanskrit epics. Political influences led to the evolution of the Indian film industry parallel to their western counterparts. The golden age of movie production ran concurrently with the various new waves across the globe and with the rise of blockbusters coinciding with the period they took off in America. The 21st century, however, has seen the tendency of emulating American and European movies rise in Bollywood with their movies adopting short running times, reducing on musical numbers among other changes. However, the changes are yet to carry over to regional cinemas in India that still flaunt their idiosyncrasies. The quality of the movies has improved with innovative story lines and technical quality advances in the film industry. Owing to the aperture of a broad market more Indian movies are released each day and in cine-multiplexes that have led to greater success both in India and overseas. Genres of Indian Movies Indian films are unique in style with the most notable being masala movies but however not all Indian movies are masala movies. Most Indian audiences are familiar with the events of these movies so occasionally details are elided to do away with a lot of explaining thus that makes the movies unique. Masala is a style that incorporates a mixture of various genres in one movie ranging from drama, comedy, action, romance and melodrama in a single movie6. These movies are the cinematic equivalent of the mixture of spices that are employed in Indian cooking. Every genre fits into the plot as cooked by the director to make perfect sense. Masala movies look to accommodate the whole family by throwing all these genres into the mix similar to what is widely known in Hollywood as a four quadrant blockbuster. With the multiple genres happening concurrently that say romance subplot, melodrama and comedy subplot alternating under the auspices of central action adventure there is invariably tonal shifts in these movies that require time for one to get used to. Every episode is heightened that is the hero’s heroism, the villain’s evil and the heroine’s beauty. Masala movies can be simplified by a Shakespeare approach or any classical literature drama where there is sudden thunderstruck true love shifting to the small drama next to history and where necessary fights. Apart from the Masala type movies, Indian new wave is another form of distinct genre of film in the Indian cinema. They are also well known as art cinema or parallel cinema, and the movement draws a distinction from mainstream Bollywood movies because of their serious content of naturalism and realism focusing on the social-political atmosphere of the times. The Indian new wave was initially led by the Bengali cinema and since then it has gained prominence in the Indian film industry producing great epic movies through internationally renowned filmmakers such as Mrinal Sen, Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak among others. Most of the movies under this genre have gained milestones in terms of market, successful straddling art, and commercial cinema. The notable example of an Indian wave movie is Bimal Roys two acres of land that gained considerable commercial success and eventually winning an international prize at the Cannes Film Festival. The move finally revolutionized the film industry in India, and it has been listed among the greatest movies of all time. Influence of the Indian Film Industry Indian movies have infiltrated everyday life in India where the icons of the Indian film industry are revered as demigods in various aspects. One of the most notable influences of Indian filmmaking industry is the birth of metrosexual way of life that is a brigade of fashionable men that are causing a revolution among India’s affluent men while at the same time coexisting with their female counterparts who have been the face of Indian style in the past. India brings the image of bulging groups of street beggars and passersby, craning necks in front of television showrooms watching cricket with visuals of Bollywood movie posters hanging from pillars and billboards to give their cities magnificent form of wall art that is often hand painted. These interests transcend boundaries of class and caste, different languages and wealth to create national identity amidst frenzied diversity that is a significant national attribute. When it comes to influencing the dynamics of fashion Bollywood the movie making capital has had a significant impact on the Indian population. In 1995, Rangeela with Manish Malhotra transformed the apathetic approach of costume design but still more improvements could be made to a status where trend-setting was of concern. Urmila Matondkar as an upcoming star became a sex symbol although her clothes were provocatively not wearable7. Heroines have generally surpassed different unkempt heroes in the otherwise male-dominated Indian movie industry. Women are mostly stereotyped to be driven by patriarchal values that are delegated hence essential ornamental roles lie between the damsel in distress and the vamp. Male actors are privy to meatier roles and receive better pay as compared to their female counterparts. In addition female-centric movies that as arthouse cinema are fewer compared to male-centric films that form the majority of the mainstream cinema. However considering the far the Indian fashion goes ladies have always led, for instance, Madhubala-inspired iconic Anarkil from Mughal E Azam, the much hyped Aishwarya Rai’s intricate embroidered Saris with Kunda and stonework from 2002 Devdas among others. In the late nineties and Karan Johar’s 1998 college romance marked a turning point in Indian fashion with the Riverdale inspired celluloid candy being among the pioneers to clad Bollywood biggies in western designer wear. It flared an interest in new brands that had earlier been flicker. The advent came at a time when international brands were gaining a foot in the Indian market and thus gulping down eager shoppers along the way. The resulting consumer culture impacted on the film industry too hence awarding Bollywood an industry status in making production and financing much cheaper and less dubious. Kuch Kuch Hota hai led to both sexes clambering onto foreign branded bandwagon just as the Indian middle-class men started developing an interest in grooming something till then that had been of the female domain. Shah Rukh Khan’s GAP hoodies and Kajol’s DKNY tees were within reach, and they became a must-have for many college students with aspirations towards being cool. Affordable coples flooded the Indian markets, and it fuelled the pursuit of even larger markets for bigger profits with the foreign influences on fashion and style finding their way in movies. Well packaged movies like Dhoom 2, Jab We Met and Bunty Aur Babli met the order of the day hence led to introduction of fresh trends of menswear that is traditional and Western for the new fashion conscious individuals and the cosmopolitan generation. Even moves that didnt do well such as Badmaash Company managed to make their influence felt through their definitive new looks. Over time, the effects of Bollywood metro sexualization have gone on with the mainstream heroes turning to item numbers something that was before reserved for the spunkiest of heroines. The Indian film industry’s contribution to fashion has led to most designers especially those with a hand in the Bollywood pie readily invite hordes of celebrities to the catwalk and hence compel interests towards their selection. However, other such as Rohit Bai has deliberately avoided such limelight so that they can reserve their focus in their work rather than shifting it into showstoppers. The move is a bold one considering there has been an outstanding romance relationship between Bollywood stars and the general public. Experts, however, predict that the celebrities influence on fashion is already on the wane because of the immense overexposure and concentration that is mainly due to the internet and diverse fashion channels. Then film industry in India has been inundated by male style icon like never before that can readily point the average young man in the right direction without many complaints. Important Statistics about the Indian Movie Industry The Indian movie industry is fast growing in size with the size approximated to be close to Rs 15,300 crore by the end of 2010 with a compound annual growth rate of about 20%. India has a unique distinguishing producing capacity with the largest number of films anywhere in the world reproduced in as many languages8. Bollywood produces more than 1000 feature films with close to 900 short films and there is an estimated total of over 15 million viewers in India every day in its over 13000 cinemas or on the video link and cable. In an economic sense the film industry contributes to the nations gross domestic product for instance in 2009 it contributed around $6.2 billion to Indias GDP. Analysts put it that the Indian film industry contributed $1.5 billion to the Indian economy that includes $67 million to the international film industry. Close to 1.8 million people derive employment from film industry activities and its affiliates. The industry has made it available for talented individuals to have opportunities in production, direction, camera, sound, lighting graphics and maintenance. It should therefore be noted that the Indian film industry is not restricted to just fun and entertainment but also as a profit earning venture that is turning out to be one of the biggest employment generating sectors of the Indian economy. In the present era, the growth of the film industry is quite unique with the changing predilection of moviegoers and filmmakers. The industry is estimated to have grown at a CAGR of about 5% in the recent past earning revenues of close to Rs 89 billion. FICCI, Ernst and Youngs estimations indicate that the film industry in India is worth more than Rs. 400,000 million and the industry is growing as a result of the many developments witnesses in the industry such as satellite channel penetration, digital technology in all aspects of entertainment and the growth of multiplexes that have played a vital role in the growth of the sector. The film industry in India is getting professional since most production houses such as Dharma Productions, Mukta Arts, Yash Raj Productions among others are now working along corporate lines. Bibliography Bhatia, Nandi. "Introduction: Bollywood and the South Asian Diaspora." TOPIA: Canadian Journal of Cultural Studies 26 (2011). Desai, Jigna, and Rajinder Dudrah. "The essential Bollywood." The Bollywood Reader (2008): 1-17. Eliashberg, Jehoshua, Anita Elberse, and Mark AAM Leenders. "The motion picture industry: Critical issues in practice, current research, and new research directions." Marketing Science 25, no. 6 (2006): 638-661. Fetscherin, Marc. "The Main Determinants of Bollywood Movie Box Office Sales." Journal of global marketing 23, no. 5 (2010): 461-476. Ganti, Tejaswini. Producing Bollywood: Inside the Contemporary Hindi Film Industry. Durham: Duke University Press, 2012. Jesudoss, Perianayagam. "Tamil Cinema." Communication Research Trends (2009). Neu, Timm. "Bollywood is Coming-Copyright and Film Industry Issues Regarding International Film Co-Productions Involving India." San Diego Intl LJ 8 (2006): 123. Stafford, Roy. "Indian Cinema: The World’s Biggest and Most Diverse Film Industry." Corner house Art Films Books Food Drinks (2004). Read More