What's Bollywood?


can something explain this to me? thanks so much

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india. BALI, HOLLYWOOD, BOLLYWOOD. I SUPPOSE

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The Indian film industry is loacted in Bombay, India. At one time a reporter from the west coined a phrase for Indian films, "Bollywood" (meaning Hollywood in Bombay)and its stuck ever since. It's even an official word in the English dictionary.

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Bollywood films are like what hollywood films were 50 years ago. i.e singing, dancing and very romantic. You should watch them, they are great, better than the hollywood c**p that is around at the moment.

Although, I have to confess that in the last five years, bollywood films have gone down hill as well, mainly because it is taking it's influence from Hollywood (big mistake).



"In a world of chaos, wrinkle free shirts keep me sane" Chapelism 'Vengeance Unlimited'

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There is not one watchable Bollywood style film. There are many good Indian-made films (look at Salaam Bombay), simply nothing watchable that is singing and dancing and mooning and prancing and mugging... blimey, not a piece of genuine human behavior in the whole lot. Not to mention the sexual hypocrisy. The fatuous, over the top sexuality in the films is condoned and Richard Gere pecking a Bollywood star in public is a riot-creating offense?? Ridiculous. No, Bollywood is still synonymous with disposable trash.

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yeah I agree with Markus_Ruby. Bollywood has tried to become too western in the last 8 years or so. It's a shame because it's such a relief from Hollywood. That and they just don't seem to grasp the concept of big, blockbuster action films, despite Dhoom being so successful. They usually seem laughable and/or like blatant rip-offs of popular western films.

However, bollywood classics such as Devdas and Diwale Dulhania Le Jayenge really do deserve a great amount of credit. They're both wonderful stories, and Devdas has some of the best costume/set design and musical numbers that I've ever seen.

It's unfair to say that Bollywood is a bunch of crap. There are plenty of gems within the industry. Hollywood has it fair share of terrible movies, but that dooesn't mean you can dismiss the entire industry.

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In the world of media phrase coining -"bollywood" has to be one of the poorest in its approch and source information. Some BBC guy with grey brown teeth felt like being a little inventive with corresponding sign offs!- hence "Bollywood" was born.
By the way "Bollywood" derives its amalgam from "Bolly"- Bombay + "wood"-an early morning male condition !! naah ! Hollw"wood".

"Bollywood" churns out more amount of films any given year for the last 4 decades.Around 650 films a year. No match ,obviously!, are the bujets involved. The most expensive Bollywood yet was "Devdas" [ $10 million] "Mangal pandey" [ $20 million ]
With limited equipment and powder puff talent, bollywood is doing a pretty good job of sustaining itself in its parent country.
In India bollywood rules!/ hollywood will never catch up -as certianly as the Indian soccer team making it to the FIFA world cup.

Watch "Omkara" & "kabhi alvida na kehna "for the flip sides of new age of "bollywood".

India may not be in the security council at the UN. But dig this, HALF of humanity breathing on this planet knows what "Bollywood" is, wake up Mr.Oxford & Mr. Webster. !
And YES its CRAP! Atleast most of it !

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Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna : An alternative for torturing traitors for information.

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Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna was a *beep* joke!!

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i agree!

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As majority of Indian film makers are brainless and make films which are mostly copies of Hollywood movies, their industry is very aptly nicknamed Bollywood...in short, copycats of Hollywood. Whatever appears in Hollywood films very shortly makes its way to Bollywood, obviously in an indinised version...the list is too long to mention...

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they also copy a lot of pakistani movies and bengali stories/movies that they adapt into movies i.e. - devdas parineeta etc.

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contrary to much of what is suggested above, "Bollywood" refers ONLY to the commercial, Hindi-language film industry based in Bombay (the term is an amalgam of "BOmbay" and "hoLLYWOOD").

"Bollywood" films are not more than a minority of the films produced in India. the country's output of features is currently around 600 per year, down from a high of over 800 maybe a decade back. of these probably around 150 can be called "Bollywood" films. the overall decline in numbers represents two main factors: (1) the decreasing commercial appeal for movies without big-names ("A-list") stars, and (2) the slow death of many regional-language cinemas in India in favour of the powerhouse Bollywood and South Indian (mainly Tamil-language, Madras-produced) products.

foreigners may be surprised to know that many Indian cinemagoers do not watch Bollywood movies, prefering cinema in their own languages instead. this is especially true of south indians.

it may also come as a surprise to many that outside india that, while shah rukh khan and amitabh bachchan may be the undisputed kings of "Bollywood", the most revered, popular and (by far) most highly paid Indian actor does not do bollywood movies at all. he is RAJNIKANTH, a virtual god to the hundreds of millions of Tamil cinema fans... (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajnikanth or http://www.rajinikanth.com)

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If all of you guys complain about Bollywood films being copycats of Hollywood films. why the hell do you go out there and watch them then??????????? Your the ones giving your money away to the copycat films if thats what you say they are...If you think Hollywood films also are soooo original, then why are so many of the movies out there violent movies?? Spiderman, Superman, Batman films coming to screen arent original copies, they were taken from comics. Now even transformers is coming out this year. A lot of the psychological thriller movies out there are pretty much the same.. Even horror films in Hollywood are getting old..So if I were you, id stop bashing Bollywood for being copycats and just enjoy what a movie is supposed to do, entertain you. Unless you would rather be paying bills :)

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Does anyone know a good Bollywood movie?
I would like to try one.
I totaly hate musicals, singing and dancing, and all that romantic bull... and that is what they seem to do a lot, in Bollywood movies.
Is there a normal action, thriller, or comedy, in American film style?
TIA for the advice!


Yeah..they're called Hollywood movies..stick to that..

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Jeez... watch Lakshya. At least they got most of the Army bits right, barring of course, the usual filmy histrionics, and yes having lived the Army life for over 22 years, makes me something of an expert on that. Usually older Bollywood movies are more, erm... interesting to watch. The newer generation of commercial movies don't seem to have much substance. Dharm is another damn good movie. The acting is superb, and the the cinematography is quite good for a first attempt ( yes, the director's new at this, but she's pretty darn cool ). The trick to watching most Bollywood movies, is to shut off your brain, and lose all concept of credulity. Things don't make sense in the average Indian movie. That would be because most Indians are bloody lazy and refuse to do any bloody research whatsoever. I say most, some of them of course are EXTREMELY good at what they do. I'm Indian, and I've been stuck in this damn industry way too long, so again, yes, I speak as an expert. Oh, Tamanna's damn good too... and apparently Dil Chahta Hai is also good, someday I might even get around to watching it. The first half of Main Hoon Na is hilarious, although its completely stupid as well. Brain in the off position, please. Satisfied ??

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Which 3 movies did you watch anyhow ?? Sadia's kinda right... its way too much crap to take in one night, nonstop... s'kinda unbelievable.

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If you're gonna watch three films and you want some that show a higher standard of Bollywood - I suggest Monsoon Wedding, Dil Chahta Hai and Black.

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Unwatchable garbage. 30's and 40's Hollywood warmed over. Cor, what a concept.

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Comeau's explanation is by far the best here..
The rest of these people are simply idiots, with little or no knowledge on this subject at all..and looking for something to trash..
There are a lot of those fools online these days..

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