Indian summer
Wednesday 2 September 2009
Bollywood is one of the biggest industries in the business. n2k visited Desi Masti Dance Academy to find out why. Watch the video!
All about Bollywood
Bollywood is the term used to identify the Hindi film industry in Mumbai, India. The name comes from a combination of Bombay, the previous name for Mumbai, and Hollywood.
Originally, ‘Bollywood’ was just a nickname, but it became so popular that it made it in to the Oxford Dictionary in 2003. Next to India, Bollywood’s biggest audience is Britain! Find out more here.
Films
Bollywood is known for producing vibrant, energetic and colourful movies with loads of dramatic storylines and action scenes. Films in the Bollywood genre are also quite different to Hollywood movies.
“Bollywood films are different to Hollywood because they’re from different ends of the world and they’ve both developed their own way of telling a story,” says 18 year old Shreena from Desi Masti Dance Academy.
Dance
A major part of Bollywood is dance. Most traditional sequences are based on Indian folk dances, whilst modern routines blend tradition with Latino and Arabic influences, music videos on MTV and musicals.
“Now there are more forms of other dances coming into Bollywood such as hip hop, classical, R&B and rock. Dance has developed with the social background of the people in India as well,” explains 19 year old Bhavan.
Bollywood dancing has also been influenced by some of the world’s biggest stars. “One really outstanding performance that I did was last year’s Michael Jackson show for his 50th Birthday," Bahavan adds, "everyone got together to celebrate the King of Pop’s career."
Watch their MJ routine!
Music
Another factor that makes Bollywood such a spectacle is the music. Most scores are based on The Mahabharata, one of the biggest poetic works in the world which combines Hindu mythology and philosophy.
Often soundtracks are released before the film, and its success usually reflects the success of the movie - so if the soundtrack tanks, the film probably will too!
Bollywood music doesn't just stay in the films though. More and more, it is making its way into the mainstream. Snoop Dog, Dr. Dre and Pharrell Williams are just a few artists who have created Bollywood-influenced tracks.
Indian Voices Day
As part of BBC Proms, Indian Voices Day celebrated all types of traditional and modern music and dancing from Bollywood. Check out some of the pictures.
The event was held at Kensington Gardens in London, and there were loads to see - from performances of folk music and dance, to the Proms Family Orchestra and Chorus. The prom featured a special performance from the Bollywood Brass Band and lots of people got the chance to learn how to dance in true Bollywood style.
The Proms Literary Festival gave people the opportunity to get to know some of the greatest Bollywood stories ever written. Listen to some of the podcasts from this year’s proms.
Bollywood hits
Celebs have already begun to follow the Bollywood trend. Beyonce and Arnold Schwarzenegger have both expressed their interests in appearing in Bollywood movies and last year Disney released its first ever Bollywood animated feature called ‘Roadside Romeo’.
Bollywood has also made it to the stage! Andrew Lloyd Webber's glitzy West End musical 'Bombay Dreams' was a massive hit, and featured loads of actors and actresses in glamorous costumes, dancing to complex dance routines.
Get into Bollywood
“Just do it...if you want to be a Bollywood dancer you need to start dancing. Just make sure you keep turning up to rehearsals, classes and auditions,” advises Anand Bhatt, the Principal at Desi Masti.
Contact your local Bollywood dance school to find out about available courses. Most schools offer both modern and traditional classes so there is something for everyone. Desi Masti, Bollywood Grooves and Bollywood Dreams are just some of the places you could contact.
If you're ever around London for a few months then contact Ealing, Hammersmith & West London College. It offers a three month course in to Bollywood acting, which includes the opportunity to travel to Mumbai to meet some Bollywood celebs. It’s quite pricey and intense though so make sure you’re prepared.
