Bollywood’s Identity Crisis

 

By Dev Ruparelia, FYBA

Bollywood is the unofficial cultural ambassador of India, responsible not just for Raj Kapoor’s

popularity in Russia but also the perception of Hindi as the shared, common language.

However, the identity of this decades-old cultural juggernaut is waning, which is attributable to

several factors. Cinema, according to Javed Akhtar, is the mirror of society, and when we

criticise the films produced by Bollywood, the blame lies on cinema-goers rather than

filmmakers. Seekers of action and cheap entertainment cannot be shown films that critique

society like ‘Pyaasa’ or ‘Awaara’. This opacity to mind-broadening works of art has continued

since the 60s and 70s, when classics like ‘Teesri Kasam’ and ‘Mera Naam Joker’ failed at the

box office. The rise of star culture has eroded the synergy among artists and impacted integrity.

Most importantly, songs, the carrying force of Bollywood, have changed over time. Our

fast-paced culture has weeded out anything that conveys more than necessary information,

limiting our ability to express complex emotions through language. Changing music styles have

further limited songwriting. Would we appreciate, for instance, a reflective sad song unrelated to

heartbreak, like Sahir’s ‘Man Re Tu Kahe Na Dheer Dhare?’