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Bollywood : The Primary Component Of Indian Cinema

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Bollywood, the primary component of Indian cinema, is a force to be reckoned with. By producing about 800 movies a year and selling about 100 million movie tickets each week, Hindi cinema has established itself as India’s principal movie manufacturer and typically follows a specific framework that audiences have come to love (Kolanad). Bollywood films are patently over-the-top, featuring countless song-and-dance routines and a story line that usually revolves around forbidden love. Like any strong influence from mass media, though, the messages these Bollywood films sends to its viewers shape their opinions on everyday life, even if those movies aren’t representative of what they encounter in their day-to-day lives. In a culture where arranged marriage, a caste system, and even dowry still prevail, it seems unusual that so much of what Bollywood has become is about romantic love and destiny. With this in mind, how might Bollywood films affect relationships in India and women’s roles within them? Although Bollywood has been around for the past century, kissing has only been allowed in films since the late 1980’s (Kolanad). Everything before that, and even a significant amount after, relied heavily on suggestion (Monti). In the 1994 film Raja Babu, the male and female main character share a dance sequence in “Sarkai Lo Khatiya” completely comprised of pelvic thrusting and different sexual positions, all with their pajamas on. Although this example is a bit extreme, a majority

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