The Indian entertainment industry is a very large part of the country’s economy. To give you an idea, the film and television industries contributed 8.1 million dollars to the country’s economy. The Indian entertainment industry consists of many different sections such as television, newspaper, radio, and advertising. Today we will be covering 4 topics: movies, music, sports, and dance.
As India is so diverse, people always find the perfect movie for them no matter where they are located. Unlike the US with their only film industry, Hollywood, India is made up of many: Bollywood, Tollywood, Kollywood, and many more to name. The use of these separations is to differentiate the different regions and languages of India.
Movies are easily accessible throughout India, you would be surprised. Just turn on the TV and hit movies are played on multiple channels. In fact, unlike the United States, young adults in India are more likely to watch movies rather than TV shows. TV shows in India are targeted towards an older demographic, therefore, young adults prefer watching action-adventures and rom-coms with their friends.
In 2019, India’s total box office revenue was about 151.8 billion INR. It’s no surprise, especially since Bollywood is one of the world’s biggest movie industries. Also, according to Statistica, Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, is the highest grossing movie of all time in India, with Dangal following. And according to our Instagram story, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani was the most liked movie. Most Indian movies are very long, at times up to 3 hours long, which is why the average TV screen time in India is 3.5 hours per day. In India, even theatres are very lavish with many amenities. For example, I visited the INOX:GVK One Theatre in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad and I absolutely loved my experience. The theatre offered more than just the standard popcorn and soda; there were Indian snacks and desserts. Of course I definitely wanted to see a movie in indian theatres again!
Personally, my (Shreya) favorite Tollywood movie is Race Gurram and my favorite Bollywood movie is Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. I love seeing that India is making movies on scary and taboo subjects such as rape, seen in “MOM”. Overall, the Indian film industry is flourishing and will only continue to grow.
Today we will be covering the most popular genre of Indian music which is Indian Film music. We will cover carnatic music and other traditional instruments in an upcoming post about arts in India! The music industry in India is heavily reliant on the film industry. Indian movies are most similar to a musical. There is a plot, but there are many songs throughout the movie. All of the songs that are famous throughout India come from movies. Artists don’t put out albums yearly. Because India has several movie industries, there are lots of songs in different languages. This is because there are 72o different dialects in India and 22 major languages. As of 2014, the largest Indian music record label is T-Series with up to 35% share of the Indian market, followed by Sony Music India (the largest foreign-owned label) with up to 25% share, and then Zee Music (which has a partnership with Sony). Personally, my (Nikitha) favorite Indian Film composer is M.M. Keeravani. He works predominantly in Telugu cinema along with other languages including Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi. He has won eight Filmfare Awards, 11 state Nandi Awards, and a Tamil Nadu State Film Award. His most popular films were Baahubali: The Beginning and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion.
Cricket is the football of India: everyone loves it. Families and friends come together to watch matches together. Children and families play cricket in their houses because it is considered such a popular sport in India. Cricket was brought to India by the British, and since then, it has become a great pastime. India’s team is made up of some of the best players in the world and fans are always supportive of new players. And of course, there are always bets when it comes to matches. Not only do bets bring in so much money to the industry, but so do the amount of sponsorships and advertisements during cricket matches. Big brands such as Nike, Hyundai, and Pepsi sponsor the Indian Cricket Team, so it is very clear that this sport is a huge deal in India. If you’re visiting India, don’t be surprised to see at least one TV screen with a live match!
Dance is one of the many forms of entertainment in Indian culture. There are several different forms of dance that originated in India, but today we will talk about Bhangra, Raas, and Bollywood dance. Don’t worry, we didn’t forget about all of the traditional dance forms. We will cover those in an upcoming post about arts in India!
Bhangra is a folk dance that originated in Punjab. Modern Bhangra music dates back to England in the 1960s. Bhangra is traditionally danced to the dhol instrument, a large drum, and boliyan, short sets of lyrics that describe scenes or stories from Punjab. Bhangra consists of 9 other dance forms including Jhumar, Luddi, Giddha, Julli, Daankara, Dhamal, Saami, Kikli, and Gatka. As Bhangra spread throughout India, the Bollywood Industry began to incorporate it in their movies. As a result, Bhangra music has spread throughout the world. For example, Bhangra music has become very popular in Canada because there are nearly 700,000 Punjabi-Canadians in Canada. The traditional Bhangra costume is very bright and colorful. The clothing worn by men is different from women but there are several similarities. A man’s costume includes a turban, a necklace, a long shirt with a vest, and loose fitting pants. A woman’s costume includes a long top, loose fitting pants, a scarf, earrings, a gold necklace and a tikka (jewelry worn on the forehead).
Raas is the socio-religious folk dance originating from Indian state of Gujarat and popularly performed during the festival of Navaratri. Originally performed in honor of Goddess Durga, the dance form represents a battle between the demon, Mahishasura, and the Goddess. Another legend states that the dance form originated from Krishna & Radha's 'raas leela', hence the name 'Dandiya Raas'. Raas is performed in pairs while holding decorative sticks called dandia. The dandias represent the sword of Goddess Durga. Garba is also a fun folk dance that comes from Gujarat and revolves around the theme of Goddess Durga. Raas and Garba are common Gujarati dances that everyone can participate in. The major difference between the two dance forms is that Garba is performed in circular movements with hands and feet, while Raas is performed with colorful sticks. The traditional costume for women is a blouse with a ghagra (a long skirt) and a dupatta. The traditional costume for men is a Kediyu (a short kurta designed with embroidery and mirrors) and choyani (loose pants that allow for leg movement).
Bollywood dance originated in India, around Bombay, in the 20th century. Bollywood dance is mainly seen in Bollywood movies. The purpose of the dance form is to tell a story. The movements can be simple or complex but can also be easily recreated. Bollywood music is usually very upbeat and fast. This results in a dance that is high energy and keeps the audience entertained. Bollywood has become very popular in the United States and we are starting to see more Indian representation on TV. For example, The Kings, an Indian hip hop/stunt dance group was the first Indian group to win World of Dance . Another team known as V. Unbeatable, was the first Indian dance group to win AGT Champions.
Movies, music, sports, and dance are all very influential parts of the Indian Entertainment Industry. All of these aspects are recognized by Indian Americans and help Indian American teens to relate with their culture.
Come back next week for our post on feminism & gender stereotypes/roles!