Ethos is a Greek word meaning "character" that is used to describe the guiding beliefs or
ideals that characterize a community
, nation, or ideology.
Bollywood
is basically a Hindi film industry and second largest film industry after
Hollywood. It is basically representing only the Hindi film industry. However, it is only a
part of the large Indian film industry, which includes other production centres
producing films in multiple languages.
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| BOLLYWOOD BUZZ |
The Indian ethos get reflected in the cracked
mirror of the bollywood, sometimes realistically and sometimes elliptically. But under the glamour
of realism, the harsh facts of life are removed out. This is so because
however, escapist or realistic cinema may be, it cannot remain unaffected by
political and social environment.
One of the clear example of Indian
ethos is reflected in bollywood is that as we all know that the Indian society is male dominated society
and in the bollywood films revolve around the male protagonist.
Dialogues in the bollywood films
are the vibrant example of the Indian ethos because, as Dialogues are usually
written in Hindi or Urdu that would appeal to the largest possible audience. Some
movies, however, have used regional dialects to evoke a village setting, or
old-fashioned, to add a flavour of geographical area, to give a realistic look
to the film so that people can relate with it and understand the purpose of the
film. Films which are depicting the rural ethos like -
Mother India, Gangs of Wasseypur , Revolver Rani, Pan Singh Tomar, Maqbool, etc.
Song and dance formula
depicted in bollywood films, brought out the rich variety of Indian ethos and
growing existential problems of the people.
The most important social function of the Hindi film is its ability to
act as an interface between the traditions of Indian society and the disturbing
modern or Western intrusions into it. This is best depicted by the sets which creates
an atmosphere of Indian culture and shows the geographical features of a
particular region to be shown.
Music in Indian cinema is
unique in its cultural implications because it spells out the Indianness of
bollywood even when the songs or the background score are influenced and
inspired.
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| INDIAN ETHOS |
With the process of globalization
in the 90s the whole scenario changed, including that of bollywood. The new
wave films resorted to commoditization of culture while the popular ones
escaped into traditionalism, family values, sanctity of relationship - in fact
all those aspects of social life which came under threat as a result of
marketisation, foreign television channels and displacement of indigenous
industries under the onslaught of multinational companies. These films gave the
audiences a false sense of security and, as a result, became highly popular.
The trend was set by Sooraj Barjatia’s Hum Apke Hain Kaun which, with the help
of 14 engrossing songs, created the illusion of happy joint families by
glorifying wedding rituals. Ironically, in Barjatia’s family, modernity is permissible but only in
material terms- expanding business, sprawling bungalows and lavish interiors.
Films like Dil Wale
Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Dil To Pagal Hai and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai shows the code of
conduct of tradition and custom like obedience to the patriarchal law, respect
for elders and an overwhelming desire to belong to the fold, clan or community.
So, to conclude we have various
examples like the dialogues, dummy sets, songs, dances and star cast which
reflects the Indian ethos in every aspect of the bollywood. And, Therefore we
can say that BOLLYWOOD - a reflection of Indian Ethos.
Bollywood reflects the transformation of the Indian
psyche from a post-colonial politeness of the
1950s to the confident global Indian of present century.
