BOLLYWOOD - A reflection of Indian Ethos

       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.

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.

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.