Hindi Movies
From LoveToKnow Movies
Hindi movies are big business, bigger than perhaps most people in the US realize. The film industry in India, which is commonly referred to as Bollywood, is booming because people there take their entertainment very seriously. The culture simply loves movies and the Bollywood Movies industry is more than happy to deliver what its fans crave.
Common Aspects of Hindi Movies
Hindi movies tend to be longer than most Hollywood films, as Hindi audiences demand their money's worth. A simple ninety minute feature won't usually satisfy, so most movies released by Bollywood studios are at least two hours in length. The plots are usually quite melodramatic and deal with basic themes such as love, greed, betrayal, and the like.
Hindi Music
Music is very important in Hindi film culture. Bollywood Music is the subject of many an Indian movie review and there are nearly as many websites dedicated to the music the movies as there are to the movies themselves. The music is so popular in fact that nearly every Hindi movie will have at least one big song and dance number, although the movies can not really be considered to be musicals. The Hindi music is so popular in fact that there are also a large number of Bollywood Ringtones for cellular phones available for download as well.
Bollywood Stars
Just as in Hollywood cinema, Hindi films are driven by the star power of the actors on the screen. Names like Julia Roberts, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Tom Cruise are household names in the US and many parts of the world, but their Bollywood equivalents are every bit as popular in India and the surrounding nations. Popular Bollywood stars of today include Rachna Shah, Aamir Khan, and Aditya Bal - to name only a few.
Big Box Office
It is interesting to note that, in India, movies are technically a bigger industry than in America. Bollywood releases about twice as many films as Hollywood every year and sells millions more tickets than Hollywood as well. Hollywood still makes more money overall, but ticket price certainly has something to do with that. In India a family of five can go to the movies without having to take a second mortgage out on the family home.
Hindi in America
American audiences are largely critical of foreign films, but there are certainly numbers of foreign film fans in this country and the fan base for Bollywood or Hindi movies is without a doubt growing. While you still can't find a wide selection of Hindi movies at your local Blockbuster store, there are many retailers that are now offering Bollywood DVDs. As US interest in Indian movies grows, more of the films are likely to become available stateside.
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