I think Americans are intrigued by the mystery of India. I wrote a blog a few months ago about how public Western education contains little history or information on India even though Western children will interact with countless Indian people. People see the bright, beautiful Bollywood films and the clothing and jewelry and are intrigued because they know so little about the culture and what India is like, (I’m sure the beautiful women help too). I feel fortunate that those of us going on this trip will have an opportunity to get a real feel for the country and the culture. So few people our age can say they’ve studied India, been there, toured the businesses, eaten the food, and interacted with the people. Whether or not Bollywood’s influence makes a lasting impression on American pop-culture, we’ll all be ahead of the fad.

This also reminded me of a Tom Petty music video that came out probably a year or two before the Moulin Rouge movie. Look out for Lord Ganesh and Vishnu:

http://www.cmt.com/videos/tom-petty/9623/walls.jhtml

http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?sduid=0&t=1344389

Anyone who has heard a catchy Bollywood refrain knows it has lasting appeal, and will find its way into catchy tunes the world over. I think the distribution rights to top songs will be of great value. Yet while Bollywood is on the move, it is only a part of India’s film industry. I like to believe that the other, lesser know part will grow at a faster clip. As Westerners, I think we’d prefer to get a glimpse into what’s really going on in India, and are less keen on seeing gaudy dance numbers. But that’s my personal bias. By the way, if anyone is interested in seeing an excellent Indian movie, check out ‘Salaam Bombay.’ Dr. Jaggia recommended it, and it was far better than the few Bollywood movies I have seen.

I’d like to point out that we can’t consider “Slumdog Millionaire” to be Bollywood. It was a Western production, made for Western audiences – but shot in India. In the future, I think there will be more synergies, with Western studios and directors creatively collaborating with their Indian counterparts. Nowadays, Bollywood movies catch on in India’s neighboring countries, and reach pockets of immigrant communities in the UK and the US. I don’t see that changing. But I think we will see dashes of Bollywood flair become more mainstream, with top Indian celebrities becoming global superstars, and companies like Saavn benefiting.

I love Bollywood.