Straight Facts About Bollywood

The glitz and glamour of Indian celebrity culture are just a magic carpet ride away with the world of Bollywood within your reach; a quick movie download or DVD is an easy way to enjoy some international trends! Bollywood is a Mumbai-based production empire, a thriving film industry that is larger than any other film-producing district in the world. Millions of fans around the globe have their sights on the hottest stars; Aishwarya Rai, Aamir Khan, and the legendary Amitabh Bachan are a handful of key players in this star-studded mecca of actors, actresses, singers, musicians, and producers.

One of the key elements of Bollywood features can be found in the musical scores, filling up the three-hour+ full-length films. Soundtracks and songs from every new release fall into the arms of avid fans well before the movie release-it's all part of the grand formula. It doesn't matter whether the actors themselves are singing the musical tracks; Bollywood singers have their own share of fame, and many make their debut alongside the season's fresh stars. The leading ladies and gentlemen are usually lip-synching those lyrics, but the growing fan base continues to follow this commercialized world of love and romance.

Lively dance choreography with a touch of designer costumes are another element of these colorful productions; each film offers a unique theme incorporated with folk dancing, Bhangra, hip-hop, Latino style, and contemporary western influences. These spicy mixes are often copied at weddings and events, and thousands of fans imitate the stars' latest moves. It's the Indian version of MTV, only with actors and actresses taking part in each segment.

Elaborate award shows and events around India and the U.K. draw even more fans to pay homage to their actor or actress du jour. The Zee Cine Awards, Stardust Awards, Star Screen Awards, and IIFA Awards shows are blockbuster events that sell out within weeks of ticket releases. Indian producers keep up with the times by infusing their films with some western Hollywood trends; don't be surprised when you come across complete remakes of popular U.S.-based romantic comedies. Many Bollywood screenplays are adaptations of popular western scripts.

Funding for Bollywood movies comes from just a few large production studios around India; it's interesting to note that Indian banks were once barred from lending money to Bollywood productions until recent years. As a result, many private distributors pulled together funds for modest productions; the arena has changed significantly in recent years, with many cinema deals from U.K. and U.S.-based companies.

Latin America, Arab countries, and even Russia have all joined the bandwagon for Bollywood mania. The stars are slowly making appearances in Western film culture too-Aishwarya Rai is one of India's prized gems who's made it across the border to share her talents. Bollywood's success relies heavily on loyal fans and a stead audience. When you're looking for a change of pace from the standard Hollywood megastars, maybe it's time to head East for a fresh take. . .