Hollywood Bollywood
Over the years now I have been watching both Hollywood and Bollywood movies and have enjoyed watching both the styles of movie making. There are of course several differences in hollywood and Indian movies and I am not the right person to elaborate those. But one thing did strike me a few weeks ago. There was a common thread in Hollywood movies which was rarely seen in Indian movies. It seems to me that movies made in USA do not trace the lives of their characters till the end of the particular story that they are exploring in the lives of the characters. For example, in the movie "Primal Fear", Richard Gere finds out in the end that he was being cheated and lied to by his client and the movie just ends there. It was a great ending, no doubt! The same movie was remade in Bollywood and they had to trace the story to the end where the lawyer takes his revenge with his client and all is well in the end. To put it in other words, every action will result in a reaction and Indian movies make sure that you see what that reaction was. Only then does the audience go home happily :)
I found this difference to be so common in Hollywood and Bollywood movies that a theory popped up in my mind to explain it. I wasn't looking for a theory, but it just struck me. Indian religious thought includes the idea of reincarnation and the karma theory. Every action will bear fruit and will be the cause of future action which leads to an unending cycle of birth and death. Hence for Indians, every action, thought, deed will lead to a reactive action, thought, deed. Indians are used to seeing the end of things, a complete picture because that's how life evolves for us. If it does not happen in this life, we know it will bear fruit in the next one or the one after it. This in built belief leads Indian movie makers and audiences make and appreciate movies that always follows this principle, knowingly or unknowingly. But Hollywood has a different story. Most western religions believe in one life and hence in this one life we may or may not see the end of things that we have initiated. It depends on how long we live and how lucky we get. Hence they can appreciate movies which reflect this belief and be perfectly okay with it.
I thought this was an interesting idea and hence thought of sharing it.
I found this difference to be so common in Hollywood and Bollywood movies that a theory popped up in my mind to explain it. I wasn't looking for a theory, but it just struck me. Indian religious thought includes the idea of reincarnation and the karma theory. Every action will bear fruit and will be the cause of future action which leads to an unending cycle of birth and death. Hence for Indians, every action, thought, deed will lead to a reactive action, thought, deed. Indians are used to seeing the end of things, a complete picture because that's how life evolves for us. If it does not happen in this life, we know it will bear fruit in the next one or the one after it. This in built belief leads Indian movie makers and audiences make and appreciate movies that always follows this principle, knowingly or unknowingly. But Hollywood has a different story. Most western religions believe in one life and hence in this one life we may or may not see the end of things that we have initiated. It depends on how long we live and how lucky we get. Hence they can appreciate movies which reflect this belief and be perfectly okay with it.
I thought this was an interesting idea and hence thought of sharing it.
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