Do you think India's just about the "Bollywood"?

ok what is bollywood all i know is hollywood

Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for Mumbai-based Hindi-language film industry in India.

Songs and dances, love triangles, comedy and dare-devil thrills — all are mixed up in a three-hour-long extravaganza with an intermission. Such movies are called masala films, after the Hindustani word for a spice mixture. Like masalas, these movies are a mixture of many things. Most Bollywood films are 'masalas'. There are exceptions, of course, especially, in the recent times.

Bollywood plots have tended to be melodramatic. They frequently employ formulaic ingredients such as star-crossed lovers and angry parents, love triangles, family ties, sacrifice, corrupt politicians, kidnappers, conniving villains, courtesans with hearts of gold, long-lost relatives and siblings separated by fate, dramatic reversals of fortune, and convenient coincidences. They also usually end with 'And, they lived happily everafter'. So typical Bollywood films are far from reality...Foreigners, who watch these films, may think that this is India. But, normal Indians just don't fight 30 villains and come out without a scratch or sing and dance for 6 songs with their lovers in scenic spots...You get the idea?

Hmm...I don't watch many Bollywood films but 'Lagaan', 'Rang De Basanti', 'Taare Zameen Par' (Yes, I like Amir Khan...but his films are truly good. 🙂, 'Chak De India' are supposed to be good films. Help me people... I'm lost here. 😃 But I could nominate (lol) some Tamil films-'Kannathil muthamittal', 'Anjali', 'Pithamagan', 'Roja', 'Anbe Sivam', 'Raam', 'Mouna Raagam', 'Moondram Pirai'. They aren't diverse...they're my favs. 🙂

Hey
Well, I've never seen a Bollywood film or anything of it.
But I know many films, series (in general) -even news- aren't a true description of the reality. They keep reality away. And maybe that is their job. However sometimes (I can't count how many times) they can go up to ridiculous things...Now I can remember, the other day I was seeing an Indian film (dunno if it is from Bollywood) . There was girls singing in the middle of street and they danced almost all the time. I don't like musicals at all , so I stopped of seeing it before I'd have started to suffer a cerebral collapse. I'm sure that isn't true! ( there are no girls dancing and playing with fruits everywhere in India, are there?) I'm sure there are good films too 🙂 .

You want to get the real feel of india?

Go to the south, far from the tourists, near the abandoned hindu temples.

India possesses one of the most significant history chronicles of the world on par with it's ancienty.

It also possesses incredibly rich myths (possibly surpassing our own greeco roman stories). Have any of you heard of the ramayana tale?

IMO, that is much more important knowledege to discover than general tourist junk.

You know, in France there are no many Indian's movies, so personnaly I don't see India like the "Bollywood country". All I know about India is thanks to documentaries about it (vive Arte et France 5 😁), and it seems to me that's an awesome country with a great culture, and I really would like to visit it !
If you wanna see a french documentary about india, there's one with an original concept : that's a man who goes in a foreign country alone with cameras, and during his way, he trys to sleep in the homes of the locals. That's in french so i don't know if you'll understand anything....
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xwcb0_jirai-dormir-chez-vousinde_travel

well, ^,^; sorry I didn't saw bollywood's film ever. but I heard about the bollywood anyway. - In here bollywood's film is not common film.

You want to get the real feel of india?

Go to the south, far from the tourists, near the abandoned hindu temples.

India possesses one of the most significant history chronicles of the world on par with it's ancienty.

It also possesses incredibly rich myths (possibly surpassing our own greeco roman stories). Have any of you heard of the ramayana tale?

IMO, that is much more important knowledege to discover than general tourist junk.

I agree completely with you!!! People who want to discover history, culture and temples, go to the South! But, of course, people have diverse tastes! If you're looking for adventure, North-East is your destination! It's rich with wildlife. So is the Western Ghats, a Mountain Range in the South-West. Then, for beaches and mountains, Goa, a part of Western Ghats. For normal tourism, you have forts, palaces, Taj Mahal and such architectural monuments, the North (and Delhi) awaits you. Rajasthan is very famous among tourists, for wildlife and it's palaces. Then, you can't forget the Himalayas or the hill stations. Mumbai, the Maximum City, for the growing India and shopping. Sunderbans, if you want to see a Bengal Tiger. Gir Forests in Gujarat, for a lion. Kerala, for a miniature Sri Lanka.
The Ramayana and the Mahabharatha (the Story of India...an eminent Indian author said that the Mahabharatha contained every story that every ancient Indian wanted to tell) , the two great epics of India. You get to see all of ancient India in them. Discover the rest of History in Tamil literature.
I hope I haven't turned into a tour guide. But, it's a guide, all the same. 😛

I remember when I was a kid, indian films were a big deal in Romania. Raj Kapoor was everybody`s favorite 😃 Now I believe that a big Indian star is Salman Khan. He drives the girls crazy.
I used to think that that`s what Indians do all day, sing, dance, sometimes fight, and generally they don`t have to worry about anything.
Of course it doesn`t portray Indian life and culture, because that is something you see and experience only if you go there. It`s such a vast country, with so much history and culture, that you really have to be there to understand. But the Indian girls in the Bollywood films are so hot 🙂

India is a "Growing Power", so it seems India will be one of the super-powers of the future. But I think India still has some social problems although Gandhi's revolution changed everything.
Today's center of computer programming is India and Indians have a great mechanic industry. India also has a great tourism potential. There is a huge manpower with over 1 billion people.

I think other super-powers are worrying about inpreventable rise of another rival...

Yes, the many social problems must be overcome, but it looks like they aren't going to disappear any time soon, unfortunately.
About other countries worrying...it doesn't matter, does it? India is growing and will grow, no matter what.

For anyone interested in India, this is a great site. http://www.pbs.org/thestoryofindia/ It's the website of the best documentary I've ever seen on India and it's very informative and interactive. Try watching it on tv: "The Story of India"

So, do you guys think 'Bollywood is India'?

No , but i know what it is...i don't want to offend anybody so i won't speak about this.

I have not seen any Bollywood films, but I always dreamed of going to India! I don'tt really know why but this country attracts me. I'm not necessarily attracted by the rich side, the big cities. I would like to see the whole of India, meet people, visit places, ...

India isn't Bollywood. India is country where culture everything. India is culture. In India everyone has a smile to donate =)

I've seen some Bollywood films or in Bollywood style, I think that they are an expression of the indian culture too, but of course not at all, because as any fiction product they have folkloristic aspects that can't express the real life and culture in India today. I think, that many Bollywood products are like our "soap operas" in west countries.....surely , they don't represent our culture too and they are often just a way to entertain the public. if you see them, certainly you will not find the glorious history and culture of Italy......it's my opinion....

I loved Bollywood- me and my friend. We were fascinated in their colours, sounds and energy.
Now, we probably know the truth. in this summer i will go to the Bangalore for my cousin's wedding and i am nervous about it...

Wow! Reading everybody's views on bollywood vs. 'the real india' is really great. I'm sure a lot of people would have a lot to say about India, but from my perspective (and I've not always lived in India) it's a totally different world. Its a great place to visit and those who haven't must visit it some time! 🙂

I actually thought India is a spiriutal country. 🙂