by Patricia Rosemoor, half of Lynn Patrick
I know you’re going to think this is a stretch, but Heartwarming books and Bollywood movies have a lot in common. It hit me a couple of weeks ago when I was watching Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...
...starring my favorite Bollywood hero, Shah Rukh Khan, the wealthiest actor in the industry (wealthier than Tom Cruise). Bollywood makes more movies than the US and China combined.
Shah Rukh (formerly known as Shahrukh, in the industry known as SRK or King Kahn and owns Red Chile Entertainment) makes a particular kind of movie, so I always look for them – a combination of romantic comedy and sometimes serious drama, always with a huge emotional kick. Not that I’ve seen everything that he’s made.
The love story is always fraught with conflict. The hero choosing an ordinary woman whom his father doesn’t approve of and his being disinherited. Mistaken identities or hidden identities. A division of culture and class – while the caste system has supposedly been eradicated legally, it is sometimes an impediment in a Bollywood romance. The romance is even more wholesome than a Heartwarming inthat the couple never kisses.
But the really interesting thing is how a Bollywood movie reflects Indian beliefs that seem pretty Heartwarming to me. Families of multiple generations may live together.
Elders are respected. Self-sacrifice and making others happy above one’s self is paramount. This is the true heart of the Bollywood movie.
Oh, that and the wonderful musical numbers with colorful costumes and dozens of dancers.
So if you have three and a half hours – yes, Bollywood movies can be that long – sit back and enjoy a story that is simultaneously different and yet very familiar at heart.
(Note all photos are from Dharma Production on the Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham Facebook page.)
I know you’re going to think this is a stretch, but Heartwarming books and Bollywood movies have a lot in common. It hit me a couple of weeks ago when I was watching Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...
...starring my favorite Bollywood hero, Shah Rukh Khan, the wealthiest actor in the industry (wealthier than Tom Cruise). Bollywood makes more movies than the US and China combined.
The love story is always fraught with conflict. The hero choosing an ordinary woman whom his father doesn’t approve of and his being disinherited. Mistaken identities or hidden identities. A division of culture and class – while the caste system has supposedly been eradicated legally, it is sometimes an impediment in a Bollywood romance. The romance is even more wholesome than a Heartwarming inthat the couple never kisses.
But the really interesting thing is how a Bollywood movie reflects Indian beliefs that seem pretty Heartwarming to me. Families of multiple generations may live together.
So if you have three and a half hours – yes, Bollywood movies can be that long – sit back and enjoy a story that is simultaneously different and yet very familiar at heart.
(Note all photos are from Dharma Production on the Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham Facebook page.)
***
Home for Keeps
Lynn Patrick's newest novel set in Sparrow Lake is set for a May 1 release
Congratulations on the upcoming new release. I love that cover. I have to include a Bollywood movie to my viewing lineup. Thanks for telling us about them.
ReplyDeleteThe A frame is the hero's home. Fun that the artist used it. Have fun with Bollywood :)
DeleteInteresting comparison, Patricia. Thanks for sharing and best wishes with your upcoming release!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kate
DeleteFirst, I just have to say that I love your latest cover, Patricia (Lynn)! As Kate points out, your comparison between Heartwarming and Bollywood is fascinating. So fascinating that I've made a mental note to study more of those movies to look for the similarities, myself! Can't wait to read the book, and here's hoping your Wednesday is wonderful!
ReplyDeleteThis is very interesting!
ReplyDeleteI thought it was a fun comparison.
DeleteHi, Patricia! Congratulations on the new book. Wish you so many sales that your royalties arrive in a Brinks truck! (Well, why not?) Interesting info on the Bollywood movies. Will have to check that out - he is gorgeous and the content sounds like fun. I love musicals and watching dancers do all those things it looks like a body couldn't possibly do!
ReplyDeleteTrust me, Bollywood dancing is a lot harder than it looks. :)
DeleteThanks for sharing your post. I saw Shah Ruhk Kahn (sp?) interviewed on TV not long ago. They asked if he was going to continue to act and direct---he said for as long as the viewers kept liking his movies. Duh! Love your cover art, too.
ReplyDeleteShah Ruhk really pulls me into his movies. He has an emotional element to him that is unusual. Though the male emotion in Bollywood movies is quite something. Men cry. Something we're not used to seeing.
DeleteCongratulations on your upcoming release, Patricia. This is such an interesting comparison.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jill.
DeleteI always see these as an option on airplanes. I'll have to try one
ReplyDeleteBe prepared -- they are in Hindi with subtitles. Well, Hindi with English thrown in, sometimes in the middle of a sentence. And yes, they really speak that way. I was in India several years ago.
DeletePatricia, this is so very intriguing. I never would have come up with this comparison , and I appreciate you perspective here. I'm absolutely going to look these up, get my popcorn and indulge. Thank you broadening my horizons. Good luck with your new release!
ReplyDeleteGet lots of popcorn -- looong movies :)
DeleteFascinating! Now you've got me interested in Bollywood movies. I've never seen one. Hmm...I wonder if Netflix has any?
ReplyDeleteYes, Netflix has them. I meant to add that and the days got away with me, which is why I didn't answer comments yesterday. Today it hit me....
DeleteNote that Amazon Prime also has Bollywood movies.
Interesting! I didn't realize that the characters don't even kiss!! I know our very own Sophia Sasson loves a good Bollywood romance :)
ReplyDeleteThere are some movies that indicate a lot of passion, which is hard to do without a kiss, but that's traditional Bollywood.
DeleteEnjoyed reading about Bollywood. They sound like really clean movies...something very hard to find these days. And I, too, love your cover!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Patricia.
Delete