India is a very beautiful country that attracts a growing number of visitors. Some come to spend holidays, others come back to their sources and still others come to celebrate their honeymoon! India is a cultural country , a gastronomy unique of its kind … But not only! Since the 2000s, there has been a globalization of Bollywood, the typically Indian cinema that proves to be an industry more than venerable. In addition to being adulated by locals, many succumb to its charm abroad.
Bollywood what is it?
The term “Bollywood” combines “Bombay” (now called Mumbai, the economic capital of India) and “Hollywood”, but does not designate a place. It is a cinematographic genre that is exported today worldwide. In India cinema is more than an art; he inspires locals who identify with the actors. Groupies often wait for hours in the sun in front of “celebrity homes” in the upscale Bandar district of north Mumbai.
In About the numbers
Bollywood is 1600 films produced a year and “only” 2 billion dollars (2014) of recipe
Hollywood produces 500 a year with an income of more than 50 billion dollars (2014)…
What To know
However, the film industry in India is still appreciated, and for those who have not yet tested, you will need at least three hours to watch a movie with dance choreography every 20 minutes. Yes, it’s huge, but it’s worth it!
It is in Mumbai that we find the Bollywood studios, the stars of the Indian film industry as Shahrukh Khan or Aishwarya Rai (former Miss World 1994). Visiting Bollywood studios is a must in India during a stay in Mumbai, do not hesitate to take a tour. You will have the right to a guided tour of the studios for the modest sum of 100 dollars per person. It is granted, it is not given but we reassure you, prices differ according to your desires!
You may meet some Bollywood stars in the trendy neighborhoods of Mumbai including Juhu or Bandar. Or who knows, you may end up in an Indian movie. Indeed, it is very likely for Westerners to be approached to shoot as appearing in Indian films. However be certain of the honesty of the project before you start!
What to Do
Before your trip to India review your classics and make sure you’ve seen some basics of the Bollywood film industry like Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (The Indian Family), My name is Khan, Om Shanti Om or Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. You will notice that we focus rather quickly on the characters and that we can go from joy to sadness rather quickly. Indian films are above all an explosion of emotions.
So with family, friends, couples or even alone if you want to go to Mumbai, we invite you to discover the Bollywood studios and perhaps conquer the Indian cinema industry as Kalki Koechlin, a French actress born in the sublime region of Pondicherry that is all the rage in India!