Directing the focus now unto the Global Film Industry, it is easy to make an assumption that Hollywood is and always will be the most successful film industry on the global scale. Hollywood remains strong and posts impressive figures every year despite its dwindling economy (Source: onlinemba.com). With its head turning figures and stunning actor and actresses walking down red carpets, who would have the will to deny these forces.
However, it is important that we understand that on the other side of the globe, there is a film industry known as, Bollywood. You’d be surprise with how much they are one and the same with the Hollywood film industry. Let me explain, Bollywood, is the India’s version of Hollywood. Adopting its name from Bombay, now known as Mumbai, it is the heart and soul of every citizens in India, catching audience’s attention from its catchy Hindi songs and choreographed dance moves, colourful costumes and its dramatic storyline. According to Rosenberg M, fourteen millions Indians goes to work on a daily basis in the Bollywood film industry, which is equivalent to 1.4% of their 1 billion citizens. It is one of the main driving forces for India’s economy providing thousands of jobs every year.
The success of a Hollywood film depends heavily on culture clashes as seen in recent times with the emergence of contra-flows. It is the shifting of direction of cultural influences to the Global South and blurring ‘the boundaries between the modern and the traditional, the high and low culture, and the national and the global culture’ (Thussu, 2006: 175). Hollywood is like an octopus with tentacles extending across the globe. Through the incorporation of multi-culture influences, Hollywood has manage to attract audiences not only through domestic movie ticket purchases but also international revenues from foreign movie goers.
Let’s shine some lights on this with the movie, Slumdog Millionaire. The movie, based in Mumbai, illustrates the nitty and gritty lives of the poor with the shiny aspirations of the new India. It can be categorised as a ‘hybrid’ movie, directed by Briton Danny Boyle with the leading actor born and raised in England. It almost instantaneously stole the heart of everyone in India from the slums to Taj Mahal and even in the States. By creating this whole new market of movie goers, Hollywood was able to open up a new targeted market segment while educating and broadcasting a culture other that the western culture on the big screen was one of the most risky yet successful decision ever made.
Slumdog millionaire went on to win 8 Oscars and was on the top of the list on the box office list and International movie goers played the majority roles in this. It is then easy to see why it is necessary to explore the opportunity globally instead of confining your given knowledge. You wouldn’t know if that orange is good until you’ve tasted it.
Reference:
Thussu, D.K. (2006), International Communication: Continuity and Change, 2nd edn,
New York: Oxford University Press.
WASTED Paradise 