Indian cinema: A lot of Bollywood productions depict family relationships. In picture: a scene from My 8-year-old bride movie.
Q: Thank you Your Excellency, for joining us on air today. First of all, I have watched a lot of Indian movies, some of which are on my must-watch list. And one thing I noticed is Indian films have a lot of dancing and singing performances. Is that the same for every movie made in India?
A: Yes, of course. It’s quintessential that every Indian films to have songs and dances which is what makes our films different but also more entertaining. We’ve had songs and dances in Indian cinema for the last 100 years, from the very beginning. Because Indian cinema involves lots of Indian folklore out of Indian theatre which have a lot of songs and dances. It’s a way to express ourselves, our emotions, whether it’s joy, whether it’s sadness or anything. So now they are very much part of the tradition of the Indian cinema. Both Bollywood and other Indian languages have a lot of dances and songs.
Q: Does that mean every actor and actress knows how to dance and sing?
A: No the singing is done by background singers and the actors and actresses are simply lip-syncing. They know how to act for sure. Some of them know how to sing and they learn dancing. But the songs are definitely sung by playback singers and then it’s a voice over it.
Q: What are the most common themes in Indian movies?
A: Well I can think of the fact that within the span of 3 hours, Bollywood films will tell you a full drama story, usually with happy endings. But that does not mean all of them. But it’s able to compress lots of content into three hours. That’s the first feature. The second feature that it’s very strong on family values. And that’s the character that is both common to India and Vietnam as the traditional society in Vietnam and Indian has strong family values. We are very close to our parents, we are very close to our brothers. We have very strong family relationship. And Bollywood films definitely show that, which is why I am confident that they are special meaningful to Vietnamese audience.
Q: A lot of people compare Bollywood to Hollywood. What do you think of this comparison?
A: They are both very distinct, they are both entertaining. They have different features. Over the years, Bollywood has been inspired by Hollywood and a lot of films has taken imitated, you could see, Hollywood cinema. But now Bollywood films have come of age. And now I hear that Hollywood is inspired by Bollywood.
Q: Just to be clear, does Bollywood represent the whole of Indian cinema? Because whenever we talk about Indian films, we think of Bollywood instantly.
A: No Bollywood is just part of the Indian industry. We made more than 1000 films every year. So we are the largest film industry in the world. Bollywood is a part of that. Bollywood really is a nickname given to films that are produced in Mumbay and they are in Hindi. But you know we speak 30 languages in India so we made films in all the Indian major languages which are popular in various regions in the coutnry. So all together they have a common trend of the same songs and dances, dramas. But they also have special qualities. There are popular films that have been made for popularity but there are serious films that shall be made for serious cinematography. Really it’s for everybody.
Q: What is the reception of audiences, both local and international, to Indian films?
A: You will be amazed to know that it’s such a wide appeal that is for Indian films all over the world. It’s not just India, all over South Asia, all of the Middle East countries, in ASEAN you know Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia… These are the countries where Bollywood is really popular and it has becoming increasingly popular in other parts of the world for example Japan and China, they are now watching a lot of Bollywood films. Latin American countries are watching Bollywood films so it’s now becoming an universal cinema
Q: What is the role of movies in preserving culture and improving society in India?
A: I think Indian films play an important role in preserving Indian culture. As I mentioned to you that the concept of songs and dances is very much part of our traditional theatre and our traditional folk dance. So by creating unique Bollywood songs and dances, we are continuing our traditional folk dance, folk culture and folk music and popular music. Some of the most significant achievements are the fact that they have dealt with serious and important social issues. It has been used as a medium to increase awareness about serious issues, whether it’s social issues in society, positions of women, gender equality, youth, employment opportunities. So many! The fact that they are addressing issues of society I think is the biggest contribution that Bollywood has made.
Q: And how do movies help promote Indian tourism in the world?
A: Well wherever Indian films are made, all those countries they attracted Indian tourists. So that gives a big boost in tourism industry in those countries that have allowed and encouraged Bollywood films to be made. That is the first benefit. Secondly, in reverse, those who watched Indian films are interested in visiting India and so it promotes tourism in both place.
Q: Thank you so much Your Excellency for this interesting talk. That was Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Shrimati Preeti Saran.