Hollywood / BollywoodDirected by Deepa Mehta

Presented by Maggie Kuo

• Bollywood/Hollywood is a 2002 film by Indo-Canadian director Deepa Mehta. It is lighthearted, humorous, and family-oriented in nature, as opposed to Mehta's other films (most notably her Elements Trilogy of Fire, Earth, and Water), which feature very serious themes and focus on social issues.

• The film pokes fun at traditional Indian stereotypes, as well as at Bollywood(the film features several Bollywood-style song-and-dance numbers).

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bollywood/Hollywood

• Bollywood is formally referred to as Hindi cinema, though frequent use of poetic Urdu words is fairly common. There has been a growing presence of Indian English in dialogue and songs as well. It is not uncommon to see films that feature dialogue with English words and phrases, or even whole sentences.

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bollywood

outline

• Conflict between tradition and modernity• - Bollywood / Hollywood• - Family & Marriage• -Religion• -Traditions of Indians • Tradition vs. Modernity• Effect of Modernity

Bollywood / Hollywood• Unlike traditional Indian films, Bollywood films

are featured with western Hollywood factors.• Dancing and songs • Kimberly Wertham’s music video• Rocky dances as exotic butterfly, Rokini!• Sue’s song:“I simply sweet and salty”• Dancing and songs in Twinky & Bobby’s party• “Life is so empty with no you”

Family & Marriage• Sacrifice is the brightest torch of Indian family

values. Life is like the opening of the Olympics, Rahul. Run, run with the torch, until you light the big torch and signal the games to begin.

• traditional ideology of a man in a family is responsible to maintain the family.

• Remember you hold the baseball bat of destiny, and whatever curve ball life throws, always, always hit a home-run.

• Do their best and control the destiny themselves.

Family & Marriage

• Conflict between tradition and modernity• “a white whore” ?!• The only one condition to find the girl he is

interested: “Indian is a must.”• Dead father’s picture talks: Remember your

promise me Rahul... family is paramount... paramount . You are but a hillock.

• Pressure from both of his parents.

Religion

• Jesus Christ.• Twinky, don‘t take God's name in vain.• For God sake, ma. He's not our God.• All Gods are equal.• Rubbish, Hindu Gods are number one.• Humorous conversation to show the

traditional thought of religion from grandmaji

Traditions of Indians

• We‘re vegetarians. Don't ever ask for meat, beef.

• And we don‘t shake hands, we greet by folding them like so, and saying 'namaste'.

• And don‘t look directly at anyone, always lower your eyes.

• We‘re caught in a time warp here, trying to preserve what we can of the home country.

• Trying to maintain their tradition:• Sunita, better tow my line. otherwise you‘ll be

lost in lake Ontario, bobbing up and down in the water, without that all important life-jacket called tradition.

• Struggle of immigrants:• Cannot fit in the foreign culture absolutely,

but struggling between the tradition and the modernity (exotica).

Tradition vs. modernity

• Grandmaji & ma vs. Rahul• Rahul vs. Sue (Sunita)• “Which century is this”?• “Only fools don't question tradition.”• Sue’s father vs. Sue

Effect of Modernity• Sue Govind• Sue’s bold behavior and encouragement

makes Govind get confidence.• Sue Rahul• Breaks his traditional rules to love her, who

had been a prostitute. • Hollywood Indian cinema• Bollywood featured with both Indian culture

and new form of films with dance and songs.