Hollywood / Bollywood
Directed by Deepa Mehta
Presented by Maggie Kuo
• Bollywood/Hollywood is a 2002 film by IndoCanadian 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-anddance numbers).
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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
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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
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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 lifejacket called tradition.
• Struggle of immigrants:
• Cannot fit in the foreign culture absolutely,
but struggling between the tradition and the
modernity (exotica).
Tradition vs. modernity
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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.