Bollywood Reborn and Bollywood Remixed

Bollywood Remixed (certificate tbc)

Dir: Herbert Krill, 2004, Austria/Germany, 77 mins

Over the last few years Britain has become enamoured with all things Bollywood. Selfridges displays, West end musicals, film co-productions and TV seasons abound, and Bollywood cinema's popularity has finally exploded beyond the non-resident Indian population and film buffs in the know. Bollywood Reborn and Bollywood Remixed at the Raindance East film festival explored further the growing links between popular Hindi cinema and Western film traditions.

Bollywood Reborn was a panel discussion on 'the recent fusion of Western and Bollywood styles.' Jeremy Wooding (director of Bollywood Queen ) led the debate between Herbert Krill (director of Bollywood Remixed ), Radio 1 DJ Bobby Friction and Asjad Nazir (author of Bollywood's Top 100 Films ). The inclusion of two panelists (Nazir and Friction) of Indian origin and two of European origin made for an interesting mix. It was perhaps representative of audiences for whom popular Hindi or 'Bollywood' film has always been a familiar form of entertainment and the increasing number who come to it as part of an adult interest in cinema and who choose it as one among many 'alternatives' to popular Western cinema.

Krill named as reasons for the increase in popularity among Westerners the perception of colour and energy in the films, of exoticism and kitschness and of the naivety of the formulaic storylines. While these qualities are apparent to non-resident Indian audiences they touch on an element of Western smugness. Perhaps Bollywood films really do have simplistically naïve plots, particularly in contrast to Hollywood 's increasingly jaded, self referential output. But perhaps there are references and complexities present which sail over our heads simply because we lack a lifetime's experience of the films or their culture. One man's 'exotic' is another man's humdrum daily existence, as evinced by Bollywood films' ubiquitous alpine love scenes, shot in Austria or Switzerland because to an Indian audience that is exotic and romantic. Likewise, while talk of colour and energy is an accurate description, certainly of my Bollywood experiences, without additional discussion of context or theme it remains a superficial response. When so much of Western cinematic criticism makes use of detailed political analysis of popular cinema it seems mistaken not to afford Bollywood film the same respect.

Nazir provided facts and figures and a brief overview of the recent history: the desolate 80s, the advent of MTV India and increase in consumerist media in the 90s. This led to Bollywood's drive to improve technically and appeal to youth audiences with carefully designed costumes and increasing emphasis on material wealth and foreign locations. The most thought provoking comment came from Bobby Friction, speaking about this perceived Westernisation. On a recent visit to Mumbai, he said, he met people involved with film production and asked them to consider a return to making films with more traditional Indian themes and imagery. The response was invariably one of anger that a foreigner, albeit one of Indian origin, should presume to dictate what sort of films to make. Pleas from outside India to preserve an outdated (and possibly fictional) idea of Indian culture are seen as immensely patronising. Globalisation has exposed Indian culture to Western media and influence but this is not a contamination, the argument seemed to run, it is India 's assimilation of external influence and just another stage in the life of a constantly changing society. Again, Western discussion of Bollywood must grasp the cultural and political context and evolving themes of Indian cinema if it is to get beyond 'kitsch, quaint and colourful' as the extent of analysis.

Bollywood Remixed was originally made for Artè, the Franco German television channel and was screened as part of a Bollywood season. The documentary looks at popular Indian cinema from Mumbai and elsewhere and despite the mammoth remit it manages to do a pretty comprehensive job. The opening at the Indian Filmfare awards ceremony - all pounding music, flashing lights and writhing dancers - encapsulates the main lesson of the evening: that Bollywood is a mega industry to challenge if not dwarf Hollywood , not an alternative or imitator.

There are interviews with superstar Amitabh Bachchan, Bend It Like Beckham director Gurinder Chadha and other film makers. We see location shooting in Austria , Indian communities in London (a frustratingly simplified view of the city's population) and examples of new English language middle class Indian film making like Everybody Says I'm Fine . A section on the rise of body culture in India and the success of models like Aishwarya Rai as actors is interesting. The film perhaps attempts too much and so sometimes becomes confusing and the relentlessly sensationalist voiceover is a little wearing by the end. However it is an excellent introduction and avoids simplistic or patronising interpretations, instead favouring the words of those directly involved.

The future of Bollywood and the West looks increasingly linked, with predictions from Nazir that Western film makers will take advantage of low costs by shooting in India , and a rise in Indian / Hollywood co-productions. Despite the initially unpromising response of the West to Bollywood films it looks like Western criticism is finally starting to take Bollywood seriously.