And Kollywood!? If Bollywood Jumped off a bridge, Would you do it too!? I certainly hope not.
Why Bollywood, Why? Did we not give you enough attention when you were young?
So long story short, this weekend, some colleagues and I finally got around to watching Jab Tak Hai Jaan (a Bollywood film) and were shocked, mouths-agape 😯 when we saw Shahrukh Khan kiss Katrina Kaif on the lips. It’s a funny thing, but it still irks me for some reason. I am used to seeing more than kissing in Hollywood films, but I am protective over my world cinema stars. They set the standard for modesty and now I see it crumbling beneath them. This has been going on for a long time, but I wonder if I will ever get used to it.
I know some of you want to see the kiss, so here it is:
😕 Umm, what was I saying again? Oh yes, okay so it’s hot, it’s shocking to some and it gets buts in seats at the theater, but is it worth it? Is it necessary?
For the few Canadians and Americans who know the difference between Kollywood, Bollywood, Tollywood etc… Awesome! But most in the west would just lump all the “-woods” together as “Brown Cinema”, so you can understand why Bollywood’s lack of discretion as of late is making the whole industry look desperate. One might call Kollywood’s lack of raunch old fashioned, but there is something to be said in its defense I can however, see Kollywood teetering on the edge, with more and more kissing going on, and embraces that are a bit too close for and unmarried couple. I know I sound like someone’s grandmother, but is nothing scared anymore!? If I wanted to see two people going at it in a married fashion, I’d watch a Hollywood film.
The essence of Romanticism (which is the focal point of many-a Indian Film) is longing for, but never attaining the desires of the heart. Its the reason why Mr. Darcy’s stare from across a room at Elizabeth was filled with more sexual tension than even 5 secs of The Dirty Picture.
The Bollywood Ticket made a good point about why there is little to no kissing in Indian Cinema that’s worth a read:
“How come there’s no sex in Bollywood movies?
Two reasons: social and artistic. Onscreen physical intimacy is frowned upon in India—even kissing is fairly rare. But more importantly, Indian filmmakers are masters of the art of seduction. There may not be any sex in Bollywood movies, but they sure are sexy. In fact, it’s precisely because there’s no sex that they’re filled with so much incredible tension, which is missing entirely from Hollywood movies these days. In the words of film critic Roger Ebert, “it is less erotic to snuggle for 60 minutes than spend 60 seconds wondering if you are about to be snuggled.” He was talking about Bollywood.
Sometimes Bollywood musical numbers act as a substitute for sex, depicting it not in any crass, overt way, but implicitly, even metaphorically. The characters are often so carried away with passion that they suddenly appear in exotic locations around the world—the pyramids of Egypt, the canals of Venice, the mountains of Switzerland—places that have nothing to do with the plot but have everything to do with the limitlessness of fantasy.” (Bollywood for Beginners)
We want to know what you think! Should us old conservative fogies just stuff it, and let the chips fall where they may? Or is there a point to maintaining modesty in Kollywood?
Tamil Glam is a blog/e-zine that wants to see more written about Tamil culture and entertainment in English. You can hit us up on Twitter @TamilGlam or send us an email tamilglam@gmail.com. For the latest Tamil Movie and Entertainment Reviews in English subscribe to Galatta, we know we do!
Related articles
- Why I stopped watching Bollywood movies (myfunnyside.wordpress.com)
- What on Earth happened to Bollywood? (girlsonone.wordpress.com)
Tamil Glam 