Dancing to its own tune

Despite producing well-crafted and intelligent cinema, Bollywood is still not taken seriously by big brother Hollywood

to a different world population.

By AMIT DUTT

Afew days ago I saw the latest Bollywood blockbuster Burfi, a well-made and well-crafted silent love story, impressive and brought alive with a dazzling display of Darjeeling images and some brilliant music. Watching the movie started a thought process. Is a well-made Bollywood blockbuster comparable to a Hollywood one? We often make the mistake of comparing a poorly-

We don’t have to be apologetic for who we are, what entertainment we appreciate and for our choices of supermen and divas. Films made in countries like Iran, France and Spain have often made a mark for themselves without getting into any rat-race. They may be different from the other source of entertainment (Hollywood) but they are well-crafted and bring out the best of human emotions and relationships without the support of graphics or hi-tech gadgetry. Every one of us has watched a below average Hollywood production, while at the same time cherished some of the foreign language films on SBS. Leaving revenues and no average films ever made in Hollywood?

Some of the well-made Bollywood blockbusters may not be as technically advanced or hi-tech as their Hollywood cousins, yet they are different, catering energies need to compete, if not compare, with the best in the world.

Only then will we set benchmarks by which others will measure their creative genius too.