The Story Behind Bollywood

With a world population of 182 million speakers of Hindi and a thriving cultural industry, we investigate the story behind Bollywood in translation - the focal point of traditional India cinema enjoyed the world over. However, there are lots of misconceptions about this worldwide phenomenon. Although it is commonly interpreted as a wide spanning term for Indian cinema, it is actually a smaller part of it. Bollywood is only part of the Indian film industry, which produces films in regional language. Known formally as Hindi cinema, it also has an increasingly common feature of incorporating Indian English in songs and dialogue (Hinglish in translation).

So where did the word come from? It's a portmanteau of Bombay (former name of Mumbai) and the multimillion-dollar film industry of Hollywood. However, the similarity ends here as it's not an actual physical place, although it does reside in pride of place in the Oxford English Dictionary. The name has also been contested over its original coinage - from the scholar Amit Kannar to journalist Bevinda Collaco.

The story behind Indian cinema began with the screening of six silent films at the Watson Hotel in Bombay from the Lumiere Brothers. Having watched a screening in 1910, Dadasaheb Phalke decided to make his own screening, with the silent film Raja Harishchanda in 1913.

To reflect the times socially, culturally and historically, Indian cinema and Bollywood cinema underwent many trends in subject matter. During the 30s and 40s alongside social upheavals and the partitioning of India, more lighthearted subjects came from a wave of directors who used this political backdrop and freedom movement to flavour their scripts, dissecting many various issues and bringing them to life.

Following the 1940s and 50s, the independence of India heralded the Golden Age of Hindi cinema. These covered a wide range of issues, including social themes dealing with urban life in the famous films of critical acclaim such as the Raj Kapoor films Awaara and Shree 420. Black and white films were still prevalent until the 1960s, although the 1950s heralded in the new age of colour films. The plots now gravitated to romance and dramatic themes with famous actors such as Raj Kapoor and Meena Kumari and then eventually action.

So here is a snapshot of the famous industry, with now such famous stars as Rani Mukeraji and Aishwarya Rai. Hopefully we've helped to shed some more light in translation of Bollywood and the influence it has had over history!

Read up on Hindi interpreting services for more information on the relationship between English and Hindi. Providing articles, reviews and writings on movies online.

Movie Review: Pixar's Brave (2012)

Pixar has set the bar so high for computer animated features that judgment against them is particularly strict. This works against Brave, which is unfortunately a grandly mediocre accomplishment. For any other studio, it might have been enough to be cute and adventuresome, but for Pixar, audiences will demand emotional attachment, resourcefully funny humor, dramatic poignancy, and character development that begets unforgettable personas. Brave just doesn't bring any of that to the table, instead being palatable and pleasant but never groundbreaking or awe-inspiring. It's hopelessly average - made almost unforgivable because of the quirky, bounding desk lamp that has become known in the industry as a proclaimer of animated masterpieces.

"A princess strives for perfection," insists Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson), a proper, respected leader trying desperately to curb her impetuous daughter's mindset. But defiant young princess Merida (Kelly Macdonald) wants nothing to do with the games of competition that will decide her suitor from the three neighboring clans of Scottish warriors. Betrothal and a planned life couldn't be more unattractive to the orange-haired youth who wants to journey into the forest for adventure and archery practice. While King Fergus (Billy Connolly) entertains the visiting lords and their sons, Merida sneaks out and stumbles into the secluded cottage of an old wood carver who offers to conjure a spell that will forever change the queen's stance on marriage.

As with the trailers for Up, Brave wisely gives nothing away with the brief, comedic, introductory television spots. But magic, destiny, fate, legends, the breaking of traditions, and the pursuit of freedoms are all involved in the fast-paced world of ancient Scotland. There is also no less than three montages governed by singing; an element generally absent from the stirring orchestral compositions found in Pixar's more mature ventures. The stereotypical portrayal of Scottish culture feels reminiscent of How to Train Your Dragon's Viking inhabitants, which is to say that the visuals of clothing, sets, and character designs are largely unoriginal. The typical rebellious teen provides laughs, but again creates a sense of the film struggling to relate to audiences. A role reversal of mother and daughter caring for one another is mildly amusing but also derivative of the frequent theme of prematurely being forced into responsibility and action, found in countless other animations.

Although commonly taken for granted, the water effects are spectacular, as are various elemental inventions. Anymore, scrutiny seems pulled in directions other than the stunning imagery that takes innumerable hours and plenty of talent to construct and animate. Alas, the lack of an involving plot negates the splendor of lighting, cinematography, smoke-like wisps, or even Merida's hair, an impressively buoyant, spongy, carrot-colored mass that is seemingly a character of its own. Comic mischief, silly rudeness, a PG-worthy intensity, and occasionally mirthful dialogue similarly get lost in the resoundingly contrived cure for the curse, complete disregard for closure with the witch, and ignorance to the resolution of Merida's three brothers' plight (which is unexplained despite a more than trivial involvement). Brave is frustratingly trifling.

- The Massie Twins (GoneWithTheTwins.com) Providing articles, reviews and writings on movies online.

The Story Behind Bollywood

With a world population of 182 million speakers of Hindi and a thriving cultural industry, we investigate the story behind Bollywood in translation - the focal point of traditional India cinema enjoyed the world over. However, there are lots of misconceptions about this worldwide phenomenon. Although it is commonly interpreted as a wide spanning term for Indian cinema, it is actually a smaller part of it. Bollywood is only part of the Indian film industry, which produces films in regional language. Known formally as Hindi cinema, it also has an increasingly common feature of incorporating Indian English in songs and dialogue (Hinglish in translation).

So where did the word come from? It's a portmanteau of Bombay (former name of Mumbai) and the multimillion-dollar film industry of Hollywood. However, the similarity ends here as it's not an actual physical place, although it does reside in pride of place in the Oxford English Dictionary. The name has also been contested over its original coinage - from the scholar Amit Kannar to journalist Bevinda Collaco.

The story behind Indian cinema began with the screening of six silent films at the Watson Hotel in Bombay from the Lumiere Brothers. Having watched a screening in 1910, Dadasaheb Phalke decided to make his own screening, with the silent film Raja Harishchanda in 1913.

To reflect the times socially, culturally and historically, Indian cinema and Bollywood cinema underwent many trends in subject matter. During the 30s and 40s alongside social upheavals and the partitioning of India, more lighthearted subjects came from a wave of directors who used this political backdrop and freedom movement to flavour their scripts, dissecting many various issues and bringing them to life.

Following the 1940s and 50s, the independence of India heralded the Golden Age of Hindi cinema. These covered a wide range of issues, including social themes dealing with urban life in the famous films of critical acclaim such as the Raj Kapoor films Awaara and Shree 420. Black and white films were still prevalent until the 1960s, although the 1950s heralded in the new age of colour films. The plots now gravitated to romance and dramatic themes with famous actors such as Raj Kapoor and Meena Kumari and then eventually action.

So here is a snapshot of the famous industry, with now such famous stars as Rani Mukeraji and Aishwarya Rai. Hopefully we've helped to shed some more light in translation of Bollywood and the influence it has had over history!

Read up on Hindi interpreting services for more information on the relationship between English and Hindi. Providing articles, reviews and writings on movies online.

Movie Review: Pixar's Brave (2012)

Pixar has set the bar so high for computer animated features that judgment against them is particularly strict. This works against Brave, which is unfortunately a grandly mediocre accomplishment. For any other studio, it might have been enough to be cute and adventuresome, but for Pixar, audiences will demand emotional attachment, resourcefully funny humor, dramatic poignancy, and character development that begets unforgettable personas. Brave just doesn't bring any of that to the table, instead being palatable and pleasant but never groundbreaking or awe-inspiring. It's hopelessly average - made almost unforgivable because of the quirky, bounding desk lamp that has become known in the industry as a proclaimer of animated masterpieces.

"A princess strives for perfection," insists Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson), a proper, respected leader trying desperately to curb her impetuous daughter's mindset. But defiant young princess Merida (Kelly Macdonald) wants nothing to do with the games of competition that will decide her suitor from the three neighboring clans of Scottish warriors. Betrothal and a planned life couldn't be more unattractive to the orange-haired youth who wants to journey into the forest for adventure and archery practice. While King Fergus (Billy Connolly) entertains the visiting lords and their sons, Merida sneaks out and stumbles into the secluded cottage of an old wood carver who offers to conjure a spell that will forever change the queen's stance on marriage.

As with the trailers for Up, Brave wisely gives nothing away with the brief, comedic, introductory television spots. But magic, destiny, fate, legends, the breaking of traditions, and the pursuit of freedoms are all involved in the fast-paced world of ancient Scotland. There is also no less than three montages governed by singing; an element generally absent from the stirring orchestral compositions found in Pixar's more mature ventures. The stereotypical portrayal of Scottish culture feels reminiscent of How to Train Your Dragon's Viking inhabitants, which is to say that the visuals of clothing, sets, and character designs are largely unoriginal. The typical rebellious teen provides laughs, but again creates a sense of the film struggling to relate to audiences. A role reversal of mother and daughter caring for one another is mildly amusing but also derivative of the frequent theme of prematurely being forced into responsibility and action, found in countless other animations.

Although commonly taken for granted, the water effects are spectacular, as are various elemental inventions. Anymore, scrutiny seems pulled in directions other than the stunning imagery that takes innumerable hours and plenty of talent to construct and animate. Alas, the lack of an involving plot negates the splendor of lighting, cinematography, smoke-like wisps, or even Merida's hair, an impressively buoyant, spongy, carrot-colored mass that is seemingly a character of its own. Comic mischief, silly rudeness, a PG-worthy intensity, and occasionally mirthful dialogue similarly get lost in the resoundingly contrived cure for the curse, complete disregard for closure with the witch, and ignorance to the resolution of Merida's three brothers' plight (which is unexplained despite a more than trivial involvement). Brave is frustratingly trifling.

- The Massie Twins (GoneWithTheTwins.com) Providing articles, reviews and writings on movies online.