Sunil Chaudhary for Sify
 
Mumbai, Apr 16: Is it too late? Did the Indian film industry get it's biggest insult by getting this nickname? the name Bollywood is stuck now, it can't be shaken off no matter how many rallies one does or protests one makes. But before we get to Now What, let's talk about what is the problem with the name Bollywood?

For some (from Aam cyber Aadmis on this site to our mega star Amitabh Bachchan), it's a derogatory term. Agreed, it is derogatory for you if you are still living in that world where you associate every minor thing with richness of Indian culture and civilization or the whole "sone ki chidiya" concept. It is derogatory if you made the most original movies in the world and told stories that transcend cultures, boundaries and languages. It is derogatory if the role model of a teenager growing up in India was Chanakya and not Curtis James "50 Cent" Jackson III. Think about it what is so bad about the term, the fact that it is tagging Indian film Industry as a copy cat of Hollywood?? I thought that's what we were...we copy scenes, dialogues, dresses and numerous movies and we get pissed if they call us Bollywood?

This is double standards at it's best. Amitabh Bachchan the role model of Indian film industry comes out and says " I think Bollywood is a derogatory term, we have our own film industry and they have their own...blah blah blah" and next thing you know he's walking in slow motion in Kaante and Ek Ajnabi - pathetic ripoffs of Hollywood movies. Anyways you see my point - I think our biggest problem is not that people call us Bollywood, our biggest problem is no one takes us seriously. For that to happen we as an audience need to start rewarding directors and performers who take risk rather than going out as an audience and causing a traffic jam when the next wedding video from Suraj Barajatya comes out.

The other thing that we keep hearing about is that why do we care about Hollywood or the western media when we have a billion people watching our movies. We shouldn't and I can speak for myself that I am okay if we get stuff out of Bollywood which is culturally in line with what we are as a people and nation. However what I am not okay with is the same people who say they don't care about Hollywood, stand up and take notice of every single mention of Indian movies in western media. They are the same people who are disappointed when Indian movies don't get nominated for an Oscar. Double standards again....

All I am saying is don't blame the western media or the people for referring Indian film industry as Bollywood, I think it was someone's sheer genius that such a term came about and is very much in line with the "high concept" theme in the film industry. I don't think they came up with the name because they wanted to insult anyone. However the way Indian movies are made one cannot but wonder that is it a coincidence that because we copy so much from the west that we are left with this name which will constantly remind us that most of our movies are poor rip offs of Hollywood. While we are on this point I've never heard anyone refer the Japanese, Chinese, Korean or French film industry by their respective woods.....case in point maybe it's because it's all original stuff or could it be that they probably don't feel the need to be recogized by US media.

Well I can't change the way people think but I can certainly request our film stars and leaders that next time you put on that "holier than thou" attitude and call everybody else a sell out, just think for a second what have you done as a performer that we should take you seriously or is that another act you copied from Al Pacino?

BTW did someone notice the beads on Bobby Deol in that Shakalaka boom thing? Very much in line with Indian culture....Just throwing it out there...