Of course, you already know that Bollywood films are produced in India and that there’s a lot of singing and dancing in them. But thanks to Sonoma State University theater and cinema professor Ajay Gehlawat, whose new book, 21st Century Bollywood, connects with his previous lecture on Bollywood and Globalization, here are a few facts you might not know.

 

1.] While all Indian films are not Bollywood films, all Bollywood films are from India.

Other regional film industries exist in Madras, Calcutta, and other places; many of them forgo the Bollywood staples of big-budget productions and songs.

 

2.] In India, Bollywood films are the most watched, despite their smaller quantity.

In terms of global box office receipts, they are also the most well-liked Indian films outside, trailing only Hollywood productions. When it comes to both the quantity and quality of its output, the Indian film industry leads the world. But Hollywood continues to rule the box office thanks to larger budgets.

 

3.] Bollywood is now aware of who it is: “Bollywood.”

Now that it is aware that the world recognizes it as this distinct shape, it is experimenting with its own conventions. This features modern actors digitally put onto vintage footage to perform popular earlier tunes. (Consider Anne Hathaway and Gene Kelly performing and dancing in “Singing in the Rain.”)

4.] According to Guinness World Records, Bollywood playback singer Lata Mangeshkar was the “most recorded artist in history.”

She recorded over 5,000 songs in 36 regional languages, and she retained the record until the category was eliminated in 1991. She started her career in 1942 and is currently performing, writing, and producing music.

 

5.] Perhaps the Hollywood of Bombay should be dubbed “Mollywood” instead, because its current home is called Mumbai. Just stating…

 

6.] Bollywood has a Nigerian offshoot known as “Nollywood.” Bollywood adaptations of American films are reimagined by Nigerian filmmakers.

 

7.] Bollywood films prioritize their soundtrack over the storyline.

Actually, a separate filmmaker shoots the “music videos” for Bollywood movies, and prior to the cameras rolling, the music and voices are recorded in a studio. The dancing scenes in the movies are always lip-synchronized, while the singing is performed by an entirely other cast.

 

8.] To raise the literacy rate in rural regions, some Bollywood songs are played.

The majority of Indians do not speak English, and over one-third of them are illiterate today. In an attempt to rectify this, Hindi subtitles are being used for films where the songs are well-known and frequently sung.

 

9.] Pitbull and Snoop Dogg have collaborated on Bollywood music.

Rap is becoming more and more prevalent in Bollywood music, an attempt to appeal to a wider Western audience. In 2009 and 2013, Snoop Dogg and Pitbull were featured in Bollywood songs.

10.] There are a number of Bollywood movies on Netflix. There are also a ton of movies and music videos available on other websites, such as ZeroDollarMovies and Youtube.