Starting in the late 1800s, production teams all around the world, fought for dominance in the film industry. From the very first successful film industry in France, to Australia’s very first feature-length film in 1906, to the dominance of Hollywood, countries have and still are in the ring to see who will come on top. But throughout this fight for dominance, when did the introduction of Bollywood and Chinese films become recognised?
Ezra and Rowden suggest that Transnational cinema “comprises both globalisation…and the counter hegemonic responses of filmmakers from former colonial and third world countries” (2006, p.1). They suggest further that “the Transnational can be understood as the global forces that link people or institutions across nations” (2006, p.1)
This element of transnational filmmaking can be identified through the cast, crew and the production’s location. For example actor Irrfan Khan predominantly works in Indians films. But is also known for his works in Hollywood and British films such as Slumdog Millionaire, Life of Pi, The Amazing Spiderman, and recent award winning movie, Jurassic World.
“Fueled by the internet, satellite networks, cable television, and DVD distribution, it is argued that Asian production centers will increasingly exploit cinematic contra-flows that draw upon structures of hybridity to meet increasing demand for glocalized content within globalized distribution networks” (Schaefer & Karan, 2010,pp.309).
With these new technological advancements, the impact of westernisation, and the acceleration of globalisation; countries such as India have produced more films than Hollywood over the years. Over the years the Indian film industry, known as Bollywood, has become popular worldwide. To prove that Bollywood has become known, statistics show that in 2011, Indian films ranked first by producing more than 1000 movies per year, with the USA coming second. Although they produced more films, Hollywood managed to beat Bollywood by earning more than 8 billion dollars in revenue. This is a clear indication of Hollywoods 80% dominance in the film industry, as their films have profited world wide.
One example of how Hollywood and Bollywood have collaborated ideas is through the popular movie, produced by Hollywood ‘Avatar’. The movie was known for the many awards they were awarded, except what wasn’t mentioned was how the characters were actually depicting Indian culture through their skin colour, god names, and Indian references.
The Times of India suggested Avatar was a treatise on Indianism “for Indophiles and Indian philosophy enthusiasts”, starting from the very word Avatar itself. Another critic found that elements of the film’s plot resembled such teachings and concepts of Hinduism as reincarnation of the soul, ecological consciousness, and incarnations of deities on Earth, commending Avatar and its director for “raising the global stature of Hinduism … in months”
So with the constant borrowing of cultural traditions barriers to keep westernised culture out, and the up increase of Bollywood films; will Bollywood become the new Hollywood by introducing new traditions?