View: Bollywood is valid cinema

One of India's most revered artists has delivered the ultimate putdown to its prolific film industry. In an interview M F Husain, responsible for the controversial Madhuri Dixit paintings, has called the films produced by the Hindi film industry no better than nautanki (street theatre). Husain is entitled to his opinion, of course. But we do think he is being unduly harsh on the popular Hindi film industry. Bollywood is an incredibly successful film industry, one that outsells even Hollywood in terms of ticket sales. It has its own aesthetic and it would be wrong to judge popular Hindi cinema by international conventions. The song and dance routine might seem ridiculous to western audiences, but it appeals to the millions of Indians for whom the movie is made. Indeed, even cinema-goers abroad have learnt to appreciate Bollywood for what it is overblown sets, larger-than-life characters, strong dose of sentiment et al. To equate good cinema with so-called meaningful cinema is to miss the wood for the trees. Just because a movie is unconventional doesn't mean it is also good. A 'serious' theme doesn't excuse bad production values, acting or direction. A typical Bollywood production can be enormous fun, from its catchy songs to the attractive leads and slickly edited action sequences. And Hindi film stars can emote with the best of them when given the chance and the script to do so. Contrary to what Husain seems to believe, a film being entertaining and making lots of money at the box office doesn't make it an artistic abomination. Husain's own experience with film-making has been less than successful, a good example that 'offbeat' doesn't translate into cinematic excellence. Husain has also erroneously accused Bollywood of not having any influence on Indian culture. Whether it is short-term fashion trends ranging from Sadhana's famous hairstyle to Deepika Padukone's look in Love Aaj Kal, or more lasting effects on language and even wedding rituals, Bollywood not only reflects the Indian experience but also shapes it in many ways. Counterview: It churns out bilge