When someone mentions musicals, our Western brains tend to think of shows like Phantom of the Opera, Singing in the Rain, or White Christmas. To an Indian audience, however, the list of movies brought to mind would be very different. Frank Sinatra might be replaced by Shah Ruhk Kahn. The cane and top hat might morph into bangles and henna. However, while the vehicle of the message changes in appearance, the stories being told through song contain similar themes that portray the world in a way that is agreeable to the target audience. As Lakshmi Tirumala describes it, "[Bollywood films] help transmit the culture and traditions," of a society, and so do the musicals of the Western world.
Bollywood films carry cultural significance in the same way that we might think of Fiddler on the Roof, providing a cultural backdrop for an individual or community that is physically distant from their homeland. Some would even go so far as to say that for some "the only connection with India is Hindi films. Hindi film is India for them" (Assisi).
Take, for example, the story of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, a Bollywood film chronicling the story of shy, unassuming Surinder Sahni as he attempts to win the love of the woman he has married at her father's request. Taani, his wife, is distraught over the death of her fiance and father, but also struggles with wanting to be a good wife to Surinder whom she married so her father could "die peacefully."
With the help of his stylist friend Bobby, Surinder transforms himself into "Raj," an uncomfortably outgoing man who befriends Taani at her dance classes. The story develops into a love triangle between Taani and the two forms of Surinder, culminating in Taani's choice of whether she should "leave" Surinder for Raj or remain "faithful" to her husband.
While an arranged marriage may sound unusual to a Western audience, it is a fairly common practice in India even today. The idea of Surinder and Taani learning to love each other is likely born of a cultural need of a love story in which an arranged or forced marriage can lead to love and happiness.
Let's compare that Andrew Lloyd Weber's West Side Story. Main characters Maria and Tony are forbidden to love each by their families and social groups. Despite the heavy opposition, they fall in love and pursue a secret relationship. While the story ends in a tragedy, it is not wholly unlike the Indian film described above.
Both Taani and "Raj," as well as Maria and Tony, find themselves in what is perceived as a forbidden relationship. Both films use traditional song and dance styles to drive the storyline, and both Maria and Taani find themselves faced with an ultimatum of "should I do what society says is right or should I follow my heart?"
The use of song plays a similar role in both films as well. Perhaps the most obvious is the "I've fallen for her and must sing to the world about it" song. While the two styles and drastically different, the meaning of the two pieces is almost identical.
First, we have "Haule Haule" from Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi where Surinder has a half real/half fantasy number in which he tell us that he's fallen for Taani and that love is "soft, sweet, [and] slow."
Haule Haule - Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
Follow that with Tony's ballad proclaiming Maria's goodness and beauty from the streets of New York.
Maria - West Side Story
The two pieces have a very strong visual contrast as well as a musical stylistic distinction. The Bollywood song is reflective of the distinct colorful quality present in almost every Indian musical. It glorifies the culture's wish to celebrate and revere life in an almost religious manner, a recurring theme of the film being the ability to "see God" in the ones you love.
On the other hand, "Maria" is performed at night, by moon and lamp light, as Tony wanders slowly and almost aimlessly through Manhattan. This harkens to the Western idea of romance so powerful it blinds you, and the idea of a moonlit night as the backdrop to a love scene. This is echoed everywhere from Romeo and Juliet to Lady and the Tramp.
Beyond love stories, holidays (religious or secular) are a favorite subject of musicals. Films like 1776 retell the story of the birth of the Declaration of Independence and Holiday Inn manages to squeeze in a song for every holiday from Thanksgiving to Flag Day to Lincoln's birthday.
The following song is from the film Saawariya, a love story (few Bollywood films are not) in which Ranbir Raj falls for a girl he sees waiting on a bridge late one night, Sakina. Sakina is waiting for the man she loves to return, supposedly scheduled to occur on the night of Eid, the Muslim holiday marking the end of Ramadan. The song, "Yoon Shabnami," is about the beauty of the moon (which marks the beginning of Eid) and how Raj finds Sakina to be even more beautiful.
Yoon Shabnami - Saawariya
http://youtu.be/DpYHhdKa9QY
While the song is a celebration of the holiday, it also celebrates the blind love and unwavering optimism about the world that Raj has. It's a new beginning for him as he envisions a world in which he and Sakina live happily ever after. Strange as it seems, the first song I thought of in a Western musical that shares this idea is the ending song from the Albert Finney version of Scrooge. The song is titled "Thank You Very Much," and it's the celebratory song sung by Scrooge as he dances through town as a new man. Like "Yoon Shabnami," this song celebrates the holiday (in this case Christmas) through song and dance as the main character reveals his love for the world and his hope that he can start anew. Each number is a celebration of newfound love within the context of a specific religious holiday.
Thank You Very Much - Scrooge (Albert Finney version)
This bit of video actually shares a lot of visual characteristics with "Yoon Shabnami," as well. The lead, Scrooge, celebrates with the whole town, dancing with people he meets and sharing goodwill along the way, just as Raj does in Saawariya. While the new love of Scrooge's life is not a woman, it is important to note that it consumes him in the same way that Raj is consumed by his love for Sakina.
The actual makeup of the chorus is similar as well. Almost every Bollywood song features a cast of well over twenty as background dancers and singers. While this is less common in Western musicals, "Thank You Very Much" manages to fill the set with close to 100 people, giving the song the visual power that the viewer is meant to feel coming from Scrooge's song. The costuming also gives the viewer a sense of the place of the film. "Yoon Shabnami" is filled with men in tradition clothing and women in saris, while "Thank You Very Much" features period clothing of Dickensian England. The clothing is incredibly different, but it serves the same purpose of enhancing the experience of the song, allowing the viewer to comfortably categorize the piece visually as well as aurally.
In each situation, universal themes are addressed and then presented in a way that is appealing to the target audience based on the audience's culture and folklore. While and Indian audience might find a Western musical unfamiliar and vice-versa, each group can be sure to find elements in the stories that remind them of their own culture and values.
Assisi, Francis C. "Bollywood Culture Binds Global Indian Diaspora ." Planet Bollywood. n. page. Web. 27 Oct. 2011.
Tirumala, Lakshmi. "Bollywood movies and cultural identity construction among secondgeneration Indian Americans." Texas Tech University, August 2009. Web. 23 Oct 2011.
