It's Bollywood, Baby!

All I gotta say is sway baby, sway. Or jhoom barabar, jhoom. In a stark contrast to my experience in rural India, I spent Friday night immersed in the glamour and glitz of Bollywood! A very patient co-worker took me to my first Bollywood flick at the five-floor cineplex, located, of course, in a mall. Although there were no subtitles, I was able to understand what was going on. Because you do not go to Bollywood movies for the dialogue.

You go for the music, the dancing and the show, baby. Just to give you a sample, click here to watch the dance-off grand finale. Now imagine this on a fullscreen and a million decibels louder. That is Bollywood. Don't be surprised if you find yourself bopping about in your seat. I did. My co-worker couldn't stop laughing at me.

Though the costumes are skimpy and the bodies are gyrating, this is actually a G-rated affair. Nothing more than a kiss occurs onscreen. This is typical. Bollywood may be glitzy and risque but it never strays too far for its generally conservative Indian audience.

From mega-malls to rocking ringtones, I have been amazed how important entertainment is here. I am unsure whether this has always been a part of Indian culture or it is a result of the dramatic growth of the consumer class. Apparently, the media and entertainment market is huge and growing fast, especially as the industry targets the lower income segment. Although these folks may not have a lot of cash, there are so many people in this segment that the rupees add up quickly.

Still, it was strange to walk out of the mall and back into the other India. In Bollywood, there was no trash on the streets, no one sleeping on the side of the road, no extreme poverty. When shown in an air-conditioned theater, a Bollywood movie really is the perfect escape.