Bollywood

Bollywood is the informal name given to the popular Mumbai-based film industry in India.

Controversies

Accusations of plagiarism

Constrained by rushed production schedules and small budgets, some Bollywood writers have been known to borrow the plots or even the scenes of hit Western films; some music directors have been known to copy tunes or riffs, from Western hit tunes (as well as Pakistani hits, Tamil language movies, their own older tunes, etc.). The copyists could copy Westerners with impunity since the Bollywood film scene was largely unknown to most people in the West; in addition, many in the Indian audience were unfamiliar with Western films and tunes. How much plagiarism now exists in Bollywood movies is hotly debated. Some would say that it's sporadic; some that it's frequent.

Related Topics:
Riffs - Tamil language

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Sex scandals

In 2005, India TV's tabloid show India's Most Wanted ran an exposé that accused several Bollywood figures (including Shakti Kapoor and Aman Verma) of extorting sex from young actresses. The show claimed that the actresses were told that they wouldn't get any movie roles unless they "cooperated". This ploy would not be, of course, unique to Bollywood moguls; film industry figures worldwide have long been rumored to subject actresses to the casting couch. Those accused by the tabloid show have vehemently denied these accusations, and most of the Bollywood establishment has supported them. Surprisingly, the exposé resulted in insignificant public outrage. The casting couch seems to be an open secret as far as a cynical public is concerned.

Related Topics:
2005 - India TV - Tabloid - India's Most Wanted - Exposé - Shakti Kapoor - Aman Verma - Casting couch

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