Name ___________________ Date ____ Class ____ _

History and Cultures of South Asia

DiHerentiated Instruction

Hooray for Bollywood Where are most of the world's movies made? If you answered

Hollywood, California, guess again. India turns out more motion pictures each year than any other country in the world. Bollywood is the name given to the center of the Hindi film industry in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India. Up to 1,000 films per year are filmed in India-more than twice the number produced in the United States­and more than 100 of these come from the film factories of Mumbai.

Each Bollywood film often lasts more than three hours. The films are lengthy to provide poor Indians with the greatest value for their rupee. On a typical day, 14 million Indians pack theaters to watch the sprawling films, which are known for their extravagant visuals and wild plotlines.

Bollywood productions are sometimes called masala films. Garam masala is a mixture of strong spices common in Indian foods. As the name suggests, masala films have "spicy" elements such as romantic or melodramatic plots, plenty of action, many villains, lavish costumes, and several catchy song-and-dance numbers. "In Hollywood they call these films musicals," explains Bollywood director Yash Chopra. "Here, every film is a musical."

In fact, music is probably the most important element of a typical Bollywood production. Whether the movie is an action film, a horror or suspense flick, a comedy, or a romance, Bollywood actors eventually break into song-often in beautiful, exotic locations. A typical Bollywood production will also feature a love story.

Not all Indian films can be classified as "Bollywood" spectacles. Indian filmmakers have made many serious, respected movies. These include director Satyajit Ray's 1955 classic Pather Panchali, or Mira Nair's 1988 Oscar-nominated Salaam Bombay! Educated Indians often criticize Bollywood's "masala mix" productions as nothing more than mindless escapism.

Directions: On a separate sheet of paper, answer the following questions.

1. Describing Based on the description of Bollywood movies in the article, choose three words that you think best characterize their style.

2. Drawing Conclusions Why do you think long, romantic movies with much color and pageantry might be especially attractive to poor Indians?

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Teaching Strategies for Different Learning Styles

The following activities are ways the basic lesson can be modified to accommodate students' different learning styles.

English Learners (EL)

Invite students to tell about films in their native country. Also have students answer the following questions about the passage: (1) How many films are produced in India annually? [more than 1,000] (2) What is the most distinctive element of a Bollywood film? [the music] (3) Bollywood is named after which Indian city? [Mumbai/Bombay].

Verbal/Linguistic; Interpersonal

Since 1953, the Filmfare Awards have honored Bollywood's best motion pictures and actors. Assign groups of students four or five specific years, and have them perform library or Internet research to find the Filmfare Best Movie Award winners for their years. Students also should summarize the plot of each movie. After students have completed their research, have them read their summaries to the class. Ask if students can think of any similar Holly­wood movies (e.g., the plot of 2003's winner Koi . .. Mil Gaya is similar to Hollywood's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial).

Logical/Mathematical

Show students several clips from a typical Bollywood production (these are easily avail­able online). Then ask students to draw a Venn diagram, with one circle titled "Bollywood" and the other "Hollywood." Students should write characteristics of the Bollywood clips and of their favorite Hollywood film genre in the respective circles. Characteristics shared by both film styles go into the overlapping area.

Kinesthetic; Interpersonal

Assign groups of students to write and per­form a "Bollywood-style" movie scene. Typi­cal formulaic ingredients of a Bollywood film often involve star-crossed lovers and angry parents, love triangles, conniving villains, kidnappers, corrupt politicians, bad boys/bad girls with hearts of gold, long-lost relatives

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and siblings separated by fate, dramatic rever­sals of fortune, and convenient coincidences. Adventurous students might include a song­and-dance number in their performance.

Visual/Spatial

Ask students to sketch a storyboard for a Bollywood film. Their sketches should include some costume designs as well.

Verbal/Linguistic; Intra personal Ask students to use library or Internet

resources to research some of the most popular Bollywood actors. Each student should choose two current actors or actresses, write a brief biography of each (including the movies he or she has starred in), and explain why the actors or actresses are so popular.

Advanced Learners

Ask students to write a three-page report comparing or contrasting serious Indian films with typical Bollywood productions. Students also should tell whether they agree with Indian intellectuals who condemn Bolly­wood films as "mindless escapism," or if they believe Bollywood should be respected as an important part of Indian popular culture.

Auditory/Musical

Obtain examples of Indian film music (online or on CD), and play them in class for students. If possible, provide students with translations of the songs. Then ask students to compose a song in the Bollywood style. Allow the best to be performed in class.

Below Grade Level

Ask students to write in their journals whether they think they would enjoy Bollywood movies, based on the description in the article. They should give reasons for their views.