I started this blog during my tenure as the web editor at the Santa Fe New Mexican. As I have moved on, I decided it would be the right time to bring this under my own auspices. I'll kick it off with the new edition with migrating a few early entries that are still worth preserving.
More than just Bollywood, this blog will also look at the country's rapidly shifting cultural and economic changes. India is an overwhelming, rich and varied experience, and as India hurls itself into the 21st century, positioning itself to be a major player in the wolrd economy, the sociocultural impact it is experiencing as a by-product is equally deep and varied.
So we'll try to cover it all. Professionally, I cover developments in Indian media at the New Media blog I maintain.
So how does a Bollywood blog come out of New Mexico?? Please take a look around at other sections on this site if you came here only through BW channels and aren't familiar with what else I do. for quick context, I am a musician of Indian music, and having worked on an Indian indie art-film in that capacity.
Would New Mexicans be interested in Bollywood? who knows, but here's some further points to consider:
3) With the emerging film industry in New Mexico, it could be a good market to tap into. I'd personally love to see a Mumbai - New Mexico film conection develop.
4) An interesting thread on one of the Bollywood forums I frequent was a discussion on the rising affinity and enthusiasm for Bollywood amongst Hispanics. Despite some surface similarities (use of bright and festive color, emphasis on family, big weddings, spicy food), another interesting lynchpin was discovered:
Bollywood = telenovelas + songs!
As I posted there, "both genres have love knots, family conflict, a tendency towards melodrama, gorgeous actors and actresses..." The equation is a little simplistic, but if you love the Spanish-language soaps, you'll relate to Bollywood movies, trust me.
That's not to say you have to have a Hispanic or Latino background to enjoy these films. Bollywood's scope and unique cinematic voice is much much broader, and what makes these movies special (in my view) I'll explore soon.
Do you know if anyone in the NM Film Office has courted any Hindi film producers? I'd also love to see a Mumbai + New Mexico film tie.
Im not sure - i would love to see that connection being made as well, and have volunteered my interest to the film office. Theyre a little territorial about who represents them, but I may try it again.
If youve perused elswhere on this site, you know about my own involvementt with the independent art film "Birth of a Pillow" in Kolktata, which I did the music for. Im hoping that may lead to some other Indian film-new mexico connections on a broader basis.
A lot of terrain here looks very much like parts of India, but even with the tax breaks Im not sure its cost effective to move location shoots out of India to here for the same kind of landscape; we'd have to offer something more that they wouldnt have there, like White Sands , for example. I believe i saw an Indi-pop music video that looked like it was filmed at white sands, but i couldnt verify...
I haven't really looked around your site too much, I came across it after googling various combinations of New Mexico and Hindi films. Since NM has started their tax incentives I've been hoping we'd draw some Indian film productions. I've been thinking of just mailing/emailing info on the NM incentives to various 'Bollywood' production companies anyway. Surely NM would be cheaper than NY or L.A. I doubt we'd have to be official reps of NMFO to pass along the info as long as we're clear about it. Can always try to generate interest from the Indian side.
Stefan,
It's been wonderful to listen to the diversity of your music. Thank you for sharing your talents and musical journey with all of us. I loved the story about your daughter, Sofi, after watching the Bollywood film with Shahrukh Khan and Kajol. There was a particular scene in Monsoon Wedding where the bride's family was gathered before the Sangeet and one woman sang a beautiful, haunting folk song about leaving the palace of her father's love and becoming strangers forever. Even a "big girl" like me cried at the thought of that. I love the photo of her in a sari as well!