If it’s approximately seven minutes long, about falling in love, and strings English words together in the strangest, most amusing ways, you’re probably listening to a Bollywood ‘filmie’ song.
Almost all pop music in India comes from Bollywood. The industry is well known for its musical movies, where actors and actresses break into song and dance after a fateful encounter with a lover, in a dream sequence, or after eating lunch. Yet as of recently, a lot is changing.
Bollywood stars are taking their talent off the screen and into the recording studio. In the past few years, actresses such as Priyanka Chopra and Imran Khan have released pop singles that have included synthesized music tracks, a raunchy music video or two, and even Pitbull in recently released tracks such as Chopra’s “Exotic.”
Listeners both in the US and abroad have embraced this more “western” concept of music, where the song gives meaning to itself rather than connecting to a broader story or plotline. Chopra’s Exotic alone has over 72 million views on Youtube, and two years ago it seemed like the only song 99.7FM knew how to air. It was special to hear about these stars outside the Hindi movie. I won’t lie: I had a sort of Indian pride for it. We were essentially trend-worthy. But, as more singles hit the proverbial stacks (because let’s be real, no one buys these singles on CDs, which is sadder to see in words than it is to think about), I become more worried about what this means for the future of Indian pop.
Traditionally, highly skilled and accomplished artists sing Bollywood music hits; when taken to the big screen, that song is then lip-synced by the main characters. This might sound a bit strange, almost like the singers do all the work and the actors are the dirty dealers who get all the credit. But this is normal in Bollywood, and well known by its viewers and listeners. You go to a Hindi film, you expect to see charismatic Shah Rukh Khan singing and crying as he watches his girl get married to his best friend (Kal Ho Naa Ho broke my heart, too, guys). You go to the concert, and Sonu Nigam, a music legend, will grace the stage and sing a tune almost exactly to the one you heard in the movie (because there hadn’t been a concept of voice editing in Bollywood until recently).
This is what I respected most about the pop industry in India. While actors were championed for their skills on screen, the singers held their acclaim on stage. It kept these two art forms focused, and is the reason why Bollywood music is just good, especially songs that were sung by reputably strong singers. Another result of this division is singers didn’t have as early an expiration date in their career. Women and men would remain popular and well-respected voices until they died — literally. Lata Mangeshkar, at 86, can still draw a crowd as large as she did 40 or 50 years ago because she is still that good. That doesn’t mean that this model of creating pop music gets rid of problems such as sexualizing performers and only giving importance to the attractive and young. Because most people listen to this music first when a young, attractive lover or best friend is belting (lip syncing) it out in sometimes a skimpy outfit and elaborate backdrop. But as far as the music industry is concerned, quality is retained. I can see that slowly eroding if music industry leaders replace the traditional style of music with this new model of Indian pop — music videos and hit singles sung not necessarily by those known for a voice talent, but rather a popular face.
There’s a certain charm that comes with music tied to a broader story. In Bollywood, no matter how silly or ridiculous the story or the song is, having the lyrics and music connected to a broader story about people that is meant to evoke emotion from an audience, ties a certain feeling to the song when you listen to it. Most of the music, from the sitar to the flute to the drums and electronic keyboard beats, is recorded live. It’s because Indian instruments make such distinct sounds that incorporating them into an upbeat song is usually best done live. The entire combination is really something unique, and beautiful.
So go ahead, rock out to “Imaginary”. Imran Khan looks pretty hot in the video, too. But I hope that enjoying this new style of Bollywood will not totally overwhelm the traditional, and beautiful, old.
