Films About India: British Vs. Bollywood

England has a large population of British Asians. The movie industry wants to appeal to every culture in the country, so filmmakers often make movies about India. The latest British film to take place in India is “Trishna,” an adaptation of “Tess of the d’Urbervilles.” There are many differences between Indian films made in England and those made in Bollywood. The films are about the same subject, but England and India have very different views of the country.

“Real India” Vs. “Ideal India”

Bollywood films rarely show the poverty in India. The main characters live in spacious mansions even when considered “low class.” If a character is poor, they usually gain some money. In “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham,” Anjali is poor, but marries rich Rahul. When kicked out of the family, Rahul and Anjali move to London where they still manage to have a nice spacious house. British films about India constantly show the poverty. “Slumdog Millionaire” is about a poor boy and his struggles. The movie portrays India as a corrupt slum. It is almost as if India is telling the world the country is doing very well and Indians are happy there or miss India when living abroad, while England is saying that India is disgusting and for all the residents to move.

Culture Vs. Culture

Bollywood loves showing off Indian culture while also showing the more modern India. Characters wear traditional dress, but younger characters wear modern clothes. The characters always follow Indian traditions and morals. In “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge,” Raj is a modern man, but he falls in love with Simran, whose father is strict and adheres to Indian tradition. While Raj could just elope with Simran, he opts instead to try to win over her family by following tradition. He even exclaims in the film that he might live in England, but he is Hindustani. Tradition is beautiful in Bollywood films.

In British films about India, culture is backwards and strange. In “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” Muriel doesn’t understand Indian culture, especially when the cleaner can’t make a shadow on the ground because she is an “untouchable.” The film points out the stranger traditions, and ignores the nice ones. Sunaina willingly strips down for her boyfriend, Sunny, in the film. That is something rarely portrayed in Bollywood, because many would call her a whore. Although, recently, discussing sex in films has become more commonplace as modern traditions begin to take hold in Bollywood.

British Actors Vs. Indian Actors

Instead of hiring Indian actors, British filmmakers hire British Asian actors. While this might not seem like a big deal, because they are still of Indian descent, it actually does make a difference. Dev Patel is a good actor because no one realizes that he is British, and not Indian. For “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” He had to learn how to speak with the Indian accent that the world recognizes. Another notable example of an English actor playing an Indian role is Ben Kingsley in “Gandhi.”

In Bollywood, the main male characters are always the heroic type. They are not the every day boy-next-door. Actors like Salman Khan and Saif Ali Khan, who enjoy showing off those muscles, can’t pull off a role like Dev Patel’s in “Slumdog Millionaire.” The one thing that India and England agree on is that the women of India are beautiful. Both Bollywood and British films have gorgeous actresses, such as Freida Pinto, Kajol, or Rani Mukherji.