Bollywha? Tollywho? Defining Some Terms

I know I mentioned this in the last post, but just to make it extra clear (and further label myself a Bollywood snob)here are definitions to some terms I’ll be throwing around this blog like nobody’s business.

Bollywood: Hindi language film industry based out of Mumbia (Bombay), India. Largest producer of films in the world. Pretty much the best thing ever.

Not to be confused with Tollywood or other –woods (these would be Indian films produced outside of Mumbai, most often in a language other than Hindi).

Here’s one Bollywood poster and Tollywood poster.

See? Completely different.

Playback singers: have you ever wondered why all Bollywood actresses have the exact same singing voice? Well it’s because it IS the same exact singing voice (75% of the time at least). The songs that form such an integral part of Bollywood films are sung by professional singers and recorded over lip syncing actors. Playback singers are hugely popular and sales from film music, an industry known as Filmi music, are a large part of the Bollywood money making machine. I have some favorites I’ll write about and my reviews will definitely include mention of a film’s quality of music. Until then please enjoy a song by the most prolific singer in Indian Cinema, Lata Mangeshkar. (The beautiful Meena Kumari is a bonus.)

Masala: much like the spice mixture, Masala films combine multiple seemingly disparate genres into one yummy serving. Masala film are melodramatic, romantic, comical, and action packed.

Desi: refers to Indians and Indian culture.

Those are the important ones, more to come later….