The Bollywood-ization of Pakistan

[daredevil]

The Bollywood-ization of Pakistan

Effect of Indian culture 'is undeniable and it's constantly increasing,' Lahore analyst says
Oct 06, 2008 04:30 AM

AYESHA AKRAM-NASIR
SPECIAL TO THE STAR

LAHORE, Pakistan–Sana Khan is engrossed in preparing for her wedding, planned for mid-December.

She's made the rounds of most designer shops in Lahore, checked out the city's jewellers and has begun a regimen of soothing facials and body massages, guaranteed to make her glow on the big day.

But Khan, 26, who works as an advertising executive and earns about $650 per month, still has to do the most important part of her bridal shopping – a trip to India.

"I am planning to buy at least 50 per cent of my dowry from Delhi and Jaipur," she said, giggling with joy at the prospect of a shopping spree in India. "I may even order my bridal there."

Humaira Khawaja, 27, whose brother recently got married in Lahore, has a word of advice for Khan: one trip may not be enough, since she made three trips to India before her brother's wedding.

"All our clothes came from India," said Khawaja, who works with her father at his carpet factory. "All the clothes we gave the bride were Indian, her jewellery came from India and all of our clothes – meaning my sister, nieces, mother – also came from India."

Her reason for preferring merchandise from across the border is simple: "Their workmanship and design elements are so much better than ours. We are nowhere close to them," she said.

At a time when relations between India and Pakistan have once again soured – with both sides blaming each other for recent terrorist attacks – the Bollywood-ization of Pakistan is continuing at full throttle.

"The effect of Indian society on our culture is undeniable and it's constantly increasing," said Amjad Islam Amjad, a cultural commentator based in Lahore.

"We're so much in awe of them that in every aspect of our culture we bow down to them, whether it's imitating their clothes or dances."

While Indian traditions are peacefully taking over Pakistani culture, the two countries have shared a hostile past. Since the split of 1947, when the British raj dismantled its empire, the neighbours have shared a troubled history. For many years they've remained archrivals and have fought two wars – in 1961 and 1975.

This was followed by the bitter Kargil offensive in 1999 in the ongoing dispute over Kashmir.

"The Kargil offensive completely ruptured relationships between Pakistan and India," said Rasool Baksh Raees, a political analyst and professor at the Lahore University of Management Sciences.

"It has taken us years to mend the situation and the wounds are still fresh."

Since 1999, numerous joint initiatives have taken place including bus travel, cricket matches, joint productions in movies and fashion shows of designers from both countries. All these moves led to an acceleration of the Bollywood-ization of Pakistan.

"Their culture is more developed, stronger and more powerful than ours," said Amjad. "Also, they've marketed themselves so well that it's easy for us to believe they are better."

In Pakistani cinemas, Indian films draw huge audiences while the majority of local productions play to empty or half-filled houses. Bollywood celebrities are so popular in Pakistan, event managers prefer booking Indian actors and models to Pakistani celebrities – even if it means paying them 10 times the price of a local entertainer.

At street stalls, vendors market glass bangles by naming them after popular Indian television shows.

Hajra Hayat, a fashion designer, recently became convinced of the Bollywood-ization of Pakistan when she attended a Holi function during a friend's wedding. Holi is an Indian festival where attendees throw coloured powder.

Recently, the Pakistani elite have begun celebrating Holis as part of their wedding extravaganzas.

"We're definitely awestruck by the Indians, more so now than before, which is a testament to the great job their media is doing in marketing their culture," said Hayat.

"I sometimes get brides asking for an outfit to be made in the same colours as the ones that Ashwariya Rai or Kareena Kapoor wore in a certain Indian film. I never get requests from a bride inspired by a Pakistani actress."

Cultural expert and short-story writer Afra Bukhari says Pakistanis are eager to imitate the Indians because they are progressing at a faster rate than us.

"Their economy is doing better than ours, their political situation is more stable than ours and they are held in greater esteem by the rest of the world," said Bukhari. "We believe imitating them would help us do better too."

But event manager Ayesha Meezan says sometimes the urge to imitate goes too far.

"We often get couples eager to get the Devdas look for their weddings (Devdas is a popular Indian film based on an epic tale of love)," she said. "They're not even willing to consider a theme more indigenous to Pakistan."

But Khan has turned a blind eye to politics and tradition.

"Whatever is going on between the two countries won't affect my decision to go to India to shop, and neither should it."

Is this called soft cultural invasion or what?

 

[khanz]

Maybe some pakistanis will disagree with me but in my opinion the bollywoodization of pakistan has been always happening so many pakistanis still practice many of them same cultural traditions as indians I guess inherited from being part of india.
I mean india in itself spanned the entire indian sub-continent which pak sits on and vast majority of pakistanis are indic so the cultural invasion really existed there since pakistan's birth and with india becoming more powerful and bollywood films being allowed to show in pak cinemas the process has simply been accelerated.Anyway I don't mind every culture is good lol besides i'd rather the likes of shah rukh khan be influencing them than baitullah mehsud anyway.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Is this called soft cultural invasion or what?

Its called adopting things from round the world that people like - you see the 'hollywoodisation' of both India and to some extent Pakistan, and other countries in Asia, Africa and the America's.

Calling it an 'invasion' isn't quite appropriate IMO. In a sense its the 'Free market' at play - people adopting that which they enjoy!

 

[daredevil]

Its called aadopting things from round the world that peopel like - you see the 'hollywoodisation' of both India and to some extent Pakistan, and other countries in Asia, Africa and the America's.

Calling it an 'invasion' isn't quite appropriate IMO, in a sense its the 'Free market' at play, people adopting that which they enjoy!

May be you are half right. Isn't that what US did with its pop culture, series, movies etc to the whole world. For example, some of the rich guys in India, are more american than indian (Residential Non-indians). Isn't that a kind of invasion, where the guy has no indian cultural ethos and follows mostly western culture.

Let me expand further. Sweden follows american culture blindly. What is Hip in US, is Hip in Sweden. If you switch on TV, most of the channels are american, very few are Swedish.

Hollywood has destroyed the film industries in many a countries. Take for example, the place where I'm living, Italy. All american films are dubbed in Italian and there are very very few italian movies.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

May be you are half right. Isn't that what US did with its pop culture, series, movies etc to the whole world. For example, some of the rich guys in India, are more american than indian (Residential Non-indians). Isn't that a kind of invasion, where the guy has no indian cultural ethos and follows mostly western culture.

Let me expand further. Sweden follows american culture blindly. What is Hip in US, is Hip in Sweden. If you switch on TV, most of the channels are american, very few are Swedish.

Hollywood has destroyed the film industries in many a countries. Take for example, the place where I'm living, Italy. All american films are dubbed in Italian and there are very very few italian movies.

Again, I disagree with the term 'invasion'. It reeks of a superiority complex when used by people presumed to be doing the 'invasion', and of an inferiority complex and fear mongering when used by people at the receiving end.

We are fast becoming a global society (many peoples of the world already extensively interlinked) and such exchanges of culture, customs, fashion, etc are bound to happen. If some kid prefers American heavy metal over Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, then whats the big deal. Mettalica did not compose its music as part of a secret CIA plan to 'invade' and 'brainwash' the rest of the world - they made good music, people liked it, and people around the world listened to it.

People in Pakistan by far prefer buying Toyota or Honda over anything else - the 'product' is considered of good quality and offers the consumer what they need better than anything else. The same with 'culture' IMO.

In this global interconnected society, people will see a wide variety of offerings, and adopt and adapt that 'product' which they like. It is a process that has occurred throughout history, with civilizations and nations influencing each other through trade, travel and war.

 

[khanz]

well if rumuors are to be believed and india makes a bhutto film with permission from the pak government that would be the ultimate bollywoodization of pakistan lol .I heard about the mahesh bhatt bhutto film which was shot down then after that rumuors of ashwarya rai playing bhutto and negotiations with bhutto family so far but no news about that one being shot down yet and now another rumuor with sushmita sen playing her too then theres fatima bhutto apparently also being offered a bollywood role .

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

On the subject of 'movies', let me bring up the Pakistani example. The Pakistani movie industry is in a shambles because it has consistently refused to put out a quality product, not because Bollywood or Hollywood unfairly drove it out of business. Standards have declined tremendously since its heydey, and infact some attribute the decline (I do) to an attempt to 'ape' Bollywood.

I mentioned it in another thread, that the movies that have done well recently in Pakistan (like Khuda Kay Liye and Ramchand Pakistani) are those that have broken from the current 'established formula' based on Bollywood, and chosen to focus on Pakistani issues, and presented the product in a manner that takes into account Pakistani sensitivities and culture. There will always be a demand for the frivolity of Bollywood, but Pakistani cinema has to reinvent itself to do better, since I cannot see the movie profession becoming 'mainstream' in today's Pakistani society, if it remains focussed on replicating 'Bollywood Masala'. And without becoming mainstream, it will just not attract enough talent to put out quality products.

 

[daredevil]

Again, I disagree with the term 'invasion'. It reeks of a superiority complex when used by people presumed to be doing the 'invasion', and of an inferiority complex and fear mongering when used by people at the receiving end.

We are fast becoming a global society (many peoples of the world already extensively interlinked) and such exchanges of culture, customs, fashion, etc are bound to happen. If some kid prefers American heavy metal over Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, then whats the big deal. Mettalica did not compose its music as part of a secret CIA plan to 'invade' and 'brainwash' the rest of the world - they made good music, people liked it, and people around the world listened to it.

People in Pakistan by far prefer buying Toyota or Honda over anything else - the 'product' is considered of good quality and offers the consumer what they need better than anything else. The same with 'culture' IMO.

In this global interconnected society, people will see a wide variety of offerings, and adopt and adapt that 'product' which they like. It is a process that has occurred throughout history, with civilizations and nations influencing each other through trade, travel and war.

You may dislike the word, but this is what happening. Buying Toyota or Honda from outside because they are best, doesn't that mean the best is not available from within. If you apply the same to 'Culture', isn't it an invasion (or whatever you want to call it) from outside.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

You may dislike the word, but this is what happening. Buying Toyota or Honda from outside because they are best, doesn't that mean the best is not available from within. If you apply the same to 'Culture', isn't it an invasion (or whatever you want to call it) from outside.

That is exactly what it means, the 'best' is not available locally, or people just prefer the 'imported product'. The same thing is happenig in the US, as the Japanese automakers run circles around the big three in all vehicle categories except for Trucks, and it shows in the sales.

Its not a 'Japanese invasion' except for those who want to stir up fear and arouse some sort of misplaced patriotism about 'buy local/American'. People will and should buy the quality car, not the POS that will fall apart after 50,000 miles.

 

[daredevil]

On the subject of 'movies', let me bring up the Pakistani example. The Pakistani movie industry is in a shambles because it has consistently refused to put out a quality product, not because Bollywood or Hollywood unfairly drove it out of business. Standards have declined tremendously since its heydey, and infact some attribute the decline (I do) to an attempt to 'ape' Bollywood.

I mentioned it in another thread, that the movies that have done well recently in Pakistan (like Khuda Kay Liye and Ramchand Pakistani) are those that have broken from the current 'established formula' based on Bollywood, and chosen to focus on Pakistani issues, and presented the product in a manner that takes into account Pakistani sensitivities and culture. There will always be a demand for the frivolity of Bollywood, but Pakistani cinema has to reinvent itself to do better, since I cannot see the movie profession becoming 'mainstream' in today's Pakistani society, if it remains focussed on replicating 'Bollywood Masala'. And without becoming mainstream, it will just not attract enough talent to put out quality products.

You are making a good point, which is what I'm trying to point out. When one doesn't do best within, they always look up to some one who is doing the best. In this case, you made an example out of movies. Same goes for music. If a country doesn't have any culture of music, they will obviously look up to others.

By no means, I'm a fan of Bollywood. It reeks of shi**y movies. I can count on my fingers very few movies in recent years.

To me, American culture has affected my life.

 

[daredevil]

well if rumuors are to be believed and india makes a bhutto film with permission from the pak government that would be the ultimate bollywoodization of pakistan lol .I heard about the mahesh bhatt bhutto film which was shot down then after that rumuors of ashwarya rai playing bhutto and negotiations with bhutto family so far but no news about that one being shot down yet and now another rumuor with sushmita sen playing her too then theres fatima bhutto apparently also being offered a bollywood role .

Fatima would do great man. She is H*T. I don't like Sushmita and Aishwarya. Mahesh bhatt is a psycho man. LOL.

 

[daredevil]

That is exactly what it means, the 'best' is not available locally, or people just prefer the 'imported product'. The same thing is happenig in the US, as the Japanese automakers run circles around the big three in all vehicle categories except for Trucks, and it shows in the sales.

Its not a 'Japanese invasion' except for those who want to stir up fear and arouse some sort of misplaced patriotism about 'buy local/American'. People will and should buy the quality car, not the POS that will fall apart after 50,000 miles.

I wouldn't call Japanese invasion but 'Japanese technological invasion'. No country is invading any other country physically. It is invading through an element, that people are in awe looking at it. And the element could be music, movies, technology or cheap products (china).

 

[khanz]

yep thats true i guess the U.S has already invaded pakistan theres american fast food chains all over pakistan nowdays lol

 

[DarkStar]

I would like to venture my thoughts on this. I believe, that the so called cultural invasion from the Republic of India has decreased in recent times. It is not like the 80's where the only two forms of entertainment were urdu tele dramas, and bollywood video films, and maybe the odd cricket match here and there. While in today's Pakistan, young people and older still, have such a wide variety of media affecting their lives, be it internet, countless tv channels showing english, american, far eastern and bhaaratiya programmes, that bollywood has sort of lost its entertainment "monopoly". We also ahve a plethora of local channels, pakisatni pop music channels, news channels, religious channels, and what not.

Now kids spend more time playing play station and surfing the net, than spending three hours watching bad copies of the latest bollywood flicks. The "saas bhi kabhi bahu thi" craze has kind of died down too, and people have had enough of indian tv serials with those blasting background scores, and jerking camera movements.

As for clothes, well connoisseurs of fabrics in Bharat and Bangladesh hold the Pakistani cotton fabrics (which are not mixed with polyester threads, as in Bharat and BD) , 'lawn' and 'jamaawar' fabrics in high regard, and many of our relatives take back bundles and bundles of the stuff when going back after having visited Pakistan. The same happens with dried fruits and pommegranates.

As Agnostic Muslim said, people will always levitate towards the best thing available.

 

[jeypore]

I wouldn't call Japanese invasion but 'Japanese technological invasion'. No country is invading any other country physically. It is invading through an element, that people are in awe looking at it. And the element could be music, movies, technology or cheap products (china).

I would disagree with you. A research was done in strategy products and countries that are associated with it. For example italians are the best in design concepts may it be cloths or cars. Likewise every country has created a niche. I believe those niche products have a lot of worth and are sought around the world.

India is creating a niche in bollywood where people from Africa, to middle east and far east see these movies. It is not a invasion of culture more of a niche product that people would like to see. You give another 20 years the market for Bollywood will be sought even more and it's worth.