My love and fascination for Bollywood movies has never wavered. Even as a little girl just starting to understand Hindi, I have always been able to enjoy Indian cinema. I have yet to find a Bollywood movie less than 3 hours long (at least) which did not make me laugh, cry, smile and romanticize my life all at once. Of course, there is nothing to beat the classics of Bollywood, but I grew up with a generation of movies that only had one goal — entertainment! Watching these movies meant I was getting ready to turn my brain off for a while and just escape from the world. As cinematography became increasingly advanced, the worlds created in these movies became even more real, especially in movies which depicted historical events!
The glamor of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s sets recreating the majestic palaces of the Mughal Empire, for example, was breathtaking. I would dream of being there and dancing to those heart-racing songs! As I re-discover some older movies that came out within the past 10 years, I can see how they try to relay important social messages as well, which is amazing to me. The same music, dancing and emotions are there — but they are actually being used to engage audiences in learning about the various issues that Indian society face. I notice this now in Bollywood movies being released today as well. It is incredible to see how Bollywood has evolved over time, and I can’t wait to see where it goes as our world changes.