Why Bollywood movies have song and dance sequences

When you think about it, the sight of Bollywood songs and dances is now quite common on Western television and movie screens. However, have you ever wondered about the meaning of hand gestures, foot movements and costumes that appear in most Bollywood movies?

(incorporated) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries (/ incorporated)

The rationale for these movies with specific choreographies and song scenes is quite complex, and if you want to know more, this article can help. The text below will explain the symbolism behind the dance and song sequences in Bollywood movies. Let's take a closer look:

First of all: what exactly is Bollywood?

Before mentioning anything else in this article, let's first take a look at what the expression Bollywood means. Well, to put it simply, it was created as a combination of 2 names Bombay, a city that used to be called Mumbai, and of course, Hollywood, which is the name of a metropolitan area of ​​Los Angeles and synonymous with the entertainment industry. in America.

Bollywood is the largest film industry in terms of the number of films produced each year, as well as the number of tickets sold each year! This means that it is slowly, but surely, becoming more and more popular not only in Europe but also in the rest of the world.

Dance and song sequences explained

1. Hand movements are very important

You may have noticed various hand movements as people dance and sing in this entertainment industry. Well, these movements act as a type of sign language that can help people understand the whole story. They can also show people specific themes like weather, specific places, and animals and objects.

In the Tamil music industry, hand gestures are commonly known as hastas. And alongside them being useful for telling a whole film story, they are also quite traditional, which is why many filmmakers choose to add them to their films. Also, if you want to be an actor in Bollywood, you need to know these basic moves.

2. Head and neck movements add fluidity and flexibility

While watching a sequence of Indian choreography, you have probably seen a lot of lateral movement of the neck, as well as the movements of the head forward and backward. Well, you should know that they are a purely aesthetic part of the scene, but they also show fluidity and flexibility.

Various Bollywood choreographers have said that they add these movements because they are beautiful, but it can also help the actors extremely. Basically, it makes them more expressive, especially since it allows them to have stronger facial expressions.

3. Facial expressions must display pure emotion

Before learning why facial expressions are crucial for these sequences, you need to learn that Indian dance includes two things, abhinaya which means "expression" and nritta, which means "pure dance". Logically, nritta manifests itself through physical movements, however, the abhinaya manifests itself through emotions and facial expressions.

The expressions that the performers do are an essential part of any Indian dance, especially since they emphasize the narration and the emotions that the audience can feel. Another thing you might have noticed about facial expressions is that the eyes of the performers have to follow their hands otherwise it is pointless.

4. The movement of the foot reflects on a combination of traditional and modern

Now, this is perhaps the most difficult part to explain, especially since there are hundreds of different dances. But, the most important step that we can see in most of them is called the chicken step, that is, when one person bounces from one foot to the other. If you want to listen to songs that can make you dance, you can check out pagan songs to find something you like.

5. Costumes are the essence of everything

The first thing worth mentioning is that the costumes used for all Indian performances are incredible. The colors, textures, designs and patterns can sometimes take your breath away. The staples of any costume are the bells placed around the ankles known as Ghunghroo which stimulate skilled foot movements and can also help the artist's timing with the air.

For example, Kathak dancers need to have at least a hundred (100!) bells around their ankles. Other dances may require the actors to tie the bells on a strap, which is then connected to the ankles. You can also see a lot of jewelry, including necklaces, long necklaces, earrings, bracelets and headdresses.

In a traditional dance, the headdresses should feature the moon on the left side and the sun on the right side of the head. The reason behind these two symbols is that older songs generally speak of gods and goddesses, and that the sun and the moon are perfect for representing them.

Bollywood dances and songs become a global sensation

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, you can see these dance sequences and songs on Western screens. But it wasn't always like that. In the past, you couldn't find Bollywood movies everywhere, and they could only be found in places that were very interested in these movies.

But, today, it is becoming more and more popular in many European countries, as well as in the United States, Canada and Australia. This surge in popularity could have happened when the film, Slumdog Millionaire won an Academy Award for Best Film!

Conclusion

It's pretty easy to say that the dance sequences and the soundtrack of Bollywood movies are the highlights of the whole industry. Over the past few decades, these films have created their own style of performance, song and dance that also incorporates incredible music and costumes!

So, as you can see, there is so much more in the dance and song sequences in the Bollywood film industry. And, now that you know more about the importance and significance of these movie scenes, you shouldn't waste any more time. Instead, you can listen to Indian music or watch a new Bollywood movie that might make you want to dance!