Internationalisation of Bollywood

Pandey, Uma ShankarUma Shankar Pandey is Assistant Professor and Head, Dept. of Journalism & Mass Communication, Surendranath College for Women, Kolkata, India. Has a number of books and research papers to his credit. Was a senior reporter with a national daily. Member of ICA, IAMCR, ACMC and other bodies . Research interests include New Media and Media Literacy.

The massive popularity of Indian popular cinema is not reflected in bilateral trade figures. Since the 1970s, Indian films had already been exported across Asia, Africa, Russia and the Middle East. The advent of the video cassette caused an exponential growth of Indian export of motion pictures. Significant growth in export profits, however, was being held back by the prohibitive cost of circulating film prints, stringent import and currency controls, and even political barriers. These impediments to the spread of Indian film culture were debilitated, however, by the arrival of video cassette technologies. This book maps the various theoretical constructs concerning the international flow of cultural goods in general and films in particular. It traces the historic growth of popular Indian cinema also known as Bollywood. This is contrasted with the condition of the film industry in the neighboring countries. A survey of viewers of film viewers in Nepal is conducted to empirically test the model of internationalisation hypothesized in the book.