Bollywood for me is not simply an cinematic art form, but has been an integral part of understanding about life. One of my earliest memories as a toddler, was watching the Subhash Ghai film ‘Ram Lakkhan’ and the Ajay Devgun debut film: ‘Phool aur Kaante’.  Since then, i have hooked to the song and dance, melodramatic genre of cinema called Bollywood. Well Amitabh Bacchchan detests the term and he prefers to term it the Indian Film Industry. I would rather call it the Hind ‘Phillum’ Industry, as there are other regional vernacular film industries that are bigger such as Tamil and Telugu film industries.  Films are a part of the rubric of contemporary Indian Culture. The trajectory of post liberalization India can be charted through Bollywood films from Darr to Dostana to Dabangg.

I am not a purist, nor claim to be a student of cinema but I am a affecionado of Bollywood fims. I have watched films from the brilliant to the bizzare. This term ‘Bolly Holic’ has been coined by my graduate student colleague in English Literature at the Nanyang Technological University Mr. JX Ho over a heated conversation over Rang De Basanti with another opinionated Colleague from India (ex JNU).  The beauty of a Dulhe Raja or a Partner by David Dhawan, cannot be expressed by a rational mind. A Dabangg or a Wanted is simply too entertaining for words. Bollywood has progressed with a better educated audience watching films like Kahaani or a Dirty Picture.

Bollywood is India’s Soft Power as is American films. A DON franchise film or an Agneepath, was shown in Singaporean theaters with non South Asian viewers.  Bollywood films emote so well, that the language gap is transcended. I have watched films in theaters across, South East Asia and the Middle East. There is a theater exhibiting Bollywood fare across almost every major capital across the Globe. As an expat kid in the Persian Gulf, Bollywood as a medium to connect to my cultural ethos. Watching ‘D’ and ‘Company’ connected me to Mumbai, the city of my Birth as does ‘Kahaani’, the city of my ethnicity.

The emotions expressed in a Bollywood film from a  mediocre student in 3 Idiots to the heartbreak in Rockstar all resonate with me and many millions. The quest to be someone and the zest for life in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara is so refreshing. These are all cinematic experiences which make my life richer.

People should not compare Bollywood with Hollywood films, they are as different as having parathas and pizzas. Let us enjoy them for what they are for.

Over the past few days, a lot of equations in Indian politics seem to be changing since the verdict of the recent provincial polls came out. Samajwadi Party is King in Uttar Pradesh led by the unassuming environmental engineer by training Akhilesh Yadav. A 38 year old, led the party from the front changing many a perception of the archaic old school politics of the Lohia-ites, or the socialists. He spoke the lingo of the ‘aam admi’, although thoroughly populist rhetoric. It is certainly a breath of fresh air. The Trinamool Congress, the major player in West Bengal made a dent as the principal opposition force in the North Eastern state of Manipur.  It is slowly expanding its base in the Bengali speaking areas in the North East and filling the vacuum in the fragmented clan oriented politics of the region.

The Akali Dal in Punjab won the elections this without much of the contribution from the BJP. Odisha has seen a single party dominate the political landscape over the last 15 years with the BJD. It looks like that the dominance is set to continue. What Trinanamool Congress offered Bengal is not only an option from the ineffective governance of the Left over the last three decades but also an opportunity for the Bengali Identity to emerge from the Left rubric. Bengal used to contribute the maximum number of Left MP’s to Sansad Bhawan, but the power centre of the Left remained in Kerala. In short Bengal lost its voice in National politics. Its voice got drowned out in the cacophony of leftist jargon. Regional Parties are vital for regional development, Tamil Nadu and Bihar have showed the way in this respect.  Regional Identity with aspiration based politics is what made the JDU successful in Bihar. Regional identity based politics transcends religion, hence is a strong adhesive.

The Third Front is a political experiment bound to fail as it would require either of the national parties to prop up the arrangement. In the following days we can see the two major National Parties decline, as they have been unable to live up their promises. Most of the regional parties have charismatic leaders. From Nitish to Mamata to Naveen to now Akhilesh, they are populist with governance at the heart of their agenda. The National players lack strong presentable leadership as the top leadership in the BJP are competent but indecisive, and the Congress unable to convert Rahulji’s popularity in to votes.

May be we are heading towards a more federal structure indeed.