Bollywood Fever

“Houston is crazy for Bollywood,” says Mahesh Mahbubani, founder of the Bollywood Dance School NAACH. On that note Mahesh, who founded the Bollywood Dance School NAACH (meaning dance) his dream of a community based full time Bollywood dance and fitness studio in Sugar Land, Texas – is all set to host its first independent production “The Show Must Go On – 2013”.

The show is a celebration of life with a strong Bollywood influence. In the past 100 years, Bollywood has come a long way, with different genres of dance & music permeating in Indian movies, similarly, “The Show Must Go On” reflects a parallel growth that encompasses diverse dance styles, grounded in the genre of Bollywood Musical Theatre. “Expect to get enthralled by variety of dance forms ranging from Hip Hop to Contemporary. Look forward to tapping your feet to songs from the times of Madhubala to Madhuri Dixit and don’t be surprised if you get to see some burlesque numbers,” says Mahesh. Naach is a celebration of life.. a life of color, vibrance and excitement.

Outrageous dance numbers, brightly colored costumes, catchy music, and bigger than life romances. This is what the world thinks of when they hear the word “Bollywood”, but behind the glitz and glam lies a history deeply rooted in the cinematic arts and inexorably tied to the Indian diaspora.

The term “Bollywood“, as most know, is derived from names Bombay (now Mumbai) and Hollywood. The world sees it as the representation of Indian cinema, but the truth is that it only represents the Hindi speaking population. While being the largest facet of the Indian film industry located in Mumbai, there are many other production centers catering to the vast and diverse Indian cultural landscape.

The earliest examples of Indian film can be traced back to the 1930’s to what was known as “Tollywood“, located in Tollygunge, within the city of Kolkata. Though modern day Indian films are, for the most part, escapist in nature, a number of the earliest films dealt with the hard hitting and complex issues of the time, including World War II, the Indian Independence movement, and Partition. The “Golden Age” of Indian cinema came about after Independence and was represented by a shift towards more flamboyant and melodramatic stories.

From the 70’s to the 90’s, the focus of Indian movies moved again from romance to more gritty and violent films involving gangs and mobsters. It was also during this period that India’s arguably most famous star Amitabh Bachchan rose to fame. Often playing the role of the “angry young man” in dozens of films, he quickly became a hero to millions of devoted fans.

During the early 90’s the focus shifted again to family oriented comedies and romantic plots. Other film production centers catering to the various Indian dialects began to gain momentum, leading to over 1000 films being produced per year for the country.

Today, Indian films are seen worldwide as Indians have migrated to all corners of the world. The impact on other cultures is obvious as Indian influence can be felt in global fashion, cuisine, music, and foreign films. Many “crossover” films depicting Americans and other foreign nationals in India have become popular as Bollywood continues to extend its reach.

As is with life, The Show Must Go On with – Naach. The show will be held at the Stafford Center, 10505 Cash Road, Stafford, Tx 77479 on August 22nd 2013, 7.00pm. For tickets: naachhouston.com or sulekha.com.