The Power of Western Media

Western media has created a clash of culture in Indian Society, through Hollywood influencing Bollywood. Western Media is portrayed in India as Hollywood so realistically Western means American. Bollywood being the equivalent of Hollywood in India is a movie making, idea producing machine. It is not only a entertainment industry it is seen as a role model and the ultimate image. This is because like everyone knows Cinema is the most powerful media force.

The Wilson Quarterly, Summer 1999 v23 i3 p56(1) Cinema Paradiso.

Richard Schickel. India is the same as everywhere in the world in where the young want to challenge tradition. This is the result of them watching Indian films that portray a continuous trend of western aspects. This is seen in the production of movies such as “Monsoon Wedding”. This movie represents the way Indian Culture is traveling. The influence that Hollywood has exerted on India can be seen clearly in this film. The west has made it fashionable to wear jeans and tight fitting costumes and have western ideas such as sex before marriage.

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In the past Indian films have not portrayed any of these ideas and concepts. Western media has portrayed that have so called essentials such as MTV and the newest issue of Vogue is essential. Indian Society have absorbed these things into their lives. Sex is another thing India is cautious about although being the home of the ultimate sex instruction booklet the Karma Sutra, India is very divided and vastly conservative on this issue.

This is largely due to the way the cinema has shown sex scenes.

They just haven’t shown them unlike Western Movies where they are essential part of the movie. Intact they haven’t even shown kiss scenes and have left it up to the audiences imagination as they saw it more romantic. Traditionally Indian films have been revolved love stories. Yet increasing influence from the West has resulted in that movies such as Monsoon Wedding have started showing increasingly long kissing scenes. Australian Screen Education, Winter 2003 i33 p117(3)Monsoon Wedding: raining on tradition. Film as text) Cynthia Karena . Production of these sort of movies is on the rise. The other sort of Western influence is from the Non Resident Indians these are Indians that live in the West.

As they have lived in the West they have been exposed to Western ideas and morals. The Canadian Indian Deepa Metha a film producer made the film Fire in 1998. The film revolved a house wife and her affair with sister in law. Although the film received awards overseas in India it caused riots and protests as it showed esbian sex scenes. Metro Magazine, Fall 2003 i138 p132(4) Beyond the Bollywood Blockbuster: independent Indian cinema(Regional Review) Karena. Although sex and lesbians are excepted in much of the West and in its culture, this is not the case in India. This sort of Western influence although is rejected by the vast public it is none the less slowly but steadily creeping into Bollywood and through Bollywood into mainstream Indian culture. This infiltration does not always blend with Indian culture and creates clashes.