The Bollywood’s glaring and persistent violation of standards set by the Western movie makers via its stereotypes have provided huge entertainment to the Indian viewers. In fact, if the Indian movie is devoid of stereotypes it would fail to strike chord with the masses. Amitabh Bachchan once rightly stated that we cannot dare to make movies like Western movie makers because Indian viewers have entirely a different taste. In India, a movie devoid of love angle between boy and girl, no hero-villain dhishum-dishum in the end and, above all, no songs in picturesque location mean no paisa vasool for both the viewers and the makers of the movie! Today some filmmakers have deviated from the popular trend pattern but the essential elements of masala movie still dominate the world of Indian movies.

You cannot blame the movie makers for falling in the trap of stereotypes. After all, they are reflections of Indian psyche. We give great respect to mothers. So what’s wrong if Amitabh is eager to take his last breath on the laps of his Nirupa Roy in every movie wherein he appears as his son? What’s wrong in it when you find police arriving in the last reel of the movie, when nothing remains to be done but only to say” Hands Up! Apne-Apne Hathiyaar Neeche Rakh Do.Police Ne tumhe Charo Taraph Se Gher Liya Hai “. Have you ever seen Indian police arriving at a crime scene on right time in real life? And if you have ever participated in Kumbha Mela then you would definitely be aware of the fact that chances of getting lost in the sea of crowd is always a great probability there. So what’s wrong if our producers every now and then appear with a movie reverberating with ” Khoya-Paya “theme!! These eternal themes of Indian movies will always make their presence felt in the hearts and minds of Indian viewers.

(This article of mine has also appeared in TEHELKA,DEC.13,2008)