Importance of songs and music in bollywood films - Essay Example

The role of Songs and Music in Bollywood Films Music and songs are the most distinguishing facets of Indian movies. Since the inception of Indian commercial films, all film have had a musical format with six or more songs in one film. For many decades, the music that has been used in the movies has been the popular music played across South Asia. Ranade (2006, p. 12) notes that films with music have attained high sales. Music lies at the heart of renowned Indian films. Needless to say, India has the highest film output per year.

Music in films plays a vital role. Presence of music makes Bollywood movies commercially attractive to many illiterate people as opposed to art that only appeases the educated urban elites. Ganti (2004, p. 13) describes presence of music in the films as a ‘masala’ which literally means spice. This captivates the audiences and makes the movies more interesting. Arguably, because of the interesting and captivating nature of the films, the people will in turn buy more of the films and thus record high sales for the Indian films.

This has been the case since Bollywood films dominated Asian market. Music has for long been used in films to construct narrative. Morcom (2007, p. 31) notes that narrative is not only structured by visual means but also through music. Music functions as part of the process that broadcasts narrative information to the audience. In essence, music is a narrative agent. Emotion, mood, characterization, point of view and the action in the films are all structured in a multifaceted visual and oral interaction in which music is a significant aspect.

Punathambekar (2008, p. 16) demonstrates the role of music and its significance in the Bollywood films through application of the linguistic tool to the film studies. From his application Punathambekar (2008) noted that any music can be used in a film but will be accompanied by different meanings (p. 18). Bollywood film makers have for long made no efforts to hide the fact that what the film represents on the screen is an illusion, a creation and a fiction. This implies that Indian films are self-conscious and aware of its audiences.

The sequences of song and dances in the films break away from the practicality of the cinema and exist within a different modus operandi. These changes between distinct modes of pragmatism cause the cinema to be conscious of its illusionary set-ups (Ranade, 2006, p. 56). The audience by this time must apprehend the break in practicality, causing a relationship between the movie and the audience that is distinct from the Hollywood norm. It is certain that Bollywood films can quickly appeal to the demand of the audience.

According to Gunning’s theory of the cinema of attractions, Indian music sequences in the films are very interesting and captivating (Morcom, 2007, p, 41). Music propels the plot development of the film and defines it. Music and dances in these films aid the story on its course in the film. Music has been used by the film makers in India to bring diverse scenes to a common theme. Music has a deeper function than simply a background .theme. Music is always everywhere people go and it makes them desensitized to it.

A focus on the songs in a film makes it more understandable and a great deal of experience. ReferencesGanti, T. (2004). Bollywood: A Guidebook to popular Hindi Cinema. Taylor and Francis. Morcom, A. (2007). Hindi Film Songs and the Cinema. Ashgate Publishing ltd. Punathambekar, A. (2008). Global Bollywood. NYU Press. Ranade, A. (2006). Hindi Film Song: Music Beyond Boundaries. Bibliophile South Asia.