A bit about Bollywood

"Looking" at cinema, has not had any radical change in India. The "Bollywood" industry thrives on heroes saving the world, with their lady-loves wearing the best dresses, the best makeup, the best hair-do providing for apicture perfect backdrop! Okay, I agree, I got carried away a bit! However reading Mulvey's article on Narrative Cinema and visual pleasure only made me realize how the spectator's "gaze" in Hindi cinema has remained constant over the decades. The proof lies in the fact that producers still continue to make cinema which would follow the same pattern, the same arrangement only with a new packaging! There are obviously films which try to mould the spectator's "gaze" in a different way, but they are strictly not part of "main-stream" cinema; they are quaintly termed - "parallel films".



Socophilia, is an inherent part of mainstream hindi films. The protagonist, at some point of time in the film - in his bike, or while climbing a mountain, or even when in the college library notices THE GIRL. Then follows an array of scenes, accompanied by some songs where he dreams about her, follows her around, not letting her know that she is being watched. This is socophilia at its best. It is not as subtle as a Htichcock movie, it is rather blatant- you just cannot miss it. The camera movement too follows the socophilic movement- the protagonist becomes a misty figure in the back while what the woman is doing becomes the main focus. What is even more interesting is to notice the reaction of a spectator while the film continues. I am fascinated by how easily this typical part of a bollywood film creates an impact on the spectators. Sometimes there are hoots and whistles which follow such scenes (here I am talking about hindi romantic comedies, and the audience). To me it seems like a call of recognition on the part of the spectator, an acceptance of their action of "gaze" in life.

There is also that part in a typical Bollywood movie, where the woman knows that she is being observed. Bergher's essay talks in detail about how women have always considered themselves at once the "surveyor" and the "surveyed".Here too, she realizes that she is being surveyed and she gives that one knowing glance back at the protagonist, an indication, a nod that its okay to watch. Still more songs follow to celebrate the moment, the spectators being an inherent part of that celebration through out the time. This is more unconsciously a celebration of narcissistic socophilia- for the spectators as well as the protagonist. It is an indication that the woman has been subjected to his looks- that he did not have to do much about it other than just give secretive looks.



It is fascinating to observe how socophilia has become such an inherent part of hindi movies. A more detailed study can probably unfold many more mysteries as to why the spectators go to watch the same thing again and again. For a very simple explanation, it is because they can identify with that image, that characteristic, and the final realization of it through the subjugation of the woman. I am still wondering as to which would come first- whether a changed outlook in the society would change the visual media and the concept of the surveyor/surveyed, or would it be the other way round..