All glitter, no reflection: Should Bollywood change its formulaic approach to film production?

Abstract

Purpose

Reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies.

Design/methodology/approach

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Findings

The Hindi film industry is known affectionately throughout the world as “Bollywood”. All the glitter and glamour of Hollywood can be found in Mumbai (formerly Bombay which provided the “B” in “Bollywood”) along with prolific production surpassing anything Hollywood can hope to attain. While at one time the market for Bollywood films was mainly the South Asian sub‐continent, the last two decades have witnessed an explosive growth in audiences, linked to a rapid increase in sales to overseas markets. There are several factors which may account for this success including economic migration from South Asia to Europe and North America, an increasing interest in Indian culture on the part of Western audiences fueled in part by the success of Anglo‐Indian films such as “Bend it Like Beckham” or “East is East” and the proliferation of satellite television. However, there is what could be perceived as a fly in the ointment of Bollywood's success. The genre of films produced by the major Mumbai studios is very limited, and as such can't hope to rival the more universal appeal of Hollywood films. While the Mumbai film industry demonstrates some aspects of growth and development, these tend to be in the realm of technical expertise. Creativity and experimentation in story line, subject matter or plot development are noticeable by their absence.

Practical implications

Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.

Originality/value

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to‐digest format.

Citation

(2007), "All glitter, no reflection: Should Bollywood change its formulaic approach to film production?", Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 21 No. 3, pp. 23-25. https://doi.org/10.1108/14777280710739106