Punjabification of Bollywood
Punjabification of Bollywood is not a new trend that is evident only in the latest Bollywood movies. The upbeat and celebratory Punjabi culture has always been an overplayed theme in Bollywood.
Not surprisingly, most of the fun songs from latest Bollywood movies that set your feet tapping have distinct Punjabi beats and lyrics that set them apart from the rest of the Bollywood music. The Punjabi dance numbers are almost always superhits and play in pubs and discos across the country months before and after the release of the movie.
A number of latest Bollywood movies like Love Aaj Kal, Singh is Kinng and Jab We Met were in a Punjabi setting and all of them were huge commercial successes. Big Punjabi joint families have been amongst the hot favorite backdrops of Hindi movie stories chosen by directors for decades.
The Punjabi theme and funk is so popular that many times the director does not even feel the need of having a Punjabi character in the film. Simply a few Punjabi songs with Bhangra beats sprinkled across the movie gives it great mileage and these songs inevitably become chartbusters.
The Punjabi themes and cultural backdrops can also be seen in offbeat international movies like Monsoon Wedding and Bend it Like Beckham. The Punjabi theme has universal appeal and the gaiety and loudness of culture makes for great movie watching experience, theatrical style.
The fun element of this culture appeals audiences all over India. In fact, it’s not only in India, but the Bhangra beats and music are popular all over the world. No matter which part of the world you stay or are from, when the Bhangra beats play, you are bound to stand up and shake a leg.
So, it comes as no surprise that the latest Bollywood movies are also cashing in on this worldwide phenomenon. After all, it’s making good money for the new Hindi movies’ producers.