Bollywood Dreams - An Exploration of the Motion Picture Industry and its Culture in India
Jonathan Torgovnik
Torgovnik first went to India in 1992, and since 1997 he has travelled extensively throughout the country, capturing the entire spectrum of Bollywood. The films are full of color, light, and happy endings, yet his photographs show the radiance and beauty of a crumpled ticket stub, a ripped movie poster, and a cluttered cinema floor, alike.
As the world’s largest creator of feature films, India produces over 800 new films each year for a growing population of almost one billion. Song and dance from a 3,000-year tradition, remain the bedrock of Indian cinema, and each films plots are structured around elaborate musical numbers. Each day India’s movie theaters are bombarded with over 14 million avid viewers, and the experience of going to the cinema is as much a part of the Bollywood phenomenon as are the stars themselves. Going to the movies is the only real cultural experience for the majority of the population, and the cinema is not just a form of entertainment, it is practically a religion. Movie stars in India are treated like gods - literally ! no match even for American standards of celebrity obsession.
Preview
Torgovnik presents not only the private dressing rooms of the stars, but also the distinct perspective of the theatergoers and intimate behind-the-scenes glimpses of men stationed in projector rooms. BOLLYWOOD DREAMS begins with a vignette of the touring cinema caravans that bring Bollywood on the big screen in portable tents to India’s villages.
The journey continues with a visual narrative that reveals the many facets of the Bollywood film form. Seen is action on the movie set, up-close with the stars, directors, and crews; scenes from inside the editing chamber to out on the streets where promotional posters collage the towns and cities; and the multitude of both large and small cinemas around the country.
