SHAH RUKH KHAN & KAREENA KAPOOR IN BILLU (2009), STILL COURTESY EROS AUSTRALIA – TAASA Review December 2011

Both terms ­ globalisation and Bollywood ­ are controversial.

The term Bollywood is disliked by many in the Hindi film industry as it is felt that it carries derogatory baggage.

This is further complicated by the fact that outside India the word Bollywood is commonly seen as representing all Indian cinema. What does the term globalisation mean when it is used to describe Hindi cinema? Does it mean that Bollywood has become international, has been adopted on a truly global scale? Do the many changes that have occurred in Hindi cinema actually constitute globalisation? And, importantly, should this be seen as a positive or negative development? For some, globalisation is seen as a threat whereby national cinemas become homogenised, and national entertainment industries are absorbed by the dominant industries of the developed countries. The Hindi film industry, which is as old as cinema itself, and even predates Hollywood, has long had an international presence...