The Ninth Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art

New Bollywood: Currents in Indian Cinema 2010 marked a revolution in cinema in India, with independent filmmakers at the forefront of the transformation. ‘New Bollywood: Currents in Indian Cinema’ profiles a new and dynamic hybrid developing from a cross-pollination of India’s mainstream, regional and independent cinemas. India is currently undergoing shifting cultural dynamics caused by the combined forces of a rapidly expanding middle class, and a younger generation that is re-evaluating traditions. This is creating tensions within a shifting cultural dyad of growing liberalism and a reactionary Hindu conservativism. These factors have contributed to larger cinema audiences and exhibitors expanding their offerings to meet the demand. Filmmakers are responding to these tensions, as well as the changing cultural dynamics in Indian cinema, by generating alternatives to longstanding conventions. While regional Indian cinema and independent cinema are undergoing significant change, the biggest shift in filmmaking has occurred in ‘mainstream’ Bollywood cinema, and a new genre — known as ‘New Bollywood’ — has emerged. India has long enjoyed an incredibly diverse cinematic landscape with mainstream ‘Bollywood’, regional cinema and independent filmmaking all having discrete audiences and unshakeable storytelling modes. While dominated by ‘Bollywood’ — India’s mainstream Hindi-language cinema — Indian cinema also supports regional cinema, featuring over 40 languages and a rich independent film tradition. These traditions have, until recently, been defined by their distinctive characteristics and audiences. ‘Bollywood’ is largely an aspirational art form displaying the hallmarks of song-and-dance numbers, happy endings and superstar actors. Regional cinema’s strength lies in accessible storylines that address local concerns and interests, rooted in a sense of place. Independent cinema eschews mainstream conservative narratives, instead focusing on social issues as a way to critique India’s justice and political systems and question traditional gender and family roles. While independent Indian cinema has engaged with topical issues since the 1950s, primarily through the work of master filmmakers — Satyajit Ray (1921–92), Ritwik Ghatak (1925–76) and Mrinal Sen (b.1923) — what distinguishes the current cinematic landscape is the broadening audience. The expansion of cineplexes and online viewing platforms has resulted in larger and more sophisticated audiences for alternative films. These audiences are engaged and eager for films that reflect the complexity of modern Indian life, both inside and outside metropolitan areas. ‘New Bollywood’ is breaking existing film conventions by encouraging transitions between cinematic styles. This fluidity is led, in part, by those working at the forefront of the industry. Actors, actresses, directors and producers are forming their own production companies and moving between mainstream and independent cinema projects, driven by the desire to create complex characters and relevant storylines as an antidote to the frothy escapism of Bollywood. New films are emerging that have mainstream cinema distribution, yet are telling diverse stories. Production still from Hotel Salvation 2016 / Director: Shubhashish Bhutiani / Image courtesy: C International Films