Music has always been a huge part of Indian culture. What sets our music apart from others is that the majority of the music we listen to comes from movies. Songs have almost been the essence of Indian cinema since the beginning of time. We’ve all listened to blockbuster hits, day in and out, but haven’t you ever wondered why Indian films have songs in the first place?
First off, historical reasons played a major role. The origin of songs in the Indian film industry is mostly owed to the history of film and theater in India. Most of the Indian theatre scene was musicals, that conveyed their stories through song and dance. Old artforms like Kathputli, Assam’s mobile theatre, and other such traditional performances were the foundation for today’s cinematic music scene.
Music also offers an alternative to intimate scenes. PDA (Public Display Of Affection) or intimacy in public is something the Indian public frowns upon, yet it is still something that a film needs to show relationships. Hence songs are used instead as a substitute for intimate scenes by depicting their relationship in the form of dance and lyrics. Often the song is placed at the beginning of the movie when the two lovers meet, implying that they will fall in love. For example, in the Bollywood movie – Shershaah, the song “Raataan Lambiyan” depicts the love story between an army aspirant, Sidharth Malhotra, and his girlfriend Kiara Advani.
Songs offer a connection with the audience too. These are also used for enforcing feelings according to the mood of the movie. For instance, if the scene is heavy-hearted, a suitable tune plays, giving the public a reason to sympathize with the characters. The song “Naina” from the Bollywood movie Dangal, is one such example.
Item numbers also play a big part in some movies as they attract the audience through their wild dance sequences and pumped-up beats. Examples of such songs are “Dimaak Kharaab” and “Sheila Ki Jawani” which have racked up over 200 million views on Youtube.
Music in movies had such a rise in popularity that it now has widespread public demand. New songs are very much in demand as these songs are widely used at weddings, parties, clubs, etc. Sometimes the public even assesses the quality of films with their music as the basis. Therefore songs being present in films has become a necessity to the people. Pop and upbeat songs such as “Kar Gayi Chull”, “Rowdy Baby” are used on a variety of occasions even becoming an essential part of festival celebrations.
Last, but probably the most important is commercial reasons. The audience in India is majorly divided into two: The Mass or Single screen audience, and the Class or Multiplex audience. Most of the earnings of Indian movies come from the single screen audience, and therefore the movies are expected to have songs. Songs are also often released before the films themselves, thereby increasing hype and attracting attention to the movie regardless of the plot. These generate big bucks for stakeholders.
All in all, music’s relationship with Indian cinema isn’t changing anytime soon. In the past, cinema was pretty much the only medium through which music reached the Indian public. However, artists such as Ritviz, Nucleya, The Local Train, and many other independent artists are coming up with albums and singles which provide Indians with a more diverse and broad range of music, both in terms of attribute and genre.
Written by : Venkat Gollangi
Image Credits: natgeotraveller
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