Songs are the basis of any Bollywood movie, so the lyricist, as well as the music director, has a substantial role. It is true that, during the years, there have been some major changes in this area, but they have come along with the modernization of the Hindi society, experienced in different levels of life, including household and way of thinking and acting.

The change is very important for the country and it has also affected the way movies and movie soundtracks are seen. The new approach is cooler, trying to keep the young ones close; many music styles are used in movies, including hip hop, rock and funk.

In order for the change to be complete, the locations for the shoot have also faced some serious changes, going from the classic Indian locations to foreign shores, but keeping and even increasing the scenic character.

The change in the shooting locations has brought freshness and innovation to Hindi movies; Italy, New Zeeland, Australia, England, Mauritius, Bali, Manila and so on; Indians went out to conquer the world. Presently, India has the largest production of films, which is resulting in the increasing number of different languages translations and subtitles.

If you want to see how the Indian cinematography has changes, you should not miss these 3 reference Bollywood films:

1.    Mughale E Azam (1960)

Completing this film was a long process, which lasted several years. The film is centered on an extravagant love story, revolving around a prince and a court dancer. The end is very dramatic and heavy. This can be easily compared with Romeo and Juliet – in the Hindi interpretation.

2.    Sholay (1975)

The film tells the story of two sloppy crooks, hired to take out a cruel bandit.  It is thought to be the highest grossing Indian movie.

3.    Gadar Ek Prem Katha (2001)

This is one of the more modern Hindi movies, being released in 2001. It is actually an authorized blockbuster, showing how people are capable of anything for love. Rebellion, bravery and the magnetic power of love – all of them are captured by this film.

Progress and innovation have always played a big role in art, despite the fact that the general rules and values will always remain and will always be extremely valuable. Hindi movies are also progressing and are making room for new emotions and approaches.

Nowadays we are talking about a mature and flourishing Indian film industry, that does not back off from approaching a wide variety of genders, going from the soft romance, musical and melodrama, to the tough mystery, action and horror, blended together within the same production.

This is the concept Indian directors are exploiting: the mixture of styles, the opulence, the heaviness; this is what the Indian people is after and this is how it best expresses itself.

Hindi movies are also known as Bollywood movies – a term which comes from the words: Hollywood and Bombay – which is where many of these movies are produced.

Not only that Indian people have chosen to have their own style – one that breaks any rules in the film industry, but they have also chosen to have their own name for the films they are producing: the resounding Bollywood. Things being so, it is very easy to spot why Indian films make a distinct chapter inside the film industry and why they are special and unique to such a great extent.

The start of the Hindi cinema was deeply under the influence of two popular epics: Ramayana and Mahabharata. The first Indian film was Raja Harischandra – a silent movie made in four reels with title cards in Hindi and English that displayed the life of king Harischandra, who eventually gave up his family, kingdom and all his possessions for truth, honesty and integrity.

The success of the film leaded to many following mythological movies. With such an emotional start, Hindi movies got to be where they are standing today – on the boat of culture, intense feelings, mixed emotions and respect for values.

The huge and perhaps still surprising success that these movies got to enjoy is explained by simple reasoning: they rely on the culture, traditions and history of India and the people of India themselves. This blunt but nevertheless effective approach makes Hindi movies authentic and a little more addressed to people, leaving the impression their characters are 100% real.