As this block tries to answer whether Bollywood could be able to overtake Hollywood and the resulting consequences, let us take a look at the facts of the business world.
In the end of September 2010, the internet, newspapers, and several other media reported about potential negotiations between MGM – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios– and Sahara India Pariwar, an Indian movie company. MGM is in dramatic financial troubles. According to the article “Indian Firm in Early Talks to Buy MGM” by Mike Spector in the Wall Street Journal in September 2010, the company “owes creditors about $4 billion” US dollars (2010). The “Indian conglomerate Sahara India Pariwar” showed interest, offering $2 billion, although “it’s too early to comment on the issue” according to an agent of the company (Spector, 2010).
Considering the fact that this was not the only offer the American movie producer got, as MGM was also in touch with Spyglass Entertainment and already rejected an offer by Time Warner (Spector, 2010) this shows how powerful and independent, especially financially, Bollywood has become in the international market. This deal might have been the key to producing movies internationally, acquiring precious contacts, new technology, and build the bridge between the American and Indian movie industries. However, eventually “MGM has talked to several other studios, including Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros., but Sony has been more aggressive in negotiations” according to Ben Fritz, writer for the LA Times ( 2011).
Nevertheless, these negotiations might be the beginning of Bollywood invading Hollywood if you ask me. Even if the Indian movie industry is not taking over each and every movie studio in Hollywood, just cooperating will increase Bollywood’s impact. Not only because “India’s 500 million population under the age of 20 will ensure that the market inside India will grow exponentially in the coming years” (Woke, 2007); also because “the younger [Indian] generation is spending more on entertainment” (Overdorf, 2007). And Hollywood would most likely not reject entering a new market, even if it has to be at the price to cooperate with Bollywood companies. They just know better what the Indian audience wants – especially because of huge differences in expectations for movies, stars, and story lines: “the American studios seemed to have underestimated just how important a […] particular actor or actress is to Indian audiences. This might explain why some American-financed Bollywood films […] have failed to find either critical acclaim or audience acceptance” (Grant, 2009).
Personally I am convinced that this potential partnership – in case that MGM would have accepted – would have been the first official major impact on both Hollywood and Bollywood. Not only would the American studios be connected to India for actors, producers, script-writers and many more in both directions, but especially the arising network of MGM employees and partners with the people of Sahara India Pariwar and their partners could be a great opportunity for new productions, new concepts, new projects and new experiences. These productions then had the perfect chance to combine what their targets wanted to see. The Indian style of movie-making and the plot are usually very different from the Americam model – and this could exactly be the chance to find the niche to attract more people or even discover a whole new target group. Moreover, contacts are getting more and more important every day. Such a fusion could be the first direct network of the two industries!
Furthermore, the technical advances for Bollywood would be invaluable. The movies are known to be less perfect when it comes to special effects or computer animation, but with a company belonging to the most famous and oldest movie productions of the world’s leading movie industry, Bollywood is just a step away from improving their productions up to the quality of Hollywood movies.
Becoming a partner of a company like MGM could be the break-through for Bollywood and at least the first and most important step to expand to foreign markets and conquer the world just like Hollywood did it. The probably most successful part for Sahara India Pariwar, in my opinion, would be opening the second branch of their company right at the heart of their biggest competitor: Bollywood establishing itself a second time right in the centre of Hollywood.
You might think I am going a little too far when thinking further of Sahara India Pariwar or another Bollywood movie production company bringing over more and more Bollywood producers, gaining more and more power and influence and in the end maybe even taking over or becoming an important partner for further Hollywood companies – but don’t they say in Hollywood your dreams will come true? So why not even for their biggest competitor Bollywood?!
And by the way, it is not only about the deal between MGM and Sahara India Pariwar, but there are already several joint projects. For example, UTV Software Communications owned by Ronnie Screwvala – also a key figure for Bollywood’s (coming) success – closed “deals with Fox Searchlight and Sony Pictures, and with Will Smith’s Overbrook Entertainment” (Overdorf, 2007). So therefore, I highly expect Bollywood and Hollywood to partly melt together – with Bollywood gaining a greater influence in the Western hemisphere than Hollywood in the Eastern hemisphere where it is already known.
Fritz, B. (2011, February 08). Sony finalizing distribution and co-financing deal with MGM. Latimes.com. Retrieved April 28, 2011 from http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2011/02/sony-mgm-distribution-bond.html.
Grant, A. (2009). Megastars - Bollywood Style - A Star System Even More Powerful Than Hollywood's. Worldfilm.About.com. Retrieved April 25, 2011 from http://worldfilm.about.com/od/bollywood/a/bollywoodmegastars.htm.
Overdorf, J. (2007, November 30). “Hooray for Bollywood. Newsweek.com. Retrieved April 25, 2011 from http://www.newsweek.com/2007/11/30/hooray-for-bollywood.html
Spector, M. (2010, September 19). Indian Firm in Early Talks to Buy MGM. Theerant.yuku.com. Retrieved April 28, 2011 from http://theerant.yuku.com/topic/34416/Bollywood-Takes--Hollywood-Indian-Conglomerate--Buy---Great-.
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