Elston’s Blog

After listening extensively to a wide selection of Bollywood hits from the 2000s (which regrettably means I missed out on the earlier great works of A. R. Rahman), I have concluded that Bollywood music is far superior to Hollywood music. Although I do not understand a single word of the Tamil, Punjabi, or Hindi, I can appreciate the beats and mixes. Bhool Bhulaiyaa, for example, has an extremely complex and catchy intro.

Probably the best and most interesting thing about Bollywood music is the use of traditional Indian instruments, such as the sitar, wood flute, and various types of drums. I’m also pretty sure that a Bollywood musical would be far superior to a regular Hollywood musical, only partially because it would involve grossly enlarged numbers of dancers, i.e. at least 150 per scene.

If you haven’t tried really listening to Bollywood music, I suggest starting with the non-Bollywood Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack and then progressing into true Bollywood music.