Bollywood's Impact on Indian Lifestyle

Cinema is said to be the mirror of society but it itself is quite influential and has deep impact on the minds of the viewers. We follow movies ardently and even carry them into our lives using services like Bollywood mobile sites and widgets on our cell phones. There are several things that we take from movies and make them a part of our lifestyles, knowingly or unknowingly.

Lots of people use a particular brand of soap, shampoo, car, mobile or clothes just because their favorite Bollywood actors advertise them. And this is not the only way Bollywood impacts us. We even like to copy the stars' fashion statements and styles from their popular movies. And these are just a few of the many visible or invisible influences that Bollywood has on our lives.

Movies like Babul raising issues of widow-remarriage or those like Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham reasserting Indian cultural values of respect for parents' views, tend to make us wonder whether Bollywood is merely about entertainment. Rang De Basanti brought forth the very sticky and political issue of MIG crashes that was pushed into oblivion. It was only after the movie that people started demanding accountability.

There are several medium budget movies, especially from the new generation directors like Madhur Bhandarkar and Prakash Mehra, which call for rethinking of the lives around us. They not only force us to question the establishment but also make us aware of our rights and obligations, which generally remain unnoticed, even despite government awareness programs. The movies have also acted as eye openers for public by bringing forth socio-political issues, for instance in movies like Rann, Gulaal and Corporate.

The new wave of Indian cinema has more arduously started experimenting with new subject matters that are closer to our lives. So, if your son has come back after watching 3 Idiots and has decided that he does not want to be an engineer anymore, you will understand how this age of bollywood mobile is getting into your lives for real.

Shahrukh Khan, How Became King Khan

Shahrukh Khan is perhaps the most loved Indian actor alive. From the most sought after actor to the most influential pop culture icon, the story of king khan is an inspiration to thousands of aspiring actors. Born on 02 November, 1965 in New Delhi to a middle class Muslim Family, Shahrukh never thought he would become one of the most popular men in the world. Both his parents migrated from Pakistan to India during the partition of Indian sub-continent in 1947.

Shahrukh Khan studied at St. Columba's school in New Delhi. He was not particularly good in studies but he was very much involved in extra curricular activities like sports and drama. Shahrukh Khan moved to Mumbai in 1991 to pursue a career in Bollywood. He had already done a few television series in Delhi and though he was not a household name at that time but he wasn't a nobody either. The same year even before sigining up a single movie in Bollywood, Shahrukh Khan married Gauri Chibber. Gauri Chibber belonged to a Hindu Family and neither she nor Shahrukh changed their religions. The wedding was performed as a traditional Hindu wedding.

Before landing in Mumbai, Shahrukh had already done his homework. He learned acting while working with famous theatre director Barry John's Theatre Action Group. After that in 1987 he debuted on television by appearing as commando Abhimanyu in t.v. series Fauji. Later he worked with Aziz Mirza for the tv series Circus. Shahrukh's bollywood debut movie was Deewana released in 1992. It was a box office hit and Shahrukh's career launched with a great success, however his next film Maya Memsaab didn't do that well on the box office. In 1992, Shahrukh Khan appeared in two very similar roles of an anti-hero in two different movies Darr and Bazigar. Darr was produced and directed by Yash Chopra one of the most successful Hindi film directors of all time. Both these movies did great business, not only these movies established Shahrukh Khan as the most popular new actors in Bollywood, they also had huge influence on the popular culture.

Looking at King Khan's career one would notice that Shahrukh worked with some directors more than others. He worked in several movies with Aziz Mirza, Yash Chopra and his son Aditya Chopra, Karan Johar, Farah Khan, etc. He has very good friendship with all these film makers and many claim that these friendships helped Shahrukh a lot in his career. His performances are often compared with fellow actors Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan. He has won Padma Shri one of the highest Indian civil awards for his career.

In the past decade Shah rukh Khan diversified his career a lot. He hosted TV show 'Kaun Banega Crorepati", appeared in advertisements, signed brand ambassador deals with world famous brands, produced big budget Bollywood movies, and bought a cricket team Kolkatta Knight Riders. He lives with his wife and two children in his house called "Mannat" which is situated in Bandra and is worth more than USD $27.5 Million.