Can Bollywood Go Global Case Solution

1. Thinking about a Bollywood movie you have seen, what was its target audience? Would this movie have broad appeal to an American audience? Why or why not? If the movie was changed to speak to an American audience, do you think it would still appeal to an Indian audience? Can a movie appeal to both successfully?

The movie to discuss here is called ‘Rush'. The target audience is most possibly those who heavily rely and trust on electronic media to believe whatever is coming their way. The movie plot revolves around a crime news channel that ultimately is involved in conducting criminal activities itself to break the news about it and increase its news channel's rating. The movie targets all educated and uneducated adults who blindly believe various news channels' reporting. The main character in the movie then breaks through the company's crimes and manages to inform the world (through another news channel) about the heinous crimes committed by the channel to boost its ratings and to become the number one news channel.

Yes, this movie ‘Rush' may have broad appeal to an American audience because the issue of media ethics prevails in many countries if not all. The citizens in all countries need to be educated that the media should play a more responsible role in society. Since the movie is not a typical ‘masala' genre, it is likely to find acceptance within an American audience. Similarly, if the movie was modified for an American audience, it would still appeal to an Indian audience because of the nature of the plot which speaks out against unethical and illegal practices of a news channel- a trend that can take place in any part of the world. Therefore, a movie can successfully appeal to both target audiences.

2. What are some key differences between film markets in India and the US? What kind of opportunities does Bollywood present for American studios?

Although both Hollywood and Bollywood are heading towards more collaborative arrangements due to globalization in the industry, some key differences between the two exist and hence explain the different regional presence of Hollywood and Bollywood. Due to the rich music and dance culture in South Asia, the majority of the successful films in India have been of the masala genre. On the other hand, the US film market, with its more advanced technological facilities, has attracted more people who are now interested in the use of state-of-the-art technologies in film production in order to enjoy a better movie experience with friends and relatives. Moreover, many small mushroom players have entered the Indian market with low-budget productions, some of which have ruled the box-office sales.

The various opportunities that Bollywood presents for American studios are exposure to a very large population, lower costs of operation, and the best popularity in the region. With a booming population, the American studios can be exposed to increased revenues even with lower ticket prices. The costs of operation such as the sets, fees to the movie cast would be tremendously lower for Bollywood than what the American studios experience with Hollywood. Moreover, the time period from the year 2000 onwards has truly made Bollywood a global and profitable entity. With high popularity in the South Asia region, the Middle East, and a large South Asian population in Europe and North America, the American studios have much to gain from Bollywood.

3. What is the best strategy for Bollywood to go global? Should they pursue a niche market of global Indian Diaspora? Or should they try to reach a non-Indian audience? What kind of relationships should Indian filmmakers build with the Hollywood movie industry?

The best strategy for Bollywood in order to go global would be to target the vastly present Indian Diaspora. Since some dynamics in the film industry have changed in many parts of the world, Bollywood also needs to act accordingly. For example, due to the rising trend of multiplexes and more youth turning up inexpensive multiplexes to watch a movie over the weekend, the focus needs to remain on the upper-middle income class, whether in India or outside India in the global market. This is because it is the upper-middle-income class that brings revenue to the industry. With more patriotic and culturally-sensitive Indian Diaspora, global productions that can aim at Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) is likely to bring success to Bollywood.

On the other hand, a non-Indian audience would still take quite some time to be prone to Bollywood films. The issues of where the movie was shot, who was the director, translations and subtitles will continue to exist. Hence, the best strategy would be to focus on the global Indian Diaspora.

The Indian filmmakers need to maintain good repute and contact with Hollywood. More combined productions will have to be done, more Indian celebrities need to be welcomed in Hollywood movies, and similarities between the two industries be emphasized for mutual benefits. Globalization has brought a tremendous opportunity for Bollywood; however, the industry needs to have a trust level with Hollywood. Only if such a relationship is maintained by Indian filmmakers and they prove themselves to be beneficial to filmmakers in Hollywood, will there be a long-run partnership.

4. For Hollywood, does Bollywood represent a competitive threat? What kind of opportunities does Bollywood present for American filmmakers? How should American filmmakers respond to Bollywood's attempts to go global?

Currently, given the case scenario, Bollywood as yet does not represent a competitive threat. This is, firstly, because of the language barrier. Bollywood movies are either in Hindi or some state languages prevailing in India such as Tamil. On the other hand, Hollywood since many decades enjoys acceptance and dominant position in North America, Europe, and the increasingly interested market of South Asia. It will still take many years for Bollywood to reach the awareness and acceptance level in many parts of the world which Hollywood currently enjoys. Besides other factors, a large number of world populations can relate to the English language presented in Hollywood movies.

Hollywood movies are increasingly focusing upon action movies which they believe are widely accepted and liked in many parts of the world. Since Bollywood has started producing more genres away from the masala category, it has started to gain acceptance in America. Similarly, if Hollywood wants to continue its profitable regime in regions such as the Middle East and South Asia, they need to depict more local culture in their movies and not produce films which would offend cultures, such as those of the Arabs. Also, Hollywood should work on bringing more people to cinemas by reducing ticket prices and not just focus on the upper class. This is because, for truly global expansion and higher profit margins, local demographics and income groups should be understood where annual incomes are much less in many parts of the world while comparing with America.

5. Based on your analysis of the global movie industry, is the world flat or not? What are the key factors you would consider in determining how global an industry is or should be?

The global movie industry has not gone stagnant, although it can be said that the industry currently is not as thriving as previously. This is because of many reasons, such as piracy and the growth of in-home entertainment through DVDs and home theatres. However, the industry cannot be considered to have gone flat as the movie industry of countries such as India and China are also reaching a global level. Moreover, the focus on more genres such as famous animated movies has further given a boost to the global movie industry. The concept of cinemas has been revived through multiplexes in South Asia and the Middle East, where families also visit the cinemas with children due to the rising productions of animated movies.