The essentially Hindi film industry has had a host of talent from other communities
Bollywood has always been pitched as mainstream Hindi cinema. But the truth is, although its language of expression is Hindi, its very core has been substantially shaped over the decades by talent from other linguistic regions and cultures, including Bengali, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi and more. These include stars, directors, cinematographers, writers and musicians. This is in much the same way that American cinema has been substantially enriched by European talent. Even in cinema, a language is never just a language, but a key to rich literature and subculture, and each artist has enriched Bollywood with his or her own cultural sensibilities. Their tremendous contribution can fill a book, but here are a few highlights from the contemporary, relatively younger generation.
While Bollywood has been a magnet to talent from all over India, a lot of actors and directors have been obliged to erase their roots in more cosmopolitan climes, or wait for an opportune moment in which to reveal or revel in their roots.
Talent on show: (Clockwise from extreme left) Dibakar Banerjee on the sets of Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!; director-cinematographer Santosh Sivan; Mani Ratnam with Aishwarya Rai; actress Sonali Kulkarni
(This story appears in the July-Aug 2015 issue of ForbesLife India. To visit our Archives, click here.)