In India, the equivalent of our favorite albums and artists are blockbuster movies that produce memorable and iconic soundtracks for the stories they tell. Since the beginning of the industry, Bollywood music has closely been linked with the movies that it appears in. Instead of releasing music through cohesive albums as many other industries do, artists produce songs for specific movies, enhanced by lavish music videos from the films and the actors that appear in them.
Most importantly, Bollywood music serves as a supplement to the storytelling process. A majority of Bollywood films are considered musicals by Western standards, with frequent interruptions by musical ballads to evoke feelings of romance, energy, suspense, and tragedy. When viewers go back to watch such musical moments in the films, they are reminded of the storyline and return to the movie to experience it once again.
Not only does Bollywood music facilitate storytelling, but it also garners marketing publicity for the films they are a part of. Oftentimes, songs are released before the actual movie, creating an image for the film and intriguing audiences, encouraging them to go see what it is about. The music videos contain vibrant colors, energetic choreography, and catchy choruses that create a buzz before the movie’s release.
One iconic movie that demonstrates the close tie the Bollywood industry has with music is “Om Shanti Om,” released in 2007. Throughout the entire film, a theme tune is played at dramatic moments. This same snippet of music is played in almost all of the songs on the soundtrack, with several variations of instruments and lyrics; however, the tune remains the same. “Om Shanti Om” is a prime example of how songs are created for Bollywood movies, and how entire soundtracks are attached to the films they’re in.
Due to the combined music and film industry, with a cultural emphasis on film, the government didnt pay attention to the music industry in India in terms of copyright and licensing laws that benefit singers, composers, and producers. According to Splice’s “The History and Evolution of Bollywood Music,” India’s recorded music industry generated “just U.S. $0.09 per capita in trade revenues in 2016, making it the most poorly monetized music market currently being tracked.”
Furthermore, despite the important role songs play in Bollywood movies, playback singers (singers who record songs for actors to lip-sync to) are not sufficiently rewarded for their work. According to an interview by the Indian Express with playback singer Armaan Malik, oftentimes singers do not get paid to sing in movie songs and are often replaced by other artists if the songs are not “sung well.” Instead of being compensated for the work that takes place in the studio, Bollywood playback singers are expected to earn their pay through live shows and the standard wage paid if their version of the song is selected to be in a movie.
Overall, Bollywood music is the heart of the movie industry. Although practices are sometimes unfair to those who create the music, music has a symbiotic relationship with movies: both need the other to garner maximum success.