The Instagram statement by Sylvester Stallone on the remaking of Rambo in Hindi by Bollywood couldn’t be more appropriate, since no Rambo fans would like to see the macho protagonist strumming a guitar, serenading heroines or dancing about in the snow in Switzerland. True, the Indian film industry has changed a lot, however if there is something that holds our movies back from generating global appeal, it is the superfluous song-and-dance sequences, that are interspersed with dialogue, across the entire film.

First of all, it fails to impress that there still exists a trend to copy and paste stories from Hollywood movies. Given the sheer number of films being produced in India, one cannot be blamed for expecting a technically and artistically brilliant creation from the industry. India’s film industry has been excessively associated with glitz and glamour, staying true to the idea that filmmakers are dream merchants. Our films invariably carry operatic, theatrical traditions, where dialogues are sprinkled with songs and music.

Perhaps the practice of Indian plays and dramas usually being laced with songs has its origins in the early days of operas, where music essentially was a significant component in expressing emotions, while combined with acting. The use of props and backdrops on stage were in their infancy, until European colonial powers, especially Portugal, introduced innovative stage settings and costumes as a cultural artistic addition, to India. But, the technology of cinema removed the limitations in theatre that had posed many challenges to artistes, including the inability to express the nuances of emotions that could be perceived by audience, memorisation of lengthy dialogues and, above all, the lack of technology that was required to change backdrops and props instantly.

Western producers who realised the potential of cinema soon explored the art form, with diverse themes, including science fiction, space exploration, wars and battles, and other epic and mythological stories, apart from the usual romance and comedies.

— The reader is a business development coordinator based in Dubai.