How popular is Bollywood outside India?

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441597

Suspended

Posted: 7 years ago

I've never had a clear idea of this. Can somebody chip in?

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9tanki2.0

@9tanki2.0

Explorer

Posted: 7 years ago

70's know Amitabh

60's know Shahrukh

Rest love's tandoori chicken.

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TheRager

@TheRager

Achiever

+ 4

Posted: 7 years ago

Zero. Actually Bollywood is a big joke for non desis who are aware of its existence.

Edited by TheRager - 7 years ago

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Illyrion

@Illyrion

Dazzler

+ 2

Posted: 7 years ago

Do you mean with the South Asian diaspora? Very. More than one person who should know (PC is the most recent I can think of) has said most of the money flowing into BW comes from outside India.

Do you mean with non-Indians? I agree with TheRager. Most people without some Indian connection in the West have never seen a BW film. If they think of them at all, it's the stereotype - so better if they don't think of them at all :(.

I know that Indian art cinema isn't really BW of course but I am so sad that India never selects really good original Indian films for the Academy Award submission, so at least Westerners would know they exist.

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Fatima

@Rhimjhimsawan

Sparkler

+ 5

Posted: 7 years ago

As Nova said among people of south asian origin very popular. For the rest not so much. Even people who tend to watch foreign films don't tend to watch Indian movies because of the stereotypes of dancing around trees and the quality of our movies in general. I think in all my years in U.S I have met only two non desi girls who watched Indian movies and liked them, one in middle school and one in high. Both were hispanic. My best friend also watches Indian movies that is because I make her watch them with me. I live in a city with a big Indian population so it is not like they haven't been exposed to it. When we hosted IIFA no one really cared.

I think in certain parts of the world Bollywood does better however. I heard it's popular in middle east.

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1140587

Hibernated

Posted: 7 years ago

Outside of the desi diaspora, not popular at all. It's not taken seriously by anyone.

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566912

Hibernated

Posted: 7 years ago

Non-desis -- Not so much. Except if Non-Desis have desi friends or desi bf/gf. Like my friend is married to American girl and we exposed her to BW. She in turn made her family watch BW movies. (We only made her watch selected good ones for the starter, less to do with the dancing n all 😆)

Though Netflix is definitely making BW movies popular. Many of my colleagues came up-to me and started discussing BW.

We made one of em watch Dangal and she can't stop raving about it. She tells everyone that it's a must watch and be prepared to cry. 😊

Edited by NimbuMirchi - 7 years ago

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576281

Suspended

Posted: 7 years ago

I never really paid attention but when I went to watch Padmaavat I spotted more than a handful of local Americans in the theater and one lady even walked down to me and asked me to suggest a few more movies like Padmaavat ...

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cory

@cory

Dazzler

+ 2

Posted: 7 years ago

The S Asian overseas yes many know of it, and follow BW, outside of non desi not many care

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Mahabhootni

@Mahabhootni

Navigator

Posted: 7 years ago

#10

My mom had a girl do a thumka in front of her to show off her Bollywood dance skills in turkey last week. I was like W*F but the poor girl was so excited to see someone in salwar kameez. Lmao.