Although I will admit that dancing on the body of your fallen foe: So. Awesome.
Martial Development does a quick look at Bollywood Martial Arts Movies. The first clip they show from the 1983 film “Karate” is pretty much what I expected from Bollywood: silly action, song and dance, awesome leather boots.
Their second clip is from “Krrish” which came out in 2006. I was surprised to find the scene void of any silly fun that I associate with Bollywood films. Well done special effects and wire work, choreography was solid, and the overall look was quite stylish. I especially enjoyed the last part of the clip with the motion blur fight sequence.
To be honest, I shouldn’t be surprised. In my head I’ve formed a stereotype around Bollywood to expect more “Karate” and less “Krrish”. But Indian Cinema is changing, just like Filipino Cinema is changing and World Cinema in general. Time to open up my eyes and take a look at what the rest of the world has to offer on the big screen. I am sure to find even more pleasant surprises out there that will hopefully break a couple more stereotypes in my head.