Masala Magic

The formula Bollywood -- or "Masala" -- film always involves a few major components. Music, dancing, archtypical characters and plot lines, and stars in the lead roles. Story lines typically revolve around good versus evil in some form, whether it is a political drama or a love story. The former often deals with strained India-Pakistan relations as a result of Partition in 1947 and/or internal governmental corruption. The latter archtpical theme is conveyed as a boy-meets-girl story with a twist: Many times, the boy falls in love with a girl of elevated social class and the two must band together to rebel against her family (and society in general) by proving how pure their love is. And it seems the formula is magic; the Indian film industry is the largest in the world, producing over 800 films a year.