| Would you believe that music plays a bigger role in | | | | when 'filmi' music was influenced by western |
| Indian movies than the star cast and the story line | | | | harmonies. New instruments were introduced to the |
| themselves? Bollywood music, or the background | | | | composition of songs adding new flavor and the term |
| musical score of the movie, is what attracts people to | | | | Indi-pop came to be known. Up to the present, |
| the movie theaters. This type of harmony is also called | | | | musicians in Bollywood are still trying to make it to the |
| 'filmi' music which in Hindi means 'of films'. Before the | | | | western popular culture. |
| movie itself is made, the songs will need to be | | | | Remember the 2008 movie Slumdog Millionaire? The |
| composed first. In musicals, they are pre-recorded by | | | | movie did not only deliver an amazing story but also |
| professional playback singers and then lip synched by | | | | awed audiences with its compelling musical scores. |
| the actors while dancing. | | | | Though this movie was a British production, it opened |
| Bollywood music has a very colorful and interesting | | | | the world's eyes to India's culture. In the hope of getting |
| history. It started in the 50s and 60s when the actors | | | | their music recognized further, Hindu academics |
| and actresses still sung their own songs. During the | | | | appealed to the Grammy Awards for a category for |
| 70s and 80s, popular songwriters and singers reigned | | | | Kirtan songs. Kirtan is a musical form commonly used |
| and they opened the door to ahead-of-the-time dance | | | | in making Bollywood music. |
| numbers. A transition phase took place during the 90s | | | | |