“Sparkle” is the newest musical movie to hit the big screen in Hollywood. It is a remake about The Supremes. It features American Idol’s Jordin Sparks and Whitney Houston in her final movie role. Movie musicals used to have a place in Hollywood, but nowadays the only place to see movie musicals on a regular basis is in Bollywood. India loves musicals. Every movie is a musical. Lets compare Hollywood movie musicals of today with Bollywood musicals of today.
Realism
People do not break out into random song in real life, so how does a movie musical manage to appear “real”? By telling a real story. Many Hollywood movie musicals come from true stories. The Supremes inspired both “Sparkle” and “Dreamgirls.” The performances are mostly on stage or fit into the plot because its about music and singing. Bollywood movie musicals do not fit into reality. No matter the plot, the characters break out into song at the most random moments. An excellent example is the horror film “Kaal” where characters dance and sing after someone dies.
Winner: Hollywood movie musicals
Performance
In Bollywood, each song is an excuse to create a big production. Every number is bright, with stunning backdrops, tons of backup singers, and acrobatic dance numbers. Romance numbers usually take place at a beautiful location somewhere in the world. In “Om Shanti Om” there is even a performance within a performance. Om sings the story, complete with dance partners and bright colors, while the story also plays out as a play at the same time. “Moulin Rouge” even mimicked Bollywood spectacles and earned an Oscar nomination. Hollywood has never been able to match that intensity.
Winner: Bollywood movie musicals
Vocal Ability
The singing in Bollywood movie musicals is lip-synced. Rarely does an actor also sing. Amitabh Bachchan is one exception. When the voice doesn’t match the actor, this can seem odd. In Hollywood movie musicals, the actors also sing. While they usually lip-sync during filming, it is their voices on the track.
Winner: Hollywood movie musicals
Dance
Movie musicals are about the music, but dance is a part of the performance. Hollywood used to include elaborate dance numbers in its musicals. Nowadays, dance has its own movie genre. Bollywood loves to dance. Actors might not have singing ability, but they must dance. Many Bollywood actors take dance lessons. Hrithik Roshan is notable here because he has dance skills that match the greats of Hollywood. His dance performance in “Dhoom 2” helped the film earn praise and beat out the first film at the box office.
Winner: Bollywood movie musicals
Originality
There is nothing new in the movie business, and movie musicals are no exception. Hollywood enjoys adapting Broadway plays into movies or remaking older musicals. Bollywood uses similar songs and performances in nearly every film. Both need to mix things up a bit. A few changes might help movie musicals gain popularity again in the states.
Winner: Neither
