Sex and Bollywood.

Bollywood has never had a background in realism. It consisted of escapist musicals with common storylines of ‘good vs evil’ and ‘boy meets girl’. The films were generally family orientated and the plot was kept simple so that even the rural audience would find it easy to relate to. Of late, there has been a dramatic shift in the style of filmaking due to the globalisation of films. The Indian film industry, which churns out around 800 films per year, has some cause for concern because the transplantation of western ideas has led to extreme vulgarity with high sexual innuendo and unnecessary violence in films today.

Therefore it can be speculated that there is a westernised audience that is catered for but what about the traditionalists with opposing values. India’s rural population cannot possibly understand the values and issues expressed in a Hollywood style. The opposition to the change in film style also comes from the religious groups and separatist groups who feel that Bollywood films do not promote traditional values.

I don't think the Indian film market is ready for explicit sex scenes just as yet. A sizable sector is made up of family audiences, many of whom are uncomfortable watching sexual intimacy on screen. We can neither ignore this sector, nor pressurise them into dropping their inhibitions. Extended families and friends go for movies together and eat, drink and have a good time. If explicit sex scenes are shown to them, most end up squirming in their seats.

In today's scenario, if a film has explicit sex scenes, the buzz will most probably attract audiences who will see it for all the wrong reasons. Explicit sex scenes can only work for very small budget films, targeted at a niche audience. The Indian cultural ethos and its people are not as flexible as the west and therefore films deemed too westernised will always be rejected, regardless of the extent of the globalisation of cultures.

Indian culture has an inherent shyness, where intimate sexual contact between a man and a woman is considered private and personal. And our society hasn't yet opened up to the extent where sexual issues are discussed in the drawing room. Only after that happens, will our cinema be able to show explicit sex on screen!

Off late, it seems the pendulum had swung too far in the other direction, as now the skin shows and brazen sex comedies are giving way to mass entertainers that are much more of a true reflection of today's society. The films being made today are a mix of modern truths and a dash of old fashioned values and escapism. After all, that's what a film is supposed to be about - escapism.

It'll take at least another 10 years before India is ready for explicit sex scenes on screen. Personally, I'm okay with the idea. But there are at least two generations ahead who aren't. Once these generations pass out and today's youth become the heads of families, the films will change.

But, certainly, not yet.