If you thought that Bollywood was the result of packaging a mountain of money, a showcase of faces and a fitting script, think again.
At first, I doubted my eyes and could not come to terms with the course title, “The music of Bollywood Films” and though I am a Bollywood buff, a course dedicated to the music of Bollywood simply sang a tune I had never heard of. I am sure that like me, many of you share a liking for the Bollywood music industry – this music becomes very much a part of us and we begin to let it live our lives with us. Hence, to find it on a list of courses offered by my University was an awakening unlike any other. I vowed to dig deep and unravel the roots of this course and I found myself speaking to Professor Sundar Viswanathan.
“I realized a few years ago that the Hindi Film Industry was becoming quickly ‘in the vogue' in Western circles. So, I decided to propose and develop a course focused on the music of Bollywood that would not only draw a number of students to itself, but also represent many of York University’s South Asian populace.” Professor Sundar Viswanathan.
The course “ The music of Bollywood Films” offered by York University’s Department of Music is indeed a revolutionary course and as I probed further with Viswanathan, I learnt of the reasons, which led to the formation of the course. Viswanathan was one of the minds behind the course’s inception and his inspiration came from sharp perception. “I realized a few years ago that the Hindi Film Industry was becoming quickly ‘in the vogue’ in Western circles. So, I decided to propose and develop a course focused on the music of Bollywood that would not only draw a number of students to itself, but also represent many of York University’s South Asian populace.” The course takes into account the global reception Bollywood now receives and Viswanathan explained the course as an attempt to appreciate and understand Bollywood music from a global perspective - “I think most people don’t realize what goes into making the music work in Bollywood; what it consists of, who is responsible and how it’s put together. These things can help and add to the enjoyment of the music.”
Although this course does appear pretty in theory I could not resist but ask him on the reception the course had received. In fact, from my short tenure at York University I am no stranger to courses being scrapped off the list simply due to a lack of student interest. However, contrary to my suspicion this music course has gone down well with most students, running a healthy two sections of classes with 120 students each. Viswanathan brought to my attention the growing multi cultural fabric of students in the course stating, “Initially, they were almost primarily South Asian, but this year, I was surprised, actually, to see a larger number of ‘White’ Canadians and other non-south Asians. I guess the word is seeping out!”
Such a course indeed does entice students who are interested in more than just music too. Apart from owing to one’s appreciation of music, this course allows for a cultural celebration and as such it is a course most students should find quite enjoyable. “One of my goals is to work with students to develop their
skills in listening to music, so to give them a more enjoyable experience.” Viswanathan felt that the course in its make up was fit for any student keen on learning and it almost seemed as though the course was studying daily modes of expression and nothing out of the unknown. I also found out a great deal about the interest sparked in class and Viswanathan spoke of specific occasions when the class regularly rises to debate, “Certainly there are some areas that
trigger debate; sexuality and representations of the same, for instance. Students seem to also like talking about the way in which Bollywood music disperses into non-Bollywood forms of music. Of course, the lecture about rip-offs and sendoffs’ is sure to generate some debate as well.”
Once again, though I did speak to Viswanathan I was keen to learn more about the course and I caught up with Priya Pratap, a second year Sociology student at York University. Priya took the course as a first year elective and stood firmly by her choice. “I too was surprised that this was a course. But given that York University is such a diverse institution it no longer surprises me.” Priya explained that she simply took the course to get a musical perspective on a culture she was familiar with but strongly supported the idea that the course should be a stepping stone for further developments. “The course taught me a lot about the way Bollywood has evolved and how western culture has influenced Bollywood. The course is perfect for minds keen to see culture evolve – there are no requirements for this course, so it is open to everyone. I recommend everyone to take this course.”
Priya also took up on my offer to adjudicate the course in terms of its evaluation, standing safe stating, “The course was very exciting and there is a high demand for it. There is quite some reading to do and other assignments. You have to work hard, but overall the scoring is fair.”
Hence, though this course may not match up with many of your preferred majors, I suggest that you consider such courses (or this course if you are coming to York University) since it supports the idea of a pure and thorough education. Perhaps some day, a degree program devoted to Bollywood may evolve, or so Vishwanathan dreams, “Not sure if Canada is ready for that yet. But, it might open doors to more courses that are related. Music has always offered a very diverse range of courses and has always been extremely eclectic. I think it’ll just take some time and a whole bunch of planning, but I’m optimistic that we will see other courses (perhaps a grad level course on Bollywood music) in the future.
