Nair's Techniques in film Monsoon Wedding

Nair's Techniques in film "Monsoon Wedding"

Mira Nair directed the 2000 film 'Monsoon Wedding' with the intention

of making it a Bollywood film on her own terms. Through watching the

film, it becomes evident that this was mixing traditional ideals of

Indian Bollywood together with the modern elements of the West, such

as those depicted in particular in Hollywood films, the Western

equivalent of the Bollywood film industry although on not so large a

scale. Nair spent the latter part of her further education in the

United States of America, attending Harvard University, where her more

modern ethics, compared to the conventional Indian principles she was

brought up with, were developed and thus came to influence her works.

She achieves her aim through the use of cinematic techniques, one of

which is music, also effectively using diegetic and non - diegetic

sound; non - diegetic predominantly to symbolise the traditional

Bollywood theme and diegetic to symbolise the modern Hollywood theme.

The opening credits immediately indicate to those expecting a

Bollywood film, or a more orthodox Indian film, that this was

something completely different. The music used incorporates

traditional Indian instruments, such as tablas, Indian drums, but uses

them in a Western way; the underlying bass is a traditional Indian

beat but remixed on top are Western - influenced beats which increase

both the pace and tempo of the piece. The melody, complementing the

upbeat percussion, is also very cheerful; this contrasts greatly to a

large majority of Bollywood films, which tend to begin with very slow,

mournful tunes, tending not to include percussion at all...

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fragmented by the interruptions of song and dance, lending a sense of

unreality.

I believe Mira Nair successfully achieved her aim to make a Bollywood

film on her own terms. As a director, she effectively combined the

techniques of sound, editing, costume, colour and location to produce

a fairly unique Bollywood film. Her message of the continuing

modernisation of India, and her criticisms of both the societies she

illustrates in the film comes across clearly, as do the more

controversial points she brings up that Bollywood, as a film industry,

does not typically address. Its appeal and effectiveness can be

measured by the huge range of global audiences it has attracted, both

Western and Eastern, which indicates that she accomplished her goal of

making a realistic movie, breaking the traditional Bollywood mould.