Popular Hindi Cinema: Narrative Structures and Points of Continuity with the Tradition

In the course of its long history, Indian cinema, and in particular popular Hindi cinema, has seen an extraordinary evolution while retaining, from the thematic and structural point of view, certain specific characteristics and thereby successfully resisting the cultural imperialism of Hollywood. Continuity with the Indian cultural tradition can be seen in manifold aspects, and it is in fact by analysing these connections that we can highlight and interpret the main characteristics of this singular cinematic world. Popular Hindi cinema is often accused of offering a patchy sort of narration with total lack of realism, repetitive plots and critical fire is, above all, levelled at the typical song and dance sequences constantly cropping up and interrupting the narrative flow. These are, however, fundamental characteristics peculiar to popular Hindi cinema, and should be analysed in the light of that tradition. From its very beginnings, Indian cinema has drawn inspiration from the styles, aesthetics and semiotics of a great variety of cultural forms that have followed one upon another in India over the centuries, forming a vast cultural heritage. In this respect, it also proves interesting to look back to the roots of the Indian cultural tradition, beyond the stage of mediation and transposition in written form, seeking out the elements of continuity between the narrative structures of popular Hindi cinema and those typical of oral narration.