Bollywood Stars, Families, and Styles

This unit examines Bollywood’s star system, familial dynasties, performer types, and the central role of music and dance in storytelling and marketability. Through case studies of landmark films and performers, students deepen analytical skills and gain practical experience with Bollywood dance and performance to prepare for production- and portfolio-focused work in the final unit.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze how star families, production houses, and celebrity lineages (e.g., Johar, Kapoor, Bhatt, Chopra) shape casting, genre expectations, and audience reception using at least three case studies from the unit
• Demonstrate proficiency in a selected Bollywood dance sequence that incorporates at least two stylistic elements (e.g., classical, folk, Sufi, boogie) and document its narrative or commercial function in a short written reflection
• Evaluate the impact of performer types and training (method actors, models-turned-actors, body-building stars, leading ladies) on character development and star persona by producing a comparative analysis of two actors covered in the unit
• Apply film analysis techniques to major Bollywood texts (e.g., Dil Chahta Hai, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Hum Aapke Hain Koun…, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Lagaan, Devdas) to assess themes, genre conventions, and global reception, culminating in a brief multimedia presentation