Masala film

Masala films of Indian cinema are those that blend multiple genres into one work. Masala films emerged in the 1970s and are still being created as of the 2020s.[1] Typically these films freely blend action, comedy, romance, and drama, or melodrama. They also tend to be musicals, often including songs filmed in picturesque locations.[2][3]

The genre is named after the masala, a mixture of spices in Indian cuisine.[4] According to The Hindu, masala is the most popular genre of Indian cinema.[3] Masala films have origins in the 1970s and are common in every major film industry in India.[5] Production of these films is still active in the mid-2020s.[6][7]

  1. ^ Nair, Sreehari. "Are masala movies dead?". Rediff. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  2. ^ Tejaswini Gantiv (2004). Bollywood: a guidebook to popular Hindi cinema. Psychology Press. p. 139. ISBN 978-0-415-28854-5. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
  3. ^ a b Sebastian, Pradeep (16 August 2002). "Masala vs. genre". The Hindu. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  4. ^ Nelmes, Jill. An introduction to film studies. p. 367.
  5. ^ "Interesting Facts About Bollywood from the age of Classic Cinema". audition post. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  6. ^ "The era of masala films has ended: Boman Irani". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  7. ^ Sterling, Bruce. "Hrithik Roshan says the masala film is over". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 14 November 2021.