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<div type="image" title="The RBI has cracked the regulatory whip on NBFCs and banks, who&amp;#39;ve been pushing microfinance and unsecured loans aggressively to grow their loan books." agency="ANI" msid="114778648" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The RBI has cracked the regulatory whip on NBFCs and banks, who&amp;#39;ve been pushing microfinance and unsecured loans aggressively to grow their loan books.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Imagine this. You have a younger sibling you’re mighty envious of. And why not? Unlike you, they seem to enjoy all the freedom and money in the world. They party like there’s no tomorrow, and here you are, stuck in a boring, ultra-disciplined but responsible routine that feels completely devoid of any independence, and mostly, funds. But of late, things are changing. This sibling is in massive trouble and just cannot escape the parent’s wrath anymore. Long story short, the party is over, and it is time to go back home. The rising defaults on this sibling’s part have now begun pulling the entire house down, thereby attracting the regulator’s ire. <h2>The Wild West of <keyword id="113684" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="microfinance" source="Orion">microfinance</keyword> and unsecured loans</h2>It's hard to ignore the issues with microfinance and unsecured loans in India. Many saw them as a small gamble and ignored the rising defaults much like the younger siblings’ tantrums, and now they find themselves in hot waters. The skyrocketing instances of non-payments aren't a micro-issue anymore and are threatening the stability of the entire banking system. In the quarter ended September 30, 2024, 5 of India’s 8 largest private sector <keyword id="19934118" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="banks" source="keywords">banks</keyword> reported a steep rise in their bad loan book, mostly thanks to microfinance loans. Some banks, in a bid to strengthen their fortress against these <keyword id="142154" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="bad-loans" source="Orion">bad loans</keyword>, have significantly upped their provisions. For instance, IndusInd Bank set aside Rs 525 crore during July and September 2024 to battle the menace of defaults on microfinance loans, which make up about 9% of its total loan book. See, banks rely heavily on their interest income, which they earn from advancing loans. Any loan where the borrower has not paid interest to the bank or defaulted for 90 days or more becomes bad, i.e. an NPA, or non-performing asset for the bank. And who likes things going bad? Simply put, there has been a steep rise in three areas, much to the dislike of banks and MFIs (micro-finance institutions). But hey, it's mostly their doing! <ol><li>GNPA ratio (gross net performing assets): The quantum of non-performing assets a bank has in proportion to its total assets.</li><li>Provision: The amount banks set aside to take care of such NPAs.</li><li>Slippage ratio: The rate at which good girls go bad, or the speed at which good loans turn into NPAs</li></ol>But how are these plaguing the Indian banking sector? And what does the road ahead look like? We decode it for you. <h2> Microfinance: A not-so-micro-menace</h2>Microfinance loans were initially brought forth for low-income households and individuals i.e. for those who might not generally have access to traditional ways of credit, like bank loans and more. They don’t require collateral or an asset to be pledged in lieu of the loan, making it a tad bit easier for borrowers. As of June 2024, the amount of outstanding loans in the microfinance industry stood at a staggering Rs 4,20,256 crore. Of this, NBFC-MFIs accounted for 40% and banks made for 33% of these. In 2022, RBI, in a bid to inspire some competition in this space, did something radical-they did away with the ceiling on how much interest MFIs could charge their customers. Previously, MFIs could add up to 12% to their cost of acquiring funds to determine the final interest rate chargeable to the consumer. So, assuming that Bank A incurs a 5% cost to acquire funds for further loaning, A could charge up to 17% interest from the end consumer. So, interest rates were in the hands of MFIs, and boy, did they have a gala time with it. Instead of spurring some healthy competition, as RBI expected, MFIs and banks went rogue and all guns blazing, competing for the title of “Who will charge the highest interest?” Recently, RBI banned 4 microfinance institutions (MFIs), namely Asirvad Micro Finance Limited, Arohan Financial Services Limited, DMI Finance Private Limited, and <keyword id="20117932" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="navi-finserv" source="keywords">Navi Finserv</keyword> from disbursing loans effective October 21, 2024. Why? Because they were charging 14% extra interest over their original cost of funds. To maintain their loan books (and pockets), banks and NBFCs resorted to shady practices like netting off loans, which RBI has now advised MFIs against. Here, lenders allow borrowers to settle a previous outstanding loan by issuing them a new loan! As crazy as it sounds, it helped banks to report less of their total assets as NPAs, since the new credit would cover pending instalments of the borrower’s previous loan. Then there was the issue of borrowers overleveraging, i.e. taking multiple loans using different IDs from various lenders and then failing to honour any of them. The consequence? Banks and NBFCs end up with massive NPAs. Data from credit bureaus suggests that over the last quarter, there was a 17.2% rise in the number of borrowers who had 5 or more active loans at the same time. <h2>Growth &gt; Caution</h2>It's an age-old tale unfolding yet again in India’s banking sector- Icarus flew too close to the sun and eventually, fell to its death. Between April and June 2024, NBFCs microfinance portfolio jumped by 2.7%. If you see this in terms of loan sources, microfinance loans issued by banks grew by 11.2% in Q1FY25. But the same portfolio in NBFCs swelled by almost double-23.9%. While most of these loans had an average ticket size between Rs 30,000-50,000, there was a sharp spike in the number of loans that had a ticket size of Rs 80,000 or more. Data suggests that as of March 2024, more than 12% of all microfinance borrowers had over 4 or more active loans. In dating parlance, this is a classic case of borrowers going polyamorous, minus the honesty and transparency. Not the best of situations, you'd agree! <h2>Will banks and NBFCs stand up to this stress?</h2>If their results for Q2FY25 are to be believed, NBFCs are not handling the pressure all that well. Or even slightly well. Only a few banks like Bank of Baroda (BoB), ICICI, and Indian Bank were up for the battle, even witnessing a decline in their loan delinquencies. Some others, like IndusInd Bank, saw their stock dip by a massive 16.2% over the last 5 days. Its slippages in the previous quarter burgeoned from Rs 15.3 billion in Q1FY25 to Rs 17.9 billion in Q2. As a result, the bank pushed a staggeringly high amount of money to create an NPA cushion for itself. While its management has highlighted its preference for secured lending, that was hardly reflected in its actions during the quarter, where growth in unsecured personal loans remained exceptionally high at over 7% on a QoQ basis. Turns out, only 44% of customers in IndusInd Banks’ microfinance loan portfolio were exclusive to it. The rest 47% were, you guessed it right-polyamorous! 27% had borrowed from another lender as well, apart from IndusInd Bank, while 20% were those who had outstanding loans with two other lenders, apart from IndusInd Bank. IndusInd Bank’s credit card segment did not miss the NPA bus and accounted for 7-8% of its GNPAs. Canara Bank’s total slippages during the previous quarter jumped to Rs 11.1 billion, up by 24.7% QoQ, and making up for 3.6% of its total loans. As for Bandhan Bank, its gross NPA for Q2FY25 inched up on a QoQ basis, up from 4.23% in Q1, to 4.68% in the second quarter. IDFC Bank’s heavy provisioning for its NPAs marred its profits significantly, causing its PAT (profit after tax) to dip by 73% on a YoY basis. Data from ICRA Analytics suggest that the AUM (asset under management) growth in microfinance loans and unsecured (personal and business) loans by the NBFCs will moderate to 10-12% and 19-21%, respectively, in FY2025 compared to 30% and 38%, in FY2024. Says A M Karthik, Senior Vice President &amp; Co-Group Head, Financial Sector Ratings, ICRA, “As bank funds constitute a larger share in the overall funding of NBFCs, a slower credit flow from banks to the NBFCs will compress their AUM growth. The NBFCs in unsecured and digital lending businesses shall face a higher squeeze in funding compared to others, and the unsecured lending space will continue to be a source of stress in the near term.” There has been uninhibited growth in <keyword id="6051027" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Unsecured-loan" source="Orion">unsecured loan</keyword>s, apart from just the microfinance segment. For instance, Axis Bank’s gross slippages jumped by Rs 4,443 crore, largely thanks to its unsecured business. The same is the case with Yes Bank, which saw 35–40% of its retail slippages emerging from the unsecured loan portfolio. <keyword id="6376194" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kotak-mahindra" source="Orion">Kotak Mahindra</keyword> Bank was also quick to follow Yes Bank’s suit, with around 35%-40% of its slippages coming from credit cards. <h2>How is the road ahead?</h2>While RBI has just cracked its whip and served a warning at the moment, experts at Morgan Stanley believe that more changes (read regulatory lashes) are underway. Moreover, with both festive and wedding seasons underway in our country, unsecured lending might pick up momentum, much to the disdain of the calibrated approach banks have been taking towards it so far. But if the situation doesn't improve, RBI will not waste any time in becoming the typical tyrannical <keyword id="19897820" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bollywood" source="keywords">Bollywood</keyword> headmaster who runs his dominion with an iron fist. However, that's a story for another day. Do you have a topic in mind you'd want a simpler explanation for, or insights or personal experience to share on personal finance and more? Contact us at businessinsider@timesinternet.in.

Simply Put: Is the lending party over? The dangerous tango of Indian banks with microfinance and unsecured loans

<ul class="summary-list"><li>"O Saki Saki," a song from a Bollywood movie, has become a viral TikTok dance trend. </li><li>But South Asian creators have criticized the altered dance, saying it sexualizes their culture. </li></ul>In recent months, TikTokers have been taking part in one of the latest dance trends on the app — a Bollywood routine from a scene in "Batla House," a 2019 film produced by Indian record label T-Series. The song, called "O Saki Saki," is beloved by many within the South Asian community, who have been <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@nandanibatta/video/6716415439406206210?is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1">posting</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@itsnoriana/video/6842611376507079938?is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1">TikToks</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@call_me_mk_/video/6759525039810301185?is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1">of</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@mr.sanket23/video/6718336105831238913?is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1">themselves</a> dancing to the routine ever since the film's release. But now, the dance has gained popularity among another group of creators, who are primarily white, and who have altered a key move from the routine in the videos. Where "Batla House" actor Nora Fatehi drops to the ground to perform a dramatic series of hip thrusts during the film, TikTokers have switched the move out for a body roll — a dance move characterized by a slow fluid movement of the hips upwards and then downwards. This trendified version of the routine is commonly used alongside <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7054717094633491205">sped-up version of the song</a>, an audio clip that has featured in 126,000 videosBut it has also sparked backlash from South Asian creators, who told Insider they think the videos are wrongfully sexualizing the routine and that this reflects a broader history of western societies fetishizing and appropriating South Asian culture. <h2>Many South Asian TikTokers are speaking out against white creators getting the dance wrong</h2><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@naomi.nambo">Naomi Namboodiripad</a> is an Indian dance creator with 323,000 TikTok followers who specializes in Indian classical dance forms. Namboodiripad told Insider that the original dance wasn't intended to be sexualized, but rather "energetic," so when a non-South Asian person performs the body-roll version, she thinks it's like they're "fetishizing Bollywood and South Asians in general.""There was no acknowledgment of where it came from, they just took it and sexualized it," she said. In response to the trend, Namboodiripad, along with several other South Asian creators, made dance videos to demonstrate how to do the dance correctly, along with captions saying things like, "<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@aishuadd/video/7151039267102346538?is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1">That 'body roll' I keep seeing yt ppl do is NOT the original dance</a>," and, "<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@spongegod2/video/7152410684746173697?is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1&amp;q=saki%20saki%20body%20roll&amp;t=1666094051406">Don't tell us how to dance our dance</a>."<h2>South Asian creators told Insider they think their culture should not have to be sexualized in order to be celebrated</h2>Debotri Dhar, a lecturer in South Asian Studies at the University of Michigan who specializes in Women and Gender Studies, told Insider that the "sexualizing" of the "O Saki Saki" dance is a clear instance of South Asian cultures being "exoticized and orientalized," explaining this refers to <a href="https://monoskop.org/images/4/4e/Said_Edward_Orientalism_1979.pdf">a history of</a> western societies "disproportionately highlighting those aspects of another culture that seem mysterious and intriguing, and playing down any similarities in cultural practices."Dhar told Insider this is a continuation of a "longer history of sexualization" passed down from the colonial era, which she said created "generalizations about the savages and sages of other cultures, sexualizing the bodies of Black and Brown women in the colonies because they did not dress and eat, live, and love per the norms of Victorian morality." <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@sully_iqbal">Sully Iqbal</a> is a 25-year-old TikTok creator based in London, of half-Pakistani and half-Indian heritage. He made a<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@sully_iqbal/video/7153649418305146118?is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1&amp;q=saki%20saki%20sully%20iqbal&amp;t=1666178289751"> video</a> saying he thinks backlash to the trend from South Asian people is a "good step forward" for the community as it shows that individuals are using social media to push back against stereotypical portrayals of their culture. "I feel like people are finally coming to the opinion that this kind of representation isn't true representation. That an orientalized representation isn't really what we want. We want good representation, which showcases all the other great things about South Asia and the region as a whole," he said, adding, "We want to get to show that we are beautiful, but it does not need to be in a way that's hyper-sexualized." Namboodiripad told Insider she also feels that western society disproportionately picks up on elements of South Asian culture that they can exoticize, such as the "sparkly dresses" seen in Bollywood films, but said she wishes that people showed appreciation for different and more diverse aspects of the culture. On TikTok, she has previously stated that as a performer of Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical style that originated in Tamil Nadu, South India, she often receives<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@naomi.nambo/video/7151891464891649326?is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1"> judgmental comments</a> about why she dances in bare feet, and she told Insider that many people think of such elements of South Asian culture as "primitive." However, she said she wishes that people broadened their awareness and appreciation of South Asian culture, instead of showing interest in only certain, sexualized representations of it. "I just really wish that South Asian culture was more respected," said Namboodiripad, "and that more people were advocating for a culture where we can be humanized and seen as individuals, who are just one small part of a bigger culture." <h2>The dismissal of the criticism on TikTok is troubling to South Asian creators</h2>Several South Asian creators who called out the modified dance were met with <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@brownie.vibez/video/7152311741760802050?is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1&amp;q=saki%20saki%20graceful&amp;t=1666093757282">criticism</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@malxaika/video/7152214239002840326?is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1&amp;q=saki%20saki%20white&amp;t=1666094009584">and</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@__hxrini/video/7152987722032893227?is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1">negative</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@aishuadd/video/7154432095664737579?is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1&amp;q=saki%20saki%20aggressive&amp;t=1666093668117">comments</a>, mainly from people who said they preferred the routine with the body roll and that the original dance felt too <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@aishuadd/video/7151039267102346538?is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1">"aggressive."</a> Namboodiripad said it was "infuriating" to see South Asian people being criticized for doing the dance the correct way. "The idea of having someone else say, 'Hey, you're doing it wrong,' even though they don't even know what's happening, it makes you feel inferior."She also said that negative comments about the original dance were a reflection of the way Indian culture is often rejected and looked down upon as a lingering effect of colonialism. "Historically, 'aggressive' has been used to describe cultures that are not white, so people describing the dance in this way feels really harmful when you consider that India was colonized and its people were made to feel lesser than white Europeans," she said. <a href="https://www.insider.com/henna-freckles-tiktok-trend-cultural-appropriation-2022-4#:~:text=%22Henna%20freckles%22%20is%20a%20popular,profit%20from%20South%20Asian%20culture.">Insider previously reported that</a> Britain's colonization of India, before the country gained its independence in 1947 and established its constitution in 1950, created a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/indian-women-had-to-kill-themselves-and-other-bitter-stories-of-british-colonialism-revealed-in-a-podcast/articleshow/74169159.cms">notion that white people were intellectually and culturally superior to people of color,</a> and that this notion still persists against minority cultures today.Namboodiripad told Insider that the way many non-South Asian creators who performed the dance incorrectly <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7054717094633491205">still appear as the top videos under the "O Saki Saki" TikTok audio</a>, having received more views and likes than South Asian dancers who did the routine the correct way, demonstrates how false notions of white superiority have entered the social media space."Why are we not being respected for what we do? Why does it have to be a white creator that has to take our culture in order for it to be uplifted?" she said. <a href="https://www.insider.com/culture">For more stories like this, check out coverage from Insider's Digital Culture team here.</a>

A trendified version of a Bollywood dance routine is going massively viral on TikTok. But South Asian creators say it shows a lack of respect for their culture.

In an industry dominated by men, there are a few women who have been calling the shots on their own terms. From being the first in their league to taking on jobs that were earlier considered a man’s forte, these <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> divas have been there and done that. On this Women’s Day, let’s salute these women who have made Bollywood what it is today. 
 
1. <keyword id="121452" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Devika-Rani">Devika Rani</keyword> She’s known as the <keyword id="27438" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="First-lady">first lady</keyword> of Indian cinema. The biggest star of the 40s, Devika Rani was the first recipient of the coveted <keyword id="53601" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dada-Saheb-Phalke">Dada Saheb Phalke</keyword> Award. She was also an apprentice to Elizabeth Arden and a student of London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Devika Rani thrilled Bollywood with the first on-screen kiss and played a key role in making an important talent discovery – the <keyword id="293435" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="legendary-actor">legendary actor</keyword> <keyword id="1687" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Dilip-Kumar">Dilip Kumar</keyword>. 
 
2. Fatma Begum Way before the Zoyas, Farahs and Deepas of Bollywood, one woman debuted as a director and she was none other than Fatma Begum. As the <keyword id="195897" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="first-lady-director">first lady director</keyword> of Bollywood, Fatma directed Veer Abhimanyu in 1922. 
 
3. Nadia 
In an era when her contemporaries were busy posing pretty, Nadia was riding horses and kicking baddies. Also known as Fearless Nadia, she was India’s first stunt woman who performed all her stunts herself – even if they meant running atop trains, jumping off horse carts and battling villains. 
 
4. Bhanu Athaiya 
She is India’s most celebrated costume designer and the first Indian to win an Academy Award for Best Costume Design in 1982 for the film, <keyword id="6356181" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Gandhi">Gandhi</keyword>. Bhanu has worked in more than 100 movies and received many coveted awards in a career spanning 50 years. 
 
5. <keyword id="27717" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Madhubala">Madhubala</keyword> 
One of the most talented actresses of Bollywood, Madhubala is considered the epitome of beauty. She was featured in the American magazine <keyword id="669411" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Theatre-Arts">Theatre Arts</keyword> in 1952, which called her “The Biggest Star in the World and she’s not in Beverly Hills.” 
 
6. Tun Tun 
Those were the days when women were expected to play pretty heroines. But she dared to break the stereotype and emerged as Bollywood’s first woman comedian. Her real name was Uma Devi but and Dilip Kumar rechristened her as Tun Tun. 
 
7. <keyword id="14505" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Zeenat-Aman">Zeenat Aman</keyword> 
She gave an image makeover to Bollywood, oozing oomph and sexiness as never before. Can you forger her Qurbaani act? 
 
8. <keyword id="6486523" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Smita-Patil">Smita Patil</keyword> 
While her contemporaries were topping the charts in the commercial movie space, Smita challenged the norms and carved a niche of her own in art house cinema, and won accolades for her power-packed performances. 
 
9. <keyword id="182" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Rekha">Rekha</keyword> 
Whenever one mentions the timeless beauties of Bollywood, Rekha would be topping the list for sure. A powerhouse of talent and an epitome of beauty, she is a phenomenon quite unmatched. 
 
10. <keyword id="31278" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Lata-Mangeshkar">Lata Mangeshkar</keyword> This Nightingale of India has around 25,000 songs in her name in a career spanning 70 years. Only the <keyword id="2104601" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="second-vocalist">second vocalist</keyword> to have been awarded the Bharat Ratna, Lata Mangeshkar has also made it to the Guinness Book of World Records for the maximum number of recordings in the world during 1974-1991. 
 
11. <keyword id="6366471" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Aishwarya-Rai">Aishwarya Rai</keyword> Bachchan 
Even after being in the industry for more than two decades, accolades haven’t stopped coming her way. A global icon representing Indian Cinema across the world, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is a living example of beauty with brains. 
 
12. <keyword id="2165" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Kareena-Kapoor">Kareena Kapoor</keyword> She’s got the looks and she’s got the talent – isn’t it a deadly combo? Kareena Kapoor is the <keyword id="2104599" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="first-Bollywood-actress">first Bollywood actress</keyword> to charge in crores – a rarity in an industry where either sex or <keyword id="6359862" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="SRK">SRK</keyword> sells! 
 
13. <keyword id="1655" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Priyanka-Chopra">Priyanka Chopra</keyword> From winning the Miss World beauty pageant to carving a niche in Bollywood, Priyanka Chopra is not stopping any time soon. A <keyword id="2104600" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="trained-western-classical-singer">trained western classical singer</keyword>, she is already creating waves in the global music industry and has two singles albums up her sleeve – In My City and Exotic. The multi-talented beauty is the first Indian actress to be signed by <keyword id="176676" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Creative-Artists-Agency">Creative Artists Agency</keyword> (CAA), whose client list includes names like <keyword id="11804" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="George-Clooney">George Clooney</keyword>, <keyword id="3557" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Brad-Pitt">Brad Pitt</keyword>, <keyword id="6399841" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Meryl-Streep">Meryl Streep</keyword>, <keyword id="53664" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="sandra-bullock">Sandra Bullock</keyword>, <keyword id="18020" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Julia-Roberts">Julia Roberts</keyword> and <keyword id="4793" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Will-Smith">Will Smith</keyword>. 
 
14. Deepika Padukone 
Giving four back-to-back mega hits in one year is no joke. But after a stint with a few wrong choices, Deepika Padukone has finally arrived in Bollywood. Not only did she bag most of the awards this year but also had the cash registers ringing for a long time! 
 
15. <keyword id="3844" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Vidya-Balan">Vidya Balan</keyword> 
When the ‘Khans’ were the flavour of the season, she emerged as the ‘shero’ in an industry ruled by men. Breaking the body stereotypes associated with Bollywood, Vidya has made big look beautiful. With a gamut of successful woman-oriented films in her kitty, Vidya is a true game-changer.

15 Women Who Redefined Bollywood

<ul class="summary-list"><li>We dissect the cinematic influences behind "<keyword id="25913" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="toxic">Toxic</keyword>," the 2003 <a href="https://www.insider.com/britney-spears-facts-2019-1#she-calls-reality-tv-the-worst-thing-shes-ever-done-in-her-career-12">Britney Spears</a> hit that remains both a critic and fan favorite over fifteen years after its release.</li><li>The high-pitched strings in "Toxic"'s famous hook are actually sampled from a '80s <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/category/bollywood">Bollywood</a> musical, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/5-bollywood-adaptations-of-shakespeares-novels/articleshow/44020029.cms">"Ek Duuje Ke Liye."</a></li><li>The chorus on "Toxic" draws musical inspiration from the first Bond film, specifically its iconic 007 <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/james-bond-theme-songs-ranked-2015-11">theme song</a> — which, it turns out, was born out of Indian music.</li><li>Insider spoke to classical Carnatic vocalist Manasi Prasad and classically-trained composer Adam Ragusea to find out why the sounds of Bollywood and James Bond have such an affinity for each other in "Toxic."</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. </a><a href="https://www.insider.com/?hprecirc-bullet"></a></li></ul><div type="Youtube" id="cj6CDicY3NM" title="How Bollywood Gave Britney Spears Her Greatest Hit" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/cj6CDicY3NM/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Following is a transcript of the video. - ♪ Baby, can't you see ♪ Meredith Geaghan-Breiner: Rewind to 2003. <keyword id="14710" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Britney-spears">Britney Spears</keyword> hasn't had a big hit in almost four years, and critics say her career is slumping. This all would change when she dropped her song "Toxic." ♪ It's dangerous ♪ ♪ I'm falling ♪ ["<keyword id="8274485" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tere-Mere-Beech">Tere Mere Beech</keyword> Mein"] Meredith Geaghan-Breiner: The real story behind "Toxic" begins in 1981 in India with a blockbuster Bollywood musical. Those high-pitched strings in the score? You've heard them before, at the opening of Toxic, then repeated throughout the song. It's this musical number, "Tere Mere Beech Mein," that's the source of "Toxic"'s unmistakable hook and riff and a lot of the song's intensity. Manasi Prasad: "Tere Mere Beech Mein," it's from a classic film called "Ek Duuje Ke Liye." Meredith Geaghan-Breiner: This is Manasi Prasad, a classical Carnatic vocalist with an encyclopedic knowledge of Indian music. Manasi Prasad: This song is actually based on an Indian classical rāga, or melody. It's ♪ La la la ♪ ♪ La la la la la la ♪ ♪ La la ♪ So you'll find a lot of other Indian songs which are in this rāga. It's used to convey feelings of very intense emotions. I think one of the reasons why, you know, Bollywood songs work so well is the range or the pitch of the songs tends to be really high, and it brings an intensity and a brightness. Meredith Geaghan-Breiner: Britney's team of songwriters, led by hit maker Cathy Dennis, took two tiny sections of the musical number and expertly merged those two sections together. ["Tere Mere Beech Mein"] ["Tere Mere Beech Mein"] ["Toxic"] Adam Ragusea: There's a string hook that's got the low, fast part, which is the ♪ Bum bum ba da da da dum ba da da dum ♪ and then there's a very high keening part that goes ♪ Da da ba ♪ Meredith Geaghan-Breiner: This is Adam Ragusea, a writer and YouTuber who's also a classically trained composer. That second part of the hook that Adam just sang? It starts on a superhigh F sharp, a note that lies far outside the song's key of C minor, making the whole thing sound disorienting. Adam Ragusea: That screaming F-sharp note makes the whole thing sound cinematic and scary in a fun way, like an action film. Meredith Geaghan-Breiner: There's definitely something that sounds dangerous in that string sample. This has a lot to do with the film it was lifted from, a tale of forbidden romance. Manasi Prasad: It was a story about these star-crossed lovers. They fell in love, and it was opposed by their families, so both of them ended up dying at the end of the movie. So it's kind of a really tragic, intense love story. Meredith Geaghan-Breiner: In the movie, love is danger, and that's reflected in the music, especially in the glissandos, these sliding figures in the strings, which are pretty much the signature of "Toxic"'s sampled hook. They sound slippery and precarious, which fits since Britney's singing about slipping under and falling. ♪ It's dangerous ♪ ♪ I'm falling ♪ Meredith Geaghan-Breiner: Somehow, these notes sound even more treacherous when the sample's played backwards halfway through the track. Beyond the screechy orchestral parts borrowed from Bollywood, the other big source of danger in "Toxic" comes from the buzzing, ominous-sounding guitar. ♪ I'm addicted to you ♪ ♪ Don't you know that you're toxic ♪ ♪ And I love what you do ♪ ♪ Don't you know that you're toxic ♪ Meredith Geaghan-Breiner: If that guitar bit sounds kind of old-school to you, that's because it's surf, a rock subgenre that was biggest in the late '50s and early '60s, when there was a boom of interest in West Coast wave culture. Clip: Surfing! [surf guitar] Meredith Geaghan-Breiner: Surf guitar is played in a way that conjures up the sounds and feel of surfing with a hard and fast picking style and loud, wet-sounding reverb. ♪ Never been ♪ Meredith Geaghan-Breiner: If surf's supposed to capture the carefree California ethos, you might be wondering why the guitar in "Toxic" has very much the opposite feel. That deep, low guitar tone sounds suspenseful in a way that matches the adrenaline rush of the Bollywood strings. That's probably because you identify that twangy guitar with something else entirely, one of the most recognizable movie themes in the world. ["James Bond Theme"] Meredith Geaghan-Breiner: The first-ever Bond film, "Dr. No," came out in 1962, right in surf rock's heyday. So it's not surprising that its title song, which would set the template for all later Bond themes, was fueled by surf. The 007 theme had an outsized influence on the music of all the Cold War spy films and TV series that followed it. ["Secret Agent Man"] ♪ There's a man who leads a life of danger ♪ Meredith Geaghan-Breiner: By now, the tone of guitar that you hear in "Toxic" has big spy connotations, and the song's Bond-inspired music video seems to be a nod to this connection. OK, so we've got the aggressive twang of the surf guitar evoking the reckless daring of a special agent and frantically sliding Bollywood strings capturing the rush of a risky love affair. How is it that these two disparate sounds from opposite sides of the globe seem to have such an affinity for each other? Turns out, they share some of the same musical DNA. Monty Norman, the film composer who penned the 007 theme, lifted its melody from a previous piece he'd written for a play adaptation of "A House for Mr. Biswas," VS Naipaul's novel about Indian immigrants. Basically, the sound that has come to define spy music was in fact born of Indian music. Adam Ragusea: And so, when we hear those two aesthetics put together in "Toxic," it feels really natural to us. Meredith Geaghan-Breiner: "Toxic" distills some of the most thrilling sounds of global cinema into a three-minute pop masterpiece. What other club banger combines Bond and Bollywood so perfectly and remains a DJ staple 15 years on? That is why "Toxic" is not only the greatest triumph of Britney's career, but one of the most impressive pop hits of our time. ♪ With the taste of your lips ♪ ♪ I'm on a ride ♪ ♪ You're toxic ♪ ♪ I'm slipping under ♪ ♪ With the taste of a poison paradise ♪ ♪ I'm addicted to you ♪ ♪ Don't you know that you're toxic ♪

How Bollywood gave Britney Spears her greatest hit

<ul><li><keyword id="86147" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Levis">Levi's</keyword> has launched its latest ad, ‘When You Take A Step, We All Move’, featuring <keyword id="598" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Deepika-Padukone">Deepika Padukone</keyword>.</li><li>We noticed the same song had been used in another popular, very recent campaign by <keyword id="6391475" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="coca-cola">Coca-Cola</keyword>, featuring <keyword id="6357861" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="ranbir-kapoor">Ranbir Kapoor</keyword>.</li></ul>Last week, Levi’s announced Deepika Padukone as its global brand ambassador. With the announcement, the brand also launched a campaign called, ‘When You Take A Step, We All Move’, featuring the actor. The ad, released a little ahead of International Women’s Day which falls on March 8, is all about celebrating the spirit of women and their collective journey of inspiring and championing each other through authentic self-expression, whichever mode of expression it might be. <div type="Youtube" id="zg9IIbwsreM" title="Levi's® We All Move" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zg9IIbwsreM/mqdefault.jpg"></div> The ad is stylish and cinematically pleasing. And it has Padukone moving like a breeze. But what also caught our attention was the choice of the background music. The ad uses the super popular retro classic ‘Koi Yahan Aha Nache Nache’ from Disco Dancer and we couldn’t stop tapping our feet. But it also reminded us of another very recent ad that had used the exact same song for its background. The ad was Coca-Cola’s ‘Turn up you day the Coca-Cola way’ that featured actor Ranbir Kapoor and was launched in December last year. <div type="Youtube" id="9kthKpRjfpE" title="Turn Up Your Day The Coca-Cola Way" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9kthKpRjfpE/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Retro, and especially <keyword id="12820" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bappi-Lahiri">Bappi Lahiri</keyword>’s foot-tapping songs from the 80’s are still as enjoyable as they must have been back then and the repeated use of songs from that era proves that brands also can’t get enough of 80’s Bollywood music. The use of Bollywood music is not new in the ad world. However, we don’t remember another example of ads launching just a few months apart using the exact same song. Coca-Cola, in its earlier campaign featuring Ranbir Kapoor had used another famous 80’s song too. ‘Intehan Ho Gayi’, from the movie Sharaabi is again a massively popular song from the 80’s that many of us can’t get out of our heads even today. <div type="Youtube" id="8mKFF5K4aUI" title="Turn up your day with Coca-Cola" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8mKFF5K4aUI/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Bollywood songs have an instant pull for people in India. Haven’t we all felt nostalgic every time a song from our childhood is played somewhere? Music has the power of transporting you to a different world. Time and again, we have seen quite a few brands use retro Bollywood numbers in the films, considering a popular Bollywood song would mean an easy recall for brands. So if retro 80’s music is making a comeback in ads, we are not complaining. Bring on the music!

When Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor grooved to the same 80’s catchy Bollywood song for their latest ads for Levi's and Coca-Cola

<ul><li>Three major films – <keyword id="198679" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Haider">Haider</keyword>, Fanaa and Mission Kashmir – offer a more nuanced look at the most militarised zone in the world than Indian history books. </li><li>the New Delhi board-designed syllabus of the Indian Council of School Examinations did not mention the special status of the state of <a href="https://www.scmp.com/topics/kashmir" class="link-text">Jammu and Kashmir</a>, the only Muslim-majority state in <a href="https://www.scmp.com/topics/india" class="link-text">India</a></li></ul> In school, the New Delhi board-designed syllabus of the Indian Council of School Examinations did not mention the special status of the state of <a href="https://www.scmp.com/topics/kashmir" class="link-text">Jammu and Kashmir</a>, the only Muslim-majority state in <a href="https://www.scmp.com/topics/india" class="link-text">India</a>.There are separate Indian state boards as well. I studied under a central board. We did not learn about the circumstances under which the state joined the Indian Union, nor that Kashmir is the most militarised zone in the world in terms of the number of armed forces personnel per square km of territory. Through my school years in the 1990s, there were news stories from the state about blasts and killings and terrorists, seemingly always about violence. Did they delve into the background of the anger? I don’t know because I did not go beyond the headlines. There was a sameness and one-sidedness to them – invariably images of fire and guns and empty streets – that never invoked interest. When the television news business arrived in a big way in India, this impression was amplified – Hollywood action movie-style visuals of gunfire and explosions and people running for cover, or reporters reporting amid the silence of empty streets patrolled by army men with enormous guns strapped to their bodies. Bombast with no context. This is unsurprising, because journalists’ access to the Valley is mediated through the army, making them structurally dependent on the armed forces and predisposing them to be favourable to their perspective. When <a href="https://www.scmp.com/topics/narendra-modi" class="link-text">Narendra Modi</a> ran for prime minister in 2014, his Bharatiya Janata Party’s manifesto promised that <keyword id="405091" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Article-370">Article 370</keyword>, which spelt out the special conditions under which the province joined the Indian Union at the time of Independence, would be removed. For a populace that was, like me, mostly unaware of its content, it was easy to latch on to simplified nuggets such as the fact that Kashmir does not allow land to be sold to Indians from other states. It sounds like a concession made to a Muslim-majority state but this land restriction exists in several states in India, and is important to prevent heedless development in ecologically sensitive areas. Strange as it may sound, it is the <a href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2184614/triumph-modi-propaganda-bollywood" class="link-text">Hindi film industry</a> that has taught me the little I understand about the anger in Kashmir, about the “special” powers of the armed forces stationed there and the “special” consequences they inflicted. Three Bollywood films in particular have left an impact – Haider (2014), Fanaa(2006) and Mission Kashmir (2000). There have been several indie films, extremely well-regarded, but I choose to focus on the big-budget, big star projects of the film industry because these arguably had the widest release and reach. Haider is a reworking of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, set in the “rotten state” of Kashmir in place of Denmark. The setting is much more central to the drama here than it is in Hamlet where the rottenness of Denmark was expressed only in the suspicious death of the king. Here, politics is central to Haider’s father’s disappearance from Kashmir. We never know for certain if he is alive or dead, and this, as we see in the film, is the situation that many Kashmiri families find themselves in. <h3 style="margin-bottom: 1.42857rem; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 300; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.71429rem; line-height: 2.35714rem; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; display: inherit;"> </h3>The evocative term half-widow has arisen from this waiting without end – this is the status of Haider’s mother and many other wives who don’t know what has become of their husbands. In the uncertainty about his father (and the many fathers and brothers and sons who have been taken into custody by the forces in Kashmir and never returned), Haider (and Kashmir) is going mad. Gravediggers sing songs, they are so inured to death. Citizens hesitate to enter their own homes without a pat-down security check, they are so conditioned to being checked. Mothers beg that their sons are sent away from them because they are so afraid of losing them to the insurgency or to the limitless powers of the Indian army. Most of all, the film articulates the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) that the Indian government has imposed on the Valley, how terrifying it is when men with guns have boundless power and no one to question them. Rapes and disappearances ensue, and there is no need to answer what happened because Afspa gives you “special powers”. “Do we exist or do we not”, the film asks in a haunting choral crescendo reminding us of that original line in Hamlet, “to be or not to be”. In Fanaa (2006), a blind Kashmiri woman and a terrorist fall in love with each other during India’s Independence Day celebrations in Delhi. He is there to carry out a blast and she to dance at the national celebration: classical opposites, the nationalist and the revolutionary. After the blast, the terrorist disappears because he comes to the realisation that he would put the woman in danger because of his work. The nationalist’s blindness means she cannot locate him. Years later, fate returns him to her doorstep in Kashmir and the two reconcile briefly before she hands him over to the Indian national forces. Fanaa is nowhere near as compelling or thought-provoking as Haider, it is simply a star-crossed romance set in Kashmir. But it ends on a pointedly ambiguous note. When the couple’s son asks the mother why his father was a terrorist, she replies that he did what he thought was right. The film clearly argues that the terrorist is misguided by malevolent forces yet it refrains from making a moral call on the terrorist’s actions. Mission Kashmir (2000) is about a powerful policeman whose son dies when militants forbid doctors from treating the child. In an episode of poetic justice, the policeman kills a boy’s family in an encounter and adopts the traumatised boy. This encounter is likely carried out with the vast powers granted to Indian forces under the Afspa, certainly no questions are asked of the policeman after the encounter. But the man himself is hollowed by remorse, especially at the sight of the boy who lived. He becomes a terrorist, determined to avenge his family’s gruesome end. That classic divide is set up again, terrorist against dutiful nationalist in a land where loyalties are sharply divided. Eventually, the terrorist comes around to the Indian nation’s view, that Islamist groups are provoking young men like him to divide India. Like Haider, Mission Kashmir questions the actions of Indian forces in Kashmir, though the conclusions the two films come to are different. The policeman’s remorse suggests that the Indian state has a lot to think about and apologise for, that the unchecked power that it has granted its forces leads to <a href="https://www.scmp.com/thisweekinasia/topics/human-rights" class="link-text">human rights</a> violation that feeds the insurgency in the Valley. Haider on the other indicts the Indian state for unleashing this unapologetic, shameless military strength on the Valley. Incidentally, Mission Kashmir is made by a director who is from Kashmir himself. Haider, similarly, is written by Basharat Peer who is also a Kashmiri and has written a highly-acclaimed book on Kashmir called Curfewed Night. Both films are informed by a lived perspective of Kashmir. On August 8, 2019, when Prime Minister Modi addressed Indian citizens on Kashmir, he mentioned the prospects for films. “I urge the Hindi, Telugu and Tamil film industry to come to J&amp;K for shooting their projects,” said Modi. The Hindi film industry has long indicated that Kashmir has a special place by marketing movies filmed in the Valley, naming films using Kashmir in the title and using iconography identified as Kashmiri like the houseboat and the chinar leaf. No other Indian state has been marked as “special” like this by the Hindi film industry. There are films named after big cities like Kolkata and Mumbai and Delhi, but nothing after an entire cultural identity. Until Mission Kashmir, however, these films only did lip service to Kashmir, promoting a tourist’s view of the state, a natural “paradise” where hero and heroine fell in love. These films were not rooted in Kashmir, disengaged from its problems. Mission Kashmirnaturally is a product of its times, born out of a decade-plus of the insurgency that flared in the Valley in the late 1980s. Thereafter, as the unrest never subsided, there have been several films which offer an insider’s view of Kashmir. <h3 style="margin-bottom: 1.42857rem; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 300; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.71429rem; line-height: 2.35714rem; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; display: inherit;"><a href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3022046/indias-kashmir-move-attempt-shift-its-muslim-demographic" class="link-text">India’s Kashmir move: an attempt to shift its Muslim demographic? </a></h3>I’ll end with one of the opening sequences of Haider, where his (Hamlet’s) mother, a schoolteacher, is teaching the children of her class the meaning of home. “It is brothers and sisters and fathers and mothers. It is unselfish acts and kindly sharing and showing your loved ones you are always caring.” It is an obvious metaphor for the Indian nation and its fraught relationship with Kashmir, the parents and the estranged child. The filial bond is often invoked for India and <a href="https://www.scmp.com/topics/pakistan" class="link-text">Pakistan</a>– brothers separated in a bloodied moment.But there is also another metaphor here: the Indian state teaching us the history of our “home”, and our duties as citizens and how we should live like brothers and sisters at home, “unselfish acts and kindly sharing”. It brings me back to where I started, what we are taught about our home and what we are not. Every nation controls its citizenry through education and so does India. We never learned the conditions in which Kashmir joined the Indian Union, and the circumstances we created to keep it at any cost. Perhaps it is not so strange then that I learned what little I did about Kashmir from our biggest film industry. For all its commercial inclinations, its lessons feel less biased than that of the Indian state’s.

Bollywood teaches more about Kashmir than India’s schools

Any movie can be fun when you are watching it with your friends. But if you have no big plans for this <keyword id="6736220" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Friendship-Day">Friendship Day</keyword> or you are sitting miles away from your buddies, we have a plan for you. How about a movie marathon – some Bollywood flicks to be precise – that shout friendship like no other? Here is a list of five great movies that will take you back to your very own Jai-Veeru moments and bring a smile on your face. Watch them and enjoy. 
 
1. <keyword id="6407374" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sholay">Sholay</keyword> 
Talk about friendship and the first Bollywood movie that comes to your mind is the cult classic, Sholay, directed by Ramesh Sippy. One of the reasons why Sholay is still a treat to watch is the joyful camaraderie between <keyword id="16007" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Jai">Jai</keyword> and <keyword id="127989" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Veeru">Veeru</keyword> – it’s the flavour of all seasons and one of the main themes of the movie. Played by superstars Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra, the friendship between the two became synonymous with all that is selfless, eternal and full of fun and frolic. The partners in crime perfectly complement each other and remain inseparable till death takes tears them apart and leaves us teary-eyed. 
 
2. <keyword id="6609528" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dil-Chahta-Hai">Dil Chahta Hai</keyword> 
Aakash (Aamir Khan), Sameer (Saif Ali Khan) and Siddharth (Akshaye Khanna) are childhood friends who are out to enjoy their lives. But a lot of unforeseen emotional turmoil changes them forever and give a deeper meaning to their friendship. Directed by Farhan Akhtar, this is a coming-of-age story of three friends whose witty conversation and deep bonding made Dil Chahta Hai one of the best friendship films ever made in Bollywood. 
 
3. Kuch Kuch Hota Hai 
One of the most popular romantic flicks of Bollywood and Karan Johar’s directorial debut, this one focuses on friendship and its many hues, culminating in love. Rahul and Anjali (Shah Rukh and Kajol) are the best of buddies. They argue, they fight but at the end of the day, they are the best friends who eventually become life partners, proving that they complete each other. Love is friendship – that is what the film has endorsed and the lead duo’s on-screen chemistry has brought that phrase to life. 
 
4. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara 
With ‘seize the day’ as its theme, this film tells the story of three friends who try and overcome their fears in the course of a road trip that is enriching for them and entertaining for the viewers. Director Zoya Akhtar has been applauded for bringing out the ‘bromance’ stupendously on screen. The trio, played by Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar and Abhay Deol, walked away with the laurels for making the audience remember their old friends and the carefree days they spent together. A must-watch film on this Friendship Day. 
 
5. Cocktail 
A good friend and his friendship have the power to transform you. That’s what happened in this Homi Adajania movie as the ‘party girl’ Veronica (Deepika Padukone) undergoes a sea change after meeting the meek and docile Meera (Diana Penty). While Veronica gave shelter to homeless Meera, the latter filled her life with love that was missing from her life. A nice chick flick for the day as you sing Chadi mujhe yaari teri aise... jaise daaru desi! 
Image: Thinkstock

5 Bollywood Movies To Watch This Friendship Day

It won’t be an exaggeration if we say celluloid has the power to manoeuvre emotions. There are movies that make you laugh while others leave you sad and despondent. Then there are movies that simply urge you to pack your bag and hit the road, on a <keyword id="6374782" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="journey">journey</keyword> to explore exotic locales. Such films are eye-openers and mind-openers where the journey and the road are no less important than the characters. In fact, they define the story. So let us take a close look at some of the most popular ‘road movies’ of <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> and find out what they offer. 
 
1. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (ZNMD) You must have been overcome by a strong urge to go on a road trip after watching this big daddy of Bollywood’s travel movies. Shot in some of the most picturesque locations of <keyword id="6363645" type="COUNTRY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Spain">Spain</keyword>, it is the story of three <keyword id="343" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="40" keywordseo="Friends">friends</keyword> and their coming of age during a life-changing adventurous road trip. But the beauty of the film lies at the core although the scenic background wows all. 
 
2. Anjaana Anjaani Yet another flick that thrives on travel. The protagonists, played by <keyword id="1655" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Priyanka-Chopra">Priyanka Chopra</keyword> and <keyword id="6357861" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="ranbir-kapoor">Ranbir Kapoor</keyword>, have decided to end their lives on the last day of the year but want to try out everything they have ever dreamt of before the D-Day. And that leads to a unique journey across New York, Las Vegas, <keyword id="12161" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="San-Francisco">San Francisco</keyword>, Malaysia and <keyword id="3739" type="COUNTRY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Thailand">Thailand</keyword>. The movie brings forth some really thrilling moments that a travel freak will absolutely love. 
 
3. Chalo Dilli 
What happens when opposite personalities are forced to turn travel partners? Well, you have a spicy expedition on the cards and some rare insight into human relationships and psychology. While the hero is a happy go lucky desi man from Chandni Chowk, the heroine is an elite corporate chic who constantly talks nothing Guccis and Pradas. It is intriguing to watch how the two experience an image overhaul and change in perspective during an eventful journey from Jaipur to Delhi. 
 
4. Jab We Met You can’t call this a classic travel movie but travelling is a major catalyst here that pushes the story further. Geet (<keyword id="2165" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Kareena-Kapoor">Kareena Kapoor</keyword>) and Aditya (<keyword id="6355887" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Shahid-Kapoor">Shahid Kapoor</keyword>) bump into each other on a train and the ensuing journey changes their lives forever. From mysterious Ratlam to colourful Kota and lively Bhatinda to snow-clad <keyword id="6357787" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Shimla">Shimla</keyword>, the breathtaking locations help weave a magic tale of love and friendship. 
 
5. Road, Movie Directed by Dev Benegal, this one introduces you to a different Rajasthan – rustic yet captivating, rural yet enigmatic. Vishnu (<keyword id="34091" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Abhay-Deol">Abhay Deol</keyword>) is on a journey across the scenic state to deliver his father’s antique, colourful truck to a local museum. Packed with <keyword id="678332" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Subtle">subtle</keyword> humour, crisp dialogues and a fascinating backdrop, it is a treat for anyone who loves to travel but prefers to get off the beaten path. 
 
6. <keyword id="281457" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Honeymoon-Travels-Pvt">Honeymoon Travels Pvt</keyword>. Ltd. Directed by <keyword id="125922" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Reema-Kagti">Reema Kagti</keyword>, the movie is about six honeymooning couples and packs a punch as each displays his/her unique individuality. This eventful journey of love transforms the equations and redefines relationships between the couples. 
 
7. Mr. and Mrs. Iyer History can speak volumes about love stories born out of travelling together. This bus journey is one such outing that has brought two strangers together forever. A reluctant Brahmin mother, (Konkona Sen) and a Muslim <keyword id="7237" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="wildlife-photographer">wildlife photographer</keyword> (<keyword id="3194" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Rahul-Bose">Rahul Bose</keyword>) find emotional refuge in each other, when she saves his life from Hindu extremists aboard the bus by introducing him as Mr. Iyer, her husband. Next comes a trip where they find a way into each other’s hearts. 
 
8. Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge Even this isn’t a travel film <keyword id="822035" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="per-se">per se</keyword>, but you just can’t ignore the fact that the train travel, bus rides and car cruises are an integral part of the plot. Raj and Simran (Shah Rukh and <keyword id="6354713" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="kajol">Kajol</keyword>) meet for the first time on a train and their love story begins as they travel across scenic Switzerland. 
 
9. <keyword id="6356654" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Bombay">Bombay</keyword> to Goa When listing road movies of Bollywood, you just can’t miss this one starring a lanky <keyword id="6357912" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="amitabh-bachchan">Amitabh Bachchan</keyword> and the beautiful <keyword id="156944" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Aruna-Irani">Aruna Irani</keyword>. It is one hell of a movie complete with twists and turns, comedy, drama and an ensemble characters playing the passengers. Everyone who boards this bus from Bombay to Goa makes it a memorable journey for the audience.

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