Bollywood Star (ATOM Study Guide)

Welcome to the world of Bollywood! The colours, the romance, the massive ensemble dancing, the beautiful heroines, the slapstick comedy, the charismatic leading men ... Bollywood is a cinematic/showbiz experience unlike any other!

Bollywood Star follows the journey of a selection of Australian hopefuls as they audition for a part in a Bollywood film. Over four episodes, we will learn more and more about the motivation behind their dreams of Bollywood fame and their lives as Australians of Indian, Sri Lankan, Iranian and Anglo-Saxon heritage.

Renowned Indian producer and director Mahesh Bhatt is offering a coveted place to one Australian in his next movie, providing him or her with the chance to become the next Bollywood star. There is a gruelling audition process in Sydney, with hundreds coming to try their luck. After a series of elimination rounds, six finalists will be chosen and flown to Mumbai, where they will be trained by the best coaches Bollywood has to offer. They will also be given the cross-cultural experience of being immersed in everyday Indian life, to ensure they can connect with their potential audience. We will therefore be learning much about modern India and the industry that entertains her millions and inspires other nationalities to try their luck at stardom. Finally, we will be left with four candidates for the one role.

This is reality TV of a captivating kind, combining the colour and excitement of Bollywood and the dramatic contrasts of India, as well as an insight into Australia's own Indian community. This series will ask questions about goals and aspirations, about the sense of identity within a multicultural environment, about societies vastly different from our own, and in the end about how we confront success or failure.

Curriculum relevance

This text is a suitable learning vehicle for students from Years 9–11 in the following subject areas:

• Multicultural Education/Values Education
• Civics and Citizenship
• History
• Geography
• English/EAL
• Media Studies