"Over the years, Bollywood has copied, twisted and even 'stolen' ideas from other countries and cultures. Indian musicians and directors are entering and exploring the world of Western entertainment.
Yet, this has diminished neither the growing global popularity of Indian entertainment nor its unique flavour. Hopefully, the resurgent India of the future will be like Bollywood," writes Sanjeev Sanyal in 'The Indian Renaissance: India's Rise after a Thousand Years of Decline', by Penguin India.
He questions: "So what will India's 'soft power' of the future look like? One example is already visible - Bollywood. India's film industry is already the world's largest in terms of the number of films produced and second largest after Hollywood in terms of its global reach.
"Indian films and music have long been popular from Morocco to Indonesia. Expatriate Indians have spread them wherever they have settled - the UK, Singapore, Dubai and the US. Despite political differences and government bans, Indian films are watched in every town and village in Pakistan.
One of the first things that Afghans did after NATO forces drove out the Taliban was to bring out their hidden collections of Hindu music." According to the writer, India was at the height of its power a thousand years ago, influencing the world with its ideas and trade. Now, ten centuries later, India's recent economic performance is once again attracting world attention as the country re-awakens not just as an economy but as a civilisation.
