Aspects of Production and Consumption in the Popular Hindi Film Song Industry

Abstract

With the introduction of sound film technology into India in 1931 and the subsequent growth and development of an Indian sound cinema, a kind of popular film music emerged that was distinct from any existing native light, popular music. Since the early 20th century the English Gramophone Company had recorded and disseminated on 78rpm gramophone disc a wide range of Indian musical genres that were popular in the sense of appealing and familiar to record-buying audiences in India, genres including thumrl, gazal, qawwJaT, bhajan, folk songs and stage music. But the new popular film songs differed from these in their integral connection with cinema and other mass media, their production for mass entertainment purposes, and their incorporation of Western and other non-Indian musical elements.