Pretty Woman Essay

The song “Pretty Woman” that features in Bollywood film Kal Ho Naa Ho (There may or may not be a tomorrow) 2003, is a fusion between Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman” written in 1964, and Bhangra, an Indian genre of music. Although the Orbison track is often quickly associated with the 1990 film also titled “Pretty Woman” starring Julia Roberts, it has many uses in other media. This rendition was directed by Shankar Ehsaan Khan, and was sung by Shankar Mahadevan and Ravi "Rags" Khote. This essay will analyse the song, taking into account both Indian and Western features. This song falls in a category known as filmi music, which has been popularised within the South Asian community, and due to migration to Western countries, there has been larger

Another concern raised from the video is the notion that bhangra has turned into a commodity, having moved far beyond its original location. However, it should not be dismissed that this could actually be a folk revival and cultivation of modern music, making it a hybrid. Bollywood has become transnational, and the film as a whole represents a level of globalization. The song “Pretty Woman” is a good example of Bollywood cinema that has not repelled influences of the West, not resented them, but embraced and included them. This is how bhangra appeals to a diverse audience, not confining it to one culture. It has been discussed how Indian and Western music and cultural features have come together in the making of “Pretty Woman”. It can be concluded that this piece allows many music features to coexist, resulting in what we would coin as a “fusion” piece, but it remains classed as Bollywood. “Pretty Woman” by Ravi and Shankar has contributed to the ever-changing movement of bhangra where foreign musical characteristics could become tradition over time. A further area to explore is whether particular features belong to once culture more than the