There’s something about old Bollywood films and music that feels magical. Of course they’re aesthetically beautiful and cinematically ambitious, but they also mark a new era of globalization. They represent a period of time in which South Asian culture began to spread worldwide, and with it, increased economic prospects for families like my own. Today on #WorldBollywoodDay, we celebrate the beauty and wonder inspired by these incredible films, dance numbers, and music. But we also recognize and critique the issues inherent to the industry - ones of colorism, unreality, and the same type of escapism that parallels modern Hollywood cinema. To celebrate this day is to grapple with these conflicting realities, and think about the lasting impacts, both positive and negative, of this cultural movement. As we spent the last few years putting together our album, we drew obvious inspiration from Bollywood aesthetics, so much so that it’s in the album title. From the nostalgia of the 90’s dance numbers to the more psych leaning music from the 70’s, here is a playlist of the songs and videos that we drew on for inspiration in our songwriting. Bit.ly/YTGBollywood