The author Salman Rushdie, originally from India, is perhaps most famous for his Satanic Verses (1989) and for the following fatwa against him in 1989; the book was seen as blasphemic by muslim leaders in Iran. Rushdie now lives in Britain, and so far he has not been injured (but some of his publishers and translators have!). He might serve as an example of how difficult it is to deal with religious and cultural differences, and of course the freedom of speech.
I have found an interview with Rushdie where he talks about this. Not everyone supports his ideas, though – I also found an essay dealing with some of the critique against Rushdie. Perhaps you will find some books by him at your nearest library?
There are of course lots of authors from India and other Asian countries now living in Britain or the US (see for example Monica Ali, born in Bangladesh, known for the novel Brick Lane).
I have tried to find some short stories from India, and so far I have found a collection of tales for children. Tell me what you think of them! Do you think they can be enjoyed by older children and grown-ups, too?
Also, check out this blog about mythology from India. It seems to be closely linked to religion (mainly Hinduism).
I have never actually seen an entire Bollywood movie, but I have watched scenes and sections a few times, and enough to get an idea of what it might be. Bollywood is the (western?) name of the film industry centred in Bombay (or Mumbai, if you like), hence the name. But it must not merely be seen as a copy of Hollywood – it has disctinct features and a life of its own.
I have collected a few sites about Bollywood in general, for instance bollywood.com and bollywoodworld.com, the last one with a subpage about the special features of a typical Bollywood movie that I quite like. You should also check out the more flashy blog that shows (among other things) pictures of movie stars – see bollywood-stars.net.
The only book from India that I have read, is called The God of Small Things. It is quite beautiful, and I love the language in it, full of descriptions. If you are curious about Indian literature, this site seems to provide some useful information.
The Oscar winning film Slumdog Millionnaire, also set in India, is based on a novel called Q and A. Here is a link to the web page of the author, Vikas Swarup.
I have tried to find useful web pages about the history of the English language in India (which is, of course, related to the history of the British Empire and its “crown”). I have also found information about the situation today – who speaks English, why is it so popular, what are the benefits and what are the drawbacks, plus a description from a more analyical, descriptive perspective. The first one is simply called Language in India, and I recommend looking at the introdution there.
Another one is called English in India, and this page is quite easy to understand. I also like this page from usingenglish.com called “English as a National Foreign Language”- it is informational, and it even has some multiple choice questions about the topic for you.
If you are looking for a more practical approach, check out this article from Washington Post, “In India, Dreams unfold in English”. It tells the story of a business man from India who attends a language course in order to meet new aquirements and opportunities in commerce. The article is, however, a year old, but I should think that this does not matter too much.
To see a map of the largest languages in India, with Hindu being the most common language (and not English!), click here.
I have always had an idea that Indian English is hard to understand, and something far away from the British stiffness that I have tried to aquire. Listening to different dialect samples, though, has given me another idea. Yes, there are some examples of the noodle-English that we hear in commercials and films, but also quite “neutral” or even British-like accents. You may listen to some examples if you click here.
