The latest craze to hit our shores is not from the Western world but from an Asian nation much nearer, India. The Bollywood craze seems to have hit our people irrespective of race, religion, status, sex or age. Perhaps in that sense we can welcome it as a unifying factor but there is nothing else in this mindless Bollywood culture to recommend its encroachment here.

From once a week on each television station, (they were called Hindi movies then) Bollywood movies and news now appear on all the stations everyday either as movies, song and dance sequences or as magazine programmes. They are sold as video and cassette tapes not only in Indian shops but everywhere. Local dailies of all languages carry reviews of Hindi movies and songs as well as gossip about the actors and actresses. Almost all movie theatres now show Hindi movies.

Young people, especially teenage girls, whether Malay, Chinese or Indian, rave about Shahrukh Khan or Salman Khan or the latest hot star, Hirithik Roshan. They watch these actors and actresses prance around on the screen with their hearts in their mouths. These celluloid people play a large part in their conversations.

The question is, do we need this influx of a culture that is neither Asian nor Western with its negative messages and values and without much creative or artistic talent either. They are churned out in a standard format, differing only the degree of violence and vulgarity (dance sequences with its hip-jerking, crotch-grabbing moves are embarrassing when you are watching with your parents).

Scantily dressed

Unlike the Hindi movies of old, when stories were very clear about what is right and what is wrong, when the characters of heroes and heroines were defined very clearly - they did not drink, they did not womanise, they did not steal, or do anything that was considered immoral - and when right always won over might, values in these new Hindi movies are not so clearly spelled out.

The hero is usually a hunk of a man strutting about in his designer clothes, even if he is playing the role of a poor student or unemployed young man. He is rarely soft spoken, he is usually surrounded by a group of equally loud friends. The villain is only slightly louder and nastier, so much so the only difference between hero and villain is that the crook is usually a better performer as he cannot rely on his looks to get him through the movie.

As for the heroine, she is not your average Indian woman. She is this gorgeous European looking female with perfect features and a lip-licking figure, that can set any man's blood racing, especially when she appears in the many song and dance dream sequences, dressed as scantily as the censors will allow.

Increasingly she keeps appearing in the latest haute couture designer clothes and pancake make-up, never mind that she is supposed to be a poor village girl or a woman from the city's slums. She only appears in any Indian costume when she is being molested by the villain and as that happens often, every man on the screen will be lusting after her and can you blame them? Most of all she is never required to posses any acting talents.

Friends of gays

As for the violence, it beats any Western or Chinese movie for its level of sadism and cruelty. The villains are usually the best actors in most Hindi movies, their expressions when they are carrying out the atrocities looks so convincing, it is scary. One wonders if the actor is actually enjoying it, releasing some deeply hidden sadistic streak in this indirect way.

However, the worst aspect in these box-office hit movies is the total lack of imagination, creativity or artistic beauty. Many of them are garish, loud and boring. If you've seen one, you've seen all, yet what is it that keeps the fans of these movies glued to the TV or screen. On the other hand if we can put up with feeding the sit-com Friends, with its blatant support of homosexuality, lesbianism and free sex, to our young people, then nothing can be worse.

So do we need this corrupted version of Indian culture here with its political overtones and soft porn scenes? Advertisers too must take some blame for sponsoring these movies over local TV channels. There are many beautiful, meaningful movies coming out of India (they are shown on British TV quite often), which can teach viewers to appreciate real art, and they are probably much cheaper too for TV stations to buy.

VILASNI NARAYANAN is a former editor of the Malaysian Medical Tribune , and currently editor of Masterpiece and Odyssey , two lifestyle magazines.