Exploring India’s Vibrant Media Culture
The sun rises over the Indian Ocean as the Indian Coast Guard guides the MV World Odyssey towards the port, while a Semester at Sea student takes a photo.
At around 6:00 a.m. on January 12, Semester at Sea students, faculty and staff gathered at the front of the ship to enjoy a beautiful, hazy sunrise as we made landfall at our first port of call, Mumbai, India. The energy that morning was ecstatic, and hardly anyone noticed how early it was. Some people played music, and everyone had their phones out to take photos and send messages to loved ones back home, since we had cell service. The sunrise, though clouded, was beautiful nevertheless, reflecting across the ocean and shining on Indian Coast Guard vessels.
I could hardly believe I was about to set foot in India. For years, India was nothing more than a faraway land that I’d read about in world history or seen snippets of on TV. Little did I know I would be stepping foot in the country one day.
For my first day in India, I would be spending the day with my international mass communications class and our professor for a field class, so we could get some hands-on learning in port. We had an exciting day planned: we would go to a presentation and tour at Bollywood Studios in Mumbai, enjoy a delicious lunch at a 5-star hotel, and then get a tour and Q&A session with the Times of India Kandivali Printing Press.
In groups, we were called to exit the ship and proceed to immigration. Since I had a field class, I left the ship with my class, but those who didn’t have a field class or field program that day were called by their sea groups and were left to travel independently in Mumbai or beyond. Personally, I was glad to have a field class on the first day, solely because I didn’t have to worry about planning or getting lost in Mumbai, especially considering I’d never traveled in such a foreign place without my parents with me. I was excited, of course, but also nervous. There are so many unknowns that come with traveling that I’ve never had to think about before.
As we left the ship, we were greeted by a heartwarming welcome party. Indian dancers performed for us, and we were given traditional Hindu “Bindi” marks on our foreheads. Then, after immigration we loaded up on a bus and drove to Bollywood.
Experiencing Bollywood
Bollywood dancers performing a number for my media class and other spectators at Bollywood Studios in Mumbai, India on January 12, 2023.
“When you start focusing on creativity, you will find success.”
On the way to Bollywood, our guide told us, “When you start focusing on creativity, you will find success,” regarding Bollywood cinema. This proved to be true in more ways than one, as Bollywood cinema proved to be colorful, artsy, and romantic. He said that Indians want cinema to transport them into different worlds and be an escape from reality. Hollywood franchises such the Marvel Cinematic Universe are popular in India because it follows this notion so well.
Unlike Hollywood, with extremely large sets and workspaces, Bollywood is tucked between the nooks and crannies of Mumbai. While we were there, we visited a museum showcasing all the famous Bollywood productions, actors, and costumes (some of us even got to try some on!).
Then, we went into a theatre, where we watched three Bollywood dance performances and three videos showing how Bollywood films are produced. We learned all about the history of Bollywood, special effects, and set designs. At the end, the Bollywood dancers taught us a few moves!
After that, we got to tour some of the famous Bollywood sets, including the jail, hospital, and so on. It was really cool because in the theatre, we watched some of the movie scenes that were filmed on the sets! We were meant to watch a live shoot as well, but due to insane Mumbai traffic we arrived late and missed it, but that’s okay. I still learned so much. After seeing the sets, we got to check out a recording studio, where all the actors re-perform their lines for movies. We even got the chance to sing and record some Mamma Mia in the process! All in all, it was a great learning experience, and I feel privileged to have been able to dive so deeply into Indian culture.
The Times of India Kandivali Printing Plant
After Bollywood and a delicious lunch, we made our way to our next and final destination, the Times of India Kandivali Printing Plant. Hidden away by greenery and large concrete walls, this plant (along with one sister plant) prints 8.8 million copies of the Times per day. They also have a variety of television channels, radio stations, and digital media.
The Q&A session with the leadership proved to be very insightful. I learned that in India, unlike the U.S., print media accounts for 90% of profits! TV news is break-even, and digital news actually results in a loss of profit. This is because The Times is incredibly innovative with its newspapers! They showed us how they produce newspapers that smell good, newspapers with glossy paper, extra-large newspapers, and even newspapers with seeds embedded inside as a a part of their sustainability initiative. It was so cool! The papers print local, national, and international news, depending on which part of Mumbai they’re tailoring to.
After the Q&A, we got to see a tour of the printing plant. We saw the very beginning of the process, with the blank pieces of paper, to the color coding and design, to the very end as they were packaged up for delivery. It was an entire factory for printing newspapers! It made me wonder if the U.S. printing plants looked anything like it, especially considering print isn’t quite as booming in the states. I got so many awesome photos and videos, but unfortunately, I cannot publish them online per the request of the Times.
After this long day, we hopped back onto the bus, waved goodbye to our wonderful guides and headed back to the ship for the night. Seeing journalism and the media system first-hand in India was an awesome learning experience that I won’t soon forget. The incredible thing about taking courses on Semester at Sea is that the learning and experience I’m gaining from these hands-on activities is teaching more than sitting in a classroom ever would. I love being a student of the world, and I can’t wait to learn more in the days to come.
