indian cinema - Why do Bollywood movies have song and dance sequences?

Unlike Hollywood movies, Bollywood movies are quite different, because they're usually mixed with masala i.e dance, song and love sequences. This is the case in most films which are released in various languages in India.

Can someone explain, Why do Bollywood movies have song and dance sequences?

Answer

There may be quite a few reasons for this

• There are not many bands that perform music on a large scale, at least not till recently


• Peer Pressure, everybody is doing it


• Pressure from Producers / Distributors


• If Songs become a huge hit and even if the movie is not that great it can still fetch the producers and distributors enough money (Eg The movie 3).


• The legacy left over from the 1950s, it just refuses to go away .