Male bonding has always been there in Bollywood movies but never the way it is now. Be it the story, the treatment or the final presentation, everything today is new and glossier than ever before.

Friends doing favours and even sacrificing their lives for each other was what male bonding was all about in films like "Sholay", "Dosti", "Yarana", "Dostana" and the Tamil "Anbesibam".

Fast forward to 2006-07 and it's a laugh riot all the way. "Munnabhai M.B.B.S.", "Lage Raho Munnabhai", "Dil Chahta Hai", "Garam Masala", "Hera Pheri" and "Phir Hera Pheri" --- they are a gang of boys having a blast.

Just about everything they do on screen evokes peels of laughter from the audience, often sending the producers laughing all the way to the bank.

Perhaps, the inspiration came from Hollywood where movies such as "Hot Bubblegum" and "American Pie" set a precedent. Director Inder Kumar has no qualms acknowledging the fact. "Bollywood has always followed Hollywood and we cannot rubbish this truth," he says.

"We had male bonding in films even in the past like "Sholay". But it was different from the new trend where a bunch of gag masters hang out together," he adds.

However, Indu Merani believes "such a trend can work only in comedy films". Of course, there have been instances where the film-maker has tried to sell nothing but lampoons in the name of comedy.

"And that formula doesn't work in the long run," says Indu, adding "male bonding can work only in a particular type of cinema". She admits she would hate watching such comic movies over and over again.

Producer-director Rakesh Roshan, who is awaiting the release of "Krazzy 4", looks at the issue from a completely different angle. He says: "The most important thing in a film is its content. If the content is good, it will do well. It has got nothing to do with male bonding." Recent films "Rang De Basanti" and "Iqbaal" are proof.

At the end of the day, the actors admit having fun together on the sets and the audience returns to the theatre for more of the gag masters. So, male bonding is here to stay. -Arindam and Jayant