(CNN) -- "Slumdog Millionaire" took home eight Oscars on Sunday night, a surprising achievement for a film once thought to be straight-to-DVD fodder.



"Slumdog Millionaire" with Dev Patel and Freida Pinto has a "rags-to-riches" storyline with wide appeal.



The colorful story, which mixes the gritty life of Mumbai's poor with the shiny aspirations of the new India, features no stars recognizable to Western audiences, but it may have made one of its native country.



So, is it time for Bollywood -- as India's huge Mumbai-based film industry is called -- to come to America?



"International cinema comes in cycles in the United States," said Frank Lovece, a film critic with Film Journal International. "Now, it's Bollywood's time."



But "Slumdog" is a far cry from the lavish movie musicals made by Bollywood, which releases nearly 1,000 films annually. And it's not authentically Indian -- it was directed by Briton Danny Boyle, and the leading actor, Dev Patel, was born and raised in England.  Watch the "Slumdog" principals talk about their victories »



However, the film is a celebration of India -- from the slums to the Taj Mahal. It pays homage to Bollywood by incorporating many of the industry's norms -- vibrant colors, fast-paced editing, a fairy-tale love story and a feel-good musical dance ending.



" 'Slumdog' is the reason why people go to the movies. It's the whole package," said Gene Newman, editorial director at Premiere.com. "It's an incredible story ... and it makes you feel good."  Memorable moments from the Oscars »



Priya Joshi, associate professor of English at Temple University and author of the forthcoming book, "Crime and Punishment: Nationalism and Public Fantasy in Bollywood Cinema," said the film's "rags-to-riches" storyline has a lot to do with its wide mainstream appeal.



"Hindi film and Bollywood, in particular, is a profoundly political cinema about the crisis of the day," she said. "Today, the typical American feels like the poor in the world. ... This sense of vulnerability is what the film is able to capture."  Watch the "Slumdog" stars talk about bonds between the cultures »



Hollywood often has used international styles and filmmakers to its advantage. In its early days, the U.S. film capital embraced European directors such as Fritz Lang and Jean Renoir. The 1960s saw the influence of French New Wave cinema. Japanese films inspired "The Magnificent Seven" and "Star Wars"; Hong Kong works inspired Hollywood blockbusters such as "The Departed" and "The Matrix."



"Slumdog" isn't even the first film centering on India to attract Hollywood's attention.



"Indian cinema has been around in the United States since Satyajit Ray in the early 1940s," Lovece said. Ray, who won the Academy Award for lifetime achievement in 1992, made films in Bengali, a language spoken in eastern India. Despite that fact, his movies, notably "The Apu Trilogy," have had universal appeal.



Since Ray, many Indian actors have emerged on the Hollywood scene. Aishwarya Rai, one of Bollywood's leading ladies, starred in 2004's "Bride and Prejudice" and appeared, more recently, in "The Pink Panther 2."



"India's movie stars are essentially the country's ambassadors," said Gitesh Pandya, box-office analyst and founder of BoxOfficeGuru.com. "A lot of people going to see ["Pink Panther 2"] are learning about Bollywood through [Aishwarya Rai]."



From Ray to Rai, Indian influence in American cinema is vast. Many Hollywood films also have been influenced by Bollywood. Baz Luhrman's 2001 musical "Moulin Rouge," a tragic romance told with song and dance, borrows heavily from Bollywood.



"These big, epic numbers are very reminiscent of Bollywood," Newman said, also referring to "Chicago," "Mama Mia!" and "
What will have a hard time crossing over to America? What has Hollywood used to its advantage? what has hollywood used What movie is not authentically Bollywood or Indian? What has Hollywood often used to its advantage?
Bollywood international styles and filmmakers international styles and filmmakers to its advantage. "Slumdog Millionaire" international styles and filmmakers
question: What will have a hard time crossing over to America?, answer: Bollywood | question: What has Hollywood used to its advantage?, answer: international styles and filmmakers | question: what has hollywood used, answer: international styles and filmmakers to its advantage. | question: What movie is not authentically Bollywood or Indian?, answer: "Slumdog Millionaire" | question: What has Hollywood often used to its advantage?, answer: international styles and filmmakers