A Century of Bollywood
This year, Bollywood celebrates 100 years of cinema!
Being somewhat of an ardent Hindi film critic, I've seen my fair share of Bollywood films. I've seen the black & whites (Dosti), modernist (Ra. One), and even the silents (Raja Harishchandra). No doubt that there's variety within the Bollywood industry, but if there was one thing they all had in common, it'd have to be their "dreamy ensemble." Everything from their costumes, background & landscapes, and let's not forget the ride they take us on when actors & actresses burst out in dance and revelry!
Indian cinema turned 100 on April 21, 2012. India is the largest producer of films in the world with over 1,000 films made every year in several languages. So what is Indian cinema? Bollywood films are largely made up of Hindi-speaking films, which are often dubbed in other languages (e.g. Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Bengali, Gujurati, to name a few). However, South India has their own industry, where films are made in their local dialects and also dubbed in English and other Indian languages for distribution (e.g. Bombay by Mani Ratnam). Sometimes, South Indian films are remade into Hindi-speaking/Bollywood films, with well-known Bollywood actors/actresses, to garner more popularity for the movie itself
For some of us who are familiar with Bollywood, we are still unaware of just how diverse Indian cinema really is. The annual National Awards (IIFA), in fact, makes it amply clear how little we know of Indian cinema beyond Bollywood and some regional language films. Not many of us were even aware that a language called Byari existed! Yet, the best feature film award for 2011 was given to Byari (along with the Marathi film Deool), a film based on the dialect spoken by the people in it.
As we celebrate this century of film-making, we should note that it's a moment of great national pride and glory for India. Unlike other western film industries, the Indian film industries have not been too heavily influenced by the Hollywood film industry (with the exception of a few, aka the Dhoom series), and continue to retain its local flavor, essence, emotions and dialect. Indian films have also gotten their share of globetrotting and screenings at prestigious world film festivals (Sholay, Devdas, My Name is Khan, etc). Indeed, some Indian filmmakers still hope for Uncle Oscar's mini replica to adorn their trophy collection, but the endorsement isn't all that important anymore. India has its own distinct multi-lingual, multi-hued crop of films some of their romantic, some made for action/thrillers, some made for aesthetic pleasure, but all of them made for entertainment...
Let's take a look at some feature films over the years..
Raja Harischandra, 1913. The first full length (silent) feature film produced and direct by Dadasaheb Phalke. Since it wasn't considered appropriate for women to work in a film at the time, the female characters in this Marathi movie were played by male actors.
Devdas, 1928. This was the first film adaptation of the Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay novella, Devdas. Directed by Naresh Mitra, it was well scripted and had a distinct touch of Bengali sensibilities.
Mother India, 1957. Directed by Mehboob Khan, this was the first Indian movie to be nominated for the Oscars (in the Foreign Language Category). It was actually a joint Indo-Russian venture, and understandably makes a compelling case for socialism. It depicts, in a dramatic way, the bane of the Indian farmer: DEBT. Another enduring theme of the movie is the Woman power.
Mughal-e-Azam, 1960. Direct by K. Asif, this was truly a film of epic proportions. It took almost nine years to complete. The lavishness of the film is huge and is matched only the scope of its narration. It was a top grosser for 15 years, till it was displaced by Sholay. Incidentally, this was the first movie in the world to be colorized from an original black and white version.
Pakeezah, 1971. Dircted by Kamla Amrohi, this is one of the most enduring tales of romance in Indian Cinema. This magnum opus by Amrohi took 14 years to complete. It is on the best films list based on the themes of Kothas, Tawaifs and Mujras. Unfortunately, the lead actress, Meena Kumari, became very sick during production and barely managed to complete the film before her death.
Bobby, 1973. Bobby introduced a new genre to Bollywood: the teenage romance. Directed by Raj Kapoor, this bold theme of teenage love, rebellion and elopement was repeated in a number of films the release of this movie. Kapoor is said to have been inspired by the Archie comics during the making of this film.
Sholay, 1975. Direct by Ramesh Sippy, this was the second movie which cast Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra together. The film boasts of heavy fire-power influenced by American Westerns and is loosely based on the theme of the Seven Samurai (by Akiro Kurosawa).
Kabhie Kabhie, 1976. You cannot describe Bollywood without mentioning the master of the love triangles, director Yash Chopra. This film is probably one of the best love triangles ever to be directed Yashji. This film is an interesting tale spanning over two generations, and a must see!
Umrao Jaan, 1981. Set in the backdrop of the First War for Indian independence in 1857, this film tells a tale of a noted courtesan, Umrao Jaan Ada. Directed by Muzaffar Ali, it is one of best films made on the subject of courtesans, and has one of the best & most tasteful mujra performances by Rehka.
Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, 1988. Directed by Mansoor Khan, this film has been credited as turning the tide in Bollywood for romance movies as it was released among a string of flops. It is also a quintessential Bollywood masala film as it loosely depicts the saga of the Romeo & Juliet romance genre.
Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaygene, 1995. This film set a record of its own for being the longest running film in theatres. Directed by Aditya Chopra, it was in cinemas for 700 weeks! The film boasts of probably the most loved jodi, Shahrukh Khan and Kajol. For the first time ever, the film told the tale of the Indian diaspora meshed within an out and out love story. The film is one of the biggest grossers of Bollywood to date.
Dil Se, 1998. Directed by Mani Ratnam, the film dwells on terrorism in India. The film is said to be loosely based on a journey through the 7 shades of love that are defined in ancient Arabic literature: attraction, infatuation, love, reverence, worship, obsession, and death. The entire feel of the film is poetic, as well as its soundtrack, which was a huge success penned by A.R. Rahman
Lagaan, 2001. Directed Ashutosh Gowarikar, the film is set in the heady days of the British Raj. The film combines the two potent opiums of the Indian masses: cricket and kitsch patriotism. It also featured the all time favorite theme of the underdog, David pitted against the Goliaths of the world. It was nominated for the Oscars in the Foreign film category.
Some Sources:
http://www.bollywoodbaraat.com/node/124
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