BOLLYWOOD HISTORY

BOLLYWOOD HISTORY

A still from India's first talkie film Alam Ara which released in 1931

Every decade of the 100 years of Hindi films had its unique highlights. A pictorial.

1900s

The first step

The first fully indigenous Indian feature film Raja Harishchandra made by Dadasaheb Phalke, released on May 3, 1913. The silent film had titles in Hindi and English and released at the Coronation Theatre in Bombay.

A still from the movie Raja Harishchandra

Phalke followed with other films like Mohini Bhasmasur (which also released in 1913) Satyavan Savitri (1914) and Lanka Dahan (1914). Interestingly, in 1912, N G Chitre and R G Torney had made the first silent film Pundalik. But as it was part produced by a British company, it is not considered the first in the history of Indian marquee.

1920s

Business as usual

In the 1920s, filmmaking became a regular industry. The first Indian love story Dhiren Ganguly's Bilat Ferat released in 1921. Kohinoor Studios of Bombay began the mythological path with Bhakt Vidur from the Mahabharat.

V Shantaram

The prominent filmmakers of this decade were V Shantaram, Ardershir Irani, Baburao Painter, Chandulal Shah and Suket Singh. Some of the films produced include Painter's Maya Bazaar (1923), Irani's Anarkali (1928) and Shantaram's Gopal Krishna. Fatima Begum who is considered as the first female filmmaker made Bulbul-e-Parastan in 1926. The first international co-production was with Italy for Nala Damayanti in 1921.

1930s

Let's talk The first talkie film Alam Ara released in 1931. It starred Prithviraj Kapoor, Master Vithal and Zubeida. The film was based on a play written by Joseph David and directed by Ardeshir Irani.

V Shantaram's 1936 film Amar Jytoi was the earliest film to tackle women's emancipation. The country's first dream girl Devika Rani began her career in the '30s. The other female leads were Durga Khote and Nadia. Homi Wadia and JBH Wadia were the pioneers of stunt movies with Hunterwali. Ashok Kumar, Prithviraj Kapoor, P C Barua and K L Saigal.

1940s

Going bold

Kismet, written and directed by Gyan Mukherjee, and produced by Bombay Talkies released in 1943. The film came with some bold themes for the first time in Indian cinema showing an anti-hero character and an unmarried girl getting pregnant.

Kismet

The movie also has the distinction of the first double-role (Ashok Kumar) played by any Indian actor. Interestingly, in 1947, the year of the country's independence over 100 Hindi films were released. Mehboob's Aurat (the original version of Mother India) was also released during this decade.

A still from the movie Kismet

1950s

Classic touch

Raj Kapoor's 1951 film Awaara is known for the chemistry between him and co-star Nargis. The film's dialogues, photography, songs and extraordinary dream sequence were its strength.

Awaara

It remains one of the most popular classics in Indian cinematic history of the '50s which was considered the golden age of Hindi filmdom with other classics like Mehboob Khan's Mother India and V Shantaram's Do Aankhen Barah Haath - both in 1957.

A still from the movie Mother India

1960s

Golden decade

The 1960s is considered the golden decade in the history of the Indian cinema.

Mughal-e-Azam

The film that highlighted this decade was Mughal-e-Azam which is considered the biggest Indian film ever made and took nearly a decade to make before its release in 1960. It also saw the rise of several stars like Dev Anand, Mala Sinha and Sharmila Tagore.

A still from the movie Mughal-e-Azam

1970s

The biggest of them all

Sholay was released on August 15 1975. Ramesh Sippy's film is considered the biggest Hindi films ever. It was the first Indian film to have a stereophonic soundtrack, and to be presented in the 70 mm widescreen format.

Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan

The 1970s also marked the popularity of Amitabh Bachchan as the angry young man of cinema racing ahead of the superstar of the times - Rajesh Khanna.

1980s

Simply Sri

It was the decade when Sridevi ruled. Her 1986 film Naagin and 1989 film Chaalbaaz propelled her to the top position.

Her penchant for giggles and her ability to look distinctly tearful as well were enough to bring the masses to the movie-halls. Along with Madhuri Dixit who shone in Tezaab (1988) and Ram Lakhan (1989), they were considered the two biggest stars of the time.

1990s

King Khan arrives

It was marked by the arrival of Shah Rukh Khan. King Khan reign through the 1990s went by and large unchallenged.

His 1995 film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge with Kajol is considered an all-time blockbuster and remains as the longest-running film in the history of Indian cinema.

Shah Rukh Khan in a still from the movie Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge

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2000s

Brush with the Oscars

With Aamir Khan's Lagaan making its way to the Oscars, the 2000s saw a growth in Bollywood's popularity in the world.

Lagaan

This led the nation's filmmaking to new heights in terms of quality, cinematography and innovative story lines as well as technical advances in areas such as special effects and animation.

2010s

It's magic

This decade, so far, belongs to Salman Khan. His 2010 film Dabangg raked in big money. It made the audience clap, whistle and dance in cinema halls to enjoy their outing. Sallu has followed it up with Ek Tha Tiger and Dabangg 2 last year. Clearly it will take a while for another star to reach his current top slot.

Even if you’ve never actually seen a film from India, the word Bollywood immediately conjures up images of sumptuous, brightly colored productions shot in exotic locales featuring beautiful stars partaking in impressively choreographed song and dance numbers. But what is the history of India’s national cinema, and how did it grow to become one of the country’s most powerful and financially lucrative industries, and the world leader in both the number of films produced each year as well as audience attendance?

Origins

The word Bollywood is (obviously) a play on Hollywood, with the B coming from Bombay (now known as Mumbai), the center of the film world. The word was coined in the 1970s by the writer of a magazine gossip column, though there is disagreement as to which journalist was the first to use it. However, Indian cinema dates all the way back to 1913 and the silent film Raja Harishchandra, the first-ever Indian feature film. Its producer, Dadasaheb Phalke, was Indian cinema’s first mogul, and he oversaw the production of twenty-three films between 1913-1918.

1920-1945

The early 1920s saw the rise of several new production companies, and most films made during this era were either mythological or historical in nature. Imports from Hollywood, primarily action films, were well received by Indian audiences, and producers quickly began following suit. However, filmed versions of episodes from classics such as The Ramayana and The Mahabharata still dominated throughout the decade.

1931 saw the release of Alam Ara, the first talkie, and the film that paved the way for the future of Indian cinema. The number of productions companies began to skyrocket, as did the number of films being produced each year—from 108 in 1927, to 328 in 1931. Color films soon began to appear, as did early efforts at animation. Giant movie palaces were built, and there was a noticeable shift in audience makeup, namely in a significant growth in working-class attendees, who in the silent era accounted for only a small percentage of tickets sold. The WWII years saw a decrease in the number of films produced as a result of limited imports of film stock and government restrictions on the maximum allowed running time. Still, audiences remained faithful, and each year saw an impressive rise in ticket sales.

Birth of the New Wave

It was around 1947 that the industry went through significant changes, and one could argue that it was during this time that the modern Indian film was born. The historical and mythological stories of the past were now being replaced by social-reformist films, which turned an often critical eye on such social practices as the dowry system, polygamy and prostitution. The 1950s saw filmmakers such as Bimal Roy and Satyajit Ray focusing on the lives of the lower classes, who until then were mostly ignored as subjects.

Inspired by social and political changes, as well as cinematic movements in both the US and Europe, the 1960s saw the birth of India’s own New Wave, founded by directors such as Ray, Mrinal Sen, and Ritwik Ghatak. Driven by a desire to offer a greater sense of realism and an understanding of the common man, the films during this era differed greatly from larger commercial productions, which were mostly escapist fare. It was the latter that would eventually become the template for the Masalafilm, a mash of genres including action, comedy, and melodrama punctuated by approximately six song and dance numbers, and the model still used for most contemporary Bollywood films.

The Masala Film – Bollywood As We Know It Today

Manmohan Desai, one of the more successful Bollywood directors of the 1970s who is considered by many to be the father of the Masala film, defended his approach thusly: “I want people to forget their misery. I want to take them into a dream world where there is no poverty, where there are no beggars, where fate is kind and god is busy looking after his flock.” The hodgepodge of action, romance, comedy and of course musical numbers is a model that still dominates the Bollywood industry, and though greater attention is now paid to plot, character development, and dramatic tension, it is, in most cases, sheer star power that accounts for a film’s success.

With the recent success of films like Slumdog Millionaire and the injection of foreign capital into theIndian film industry, Bollywood is perhaps entering a new chapter in its history, one in which the eyes of the world are now paying closer attention. But the question remains – will a Bollywood film ever find crossover success with mainstream American audiences?