Real Bollywood At the turn of this century, when the country was ready for major social and political reforms, a new entertainment form dawned in India-cinema. The first exposure to motion pictures which India received was in 1896 when the Lumiere Brothers' Chinematographe unveiled six soundless short films at Watson Hotel Esplanade Mansion, Bombay on 7 July. And the first detection of celluloid in camera by an Indian and consequent screening took place in 1899, when Harishchandra Bhatvadekar (Save Dada) shot two short films and exhibited them under Edison's projecting kinetoscope. Hiralal Sen and F.B. Thanawalla were two other Indian pioneers engaged in the production of short films in Calcutta and Bombay in 1900. Around 1902, Esoofally JF Madan and Abdullah started their career with Bioscope shows imported short films. In 1912, N.G. Chitre and R.G. Torney made a silent feature film Pundalik was released on 18 May, and it was half British in its make.
Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, more generally known as Dada Saheb Phalke was responsible for production of India's first fully indigenous silent feature film Raja Harishchandra which heralded the birth of the Indian film industry. The film had titles in Hindi and English and was released on 3 May 1913 at the Coronation Cinema, Bombay. In 1917, then Bengal birth of his first feature-Satyabadi Raja Harishchandra made by Madan's Elphinstone Bioscope Company. In Madras, was the first cinema in southern India Keechaka Vadham made by Nataraja Mudaliar in 1919.
After stepping into 1920, Indian cinema gradually assumed the form of a regular industry. The industry has also come in within the law. The new decade with the arrival of many new companies and film producers. Dhiren Ganguly (England Returned), Baburao Painter (Savkari Pash), Suchet Singh (Sakuntala), Chandulal Shah (Guna Sundari), Ardershir Israni, and V. Santharam was prominent film directors of the twenties.
The most remarkable thing about the birth of sound film in India is that it came with a bang and quickly displaced the silent movies. The first Indian talkie Alam Ara produced by the Imperial film company and directed by Ardershir Irani was released on March 14, 1931 at the Majestic Cinema in Bombay; The talkie had brought revolutionary changes in the entire set up by industry. The year 1931 marked the beginning of the talking ear in Bengal and South India. The first talkie films in Bengali (jumai Shasthi), Telugu (Bhakta Prahlad) and Tamil (Kalidass) was released in the same year.
Thirties is recognized as the decade of social protests in the history of Indian Cinema. Three big banners-Prabhat, Bombay Talkies and New Theater gave the lead to make serious, but thorough sand entertaining films for all classes of the general public. A number of films making a strong plea against social injustice were also made during this period, and V. Santharam 's Duniya Na Mane, Aadmi and Padosi, Franz Osten's Achut Kanya, DAML & Fatehlal's Sant Thukaram, Mehboob's Watan, Ek hi Raasta and Aurat. For the first time Ardeshir Irani attempted a color photo in 1937 with Kisan Kanya.
The decade also witnessed the release of the first talkie films in Marathi (Ayodhiyecha Raja 1932), Gujarathi (Narasinh Mehta-32), Kannada (Dhurvkumar-34), Oriya (Sita Bibaha-34), Assamese (Joymati-35 ), Punjabi (Sheila-35) and Malayalam (Balan-38).
The decade in which the second world was fought and Indian independence won, was a momentous one for the film across India. Some memorable films were produced in the forties, such Shantharam's Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani, Mehboob's Roti, Chetan Anand Neecha Nagar, Uday Shanker's Kalpana, Abbas's Dharti Ke Lal, Sohrab Modi's Sikander, Pukar and Prithvi Vallabh, JBH Wadia's Court Dancer, SS Vasan's Chandralekha, Vijay Bhatt's Bharat Milap and Ram Rajya, Rajkapoor's Barsaat and AAG.
The first International Film Festival of India held in early 1952 at Bombay had great impact of Indian Cinema. The big turning point camp in 1955 with the arrival of Satyajit Ray and his classic Pathe Panchali which opened up a new path leading the Indian cinema to the World Film Scene. International recognition came to it with the Cannes award for best human document followed by an unprecedented crop of foreign and domestic prices. In Hindi Cinema too, the impact of neo-realism was clearly distinguished films like Bimal Roy's Do Bigha Zamin, Devadas and Madhumati, Rajkapoor's Boot Polish, Shri-420 and chase Raho, V. Shantharam 's Do Aankhen Barah Haath and Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje, Mehbood's Mother India.
Gurudutt's Pyaasa and Kagaz Ke Phool and B.R. Chopra's Kanoon; The first Indo-Soviet co-production Pardesi by KAAbbas were also made during the fifties. The transition to color and the consequent preference for escapist entertainment and greater reliance on stars brought about a complete change in the film industry. Sixties was a decade of mediocre films that mostly to please the distributors and to a certain extent, meet the requirements of ticket revenue. Sixties began with a bang with the release of K. Asif 's Mughal-E-Azam, which is a record box-office. It was followed by dramatic productions which include romantic musical and melodramas of a better quality. Rajkapoor's Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai, Sangam, Dilip Kumar's Gunga Jamna, Gurudutt's Sahib Bibi Aur Gulam, Dev Anand's Guide; Bimal Roy's Bandini, S. Mukherji 's Junglee, Sunil Dutt's Mujhe Jeen Do and the experimental Yaadein, Basu Bhatacharya's Teesri Kasam , Pramod Chakravorthy's Love in Tokyo, Ramanand Sagar's Arzoo, Sakhti Samantha's Aradhana, Hrishikesh Mukherji's Aashirwad and Anand, BR Chopra's Waqt, Manoj Kumar's Upkar, and Prasad Productions Milan were the significant Hindi films of this decade.
Among the regional languages, Malayalam cinema derived much of its strength from the literature during the sixties. Malayalam cinema hit the head lines for the first time when Ramu Kariat's Chemmeen (1965) won the President's Gold Medal. Towards the end of the decade signaled Mrinal Sen's Bhuvan Shome beginning of the new wave in Indian Cinema.
The New Indian Cinema emerged as a reaction to the popular cinema Other Worldiness. It is a cinema of social significance and artistic sincerity, presenting a modern, humanist perspective more durable than the fantasy world of the popular movie.
Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak and Mrinal Sen were the founding fathers of the new cinema in India. Hailed as India's leading director Satyajit Ray has made 30 feature films and five documentaries, Tacking a wide range of rural, urban historical themes. His Cinematography puts him away from the inheritors of the neorealist school, and yet his films are infused with an unusually humane. Pathe Panchali, Apure SANSAR, Charulata, Jalsaghar, Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne, Seemabadha, Jana Aranya, Ashani Sanket Agantuk and some of his excellent films. He was fortunate enough to present his films in almost all the leading film festivals in the world. The national and international awards won by Ray are numerous.
Ritwik Ghatak struck the Indian scene with new dynamism. His film is an overview of the traumas of change form the desperation of the rootless and deprived refugees from East Bengal. (Meghe Dhaka Tara, Ajantrik, Komal Ghandhar, Subarnarekha). Mrinal Sen is the ebullient one experiment with neo-realism and new wave and fantasy. His notable films are Bhuvan Shome, Chorus, Mrigaya, Ek Din Pratidin, Akaler Sand Rooster, Kharij & Khandahar. He has also won several national an international awards.
In Bombay, arose a new group of filmmakers in Hindi cinema. Noteworthy among them are Basu Chatterji (Sara Akash), Rajinder Singh Bedi (Dastak), Mani Kaul (Uski Roti, Duvidha), Kumar Shahani (Maya Darpan), Avtar Kaul (27-Down), Basu Bhattacharya (Anubhav), MS Sathyu (Garam Hawa), Shyam Benegal (Ankur), and Kanthilal Rathod (Kanku). In Calcutta, also following the trend, Ray, Ghatak and Sen, Tapan Sinha and Tarun Majumdar made some note worthy films. (Kabuliwala, Hatey Bazarey, Harmonium, Safed Haathi; Balika Bodhu, Nimantran, Ganadevta, Dadar Kirti).
Seventies has further widened the gap between multi-star big budgeted off beat films. The popular Hindi hits of the decade include Kamal Amrohis Pakeeza, Rajkapoor's Bobby, Devar's Haathi More Saathi, Ramesh Sippy's Sholay, Zanjeer, Deewar, Khoon Pasina, Yaadon Ki Baarat, Kabhi Kabhi, Dharamveer, Amar Akbar Anthony, Hum Kisise Kum nahin, and Muqaddar ka Sikandar. Of these, the majority of the films were action oriented with revenge as the dominant theme.
Down in the south, the new wave cinema originated in Karnataka and Kerala. Pattabhi Rama Reddy's Damskara (70) and Adoor Gopalakrishnan's Swayamvaram (72) was the tendency organizations in Kannada and Malayalam respectively. This continued with a series of socially conspicuous films like MT Vasidevan Nair's Nirmalyam, BVKaranth's Chomana Dudi, Girish Karnad's Kaadu, Girish Kasara Valli's Ghatasradha, G. Aravindan 's Uttarayanam and Thamp K. Balachander' s Arangetram, Avargal and Apoorva Ragangal, Adoor's Kodyettam, KG George's Swapnadanam and p.a. Backer's Chuvanna Vithukal and GVIyer's Hamsageethe.
The Hindi Avante garde or new wave seems to have reached its flowering period in the late seventies with the coming filmmakers like Govind Nihalani (Aakrosh), Saeed Mirza (Albert Pinto Ko Gussa AATA Kyon Hai, Aravind Desai ki Ajeeb Daastan), Rabindra Dharmaraj (Chakra), Sai Paranjpe (Sparsh), Muzafar Ali (fun) and Biplab Roy Chowdhari (Shodh). The movement spread to other regional cinemas such as Marathi, Gujarathi, Assamese, Oriya and Telugu. Directors like Jabbar Patel (Samna, Simhasan), Ramdas Phuttane (Sarvasakshi), Ketan Mehta (Bhavni Bhavai). Babendranath Saikia (Sandhya Rag), Jahanu Barua (Aparoopa, Papori), Manmohan Mohapatra (Klanta Aparanha, Majhi Pahacha) Nirad Mohapatra (Maya Miriga) and Gautam Ghose (Ma Bhoomi) came to the scene with their films.
Also from the South came film makers who Jayakantan, John Abraham, Bharathan, Padmarajan, Balu Mahendra, Bharathi Raja, TS Ranga, TS Nagabharana, K.R. Mohanan, GS Panicker, Chandrasekhar Kambar, P. Lankesh, C. Radhakrishnan and Bhagyaraj who presented significant films like Unnai Pol Oruvan, Agraharathil Kazhuthai, Prayanam, Peruvazhiambalam and Oridathsoru Phayalvan, Kokila, 16 Vayathinile and Kizhakke Pokum Rail Geejegand Goodu, Grahana, Aswathama, Ekakini, Kaadu Kudre, Pallavi, Agni, Suvar Illatha Chithrangal and Mundani Mudichu.
The new cinema movement continued with full spirit into the next decade (eighties) also. Shyam Benegal presented some good movies like Manthan, Bhumika, Nishant, Janoon and Trikal. Nihlani's Aaghat and Tamas were remarkable works. Other important films with new style of treatment include Damüls (Prakash RIA), 36-Chowringhee Lane (Aparna Sen), New Delhi Times (Ramesh Sharma), Mirch Masala (Ketan Mehta), Rao Saheb (Vijaya Mehta), Debshishu (Utpalendu Chakraborthy) , Massey Saheb (Pradeep Kishna) Trishagni (Nabayendu Ghosh), Ijaazat (Gulzar), Umrao Jaan (Muzafar Ali), Dakhal, Paar (Gautam Ghose), Dooratwa, Neem Annapurana, Andhi Gali (Buddhadeb Dasgupta), Aajka Robin Hood ( Tapan Sinha), Tabarana Kathe, Bannada Vesha (Girish Kasara Valli), Accident & Swamy (Shanker Naag), Daasi (B. Narasinga Rao) and Phaniyamma (Prema Karanth).
The new wave masters of Kerala, Adoor and Arvindan, consolidated their position in the eighties with their films Elippathayam, Mukha Mukham, Anantharam, Esthappan, Pokkuveyil, Chidambaram, and Oridath, Elippathayam has won the prestigious British Film Institute Award for 1982. Shaji N. Karun 's maiden film Piravi (1988) bagged several national and international awards and appeared in nearly forty film festivals. Meera Nair, the young woman director, won the Golden Camera Prize at Cannes for her first film Salaam Bombay in 1989. In 1990 won Adoor Gopalakrishnan's Mathilukal the FIPRESCI and UNICEF awards.
Late eighties and early nineties saw a revival of the musical love stories in Hindi cinema. Mr. India, Tezaab, Qayamat se Qayamat Tak, Main pyar Kiya, Chandni, Tridev, Hum, Ghayal, Saudagar, Rakhwala, Jo jeeta Wohi Sikander, Hum Hain Rahi Pyarke, Baazigar, Aaina, Yeh Dillagi, Hum Hai Apake Kauns, Krantiveer , Raja and Rangeela were some of the popular Hindi films of the last decade.
The first half of nineties witnessed the release of some better films in Hindi as well as in other regional languages. Drishti and Drohkal (Nihalani), Lekin (Gulzar), Disha (Sai Paranjpe), Prahar (Nana Patekar), Parinda (Vinod Chopra), Diskha (Arun Kaul), Kasba (Kumar Shahani), Rudaali (Kalpana Lajmi), Maya Memsaab (Ketan Mehta), Mujhse Dosti Karoge (Gopi Desai), Suraj Ka Satwan Ghoda & Mammoet (Benegal), Who Chokri (Subhankar Ghosh) & Ek Doctor Ki Maut (Tapan Sinha), were some of the notable Hindi films from Bengal, Orissa , Assam and Manipur came films like Tahader Katha, Bagh Bahadur, Charachar (Buddhadeb Dasgupta), Uttoran (Sandip Ray), wheelchair (Tapan Sinha), Unishe April (Rituparno Ghosh), Adi Mimansa, Lalvanya Preethi (AK Bir), Nirbachana ( Biplab Roy Chowdhari) Halodhia Choraya Baodhan Khai Firingoti (Jahau Barua) Haladhar (Sanjeev Hazarika), and Ishanou (Aribam Shayam Sharma). In the South Malayalam Cinema presented some notable films. They include Vasthuhara (Aravindan) _, Vidheyan (Adoor) Kireedom, Bharatham (Siby Mmalayil) Amaram (Bharathan) Innale (Padmarajan), Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha, Sargam, Parinayam (Hariharan) Devasuram (I.. V. Sasi). Kilukkam, Thenmavin Kombath (Priyadarsan) Perumthachan (Ajayan) Daivathinte Vikurthikal (Lenin Rajendran), (Sivan), Manichithrathazu (Fazil) Ponthanmada (TV Chandran) and Swaham (Shaji), From Tamil and Telugu cinema, there came few films like Anjali, Roja and Bombay (Mani Ratnam), Marupakkam and Nammavar (Sethsumadhavan) Karuthamma (Bharathi Raja), Surigadu (Dasari Narayana Rao), Swathi Kiranam (K. Viswanath), Mogha Mul (G. Rajasekharan) etc. English film like Miss Beatty's Children (Pamela Rook), and English August (Dev Benegal) were also constructed during this period.
All in all it's been a long history of almost nine decades, with the early shaky screen images become more and more fronts winged empire of its own, which gave about 27,000 feature films and thousands of documented short films. Cinema has raised India's flag high in the world who consistently largest film producer. But when it comes to quality the flag is flying half-mast.
