Hundred years of indian cinema
| The father of Indian Cinema : Dadasaheb Phalke | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Dhundiraj Govind Phalke 30 April 1870 Tryambakeshwar, Bombay Presidency, British India |
| Died | 16 February 1944 (aged 73) Nashik, Bombay, British India |
| Alma mater | Sir J. J. School of Art |
| Occupation | Film director, producer, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1913–1937 |
When Dadasaheb Phalke, the father of Indian Cinema, released his epochal feature film Raja Harishchandra on 3 May 1913, it is unlikely that either the exhibitors or the pioneer film maker realized they were unleashing a mass entertainment medium that would hold millions in sway for the next hundred years. The French might have introduced the concept of moving images, but little did anyone know that India would one day become the largest film industry in the world. It's a miracle that Indian cinema has withstood the test of time despite the vast cultural differences in the past 100 years.[1][2][3][4]
Indian cinema has an identity that is very unique and unmatched. We have moved from the black and white silent films to 3D, but our cinema continues to retain its basic essence - to thrill. Even as internet downloads and television continue to cannibalize the theatrical revenues of Indian films, the lure of the 35 mm is something else altogether. It was Phalke who introduced India to world cinema at a time when working in films was taboo. After the success of his film 'Raja Harishchandra', several filmmakers in Bombay and Madras began making silent films. By the mid-1920s,Madras had become the epicentre for all film related activities. Raghupathi Venkaiah Naidu, S. S. Vasan, A. V. Meiyappan set up production houses in Madras to shoot Telugu and Tamil films.
The first Indian film
After the silent era[edit]
The silent era came to an end when Ardeshir Irani produced his first talkie, 'Alam Ara' in 1931. If Phalke was the father of Indian cinema, Irani was the father of the talkie. The talkies changed the face of Indian cinema. Apart from looks, the actors not only needed a commanding voice but also singing skills, as music became a defining element in Indian cinema. The year also marked the beginning of the Talkie era in South Indian films. The first talkie films in Bengali(Jumai Shasthi), Telugu (Bhakta Prahlad) and Tamil(Kalidass) were released in the same year.
The cinema of India consists of films produced across India, which includes the cinematic cultures of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Manipur,Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.[5] Indian films came to be followed throughout Southern Asia, the Greater Middle East, Southeast Asia, and the former Soviet Union. The cinema as a medium gained popularity in the country as many as 1,000 films in various languages of India were produced annually.[6]
In the 20th century, Indian cinema, along with the Hollywood and Chinese film industries, became a global enterprise.[7] At the end of 2010 it was reported that in terms of annual film output, India ranks first, followed by Hollywood and China.[8] Enhanced technology paved the way for upgrading from established cinematic norms of delivering product, altering the manner in which content reached the target audience. Visual effects based, super hero and science fiction films like Krrish, Enthiran, Ra.One and Eega emerged as blockbusters.[7] Indian cinema found markets in over 90 countries where films from India are screened.[9]
Films by Indian directors like Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Ritwik Ghatak, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, G. Aravindan, Shaji N.Karun, Kasinadhuni Viswanath, Girish Kasaravalli,[10] Shyam Benegal[11] andMani Ratnam have been screened in various international film festivals.[9] Other Indian filmmakers such as Shekhar Kapur, Mira Nair, Rajnesh Domalpalli, Deepa Mehta, Nagesh Kukunoor andKaran Johar have also found success overseas.[12] The Indian government extended film delegations to foreign countries such as the United States of America and Japan while the country's Film Producers Guild sent similar missions through Europe.[13] Sivaji Ganesan, and S. V. Ranga Rao won their respective first international award for Best Actor held at Afro-Asian Film Festival in Cairo and Indonesian Film Festival in Jakarta for the films Veerapandiya Kattabomman and Narthanasala in 1959 and 1963.[14][15]
At present[edit]
At present India is the world's largest producer of films.[16][17] In 2009, India produced a total of 2961 films on celluloid, that include 1288 feature films.[18] The provision of 100% foreign direct investment has made the Indian film market attractive for foreign enterprises such as 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures[19][20] and Warner Bros.[21] Indian enterprises such as Zee, UTV, Suresh Productions, Adlabs and Sun Network's Sun Pictures also participated in producing and distributing films.[21] Tax incentives to multiplexes have aided the multiplex boom in India.[21] By 2003 as many as 30 film production companies had been listed in the National Stock Exchange of India, making the commercial presence of the medium felt.[21]
The South Indian film industry defines the four film cultures of South India as a single entity. They are the Kannada, the Malayalam, the Tamil and the Telugu industries. Although developed independently for a long period of time, gross exchange of film performers and technicians as well as globalisation helped to shape this new identity, currently holding 75% of all film revenues in India.[22]
The Indian diaspora consists of millions of Indians overseas for which films are made available both through mediums such as DVDs and by screening of films in their country of residence wherever commercially feasible.[23] These earnings, accounting for some 12% of the revenue generated by a mainstream film, contribute substantially to the overall revenue of Indian cinema, the net worth of which was found to be US$1.3 billion in 2000.[24] Music in Indian cinema is another substantial revenue generator, with the music rights alone accounting for 4–5% of the net revenues generated by a film in India.[24]
Progress of Indian cinema[edit]
The forties was a tumultuous decade; the first half was ravaged by war and the second saw drastic political changes all over the world. In the middle of the Second World War in 1945 came 'Kismet' starring Ashok Kumar which became one of the biggest hits in the history of Indian cinema. It had some bold themes - the first anti-hero and an unmarried pregnancy. It clearly showed that the filmmakers of the era were bolder than the times in which they were living in. A close relationship between epic consciousness and the art of cinema was established. It was against this backdrop that filmmakers likeV.Shantaram, Bimal Roy, Raj Kapoor and Mehboob Khan made their films. In the meantime, the film industry had made rapid strides in the South, whereTamil, Telugu and Kannada films were taking South India by storm. By the late 1940s, films were being made in various Indian languages with religion being the dominant theme. 1940s to late 1950s was also the golden era of music. Shankar Jaikishan, O.P. Nayyar, Madan Mohan, C. Ramchandra, Salil Chaudhury, Naushad, S.D. Burman - all had their distinctive style. Each vied with the other to produce some of the most unforgettable melodies India has ever known.[26]
0s and 60s were considered as the Golden Age of Indian cinema. Filmmakers like Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak, Guru Dutt, Bimal Roy, Mehboob Khan, K Asif, Raj Kapoor, Kadri Venkata Reddy, L V Prasad and Ramu Kariat made waves in their respective film industries and they went on to make classics likePather Panchali, Madhumati, Do Bigha Zamin, Shree 420, Awaara, Pyaasa, Mother India, Mughal E Azam, Mayabazar and Chemmeen among many other films. In the south, N.T. Rama Rao, M. G. Ramachandran, Sivaji Ganesan, Rajkumar, Prem Nazir dominated the film industry for more than three decades before making way for the next generation of actors like Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Mammootty, Mohanlal, Chiranjeevi and Balakrishna.[27][28][29][30]
The 70s completely changed the way films were made, especially in Hindi film industry. Changing social norms and changing economies influenced movies and the companies that made them. The narrative style changed. The story structure changed. Characters changed. Content changed. Masala films were the demand of the time. The genre promised instant attraction and had great entertainment value. It was the age of the angry young man and Amitabh Bachchan rose to prominence thanks to the success of Sholay, Zanjeer and Deewar. While Dev Anand, Rajesh Khanna, Jitendra and Dharmendracontinued to bask in the glory of back to back hits, the actresses were not far behind. Right from the time of Savitri,Vyjayanthimala, Nargis, Waheeda Rahman and Sharmila Tagore to Sridevi, Rekha, Smita Patil, Hema Malini, several actresses became heartthrobs of the nation.[31]
While Indian commercial cinema enjoyed popularity among movie-goers, Indian art cinema did not go unnoticed. AdoorGopalakrishnan, Ritwik Ghatak, Aravindan, Satyajit Ray, Shyam Benegal, Shaji Karun and several other art film directors were making movies that gave India international fame and glory.
The eighties saw the advent of women film makers such as Vijaya Mehta ('Rao Saheb'), Aparna Sen ('36- Chouwringhee Lane', 'Parama'), Sai Paranjpye ('Chashme Baddoor', 'Katha', 'Sparsh'), Kalpana Lajmi ('Ek Pal'), Prema Karanth('Phaniamma') and Meera Nair ('Salaam Bombay'). It was also the decade when sultry siren Rekha wooed audiences with her stunning performance in 'Umrao Jaan' in 1981.[32][33][34]
And then in 90's, it was a mixed genre of romantic, thrillers, action and comedy films. A stark upgrade can be seen on the canvas as technology gifted the industry Dolby digital sound effects, advanced special effects, choreography and international appeal. The development brought about investments from the corporate sector along with finer scripts and performances. It was time to shift focus to aesthetic appeal. And stars like Dr. Rajkumar, Shah Rukh Khan, Rajnikanth,Madhuri Dixit, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Chiranjeevi, Juhi Chawla and Hrithik Roshan began to explore ways to use new techniques to enrich Indian cinema with their performances.[35][36]
In recent years, Hindi cinema has undergone a massive change due to the emergence of new age filmmakers like Anurag Kashyap, Rajkumar Hirani, Dibakar Banerjee and Vishal Bhardwaj. Of late, Tamil and Marathi cinema has witnessed similar changes with several new filmmakers coming forth to cater to a niche audience.
As the world has become a global village, the Indian film industry has reached out further to international audiences. Apart from regular screenings at major international film festivals, the overseas market contributes a sizeable chunk to Bollywood's box office collections. Regular foreign Investments made by major global studios such as 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures, and Warner Bros put a stamp of confirmation that Bollywood has etched itself on the global podium.[37]
To celebrate 100 years of cinema in India, the Government of India, in cooperation with the film industry, has proposed to line up a host of activities between May 3, 2012 and May 3, 2013. It has also proposed to present a tableau of 100 years of Indian Cinema at the Republic Day parade next year. The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has also instituted a centenary award which will be given to a path- breaking film every year at the International Film Festival of India(IFFI) in Goa. The first centenary award would be given at the IFFI 2012 which will be held in Goa in November this year.[38]
Indian cinema, despite all its peculiarities, has been a reflection of the socio-economic, political and cultural changes that took place in the country. Here's hoping that Indian movies continue to entertain us the way they've been doing since 10 decades.[39]
Global Discourse[edit]
Indian cinema's early contacts with other regions became visible with its films making early inroads into the Soviet Union, Middle East, Southeast Asia,[40]and China. Mainstream Hindi film stars like Raj Kapoor gained international fame across Asia[41][42] and Eastern Europe.[43][44] Indian films also appeared in international fora and film festivals.[40] This allowed 'Parallel' Bengali filmmakers such as Satyajit Ray to achieve worldwide fame, with his films gaining success among European, American and Asian audiences.[45] Ray's work subsequently had a worldwide impact, with filmmakers such as Martin Scorsese,[46] James Ivory,[47] Abbas Kiarostami, Elia Kazan, François Truffaut,[48] Steven Spielberg, Carlos Saura,[49] Jean-Luc Godard,[50] Isao Takahata,[51] Gregory Nava, Ira Sachs and Wes Anderson[52] being influenced by his cinematic style, and many others such as Akira Kurosawa praising his work.[53] The "youthful coming-of-age dramas that have flooded art houses since the mid-fifties owe a tremendous debt to the Apu trilogy".[54] Subrata Mitra's cinematographic technique of bounce lighting also originates from The Apu Trilogy.Ray's film Kanchenjungha (1962) also introduced a narrative structure that resembles later hyperlink cinema.[55] Since the 1980s, some previously overlooked Indian filmmakers such as Ritwik Ghatak[56] and Guru Dutt[57] have posthumously gained international acclaim.
Many Asian and 'South Asian' countries increasingly came to find Indian cinema as more suited to their sensibilities than Western cinema.[40] Jigna Desai holds that by the 21st century Indian cinema had managed to become 'deterritorialized', spreading over to the many parts of the world where Indian diaspora was present in significant numbers, and becoming an alternative to other international cinema.[58] Indian cinema has more recently begun influencing Western musical films, and played a particularly instrumental role in the revival of the genre in the Western world. Baz Luhrmann stated that his successful musical film Moulin Rouge! (2001) was directly inspired by Bollywood musicals.[59] The critical and financial success of Moulin Rouge! renewed interest in the then-moribund Western musical genre, subsequently fuelling a renaissance of the genre.[60] Danny Boyle's Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire (2008) was also directly inspired by Indian films,[61][62] and is considered to be a "homage to Hindi commercial cinema".[63] Other Indian filmmakers are also making attempts at reaching a more global audience, with upcoming films by directors such as Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Jahnu Barua, Sudhir Mishra and Pan Nalin.[64]
Indian Cinema was also recognised at the American Academy Awards. Three Indian films, Mother India (1957),Salaam Bombay! (1988), and Lagaan (2001), were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Indian winners of the Academy Awards include Bhanu Athaiya (costume designer), Satyajit Ray (filmmaker), A. R. Rahman (music composer), Resul Pookutty (sound editor) and Gulzar (lyricist).[65
