Hindi Film Industry In A Nutshell
Dadasaheb Phalke's Raja Harishchandra, a silent movie made in 1913, heralds the beginning of the history of Bollywood, as the huge Hindi movie industry is usually referred to. It was a major hit and worked as an inspiration for several skilled and creative people to make their own movies. After the silent age came the talkies, and the very first Hindi sound film Alam Ara hit the screens in 1931, followed by the first colour film Kisan Kanya.
During the Second World War and the period of independence movement in the 1940s, Bollywood seemed to turn away from reality with a vengeance and focused on making escapist films to bring some cheer to the audience. Achhut Kanya that dealt with the controversial issue of casteism, and Shaheed, that was strongly patriotic in its theme.
Poverty in the villages of India and traditional family values were depicted with remarkable realism in Mehboob Khan's Mother India (1957). During the same period, legendary actor and director Raj Kapoor directed two remarkable films – Awara and Shree 420 – and director Guru Dutt also gifted the audience such timeless classics as Pyaasa. Mughal-E-Azam, a 1960 release, was an immortal movie that recreated the Mughal era on the silver screen with great realism.
Cine stars like Dev Anand and nargis became very popular, and the whole nation was enthralled by the music of SD Burman and OP Nayyar. Singers like Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar won the hearts of millions of listeners during the 1950s and 60s with their god-gifted voice.
In the rocking 60s, Shammi Kapoor, the Indian Elvis Presley, mesmerized audiences with his on-screen histrionics. Amitabh Bachchan with his action hero image ruled Bollywood in the 1970s. Popularity of action films continued into the mid 80s, until the release of Qayamat se Qayamat Tak in 1988, which set the trend for sweet romantic movies in Bollywood that has continued even in the latest Bollywood movies. However Bollywood now has a highly sophisticated industry, creating movies that often get a lot of acclaim from all over the globe.
In the swinging 60s, Shammi Kapoor, the Indian Elvis Presley, mesmerized audiences with his on-screen histrionics. The 70s saw the rise of Amitabh Bachchan with his characters fighting against injustice and corruption. Action films ruled the minds of the audience towards early and mid eighties, but with Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988), the audience started appreciating romantic movies. Romance continues to be the staple theme in a large proportion of even the latest Bollywood movies. However Bollywood now has a much more sophisticated industry, producing movies that often get wide acclaim from throughout the globe.
