THE RISE AND RISE OF BOLLYWOOD (The Coming of Age of Hindi/East Indian Movies)

Probably in the history of World cinema, nothing will ever come close to BOLLYWOOD. Based in Mumbai, (East) India, it has had a meteoric rise with the largest number of movies produced anywhere in the world. Expatriate Indians love them. And others too are not untouched by their magic.

Colourful songs and dances keep the viewer captivated. Not only are the movies memorable, the songs become national anthem. And dresses create a fashion statement, seen at any street corner. Of course, the hero and heroine are the nation’s heart throbs.

The history of Hindi films is a surprising mix of facts with fiction. On July 7, 1896, cinema was first introduced in India. Lumiere Brothers’ Cinematography’s first six films set the pace for movies. Professor Stevenson brought the first bioscope to India. Inspired by it, in 1898, Hiralal Sen began filming.

Dadasaheb Phalke made the first silent feature film Raja Harishchandra (1913) while Ardeshar Irani made the first Indian sound film Alam Ara (1931), which was a super hit. Izra Mir made the first Indian English language film, Noorjahan (1931).

The film with maximum (71) number of songs was Indra Sabha (1932). The first woman music director was Jaddan Bai in Talaash-e-Haq (1935). The first color film was Kisan Kanya (1937). Guru Dutt made the first cinemascope film Kaagaz ke Phool (1959). Raj Kapoor made the first 70 mm film, Around the World.

The first film to be shot at a foreign locale was Sangam (1964). Bhanu Athaiya was the first Indian to get an Oscar for Best Costume Designer for Gandhi (1982). First 3D movie My Dear Kuttichathan (1984) was released in Hindi as Shiva ka Insaaf. Longest (20 minutes) film song was the title song of Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyon.

The partition of India into Pakistan made a deep impact on Hindi films in the 1940s. Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand became nation’s heart throbs. Nargis, Meena Kumari and Madhubala’s pairing became memorable with these heroes.

In the 1960s Rajesh Khanna ruled the roost with romantic films. It was in 1970s that Amitabh Bachchan (angry young man) created a whirlpool with violent movies. He still continues to be a mega star. Rekha’s pairing with him took the nation by storm.

In the mid-90s, the scene saw a shift to a newer breed of heroes (the mighty Khans). Shahrukh Khan (popularly known as SRK) along with Aamir Khan and Salman Khan kept the nation engaged with their kind of light, romantic and humorous movies. Madhuri Dixit, Kajol and Kareena Kapoor became household names.

SRK’s magic continues till date. He is called “the King”. With the maximum number of hits (Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge, etc) he has cult following all over the world. His pairing with Kajol is being revived by Karan Johar in Khan, an under-production film.

In recent times, Shahid Kapur continues with his near-matching looks of SRK. His pairing with Kareena gave a super hit Jab We Met. Emran Haashmi too is not far behind creating near hysteria in Pakistan, UAE, Bangladesh, etc with a super hit Jannat.

In 1896 no one would have imagined where the Hindi film industry would reach. In 2008 the future is not only rosy, it is fast becoming a multi-billion dollar industry with an active collaboration with Hollywood. For Bollywood, the future lies in its present. Long live the King, long live Bollywood.