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Reel to real!
The film industry in India is the second largest in the world…we are talking quantity and it beats Hollywood hands down. Here’s some number crunching…In 2003, over 800 movies were released in India. In comaprison, only 473 films were released in the US. Although Bollywood produces twice as many films as Hollywood each year, its earnings are small by western standards…it’s just 1 per cent of the global film industry revenues. As you must have guessed by now, the Indian film industry is all about big, bigger and biggest. Size matters. And here’s another ‘big’ achievement…the film industry in India is also home to the biggest film studio in the world—the Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad. It’s little wonder that Indians are bonafide movie freaks. What helps perhaps is the fact movie tickets in India are among the cheapest in the world. The industry is enthusiastically supported by the vast cinema-going Indian public…with its billion-strong population, the numbers visiting movie halls are mindboggling.
Let’s look at how India’s love affair with films began. Cinema was introduced to India in 1896. Movies in India have come a long way….from the 6 short films unveiled by the Lumiere Brothers in Bombay and the first of the film shows being shown in tents. The silent black-and-white classic “Raja Harishchandra”, made in 1913 by Dadasaheb Phalke, is regarded as the first Indian movie. But it wasn’t until 1916, that Universal Pictures set up Hollywood's first Indian agency.
The Maestros
But if you think Indian films are all about Bollywood and its masala mix…think again. Candy floss song-and-dance tearjerkers may have become synonymous with Indian cinema in recent years, but that’s not all Indian cinema is about. India has a rich treasure trove of experimental, thought-provoking movies. Alternative cinema has always been made in India – be it Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak, Aparna Sen, Guru Dutt and Shyam Benegal. It’s all there for your viewing pleasure…from masala mix to 'parallel' cinema.
Satyajit Ray is widely regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers of 20th century cinema. Having directed more than 37 films, Ray was perhaps one of the most prolific filmmakers of his time. His most memorable work is his first film, Pather Panchali, which won 11 international prizes, including Best Human Document at Cannes. Along with Aparajito and Apur Sansar, the film forms the Apu trilogy—widely regarded as Ray's magnum opus. The multi-faceted Ray did his own scripting, scoring, cinematography, art direction, editing as well as designing his own credit titles and publicity material. Ray received an Academy Award for lifetime achievement in 1991.
Ritwik Ghatak's stature among Bengali directors is probably second only to that of Satyajit Ray. His best-known films, Meghe Dhaka Tara, Komal Gandhar, and Subarnarekha, a trilogy based in Calcutta has influenced filmmakers across genres.
Mrinal Sen is credited for initiating the New Wave cinema in Inida. His shoe-string budget film Bhuvan Shome launched him as a major filmmaker, both nationally and internationally.
From being a celebrated actress to a much-felicitated director…Aparna Sen made an effortless transition in 1981 with her directorial debut 36 Chowringhee Lane. The film won rave reviews from critics and in the festival circuit. Aparna followed up this early success with several other films, notably Paroma, Sati and Yugant. Her Mr. and Mrs. Iyer in 2002 won Sen a third National Film Award for direction.
Adoor Gopalakrishnan is one of the pillars of Malayalam cinema. He won the International Film Critics Prize for five feature films in a row. His film Elippathayam took the London Film Festival by storm and the British Film Insititute awarded him the most original imaginative film of 1982 for it.
Shades of Ritwik Ghatak can be seen in avant garde film director John Abraham’s work. Abraham was trained by Ghatak. Though he just produced 4 movies in his film career, Abraham has a cult following in Kerala.
G Aravindan, K G George and MT Vasudevan Nair have vastly enriched the country’s filmscape with their evocative films. Shaji Karun made his directorial debut with Piravi in 1988. The film won him the prestigious 'Camera-d'Or' at the Cannes Film Festival. His second film Swaham was selected to the competition section of Cannes Film Festival in 1994. Vaanaprastham in 1999 is a must see for all movie buffs. |
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