Cinematography of India: history of creation and development

Even if you have never seen Indian films, the word "Bollywood" immediately conjures images of magnificent, bright and colorful films shot in exotic places, where everyone expressively dances and sings. But what is the history of the creation and development of Indian cinema? And how does this industry grow to become one of the most powerful and financially profitable in the industry of the country?

Introduction

Many experts disagree about the exact definition of the term "Bollywood". But nevertheless the similarity in terms of it is: "Bollywood" is a powerful film industry in Mumbai, where films are filmed primarily in Hindi, with delightful dance scenes with songs. It does not cover the entire cinematography of India, only 20% of the total film production of the country. Bollywood - this is not one genre of the film, it is an industry with many directions.

The history of Indian cinema dates back to the nineteenth century. In 1896 the first films were filmed by the Lumiere brothers and shown in Mumbai (Bombay).

It is important to note that when Harishchandra Sakharam, known as a "still photographer", ordered a camera from England, he shot the film "Fighters" in the hanging gardens of Mumbai. It was a simple recording of a duel, which was soon shown in 1899 and was considered the first "moving" film in the Indian film industry.

Cinematography of India: history of creation

The father of Indian cinema is considered to be Dadasaheda Falke, who released the world's first full-length feature film "Raja Harischandra" in 1913. This is the first Indian film shown in London in 1914. The silent picture had a stunning commercial success.

Dadasahed was not only a producer, but also a director, screenwriter, cameraman, editor and even a make-up artist. Between 1913 and 1918, he controlled and controlled the filming of 23 films.

Initially, the development of Indian cinema was not as rapid as in Hollywood. New film production companies began to appear in the 1920s. The paintings, based on mythological and historical facts with episodes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana, began to dominate in the 1920s. But the Indian spectators were welcomed by militants.

The end of the "silent era"

The first sound Indian film "Alam Ara" was shown in Bombay in 1931. The musical director of this film was Hiroz Shah, who managed to record the first song "De De Hood", performed by VM Khan. Cinematography of India "entered" into a new era.

After that, several film companies began to strive to increase the production of Indian films. 328 paintings were filmed in 1931. This is three times more than in 1927 - 107 prime. During this time, the number of cinemas and auditoriums also increased.

From 1930 to 1940, many prominent figures of Indian cinema appeared on the stage: Debaki Bose, Chetan Anand, Vasan, Nitin Bose and others.

Regional films

During this period not only Hindi films were popular. The regional film industry also had its own brand. The first Bengali feature film "Nal Damyanti" with the Italian actors starring the audience saw in 1917. The picture was photographed by Jayotish Sarkar.

In 1919, was shown a silent South Indian film called "Kecaka Wadham."

In the picture "Kaliya Mardan" the daughter of the famous Dadasahyed Falke became the first child of the "star", who played the role of the child of Krishna in 1919.

A sound film in Bengali "Jamai Shashti" was shown in 1931 (produced by the company "Madan Theaters").

In addition to Bengali and South Indian languages, regional films were also made in other dialects: Oriya, Punjabi, Marathi, Assamese and others. "Aetheja Raja" became the first Marathi film filmed in 1932. This picture was made in Hindi to attract more people to view.

The birth of a "new era"

The history of the cinema of India practically did not develop during the Second World War. The birth of the modern Indian film industry has passed since 1947. This period is marked by significant and outstanding transformations in the filming of films. Famous cinematographers Satyat Rai and Bimal Roy made pictures that were focused on the problems of survival and the daily suffering of the people of the lower class.

Historical and mythological subjects have receded into the background, and social films have dominated the industry. They were based on topics such as prostitution, polygamy and other unlawful acts that were widespread in the country of India. The cinema reflected and condemned such actions.

In 1960, the directors Ritvik Chatak, Mreenal Sena and others focused on the real problems of the common man. Several well-known films were shot on these topics, which allowed "cut a special niche" in Indian cinema.

The middle of the twentieth century is considered a "golden age" in the history of Indian cinema. It was at this time that the popularity of such actors began to grow: Guru Dutt, Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Mina Kumari, Madhubala, Nargis, Nutan, Dev Anand, Vahida Rehman and others.

Bollywood is the pioneer of the Masala films

In the 1970s, Masalla appeared in Bollywood. The audience was fascinated and hypnotized by the aura of actors such as Rajesh Khanna, Darmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Hema Malini. It is believed that the founder of the creation of masala films was the famous and successful director Manmohan Desai. He often claimed that he really wanted people to forget about their suffering and went to a dream world where there was no poverty.

"Sholai" - an innovative film directed by Ramesh Sippi, not only received international recognition, but also made Amitabha Bachchan "superstar".

Several women directors (Meera Nair, Aparna Sena) demonstrated their talents in the 1980s. How can you forget about the extraordinary and irreproachable filmmaker Rekha who made the amazing film "Umrao Jaan" in 1981?

In the 1990s, such actors became popular: Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Madhuri Dikshit, Amir Khan, Chavla, Chiranjivi and others. These professionals are looking for new ways, so that the cinema of India is even more developed. The story will not forget 2008, which became a landmark for Bollywood - Rahman received two Oscar awards for the best soundtrack from the movie "Slumdog Millionaire."

Nationalism

Continuing to get acquainted with Indian cinema, it is worth noting that there are four main aspects that help to better represent the interconnection of "India - the cinema": nationalism, censorship, music and genres. Let's consider these topics in more detail.

At an early stage in the development of the industry, many great Bollywood figures chose to use Hindi as the main language in Indian films. Why is that? Because in India they speak a hundred languages, and Hindi is not even the most common of them. He became "main", because Hindi is a trade dialect, understood by a large part of the population.

Another characteristic feature of a single Indian nation in Bollywood films is the eclecticism of music. From the very beginning, the melodies created for the films included the styles of different regions of the country.

The third characteristic is the "world" of Indian films, in which Muslims can marry Hindus or Christians, and people from different social classes achieve great success in life. It is important to say that many founders of Indian films believed that the indigenous Indian film industry was the key to the future freedom of the country from the British.

Censorship

When the cinematography of India was still under the guidance of the British, it was impossible to say about the inclusion of certain themes in the films. But after the country gained independence from Great Britain, the censorship began to play a decisive role in the style of motion pictures.

To depict sex was categorically forbidden, as well as any flagrant physical contacts (even kisses). Thus, the "body language" of the character completely replaced these things, which became the norm. It is allowed only a slight touch of the shoulders between the two romantic heroes and holding the persons close to each other without touching. Dialogue also reflects compensation for missing sexuality. Viewers just need to get used to their understanding.

Genres

The history of cinema in India (interesting facts about it are presented below) shows that censorship also influenced the creation of several genres unique to Bollywood. For many years, when there was a war between India and Pakistan, the films were forbidden to mention it. The enemies could not be called by their names.

A huge influence on the film industry was provided by the government of the country: it believed that the public should only show what will influence its political and social outlook. In addition, laws were passed that stated that only classical music of Northern India should be used to depict the character of the characters in the films.

Hostility between the government and the film industry continued until 1998, before the adoption of the decree on the independent development of the industry.

Music

Music is what many viewers call the defining characteristic of Bollywood movies. And this is certainly so! Musical directors (the so-called film composers in India) in fact think about the need for songs in pictures not as a statement of principle, they view them as a simple and indisputable rule.

Music is as much a part of films as costumes. It is important to note that the creators of compositions do not tend to popularize their creations. They are aimed at developing the artistic representation of the plot in viewers.

The main truth: the actors in the films do not sing, and the same performers can voice the singing of several characters at once. Nevertheless, in India it is considered a double pleasure to look at the best actor and listen to the beloved singer.

The most difficult for the filmmakers was to shoot music scenes. Each director tried to differently film the songs from the film. It has become so popular that even today 80% of all Indian films are shot according to the principle of "reproduction and production of music."

Interesting facts from the history of Indian cinema

The film industry in India is a unique industry. Therefore, it has some incomprehensible aspects for us. Consider these:

1. Schedule of the Premier. Many popular films show by certain criteria. For example, large blockbusters are "released" only during the big holiday in honor of the end of Ramadan, and during the cricket season the cinemas seem to "die out".

2. "Everything comes down to family". Cinematography of India for all history of its existence has reached the main goal - put the family in first place in the destiny of each person. The Western film industry can not boast of this.

3. Indian "Oscar". In Bollywood there is a version of the award - it's Philmphard Evords, who has no connection with the tastes of the audience. More importantly, the award ceremony for the "Best Game" is presented at the ceremony.

4. "Parallel Cinema". Many fans of Indian films do not even suspect that in India they shoot not only pictures with songs and dances. Some cinematographers, known as "parallel directors," are engaged in filming "serious movies". For example, in 1998 the film "Dil Se" was released, where the main character talks about the complex political situation in the world.

Conclusion

Cinematography of India (photo with the best scenes presented above) has become an integral part in our daily life, whether it's regional cinema or Bollywood painting. He plays an important role in our society. Despite the fact that "entertainment" is the key word of Indian cinema, the plot has a beneficial effect on the mind and consciousness of the audience.

In Indian films, the story progressed from improving cameras to editing techniques. Technological achievements have expanded the creative potential of filmmakers. Nevertheless, progress has not been able to surpass the cultural values of India. And it's wonderful!