82-687: Basu Chatterjee (10 January 1927 – 4 June 2020) was an Indian film director and screenwriter in Hindi Cinema .Through the 1970s and 1980s, he became associated with what came to be known as middle cinema or middle-of-the-road cinema filmmakers, such as Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Bhattacharya, whom he assisted on Teesri Kasam (1966). Like their films, his films dealt with light-hearted stories of middle-class families often in urban settings, focusing on marital and love relationships. The exceptions such as Ek Ruka Hua Faisla (1986) and Kamla Ki Maut (1989), which delved into social and moral issues. He
164-573: A parallel cinema movement. Although the movement (emphasising social realism ) was led by Bengali cinema , it also began gaining prominence in Hindi cinema. Early examples of parallel cinema include Dharti Ke Lal (1946), directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and based on the Bengal famine of 1943 , Neecha Nagar (1946) directed by Chetan Anand and written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, and Bimal Roy's Do Bigha Zamin (1953). Their critical acclaim and
246-537: A vigilante or anti-hero whose suppressed rage voiced the anguish of the urban poor. Hindi films have been a significant form of soft power for India, increasing its influence and changing overseas perceptions of India. In Germany , Indian stereotypes included bullock carts , beggars, sacred cows, corrupt politicians, and catastrophes before Bollywood and the IT industry transformed global perceptions of India. According to author Roopa Swaminathan, "Bollywood cinema
328-523: A Hong Kong remake, The Brothers (1979), which inspired John Woo 's internationally acclaimed breakthrough A Better Tomorrow (1986); the latter was a template for Hong Kong action cinema 's heroic bloodshed genre. "Angry young man" 1970s epics such as Deewaar and Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) also resemble the heroic-bloodshed genre of 1980s Hong Kong action cinema. The influence of filmi may be seen in popular music worldwide. Technopop pioneers Haruomi Hosono and Ryuichi Sakamoto of
410-569: A TV series titled Byomkesh , starring Gourav Chakrabarty as Byomkesh and Ridhima Ghosh as Satyabati. Produced by Dag Creative Media , the series was well received by audiences. In 2015, the Bollywood film Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! featured Sushant Singh Rajput as the lead, bringing Byomkesh to a national audience. Byomkesh was also referenced in The Big Bang Theory Season 7, Episode 18, where Sherlock Holmes
492-491: A character in the story Satyanweshi ( The Inquisitor ). The story is set in 1932 in the Chinabazar area of Kolkata where a 'non-government detective' Byomkesh Bakshi, owing to the permission from the police commissioner, starts living in a mess in that area under the pseudonym of Atul Chandra Mitra to probe a series of murders. Most of the stories are written from Ajit Kumar Banerjee's perspective, who meets Byomkesh in
574-442: A colour version of Mother India . However, colour did not become a popular feature until the late 1950s. At this time, lavish romantic musicals and melodramas were cinematic staples. The decade of the 1940s saw an expansion of Bombay cinema's commercial market and its presence in the national consciousness. The year 1943 saw the arrival of Indian cinema's first 'blockbuster' offering, the movie Kismet , which grossed in excess of
656-501: A contemporary urban context and anguished urban poor. By the mid-1970s, romantic confections had given way to gritty, violent crime films and action films about gangsters (the Bombay underworld ) and bandits ( dacoits ). Salim-Javed's writing and Amitabh Bachchan's acting popularised the trend with films such as Zanjeer and (particularly) Deewaar , a crime film inspired by Gunga Jumna which pitted "a policeman against his brother,
738-590: A film of scenes from that show, The Flower of Persia (1898). The Wrestlers (1899) by H. S. Bhatavdekar showed a wrestling match at the Hanging Gardens in Bombay . Dadasaheb Phalke 's silent film Raja Harishchandra (1913) is the first feature-length film made in India. The film, being silent, had English , Marathi , and Hindi -language intertitles . By the 1930s, the Indian film industry as
820-497: A gang leader based on real-life smuggler Haji Mastan " (Bachchan); according to Danny Boyle , Deewaar was "absolutely key to Indian cinema". In addition to Bachchan, several other actors followed by riding the crest of the trend (which lasted into the early 1990s). Actresses from the era include Hema Malini , Jaya Bachchan , Raakhee , Shabana Azmi , Zeenat Aman , Parveen Babi , Rekha , Dimple Kapadia , Smita Patil , Jaya Prada and Padmini Kolhapure . The name "Bollywood"
902-546: A genre of dacoit films , in turn defined by Gunga Jumna (1961). Written and produced by Dilip Kumar, Gunga Jumna was a dacoit crime drama about two brothers on opposite sides of the law (a theme which became common in Indian films during the 1970s). Some of the best-known epic films of Hindi cinema were also produced at this time, such as K. Asif 's Mughal-e-Azam (1960). Other acclaimed mainstream Hindi filmmakers during this period included Kamal Amrohi and Vijay Bhatt . The three most popular male Indian actors of
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#1732790332286984-530: A global presence". Scholar Brigitte Schulze has written that Indian films, most notably Mehboob Khan 's Mother India (1957), played a key role in shaping the Republic of India 's national identity in the early years after independence from the British Raj ; the film conveyed a sense of Indian nationalism to urban and rural citizens alike. Bollywood has long influenced Indian society and culture as
1066-783: A good film is generally referred to as paisa vasool , (literally "money's worth"). Songs, dances, love triangles, comedy and dare-devil thrills are combined in a three-hour show (with an intermission). These are called masala films , after the Hindi word for a spice mixture. Like masalas , they are a mixture of action, comedy and romance; most have heroes who can fight off villains single-handedly. Bollywood plots have tended to be melodramatic , frequently using formulaic ingredients such as star-crossed lovers, angry parents, love triangles, family ties, sacrifice, political corruption, kidnapping, villains, kind-hearted courtesans , long-lost relatives and siblings, reversals of fortune and serendipity . Parallel cinema films tended to be less popular at
1148-464: A major influence. During the early 20th century, Urdu was the lingua franca of popular cultural performance across northern India and established in popular performance art traditions such as nautch dancing, Urdu poetry , and Parsi theater. Urdu and related Hindi dialects were the most widely understood across northern India, and Hindustani became the standard language of early Indian talkies. Films based on " Persianate adventure-romances" led to
1230-402: A new generation of popular actors, including the three Khans : Aamir Khan , Shah Rukh Khan , and Salman Khan , who have starred in most of the top ten highest-grossing Bollywood films . The Khans and have had successful careers since the late 1980s and early 1990s, and have dominated the Indian box office for three decades. Shah Rukh Khan was the most successful Indian actor for most of
1312-567: A new name for himself which he inscribes on a brass plate in front of his house. The plaque read "Byomkesh Bakshi: Satyanweshi" (The Inquisitor). Unlike other lead characters in similar detective fictional stories, Byomkesh Bakshi marries, ages, and also contemplates material things such as buying a car. Later, he also decides to buy land in Keyatala in South Kolkata and shifts to his new home. Byomkesh meets Satyabati, his future wife and
1394-746: A popular genre of " Arabian Nights cinema". Scholars Chaudhuri Diptakirti and Rachel Dwyer and screenwriter Javed Akhtar identify Urdu literature as a major influence on Hindi cinema. Most of the screenwriters and scriptwriters of classic Hindi cinema came from Urdu literary backgrounds, from Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and Akhtar ul Iman to Salim–Javed and Rahi Masoom Raza ; a handful came from other Indian literary traditions, such as Bengali and Hindi literature . Most of Hindi cinema's classic scriptwriters wrote primarily in Urdu, including Salim-Javed, Gulzar , Rajinder Singh Bedi , Inder Raj Anand , Rahi Masoom Raza and Wajahat Mirza . Urdu poetry and
1476-641: A renaissance of Western musical films such as Chicago , Rent , and Dreamgirls . Indian film composer A. R. Rahman wrote the music for Andrew Lloyd Webber 's Bombay Dreams , and a musical version of Hum Aapke Hain Koun was staged in London's West End. The sports film Lagaan (2001) was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film , and two other Hindi films (2002's Devdas and 2006's Rang De Basanti ) were nominated for
1558-513: A similar influence on Amitabh Bachchan , Naseeruddin Shah , Shah Rukh Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui . Veteran actresses such as Suraiya , Nargis , Sumitra Devi , Madhubala , Meena Kumari , Waheeda Rehman , Nutan , Sadhana , Mala Sinha and Vyjayanthimala have had their share of influence on Hindi cinema. While commercial Hindi cinema was thriving, the 1950s also saw the emergence of
1640-476: A white dhoti , occasionally draping a shawl . He does not live in luxury but possesses numerous books. He travels frequently, and does not own a gun and does not consider himself to be an "expensive helper". He habitually smokes and drinks tea with milk. He is fluent in Bengali , Hindi , and English . Byomkesh does not like being called a detective, and thinks the word 'investigator' even worse. Thus, he fashions
1722-459: A whole was producing over 200 films per year. The first Indian sound film, Ardeshir Irani 's Alam Ara (1931), made in Hindustani language, was commercially successful. With a great demand for talkies and musicals, Hindustani cinema (as Hindi cinema was then known as) and the other language film industries quickly switched to sound films. The 1930s and 1940s were tumultuous times; India
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#17327903322861804-413: Is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and " Hollywood ". The industry is a part of the larger Indian cinema , which also includes South Indian cinema and other smaller film industries . The term 'Bollywood', often mistakenly used to refer to Indian cinema as a whole, only refers to Hindi-language films, with Indian cinema being an umbrella term that includes all the film industries in
1886-824: Is best known for his films Us Paar , Chhoti Si Baat (1975), Chitchor (1976), Rajnigandha (1974), Piya Ka Ghar (1972), Khatta Meetha , Swami (1977), Baton Baton Mein (1979), Priyatama (1977), Man Pasand , Hamari Bahu Alka , Shaukeen (1982), and Chameli Ki Shaadi (1986). Chatterjee directed the Bengali film Hothath Brishti (1998), which featured actors from both Bangladesh and India . The film featured Ferdous Ahmed from Bangladesh, and Priyanka Trivedi and Sreelekha Mitra from West Bengal . Chatterjee continued to cast Ahmed in subsequent Indian-Bengali films, including Chupi Chupi (2001), Tak Jhal Mishti (2002) and Hotath Shedin (2012), another joint production of Bangladesh and India. He wrote
1968-428: Is in the story " Pother Kanta ", where he demonstrates the strength of fundamental logical deduction and systematic reasoning in establishing circumstantial evidence. However, his formal introduction is in " Satyanweshi ", his third story, a murder mystery involving cocaine trafficking. In this story, Byomkesh adopts the alias Atul Chandra Mitra and meets Ajit Bandyopadhyay, a writer who would become his close companion and
2050-482: Is linked to economic liberalization in India during the early 1990s. Early in the decade, the pendulum swung back toward family-centered romantic musicals. Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988) was followed by blockbusters such as Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), Hum Aapke Hain Kaun (1994), Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Raja Hindustani (1996), Dil To Pagal Hai (1997) and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), introducing
2132-467: Is one of the strongest global cultural ambassadors of a new India." Its role in expanding India's global influence is comparable to Hollywood's similar role with American influence. Monroe Township , Middlesex County , New Jersey , in the New York metropolitan area , has been profoundly impacted by Bollywood; this U.S. township has displayed one of the fastest growth rates of its Indian population in
2214-559: The BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language . Danny Boyle 's Slumdog Millionaire (2008), which won four Golden Globes and eight Academy Awards , was inspired by mainstream Hindi films and is considered an "homage to Hindi commercial cinema". It was also inspired by Mumbai-underworld crime films, such as Deewaar (1975), Satya (1998), Company (2002) and Black Friday (2007). Deewaar had
2296-693: The Second World War and after India's independence, Byomkesh, Satyabati and Ajit live in the mess house of Harrison Road. Byomkesh gradually ages through the series, and has a son called Khoka (Little Boy) in the series. From 1932 until his death in 1970, Saradindu Bandopadhyay wrote 32 Byomkesh Bakshi stories. Initially, Byomkesh's close friend and chronicler, Ajit Kumar Banerjee , serves as both companion and occasional investigator in Byomkesh's absence, as seen in stories like Makorshar Rosh and Shoilo Rahasya. While early tales use traditional Bengali,
2378-556: The Western Hemisphere , increasing from 256 (0.9%) as of the 2000 Census to an estimated 5,943 (13.6%) as of 2017, representing a 2,221.5% (a multiple of 23) numerical increase over that period, including many affluent professionals and senior citizens as well as charitable benefactors to the COVID-19 relief efforts in India in official coordination with Monroe Township, as well as actors with second homes. During
2460-594: The Yellow Magic Orchestra produced a 1978 electronic album, Cochin Moon , based on an experimental fusion of electronic music and Bollywood-inspired Indian music. Truth Hurts ' 2002 song " Addictive ", produced by DJ Quik and Dr. Dre , was lifted from Lata Mangeshkar 's "Thoda Resham Lagta Hai" in Jyoti (1981). The Black Eyed Peas ' Grammy Award winning 2005 song " Don't Phunk with My Heart "
2542-736: The ghazal tradition strongly influenced filmi ( Bollywood lyrics ). Javed Akhtar was also greatly influenced by Urdu novels by Pakistani author Ibn-e-Safi , such as the Jasoosi Dunya and Imran series of detective novels; they inspired, for example, famous Bollywood characters such as Gabbar Singh in Sholay (1975) and Mogambo in Mr. India (1987). Todd Stadtman identifies several foreign influences on 1970s commercial Bollywood masala films , including New Hollywood , Italian exploitation films , and Hong Kong martial arts cinema . After
Basu Chatterjee - Misplaced Pages Continue
2624-461: The overseas Indian diaspora , have also been inspired by Bollywood music. Hindi films are primarily musicals, and are expected to have catchy song-and-dance numbers woven into the script. A film's success often depends on the quality of such musical numbers. A film's music and song and dance portions are usually produced first and these are often released before the film itself, increasing its audience. Indian audiences expect value for money, and
2706-531: The socio-economic and socio-political realities of contemporary India. They channeled growing popular discontent and disillusionment and state failure to ensure welfare and well-being at a time of inflation, shortages, loss of confidence in public institutions, increasing crime and the unprecedented growth of slums . Salim-Javed and Bachchan's films dealt with urban poverty, corruption and organised crime; they were perceived by audiences as anti-establishment , often with an "angry young man" protagonist presented as
2788-547: The 1950s and 1960s were Dilip Kumar , Raj Kapoor , and Dev Anand , each with a unique acting style. Kapoor adopted Charlie Chaplin 's tramp persona; Anand modeled himself on suave Hollywood stars like Gregory Peck and Cary Grant , and Kumar pioneered a form of method acting which predated Hollywood method actors such as Marlon Brando . Kumar, who was described as "the ultimate method actor" by Satyajit Ray , inspired future generations of Indian actors. Much like Brando's influence on Robert De Niro and Al Pacino , Kumar had
2870-470: The 1950s and early 1960s and some won major prizes at the festival. Guru Dutt , overlooked during his lifetime, received belated international recognition during the 1980s. Film critics polled by the British magazine Sight & Sound included several of Dutt's films in a 2002 list of greatest films , and Time's All-Time 100 Movies lists Pyaasa as one of the greatest films of all time. During
2952-563: The 1970s has been the masala film , which freely mixes different genres including action , comedy , romance , drama and melodrama along with musical numbers . Masala films generally fall under the musical film genre, of which Indian cinema has been the largest producer since the 1960s when it exceeded the American film industry's total musical output after musical films declined in the West. The first Indian talkie , Alam Ara (1931),
3034-493: The 1970s. Although the art film bent of the Film Finance Corporation was criticised during a 1976 Committee on Public Undertakings investigation which accused the corporation of not doing enough to encourage commercial cinema, the decade saw the rise of commercial cinema with films such as Sholay (1975) which consolidated Amitabh Bachchan 's position as a star. The devotional classic Jai Santoshi Ma
3116-457: The 1980s was Mira Nair 's Salaam Bombay! (1988), which won the Camera d'Or at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film . Hindi cinema experienced another period of box-office decline during the late 1980s with due to concerns by audiences over increasing violence and a decline in musical quality, and a rise in video piracy. One of
3198-467: The 1990s and 2000s, and Aamir Khan has been the most successful Indian actor since the mid 2000s. Action and comedy films, starring such actors as Akshay Kumar and Govinda . The decade marked the entrance of new performers in art and independent films, some of which were commercially successful. The most influential example was Satya (1998), directed by Ram Gopal Varma and written by Anurag Kashyap . Its critical and commercial success led to
3280-510: The 2000s, Hindi cinema began influencing musical films in the Western world and was instrumental role in reviving the American musical film. Baz Luhrmann said that his musical film, Moulin Rouge! (2001), was inspired by Bollywood musicals; the film incorporated a Bollywood-style dance scene with a song from the film China Gate . The critical and financial success of Moulin Rouge! began
3362-411: The 2010s, the industry saw established stars such as making big-budget masala films like Dabangg (2010), Singham (2011) , Ek Tha Tiger (2012), Son of Sardaar (2012), Rowdy Rathore (2012), Chennai Express (2013), Kick (2014) and Happy New Year (2014) with much-younger actresses. Although the films were often not praised by critics, they were commercially successful. Some of
Basu Chatterjee - Misplaced Pages Continue
3444-746: The Bombay film industry was closely linked to the Lahore film industry (known as "Lollywood"; now part of the Pakistani film industry ); both produced films in Hindustani (also known as Hindi-Urdu), the lingua franca of northern and central India. Another centre of Hindustani-language film production was the Bengal film industry in Calcutta , Bengal Presidency (now Kolkata, West Bengal ), which produced Hindustani-language films and local Bengali language films. Many actors, filmmakers and musicians from
3526-810: The Bombay film industry's position as the preeminent center for film production in India. The period from the late 1940s to the early 1960s, after India's independence , is regarded by film historians as the Golden Age of Hindi cinema. Some of the most critically acclaimed Hindi films of all time were produced during this time. Examples include Pyaasa (1957) and Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959), directed by Guru Dutt and written by Abrar Alvi ; Awaara (1951) and Shree 420 (1955), directed by Raj Kapoor and written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas , and Aan (1952), directed by Mehboob Khan and starring Dilip Kumar . The films explored social themes, primarily dealing with working-class life in India (particularly urban life) in
3608-405: The Indian economy and a demand for quality entertainment in this era led the country's film industry to new heights in production values, cinematography and screenwriting as well as technical advances in areas such as special effects and animation. Some of the largest production houses, among them Yash Raj Films and Dharma Productions were the producers of new modern films. Some popular films of
3690-561: The Lahore industry migrated to the Bombay industry during the 1940s, including actors K. L. Saigal , Prithviraj Kapoor , Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand as well as playback singers Mohammed Rafi , Noorjahan and Shamshad Begum . Around the same time, filmmakers and actors from the Calcutta film industry began migrating to Bombay; as a result, Bombay became the center of Hindustani-language film production. The 1947 partition of India divided
3772-427: The accused Sukumar's sister, in 'Arthamanartham'. The story 'Adim Ripu' provides some information about Byomkesh's early childhood. His father Mahadev Bakshi was a mathematics teacher at a school and practised Sankhya philosophy at home while his mother was the daughter of a Vaishnavite . When Byomkesh was seventeen years old, his parents died of tuberculosis . Later, Byomkesh passed University with scholarship. During
3854-686: The biggest entertainment industry; many of the country's musical, dancing, wedding and fashion trends are Bollywood-inspired. Bollywood fashion trendsetters have included Madhubala in Mughal-e-Azam (1960) and Madhuri Dixit in Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994). Hindi films have also had a socio-political impact on Indian society, reflecting Indian politics . In classic 1970s Bollywood films, Bombay underworld crime films written by Salim–Javed and starring Amitabh Bachchan such as Zanjeer (1973) and Deewaar (1975) reflected
3936-552: The blockbuster Sholay (1975), written by Salim-Javed and starring Amitabh Bachchan. It combined the dacoit film conventions of Mother India and Gunga Jumna with spaghetti Westerns , spawning the Dacoit Western (also known as the curry Western ) which was popular during the 1970s. Some Hindi filmmakers, such as Shyam Benegal , Mani Kaul , Kumar Shahani , Ketan Mehta , Govind Nihalani and Vijaya Mehta , continued to produce realistic parallel cinema throughout
4018-646: The box office. A large Indian diaspora in English-speaking countries and increased Western influence in India have nudged Bollywood films closer to Hollywood. Byomkesh Bakshi Byomkesh Bakshi is an Indian- Bengali fictional detective created by Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay . Referring to himself as a "truth-seeker" or Satyanweshi in the stories, Bakshi is known for his proficiency with observation , logical reasoning , and forensic science which he uses to solve complicated cases, usually murders, occurring in Calcutta . Byomkesh's first appearance
4100-663: The conventions which were once strictly associated with parallel cinema. "Bollywood" is a portmanteau derived from Bombay (the former name of Mumbai ) and "Hollywood", a shorthand reference for the American film industry which is based in Hollywood , California . The term "Tollywood", for the Tollygunge -based cinema of West Bengal , predated "Bollywood". It was used in a 1932 American Cinematographer article by Wilford E. Deming, an American engineer who helped produce
4182-535: The country into the Republic of India and Pakistan , which precipitated the migration of filmmaking talent from film production centres like Lahore and Calcutta , which bore the brunt of the partition violence. This included actors, filmmakers and musicians from Bengal , Punjab (particularly the present-day Pakistani Punjab ), and the North-West Frontier Province (present-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ). These events further consolidated
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#17327903322864264-730: The country, each offering films in diverse languages and styles. In 2017, Indian cinema produced 1,986 feature films, of which the largest number, 364 have been in Hindi. In 2022, Hindi cinema represented 33% of box office revenue, followed by Telugu and Tamil representing representing 20% and 16% respectively. Hindi cinema is one of the largest centres for film production in the world. Hindi films sold an estimated 341 million tickets in India in 2019. Earlier Hindi films tended to use vernacular Hindustani , mutually intelligible by speakers of either Hindi or Urdu , while modern Hindi productions increasingly incorporate elements of Hinglish . The most popular commercial genre in Hindi cinema since
4346-542: The creation of a national movement against colonial rule in India, while simultaneously leveraging the popular political movement to increase their own visibility and popularity. Themes from the Independence Movement deeply influenced Bombay film directors, screen-play writers, and lyricists, who saw their films in the context of social reform and the problems of the common people. Before the Partition,
4428-405: The decade were Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001), Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001), Lagaan (2001), Koi... Mil Gaya (2003), Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), Veer-Zaara (2004), Rang De Basanti (2006), Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006), Dhoom 2 (2006), Krrish (2006), and Jab We Met (2007), among others, showing the rise of new movie stars. During
4510-678: The decade with films such as Zanjeer (1973) and Deewaar (1975). Salim-Javed reinterpreted the rural themes of Mehboob Khan 's Mother India (1957) and Dilip Kumar 's Gunga Jumna (1961) in a contemporary urban context, reflecting the socio-economic and socio-political climate of 1970s India and channeling mass discontent, disillusionment and the unprecedented growth of slums with anti-establishment themes and those involving urban poverty, corruption and crime. Their "angry young man", personified by Amitabh Bachchan , reinterpreted Dilip Kumar's performance in Gunga Jumna in
4592-409: The emergence of a genre known as Mumbai noir: urban films reflecting the city's social problems. This led to a resurgence of parallel cinema by the end of the decade. The films featured actors whose performances were often praised by critics. The 2000s saw increased Bollywood recognition worldwide due to growing (and prospering) NRI and South Asian diaspora communities overseas. The growth of
4674-829: The films starring Aamir Khan, from Taare Zameen Par (2007) and 3 Idiots (2009) to Dangal (2016) and Secret Superstar (2018), have been credited with redefining and modernising the masala film with a distinct brand of socially conscious cinema. Most stars from the 2000s continued successful careers into the next decade, and the 2010s saw a new generation of popular actors in different films. Among new conventions, female-centred films such as The Dirty Picture (2011), Kahaani (2012), and Queen (2014), Pink (2016), Raazi (2018), Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022) started gaining wide financial success. Moti Gokulsing and Wimal Dissanayake identify six major influences which have shaped Indian popular cinema: Sharmistha Gooptu identifies Indo-Persian - Islamic culture as
4756-619: The first Indian sound picture. "Bollywood" was probably invented in Bombay-based film trade journals in the 1960s or 1970s, though the exact inventor varies by account. Film journalist Bevinda Collaco claims she coined the term for the title of her column in Screen magazine. Her column entitled "On the Bollywood Beat" covered studio news and celebrity gossip. Other sources state that lyricist, filmmaker and scholar Amit Khanna
4838-455: The first masala film and the first quintessentially "Bollywood" film. Salim-Javed wrote more successful masala films during the 1970s and 1980s. Masala films made Amitabh Bachchan the biggest star of the period. A landmark of the genre was Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), directed by Manmohan Desai and written by Kader Khan , and Desai continued successfully exploiting the genre. Both genres (masala and violent-crime films) are represented by
4920-414: The first two examples. Awaara presented the city as both nightmare and dream, and Pyaasa critiqued the unreality of urban life. Mehboob Khan 's Mother India (1957), a remake of his earlier Aurat (1940), was the first Indian film nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film ; it lost by a single vote. Mother India defined conventional Hindi cinema for decades. It spawned
5002-473: The important barrier of one crore (10 million) rupees, made on a budget of only two lakh (200,000) rupees. The film tackled contemporary issues, especially those arising from the Indian Independence movement, and went on to become "the longest running hit of Indian cinema", a title it held till the 1970s. Film personalities like Bimal Roy, Sahir Ludhianvi and Prithviraj Kapoor participated in
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#17327903322865084-723: The language transitions to a more conversational style in later works. Notably, in later stories such as Room Nombor Dui, Chhlonar Chhondo, Shajarur Kanta, Benisonghaar, and Lohar Biskut, Ajit is absent as he focuses on his publication business. The stories vary widely in their depiction of crime—from complex drug networks, as in Satyanweshi , to domestic mysteries like Arthamanartham and Makorshar Rosh. Though Bandopadhyay ceased writing Byomkesh stories between 1938 and 1951 while working in Bombay's film industry, public demand led him to resume with Chitrachor ( Picture Imperfect ) in 1951. His last story, Bishupal Badh ( The Killing of Bishupal ),
5166-419: The late 1960s and early 1970s, the industry was dominated by musical romance films with romantic-hero leads. By 1970, Hindi cinema was thematically stagnant and dominated by musical romance films . The arrival of screenwriting duo Salim–Javed ( Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar ) was a paradigm shift, revitalising the industry. They began the genre of gritty, violent, Bombay underworld crime films early in
5248-619: The latter's commercial success paved the way for Indian neorealism and the Indian New Wave (synonymous with parallel cinema). Internationally acclaimed Hindi filmmakers involved in the movement included Mani Kaul , Kumar Shahani , Ketan Mehta , Govind Nihalani , Shyam Benegal , and Vijaya Mehta . After the social-realist film Neecha Nagar received the Palme d'Or at the inaugural 1946 Cannes Film Festival , Hindi films were frequently in competition for Cannes' top prize during
5330-423: The mess at Chinabazar. Byomkesh later asks Ajit to live with him at his three-story rented house at Harrison Road as his assistant and chronicler. The only other person in his household is his attendant Putiram. In the beginning of the stories, Byomkesh Bakshi is described as "a man of twenty-three or twenty-four years of age who looked well educated." Byomkesh is a Hindu and wears mostly a white shirt/ kurta with
5412-496: The most critically acclaimed and celebrated adaptation of the character. These television series are cast by Doordarshan. There have been 20 Byomkesh Bakshi films, with Abir Chatterjee portraying the detective in seven of them. The Satyanweshi audio drama series, created by actor Aneesh See Yay, adapted twenty-two Byomkesh Bakshi novels and produced eight original audio dramas in Malayalam . In 2014, Colors Bangla aired
5494-479: The narrator of the Byomkesh stories Byomkesh's names have evolved in Bengali vernacular to denote individuals who exemplify keen intelligence and acute observation. The character has had a profound influence and legacy, playing a crucial role in the development of detective fiction in India , a genre that often remains underrepresented in the international literary scene. Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay's most well known fictional character Byomkesh Bakshi first appeared as
5576-404: The rest of Indian cinema) it has become part of the "Indian story". In India, Bollywood is often associated with India's national identity. According to economist and Bollywood biographer Meghnad Desai , "Cinema actually has been the most vibrant medium for telling India its own story, the story of its struggle for independence, its constant struggle to achieve national integration and to emerge as
5658-651: The road cinema, written by author and music historian Anirudha Bhattacharjee , has been published by Penguin Random House in 2023. Chatterjee died due to an age-related illness at his house in Mumbai on 4 June 2020. He was 93 years old. Hindi cinema Hindi cinema , popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema , refers to the film industry based in Mumbai , engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood
5740-543: The script for the Bangladeshi film Ek Cup Cha, directed by Noyeem Imtiaz Neamul. Basu Chatterjee was born in Ajmer , Rajasthan , India, in a Bengali family. His middle class upbringing reflected in his movies that explored areas which were far removed from the glitz and glamour of the blockbusters of the time. In 1950s, Chatterjee arrived in Bombay (now Mumbai ) and started his career as an illustrator and cartoonist for
5822-574: The success of Bruce Lee films (such as Enter the Dragon ) in India, Deewaar (1975) and other Bollywood films incorporated fight scenes inspired by 1970s martial arts films from Hong Kong cinema until the 1990s. Bollywood action scenes emulated Hong Kong rather than Hollywood, emphasising acrobatics and stunts and combining kung fu (as perceived by Indians) with Indian martial arts such as pehlwani . Perhaps Hindi cinema's greatest influence has been on India's national identity, where (with
5904-757: The television series Byomkesh Bakshi and Rajani for Doordarshan . He was a member of the jury at the 10th Moscow International Film Festival in 1977 and a member of the International Film And Television Club of the Asian Academy of Film & Television . A retrospective of Chatterjee's work was held as part of the Kala Ghoda Art Festival Mumbai in February of 2011. A book on the work of Basu Chatterji, titled Basu Chatterji: And Middle of
5986-414: The turning points came with such films as Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988), presenting a blend of youthfulness, family entertainment, emotional intelligence and strong melodies, all of which lured audiences back to the big screen. It brought back the template for Bollywood musical romance films which went on to define 1990s Hindi cinema. Known since the 1990s as "New Bollywood", contemporary Bollywood
6068-1297: The weekly tabloid Blitz published by Russi Karanjia . He worked there for 18 years before changing career paths to filmmaking, when he assisted Basu Bhattacharya in the Raj Kapoor and Waheeda Rehman starrer Teesri Kasam (1966), which later won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film . Eventually, he made his directorial debut with Sara Akash in 1969, which won him the Filmfare Best Screenplay Award . Some of his most critically acclaimed films are Sara Akash (1969), Piya Ka Ghar (1971), Us Paar (1974), Rajnigandha (1974), Chhoti Si Baat (1975), Chitchor (1976), Swami (1977), Khatta Meetha , Priyatama , Chakravyuha (1978 film) , Jeena Yahan (1979), Baton Baton Mein (1979), Apne Paraye (1980), Shaukeen and Ek Ruka Hua Faisla . Other films include Ratnadeep , Safed Jhooth , Man Pasand , Hamari Bahu Alka , Kamla Ki Maut and Triyacharitra . He has also directed many Bengali films such as Hothat Brishti , Hochcheta Ki and Hothat Shei Din . Chatterjee directed
6150-465: Was also released that year. By 1983, the Bombay film industry was generating an estimated annual revenue of ₹700 crore ( ₹ 7 billion, $ 693.14 million ), equivalent to $ 2.12 billion ( ₹12,667 crore , ₹ 111.33 billion) when adjusted for inflation. By 1986, India's annual film output had increased from 741 films produced annually to 833 films annually, making India the world's largest film producer. The most internationally acclaimed Hindi film of
6232-588: Was buffeted by the Great Depression , World War II , the Indian independence movement , and the violence of the Partition . Although most early Bombay films were unabashedly escapist , a number of filmmakers tackled tough social issues or used the struggle for Indian independence as a backdrop for their films. Irani made the first Hindi colour film, Kisan Kanya , in 1937. The following year, he made
6314-617: Was coined during the 1970s, when the conventions of commercial Hindi films were defined. Key to this was the masala film , which combines a number of genres ( action , comedy , romance , drama , melodrama , and musical ). The masala film was pioneered early in the decade by filmmaker Nasir Hussain , and the Salim-Javed screenwriting duo, pioneering the Bollywood- blockbuster format. Yaadon Ki Baarat (1973), directed by Hussain and written by Salim-Javed, has been identified as
6396-433: Was inspired by two 1970s Bollywood songs : "Ye Mera Dil Yaar Ka Diwana" from Don (1978) and "Ae Nujawan Hai Sub" from Apradh (1972). Both songs were composed by Kalyanji Anandji , sung by Asha Bhosle , and featured the dancer Helen . The Kronos Quartet re-recorded several R. D. Burman compositions sung by Asha Bhosle for their 2005 album, You've Stolen My Heart: Songs from R.D. Burman's Bollywood , which
6478-464: Was its creator. It is unknown if it was derived from "Hollywood" through "Tollywood", or was inspired directly by "Hollywood". The term has been criticised by some film journalists and critics, who believe it implies that the industry is a poor cousin of Hollywood. In 1897, a film presentation by Professor Stevenson featured a stage show at Calcutta 's Star Theatre. With Stevenson's encouragement and camera, Hiralal Sen , an Indian photographer, made
6560-571: Was left incomplete upon his passing in 1970. The stories have been adapted into several television series, radio programs, audio dramas, films, and video games. Chiriyakhana (1967) is an Indian Bengali-language crime thriller film based on the story of the same name, directed by Satyajit Ray and written by Bandyopadhyay and Ray, it starred Uttam Kumar as Byomkesh Bakshi. The 1993–97 Byomkesh Bakshi television series , created by Basu Chatterjee , and starring Rajit Kapur as Byomkesh Bakshi, and K.K. Raina as Ajit respectively, became one of
6642-603: Was nominated for Best Contemporary World Music Album at the 2006 Grammy Awards. Filmi music composed by A. R. Rahman (who received two Academy Awards for the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack ) has frequently been sampled by other musicians, including the Singaporean artist Kelly Poon , the French rap group La Caution and the American artist Ciara . Many Asian Underground artists, particularly those among
6724-465: Was produced in the Hindustani language, four years after Hollywood's first sound film, The Jazz Singer (1927). Alongside commercial masala films, a distinctive genre of art films known as parallel cinema has also existed, presenting realistic content and avoidance of musical numbers. In more recent years, the distinction between commercial masala and parallel cinema has been gradually blurring, with an increasing number of mainstream films adopting
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