What we will be discussing…
•History of Indian Cinema
•What Bollywood Is
•How Music Influences Indian Films
Bollywood
Movies
By: Suraj Tandon
History
The Beginning: The Silent Movie Era
•Cinema came to India on July 7, 1896 - Lumiere
Brothers' Cinematograph films in Bombay.
•In 1899, Harishchandra Sakharam Bhatavdekar two short films “The Wrestlers” and, “Man and
Monkey”.
•First entirely Indian-made film, “Raja
Harischandra”, (Considered “Father of Indian Cinema”)
(produced and directed by D. G. Phalke) released on May 3rd, 1913.
First Feature Film “Raja Harishchandra” -1913
The Era of Talking Movies (1930 1940)
• India's first talkie “Alam Ara” (Light of the
world) Used a single sound system.
Sound and image recorded as one.
• Was released on March 14th, 1931.
• Produced by
Ardeshir Irani. Through
Imperial Film Co.
• Majority of India’s population during the late
1890s was illiterate.
• Film industry exploded in India because
movies were a means in which the citizens of
India could entertain themselves.
• Movies produced within the 1930s – 1940s
contained many songs and dances.
•As the talkies emerged, so did issues related
to language of the film emerge. The various
regional languages in India led film makers to
produce films in both the regional language
(Bengali, Marathi), and in Hindi, in order to
cater to the larger Hindi-speaking market.
•The films of this era were mostly musicals
and some of them had up to 40 songs.
•Three big filmmaking institutions, Madan
Theatres, Krishna Film Co., and Imperial Film
Co.
•The films in the 30's were more modernistic
in their outlook.
•One of the most prominent films of this
period is Pramathesh Barua's: Devdas’(1935).
•Playback singing was introduced to Indian
cinema by Nitin Bose in 1935, with the Hindi
film Dhoop Chaon (sunlight and shade).
•Double sound system = where sound and
image were recorded separately. Allowed for
easy editing afterwards.
SIGNIFICANT FILMS
1931 Alam Ara c. Ard. Irani (first Indian talking film)
1931 Shirin Farhad (sound and Image recorded separately)
1931 Jamai Babu c. D.R. Bardkar (Images of Urban Calcutta)
1932 Noorjaban c. Adr. Irani (India’s first talkie in English)
1932 Indraprastha c. T. Marconi (song & dance spectacular)
1934 Karam c.
1935 Devdas c. Yusuf Muljee,
Bimal Roy, Sudhin Majumdar & Dilip Gupta
1936 Bangalee c. Bibhuti Das
1936 Sant Tukaram c. V. Avadhoot
1937 Mukti c. Bimal Roy (Tracks, Mix
of Interior & Exterior, Expressionism & Realism)
1938 Duniya na Mane c. Avadhoot
Pramathesh Barua's 'Devdas' (1935) Original
Dilip Kumar in Bimal Roy's 'Devdas' (1955)
Sharukh Khan & Madhuri Dixit in Sanjay Leela
Bansali's 'Devdas' (2002)
1951 – 1960
•There was an active support for "parallel
cinema" which talked about social issues,
problems and values of the society.
•The Film and Television Institute of India was
established at Pune in 1959
•1950’s and 1960’s regarded "Golden Age" of
Indian cinema in terms of films, stars, music
and lyrics.
1961 – 1980
•In the 70s, gap between multi-starrer, big
budget films increased. Mostly action oriented
with revenge as their dominating theme.
•Rise of India's greatest superstar, Amitabh
Bachchan (Sholay/Flames 1975).
1981 – 1990, Even to present time
•Revival of the musical love stories in Indian
cinema.
What is Bollywood?
•Bollywood is the informal name given to the
popular Mumbai-based film industry in India.
Created by blending Bombay (the city now officially
called Mumbai) and Hollywood, the famous center
of the United States film industry.
•It is commonly referred to as "Hindi cinema“.
Majority of films produced by Bollywood are in Hindi dialect
•They are usually musicals.
Very rare to see an Indian
movie without song and dance. Half of movie is usually musical
other half contains dialogue.
•Consist of many songs and dances –
approximately 5-6 songs/dances per movie.
Songs are also 5-10 minutes in length.
•In 2002 more than 1200 films were produced.
On average Bollywood produces more than 1000 films a year.
•Include many plots: love triangles, comedy,
and dare-devil thrills -- all are mixed up in a
three hour long extravaganza.
•Movie soundtracks are released sometimes
even before the movie is released.
•Why musicals?
See next slide
•Songs and dances in
popular Indian cinema
are used as natural
expressions of
everyday emotions
and situations.
•Indian cinema does not require that its
performers act, dance, and sing – they
must merely act and dance.
Why musicals?
Cont’d
•Has always been associated with Indian culture.
•Dates back to ancient India during introduction of Sanskrit (first language of
India).
•Song and dance have been and are still associated with many religions (eg.
Hindu religion). (Two clips played from “Laagan”/Tax)
•Dramas or plays performed by religious members of such faith contained song,
music, and dance.
•People would sing and dance in praise or hope of rain to replenish crops.
•Also associated with Punjabi culture.
•Two types of song and dance originating out of Punjab are Bhangra and Giddha.
(Clip played from “Asa Nu Maan Watna Da”/We are proud of our country).
•Were performed hundreds of years ago and are still performed today in hope
and celebration of a good harvest of crops.
•Songs are sung by professional
play-back singers that are pre-recorded and lipsung by dancing actors and actresses.
•Playback singers are featured in the opening
credits.
•Song lyrics are usually about love.
Kissing is rarely seen within Indian films. Considered a taboo
within Indian culture, not only within films but in public places.
Song lyrics and musical underscore within film allow for such
sexual and physical display to be expressed without actually
having to perform it on screen. (Clip played from “Hum Dil De
Chuke Sanam”/I have already given my heart)
•Each movie has it’s own theme song.
•Dialogue and song lyrics are often in
Hindustani vocabulary; blend of Hindi and
pure Urdu.
•Many elegant and poetic Arabic and Persian
loan-words.
•Renown male playback singers: K. L. Saigal,
Kishore Kumar, Mohammed Rafi, Mukesh, and
Manna Dey.
•Renown female playback singers: Lata
Mangeshkar and her sister Asha Bhosle.
•Lata made the Guinness World Records for
singing most songs = Thirty-thousand
•Music often borrowed from not only Indian classical,
folk, and devotional music, but also from Japanese
music (as in the film "Love in Tokyo"), Persian music,
and from Western music.
•Film music is often set to large, Western-style
orchestras. Musical underscore for film is created in the
same manner as Western or European films.
•Instrumentalists do not get film credits.
•Instruments used to produce underscore:
bansuri, dhol, harmonium, sitar, tabla, violin,
grand piano etc.
Sitar
Tabla
Bansuri
Harmonium
Dhol
BOLLYWOOD VS. HOLLYWOOD
1,013
FILMS PRODUCED*
739
3.6 bil.
TICKETS SOLD
2.6 bil.
$1.3 bil.
WORLDWIDE REVENUES**
$51 bil.
12.6%
ANNUAL GROWTH RATE
5.6%
$1.5 mil
AVG. PRODUCTION COST PER FILM
$47.7 mil.
$500,000
AVG. MARKETING COST PER FILM
$27.3 mil.
• Greater number of tickets sold by Bollywood
is explained by India’s population being far
greater than U.S.A’s
• Smaller revenue generated by the
Bollywood industry in comparison to the
Hollywood industry is a result of excessive
piracy of Indian films.
• Low production and marketing costs of
Bollywood films is a result or lack of
government funding and economic turmoil
within India.
Finances
•Indian government is not an active supporter
of lending out money to film companies.
•Indian banks were often forbidden to lend out
money to film companies.
•Film companies receive financial support from
private organizations.
•Support is still very modest compared to
Hollywood standards.
Highest paid Bollywood actress:
Aishwarya Rai –
25 Million Rs. (Rupees) =
$625,000 Cdn. year.
Highest paid Bollywood actor:
Amitabh Bachchan
•Most expensive movie ever made –
Devdas(2002)
•Highest grossing film – Sholay
Contact
For more information:
Suraj Tandon
B.Sc.(Hons)
tandons@mcmaster.ca