Gangs Of Wasseypur | 100 Years Of Indian Cinema | Under Lens

Face of Indian Indie scene, Anurag Kashyap blended Sergio Leone and Tarantino with City Of God and created a film spanning over 3 generations. The epic was a two part film that shocked Indian cinema. It was a perfect amalgamation of mainstream and parallel cinema. GOW is a perfect example of how folklore can be adapted in modern context without losing the relevance.

GOW is story of three families – Singhs, Khans and Qureshis. Told from Khans’ point of view, film never becomes judgmental or holds a moral ground. The bottom line from the first act is revenge and in the end it culminates spirally. The narrative beautifully uses fiction and reality as the medium to present the story. At no point it tries to digress from the context.

Based in Bihar, the story is set in Dhanbad and Wasseypur. Infact, Wasseypur is the epicenter of everything that happens in the story. Qureshis were responsible for Shahid Khan (first Khan) ouster from Wasseypur. Ramadheer Singh was responsible for his death. Sardar, son of Shahid, vows to take revenge which is completed by his son Faisal. The saga successfully covers the span of over six decades and leaves a bloody trail.

Trivia: Tigmanshu Dhulia and Piyush Mishra were given the choice to pick a character – Nasir (cousin of Shahid) or Ramadheer Singh. Rest is history.

Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge | 100 Years Of Indian Cinema | Under Lens

What made SRK the next big star after Amitabh Bachchan? What made his pairing with Kajol at par with Raj-Nargis and Amitabh-Rekha? What made Yashraj the biggest banner of 90s after some failures on BO? Answer is very simple – DDLJ. Aditya Chopra’s debut film was one of the highlights of entire 90 along with an equally popular Hum Aapke Hai Kaun. But DDLJ is on this list because they brought in some trends which defined cinema over next 18 years.

Raj and Simran, Indians in Britain fall in love in Switzerland. Simran’s wedding is arranged. Raj masquerades and win hearts. However, reality come to fore. After some action, love wins. Cliched to the extent of boredom. However, the narrative allows viewers to connect and relate to the motion on screen. Story was well complemented by brilliant cinematography and memorable music. And who can forget the ‘sarson ka khet’ scene? Also, the biggest heist was the pairing of Kajol and SRK. Though they had worked earlier in Baazigar, romance was hardly in focus in the thriller.

DDLJ literally opened the doors of Bollywood in UK and US. It was perhaps the biggest Hindi film in west since Raj Kapoor’s Awara. It was perhaps the first film where NRIs were subject. Many films like Pardes exploited the NRI angle with great success but failed to come anywhere close to DDLJ’s legend.

Trivia: Aditya Chopra wanted Tom Cruise initially. He wanted an Anglo-Indian love story. Yashraj thought otherwise.

Ardha Satya | 100 Years Of Indian Cinema | Under Lens

Om Puri, Naseeruddin Shah and Smita Patil defined Alternate or Parallel cinema in 70s and 80s. Among many brilliant movies they have featured, Govind Nihalani’s Ardh Satya stands out as iconic feature. Over the time, Ardh Satya has evolved as greatest example of rebellion against mainstream clichés and traditions. This list cannot be complete without Ardh Satya.

Based on Vijay Tendulkar’s play Surya, movie depicts life a police officer Anant who is trying to remain in the system without compromising his values. Torn between his past where a dominating father left scars and an equally traumatic present where he is been roughed up for being true. Self-nihilistic, Anant goes on to ruin everything by not complying with the standard norms. As everything fades away, love of his life recedes away as well.  

Ardh Satya redefined story telling. Cops were self-righteous in past as well but they hardly felt impotent on screen. It was such a taboo. A similar moment was there in Zanjeer as well but it was overshadowed by Amitabh’s machoism. This weakness was rarely explored as in detail as done in Ardh Satya. Something that was attempted many times but achieved rarely.

Trivia: Amitabh Bachchan was the first choice. He was ruling the industry and had no time in hand. The role went to Om Puri and he made most of it. Amitabh later worked with Nihalani in Dev where he played role of a cop.

Mother India | 100 Years Of Indian Cinema | Under Lens

What are the odds that you will find an international magazine talking about Indian cinema without making a note of Mother India? Rare. Its impossible to imagine History of Indian Cinema without a note about this movie. Embodiment of nation in form of a woman who holds her morals higher than everything, literally. While India was on its path to success, Mother India etched the guidelines for nation building.

 

A woman, deserted by her husband under sorrowful conditions, fight a male dominant society for her small children. In village, she braves drought and flood, at times inspiring fellows, without doing anything amoral. As time changes her course, her kids grow into young men – one calm and other truant. Having seen her braving odds, they respect her. One of her sons, in the end, crosses the line and she does the unimaginable.

 

Brilliantly written, Mother India, was perhaps the most relevant movie of its time. India was at the crossroads and Nargis symbolized as Mother India trying to keep hold on her children – one who can keep his head cool and one who is righteous but doesn’t hesitate to pick weapon for rights. Her toil through seasons was symbol of how farmers held the nation and ensured prosperity for all. In the end, she does what she believed was right, ethical and honorable.

 

Trivia: Sunil Dutt and Nargis played son and mother in film. In a freak accident on shoot, Sunil saved Nargis. While in hospital, they fell for each other and married. In Om Shanti Om, a subtle (or loud?) tribute was given to this incident.  

Do Bigha Zamin | 100 Years Of Indian Cinema | Under Lens

Bimal Roy was known for his realistic cinema with heavy dose of rich literature. Over the years, he inspired filmmakers across the globe. Do Bigha Zamin is considered to be one of his best work. While cynics blame Roy for glamorizing poverty, critics believe that Do Bigha Zamin was perhaps the most iconic offshoot of neo-realist cinema and emblem of Indian Parallel Cinema. Known for its socialist theme, this film etches real India on reel.

 

Do Bigha Zamin is story of Shambhu and his family. He is a classic example of collateral damage of Industrial revolution in this country. His land is mortgaged and the Zamindar forges the documents to increase the amount of debt. To pay the debt and gain his own land, Shambhu and his son goes to Calcutta. Shambhu works as a hand-rickshaw puller and tries to earn money. His hardships and ordeals are brilliantly portrayed by arguably the finest actor of this country – Balraj Sahni.

 

Do Bigha Zamin is a strong statement against the people who try to exploit the poor and downtrodden. It supports the socialism movement. In ‘50s when the nation was going through a phase of development, this movie was a reminder that government should take care of the people who cannot stand for themselves. They should not pay the price of nation development.

 

Trivia: Balraj Sahni, to prepare for his role, rehearsed by pulling hand-rickshaw on the streets of Calcutta. He got the mannerisms right by studying some real rickshaw pullers.    

Sholay | 100 Years Of Indian Cinema | Under Lens

You have not seen anything of Hindi Cinema if you have not seen Sholay. Its blasphemous to give Sholay a miss. Perhaps the most watched, most loved and unanimously admired Hindi film in the history of Indian Cinema. Though made more than 35 years ago, it still has that zing. The characters are not only iconic, are almost part of our lives. Every third rickshaw has Dhanno written on it. Every tenth joke has a reference. We might not have the statistics to support this, but go on road, walk for a while and you might happily agree.

 

A voluntarily retired cop Thakur hires two henchmen, Jai and Veeru, to capture a dacoit Gabbar. Two men against a big dacoit and his gang. Usual David versus Goliath situation. Salim Javed spiced it up with some humor and two romantic tracks – one subtle and one boisterous.  Made during times of public unrest, the story struck chord with general audience who wanted to take system in their handle rather than depending on the establishment do the needful. Apart from the story and relevance with respect to erstwhile political scenario, music and performances were two reasons why Sholay did such an outrageous business. Holi sequence and Amitabh’s sarcastic comments in different scenes were two highs.

 

Trivia: In the original idea for Sholay, an army officer hires two ex-soldiers to avenge killing of his family. Salim Javed presented a very short story plot which struck chord with Ramesh Sippy. He hired the writer duo and they carved a brilliant script.  

Pather Panchali | 100 Years Of Indian Cinema | Under Lens

Drawing a beautiful painting on a big canvas is something that demands patience, sensibility and skill. In the stated order. Pather Panchali is no less than a beautiful painting. Satyajit Ray’s first film turned out to be a masterpiece which moved filmmakers like Kurosawa. Ray brought neo-realistic cinema from West and adapted it for Indian sensibilities.

 

Pather Panchali, first in the trilogy, is a story of a poor Bengali family in a typical village in West Bengal. Nothing extraordinary happens in their life. Film rarely ventures out of life of a common peasant who is trying hard to feed his family. The children, especially the son – Apu, are the eyes for the audience. They tell the story from their perspective. The voyeurism is beautifully captured by camera. Kurosawa famously said, “I can never forget the excitement in my mind after seeing it.”

 

Pather Panchali received accolades across the globe. Sight & Sound, Time, Cinemaya, The Village Voice, The New York Times, Rolling Stone and Roger Ebert are among many who rate Pather Panchali as one of the best film ever made.   

 

Trivia: The music for Pather Panchali was done by Pandit Ravi Shankar. Majority of the score was done in one night. Interestingly, its rated as one of the finest pieces of BGM in cinema.

Pyaasa | 100 Years Of Indian Cinema | Under Lens

Across the world Guru Dutt is known as a path breaking filmmaker. Much of all adulation is for two special movies Kaagaz Ke Phool and Pyaasa. Rated amongst the best in Cinema, Pyaasa reinvented plot devices and presented a story that changed how West perceived Indian mainstream cinema. 

 

Vijay is a talented poet who is unable to make a living. His love marries a rich man. A prostitute who is in love with his poetry tries to provide some consolation which he is not able to accept. A typical Devdas-like setting largely makes up for the first half. It’s the second half which makes Pyaasa such a classic. The rich man tries to exploit his talent after he is assumed to be dead. He is lauded. People who shunned him in his early days try to make a legend out of his grave. But he is not dead. Rival to the rich man try to use him as a medium to settle scores. Disgusted with the hypocrisy, Vijay leaves them for his own peace.

 

Pyaasa is a scathing statement on the diabolical ways of world. The contrast between rich and poor, in words and actions, subtly highlights the need of socialism in this country. The influence of market forces on liberal arts is boldly shown. Different relationships, especially the one between Vijay and Gulabo (prostitute), are beautifully explored. The element of disgust fades away slowly and mutual admiration seeps in. Love, in traditional way, is not allowed to influence the narrative as it would have been unrealistic. In the climax, the way Vijay denounces the world, its simply brilliant. Light and sound effects add a heavenly touch to a rather simple scene. No wonder, Pyaasa is rated among the best in World as all-time greatest films.

 

Trivia: Guru Dutt wanted Dileep Kumar to play Vijay but he declined. Pyaasa turned out to be a critical and box-office success rated among the best in cinema. Dileep Kumar also declined Lawrence Of Arabia (role later played by Omar Sharif). Another all-time greatest film. Omar Sharif also got an Oscar nomination.    

 

Nayagan | 100 Years Of Indian Cinema | Under Lens

Perhaps the biggest influence of South Indian films on Bollywood, Nayagan raised the bar of crime dramas to a new high. Rated as one of the finest gangster movies ever made on this planet, Nayagan is loosely based on real life don Varadarajan Mudaliar who was an object of admiration at his peak.

 

Nayagan is made by Mani Ratnam with Kamal Haasan in the lead role of Velu Naiker. Velu journey begins with his father’s brutal encounter. He moves to Bombay where he is rescued by a kind hearted Muslim fisherman. His first step in the world of crime was murder of a policeman who kills his guardian. The same moment he shows the brighter side of his persona by adopting policeman’s differently abled child. Nayagan shows different phases of his life where he marries and falls in love with a prostitute, conflicts with children and his tragic fall.

 

Nayagan is iconic movie on many accounts. It beautifully establishes a strong character whose success has a reason and fall has an irony. It was perhaps the first time audience appreciated the grey shade of the lead actor in a character which never seemed to be fabricated. Audience knew Velu did wrong things but was he still loved by everyone in the film for his self-righteousness. This element was later explored by many other filmmakers in different films like Agneepath and Vaastav. Shot in the slums, the characters were never glossy. This made movie more convincing and appealing.

 

Trivia: The story initially was developed with Shivaji Ganeshan in mind but when Mani Ratnam took charge, characters were remoulded. After initial shoot, unhappy with the output, Mani reshot most of the parts. The budget, hence, shot almost twice of expected.  

 

 

Indian Cinema Scores A Ton | Editor's Pen

Hi Friends,

 

Over last couple of days, film industry suffered some setbacks. Be it release of Kamal Haasan’s Viswaroopam or outrageous comments by Rehman Malik on Shahrukh Khan. We saw a Sudheer Mishra movie falling below his standards. We lost some Marathi actors in accidents. Terrible.

 

Amidst these news, we saw Indian Cinema completing 100 years. What a journey! A nation which failed on many grounds is the world leader in Cinema. We learnt the trade from west, modeled it on our sensibilities and created some of the best pieces of art under sky. People might not agree as they revere American and European films like demigods, but the fact is that even though we might not have outnumbered them, we have given them stiff contest as far as quality of cinema is concerned. Pyaasa, Kaagaz Ke Phool, Do Aankhein Barah Haath, Waqt, Anand etc. are at par with any Hollywood classic.

 

Celebrating achievements of Indian cinema, from this edition we are starting a ten part series - 100 Years Of Indian Cinema.

 

One more news is there, though not pleasant. Due to heavy workload on the admins in their professional life, we will not be able to continue with Between Breaths Short Film Contest. However, we will dedicate the edition to selected short films. Apologies for disappointing you all but we believe that quality should not be compromised.

 

Love,

Sujoy

Raja Harishchandra | 100 Years Of Indian Cinema | Under Lens

People argue that Shree Pundalik was the first motion film in India. But logically it was just recording of a play, not a film. Raja Harishchandra made by Dada Saheb Phalke was the first Indian film made with proper cast, crew and shooting. Made in 1913, influenced by Raja Ravi Verma’s school of art, Raja Harishchandra was a story of a king who is adored by generations for his kindness and righteousness.

 

Raja Harishchandra saw the advent of filmmaking in India. Today, India is the biggest contributor of global cinema as far as numbers go. We are ahead of any country, even USA. A couple of million people are directly or indirectly involved in Indian film industry – from pre-production to torrents – and a large sections survive on films for their livelihood.

 

For a long time, we saw religious movies doing good business. A trend that lasted till ‘70s. It contributed to our cultural heritage and improved bonding among different communities. Whenever a Muslim actor played a Hindu God on screen, the differences reduced. Apart from creating communal harmony, such movies successfully archived folklore in visual media. For a nation with such diverse cultural heritage, films were a blessing indeed.

 

Trivia: First actress of Indian films who played the role of Raja Harishchandra’s wife Taramati was a man. A cook by profession, Salunke was discovered when Phalke failed to find a suitable woman. Salunke later worked in many films including Lanka Dahan made in 1917 in which he played a double role, perhaps the most complex one, of Ram and Sita.