BIRTH OF BOLLYWOOD

At the dawn of the 21st century, India was producing nearly 1,000 films a year, in a variety of languages and for a global fanbase. The term Bollywood no doubt conjures images of colourful musical numbers, lavish escapist action sequences and glamorous stars. Yet Bollywood has a long tradition and history within India, much of which has been defined by the country’s own changes and conflicts. This gives Bollywood productions a distinct and unique flavour, far removed from the more typical American and British releases that usually fill the screens at multiplexes. The term Bollywood refers primarily to the Mumbai film industry, which caters to a Hindi speaking audience yet, to Western audiences, the term has been used to refer to Indian cinema as a whole. Stretching back to the dawn of the 20th century and the era of silent film, Bollywood’s story is as striking and engaging as those of the films it produces. While it would be impossible to cover the entire history of the industry, the tropes and trends, the highs and lows, form a distinct narrative that reflects the changing tastes of Indian audiences.

The first full-length Bollywood production was created in 1913 when India was still under British rule. The film, , was written, directed, produced and even distributed by Dadasaheb Phalke, now considered to be the father of Indian cinema. Based on Hindu mythology, the film was originally given a trial showing for leading citizens before being put opened the doors for a new wave of Indian silent films and Phalke himself would follow it with , perhaps just as important for featuring a female lead when acting was deemed a taboo profession for women. Phalke was also the first Indian filmmaker to export his films and took three productions to London for a trade show, where they won foreign acclaim. The director would create other masterpieces such as 1917’s which was such a huge hit that cinemas were forced to begin screening the film at 7am in order to meet demand. Several other companies were formed and they capitalised on Phalke’s success, producing a slew of similarly themed mythological epics. So why was early Indian cinema obsessed with films on the topic of Hindu myths and legends? As explains: “Political-nationalist topics would have been taboo under British rule. Even contemporary subjects might have been resented in those orthodox times, that too in a new medium which was considered cheap, vulgar and socially unacceptable.”