In Filmistan…
It is said that cricket and movies hold India together. That might not be entirely accurate but their popularity certainly transcends across frontiers. But how much do movies affect the Indian society ? Movies in India have always been intertwined with the undercurrents of society. From the heydays of euphoria after Independence, the movies showcased the optimism, idealism and determination of a young nation through the struggle of the poor underdog against a modern and immoral society. The 1950’s and 1960’s produced wonderful yet relevant cinema and is regarded as the golden age of Indian cinema. The 1970’s were lit up by the angry young man disillusioned with the corrupt and sinister world around him. The angst in the society propelled Amitabh Bachchan to stardom. Movies like Zanjeer and Deewar portraying the fight of the upright against the crumbling system found immense favour with the audience. The1980’s were dominated by pot boilers with the sprinkling of masterful films like Mirch Masala and Ardh Satya. This era also saw the emergence of some of the best actors of Indian cinema like Shabana Azmi,Smita Patil,Om Puri and Naseerudin Shah. The 1990’s was the era in which Indian cinema witnessed the emergence of the Khan trio. This marked the shift of focus in Indian cinema from the underprivileged to the privileged sections of society. It was during the 1990’s that movies started catering to overseas audiences.The present decade is witnessing the success of a new cinema that is typically and unabashedly Indian. Street chic is in. The present trend depicts the mood of India in general – at ease with itself and ready to stake it’s place in the world.
Movies have always played a great role in Indian society. They’ve provided entertainment and escape to the masses from the trials and tribulations the country has faced. Movies have acted as a mirror to society and have reflected the general mood of the population. But, can the same be said the other way around ? Probably not. Movies are like the breeze which pushes the ball in a direction but the ball was already going in the same direction anyways. So,movies like Rang De Basanti, Taare Zameen Par and Chak De India must be credited for provoking passion from the society. Movies have still not received their due credit as an art form. Cinema as a craft is as challenging as any other if not more. We must realise that behind each movie are some of the greatest minds of our country. But good cinema isn’t as forthcoming nowadays. The commercial aspect of cinema has enveloped the creative aspect. But that was probably due to the lucrative overseas market. Why would NRIs want to watch movies which talk about poverty and hunger ? Wouldn’t they rather watch SRK and Kajol romancing around London ? With the new urban Indian market,the film makers have started catering to the indigenous market now. Most successful movies are the stories of Indians in India. Cinema has moved on from the ‘dancing in the Swiss alps’ mentality. This is a welcome change.
Another promisisng trend which has appeared prominently in the last decade has been the emergence of niche cinema which caters to the section of audience which is appreciative of offbeat cinema. Star power has gradually declined and script is the new star. Movies like Wednesday or Maqbool with no big star did wonderfully. True, people still throng cinema halls to watch the latest pot boiler from Akshay or Salman but movies like Dev D, Bheja Fry and Khosla ka Ghosla have been the biggest hits. Actors have also greatly benefited from the sea change in movie making. Actors like KK Menon,Irfan Khan, Pankaj Kapur, Abhay Deol,Gul Panag, Chitrangada Singh have belted out power house performance. Parallel cinema is gradually becoming mainstream and attracting stars – SRK in Chak De, Saif in Omkara. Nowadays, cine goers actually take into account the director before watching the movie.
Bollywood is evolving, my friends…
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