This document summarizes the evolution of Indian cinema over the past 100 years. It traces the history from silent films in the early 1900s to the parallel cinema movement of the 1960s-70s led by directors like Satyajit Ray. While parallel films received critical acclaim, commercial films dominated box office collections. However, in recent decades audiences and filmmakers have become more liberal and open to new themes and styles of storytelling. This has led to the emergence of female-led films, LGBT-themed films, and a resurgence of talented directors, actors, musicians and lyricists. Indian cinema is also increasingly utilizing advanced technologies on par with Hollywood.

1. Indian Cinema
breaking the shackles of
monotonicity

2. Contents
• Tracing the history of 100 years of Indian Cinema
• Parallel Cinema in India
• Commercial Cinema in India
• The conflict
• The „breaking of monotonicity‟

3. Tracing the history of 100 years of Indian
Cinema
 It started without audio with Raja Harishchandra (1913).
 The silent era came to an end with Alam Ara (1931).
 The ‟40s established a close relationship between consciousness and the art
of cinema, with filmmakers like V. Shantaram, Bimal Roy, Raj Kapoor and
Mehboob Khan making their films.
 Since ‟40s to the late ‟50s ushered the golden era of music. Salil Chowdhury,
Madan Mohan, S.D. Burman and others stirred people‟s hearts with their
blessed notes.
 Thereafter up to the ‟60s, Indian Cinema entered in its Golden Age. Satyajit
Ray, Ritwik Ghatak, Guru Dutt, Bimal Roy, Mehboob Khan, Raj Kapoor created
waves with their films by dealing with the then social and political conditions
and predicaments of the common man. Notable films of this era include
Pather Panchali, Madhumati, Do Bigha Zamin, Shree 420, Awara, Pyaasa
and Mother India.

4. Tracing the history of 100 years of Indian
Cinema
 In the ‟70s, social norms and changing economics influenced films and the
producers. The narrative style, story, characters and content changed and masala
films were born. The genre promised instant attraction and had great
entertainment value.
 But art cinema was not neglected due to this rise of commercial cinema. A.
Gopalakrishnan, G. Aravindan, Shyam Benegal, Shaji Karun and many more art
film directors were making films that gave India international fame and glory.
 The ‟90s brought forth a mixed genre of romance, thriller, action and comedy
films. A stark upgrade can be seen on the canvas as technology gifted the industry
Dolby Digital sound effects, advanced special effects, choreography and
international appeal.
 Apart from regular screenings at major international film festivals, regular
foreign investments made by major global studios like 20th Century Fox, Sony
Pictures, Warner Bros have proved that Bollywood has etched itself on the global
podium.

5. Parallel Cinema in India
 It started in 1969 with Bhuvan Shome made by Mrinal Sen.
 With a low budget, no stars and devoid of songs, Ankur (1973) was a
truly unconventional Indian film.
 Notable directors of parallel cinema include Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen,
Guru Dutt and later came O.P. Nayyar, Meera Nair, Aparna Sen and
others.
 Pather Panchali, Mother India, Naya Daur, Monsoon Wedding, Mr.
and Mrs. Iyer and others took Indian cinema to new heights.
 But these films were limited in number, and though they received
international fame, they bombed at the box office.
 It led to bankruptcy of the filmmakers and in many cases ended their
careers.

6. Commercial Cinema in India
 Commercial films have the sole criterion of being a
commercial success.
 These movies don‟t experiment with new themes or plots
but carry on the same tested successful formula.
 They have absurd comic punches, physics defying stunts,
item songs and absolutely senseless unidirectional stories.
 The direction and screenplay are pathetic and the acting
is either insipid or over dramatic.
 Its perfect example is Chennai Express, which is by far
the most successful Indian movie of all time.

7. The conflict
 Audience prefer big-budget masala movie with stars over
unconventional sensible and meaningful movies but with small
budgets.
 A few unconventional film that are made they have to struggle to
even collect back the budget of the film.
 Many such films have to face rejection from the censor board due to
their explicit and revolutionary content, whereas needless skin show,
abuse are allowed in masala films.
 Directors of such movies keep biting the dust and the actors just
vanish into the darkness of anonymity.
 There is a lack of support for these films from producers as well as
actors. Everyone wants to play safe and hence they just keep bashing
out one festival masala release to another.

8. The conflict
 Lets take a look at this list:
 Udaan
 Gangs of Wasseypur
 Pan Singh Tomar
 Gulaal
 Black Friday
 Shaurya
 Dor
 The Lunchbox
 Stanley Ka Dabba
 Raincoat
 Iqbal
 Bheja Fry
 Matrubhoomi
 I Am
 Swades
 A Wednesday
 All of these combined didn‟t beat the box office collection of Jab Tak Hai Jaan.

9. The conflict
 Here is a chart depicting the box office collection of commercial and parallel
films.
Commercial
C
O
L
L
E
C
T
I
O
N
YEARS
Parallel

10. The „breaking of monotonicity‟
 Change in the audience who are more liberal has led filmmakers to
experiment with new plots and issues.
 The growth of multiplexes also ensures the coexistence of both alternative or
parallel cinema and the mainstream cinema.
 Instead of a blind fan following of movie stars, audience now appreciates
talent.
 New production houses of actors and directors as well as foreign production
houses like Fox Star, Warner Bros. not only understand the business issue but
also the creative aspects of a movie.
 This is providing actors with real talent to venture out of their comfort zone
and act in alternate films.
 The plot of the story is well-researched now before making a movie so that no
issues or protests arise later.

11. The „breaking of monotonicity‟:
Resurgence of good directors
 Of late, major acclaimed hits are from the Bengali film
industry. Notable directors include Late Rituparno Ghosh,
Srijit Mukherji, Kaushik Ganguly, Kamaleshwar Mukherjee,
Aniruddha Roy Choudhury.
 Notable Bollywood directors include Late Yash Chopra,
Deepa Mehta, Anurag Kashyap, Neeraj Pandey, Shoojit
Sircar, Ashutosh Gowarikar, Vikramaditya Motwane, Aparna
Sen, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Farhan Akhtar, Sanjay
Leela Bhansali, R Balki, Shimit Amin, Anurag Basu.

12. The „breaking of monotonicity‟:
Resurgence of acclaimed actors
 Parallel cinema brought many men of real talent from
theatre onto the big screen.
 What started with the likes of Amitabh Bachchan, Dileep
Kumar, Smita Patil, Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah,
Anupam Kher, Pankaj Kapoor, Om Puri is now culminating
into a beautiful era with the rise of Irrfan Khan,
Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Tabu, Vidya Balan, Manoj Vajpayee,
Rajpal Yadav, Kay Kay Menon, Paresh Rawal, Rajkummar
Rao.

13. The „breaking of monotonicity‟:
Emergence of women-oriented films
 Women in Indian cinema were only portrayed as love interest and with
a sole task of clinging to actor‟s arms. But over the years films with
woman being the main protagonist have been made.
 It all started with Mother India. Later, came Chandni Bar, No One
Killed Jessica, and then Vidya Balan took the mantle and gave
breakthrough performances in Kahaani and The Dirty Picture. Sridevi
returned with a bang in English Vinglish.
 She followed them up with Ishqiya, and now Madhuri Dixit and Huma
Qureshi gave us Dedh Ishqiya, and Madhuri and Juhi Chawla will be
seen together in Gulaab Gang.
 The recent hit Queen also showcased Kangana Ranaut‟s versatile
acting talent once again in a different role than in Fashion or Life in
a... Metro.

14. The „breaking of monotonicity‟:
Emergence of good music
 Indian cinema has moved on from loud, dull and repetitive
music and background scores to tunes meaningful and
fitting to the occasion.
 Master in this art is our own “Mozart of Madras”
A.R.Rahman who is at his peak now.
 Other good music directors are Ilaiyaraaja, Amit Trivedi,
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Yuvan Shankar Raja, Salim-Sulaiman.

15. The „breaking of monotonicity‟:
Lyricists: giving soul to music
 A good song is nothing without soulful lyrics, and recently
there has been a great emergence of meaningful, soulful
lyrics.
 Notable lyricists include Gulzar, Javed Akhtar, Anand
Bakshi, Irshad Kamil, Prasoon Joshi, Amitabh
Bhattacharya, Swanand Kirkire.
“Sari umra hum, marr marr ke jee liye.
Ik pal to ab humein, jeene do, jeene do.”

16. The „breaking of monotonicity‟:
Evolution of sexism
 Indian cinema has come a long way from showing two
flowers as a symbol of love making. Actors and directors
are more liberal now.
 What started with Sharmila Tagore wearing a bikini in An
Evening in Paris (1967), has grown on to protrude
lesbianism between Madhuri Dixit and Huma Qureshi in
Dedh Ishqiya.
 New age filmmakers are storming into unknown territories
and making films on subjects such as homosexuality.
 Prominent among them are Late Rituparno Ghosh‟s
Memories in March and Chitrangada.

17. The „breaking of monotonicity‟:
Use of technology
 Indian cinema is no longer the lower version of Hollywood.
Technology is now used generously.
 Latest graphics and audio technology, hi-tech cameras are
now available to Indian cinema as well.
 Animation, photorealistic performance capture technology
(same as used in Avatar), detailed extensive make up
(artists of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), VFX
(more VFX shots than Avatar) are now being used in Indian
cinema, proving it is as par with Hollywood on the ground
of technology.

18. Thank you.