Indian Cinema: Part II

International Recognition: In 1946, Chetan Anand’s Neecha Nagar became the first Indian film to win an award at the Cannes International film festival. Bimal Roy’s Do Bigha Zameen won the Prix-International in 1954. Later Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali won the Prix Best Human Document in 1956.However it’s with Mehboob khan’s Mother India that, Indian-cinema made its mark globally. The Film became the first Indian Film to be nominated for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Film Category and at the 1958 Academy Awards. Thematically, Mother India, made in 1957, is one of the most successful as well as one of the most idealistic films in Indian terms. It was one of the most powerful performances by Nargis. This film became the flag-bearer of Hindi-cinema and a legend in its own right.

Golden-Age: Is defined by the arrival of these three maestros of cinema-

Raj Kapoor, a star who went onto production under his own banner, R.K. Films and created, with himself as hero, a passionate romantic team with Nargis. He wove into his plots a novel kind of romantic music that had his unmistakable directorial stamp. His themes cantered around the dreams and longings of youth, its thirst for social justice, with traces of Chaplin’s tramp. This was most evident in two films Awara and Shri 420. Yet, Raj Kapoor could be influenced by the Italian neo-realists, as seen in his production, boot polish, a film about orphaned children, a wicked aunt, and a smuggler with a heart of gold. It was a sentimental tale and a complete departure from his hallmark romances.

Bimal Roy, who started his film career in Calcutta as a camera man and director, introduced Bengali literature to Hindi-cinema and transformed the latter in many ways. Greatly influenced by the neo-realist Italian films and other post-war films. Bimal roy’s Do Bigha Zameen remains a landmark film, with a highly sensitive performance by Balraj Sahni as a rickshaw puller. He made some of his most memorable films-Parineeta, Biraj Bahu, Madhumati.

The later years of golden-age was marked by the brilliance of Guru Dutt. He became a cult figure in India and abroad. Starting with Baazi and Jaal, that had more conventional themes, and even a comedy, Mr and Mrs 55, it was Pyaasa, made in 1957, that marked Dutt out as a filmmaker with originality in both the theme and its treatment. Two more films that he made in this period, Kagaz ke Phool and Chaudhvin ka Chand further confirmed this. The director’s eventual professional decline and lonely death in an empty studio are considered among the most unforgettable moments in Hindi-cinema.

Parallel-Cinema: Parallel cinema created a phalanx of incredibly talented actors such as Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Smita Patil and Shabana Azmi, to name only the famed quartet. The gradual public acceptance of these actors and the acclaim of many awards kindled among mainstream stars a hankering for similar critical recognition. The man who discovered these great new talents and defined ensemble acting in Indian cinema was Shyam Benegal who can be called the leader of Hindi parallel cinema even though Mrinal Sen’s Bhuvan Shome was the first offbeat film made in Hindi. Benegal’s creative stamina and fecundity qualify him for the honour.