Bollywood? The Hindi-language film industry is fondly known as Bollywood, and it is Mumbai-centric in India. The film industry makes the majority of the films in India. Compared to other South industries and regional North belt filmy industries. While the Indian film industry is the biggest film producing sector in the world, with 1700 to 2000 films released every year, almost half of them are being made by the Bollywood filmmakers themselves.

History of Bollywood:

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Veteran Bollywood Analyst cum Business Transformation Expert Hirav Shah says that the Indian film industry started in 1913 and has been seeing steady growth ever since. He divides the span of Bollywood into eras and ages.

Early days: The first full-length feature film made in India was the 1913 silent film Raja Harishchandra, from director Dadasaheb Phalke. The first talkie, or talking film, was released in 1931.

Golden Age: In 1947, India gained independence from the British, with the country partitioned into the Republic of India and Pakistan. From that point, the Indian film industry entered what historians call the Golden Age of Hindi cinema. Mehboob Khan’s film Mother India (1957) became the first Indian film nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Stars like Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, and Dev Anand have also emerged during the same time. How did the word Bollywood form? The term “Bollywood” was coined in the 1970s. During this time, the conventions of Bollywood films were established, such as the masala film (which freely mixes the genres of romance, melodrama, comedy, and musical) and the violent crime film (which explores the seedy underbelly of Indian society). In the 1980s, the Indian movie industry was producing around 800 films annually, making it the world’s largest film industry.

What is Bollywood today?

Hirav Shah says, “After stagnating in the 1980s, Bollywood saw an uptick in the ’90s as India underwent economic liberalization. Production budgets increased, and movies often had lavish sets in international locations. Currently, Bollywood films are available globally, both in cinemas and on numerous streaming digital platforms on a wide range.

A few notable Bollywood actors:

It is widely known that Bollywood films are star-centric, and Hirav Shah picks some of the actors who have taken Bollywood to the next level and has made the Indian film industry proud on the global platform

Shah Rukh Khan:

Shah Rukh Khan is known as the Baadshah of Bollywood. Appeared in more than 100 films since the ’90s, SRK has a romantic hero image and owns a large following globally.

Amitabh Bachchan:

Amitabh used to be called an Anger Young Man in his earlier days. To date, he has appeared in more than 200 films since the ’70s and is one of the most influential figures in Indian cinema.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas:

Being one of India’s highest-paid entertainers today, Priyanka Chopra Jonas has acted in both Bollywood and Hollywood movies and TV shows. She has married American-based musician Nick Jonas.

Akshay Kumar:

Akshay Kumar has appeared in more than 100 films in the last three decades and is one of the bankable stars in
Hindi.

Madhuri Dixit:

Dancing is a critical feature in Bollywood films, and Madhuri Dixit, a classically trained dancer, was a prominent actress, particularly in the ’80s and ’90s, appearing in over 70 films. She has a separate fan base among the North audience.

Popular Bollywood Films:

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Bollywood produces more than 1,000 films per year. A few outstanding Bollywood films which have created an impact on Hirav Shah are:

Pyaasa (1957):

A classic of 1950s cinema, Pyaasa (which means “thirsty” in Hindi), is about the struggles of an idealistic poet. The film was produced, directed by, and starred Guru Dutt, and has enduring music by the famous music director SD Burman.

Mother India (1957):

Mother India stars Nargis, Rajendra Kumar, and Sunil Dutt and is about the exploitation of farmers in rural India. The film was the first Hindi film to be nominated for Best Foreign-Language Film at the Oscars.

Sholay (1975):

Written by reputed Indian screenwriter duo Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, Sholay was influenced by Westerns and follows the journey of two criminals (played by Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan) who try to capture a bandit Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan).

Amar Akbar Anthony (1977):

This 1970s comedy tells the story of three brothers (played by Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna, and Rishi Kapoor), who are separated at birth and raised in different faiths. After the release of Amar Akbar Anthony, many films are being made on the same lines by Indian filmmakers.

Monsoon Wedding (2001):

Combining comedy and drama, Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding is set around a lavish Indian wedding in Delhi. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe.

Dil Chahta Hai (2001):

This coming-age film from director Farhan Akhtar stars Aamir Khan, Akshaye Khanna, and Saif Ali Khan as three young men from Mumbai.

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001):

This melodrama from director Karan Johar stars a bevy of superstars, including Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan, and Kareena Kapoor, who portray a family that is fractured when the son marries a woman in a lower socioeconomic group. Emblematic of the big-budget movies of this era, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham delves into the lives of the ultra-wealthy and features elaborate sets, costumes, and dance numbers.

Chak De! India (2007):

This sports drama stars Shah Rukh Khan as a disgraced field hockey captain who coaches a women’s field hockey team is one of the finest films ever made in Bollywood.

Dangal:

Based on a story idea by Disney creative member Divya V. Rao, who came up with the idea of a film on the Phogat family, the film stars Aamir Khan as Mahavir Singh Phogat, a pehalwani amateur wrestler who trains his daughters Geeta Phogat and Babita Kumari to become India’s first world-class female wrestlers.

Hirav Shah concludes by saying, “The pandemic has really changed the way we view Bollywood movies. Long gone are the days when a typical masala rom-com would mean box office success. With OTT proving to be a key player in recent times, our patience with mediocre content has drastically dwindled.

Today, viewers seek relatable plot lines, curated casts, and excellent direction instead of the regular song-and-dance routine. With movies like Pathan, Tiger 3, Gehrayiyaan, KGF2, RRRR, and many more… we will have to wait and see where Bollywood goes from here on!