Bollywood - A Rich And Intriguing History

The birth of Bollywood dated back to 1913, the year in which Dadasaheb Phalke's silent film Raja Harishchandra hit the theatres. The film's popularity inspired creative people and technicians to seriously think about film making. After the silent age came the talkies, and the first sound film Alam Ara was released in 1931, followed by the first colour film Kisan Kanya.

The period of the Second World War (1939-1945) coincided with the tumult of the nationalist movement in India, and so Bollywood films during this time were mostly escapist ones so that the audience could get some relief from the harsh reality. But, relevant social issues were also showed on screen, and Achhut Kanya that dealt with the trials and tribulations of a Dalit woman was released, besides an array of films of patriotic fervour like Shaheed.

Rural poverty and undying family values were finely depicted in Mehboob Khan's Mother India, which was released in 1957. During the same time, the great actor and director Raj Kapoor made two remarkable films - Awara and Shree 420 - and ace director Guru Dutt also gifted the audience such wonderful films as Pyaasa. Mughal-E-Azam, a 1960 classic, was an immortal film that told a tale of undying love set in the Mughal era.

Music directors like OP Nayyar and SD Burman enthralled listeners with their wonderful compositions and actors like Nargis, Madhubala, Dev Anand and Ashok Kumar became household names. Singers like Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi won the hearts of the Indian masses during the 50s and 60s with their melodious songs.

Shammi Kapoor carved out a career as a swinging star of the 60s with his on-screen histrionics and Elvis-like looks. The 70s was a decade for Amitabh Bachchan with his characters fighting against injustice and corruption. Popularity of action films continued into the mid 80s, until the nationwide release of Qayamat se Qayamat Tak in 1988, which set the trend for sweet romantic movies in Bollywood that has continued even in the latest bollywood movies. However, today's latest hindi movies are much more sophisticated and they now attract an international audience.