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 was released. It was a massive hit and served as an impetus to several creative people and technicians to make their own movies. The advent of talkies in Bollywood cinema was with Alam Ara made in 1931, which was followed by the first colour film in Hindi, titled Kisan Kanya.

During the Second World War and the struggle for India's independence in the 1940s, Bollywood seemed to move away from reality with a vengeance and focused on making escapist movies to provide some much needed joy to the masses. But, socio political issues also found expression on the silver screen, with movies like.

Poverty of the rural masses and traditional family values were depicted with unflinching realism in Mehboob Khan's Mother India (1957). During the same period, legendary actor and director Raj Kapoor directed two immortal classics - Awara and Shree 420 - and ace director Guru Dutt also produced and directed such timeless classics as Pyaasa. Mughal-E-Azam, an epic movie released in 1960, recreated the Mughal era on the silver screen like never before.

Film actors like Dev Anand, Ashok Kumar, Nargis and Madhubala became heartthrobs of millions, and music composers like OP Nayyar and SD Burman enthralled listeners by their wonderful musical scores. Singers like Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar won the hearts of millions of listeners during the 1950s and 60s with their god-gifted voice.

In the rocking 60s, Indian Elvis Shammi Kapoor mesmerized audiences with his dance and acting. The 70s saw the rise of the action hero, portrayed brilliantly by Amitabh Bachchan. Action films had their sway over the audience during the eighties, but with Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988), the tastes of the audience changed and romantic movies became popular. This popularity largely continued well into the 90s and is an important factor even in the latest Bollywood movies. But now Bollywood boasts of highly skilled professionals and advanced equipment, which helps in creating movies that quite often go on to get international acclaim.

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