The people of the Subcontinent have always been interested in listening to light music, geet, ghazal, qawwali, folk songs and Sufi music. Prior to the advent of ‘talkie’ films, going to watch live theatre was a popular means of entertainment and such venues usually took on performers who could not only act, but also sing.
The first subcontinental talkie film was Alam Ara; it premiered in March 1931 and had seven songs in Urdu. Both the film and its music were hugely successful and set a trend for the next seven decades, of featuring at least seven or eight songs in every film. Nowhere else in the world was this practice in vogue.
The Longest Kiss: Devika Raniâs unusual story mirrors formative years of Bombay s film industry and its elite mores
Kishwar Desaiâs biography of arguably Hindi cinemaâs first female superstar registers historical moments in the nascent Bollywood of 1930s and 40s
20 Jan, 2021
In many ways, the particularity of an epoch and the place often creeps into a biographical sketch. This is the case in
The Longest Kiss: The Life and Times of Devika Rani by Kishwar Desai, an account of the unusual journey of arguably the first female superstar of Hindi cinema. The historical register of Bombay of the 1930s and 40s finds its way into the pages of the book, even if that may not have been the intention. While Desai doesnât let the leading lady slip out of the narrative frame, the book offers some slices of evolving elite and middle-class mores in Indiaâs western metropolis in the first half of the twentieth century.
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Movies as we know them now are a result of a constant change in technology and creativity over decades. From the very inception of a moving image to today’s special effects that can transport you to any fantasy world, Indian cinema has come a long way. In this week s #BigStory we explore and revisit some of the important chapters of Indian cinema that are like bookmarks in the history of film making. We also speak to experts from the industry - actors, directors, special effect technicians to get their perspective on the journey of cinema through this transition.