Nearly 80 years since independence.
It is a long period for a country. It's same for the money-spinner film industry too.
We look at the era of Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, who once said - "my industry has forgotten me".
Time goes on -- Bollywood has seen legends like Hrishikesh Mukherjee, minority appeasement, drugs and also 'suicides'.
This is a new spin and old finding. IIM Rohtak Director Dheeraj Sharma analyzed Bollywood movies from 1960 to 2010, and according to his report:
- 58% of corrupt politicians had Brahmin surnames.
- 62% of corrupt businessmen had Vaishya surnames.
- 88% of Sikhs were portrayed as laughable characters.
- 74% of Muslims were portrayed as strongly religious and honest.
'Chak De' is based on real life hockey player Negi - but in the film character is shown as a Muslim ... Was it plain art ?
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IIM Rohtak studies find:
- 78% of promiscuous women had Christian names.
"Pakistan was featured in 20 movies, of which 18 portrayed Pakistanis as welcoming, courteous, open-minded,
.... and courageous, even though this was far removed from reality."
Amitabh and Vinod Khanna portrayed as 'sadhus' in 'Hera Pheri'
In circa 2021 when the son of actor Shah Rukh Khan was arrested for consuming drugs at a party, the Sickular army did not think law should take its course. They were pretty fast to jump that it was a motivated and deliberate move intended to tarnish a Muslim actor's image.
Last few years also saw debate about nepotism especially after the death of Sushant Singh Rajput. It was a drama Bollywood would like to forget.
All eyes on India’s film and television industry, which employs over a million people and thousands more indirect way. The industry albeit has admirers around the world and is a money spinner.
Today, the charge is 'saffronisation' but the story was totally 'otherwise' for decades. Not only these, even Pakistani stars flourished in India quite easily ! Let us not go into Yusuf Khan - meaning Dilip Kumar era.
In recent times, Zeba Bakhtiyar's first Bollywood movie was 'Hinna' and it is said the filmmakers spent months to 'discover' a suitable talent like her.
The storyline shows a large section of Pakistanis have 'good intent' about India and Indians. Fiction can be so far from truth !! A tryst with Falsehood, and there could be motives ?
Meesha Shafi is Pakistani singer who has worked in “Bhaag Milka Bhaag” in 2013.
Cricketer Mohsin Khan also tried his fortunes on silver screen in India. He had married Reena Roy, who later returned 'home'.
Pakistani Saba Qamar played a key character in critically acclaimed 'Hindi Medium'.
A few Muslim Bollywood stars fell from the grace in recent times due to their unpalatable remarks on India.
Naseeruddin Shah has let down his admirers. He has not only done some memorable works in India; he also acted in Pakistani films that include Pakistani super hit 'Khuda Ke Liye' in 2007. The film also starred Pakistani stars like Fawad Khan, Shaan and Iman Ali.
Naseeruddin also made into headlines in 2026. Among other Indians who worked in Pakistani industry has been Sara Khan. She featured in ‘Ye Kaisi Mohabbat Hai’ with Pakistani actor Noor Hassan. Om Puri too has acted in Pakistani films.
Before Shilpa Shukla became popular as flamboyant hockey player 'Bindiya' in Shah Rukh Khan’s 'Chak De India', she had made her debut with Pakistani film 'Khamosh Pani'.
Blogger : Always a fan of Rekha and Big B
However, Bollywood portrayed India's internal affairs, its society, judicial system, and various castes and religions in an extremely stereotypical and biased manner.
In most cases, a child in a movie after disasters like floods and dacoit-attacks is adopted by a pious Christian .... some aunty Fernandes, Bare-chacha !!
Where was the pious Hindu on screen ....he was shown as a crook in 'saffron' a Sadhu or a temple priest who connives with brigands !!
And, they also had a song, "Ganpati Bappa Moriya Pareshaan Karen Mujhe Chhoriya".
Under Narendra Modi. one likes it or not - this is the season of 'patriotism' and hence we must recall the movies of Manoj Kumar and his Bharat angle and characters.
More recently, films like 'Uri - The Surgical Strike' have gone down as an immensely successful.
'Dhurandhar' - already two editions are commercial success and the films unhesitatingly "expose" Pakistani ISI and even Indian Sickularism.
In 2022, 'The Kashmir Files' written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri presents a fictional storyline centred around what happened to Kashmiri pandits in Jammu and Kashmir.
The film talks about cultural genocide.
"Kya Kashmiri Pandit ko apne ghar jaane ka mauka milega? Is this justice?" The refrain so far has been to not ask these uncomfortable questions.
There also came yet another era of angry youngman, Amitabh.
Minority appeasement of political leadership had become a trend.
Can we have some other Gods meaning from other religions?
In 'Deewar', Amitabh does not believe in God, questions God Shiva !! But see the coincidence, he is saved from bullets by 'number 786'.
In Hindi films, a nice person who comes to help the hero or his family or a kid is mostly - if not always - a Muslim or a Christian.
In blockbuster 'Sholay', among all the villagers, it is the Imam who says he is ready to sacrifice his son !
Occasionally Sikhs may be lucky !! But Sardarjis are also ridiculed in Hindi films !! In a virtuous Karan Johar's movie, a sardar kid is shown counting stars !
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| A Hrishikesh 'creation' |
Maestro Satyajit Ray stood out for his height, commanding tone and good works.
In Mumbai, people might have forgotten someone called Dhundiraj Govind Phalke.
His films based on religious icons laid the foundation of building up the world's largest film industry. Films like 'Lanka Dahan' and 'Raja Harishchandra' were run away success.
Not to forget the fact that the images of Hindu Gods -- now moving on screens, destroying evils and teaching morality - instantly struck a chord with the viewers.
There came different era - many years later. The works of filmmaker Hrishikesh Mukherjee.
He provided a window to Indian middle class life - the frustration of the middle class, the wit of a lover boy who did not like his father-in-law.
Deven Verma tells his girl friend in 'Kissi Se Na Kehna'
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Antique means --- "Ghisi-hui, purani, bekaar si cheezen — jaise tumhare pitaji (“Old, faded, useless things — like your father”).
The social context of the time also were well reflected in dialogue from comedian Keshto Mukherjee - who says -
"Yeh milavat aur banavat ka hee zamana hae (This is an era for pretense)".
There came an era of films like 'An Evening in Paris' made by Shakti Samanta where the heroine is in a revealing swimsuit
Raj Kapoor had emerged as another icon and much popular in India and also the erstwhile USSR.
But among the 'high priests' of culture in London or New York it was Satyajit Ray.
He became a national icon showcased to the world "in a way that no Indian art personality ever had been" - said 'India Today' in 2000.
Ray's works got regular article-length reviews in 'The Times' and even PM Indira Gandhi organised private screening of the maestro's films for foreign dignitaries.
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