I recently joined the exhibition team at the museum to support the Indian Cinema summer programme, which began with the opening of the Bollywood Icons exhibition last month.
I confess I knew very little about Bollywood before starting on this project but have been thoroughly swept up by its vibrancy. The exhibition centres on a selection of Bollywood posters, charting 100 years of Indian cinema since the first feature film, Raja Harischandra, was released in 1913. Wanting to appeal to a wide audience who may not all speak the same language, the posters often relied on the power of a striking image or a montage of scenes to sell the film.
I have been struck by the scale of stardom of Bollywood stars like Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan. Films sell purely on their leading star, who doesn’t even needed to be named they are so recognisable. I was amazed by the sheer number of films the Bollywood icons have starred in. The Indian film industry is huge and produces double the number of films that come out of Hollywood; reportedly between 800 and 1000 films each year.
The number of Bollywood acting dynasties is impressive, with generations of families working as actors, directors and producers. I discovered that many films feature real life families and couples, with on-screen relationships reflecting those off-screen. The Kapoors are the most well known dynasty with four generations of actors so far.
I’ve really enjoyed working on this project so far and being exposed to a new genre of films I had never encountered but am now rather enamoured of.
You might have experienced the same feeling of discovery if you caught any of the ‘Happy Birthday Indian Cinema!’ strand at Bradford International Film Festival. But don’t worry if you missed it as there’s more Bollywood to come…
There’s going to be a big Indian cinema celebration event in May, and I’ve heard that a top Bollywood star will be arriving in Bradford, following in the footsteps of Bollywood legends Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kappro and Aamir Khan who have all visited previously. Keep an eye on our tweets and our Facebook page for news of that one.
Plus, every weekend in May and throughout the half term holidays (Saturday 25 May – Sunday 2 June 2013), we’ll be marking the centenary celebrations with an Indian cinema family festival.
Finally, if you live in or near the city, keep an eye out for Bollywood Live—a live Bollywood-style production of the opera Carmen right in the centre of Bradford on 9th June. Follow Bradford City of Film on Twitter for updates.