In India,... 
- More than 1,100 films produced each year - that's an average of 3 every single day!
- An estimated 3 billion (with a B) viewers - Indian viewership has overtaken USA in 2004 
- 4 billion (again, with a B) cinema visits every year


  • the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai (former Bombay), India. (not the whole of Indian cinema; however, it is only a part of the large Indian film industry)
  • one of the largest film producer in India, and one of the largest centres of film production in the world.
  • a growing presence of Hindi-English in dialogue and songs

History

  • Raja Harishchandra (1913), by Dadasaheb Phalke, was the first silent feature film made in India. 
  • By 1930s, the industry was producing over 200 films every year. 
  • Ardeshir Irani's Alam Ara (1931) was the first Indian 'talkie' and a major commercial success.
  • 1930s-1940s: India was affected by the Great Depression, World War II, the Indian independence movement, and the violence of the Partition. Many films were escapist, but there were others which tackled social issues. 
  • In 1937, Kisan Kanya by Ardeshir Irani was the first colour film in Hindi.  Yet colour did not become a popular feature until the late 1950s. Lavish romantic musicals and melodramas became common.

1940-1960s

  • Following India's independence, this period is known as the "Golden Age" of Hindi cinema. 
  • Examples: the Guru Dutt films Pyaasa (1957) and Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959), Awaara (1951) and Shree 420 (1955). 
  • This period expressed social themes mainly dealing with working-class urban life in India; Awaara presented the city as both a nightmare and a dream, while Pyaasa critiqued the unreality of city life. 
  • Some famous epic films of Hindi cinema e.g. Mehboob Khan's Mother India (1957), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and K. Asif's Mughal-e-Azam (1960). 

The Parallel Cinema movement 1950s

  • Though the movement was mainly led by Bengali cinema, it also began gaining prominence in Hindi cinema. 
  • Early examples include Chetan Anand'sNeecha Nagar (1946) and Bimal Roy's Do Bigha Zamin (1953). This paved the way for Indian neo-realism and the Indian New Wave. 

Modern cinema 1960-1970s


  • Romance and action films became more common 
  • In mid-1970s, romantic confections made way for gritty, violent films about gangsters (see Indian mafia) and bandits. 
  • Some filmmakers such as Shyam Benegal continued to produce realistic Parallel Cinema throughout the 1970s. 
  • The 1970s saw the rise of commercial cinema in the form of enduring films such as Sholay (1975). The devotional classic Jai Santoshi Ma was also released in 1975. Another important film from 1975 was Deewar, by Yash Chopra. 
  • The most internationally acclaimed Hindi film of the 1980s was Mira Nair's Salaam Bombay! (1988).


1980-1990s

  • Family-centric romantic musicals became popular again e.g. Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988), Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), Dil (1990), Hum Aapke Hain Kaun (1994) and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995). 
  • Action and comedy films were also successful
  • This decade also marked the entry of new performers in arthouse and independent films, some of which succeeded commercially, the most influential example being Satya (1998). Its success led to the emergence of a distinct genre known as Mumbai noir, urban films reflecting social problems in the city of Mumbai. 
  • This also led to a resurgence of Parallel Cinema by the end of the decade.

The 2000-2010s 

  • Bollywood became more known for its place in global cinmea. This led the nation's filmmaking to new heights in terms of quality, cinematography, innovative plots, special effects, animation
  • Some of the largest production houses e.g. Yash Raj Films and Dharma Productions were the producers of new modern films. 
  • The Hindi film industry continued to appeal to a wide audience rather than a narrow one. It was believed that aiming for a broad spectrum would maximise box office receipts. However, there are some filmmakers who move towards accepting box-office segmentation between films that appeal to rural Indians and those that appeal to urban or even overseas audiences.

Influence

  • Perhaps the biggest influence of Bollywood has been on nationalism in India itself. It has become part of the 'Indian story'. In the words of Bollywood biographer Lord Meghnad Desai: "Cinema actually has been the most vibrant medium for telling India its own story, the story of its struggle for independence, its constant struggle to achieve national integration and to emerge as a global presence."
  • In the 21st century, Bollywood began influencing musicals in the west, and played an instrumental role in the revival of the American musical film genre. E.g. Baz Luhrmann stated his film Moulin Rouge! (2001) was inspired by Bollywood musicals.
  • The influence of Bollywood film music can also be seen as popular elsewhere in the world. Many Asian artists have also been inspired by Bollywood music.

Hindi Cinema Genre

  • mostly musicals and are often expected to contain catchy music in the form of song-and-dance numbers woven into the script. A film's success often depends on the quality of such musical elements. 
  • A film's music is often released before the movie and helps increase the audience.
  • Songs, dances, love triangles, comedy and dare-devil thrills are all expected elements. These are called 'masala' films. 
  • Plots are often melodramatic, with formulaic ingredients such as star-crossed lovers, disapproving parents, love triangles, family ties, sacrifice, corrupt politicians, conniving villains, long-lost relatives and siblings separated by fate, dramatic reversals of fortune, and convenient coincidences.
  • There have been films with more artistic aims, but they do not often succeed at the box office. 
  • A large Indian diaspora in English-speaking countries, and increased Western influence at home, have nudged Bollywood films closer to Hollywood models. 
  • Plots have tended towards westernised urban dating and dancing in clubs rather than centering on pre-arranged marriages.