Adoor, Aravindan inspired me - Rasul

I was inspired to become a second recordist watching the works of filmmakers like Adoor and Aravindan. Their works has instilled in me the chances of creativity in being a technicain' said Rasul Pukutty

The Oscar Nominated Malayalee film technician for his work in 'Slumdog Millionaire'. He was speaking in the meet the press' programme yesterday at the capital city. He also added that this nomination is a proof that Indian technicians are always capable of creating international quality work. He also added that his was a collective nomination for all the technicians in the country.

Being the lone Indian in the shooting crew of technicians of Sliumdog Millionaire', Rasul remembers that he was also quite nervous with the atmosphere. He had to create new technologies on location to record live sync sounds of Mumbai.

Rasul also pointed out that the main areas where Hollywood excels our industry is in the Sound department, where the Hollywood movies give a near-natural experience with the creative use of sound and audio effects.

He also expected that with this Oscar nomination, the Indian industry will start giving more prominence to the effective use of sound designs.

Nagesh: A legacy like no other

The fifties, sixties and the early seventies are considered by many as the Golden Age of Tamil Cinema. The era had everything in it to entertain the masses. Moreover actors and actresses were not expected to reinvent themselves much because the general movie-going - public expected them to be doing what they do best on screen. Every established actor or technician proved to be towering personalities and were simply loved by the masses. That was an era when everything fell in place as far as the film world was concerned�.with benevolence and fun.

MGR and Sivaji Ganesan were obviously the Kings of the time. The likes of M. N. Nambiyar and Asokan terrorized audiences with villous performances. The stage was absolutely set for a talented 'funny' man like Nagesh. Not a single big film released without the services of Nagesh. Though there were other talented comedians like Chandrababu and Thangavelu at the time, it was clear from box office collections that Nagesh ruled the hearts of movie lovers.

Snapshots into the eventful career of Nagesh spell out absolute brilliance. A role that went down as probably the best comic fare in Tamil Cinema featured in the film 'Thiruvilayadal' (1965). Who can forget the interaction between Nagesh and thespian Sivaji Ganesan? Nagesh as a struggling poet gets divine intervention from Lord Siva (Sivaji Ganesan) and presents the work to the King of the land. The court poet dismisses the poem as having errors in it. The distraught poet (with obvious lure for money) is disappointed big time and reports the happenings to Lord Siva. An outraged Siva debates with the court poet.

Nagesh as the poet sparkled in every shot bringing the roof down with laughter. These are scenes that are hugely popular even with the kids of the 21st century.

As a young boy Nagesh reportedly ran away from home telling his folks that he'd return as a 'big guy'. Nobody took these words seriously. He came over to Chennai and started performing in a theater troupe 'Ragini Drama Troupe' until he was noticed by director Sridhar who cast him in 'Nenjil Oru Aalayam' in which he played the role of a ward boy.

Gradually this thin man with exceptional talent was noticed and was cast in many films. One of the directors who made it a point to work with Nagesh in many of his films was none other than K. Balachander.

The roles Nagesh enacted in 'Server Sundaram' (1964), 'Kadhalikka Neramillai' (1964), 'Kuzhandaiyum Deivamum' (1965), and 'Anbe Vaa' (1966) were all massive successes that were talked about a lot. In 'Server Sundaram' Nagesh played a person who serves at a restaurant but then had dreams to make it big as a film star. Ironically though, his dream materializes. Here was a performance that made the whole of Tamilnadu sit up and take note. The thin funny man had entered the hearts and minds of people indelibly. In 'Anbe Vaa', Nagesh played the role enacted by Walter Slezak in the English classic 'Come September' (Anbe Vaa was an inspired version of Come September in patches). The mastery of Slezak was matched by Nagesh in all respects. (Nagesh played the caretaker of a palatial mansion who rents it out as a hotel in the absence of the owner). The combination scenes that involved MGR and Nagesh were outstanding and oozing with fun.

Nagesh had a long screen association with the Guinness Record holder Manorama and Kumari Sachu. Comedy in the form of dialogue, slapstick and situational humor was explored in many many movies.

The Nagesh � Manorama combination sizzled the screen in movies such as 'Nenjil Nindraval', 'Galatta Kalayanam' and 'Anubhavi Raja Anubhavi' (a song sequence in this film 'Muthukullika Vaareegala' featuring Nagesh and Manorama became a smash hit).

Nagesh prevailed in the industry even after the heydays of MGR and Sivaji Ganesan were over. It was about this time that Nagesh acted in films such as 'Aboorva Raagangal' and 'Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal'. The film industry was changing shape and Nagesh was unassailable with his brilliance.

In the 1980s Nagesh acted in films such as 'Thillu Mullu', 'Kadal Meengal', 'Padikkathavan' etc. It was in this period that Nagesh was cast in more serious roles. In a major surprise move Nagesh was cast as a villain in the Kamal Haasan starrer 'Aboorva Sagodharargal'. A spectacular performance form Nagesh in 'Michael Madana Kamarajan' was followed by a beautiful portrayal of a dead boy (Nagesh won rave reviews for this) in the film 'Magalir Mattum'.

Nagesh's association with Kamal Haasan was very fruitful and films like 'Nammavar', 'Avvai Shanmugi', 'Panchathanthiram' etc bear testimony to that.

Nagesh also has the credential of acting with the present generation of actors. With Madhavan (Minnale), Dhanush (Kadhal Kondaein) and Simbu (Saravana) and many more.

The film that saw Kamal Haasan in ten different roles 'Dasavatharam' was Nagesh's last film.

An eventful career like no other. Let's salute the genius that Nagesh was�.after all who can forget this thin man with funny looks striding about making people laugh.

A lifetime of making people laugh is over�.or is it? Nagesh will continue to make people laugh and get enamored with his performances every time his films are telecast on television and projected in movie theaters. The legacy of Nagesh will live on�.

history of bolly wood movie

The first films India watched were not made in Bollywood but cinema had indeed arrived on India’s shores. The year was 1896, and thanks to the country’s colonial rulers, it was the Lumiere Brothers who introduced the art of cinema to the sub-continent. Bombay, as it was then called, was the first Indian city to screen Cinematography, six short films by these cinematic pioneers.

But it was a portrait photographer called Harischandra Sakharam Bhatavdekar who made Indian ‘motion picture' history. His short ‘reality’ film screened in 1899 was called The Wrestlers and was a simple recording of a local wrestling match.

Silent Era to Talkies

It was only after the turn of the century that Indian entertainment underwent a sea change when the Father of Indian Cinema, Dadasaheb Phalke, released his pathbreaking film of the Silent Era, Raja Harishchandra. The film, based on a mythological character, was released in 1913 and was India’s first full-length feature film. Yes, Bollywood had finally arrived!

The growth of technology and the excitement it generated the world over eventually gave birth of India’s first ‘talking and singing’ film – Alam Ara made by Ardeshir Irani and screened in Bombay in 1931.

Finally, India’s actors had found a voice. They could talk, they could shout, they could even cry, and they could do one more thing – sing for their audiences! It was a gift that remains the signature of the quintessential Hindi film to date.

Developments in the world of Indian cinema were rapid and the 1930s and 1940s saw the rise of film personalities such as Debaki Bose, Chetan Anand, S S Vasan and Nitin Bose, among others.

In the meantime, the film industry had made rapid strides in the South, where Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films were taking South India by storm. By the late 1940s, films were being made in various Indian languages with religion being the dominant theme.

Golden Age

India’s struggle for independence in the 1950s finally parted the curtain on the Golden Age of Indian cinema. This historic period provided a strong impetus to the industry, with themes changing to social issues relevant at the time. Sure they were entertaining but the movies were now also a potent medium to educate the masses.

But it was the Golden Age – 1950s and 1960s – that produced some of India’s most critically acclaimed films and memorable actors of all time. Among those in Bollywood’s hall of fame are Guru Dutt, Mehboob Khan, Raj Kapoor, Balraj Sahani, Nargis, Bimal Roy, Meena Kumari, Madhubala and Dilip Kumar.

So while the Guru Dutts and Bimal Roys held audiences in a trance, Indian cinema moved one step further with the release of K Asif`s Mughal-e-Azam in 1960. The film kickstarted a trail of romantic movies all over India.

While Indian commercial cinema enjoyed popularity among movie-goers, Indian art cinema did not go unnoticed. Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Ritwik Ghatak, Aravindan, Satyajit Ray, Shaji Karun and several other art film directors were making movies that took India to international fame and glory.

The Masala Movie

The masala film – the quintessential Bollywood entertainer – burst onto the scene only in the 1970s. And audiences were enthralled by the histrionics of actors such as Rajesh Khanna, Sanjeev Kumar, Waheeda Rehman, Asha Parekh, Tanuja and others.

This was Bollywood’s heyday, a time when director Ramesh Sippy gave us his iconoclastic Sholay (1975). The film, which has been internationally acclaimed, also clinched the title of ‘superstar’ for Amitabh Bachchan, who already had well over 30 films under his belt by then.

The 1980s saw the rise of several woman directors such as Aparna Sen, Prema Karnath and Meera Nair. It was also the decade when sultry siren Rekha wooed audiences with her stunning performance in Umrao Jaan (1981).

Technology Rules

The 1990s ushered in a mixed genre of romantic films, thrillers, action movies and comedy films. Gradually, the face of Indian cinema was changing once again. Technology now gave us Dolby digital sound effects, advanced special effects, choreography and international appeal. This brought investments from the corporate sector along with finer scripts and performances.

It was time to shift focus to aesthetic appeal. And stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Rajnikanth, Madhuri Dixit, Aamir Khan, Chiranjeevi, Juhi Chawla and Hrithik Roshan began to explore ways to use new techniques to enrich Indian cinema with their performances.

Global Appeal

Indian cinema finally found global mass appeal at the turn of the 21st century. As the world became a global village, the industry reached out further to international audiences.

Apart from regular screenings at major international film festivals, the overseas market contributes a sizeable chunk to Bollywood’s box office collections. Investments made by major global studios such as 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures, and Warner Bros was confirmation that Bollywood had etched itself on the global psyche.

Prominent Indian corporate firms such as Zee, UTV and Adlabs also jumped onto the Bollywood bandwagon, to both produce and distribute films. This coupled with the multiplex boom across India made fame and fortune soar to new heights.

Such was the excitement in the industry that by 2003, as many as 30 film production companies had been listed on the National Stock Exchange.

Cinema in India remains the single largest entertainer to date. And despite technology such as Direct-to-Home TV bringing the movies straight into the living room, the marquee still rules.

Bollywood Historical Timeline

Situated in the heart of Mumbai, the Indian movie industry is often referred to as Bollywood. Bollywood, as such, does not have any physical existence. It's just the name which came into existence, probably deriving it's name from Bombay+Hollywood to denote mainly the Hindi movie industry present in Mumbai. Bollywood is that magical place where dreams are born, reality is turned into celluloid, where ordinary people are turned into stars and movies are created to provide the audience with two and a half hrs of stress-bursting time.

Bollywood Historical Timeline

Movies first came to India on 7th July 1896. The Lumiere Brothers brought their cinematographic machine to Bombay and showcased “Arrival of a Train at the Ciotat Station” and “Leaving the Factory” to the audience. Then in 1913, Dadasaheb Phalke came up with Raja Harischandra, which became the first Indian silent feature film. In 1931, Ardeshir Irani released the first sound film made in India, Alam Ara. The first colour film of India, Kisan Kanya, was also made by Alam Ara and released in 1937. The period from 1940 to 1960 is often referred to as the "Golden Age" of Hindi cinema. Major directors and actors like Guru Dutt, Raj Kapoor and unforgettable feature films like Pyaasa (1957), Awaara (1951), Shree420 (1955), Mother India (1957), Mughal-e-Azam (1957) and Madhumati (1958) came in during the golden age. It was in the golden age that hindi films began to get noticied in the International market and award functions. Mother India got nominated for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and a social film, Neecha Nagar, won the Grand Prize at the first Canned Film Festival. This age laid the foundation stones for the modern age of post 1960's cinema.

The modern cinema period in Bollywood film industry saw the emergence of romantic and action movies with actors like Rajesh Khanna and Dharmendra and sensuous actresses like SharmilaTagore, Helen and Mumtaz. Then mid 1970's saw the coming of the "angry young man" Amitabh Bachchan, which single handedly changed the way we looked at the movies. Sholay (1975) and Deewar (1975) opened an altogether new chapter in the Indian cinema. Sholay turned out to be one of the biggest revenue earners of all time and it's said that at one time, almost everyone living in India had seen Sholay for at least one time. Other major actors of this period were Shashi Kapoor and Mithun Chakraborty, while actresses included Hema Malini, Jaya Bhaduri (who married to Amitabh and is now known as Jaya Bachchan) and Rekha.

The late 80's and early 1990's history saw romantic musical movies taking centerstage. 1987 saw the first fine sci-fi movie created by Shekhar Kapur, Mr. India (1987). One of the best villain role by Amrish Puri as Mogambo, memorable songs and a unique storyline, gave this movie a classic cult status. New heroes such as Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Shahrukh Khan gave some unforgettable hindi movies like Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988), Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), Hum Aapke Hain Kaun (1994) and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995). Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit, Juhi Chawla and Kajol emerged as the lead actresses of this period. The later part of 1990's saw actors such as Govinda and Akshay Kumar providing comic relief and new action sequences to the viewers. Karisma Kapoor reigned in this period and became a national heart-throb.

Post 2000, some of the finest cinematography and innovative stories have been showcased in the Bollywood movies. Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000), with fresh new faces Hrithik Roshan and Amisha Patel, instantly captured nation's attention and turned Hrithik into an overnight superstar. Movies like Koyi...Mil Gaya (2003), Dhoom 2 (2006) and Krrish (2006) further strengthened Hrithik's position in Bollywood. While the three Khan's, Shahrukh, Salman and Aamir, still manage to have huge fans, the new generation heroes like Abhishek Bachchan and heroines like Aishwarya Rai Bachhan, Preity Zinta and Rani Mukerji have been giving hits after hits as well.

Apart from the mainstream commercial cinema, Bollywood has been coming up with a parallel art cinema since 1950s. Do Beegha Zameen (1953) by Bimal Roy and real-life movies by Guru Dutt and Satyajit Ray, added a new perspective to the Indian movie industry. During 1970s, directors like Shyam Benegal, Ketan Mehta and Govind Nihalani continued the good work on realistic cinema. Although nothing much happened in the phase between 1975 to late 1990's for the parallel cinema world, Mira Nair's Salaam Bombay! (1988) gathered a lot of National and International acclaim and is remembered till date as one of the finest Bollywood movies ever made on the daily lives of street-children of Mumbai.

Although, as compared to Hollywood, Bollywood still has a long way to go, but the rate at which the movie quality, picturisation and story lines have been improving, just shows that Bollywood is a force to reckon with. Currently, Bollywood is the largest film producer in India and also one of the largest in the world. All major awards ceremonies across the globe are now taking notice of Bollywood movies not just from the parallel or art cinema sections, but also from the major commercial sections, as was the case with Taare Zameen Par (2007), which was nominated for the Oscars Best Foreign Film Category.

Mohanlal, Sukumari - The best

Mohanlal and Sukumari were adjudged the best actors in the film critics awards announced yesterday. Thalapapvu, directed by Madhupal and 'Thirakkatha' directed by Renjith shared the award for the best films. Madhupal also won the award for best director award for his debut venture.

In this awards instituted by Kerala Critics Association, 'Twenty-20' was selected as the best popular film while Major Ravi's �Kurukshetra� was named as the second best film. The Chalachitra Ratnam honor will be conferred on veteran producer T E Vasudevan, for his contributions to Malayalam cinema.

The other winners of the awards include Renjith, second best actor (male) for his performance in �Gulmohar', Priyanka for �Vilapangalkappuram� , Shilpa Bala (best d�butante artiste for Orkkuka Vallapozhum), Sohanlal (best debutante director for Orkkuka Vallapozhum) and Hari Narayanan (Nanthuni).