Indian cinema

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V.K. Cherian
Many say Ritwik Ghatak, often hailed as one of Bengali cinema’s three maestros along with Satyajit Ray and Mrinal Sen, found the appreciation he deserved only after his death. His genius was not restricted to his films and scripts alone, but went on to influence a generation of film-makers whom he…
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Abhilasha Ojha
A man of many firsts, Khemchand Prakash’s unparalleled contribution to the music of Hindi film industry pioneered a legacy that should never be forgotten. We train the spotlight on the life and work of the musical genius ‘whose contribution to Hindi film music was far greater than just the songs he…
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Abhilasha Ojha
The shy, reticent girl who appeared in the Indian playback singing scene as a teenager in the late 1940s, shone brightly, even if briefly, through her distinct voice and talaffuz in the 1950s and 1960s. Sahapedia highlights the contribution of Mubarak Begum from Rajasthan, one of the unsung stars…
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V.K. Cherian
A disciple of the radical film-maker Ritwik Ghatak, Mani Kaul is said to have pushed the envelope with his innovative film-making techniques, establishing his own brand of ‘new wave’ Indian cinema in the 1960s and 1970s. We look at what makes Kaul the first rebel of Indian parallel cinema. (Photo…
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V.K. Cherian
Vijaya Mulay, who passed away on May 19, 2019, was an important figure in India’s film society movement. Along with the likes of Satyajit Ray and Marie Seton, she was a part of various collectives such as the Patna and Delhi film societies and, in 2000, became president of the Federation of Film…
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V.K. Cherian
Adoor Gopalakrishnan is credited with pioneering the ‘new wave’ in Malayalam cinema in the 1960s and 1970s. We look at why he is widely hailed as the true heir to Satyajit Ray’s tradition of film-making (Photo Courtesy: Navaneeth Krishnan S [CC BY-SA 4.0])     ‘I have a seen a classic in India—…
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V.K. Cherian
Whenever independent India’s film history is written, Jawaharlal Nehru’s name undoubtedly comes to the fore. The first prime minister of India not only initiated national policies but influenced the creativity of a host of film-makers as well. We explore Nehru’s contribution to the Indian film…
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V.K. Cherian
Along with Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak, Mrinal Sen was one of the three iconic Bengali film-makers of the 20th century. He not only influenced a generation of political film-makers in India, but also introduced Indian films to a global audience. Here we look at Sen’s ideology, the politics in…
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V.K. Cherian
Satyajit Ray was a legendary filmmaker who influenced directors and actors in India and across the world. During his lifetime, not only did he receive the admiration of his peers, but was also appreciated and supported by influential politicians. Not known to many, the Bengali filmmaker’s work and…
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V.K. Cherian
Govindan Aravindan was an iconic Malayalam filmmaker who not only challenged the boundaries of filmmaking but also tried to explore new ideas through his films. We delve into how the likes of Ingmar Bergmann and Andrei Tarkovsky influenced the philosophy of his films, making him a cultural icon in…
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