Jawaharlal Nehru was looked up to for his sense of dressing in post-Independent India. Calico Museum of Textile was set up in 1949. Ritu Kumar emerged as a major fashion designer by 1975. It was in this period that the first fashion show at Kolkata was organised. It was an era of saris with borders and when bootis and pallus were introduced. Asha Sarabhai in 1975 fights for Indian textiles. Issey Miyaka- Asha Sarabhai launched their joint label in 1984. NIFT was set up in 1986. It was in 1987 that Tarun Tahilani- Rohit Khosla launched Ensemble. Pierre Cardin experimented with Indian handlooms in 1989. In 1990, Tarun Tahilani launched pre-constructed sari. In 1992 Rohit Bal introduced the bronzed antique look. It was in the early 1990s that Ramp was introduced. Asheema-Leena brought fusion wear tunics and introduced variety in lowers. Madhu Sapre and Milind Soman posed bare for Tuff shoes ad in 1995. In 1998, Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) was set up. Ritu Beri was the first Indian designer to show in Paris.She was the first to head Schrrer by 2000.It was in this period that the first Lakme India Fashion Week was initiated.In 2002, Tarun Tahilani putT-shirts with jewel trompe in international market.In 2003, Madhu Jain introduced bamboo as alternative fibre. Kimaya, a store was set up in Dubai in 2004. Life Style India Fashion Week was launched by FDCI in 2005.Judit Leiber- Sumeet Varma tied up in 2009.Manish Arora was the first Indian designer to be made creative director of Pacco Rabanne in 2011.
Month: January 2015
Cinema and Social Message
Though cinema was treated as a business, there were film makers such as V Shataram, Mehboob Khan, Bimal Roy and K A Abbas who blended social realism with entertainment. They made their films vehicles for change, and social mirrors of their time. They touched issues such as gender diaparity and communal harmony in their movies.
Art Of Comic Strip Making
St Luc, L’Ecole Superieure des Arts, Belgium conducts a course of comic strip making. Herge, the creator of Tintin met the principal and suggested a training course (1968). Comic books are not only about drawing but telling a story through drawing. The story telling part cannot be taught. The techniques can be taught. The pictures are at the service of the narration. Comics are a way of thinking that is neither writing nor drawing, but both are at the service of each other.
Costume Designers for Movies
Bhanu Athaiya
She is celebrated for her costumes for Gandhi (1982). She designed way back in 1955 for Shree 420. Chopra’s Waqt in 1956 had her costume designs. In Shree 420, she designed sexy cholis for Nadira. In Waqt she gave a new look to salwar-kameez. She gave an oomphy look to pouty Mumtaz in Brahmachari in 1968. Mumtaz wore an orange sari with hipster style, and a short pallu.She have won an Oscar for Gandhi.
Mani Rabadi
Known for dressing the dancing queen Helen. In Shalimar (1978), Zeenat was in exotic plunge neck, figure hugging dresses.
Leena Daru
She designed for Chandni. Sridevi was seen in white churidar and kurta with leheriya dupatta. She designed multi-coloured slashed-panelled skirt and shimmering bodice for Madhuri Dixit to sing Ek Do Teen in Tezaab (1988).
Xerxes Bhathena
He is the first male costume designer in Hindi films.His forte is Western creations. In Namak Halal (1982), he designed a slinky back shimmering gown for the late Parveen Babi.
Neeta Lulla
She gave a glamorous look to Juhi Chawala in Aaina. Juhi wore an off-the-shoulder blouse.In Devdas, she designed the puffed sleeved cholis.
Anna Singh
Stylish Indian look of Madhuri Dixit in Hum Aap Ke Hain Kaun (1994). There was a purple sari and backless blouse.
Manish Malhotra
Most celebrated costume designer. His flirty, frothy minis of Urmila Matondkar in Rangeela (1995) are still remembered.He designed for Dil Wale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge in 1995. Lehnga, choli and dupatta of Kajol were designed by him.He gave a look to Shah Rukh Khan in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998). He brought about an image change for Karisma Kapoor in Raja Hindustani (1996). Kareena’s look in Jab We Met (2007) draped in salwar with a tee-shirt was given by him.Kareena’s dazzling red jump suit which was a one piece outfit was desined by him for Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Ghum (2001).
Aki Narula
Bunty and Bubbly (2005). Styling of Rani Mukherjee. Wide salwars with short shirt kurta and an embroidered jhola.
Rockys
Macho look of Akshay and look of Shilpa Shetty in Main Khiladi Tu Anari (1994).
Sabyasachi Mukherjee
He took Vidya Balan under his wing. He designed block prints, rustic Anarkalis and dual toned saris.
Spaghetti Westerns
Four films directed by Sergio Leone — his Dollars trilogy with Clint Eastwood and his epic, Once upon a Time in the West. There is the rest of the Italian western sub-genere, which may include as many as 500 films. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, every European producer must have at least one western on the runway. Most of these were all-Italian, shot in the studios just outside Rome. Some were big scale with international casts, outdoors in Spain, finance from Germany and shot in American studios. The themes were treasure hunt, revenge stories. The cheaper Italian westerns seemed more original and far more bizarre. Spaghetti westerns very visually extremely striking, aurraly distinctive, wonderfully acted, violent, mystifying, perversely inspirational. The surreal Spanish desert is the hovel of cowboys.
Women Screenwriters
Sooni Taraporewalla broke the ice with Salaam Bombay in 1988. Rajashree Ojha has written and directed Chaurahe. Juhi Chaturvedi has background in advertising. She wrote Vicky Donor. She has agreed to write a script for Shekhar Kapur. Mega Ramaswamy, an FTII graduate, co-wrote Shaitan. Honey Irani is an established writer. ( Darr, Krrish ). Kamna Chandra has written Chandni and Kareeb. Urmi Juvekar wrote the script of Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!. Ila Bedi Datta wrote Agneepath. Bhawani Iyer scripted Black and Guzaarish. Ritu Bhatia composed dialogues for Aisha and London, Paris, New York. Nora Ephron who wrote When Harry Met Sally died recently. Nina Arora scripted for Page 3 ten years ago.
Tighter Scenes to Make Movies Fast-Paced
According to Rajesh Mapuskar, who wrote and directed Ferrari Ki Sawaari, how to write a scene that is really tight on screen is to be learnt. He was told by Vidhu Vinod Chopra that if you want to make a scene 5 minutes long on screen, then write only two pages of dialogues, which correspond to two minutes. The remaining time can be used for the treatment of the scene. The tighter the scenes, the faster a film moves and the less time the audience has to think.
Jingles Reappeared in Advertising
While the 1970s and 1980s were mainly jingle-driven, the 1990s and 2000s to a large extent concentrated more on selling concepts. The jingles hibernated for close to two decades. They have reappeared now. AirTel’s Har ek friend zaroori hota hai and Hero’s Hum mein hai Hero have become very popular. AirTel’s jingle meant for young audience and office goers has been given a colloquial feel. Har friend has been kept a hook line. Ram Sampath set it to music. Coca Cola created Umeedon wali dhoop, sunshine wali aasha, written by Prasoon Joshi and composed by Shantanu Moitra.
Chronology of Indian Movies
1913-30
Raja Harishchandra was released on May 3, 1913. One year prior to this on 18th May, 1912, Dadasaheb Torne had released Pundalik. Pundalik was photographed from a play by Johnson, a British cinematographer.The silent films were made till 1930. Some hits from this period are Lanka Dahan (1917) and Kalia Mardan (1919).
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1931-50
Alam Ara of Ardeshir Irani — the first talkies was released in 1931. Some hits of this period are Achut Kanya (1935), Devdas of Sehgal (1935), Rattan (1944).
1951-60
A decade dominated by the trio of Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand. Some hits from this period are Mother India (1957), Naya Daur (1957), Mughal-e-Azam (1960).
1961-70
Shammi Kapoor and Rajendra Kumar were prominent heroes. Rajesh Khanna emerged as a super star. Some hit movies are Sangam (1964), Ganga Jamna (1961), Mere Mehboob (1963).
1971-80
Parallel cinema movement started. Amitabh Bachchan emerged as a star. Some hits are Sholay (1975), Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978).
1981-90
Movies face piracy. Some hits are Kranti (1981), Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985).
1991-2000
Family dramas. Some hits are Hum Aapke Hai Kaun (1994), Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995).
2001-14
Corporatisation appears in Hindi film industry. Films are released in mutiplexes. Some hits are Gadar (2001), Three Idiots (2009), Dabang (2010), Robot (2010), PK (2014).
N.B.
Hiralal Sen was a contemporary of Phalke who made short films between 1898 and 1913. Even before the release of Pundalik, Hiralal Sen and his brother Motilal Sen has produced five silent films between 1901 and 1905 in Kolkata. Alibaba from Parasi stage was picturised by them as Scenes from Alibaba (1901) and then as Alibaba and Forty Thieves (1903).
On 7th July, 1896, a rainy Tuesday, an audience of Europeans paid a rupee each to watch a show which is branded as the Marvel of the Century — the motion pictures or living photographic pictures. This debut was made in India at Watson Hotel, the swankiest hotel of Bombay, as Mumbai was called then. It is situated in the heart of south Mumbai and is now called Esplanade Mansion and is in ruin.
Ardeshir Irani produced 250 films, out of which 150 were silent films. He produced first talkie Alam Ara (1931), first colour film Kisan Kanya (1937), first Parsi film Duravatre Lore (1933), first English film Noorjahan (1932). He also recorded the first song for a film.
Between 1913 and 1937, Dadasaheb Phalke produced 50 plus films in a period of 24 years.
First Indian Film — Raja Harishchandra
Raja Harishchandra was released on April 21, 1913 for a select audience at the Olympia Theatre in Mumbai. It was later released commercially on May 3, 1913. It means the Indian feature films have entered their 100th year in April, 2012. Dada Saheb Phalke was the first Indian to make a feature film. Prior to the release of Raja Harishchandra, Torane’s film Pundalik was released on 18th May, 1912 at the Coronation Theatre.However, film historians take Raja Harishchandra as the first Indian film because Pundalik was photographed from a play.There is no evidence of an independent script, shot division at different places and editing. The makers also employed a British cinematographer. Raja Harishchandra, as Phalke himself put it, was fully swadeshi.
Raja Harishchandra was a mythological based on the popular legend of the righteous king Harishchandra. Phalke followed it up by other mythologicals, Lanka Dahan (1917), Shri Krishna Janma (1918) and Kaliya Mardan (1919).Raja Harishchandra was a 40-minute film.