Indian movies have become incredibly popular, and they continue to evolve with every new season. They have been around more than a century now, and below is a breakdown of how far they have come.

The Hindi film industry, based in Mumbai, India, is officially the world’s largest film production center. This sector alone, according to Deloitte, churns out a staggering 1,500 to 2,000 movies annually. The movies are available all over the world on numerous platforms that include The Pirate Bay. Its stars are as popular as they are pompous, and the movies are as riveting as they are thrilling. Bollywood, as the industry is popularly referred to, has come a pretty long way and has taken lots of blood, sweat, and tears to create a name for itself. Here is what you need to know about its becoming.

A Brief History of Bollywood

The active Bollywood scene made a debut in 1913 through the production of Raja Harishchandra, a full-length silent movie. The movie gained overwhelming success and paved the way for many other movies in the next two decades. More and more stakeholders pushed to build the industry, but it was not until the 1950s that Bollywood actually saw significant headway that made the Hindi film industry what it is today.

In the last 100 years, there have been 4 significant eras in the development of Bollywood, and they are highlighted below.  

Inception (The early stages) – 1913

The scene opened with Raja Harishchandra, a silent production that was directed by Dadasaheb Phalke. The first talking movie, also called a talkie, would then be released two decades later in 1931. By this time, Bollywood was only producing 100 movies a year, but this was pretty commendable, especially given that technology had not advanced as much as it has now. This period was largely influenced by the country’s colonization by England, highlighting the difficulties that shaped everyday life for regular Indian citizens.

            The Golden Age/ Golden Era – 1947 – Late 1960s

This particular year brought a good deal of freedom to Indian filmmakers as the country gained independence from Great Britain. With the newfound independence, filmmakers channeled their creativity into social issues that were relevant to India’s citizens at the time. The first Indian movie to be nominated for an Academy Award was called Mother India, and it was produced in 1975 by Mehboob Khan. This era would shape the careers of such stars as Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, and Dev Anand. One other popular production credited to this era is Pyaasa which loosely translates to thirsty. It was released in 1957 and was produced by Guru Dutt.

            The Establishment of Bollywood – 1970 – Late 1980s

The 1970s saw the proper establishment of the Indian film industry, and in the era, the term Bollywood would be coined. The main conventions of Indian movies were sealed in this period, with masala films and violent crime movies highlighted as the main genres. Masala films are characterized by romance, comedy, musicals, and melodrama, and violent crime movies are characterized by extremely dramatic violence that is riveting. During this era, Bollywood would produce upwards of 800 movies every year. A popular movie produced in this period is Amar Akbar Anthony which was released in 1977.

            Present Day Bollywood – Early 1990s to Present

India, as a country, went through an economic liberalization that translated into more available funds for film creators and directors. With an increase in budgets, the movies took a more luxurious trajectory since film creators could afford sets in international locations, and they could also sustain high-budget talent for high-quality production. Even though production is done primarily in Hindi, most movies come with subtitles, and some of them have translated versions into English and other international languages. One of the films produced in this period is The Three Idiots which has maintained global popularity to date.

Conclusion

The Indian movie scene has come a long way, and in many ways, it has influenced the global perception and production of films. Bollywood continues to celebrate the diversity of India as a country and to deliver excellent quality that can be consumed on a global scale. We can only wait in anticipation to see where it goes next.