While we like to think of France or the United States as being at the forefront of cinema history, India has its own unique and fascinating history with the silver screen.

In fact, film is so popular in India that the industry brings in over $2 billion in profit each year.

But if you’ve never seen a Bollywood movie, you might be wondering about everyone’s obsession with Bollywood films.

Before you check your local cinema for the latest Bollywood release, read up on the history of Bollywood to see what all the fuss is about.

Save Dada: India’s First Filmmaker

It’s hard to imagine getting sucked into a film about a train heading toward the screen.

But that’s exactly what happened when Save Dada, real name Harishchandra Sakharam Bhatavdekar, saw The Lumiere Brothers’ groundbreaking film, The Arrival of a Train.

Dada was so enamored by the magic of the moving image that he imported a camera from England and set out to make his own film.

In 1899, India’s first film, The Wrestlers, saw a small release and Bollywood history was made. Though the film’s release was minuscule, those who saw the piece ate it up and began craving more.

Dadasaheb Phalke

Though Dada may be India’s first filmmaker, Dadasaheb Phalke popularized the art form. In fact, Phalke is so important to Bollywood cinema that he’s known as the father of Indian film. He’s even the namesake of India’s equivalent to the Academy Awards.

It all began when Phalke saw a screening of the 1906 film The Life of Christ. Phalke had seen films before with his son, but none that followed a narrative structure. Most were shorts that captured a brief slice of life.

Like Dada, Phalke wasn’t content to sit back and watch films.  In 1913, Phalke released India’s first full-length feature, Raja Harishchandra.

Due to restrictions and regulations, men portrayed every character — including the women. What’s more, Phalke was a one-man film crew. He did everything from scripting to filming to make-up himself.

The Indian New Wave of Cinema

In the 1950s and 60s, French filmmakers like Francois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Goddard began experimenting with narrative structure. Instead of focusing on glitz and glamor, or noir detective stories, these films aimed to capture modern life by telling smaller, more realistic stories.

Thus, the French New Wave of cinema was born.

About a decade later, Indian filmmakers began experimenting with similar ideas. The result was India’s own new wave, and it sent ripples down through the Bollywood industry.

These new subversive films challenged societal norms and focused on the working class. As you might expect, they were quite controversial upon release. Some were even outright banned!

Modern Bollywood Cinema

Bollywood cinema found its first international hit with 2009’s Slumdog Millionaire.

The movie was a fascinating combination of Bollywood traditions and Hollywood narrative. For instance, the film features a dance number at the end of the movie — a Bollywood staple — but told a straight-forward story and had a runtime of 120 minutes, while most Bollywood films last well over 180 minutes.

The film went on to land eight Academy Awards and find a huge audience. Suddenly, movie-going audiences had a hunger for Bollywood movies.

Now, even those half a world away can see the latest Bollywood hit at their local theater or on a streaming service like Netflix.

Today, films like the Dhoom series or Dangal garner as much interest from audiences as the latest indie hit.

The Fascinating History of Bollywood

In many ways, the history of Bollywood parallels that of American or French cinema. What once began as a simple exercise in moving photography evolved into a complex, wondrous art form.

And if you’ve yet to see a Bollywood movie, you’re doing yourself a disservice.

So next time you’re browsing for something to watch on Netflix, give Bollywood cinema a chance. You’ll be surprised at how fascinating it can be!

Want to share some of your Bollywood favorites? Leave a reply below or get in touch.