India is the world leader in the number, but not the quality, of films produced. For many viewers, the phrase "Indian films" is associated with naive stories of love and kinship, schematic character system, songs, dances and fights, which will certainly shape the plot. However, along with films designed for an unassuming viewer, India also has real serious cinema, which must be distinguished from the products of popular culture.
Instructions
Step 1
Focus on the classics. In India, as in any other country, there are films that have become iconic for its cinema of a certain period. Their quality has been approved by numerous viewers all over the world and is time-tested. So, the period of the 1940s - 1960s. Film critics call the golden age of Indian cinema, marked by the release of such films as "Thirst" and "Paper Flowers" by Guru Dutt, "Tramp", "Lord 420", "Sangam" by Raj Kapoor, etc. They preserve the melodramaticity of the plot and features of a musical production, but they are distinguished by a high level at which it is done - in terms of form, and an acutely social sound, represented by the breadth of views on social relations - in terms of content. At the same time, the epic masterpieces “Mother India” by Mehbub Khan, “The Great Mogul” by K. Asif appeared. The creations of directors Kamal Amrohi, Vijay Bhatta, Bimal Roy belong to the golden age of Indian cinema, not only by the date of creation, but also by the professionalism of their creators, a variety of subjects, and connection with Indian culture and art.
Step 2
Pay attention to the pictures belonging to the category of "non-traditional" cinema. This branch of the Indian film industry began to take shape in the same 1940s - 1960s, in parallel with the work of directors who had major commercial success, and still exists. Its main feature is the orientation towards the intellectual viewer, the posing of questions that concern him: national unity, the position of women in society, the destruction of the traditional family structure, the struggle between the old and the new in various manifestations. Regardless of the time, all representatives of non-traditional, or, as it is also called, parallel cinema see their task in bringing Indian cinema out of the impasse, and the task of cinema itself is in the artistic reflection of pressing problems, and not in escape from reality.
Step 3
Follow your participation in film festivals. Participation in an international film festival, and even more so a prestigious film award, is a universal indicator. The fact that Indian cinema is able to go beyond the borders of the country and not only enjoy success with viewers from other countries, but also receive recognition from professionals is proven by examples of the past: the nomination for an Oscar for Mother of India by Mehbub Khan, the Grand Prix of the first Cannes Film Festival with a film “City in the Valley” by Chetan Anand, “Golden Lion” of the Venice Film Festival - “Unconquered” by Satyajit Rai - and the present: at the recently held 65th Cannes Film Festival 5 films brought from India were shown. Indian films entering the international scene are often influenced by the West in their striving to be modern. At the same time, they manage to preserve their originality, chastity, high ideas about life values, which not only make them loved and understandable in many countries, but also allow, in turn, to exert a certain influence on world cinema.
