The book presents portraits of four famous Indian filmmakers, whose work outlines the range of Indian cinema from the 40s of the twentieth century. to date.
The publication is designed for a wide range of readers.
photo gallery
Contents of the book:
- Cinema with the aroma of spices. Instead of a preface.
- Part 1. Raj Kapoor: Indian Charlie Chaplin.
- Part 2. Amitabh Bachchan: An angry guy from a higher caste.
- Part 3. Mithun Chakraborty. From Calcutta to Ooty: a long journey to success.
- Part 4. His name is Shah Rukh Khan. And he is the King of Bollywood
- Instead of an epilogue.
From the author
"I wrote and published a book about Indian cinema, Bollywood: Times and Heroes." The publication includes portraits of famous figures of Indian cinema, has more than 200 illustrations (photos of actors, movie posters, etc.) and is designed for a wide range of readers. The book was published by Interservice and has 164 pages.
This is the first edition of Indian cinema in Ukraine. My plans are to write two more books on this topic, which I am currently working on and plan to publish in 2021. The cover design was created by a well-known graphic artist Svitlana Koshkina, a teacher at the Academy of Arts. "
Olena Babiy is an expert of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation, coordinator of national and international projects of Kyivkinofilm.
A movie with the aroma of spices
Instead of a preface
From my childhood, the world of Indian cinema attracted me. With joyful anticipation, I went to every movie, of which there were plenty in cinemas during my childhood. My acquaintance with Indian cinema began with the fairy tale "The Adventures of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" jointly produced by the USSR - India. Even then, as a little girl, I was struck by the beauty of Indian actresses Hema Malini and Zinat Aman, who appeared on screen in a surprisingly bright outfit, extremely beautiful hats with whimsical hairstyles, who danced and sang in a language unknown to me.
I grew up, and Indian cinema always and everywhere accompanied me. During school holidays and after school, I ran to the nearest cinemas in the center of Kyiv for screenings, until I became seriously interested in cinema, so that later it became my profession. Back in school, on my mother's advice, I watched Raj Kapoor's "Tramp" and "Bobby", Shakti, "Rhythms of Songs", Babar Subhash's "Dancer" Disco and "Dance, Dance", and a vivid memory emerges from I remember the film co-produced by the United States - Britain "Far Tents" - a film adaptation of the novel of the same name by Mary Margaret Kay, from which I learned about the existence in India of the cruel custom of sati (the rite of burning his wife with her dead husband) - and India opened to me , previously unknown angle.
Today, it would be difficult for me to list all the Indian films I have had to watch, but I remember well the main actors: Amitabha Bachchan and Mithun Chakraborty, Rishi Kapoor and Dharmamendra, Smith Patil and Shabana Azmi, Jay Bhapadi and Dihai Naseruddin Shah and Amriish Puri and many, many others. Many years later, I discovered the world of Shah Rukh Khan's films - a unique actor whose role ranges from a psychopathic killer to a reckless, naive lover, from a high school music teacher to a cruel emperor.
To this day, I am fascinated and enticed by the world of Indian cinema, a world where oaths and vows are kept, where revenge and law meet in an eternal duel, and each story invites to the world of music and hides the treasures of ancient temples, the world of spices and dreams. , a movie for all time, eternal as love itself.
Indian cinema has changed a lot in recent decades. Stilt thieves and defenders of disadvantaged peasants have long since disappeared. Today's heroes of Indian films are modern men and women dressed in European style with single Indian details. They work in modern offices and use stylish gadgets. An obligatory attribute of Indian cinema - musical numbers now look like modern video clips with luxurious staged choreography. And the range of genres from the usual melodrama and social drama has expanded into dozens of new ones - from detective and science fiction, to horror films and psychological thrillers, from patriotic sports films to action movies. Today, India is the most powerful cinematic country in the world, with dozens of new films being made here every day. And hundreds of millions of spectators around the world fill the halls again and again in anticipation of new stories, and the light of the screens illuminates their everyday lives, inviting them to look into a dream.
This book is just for you, dear fans of Indian cinema.
With love and respect, Olena Babiy.
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Olena Babiy is a film critic, translator, member of the Ukrainian Film Academy, author of articles and film essays on European cinema, coordinator of over 300 international cultural and artistic projects.
