January 4, 2016
Arts Culture & Entertainment
THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 11
“From Bombay to Bollywood: 50 Years of Indian Cinema”
opens January 9 at the Northwest Film Center
Indian cinema boasts the most prolific
output of any national film industry on the
planet, with its films, stars, and songs
beloved at home and by millions around
the world, yet it remains largely unknown
to many audiences in the west.
Often incorrectly referred to as Bolly-
wood — a term that actually only applies to
the Hindi cinema of Mumbai, one of many
film production centers in the country —
Indian cinema is much more than the
“song-and-a-wedding” fare typically refer-
enced in western pop culture. Blending the
traditions of musical storytelling and
popular myth with dozens of different
genres — often all in the same movie —
Indian cinema eschews easy classification
and demands recognition for its diversity
and vitality.
Beginning January 9, the Northwest
Film Center will screen a ten-film retro-
spective — “From Bombay to Bollywood:
50 Years of Indian Cinema” — that offers a
primer on popular Indian cinema as well
as a rare opportunity to celebrate the
classic films as they are meant to be seen
— big movies on the big screen.
The films featured as part of the
series are:
Awaara
January 9, noon
Awaara tells the story of the intertwin-
ing lives of a poor tramp and the privileged
young woman he loves. Blending comedy,
romance, and pointed social commentary,
producer, director, and star Raj Kapoor’s
film forges a distinctly Indian identity
while also giving a nod to the classics of
Hollywood cinema. (India, 1951, 193
minutes)
Pyaasa
January 10, 6:30pm
Pyaasa (Thirsty), the most autobio-
graphical of lyrical filmmaker Guru Dutt’s
works, tells the story of a struggling young
poet whose genius goes unrecognized until
he is mistaken for dead and his work is
“posthumously” published through the
efforts of a golden-hearted prostitute.
Suffused with an air of romantic longing,
Pyaasa is both a celebration of the creative
spirit and a harsh condemnation of
society’s hypocritical attitude about
artists. (India, 1957, 146 minutes)
Mother India
January 16, 1:00pm
Mehboob Khan’s Mother India is an epic
celebration of the indomitable spirit that
weathered seemingly insurmountable
hardships following the country’s inde-
pendence from Britain. Allegorically told
through the many trials and tribulations
faced by Radha, a poor village woman, the
story follows its heroine as she endures
abandonment, destitution, floods, and
fires with the same steely, selfless resolve.
(India, 1957, 172 minutes)
Charulata
January 17, 2:00pm
Satyajit Ray’s Charulata focuses on the
titular lonely housewife of an affluent
Bengali family. While her husband spends
his days toiling at his beloved newspaper,
Charulata paces the confines of her
mansion like a caged bird, dreaming of
becoming a writer and breaking free of her
restrictive life. (India, 1965, 117 minutes)
Sholay
January 24, 3:00pm
Often credited as the most popular film
in the history of India and perhaps the one
with the greatest impact on India’s pop
culture, Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay has stun-
ning scenes that have retained iconic stat-
us. The film centers on charismatic out-
laws who are recruited by a former police-
man to help bring down a ruthless bandit.
It is considered one of the great examples
of the genre-mixing masala film, blending
romance, action, slapstick comedy, and
melodrama. (India, 1975, 204 minutes)
Salaam Bombay!
January 31, 4:00pm
Mira Nair’s Salaam Bombay! tells the
story of a young boy who must fend for
himself as he struggles to earn 500 rupees
to pay for his brother’s damaged bike. The
film is tender in its compassion for its
young subjects and unflinching in its por-
trayal of the harsh realities of life on the
streets of Bombay. (India, 1988, 114
minutes)
Satya
February 6, 6:00pm
Satya, by Ram Gopal Varma, was a
surprise breakout hit and has been
critically lauded for its realistic depiction
of gang violence in Mumbai. The film
follows a mysterious young man who
becomes embroiled in a gangland turf war
and quickly finds himself in over his head
as he struggles to keep his violent life of
crime secret from the object of his
affections. (India, 1998, 171 minutes)
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge
February 7, 6:00pm
Aditya Chopra’s Dilwale Dulhania Le
Jayenge tells the story of two non-resident
Indians who meet on holiday in Europe
FROM BOMBAY TO BOLLYWOOD.
Beginning January 9, the Northwest Film Center will
screen a ten-film retrospective — “From Bombay to
Bollywood: 50 Years of Indian Cinema” — that offers
a primer on popular Indian cinema as well as a rare
opportunity to celebrate the classic films as they are
meant to be seen — big movies on the big screen.
Pictured is an image from the film Awaara, which
screens at the film center on Saturday, January 9
at noon. (Photo courtesy of the Northwest Film
Center)
and fall in love. Even though the woman’s
marriage has already been arranged to
another, the man follows her to India to
win over her parents and make her his
bride. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is one
of India’s best-loved romances as well as
its longest running. (India, 1995, 181
minutes)
Devdas
March 6, 3:00pm
Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas focuses
on star-crossed childhood sweethearts who
are wrenched apart by circumstance and
harsh societal strictures — a separation
that sends them both into a tragic
downward spiral. Operatic in every sense
of the word, Bhansali’s adaptation of the
legendary Bengali novel by Sarat Chandra
Chattopadhyay features dazzling sets and
costumes as well as stunning musical
numbers. (India, 2002, 185 minutes)
Lagaan
March 12, 2:00pm
In Ashutosh Gowariker’s Lagaan, which
takes place at the height of the British Raj
(colonial rule) in the district of
Champaner, an extreme drought forces a
poor village to appeal to the local governor
for relief from high taxes (lagaan). When a
handsome young villager insults the
commanding officer of the cantonment, the
village is offered a wager: beat the British
officers in a game of cricket and enjoy three
years free of tax — or lose, and pay triple
tax. (India, 2001, 225 minutes)
All films featured as part of “From
Bombay to Bollywood: 50 Years of Indian
Cinema” are screened at the Northwest
Film Center’s Whitsell Auditorium, lo-
cated at 1219 S.W. Park Avenue. To learn
more, or to buy tickets, call (503) 221-1156
or visit <www.nwfilm.org>.
Wondering what events are going on this week?
Check out The Asian Reporter’s Community and A.C.E. Calendar sections, on pages 10 and 12.
For more information, please call 1-800-860-8747 or visit www.ndep.nih.gov.