INDIAN CINEMA - 2 - ANSWERS

1. B. Voice Narrator

Amitabh Bachchan made his film debut in 1969, as a voice narrator in Mrinal Sen's National Award-winning film “Bhuvan Shome”. His first acting role was as one of the seven protagonists in the film “Saat Hindustani”, directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and featuring Utpal Dutt, Anwar Ali, Madhu and Jalal Agha.

“Bhuvan Shome” is a 1969 film directed by Mrinal Sen (Sen’s first film in Hindi) based on a Bengali story by Balai Chand Mukhopadhyay. The cast included Utpal Dutt (Mr. Bhuvan Shome) and Suhasini Mulay (Gauri, a village girl) in her debut film. The film is considered a landmark in modern Indian cinema as it heralded a New Wave of Cinema in India. It was one of the earliest films to get funded by the “National Film Development Corporation of India” (NFDC). “Bhuvan Shome” bagged three major Awards at the National Film Awards in 1969 - Best Feature Film, Best Director - Mrinal Sen and Best Actor - Utpal Dutt.

(Amitabh Bachchan in ”Saat Hindustani”, extreme right)

“Saat Hindustani”, a 1969 Indian film, written and directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, portrays the heroic story of seven Indians who attempt to liberate Goa from the Portuguese colonial rule. The film won two National Film Awards - Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration and National Film Award for Best Lyrics to Kaifi Azmi.

2. C. Adoor Gopalakrishnan

Adoor Gopalakrishnan (born - 3 July 1941) is an Indian film director, script writer and producer. and is regarded as one of the most notable filmmakers in India. With the release of his first feature film Swayamvaram (1972), Adoor pioneered the new wave in Malayalam cinema during the 1970s. In a career spanning over five decades, Adoor has made only 12 feature films to date. His films are made in the Malayalam language and often depict the society and culture of his native state Kerala. Nearly all of his films premiered at Venice, Cannes and Toronto International Film Festival. Along with Satyajit Ray and Mrinal Sen, Adoor is one of the most recognized Indian film directors in world cinema.

(A still from “Elippathayam – 1981”)

For his films, Adoor has won the National Film Award 16 times, next only to Ray and Sen. He was awarded Padma Shri in 1984 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2006. He received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2004 for his valuable contributions to Indian cinema.

(A still from “Anantaram - 1987”)

Some of his notable films are Swayamvaram (1972) - National Awards for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress (Sharada) and Best Cinematographer, Elippathayam (1981) - National Awards for Best Feature Film in Malayalam, Mukhamukham (1984) - National Awards for Best Director and Best Screenplay, Anantaram (1987) - National Awards for Best Director and Best Screenplay, Mathilukal (1990) - National Awards for Best Director and Best Actor (Mammootty), Vidheyan (1993) - National Awards for Best Director and Best Actor (Mammootty).

3. A. Byari

“Byari” is a 2011 Indian film in Beary (Byari) language written and directed by Suveeran. It is the first feature film to be made in this language. Byari won the National Film Award for “Best Feature Film” while Malayalam actress Mallika got a special mention from the National Film Award jury for her performance in the film.

Byari is a community concentrated mostly along the southwest coast of India, in Coastal Dakshina Kannada (a District in Karnataka) and some parts of North Kerala who speak “Byari”, a language made of Malayalam idioms with Tulu phonology and grammar. It is an ethnic Muslim society, having its own unique Traditions and distinct cultural identity. Byaris also incorporate the local Tulu culture and diverse traditions of the Moplahs of the Malabar Coast.

4. B. Virasat

“Virasat”, one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films of 1997, was a remake of the Tamil film “Thevar Magan”. Virasat was directed by Priyadarshan with the original story by Kamal Haasan, produced by Mushir-Riaz starring Anil Kapoor, Tabu, Amrish Puri, Pooja Batra, Milind Gunaji and Govind Namdeo.

“Thevar Magan” (Son of Thevar) is a 1992 Indian Tamil film directed by Bharathan starring Sivaji Ganesan, Kamal Haasan, Revathi, Gautami, Nassar, Kaka Radhakrishnan, and Vadivelu. The film's soundtrack album and background score were composed by Ilaiyaraaja. The film's script was written by Kamal Haasan, who also produced the film along with his brother Chandrahasan under Raaj Kamal Films International. The film, inspired by the Hollywood classic “The Godfather” (directed by Francis Ford Coppola), was chosen as India’s Official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film for the 65th Academy Awards. 

5. C. Apur Sansar

“Apur Sansar” is a 1959 Bengali film written and directed by Satyajit Ray, widely regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. It is the third part of The Apu Trilogy, about the childhood and early adulthood of a young Bengali named “Apu” in the early twentieth century India. The film is based on the last two-thirds of the 1932 Bengali novel, “Aparajito”, by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay. Released in 1959, “Apur Sansar” focuses on Apu's adult life and introduces the actors “Soumitra Chatterjee” and “Sharmila Tagore”, who would go on to appear in many subsequent Ray films. The film won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film and several international awards, including the “Sutherland Award for Best Original and Imaginative Film”. The film has been influential across the world and is frequently listed among the greatest films of all time.

(Satyajit Ray behind the lens)

(The Apu Trilogy)

The Apu Trilogy, [Consisting of Pather Panchali (1955), Aparajito (1956) and Apur Sansar (1959)] directed by Satyajit Ray, is based on two Bengali novels written by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay: Pather Panchali (1929) and Aparajito (1932). Produced on shoestring budget using an amateur cast and crew, the Triology went on to win many national and international awards, including three National Film Awards and seven awards from the Cannes, Berlin and Venice Film Festivals and has remained a milestone in Indian cinema.